The epsiode opens with Oz and Willow walking through school discussing the movie they saw during their date the night before. Willow drops anvil size hints for Oz to kiss her, but he diesn't pick up on any of them, much to Willow's sadness. Buffy bumps into them and drags Willow off with her. Oz joins Larry, a hormone-driven jock who harasses Oz about his relationship with Willow while making some terrible single-entendre's. Meanwhile, Willow is complaining to Buffy about her relationship (or lack of it) with Oz. While complaining Willow accidentally mentions 'Boyfriend' and asks Buffy how she's coping. Buffy says that she is coping, but it's still hard. : (

That night, Xander and Cordelia are out at a seculded spot, making out in her dad's (expensive) car. Unfortunately, Xander is spoiling the romantic mood by constantly moaning about Willow being with Oz. Cordeila, naturally, is getting very annoyed about it and after arguing for a little while tells him that she's had enough. Suddenly, a big furry wolf-like creature slashes open the soft-top of the car and tries to grab either Xander or Cordy. They manage to knock the creature off the roof and drive off.

The next day, Cordy brings her battered car into school for Giles to examine. Xander and Cordy swear that it was a werewolf, which gets Giles all excited, because Werewolves are 'one of the classics'. Buffy swears to get Giles a pet.

later on that day, in gym class, the students are learning self defence after all the mysterious attacks. While they are signing up Larry reveals that he was attacked by a stray dog and had to have 39 stitches. Oz says that his cousin Jordy (who does NOT like to be tickled) but him. Larry turns his attention to one of the girls in the class, Teresa and makes some lwed comments. Buffy makes her presence felt, which makes Larry back off a little bit. Willow quietly reminds her that she's got to act like a girlie-girl and not like a Slayer. Buffy pouts and complains that Willow is spoiling all her fun. While pretending to be a girlie-girl, Buffy has to flip Larry over, she pretends that she can't do it until Larry puts his hand where it isn't wanted. Buffy flind him to the ground. (That'll teach him)

After gym class, Buffy and the other check in with Giles. he explains to them the whole mythology of werewolves and that as it a human for all but three days of the month, killing it is out of the question.

That night, Giles and Buffy go up to the last place the werewolf was seen and go on a werewolf hunt. After finding nothing, Giles suggests that they try knocking on a couple of windows to see if anyone has seen anything. Buffy assures him that no one up here will have seen a thing.

She wanders off into the woods to see if she can find anything but ends up getting trapped in a poacher's net. The poacher, Cain, lets Buffy down while making some suggestive comments about Giles and Buffy's 'relationship'. He also says that werewolf huntinbg is no job for the girls and shows off his necklace of werewolf teeth. He brushes away Buffy's arguement that the wolves are human for the majority of the month by saying that he only hunts them on the three days they are wolfy. He asks them for possible places the wolf could be, Buffy pretends not to know of anywhere, but as soon as Cain is gone she drags Giles back into town, to the Bronze.

Meanwhile, at the Bronze, Willow and Cordelia complain about the men in their lives and their almost non-existent relationships. Suddenly the werewolf crashes through the ceiling and lands in front of Cordeila and Willow. Everyone scrambles to get away from it.

Buffy and Giles arrive just in time and Buffy lets herslef get locked in the Bronze to confront the werewolf. Buffy tries to wrap a chain around the werewolf's neck, she doesn't want to hurt it, but it throws her across the room and escapes. Afterwards, Cain lectures her about her treatment of the wolf and about letting her go.

Across town, Teresa (from gym class) is walking home alone. She hears a noise and whirls around, but there is nothing there. When she turns back again, Angel is standing in front of her. He befriends her and offers to walk her home, then once she is more trusting sucks her dry.

The werewolf is still walking the streets and comes across a trail of Teresa's blood. He follows it and finds Angel, finishing his meal. Angel backs off with a growl leaving the werewolf with Teresa. Giles and Buffy go back on the hunt for the wolf. When Buffy checks in with Giles, she finds him asleep in his car. They hear on the radio that Teresa has been found dead and the police are linking it to other attacks of animal mauling.

At dawn the next day the wolf is lying asleep in the woods, as the sun rises, the sleeping wolf morphs back int human form, it's Oz! He wakes up and is a little confused at waking up naked in the woods, but he takes it in his stride. When he gets home he phones his aunt to and discovers that his little cousin is a werewolf. At school, the normally unflappable Oz is very flighty and nervous.

In the library, Buffy and the rest of the scooby gang make plans for trapping the werewolf before anyone else gets hurt. Xander tries to put himself in the werewolf's paws because he remembers everything about his 'hyena experience' which until now he's pretended not to remember, (although Giles knew differently). He comes to the conclusion that it is Larry and goes to talk to him. Oz makes a hasty exit from the library after treating Willow coldly. Xander, meanwhile, finds Larry in the locker room and confronts him. Larry however, has a shock of his own, he's gay. Xander then finds himself in a very uncomfortable position after what he said to Larry to get him to confess, (poor lad). Now, Larry beleives that Xander is gay as well.

Buffy has noticed Oz's treatment of Willow and asks if something is up. Willow doesn't know what is going on with Oz. Later, Buffy and Xander head off to the funeral home to check on Teresa. Buffy doesn't think it was a werewolf that killed her. While signing the rememberence book, Teresa wakes up as a vampire, just before Buffy stakes her Teresa mentions that "Angel sends his love", this distracts Buffy long enough for Teresa to knock the stake out of her hand and overpower her. Xander stakes the vampire and then comforts an upset Buffy, once she has pulled herself together Xander complains that his "life isn't too complicated".

Cain prepares for the final night of the full moon by making a pile of silver bullets. Buffy and Giles are doing the same (but without the bullets). At home, Oz gets out a pile of shackles and chains so he can lock himself up and no one else will get hurt. Willow, unfortuantely in the wrong place at the worng time, turns up on Oz's doorstep wanting answers for the way he's been treating her lately. Oz tries to explain that it is a bad time, but she won't listen. He changes into the werewolf and goes after Willow who runs for her life. He chases her through the woods where she trips over a root or something, Oz doesn't attack her though, insteaa he runs off into the woods. Willow runs for the library and tells Buffy and Giles that Oz is the werewolf and that they can't hurt him. Giles has found a tranquiliser gun and they all head off to try and catch Oz before Cain does.

In the wood, Cain has set another trap, using fresh meat to lure Oz to him. Oz comes into the clearing and cain is about to shoot him when Buffy kicks him out of the way, the bullet misses its target. Oz attacks Buffy and she struggles with him for a few moments while Giles tries to get a clear shot. Oz throws Buffy into Giles and Willow knocking them down. Willow manages to scramble free and shoots Oz in the chest with a tranquiliser dart.

The next day, at school, buffy and Xander chat about Larry and Oz. Buffy notices that Larry is a changed man and wonders what had happened to do this. Xander stays quiet and changes the subject to Oz. He doesn't think Oz is the right man for Willow especially with paper training and the fact he's a breed that could turn on his owner. Buffy reminds him that it is none of his business.

Outside Willow confronts Oz and they both apologise for what has been going on. Oz offers to leave Willow alone if she doesn't think she can cope with the whole werewolf thing, but she says that she likes having him around, after all he only needs to be chained up three days of the month. She starts to walk off but turns back and kisses him (aww, sweet!). She walks off again, leaving Oz tp ponder 'A werewolf in love!'

Our View -
You see, it's always the quiet ones that have the biggest secrets! Finally Oz and Willow are together properly and this is a good thing (even though we are forever w/x) The werewolf costume was terrible, especially compared to the morphing which was good.

Our Score - 7

The Professional View -
A fun episode taking all the best bits of recent (and anicent) werewolf texts, and playing with them in a post-modern way. Lovely direction more than makes up for the terrible werewolf make up (which, in itself, adds to the sub-'Howling' homage that the episode is built around.) Oz's finest hour, particularly his casual phone call to his aunt asking if his young cousin has any wolf-like tendencies.

Their score - 9