Help

"Help" is the fourth episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on October 15, 2002 on UPN. Plot Patrolling at night at a funeral home, Buffy, Xander and Dawn discuss Buffy's nervousness about her new job and the struggle she may face while trying to balance her Slayer job with her duties as a school counselor. At the high school the next day, Buffy talks with various students who all have their own problems, including trouble with bullies and violence, anxiety, homosexuality and plain boredom. Willow and Xander walk together and talk about Buffy's struggles and Willow's worries about her role in dealing with the impending Hellmouth danger. With Xander's support, Willow visits Tara's grave. Buffy talks with more students, including her own sister, but one girl, Cassie Newton, stuns Buffy when she confesses that she will die next Friday and that there will be many coins. As she leaves for class, Cassie compliments Buffy's shirt and warns her against spilling something on it. Buffy reports Cassie to Principal Wood, but he is not helpful. After spilling coffee onto her white shirt, Buffy is apprehensive and sends Dawn to befriend Cassie. Dawn catches up with Cassie and they talk about Cassie's friend Mike, who has continuously asked Cassie to an upcoming dance and been rejected every time. Willow investigates Cassie on the computer, and finds Cassie's website filled with sad, morbid poetry. Though Buffy is convinced that Cassie has a precognitive ability and given up hope for survival, Xander and Willow are both skeptical despite all the experiences they had with the paranormal. Dawn returns home from school and thinks the reason for Cassie's problem is Mike, but Buffy and the others do not pay much attention. Willow finds a website on Cassie's father that shows his troubled past with the law and alcohol. Buffy and Xander visit Cassie's father and confront him with their suspicion that he may get drunk and hurt his daughter. Mr. Newton denies the accusation and reveals that his ex-wife only allows him to spend one weekend a month with his daughter. Buffy then finds out that Mr. Newton's weekend with Cassie was the previous one, therefore not only does he not have the chance to hurt Cassie, but if Cassie's prediction is true, then he will not see her again before her death. Satisfied that Mr. Newton is not involved, Buffy and Xander leave and bump into Cassie.