Buffy and Angel are training in his mansion. Things get steamy between them, so they stop practicing.

Giles conducts a lesson about crystals with Buffy.

While on patrol, a vampire gets the upperhand on Buffy and nearly kills her. She luckily stakes him, but she notices that her powers have mysteriously disappeared. Giles thinks she's sick and needs some rest.

Buffy is excited about going to an ice show with her dad for her birthday. But, her father cancels on her since his work got too busy.

A group of men barricades a house with brinks in anticipation of seeing the Slayer.

Buffy hints to Giles about wanting to do to the ice show together. Buffy gets hypnotized staring at the crystal; Giles uses that opportunity to drug her with a needle.

A guy gets aggressive with Cordelia at the high school; Buffy tries to break it up but she can't stop him. He knows her over a bench.

Buffy's loss of powers is a Slayer tradition on her 18th birthday when she must fight a vampire with her bare strength. The Watchers Council are the ones who have barricaded the home.

A dangerous vampire is being drugged by the Watchers Council.

The Scoobies search for an answer to Buffy's problem, but there is no answer.

The vampire breaks free from his restraints and turns one of the Watchers into a vampire.

Angel gives Buffy a book for her birthday. Buffy is worried about losing her powers because she's changed from her superficial side and doesn't want to go back.

Giles visits the Sunnydale Arms and finds the body of the dead Watcher.

Buffy is cornered by the two vampires and makes a run for it down an alley. Giles saves her in town. He reveals the truth about the test to her; she is furious at him and wants Cordelia to drive her home.

The vampire at the Sunnydale Arms is Zachary Craig, a serial killer who targeted women.

Zachary kidnaps Joyces and uses her as bait. He leaves behind a polaroid of them together.

Quentin, the leader of the Watchers Council, informs Giles that Buffy has started the test. She's entered the Sunnydale Arms searching for her mother.

Buffy evades both of the vampires in search of Joyce. She finds the room of photos and steals the pills from the vampire.

Zachary takes the pills in the basement and drinks the water. However, Buffy switched out the water for holy water, which burned him from the inside out.

Quentin tells Buffy that she passed the test. Giles, on the other hand, failed the test and has been fired by the Watchers Council.

Willow is shocked over Giles being fired, and Xander fails at opening up a jar of peanut butter for Buffy.