Buffy's acceptance to college leaves her with even more doubts about her life outside of Sunnydale with Faith and the Mayor still around. Buffy decides to take the fight to the Mayor and discovers a secret delivery for him, the Box of Gavrok which contains a mystical energy vital to the Ascension. Buffy and Angel successfully break into Town Hall and snatch the box but unfortunately, Willow is captured by Faith. Are they willing to give up their best chance at avoiding the Ascension to save Willow's life? Is there any doubt?

A mysterious woman, Charlotte, turns up in Dick's life, claiming first to be auditing his class, then to be writing an article about him, then to be an "intellectual groupie". She charms Sally, Tommy, and Harry, who are happy to oblige when she offers to help plan the surprise birthday party that Dick has demanded they throw him. Dick is too busy having his ego stroked, and the family is too busy being grateful for her help, to wonder what Charlotte's real story is - which they regret when they learn she's an alien hunter, come to dissect Dick's brain with the help of her hulking son, Ned. Although Charlotte's called all the invitees to tell them the party's canceled, they begin showing up anyway, interrupting the skull-cutting process. Ned ties them all up in Mrs. Dubcek's basement. Sally, Harry, Tommy, Don, and the others run upstairs just as the FBI arrives to capture Charlotte, a well-known crackpot who has mistakenly thought any number of innocent citizens to be aliens. The Solom

While studying for her beauty school exam, Luanne sees someone bouncing on Buckley's old trampoline. It's Buckley, who has come back as an angel. Hank and Peggy think Luanne was hallucinating after using too many hair-dying chemicals, but Hank's friends come to believe in the existence of Buckley's Angel. But Luanne finds that Buckley isn't much more help to her as an angel than he was when he was alive.

Harm fears he's losing his mind when he begins to see and hear his deceased father. Worried that he may be going insane, Harm finally confers with his Navy psychiatrist girlfriend who tells him she's treating a Marine officer with similar symptoms and suggests that Harm isn't experiencing anything unusual for someone who's lost a loved one under stressful circumstances. But before Harm can come to terms with the visitations, he begins to suspect that there's something more sinister involved that could cost him more than just his sanity.

It's Nikki and Mike's four-month anniversary. James is still the only person who knows, but he wants to tell. Stuart takes Carter's job for a day, helping the mayor deal with various ethnic groups. James develops a rash from keeping the secret. Mike prepares for a magazine interview, but during the interview, the reporter's focus shifts to Carter. Stuart enlists Stacy's help with the ethnic groups. James spills the beans.

The Professor sends the crew to planet Trisol for a delivery. Bender finally fulfills his secret dream of being a chef and prepares dinner for everyone during the trip. When they arrive, Fry is instructed not to touch anything, but Trisol is sweltering and Bender's salty meal has made him even more thirsty. When he arrives at the palace, he spots a bottle of water by the throne. He quickly finishes it off as two pools of water morph into two guards. They inform Fry that since he just drank the emperor, he will be their new ruler. Unfortunately, his reign may be shorter than originally implied.