Season four begins.
Episode 4.01: The Freshman
Oz, Willow and Buffy are all starting at UC Sunnydale. Xander is off on his road trip, and Cordelia has left town.

Willow: Well, I'm... (Gasp) Ooh, boyfriend!  My on-campus boyfriend. (Oz comes up and he and Willow kiss.)
Buffy: Oh no, I forgot to pick mine up.  Line's probably really long there, too.
Willow: How are you?
Oz: Good.  It's pretty much a madhouse, a madhouse.
Buffy: I know, I was just saying that to Willow.  I mean it's just so overwhelming.  Don't you feel completely disoriented?
Paul: Oz!  (A student comes up to them.)
Oz: Hey, Paul.
Paul: Finally matriculating with us, very cool!  Tell me you're playing this week!
Oz: Thursday night, Alpha Delta.
Willow: Ooh! (She holds up a flier.) I have that one!
Paul: I'm bringing the wrecking crew.  Jello shots?  Hmm?  Do you know where they're distributing the work study applications?
Oz: (Points.) Back of Richmond Hall, next to the auditorium.
Paul: Thanks.  Seeya bro. (He walks off.)
Oz: Go get'em. (He remembers what Buffy was talking about.) My band's played here a lot.  It's still all new.  I don't know what the hell's going on. (He sees someone.) Hey, Doug!

Oz seems totally at home at university – but of course, he has the band, plus most of his non-Scooby friends left school a year earlier and many of them are presumably here.

Oz, Willow and Buffy are all taking Psych 101 together.

Psych class is over, students are gathering their things and leaving. Buffy is looking around for Eddie.
Oz: You looking for someone?
Buffy: Yeah.
Willow: You made a friend?  Good for you.
Buffy: Thanks, mom.

Buffy is struggling to fit in, and gets into difficulties with a vampire gang on campus.

Exterior of a building, day time.  Buffy opens the door one handed and exits. She is still bruised. She sees Willow and Oz talking with another student and avoids them.

Buffy meets up with Xander, back from his road trip.

Buffy: Ok.  College is good.
Xander: Ok, uh, once more with even less feeling.
Buffy: No, really!  I-I mean, Willow's in heaven and Oz has this really cool house off campus with the band. (They both sit on the couch.)
Xander: And you're sitting here alone at the Bronze looking like you just got diagnosed with cancer of the puppy.
Buffy: It's just... there was this vampire, and she took me down, and I just... I don't know how to stop her.
Xander: Then where's the gang?  Avengers assemble!  Let's get it going!
Buffy: No, I don't want to bug them.  I mean they're just starting school, and they don't need this.

They trace the vamp's nest, and Xander heads off for back-up. Willow and Oz are in Buffy's dorm room, puzzled by her apparent disappearance, when Xander comes to raise the alarm.

Kathy, Oz and Willow are in Buffy's and Kathy's dorm room.
Kathy: It seems kind of weird. (She hands the note to Oz.)
Oz: Yeah, weird's a pretty good word for it.
Willow: Buffy wouldn't just take off, th-that's just not in her nature.  Except for that one time she disappeared for several months and changed her name, but there were circumstances then.  There's no circumstances.
Kathy: Does Buffy have a history of emotional problems?  'Cause on my request form I was pretty specific about a stable non-smoker.
Oz: I don't think this is her handwriting.
Willow: I bet there were circumstances!  We've probably been so wrapped up in our own petty lives that... that we totally missed the circumstances.  We're bad friends!
Oz: Let's think this through.
Willow: How can you be so calm?
Oz: Long, arduous hours of practice.  Now either Buffy took off, or she was robbed, or...
Xander: It's a prank!
Willow: Xander!
Xander walks into the room with arms spread wide.
Xander: How are my guys? (He hugs Willow; then hugs Kathy.) I don't know you, do I?
Kathy: No.
Xander: This is very intrusive, isn't it?
Kathy: Little bit. (Xander lets her go.)
Xander: Xander.
Kathy: Kathy.
Xander: (Looks at Oz.) Do we hug?
Oz: I think we're too manly.
Willow: What's the prank?
Xander: Prank?  Oh, the room.  Well some friends of Buffy's played a funny joke, and they took her stuff.  And now she wants us to help get it back from her friends who sleep all day and have no tans.
Willow: Oh!  Those friends!
Oz: Funny guys.
Xander looks around the bed.
Xander: They took the chest.  Well, let's go!  Let's go to our friend.  It's nice meeting you, Kathy.
Xander, Oz and Willow leave.
Kathy: You too!

While Willow panics, Oz remains calm and level-headed, thinking things through carefully. It is him who realises that the apparent 'run away' note was not written by Buffy, and comes up with possible scenarios. And I love that he knows Buffy's writing well enough to know she didn't write that note - he offered to help her study back in season 3, so does this perhaps imply that he followed through on that, but off-screen?

They get to the vamp nest to find Buffy in the middle of a battle, and get stuck in.

A vamp (no doubt frightened by the sight of a vampire slayer with a stake) decides it's time to leave and moves toward the door, which opens with Xander in the lead and Oz behind him brandishing a cross in the vamp's face. They force the vamp back.

Xander faces off with a vamp.  Oz, behind the vamp, hits him on the head with a cross, then ducks down.  When the vamp turns, Xander pushes him over Oz who straightens up and flips the vamp onto his back. Xander moves in for the kill and stakes him. He turns to dust. (Very cool moves by the guys)

Why don't we see more of Xander-Oz fighting together like this? It works so well.

Besides Sunday, there are no more vamps left in the house.  The gang comes up behind Buffy.
Oz: Hey, Buff.  Need a hand?
Buffy: (Brandishing a stake with a twirl.) No thanks, (She twists around throwing the stake into Sunday's heart.) I'm good.

The gang leaves the house carrying Buffy's stuff in boxes, Xander carrying her trunk.
Xander: So, all that other stuff in there?  That's just gonna sit in there, right?  Uh, I mean, no one owns it in the strictest sense.
Oz: It seems wrong, somehow.
Xander: Dibs on the rowing machine.

All's well that ends well.

Episode 4.02: Living Conditions.

Basically, Buffy's roommate, Kathy, is driving her crazy.

Willow: Yeah!  I mean, this whole dorm thing is just an adjustment we need to make.  You know?  I mean, my roomie is kind of challengingtoo.
Buffy: And what are we if not women up to a challenge?
Willow: Exactly!  I mean, did we not put the 'grr' in girl?  Well, here's where I get off. (They stop at a branching path.)
Buffy: Say 'hey' to Oz for me.
Willow: Happy hunting.
Buffy: Wish me monsters.

In the cafeteria after meeting Parker, Buffy looks over and sees Willow, Xander and Oz seated at a table, Willow sees her and waves for her to come over.

Willow: So, spill! (She indicates Parker, seated across the room.) What was that all about, with the cutie patootie?
Buffy: I don't know... nothing big, I think.  Just random adorableness.
Xander: Oh, a technique I know well.  Hit the girl with your best shot, then hasta.
Oz: Gotta respect the drive-by.
Xander: Low rejection, fond memories.
Willow: It looked like more than that to me.  He got all googly-eyed.
Xander: That's because he got hit by the Buffinator.  Now he's powerless.
Buffy: You think?
Oz: No question, he'll be back. (Buffy smiles.)

Nicely supportive of post-Angel Buffy.

Kathy comes up and sets her tray on the table.
Kathy: Hi, everybody. (She gets a chair from another table and moves it over.) Squeeze in.
Buffy: You all know my roomie, Kathy?
Willow: Hi.
Oz: Hey, Kath.

Buffy is having weird dreams.

Daytime and Buffy, Giles, Willow and Oz are seated in comfortable, padded chairs in an open area lounge.
Buffy: So then after the scorpion, the demon opened my mouth and sucked some kind of weird light out of me.  A-and the worst part?  I wake up and there's Kathy, staring at me like I'm some kind of freak.
Oz: Well, actually, the worst part, I'd have to go with the demon poring the blood down your throat.
Willow: Me too, I would vote for that too.

Giles: Nice to meet you, Kathy.
Kathy: Ditto.  Maybe you could read the dream I had last night? There was, like, this monster, and he sat on me and did all this stuff to me.
Oz: Stuff like, scorpions?  And Bloody Mary minus the Mary?
Kathy: That's it!  How'd you know?
Oz: Well, I'm a good guesser.

Buffy: (Getting up and gathering her things.) Cool, you guys can do the brain thing.  I'm gonna go to class.
Oz: Which could also be construed as the brain thing.
Buffy: Not when you're minoring in 'Napping 101.' (She leaves.)
Willow: Ok, so that was the evil twin, right?  'Cause she was bordering on Cordelia-esque.
Oz: Well, she's definitely pushing the stress meter on this Kathy thing.
Giles: I concur she's not, uh, herself, but, you know, uh, learning to live with someone can be a challenge.
Willow: A-and she hasn't been sleeping.
Giles: Right, then. (He stands.) Nothing to get to concerned about. Still, let me know if she, um...
Oz: Hits the red zone?
Giles: Yes.

Nice concern for Buffy's odd behaviour.

Willow's dorm building, She and Oz walk along a hall.
Oz: You're worried about her.
Willow: Yeah, both of them.  I mean, what kind of demon runs around putting ookie blood dreams into people's heads.  Like some kind of nightmare fairy.  It's not right.
Oz: Well, I'm against it.
Willow: And Buffy's completely being not herself.  If it wasn't for this English paper I'd be there right now.  Um, listening.  Doing the girly best friend thing.
They stop at the door to her room.
Oz: Well, I can do that.
Willow: You can?
Oz: Well, I'm not saying we'll braid each other's hair--probably—but I can hang with her, watch for signs she's going over the edge.
Willow: You're the best.  Oh, she's probably patrolling by now. Check around the science center.  If you need me I'll be (She opens the door, hears the sounds of a loud party and closes it again.) at the library. (She goes back the way they came.)

Cute, and supportive Oz.

Oz walks along a well-lit walkway.  He passes a group of three people, two men and a young woman.  He senses something; he looks back and sees that the woman is looking back at him.  They look at each other for a few seconds before they both turn back.  In the bushes, we see three figures in camouflage carrying weapons. They appear to be following the group that Oz just passed.

Ouch, badness. Oz encounters Veruca for the first time.

Oz is walking with Buffy along a path.
Buffy: ...so then Kathy's like, 'It's share time.'  And I'm like, 'Oh yeah?  Share this!' (She punches at the air.)
Oz: So, either you hit her, or you did your wacky mime routine for her.
Buffy: Well, I didn't do either, actually.  But she deserves it, don't you think?
Oz: Nobody deserves mime, Buffy.
Buffy: Hmm, Kathy does.  She deserves to be locked in an invisible box and blown away by an imaginary wind and... and...
Oz: Forced to wear a binding unitard?
Buffy: Yeah, the itchy kind, it's perfect.
Oz: Just here to help.
Buffy: Which I appreciate. But you've never come on routine patrol with me before, Oz. So, what's the deal?
Oz: Seemed more interesting than homework.
Buffy: As long as it's an elective.  I can handle myself alone, you know.
Oz: Not in question.
Buffy: Good.  So then, I go into the refrigerator--right?--and the label queen has managed to put...
Oz: Just a, just a thought, Buffy, but do you think all this ranting is scaring away potential demons? (They stop.)
Buffy: You're right.  Ooh!  She's even affecting my work, now.  She's the Titanic.  She's a crawling black cancer. (She brings her foot up, around and down onto a bench, breaking it in two.) She's... other really bad things.
Oz: On the plus side you've killed the bench, which was looking shifty.
Buffy: This isn't funny, Oz.  Something has to be done. (She walks away looking determined.)
Oz: (Pause) Agreed. (And he follows her.)

Oz and Buffy really need more one-on-one interaction. It is funny. Especially here, where Buffy is so over-the-top and irrational, and Oz just stays deadpan throughout.

Buffy opens the door to Giles' apartment.  No one is there.  She walks into the room calling.
Buffy: Giles?  Anybody home?  Hello?
A net falls onto her from above.  Xander and Oz come running out of the hallway, Giles from another direction.  They jump on her, forcing her arms behind her back where Xander loops a ready-made slip knot over her wrists.
Buffy: What are you guys doing?  This is... this is ridiculous.
Xander: Buffy, this hurts me more than it hurts you.
Buffy: Not yet, but it will.
Xander: Don't say that. (He stops, realizing what she'd just said.) Oh, PLEASE don't say that.
Giles: We're doing this to stop you from making a terrible mistake.

Buffy protests that Kathy is a demon, but they don't believe her – unsurprising, given her odd behaviour. While Giles heads off for spell supplies, Xander and Oz guard Buffy. Oz calls Willow to let her know Buffy is secured.

The phone rings and Kathy answers it.
Kathy: Hello? (She holds out the handset.) It's Oz. (Willow takes it.)
Willow: Hi.  You did?  She's at Giles, uh, ok. (She hangs up, and starts edging back toward the door.) You know, during that really short phone call I realized you are so right.  I mean, it's not fair to make you leave your own room.  So, you're good.  You just stay, right there.  'Kay? (She bolts from the room.)

Oz and Xander are watching Buffy in Giles' apartment.
Buffy: I can't believe this, after all that we've been through together and you guys won't believe me when I tell you that Kathy is bad.
Xander: We want to, Buff, it's just...
Oz: Shh, don't engage.
She starts struggling against the ropes.
Xander: I don't know if I tightened those ropes enough.
Oz: Then we'd better go over there and check 'em.
Xander: (Laughs until he sees that Oz was serious.) Oh, dear god! Avoid the legs. (The start forward.) Avoid the legs.
They lean over her and she brings up her arms, grabs them and knocks their heads together.  They both fall to the floor, unconscious.  She tosses the rope onto Xander's body.
Buffy: Nope, not tight enough.

While Buffy realises that Kathy is a demon, who has been stealing her soul to avoid detection by her people.

At Giles' apartment, Xander wakes up.  His movements wake Oz.
Xander: Oow... why couldn't Giles have shackles like any self-respecting bachelor?
Willow comes in.
Willow: Guys, I just saw Kathy and she's acting... Oh my God, are you ok? (She runs over and helps Oz to his feet.)
Oz: Yeah, Buffy's got a pretty good lead on us, though.
Willow: I-I'll call Kathy, tell her to get out of there. (She goes over to the phone and starts punching numbers.)

Note that Willow goes straight to Oz rather than her oldest friend, Xander. This is where her priorities lie now.

Willow: So Buffy was right all along.  Later on, big remorse.
Giles grabs the book he'd been reading earlier
Giles: Now, I've found a spell that should reverse the soul transfer procedure immediately. (He hands the book over to Willow.) Willow and I will perform it at once.
Oz: Leaving Xander and me to help Buffy in the flesh.
Oz rushes out.  Xander hesitates a moment, clearly not wanting to go. Then he follows.

So, in this instance it is Oz who goes to help Buffy without hesitation, while Xander is unsure? That is unusual – usually Xander would go to her help without a second thought.

Oz and Xander burst through the door and Taparrich turns on them with a roar... they scoot back, but stay in the room.  The demon turns back to Kathy.
Taparrich: Enough.  You're coming home.
He waves his arm and a vortex forms in the floor.  Buffy sees it and quickly crawls around to the other side of the bed.  Kathy screams as she's sucked in.  Taparrich steps forward and enters the vortex too; it seals leaving the floor unblemished.  Buffy, Oz and Xander stare at each other, speechless.

Willow moves in to Buffy's dorm room, to replace Kathy. She puts a Dingoes poster up beside her bed.

Episode 4.03: In The Harsh Light of Day

Cut to the Bronze. Oz is onstage with Dingoes Ate My Baby. (Four Star Mary) Pan over to where Buffy and Willow are sitting at a table chatting.
Willow: Hey look. Parker's here. You're not looking? He looks really cute in green.
Buffy: Teal. He's reflected in the mirror.
Round security mirror shows Parker shooting pool.
Willow: You know when you spend all week with a boy you are allowed to look at him directly.
Buffy: Not all week. We hung out. Moderately incessantly. But we're not here together tonight. You know, I don't want to crowd him.
Willow nods. Cut to Oz taking off his guitar and leaving the stage as the crowd applauses. He walks over to Buffy and Willow's table.
Oz: Hey. You guys ready to load up and go?
Willow : Almost.

Buffy leaves with Parker.

Cut to the back lot at the Bronze. Willow, Oz and another member of Dingoes Ate My Baby, Devon, are taking equipment out to Oz's van.
Devon: That was like the best set ever. We'll do great in LA. We're gonna have them glued to their seats.
Willow: Uh, Devon. Aren't they supposed to dance?
Oz: Well, we can glue them to the dance floor.
Oz and Devon head back into the Bronze leaving Willow outside.

Left alone outside, Willow is attacked by Harmony – now a vampire.

Oz appears with a mic stand, pulling Harmony off Willow and shoving her out of the way, then brandishes a cross.
Willow: Back off Harmony.
Harmony: Okay, fine. Hide behind your boyfriend. But I have a boyfriend too. And he's gonna be mad that you were mean to me.
She runs off and Willow and Oz relax.

Yay! Brave Oz saves Willow from the vampire! Woo hoo. I want to see more of this – I want to see Oz the demon hunter!
Turns out there is a frat called 'Wolfhouse'. Wow, the irony.

Parker walks Buffy home and they are just about to kiss as…
Oz and Willow come running down the hall. Buffy and Parker cease and desist due to the racket.
Oz: Hey. Hi, hi. Remember Harmony.
Willow: She's back from her summer vacation. And she's a little bit different.
Buffy: Different?
Willow: Paler.
Parker: (Noticing how Willow is holding her hand over where Harmony bit her.) Is your neck okay?
Buffy: Neck. Paler. The puppy. The angry puppy.
Oz: Yeah, we came to warn you about the - angry puppy.
Buffy: I um, should really take care of this now.
Parker: I'll pick you up tomorrow night for the party.
Buffy: I can't wait.
He leaves.
Willow: (In a small voice.) Band aid now?
Buffy quickly unlocks the door, leading Oz and Willow into the room.
Willow: (small voice) Thank you.

Cut to Oz cleaning Willow's wound carefully. Buffy walks over to them.
Buffy: Harmony. A vampire? She must be dying without a reflection.
Willow: (Now sporting a neon green Band-Aid.) She just made me so mad. (Contorting her face to mock Harmony.) 'My boyfriend's gonna beat you up.'
Buffy: 'My boyfriend.'
Willow: Well, if you believe her. She always lied about stuff like that. (More face contortion.) 'Oh, he goes to another school. You wouldn't know him.'
Oz: Well, Devon dated her for a while, but she was too flaky for him. Which: stop and marvel at the concept.
Oz and Willow laugh. Buffy shakes her head.
Buffy: Guy dating Harmony dead. Must be like, the most tolerant guy in the world.

Yay. Supportive-boyfriend-guy gently taking care of injured girlfriend. More, more, please.

Both Oz and Willow then disappear for a lengthy stretch, while Buffy discovers that Spike and Harmony are searching for the gem of amara, which makes vampires invulnerable, and Xander makes time with Anya.

Cut to Giles apartment where Oz is sifting through some of Giles old records. Giles is trying to study something.
Oz: Okay, either I'm borrowing all your albums or I'm moving in.
Giles: Oz, there are more important things than records right now.
Oz: (Holding up a record.) More important than this one?
Giles: Well I suppose an argument could be made for -
Xander: Whoa, Giles has a TV. Everybody, Giles has a TV. He's shallow like us.
Oz: I got to admit, I'm a little disappointed.
Giles: I, ah, uh, uh.
Willow: (Walking in.) Well maybe it doesn't work. Like a piece of art.
Xander turns the TV on. Willow is open mouthed with shock.
Giles: Public television. Come on everyone we have vital work to do. Watching television is not going to help us right now.

Amusing.

While Buffy confronts the now invulnerable Spike…
Cut to the underground crypt. Giles and Oz are hefting Willow up through the hole. Harmony is crying.
Harmony: Being a vampire sucks.
She vamps out, then jumps up to attack with a fierce growl.

Turns out Harmony is not such a threat, and she makes her getaway. Buffy removes the ring from Spike, who likewise escapes.

Cut to a close up of the ring on a wooden table.
Willow: I like it.
Oz: It's small.
Xander: Really worth getting my ribs bashed in.
We see that the Scooby gang is collected at Giles apartment, gathered round the ring, which is set in the middle of his coffee table.
Giles: It's also very dangerous. And we're destroying it.
Buffy: We don't destroy it.
Giles: Well, Buffy, any vampire that gets his hand on this is going to be essentially unkillable. (He looks at Buffy for a moment.) Oh.
Oz: I have that gig in LA. I could swing by.
Buffy: Thanks, Oz.
Xander: What's going on. What's in LA?
Willow: She's giving the ring to Angel. Don't make a fuss.
Giles: Buffy, are you sure.
Buffy: He should have it.

Angel Episode 1.03: In The Dark
Oz makes his one and only crossover onto the set of Angel.

Cut to Oz driving his van through the night.  Pulls up in front of Angel's apartment.
Radio:  “Another uninterrupted 40-minute-block.  You are listening to LA's only alternative KLA-Rock.  It's 11:05, do you know what your karma is?”
Oz walks into the office:  “Hello, LA.”
Cordy gets up:  “Oz?  Oh, my god.  (walks around the desk) Oz. It's so good to see you. (hugs him while Doyle watches askance) Good old Oz!  Oz. (turns to Doyle and points at Oz) Oz!”
Doyle:  “Let me just take a stab at it, you'd be Oz?”
Oz:  “Good guess.”
Cordy:  “This is so cool!  I mean, here you are in LA, and you're the total embodiment of all things Sunnydale.”
Oz:  “It's a burden, but I manage.”
Cordy:  “We have some serious catching up to do.  How is everything?  How's – how's the Bronze?”
Oz:  “The same.”
Cordy:  “And the gang?”
Oz:  “They're good.”
Cordy:  “Good? – Good! - Good.”
They look at each other for a moment.
Oz:  “Are we done?”
Cordy:  “Completely.”
Doyle coughs.
Cordy goes to sit down:  “Oh, this is Doyle.  He – air quote – works here.”
Oz reaches over and shakes Doyle's hand:  “Hey.”
Oz sticks his hands in his pockets:  “So, I heard the rumors, but you guys can fill me in on the real deal here.  So you guys are – like detectives?”
Cordy:  “No, I'm an actress!”
Doyle:  “And quite a captivating one at that.”
Cordy:  “And between my many gigs, I sometimes choose to help Angel.”
Doyle:  “He's the detective.”
Oz:  “Does he have a hat and gun?”
Cordy:  “Just fangs.”
Oz:  “Well, that works.  -  Where is he?”

Yay. Oz-ness on Angel. And plenty of very enjoyable conversation. It is all good.

Cut to Angel walking through his downstairs apartment looking through a book as the three come down in the elevator.
Angel without looking up from his book:  “Hey guys.”
Angel looks up:  “Oz.”
Oz:  “Hey.”
Angel:  “Nice surprise.”
Oz:  “Thanks.”
Angel:  “Staying long?”
Oz:  “Few days.”
Doyle:  “Are they always like this?”
Oz to Doyle:  “No, we're usually laconic.”
Angel:  “Come on in.  (they walk further into the apartment)  So, - good to see you.”
Oz:  “I came primarily for a gig, but also to give you this.”  Holds out a ring to him.
Doyle goes to take a closer look:  “Wait a minute, is that what I think it is?”
Angel makes no move to take it:  “It's the gem of Amarra.”
Oz:  “One and the same. (tries to hand it to Angel, who after a moment accepts it)  Buffy wanted you to have it.”
Cordy:  “Hey, Buffy.  How is good old Buffy anyway?”
Oz:  “She is…”
Cordy:  “What?  Still the brave little Slayer or is she moping around in the dark like – (gets a look from Angel) like nobody around here.  (holds up a hand and shakes her head) Hm-mm.”
Angel turns and walks away form them looking at the ring in his hands.
Oz:  “She is good.  -  She is Buffy.”
Doyle holds up a hand:  “And I'm sure we'll be interested in that later, but right now can we concentrate on the mother-load Angel just hit?”
Angel leans on the table turning the ring in his hand and looking at it.
Doyle:  “What are you waiting for, man?  Put it on!”
Cordy:  “Okay, you're getting weird about this ring.  Since when did you go all Versace about accessorizing?”
Doyle:  “Since the accessory is priceless and renders it's wearer 100% unkillable if he's a vampire.”
Cordy:  “Unkillable?  Whew.  You mean not even stakes?”
Doyle:  “Not nothing. Not stakes, not fire, and the best thing is not even sunlight.  (to Angel)  I mean just think of it man.  Poolside tanning, bargain matinees, - plus I know a couple of strip clubs that have a fabulous luncheon buffet, I mean, it's – I've heard.”
Angel still looking grave:  “And it's from Buffy.”
Oz:  “Yeah.  Your buddy Spike dug up Sunnydale looking for it.  He got a fist full of Buffy and left it behind.  She wanted to be sure it was in good hands.”
Angel looks to the side:  “So she sent you.”
Oz:  “I was heading this way.”
Cordy to Oz:  “And she didn't even send a note?  Wow.  That's really – (Angel looks at her) –this is one of those times when I should just shy away from the topic, isn't it?”
Doyle walks over to Angel:  “Come on I have something that will boost your spirits.  (picks up a stake)  Why don't you put it on and I'll stake you.  It'll be fun!”
Angel still playing with the ring in his hand and looking off to the side:  “Maybe later.”
Doyle:  “What, are you out of your mind?”
Angel:  “I said, maybe later.”
Doyle:  “Yeah…”
Angel:  “Doyle.”
Doyle walks towards the elevator:  “Okay, you have it your way, man.  But I'm still going to celebrate with a drink down at the pub.”
Cordy to Oz:  “He'd celebrate the opening of a mailbox with a drink at the pub.  (waves at Angel as she follows Doyle) You coming, Oz?”
Oz still watching Angel:  “Yeah.  I could eat something.”
Angel:  “Go ahead.”
After a beat Oz turns and follows the others.
Angel keeps looking at the ring.  Finally sticks it in his pocket and goes down in the sewers.  He takes it out of his pocket and hides it under a loose brick next to a pipe.

More enjoyable Oz-ness. I'd love to see more of him like this. It is good. He then vanishes for most of the episode, presumably getting on with his real business in LA. He gets a mention though.

Cut to the office the next day.  Cordelia is getting a cup of water for Doyle from the water cooler and sits down at the desk across from him.
Doyle moaning:  “Oh, god.  You know what would feel really good right now?  One of those mind-numbing, head-cracking visions that I get from time to time,  (he struggles to get some pills out of a bottle) because that would really kill me now.  Is there some kind of trick to this?”
Cordy takes the bottle from him:  “I think the trick is laying off the ale  (pulls out the cotton wad out of the bottle and shakes some pills into her hand) before you start quoting Angela's Ashes and weeping like a baby man.”
Doyle accepts the pills and washes them down:  “Hey, that's a good book.”
Cordy:  “So I've heard.  But I doubt that the main characters are Betty and Barney Rubble as you so vehemently insisted last night.  Also I don't think Oz appreciated being called 'my little Bam-bam' all night.”

'My little Bam-bam'? Is that a crack about his height, or lack thereof? Hmm. It conjures up a nice mental image, though, of Oz out on the town with Cordy and Doyle. See, there is more to him than we ever get to see.

Spike captures Angel and has a vampire 'colleague' torture him, trying to find the ring. Doyle and Cordy come up with a rescue plan – involving Oz.

Cordy:  “Okay.  You've got the ring; we've got Angel.  And now you're going to leave us alone, and we're going to leave.”
Spike:  “Come on.  You don't really think that we're going to do that, do you?”
As Spike reaches for the ring you can hear tires squealing.
Cordy:  “Not really.”
Doyle:  “No.”
Oz's van bursts through the side of the warehouse, rams through some barrels and comes to a screeching halt behind Angel as Spike rolls out of its way.  Oz pulls out two crossbows and aims them out of the driver's side window while Cordy and Doyle free Angel and help him into the back of the van.
Oz:  “Spike.”
As the van backs out of the warehouse, Spike looks around for the ring in vain.
Spike:  “Where is the ring?  -  Bloody hell.”

Yay Oz looking very cool and sporting double crossbows!
Vampire Marcus has got the ring – this is not good.

Cut to Oz's van.
Oz:  “How is he doing?”
Doyle:  “He'll live.”
Cordy:  “Not without help.  We need to get him to a hospital.”
Oz:  “I hear you.  But which one?  They all tend to specialize in humans.”
Doyle:  “He's right, too risky.  Do you know any first aid?”
Oz:  “Basic sixth grade, but I can improvise.  If we can get him some place dark, maybe I can…”
Angel:  “Turn around!”
Oz:  “Angel.”
Cordy:  “He's delirious.  Ignore him.”
Angel:  “Turn around!”
Cordy:  “So you can do what? It's daylight and you're ringless.  Unless you're changing the act to human torch, I don't think so.”
Doyle:  “She's right.  You're death on toast, man.  You're in no shape to be fighting a torture demon.”
Angel pulls out the last poker still stuck in his side.
Angel:  “God! – Okay, he's got a thing for children.  Oz – turn around. He couldn't have gone far.”
Oz spins the van around.

It is all good. I like Oz's willingness to 'improvise' the first aid, since no one else seems to have any idea what to do.

Cut to Marcus on the pier looking at a group of scouts.
Marcus:  “Hello, boys and girls.”
Oz drives onto the pier and rams into him sending him flying.  Cordy gets out.
Cordy to scouts:  “Run, now.  Move your little scout legs.  Now!  Go!  Come on!”
Oz shoots Marcus in the chest with a crossbow bolt.  Marcus just pulls it back out and throws it away.
Doyle:  “Damn it.  I'll get him.”  He and Marcus start to fight.  Marcus knocks Doyle down.
Cordy:  “Doyle!”
Oz to Angel in the back of the van:  “You're sure about this?”
Angel:  “Yeah.”
Oz opens the side door and Angel launches himself out with a scream.  He catches fire as he runs to tackle Marcus.  They crash through the railing and into the water below.
Cordelia looking over the railing:  “Where is he?”

Angel defeats Marcus and gets the ring.

Angel slowly puts the ring on his hand and hesitantly steps out from under the pier blinking at the sun, looks around in wonder.
Cordy:  “Are you all right?”
Angel:  “Fine.  -  (to Oz) Thanks for the help, man.  You were key.”
Oz:  “You're - - incredibly pale.”
Cordy:  “Look, you should lie down.  We should take you home.”
Doyle:  “Just give him a minute.”
Angel wanders out on the beach looking amazed.
Oz:  “He's very pale.  Paler than most people.”

And that is the end of Oz on Angel. Angel does not keep the ring, instead destroying it.

Buffy episode 4.04: Fear, Itself
Normal service is resumed.

Xander in his basement with a knife in his hand.
Xander:  “I don't know, I was going for ferocious, scary, but it's coming out more dryly sardonic.”
Willow:  “It does appear to be mocking you with its eye holes.”
Oz:  “The nose hole seems sad and full of self-loathing.”
Xander turns the jack-o-lantern around to show to Buffy who's lying on his bed:  “What do you think, Buff?”
Buffy:  “I was just thinking about the life of a pumpkin.  Grow up in the sun - happily entwined with others, then someone comes along, cuts you open and - rips your guts out.”
Xander:  “Okay, and on that happy note, I've got a treat for tomorrow nights second annual Halloween screening.  People - prepare to have your spines tingled, your gooses bumped by the terrifying (Pulls out a video and reads the title) Fantasia.  Fantasia?”
Oz:  “Maybe it's because of all the - horrific things we've seen, but hippos wearing tutus just don't unnerve me the way they used to.”
Xander:  “Phantasm.  It was supposed to be 'Phantasm”.  Stupid video store!”
Willow:  “I thought we were doing the alph delt thing.”
Xander:  “What thing?”
Buffy:  “The scary house?  Sounds kinda lame.”
Oz:  “It actually borders on fun.  You have to go through the scary house maze to get to the party.  Which is usually worth getting to.  Those guys go all out.”
Willow:  “As witnessed last Friday.”
Oz:  “Very true.”
Xander:  “There is a party?”
Willow:  “We didn't tell you?”
Xander:  “No, it's cool.  You guys got your little college thing.  I'm fine.  I mean, I got better things to do than tag along to some Fraternity.”
Willow:  “You can come.”
Xander:  “Okay.  But only because I lied about having better things to do.”
Oz:  “A blast will be had by all.”
Buffy gets up:  “I'm gonna get going.”
Xander:  “Now?  Tonight's still...(Looks at his watch) okay, it's a little mature, but still.”
Buffy:  “I'm sleepy.  You guys have fun.”
Willow:  “You want me to come with?”
Buffy leaves:  “No I'm fine.”
Xander shakes his head:  “Sad Buffy.”
Willow:  “She didn't even touch her pumpkin.  It's a freak with no face.”
Oz:  “She's still suffering a little post-Parker depression.”
Xander:  “Bailing on the Buff.  Does anyone else want to smack that guy?”
All three raise their hands.

I really love the gang interacting like this.

Next, in the cafeteria, Oz comes up to Buffy and Willow as they discuss Willow's experimentation with magic.

Willow:  “I don't know.  Then again, what is college for if not experimenting?  You know, maybe I can handle it.  I'll know when I've reached my limit.”
Oz comes up to them:  “Wine coolers?”
Buffy:  “Magic.”
Oz:  “Ooh, you didn't encourage her, did you?”
Willow:  “Where is supportive boyfriend guy?”
Oz:  “He's picking up your dry cleaning, but he told me to tell you that he's afraid you're gonna get hurt.”
Willow with a smile:  “Okay, Brutus.  (Oz just looks at her)  Brutus – Caesar?  (Willow looks from Oz to Buffy)  Betrayal – trusted friend?  (Makes stabbing motions with her banana)  Back stabby?”
Oz:  “Oh, I'm with you on the reference, but – I won't lie about the fact that I worry?  I know what it's like to have power you can't control.  I mean, every time I start to wolf out, I touch something –deep – dark.  It's not fun.  But just know that whatever you decide, I back your play.”
Buffy:  “See?  Concerned boy is sweet boy.”
Willow:  “I kinda like him - worrying anyway.”
We hear laughter and Buffy looks over to see Parker sitting at a table laughing with his friends.
Buffy:  “You know I, uhm, I forgot – to (puts her food down and turns to leave) be hungry.”
Willow hands her food to Oz and runs after her:  “Wait, Buffy.”

This is the first time we've ever heard Oz talking about how he really feels about his werewolf side, and he clearly isn't comfortable with it. It is nice that he feels able to say this in front of Buffy as well as just Willow. It is also nice that he is so concerned about Willow's forays into magic – and as events of later seasons proved, this concern was well founded. I like Buffy saying he is sweet.

Cut to the Alpha Delta Fraternity house.  They are decorating the haunted house.  A guy walks down the hallway and a plastic skeleton with a knife in its hand swings out in front of him, making him jump.
1.Guy laughs and holds up a bag to the guy standing next to the skeleton:  “I come bearing spiders.”
2.Guy:  “The sound system is not going to cut it.  Nothing but lame.”
1.Guy:  “You want me to call Oz?  He can probably hook us up.”
2.Guy:  “Do it.  If we don't scare the young women, they will not fall into our arms. - We'll have woman-less arms.  Halloween isn't about thrills, chills and funny costumes, it's about getting laid.”
1.Guy:  “Is there any holiday that's not about getting laid?”
2.Guy:  “Arbor Day.  Call Oz, dude.”
1.Guy:  “Done.  And oh, you wanted a symbol to paint upstairs, something mystical?  (Holds up a book with a pentagram in it) Check this out.”

Further evidence that Oz has a social circle outside the Scooby gang.

Cut to the Alpha Delta Fraternity house.  A guy is painting the symbol from the book onto the floor.  Oz and Xander carry in a speaker.
3.Guy:  “Okay, watch your step, boys.  Paint's still wet in a few spots.”
2.Guy:  “Thanks for the loan, man.  Our sound system sucks.”
Oz:  “Mi casio es su casio.”
Xander points at the pentagram:  “Well, that's an interesting little design.  What does it mean?”
3.Guy:  “No - clue.  I got it out of this book.  There is a lot of really cool stuff about...”
Xander spots a bowl on a table:  “Ooh, grapes! (Picks up a grape)  Wow, peeled.  You guys know how to spoil your guests.”
2.Guy:  “Eyeballs, man.  Blindfold chicks and have them stick their hands in the bowl and tell them its eyeballs.  They love that.”
Xander:  “And here I was wasting time buying them flowers and complimenting them on their shoes.  So, you go through the whole house of horrors downstairs and it ends up here.  Sweet.  You fratly guys have a nice setup.”
2.Guy:  “Hey, mighty, mighty Alpha Delts.  You should think about pledging.”
Oz:  “Oh, Xander is a civilian.”
2.Guy:  “Ah!  Townie, huh?  Didn't know.  He looked so normal.  You sure we should let him come to the party, Oz?”
Xander:  “Hey, standing right here.”
Scary sound effects start to play loudly.  Oz looks at the speakers unhappily.
2.Guy:  “Cranking.”
Xander looks at Oz:  “You're sensing a disturbance in the force, master?”
Oz pulls out a folding pocketknife:  “Ah, the left speaker is crackling a little bit.”
Xander:  “And you feel stabbing it is the proper solution?”
Oz:  “I'm just going to trim the wire.  It might be a short.”
Xander nods and turns away.
Oz straightens up:  “Ah!”
Xander:  “Oz?”
Oz:  “Cut myself.  It's okay.”
He walks over shaking his hand.  Some blood drops on the symbol on the floor.
Xander:  “Playing with knives, fun, yes, but not safe. 
1.Guy: And when you bleed to death I've got dibs on your equipment.”
A ripple runs over the symbol, but no one notices one of the plastic spiders at its edge coming alive and crawling away.  

More goodness. However – it seems that however unwittingly, Oz is at least partly to blame for what happens.

Buffy dresses as Red Riding Hood, and Xander as James Bond.
They meet up with Willow and Oz, who is dressed normally.
Buffy:  “Will.  Medieval Will.”
Xander:  “Hail, ye olde – vareletty – thou.”
Willow:  “I'm Joan of Arc.  I figured we had a lot in common, seeing as how - I was almost burned at the stake, and plus she had - that close relationship with God.”
Xander to Oz:  “And you are?”
Oz pulls his jacket open to reveal a nametag with 'God' on it.
Xander as they walk on together:  “Of course.  I wish I'd thought of that before I put down my deposit.  I could have been God.”
Oz:  “Blasphemer.”
Two of the commando guys wearing ski masks and carrying guns step out of the bushes in front of them.
Buffy:  “Nice costumes.  Very stealthy.”
Willow:  “What are they supposed to be?”
Oz:  “NATO?”
Xander:  “Oh, yeah, I, ah, invited Anya to join us, but she's having some trouble finding a scary costume, so she's just going to meet us there.”

I love the concept of Oz's costume.

Cut to Willow and Oz smiling and holding hands as they walk up to the door.
Oz turns around in front of the door:  “Let the horrors begin.”

Cut to Buffy and Co. entering the silent haunted house.
Xander:  “The joint's not jumping.  Where is everybody?”
Mechanical laughter comes from a head with one eye hanging from its socket sitting in a punch bowl on a table next to the door.
Oz:  “Follow the signs.”
Buffy looks at the severed head:  “Terrifying.  If I were Abbott and Costello this would be fairly traumatic.”
Willow walks into a cobweb decorating a doorway and screams:  “Uh, ah! Cobweb!  (Pulls it off of her)  Okay that part was realistic.”
Oz:  “Frat boys aren't too obsessive with their cleaning.  Might not be decoration per se.”
The plastic skeleton with the knife swings out at Xander and he jumps.
Xander panting:  “I wasn't scared, I was in the spirit.”
Willow:  “And we back you up on that.  Even if they question us separately.”
Oz looks back at Willow and notices a real tarantula on her shoulder.  Willow sees what he is looking at and screams:  “Uh, get it off!”
Oz brushes at it, then checks her over:  “It is gone.”
Willow:  “Okay, that is not sanitary!”
Buffy:  “Yeah, lets get to the party part of the – party.”
Willow to Oz:  “Are you sure it's off?”
Oz as they follow Buffy:  “Yeah.”
They walk into a room and Buffy bends down to examine a spot on the carpet.
Oz:  “I thought this led to...”
Xander to Buffy:  “What is it?”
Buffy looks at the stain on her fingers:  “Blood.  (Smells her fingers) Real blood.”
Xander:  “Okay, actual creeps have been given. (Loudly) Bravo, frat boys!”
Buffy stands up:  “Shh!  Do you hear something?  Like a - squeaking noise?”
Xander:  “Oh, it's these rented shoes, patent leather.  I asked the guy to...”
Willow:  “No, no, I – wait.  It's something else.  I hear it, too.  Something like...”
They all slowly look up at the ceiling.  It's covered with real bats.  All of them scream and cover their heads as the bats suddenly drop down and fly off down the hall.  Oz walks over and picks up a bat that is lying on the floor.
Willow:  “No, Oz, don't it might be...”
Oz:  “Rubber.  It's made of rubber.”
Buffy looks around:  “What the hell is going on here?”
Xander:  “Look, maybe it's nothing.  Maybe it's just a neat trick.  You know, something done with wires or...”
Rumbling voice:  “Release me!”
Xander:  “Or it might be something else.”

Cut to Buffy and Co. walking back into the entrance room.  You can hear all kinds of screams and creepy sound effects.
Xander:  “Where is the stairs?”
Willow:  “Where is the door?”
Buffy:  “This is the way we came in, right?  We just went in a circle? (The sound effects cut off as Oz flips a switch)  Thank the lord!”
Oz:  “You're welcome.”

Funny. Oz-humour.

Buffy pulls open the door to a closet.  There is a guy in there rocking back and forth.
Chaz:  “I'm sorry.  I didn't know.  I'm sorry.”
Oz crouches down in front of him:  “Chaz.”
Chaz:  “I didn't know.”
Oz:  “What's happening?”
Chaz, rocking harder:  “It ah...”
Buffy impatiently:  “What is it?”
Chaz:  “It's alive.  It's alive.”
Cut to the plastic skeleton.  Cut to the knife in its hand.  As the camera pans back up the bones are suddenly real.  There is an eyeball in one of its sockets.  It straightens its head and looks at the camera.

Chaz looks up and screams as he sees the skeleton come up and stab at Buffy's shoulder from behind.  Buffy turns and knocks its head aside then kicks it in the middle.  It lies back to land on the ground, once again plastic.
Buffy stares at it then checks her shoulder.
Buffy:  “I think the cape took most of it.'
Xander:  “Let me see.”
Oz:  “Could need stitches.  You should at least get a bandage or something.”
We hear a girl scream, and Chaz crawls back into the closet and closes the door.
Oz:  “Cowering in a closet is starting to seem like a reasonable plan.”

Soon they are all bickering. Except Oz, who rarely gets involved in such things.

Oz:  “What are we talking about?”
Willow:  “It's a simple incantation, a guiding spell for travelers when they become lost or disoriented.”
Buffy:  “And how does it work?”
Willow:  “It conjures an emissary from the beyond that – lights the way.”
Buffy:  “Conjuring.  Will, let's be realistic here.  Okay, your basic spells are usually only fifty-fifty.”
Willow upset:  “Oh yeah?  Well, - so is your face!”
Willow walks off while Buffy tries to figure out what that meant:  “What?!  (Walks after Willow)  What does that mean?”
Willow turns around:  “I'm not your sidekick!”
Willow stomps out.  Oz runs after her.  Buffy stands there and sighs.

Oz soon has problems of his own.

Pan back down the corridor.
Willow:  “She thinks I'm not ready to be a full blown witch!  I can handle the dark forces as good as anyone else.  It's not that hard.  I-It's just a guiding spell and I'm careful and all.”
Oz looks around the room they just walked into:  “This floor used to have windows.”
Willow:  “Look.  We found the stairs.  (Starts walking up)  Buffy didn't find the stairs, no sir!”
Oz following Willow up the stairs:  “You guys aren't thinking clearly.”
He looks down at his hands.  They are hairy and his fingernails look more like claws.
Willow in upstairs corridor:  “We just need to get up to the goat room and maybe we can...”
Oz:  “Willow, something is happening.”
Willow turns back to him:  “Something good? (Sees that he is turning into a werewolf)  Oh, no – not good.”
Oz:  “I'm changing.”
Willow:  “But – but you can't!  There is no moon tonight.”
Oz:  “I have to get away.”
Willow:  “No, we need to find something to restrain you, like a rope or chains, or something.”
Oz:  “There is no time!”
Willow:  “I can do the guiding spell.  I know I can make it work!”
Oz:  “Will, please.”
Willow tries to grab him:  “No!”
Oz bats her hand away with a growl:  “NO!”
Willow looks down at the three red scratches on the back of her hand.  Oz turns and runs off.
Willow:  “Oz! – Oz, don't leave me!”
We get several quick shots of different empty parts of the house with Willows voice echoing:  “Don't leave me!  Don't leave me!”

Ooh. Wolfing out and harming someone really is Oz's greatest fear.

Camera pans down a corridor to reveal Oz sitting in a bathtub repeating over and over:  “You're not going to change.  You're not going to change.”

Aw, bless. The others all have problems of their own, all their fears manifesting.

Buffy:  “I'm upstairs.  The goat room.”
She slowly walks into the room.  There are college kids in costumes cowering all along the walls, whimpering.
Buffy sees Oz cowering in a corner:  “Oz?”
Willow comes running into the room waving her arms around:  “Get them off me!  Get them off me!  (Hearing her voice, Oz looks at his normal hands then up at her)  Get'em off!  Get'em off!”
Oz takes a hold of her:  “Willow, Willow, Willow, what's wrong?”
Willow:  “Couldn't get them off…”
Oz:  “It's okay.  It's okay.  (Pulls her into his arms) We're okay.”
Buffy shakes her head:  “We're not okay.  We need to get out of here.”

Willow in trouble is all it takes to bring Oz out of his own funk? Cool.

Oz:  “The house separated us.  It wanted to scare us.”
Willow:  “But - we got away.”
Buffy:  “No.  We were brought here.  We all got so scared that we ended up here. – Why?”
Xander points at the pentagram on the floor:  “I saw them painting that.  They were copying it out of  (Looks around and spots the open book on a table) that!”

Oz demonstrating once again that he is generally pretty much on the ball.

Giles and Anya arrive. The Fear Demon manifests, and Buffy destroys it. All returns to normal.

Cut to the gang digging into Giles Halloween candy at his house.
Oz:  “Some quality treats here, Giles.”
Giles:  “Please, finish them.”
Buffy:  “Uhm, this is much better.  There is no problem that can not be solved with chocolate.”

Episode 4.05: Beer Bad

Very little Oz in this episode. Buffy is still pining after Parker; Xander has a job at a pub (short-lived).
Xander: So are you going to come by tonight to the pub?
Willow: Oz. Bronze. Date.

Nice, Oz and Willow still having 'dates'. We don't see that often. However, on the date there is more badness.

Cut to the Bronze.
Oz is walking through the crowd with two drinks in his hands. Willow
is sitting at a table.
Oz: Hey. You got a table.
Willow: I had to kill a man.
Oz: Well, it's a really good table
Willow: I copied out my notes for Psych since you were so elsewhere this morning.
Oz: Thanks
Willow: It's really pretty simple stuff. You know, just what's the matter.
Oz: I dunno. I feel it's nothing.
They look at the stage where Veruca appears and starts singing. Oz is entranced and Willow notices. It seems like Veruca is singing right to Oz.
Willow: We could go back to your place. I could make you soup.
Oz: No. That's okay I'm fine. Thanks.
They continue watching the band. Willow is getting uncomfortable.
Willow: Do you know her?
Oz: Veruca? No. I know their drummer. He's cool. I've never heard them play.
Things get more intense. Oz is mesmerized by Veruca.

The beginning of bad things there. And – Oz missed class? Seems this is a recurring theme for him since his schooldays, but Prof. Walsh made it clear from the start she was very down on students missing class.

Cut to Buffy and Willow's dorm room the next day. Willow walks in from the bathroom with a towel over her shoulder and her bath stuff in hand. She seems upset.
Willow: 'My name's Veruca. I'm in a band.' 'I'm Oz, I'm in a band too. Oh, and this is Willow.' 'Oh, how fun. A groupie. Groovy.' Buff, have you heard of this Veruca chick? Dresses like Faith, voice like an albatross.

Willow is jealous of Oz noticing Veruca, which seems tremendously out-of-character for him. Willow has been the only thing he thinks of since the moment he first saw her, two years ago.

Cut to the dorm. Oz walks up to Willow as she comes out of her room
Oz: Willow. Hey. I tried calling
Willow: Yeah, I've been up at the library. How are you feeling?
Oz: What do you mean?
Willow: Well, you weren't in class. Again.
Oz: Yeah, I was practicing. Hey Shy's playing again tonight
Willow: Shy?
Oz: Yeah, Veruca's band and they asked me to sit in with them. It would be kinda cool if you were there.
Willow: Two Veruca shows in two nights. Are you sure you wanna share your groupie? I think I'm gonna study. Because of the fun.
Oz: Well, yeah I guess how I could see it be dull for ya.
(There's an uncomfortable silence between them and Oz looks confused at Willow being so distant and cold)
Willow: See ya (she turns around and leaves)
Oz: Yeah. (He looks hurt and leaves)

It seems Oz is genuinely unaware of Willow's jealousy of Veruca. At the moment, he barely seems aware of his own interest in the other girl, except as a fellow musician with a band he likes. But here it is Willow blowing him off, not the other way around.

That is pretty much the end of Oz for this episode. Too bad.

And then comes the ultimate badness in the next episode, which is almost Oz's last.

Episode 4.06: Wild At Heart
Badness. This is Oz's final episode as a regular character, and if he really had to leave (which he did as the actor wanted out), I'm highly disappointed that this was the method they chose. Too little build up, and they took him right out of character.

Cut to Buffy, Willow, Oz and Xander sitting at a table at the Bronze.
Willow : The Bronze is more fun this year, isn't it?
Buffy : 'Cause of the gloating factor alone, you know? We're all about college now. We've got heady discourse.
Oz : Yeah. Curfew-free nights of mom and pop-less hootenanny.
Xander : Co-ed dating prospects who find townies sexy and dangerous. What? I can dream.
Buffy : Right. So if college is so great, what are we doing here, and why isn't it more fun?
Willow : Because the Bronze is nice and familiar. It's like a big comfy blanky.
Oz : I was under the impression that I was your big comfy blanky.
Willow : Aw, you're my, my person blanky. This is my place blanky. You know, with all the shock of the new, it's nice to have one place that you can come back to where everything's predictable.
(Giles walks up.)
Giles : Hello.
Buffy : Giles, trouble?
Giles : Oh, no, Buffy. Don't get up. No. Nothing like that. No, I just, you know, I thought I'd drop by. Uh, latté anyone? On me?
(Everyone is looking at him in shock.)
Buffy : So much for your predictable blanky theory, Will. Sorry.
Giles: Splendid. Well, it's ages since I've been to a gig. Well, don't look that way.
I'm...I'm...I'm down with the new music. And I have the albums to prove it.
Buffy : Yes, but it's your cutting edge 8-tracks that keep you ahead of the scene.
Oz : Don't scoff, gang. I've seen Giles' collection. He was an animal in his day.
Giles : Thank you.
Buffy : Hey, why not? If the Stones can still keep rolling, why can't Giles?
Giles : Exactly.
Willow : I think it's brave that you're here.
Giles : Well, thank you, all. You've made me feel right at home.
Xander : Isn't home that empty place you're trying to escape?
Giles : Oh, yeah.
Willow (noticing): Veruca's playing tonight.
Oz : Yeah. Every Wednesday. I told you.
Veruca's band Shy is seen on stage. Oz is entranced.
Buffy : So, Oz, what about dingoes? When are you guys here again?
Oz : (Distracted.) Oh, we're up next Friday.
Willow : They're good, aren't they?
Oz is still mesmerized, and barely paying attention to anything but Veruca.
Oz : Nothing special.
Willow : Yeah. She's quell Fiona. Color me bored.
Giles : Really? I think she's rather remarkable. Such presence for someone her age.

Since the transcriber described Oz as being entranced by Veruca, I think it is only fair to point out that both Xander and Giles seemed similarly taken by her.

Cut to Oz's room. He and Willow are lying in bed. Willow is having a nightmare, which wakes Oz.
Willow: Mm... It's in the sandblaster. Uh...
Oz : (Trying to wake Willow from her nightmare.) What's in the sandblaster, Will? It's a dream. Come back to me.
Willow : (Murmuring in her 'sleep' and smiling.) Mmm...Hmm... All geminis to the raspberry hats.
Oz : Now you're faking.
Willow : (In a cute voice.) Am not. Just a little. (She turns to face Oz.)
Oz : Morning.
Willow : Morning.
Oz : Bad dream?
Willow : I guess. But the waking up part makes up for it.
Oz : It's always so busy in there.
Willow : Not always. A few things shut my brain up completely. (Gets cuddly.)
Oz : Anything I can help you with?
Willow : I gotta get to class right now, but tonight for sure.
Oz : I don't know about tonight, unless the extreme Jerry Garcia look turns you on.
Willow : (Confused.) Huh?
Oz : Night before the full moon.
Willow : Oh, that's right. And I have a thing. There's this wicca group on campus I wanted to check out. They have orientation on the three nights you're wolfy. And it's probably totally silly, but--
Oz : No. Go. Show 'em how it's done.
Willow : Are you sure? You can lock yourself up? It's only this one month.
After orientation, they meet on different nights.
Oz : I'll be fine.
Willow : Ok. As long as you don't mind.
Oz : The only thing I mind is being away from you for three nights.

Aw, this is such a sweet scene – the very last time Oz and Willow are ever intimate like this.
Willow asks if Oz is okay to lock himself up – I've never been sure how the wolf nights were handled. Does someone (usually Willow) give up three nights sleep every single month to make sure he doesn't escape? That's dedication!

Buffy is doing well in psych class, to Willow's delight and envy.
Willow : She wants you to lead a discussion group? Ok. Jealous again. (She looks upset.) Jealous, jealous-- ok. I'm back. (She smiles again.) Hey, I'm meeting Oz at the café. You wanna come? I'll buy you that celebratory cookie.
Buffy : Great. I'm T.A. bound right now, and then I will catch up with you guys.
Willow : Cool.

Cut to Oz walking through the café. He spies Veruca sitting alone at a table and pauses.
Veruca : What are you gonna do, sit on the ground?
Oz : My girlfriend's coming.
Veruca : There's room.
Oz : (Sits down.) Big lunch?
Veruca : I like to eat. I hate chicks who are like, "does it have dressing on it?"
Oz : (Nods.) Agreed. (awkward pause) You guys were tight last night.
Veruca : I guess. The set's starting to come together, but the amps still sound dirty to me.
Oz : What are you using? Fifty or 120?
Willow : (Walks up. Looks somewhat distressed.) Hey.
Oz : Hey.
Veruca : Hey.
Oz : You wanna sit down? (Willow sits.) So you should be using a 50. And blue voodoo, not your best bet, unless you dig the distort.
Willow : Music talk, huh? Cool. I love to listen to Oz talk about the biz.
Veruca : What do you like again? I know you told me.
Oz : There's a couple good ones. The johnson mil... The number one is redbone.
Veruca : Number one? No. I gotta go with hound dog.
Willow : Me, too. That's a great song. I mean, Elvis, what a guy.
Veruca : You a big Elvis fan?
Willow : The biggest. Well, I mean, after Dingoes, of course.
Oz : We're actually talking amps. But it's easy to get confused, the names they give 'em.
Willow : Oh. Ha ha.
Oz : You know, I gotta bail. Um, I'll call you later. (He gets up to go.)
Veruca : I should go, too. (To Willow.) Good shirt. (She leaves.)

While it is sad to see problems arising between Willow and Oz, it would have been fantastic to have had the time to focus on them working through these problems, instead of it all happening so fast and then them breaking up. And Veruca is absolutely throwing herself at him.

Buffy : (Walks up.) Check out the rapid exits. Was it me?
Willow : (Looking sad. Buffy sits.) Me. I don't speak musicianese. How come you didn't tell me I look like a crazy birthday cake in this shirt?
Buffy : I thought that was the point.
Willow: He thinks she's sexy. He gets this blushy thing going on behind his ears. That's for me only.
Buffy : It doesn't mean anything. So Oz checks out another girl. He loves you.
Willow : I know. I--I know. And I don't wanna be the kind of girl who freaks every time my boyfriend notices somebody else. I mean, I have wrong feelings about other guys sometimes, but I feel guilty, and I flog and punish.
Buffy : Exactly. I'm sure Oz is flogging and punishing himself. This is sounding wrong before I even finish. Look, I promise you, in a couple of days, it's gonna be like "Veruca who?"
Willow : You think?
Buffy : Absolutely. Oz just isn't the type to stray.
Willow: Not tonight anyways. He'll be locked in a cage.

Buffy really did always like Oz for Willow – very supportive.

Cut to Oz's cage. He's more wild than normal. He breaks out.
Cut to Walsh walking along outside alone. She stops when Oz jumps out at her. She runs and comes along yet another werewolf. She's terrified, but as they both jump at her they crash into each other as she jumps out of the way. They attack each other.
Cut to the next morning. They're semi hidden by bushes, both naked and with numerous scratches and lacerations. They wake; Oz is confused and upset.
Oz : That was, um...
Veruca : Some night.
Oz : So it appears.
Veruca : Right. You don't remember. It's like that at first, but then little bits and pieces will start coming back to you.
Oz : So you're a...
Veruca : Werewolf groupie. Nobody else gets it done for me.
Oz : What?
Veruca : Kidding. You know what I am. You've known since the first time you saw me. Now, you... need...To relax.
Oz : Not a possibility.
Veruca : So what do you want to do?
They head off.

Seems Oz really does need guarding on his wolf nights after all. It is nice to finally see how he is coping on wolf nights post-high school library (since his cage there got blowed up good): he has built himself a new cage in a crypt at a graveyard, which leads me to wonder just how safe this is – after all, we know how many vampires roam the Sunnydale graveyards.
And Veruca's secret is out: she is also a werewolf, and apparently remembers everything that happens while she's in wolf form. It is clear that the two wolves have mated, but while Veruca may remember what happens (it is unclear how much control she has), Oz doesn't and is beyond upset about it.

Cut to the laudromat. Oz is wearing clothes that don't fit and don't entirely match. Veruca is walking about in whore-wear.
Veruca : God! The kids in the dorm need fashion 101 in a big way. (She spies Oz's ensemble.) Or we could start right here at home.
Oz : Not making a statement. Just wanna get back to my place, figure out why we got out of our cages.
Veruca : (Incredulous.) You have a cage?
Oz : Don't you?
Veruca : Uh, yeah. Has a little wheel with a plastic ball And a cute little bell in it. God! Somebody's domesticated the hell out of you.
Oz : It's my choice. I don't wanna hurt anybody.
Veruca : Maybe. Or maybe you just don't wanna admit what happened to you. Maybe you just wanna pretend like you're a regular guy. (She walks over to him.)
Oz : Well, I am. I'm only a wolf three nights a month.
Veruca : Or you're a wolf all the time and this human face is just your disguise. You ever think about that, Oz? (She's getting closer to him.)
Oz : I'm going. I gotta check the paper, see if we did any damage last night.
Veruca : Oh, we did. But only to each other. I know some part of you remembers that. It doesn't take a full moon. We could...Do it again right here. (She's trying to get 'cuddly' with him.
Oz : We aren't going to. This ends... Right now.
Veruca : I can help you, Oz. (Continuing the slut act.)You're scared. I was, too. But then I accepted it. The animal, it's powerful, inside me all the time. Soon, you just start to feel sorry for everybody else because they don't know what it's like to be as alive as we are. As free.
Oz : Free to kill people? I won't do that. You shouldn't.
Veruca : You don't understand. But you will. You'll see that we belong together.
Oz : No. I know where I belong.
Veruca : (As Oz walks of.) See ya tonight.

More Veruca weirdness: she has no cage for the wolf nights. You've got to wonder how dangerous she is – how long has she been around? If she'd been running loose and attacking people on previous occasions, you'd think someone would have commented. Note the difference between her attitude and Oz's – she's throwing herself at him, while he is just worried about what damage they might have done. Has either of them ever encountered another werewolf before (apart from the one that turned them)?

While Buffy learns from Professor Walsh that two werewolves were out and about, Willow comes looking for Oz.

Cut to Oz's room. There's a knock at the door.
Oz : Yeah?
Willow : (Walks in.) Hey.
Oz : Hey. New look. (She's wearing shiny pants.)
Willow : You, too. (he's still in his mismatched purloined clothes, and some of the scratches on his back are visible)
Oz : Oh. Uh... Laundry day kinda came and went.
Willow : Hey... I'm sorry if I was weird yesterday with you and Veruca.
Oz : (Looking mildly uncomfortable.) I didn't notice anything.
Willow : Really? 'Cause I felt all spazzy.
Oz : No.
Willow : Oh. Good. So it was just me worrying for nothing again. Me and my busy head always thinking, thinking, thinking.
Oz : Well, now you can stop everything's fine.
Willow : (hinting.) Maybe you could help me...Stop. I'd really, really appreciate anything you could do.
Oz : What? (He's very uncomfortable as she approaches him, and pulls away from her kiss.)
Willow : What's wrong?
Oz : Uh...Sorry. I...
Willow : You don't want to? (She looks hurt.)
Oz :It's not that. I do. I just... I didn't get any sleep, I guess. I'm really beat.
Willow : Right. Busy wolf night. I get it. It's totally ok.
Oz : (As Willow heads for the door.) Willow, you don't have to--
Willow : No. I--I should. I don't have much time. See you later.
She leaves.


Badness. Oz is feeling guilty, and Willow is feeling insecure. Bad combination. But at this stage, Oz's only real crime is not talking about what happened – he had no control over his actions while in wolf form. If he would only talk to Willow about it, things could still be okay. But we've seen before – in Phases and Beauty and the Beasts – that Oz likes to deal with problems on his own rather than talking about them.

Buffy, meanwhile, has gone to Giles.
Buffy : Here's the deal. One of my professors said that she was almost attacked by two wild dogs last night... Under the light of a nearly full moon.
Giles : Werewolves. Two of them?
Buffy : Could be. Well, I've not seen anything about the attacks in the newspapers or on the news.
Giles : Have you spoken with Oz?
Buffy : My next stop.

Willow, meanwhile, talks things through with Xander.
Willow : Well, things with Oz are weird. And I talked to Buffy about it, but I think we're in Guyville here. I need a translator from the "y" side of things.
Xander : Well, last time I checked, I had the creds. Hit me.
Willow : What does it mean when a girl wants to... You know.
Xander : If you're doin' it, I think you should be able to say it.
Willow : Make love.
Xander : Wild monkey love or tender Sarah Mclachlan love?
Willow : Any kind. But what if the girl wants to and the guy doesn't? That's a bad sign, right?
Xander : Could be. Or the girl caught the guy in one of the seven annual minutes he's legitimately too preoccupied to do it.
Willow : Well, say the girl's been noticing--
Xander : Will, I've deciphered your ingenious code.
Willow : Ok. Say I've been noticing Oz notice someone else. A woman.
Xander : And is this chick noticing back?
Willow : Most definitely.
Xander : Well... Have you asked Oz about it?
Willow : Well, I thought about it, but then he'll think I'm all jealous and worry.
Xander : But you are. And odds are, he feels it. I'll bet that's all there is to the weird you're feeling. You guys should talk things out, Will. You'll both feel better.

Xander is being the supportive friend here – not a single trace of his one-time resentment of Oz.

Cut to Oz's underground cave area. Buffy walks in as Oz is reinforcing the cage.
Buffy : Got out, huh?
Oz : Yeah. Any news about attacks?
Buffy: No. (Oz looks relieved) But I did hear about a woman being chased by two wild dogs.
Oz : Two? Really?
Buffy : You don't remember anything like that, do you? Another wolf?
Oz : No. When the change comes, it's like...I'm gone. Total blackout.
Buffy : You know, I find wolf number two out on patrol tonight, and you might have a roomie in there. (Oz looks slightly alarmed as Buffy starts to walk off. She then stops and turns to look at him.) Oz... You ok? And if it's possible, you seem more monosyllabic than usual.
Oz : I'm ok. Thanks.

Damn. That was Oz's big chance to make things right, and he blew it – instead of letting Buffy help deal with Veruca, he tried to hide it, maybe because he didn't want Willow to find out, maybe because he feels that as a fellow werewolf Veruca is his problem.
Interesting to see him reinforcing the cage – quite handy with a welding torch, then. Wonder where and when he learnt that.

Cut to later. Veruca has walked down into the underground area where Oz is.
Veruca : So this is why you called me here? To see your habittrail? (She walks up to him.) Right before sunset, I get a little buzzed, you know?
Oz : Come here.
Veruca : I'm not getting in that stupid cage with you, if that's what this is all about. We belong outside.
Oz : You can't run loose tonight. And not just because you might hurt somebody. I know people that'll be out there... Hunting for us.
Veruca : (Stepping closer.) So you're saying I should spend the whole night with you... Alone... Locked in a cage.
Oz : You'll be safe.
Veruca : Not from you. Isn't that the point of this cosy little arrangement? It's coming. Do you feel it? It's like blood boiling.
Oz : I feel it.
Veruca : (Leaning in towards him, hanging on to the cage door.) I've wanted you even before I ever saw you. I sensed you. Did you sense me?
Oz : (Tensely.) Come in here.
Veruca : Did you?
He nods slightly. She steps in the cage and they kiss. As they do they change. Werewolf 'wackiness' ensues.

Ouch. Badness. This is the big moment – up until now, Oz was in character. But actually kissing Veruca in human form is just so out of character for Oz, no matter how much the impending full moon is affecting his judgement, and no matter how many 'pheromones' she is sending his way to confuse him.

Cut to the morning. Willow is bounding down the stairs with a bag of food and a thermos. She cuts short as she sees Veruca and Oz, naked, limbs tangled, asleep on the floor of the cage. The thermos and bag drop as she stares in shock. Oz wakes up and sees Willow. He starts to get up.
Oz : Willow... (He starts putting on his pants.)
Willow : Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
Oz : I know what you saw. It wasn't-- (Finishes putting on his pants.) I had to.
I had to lock her in there with me.
Willow : I bet.
Oz : She's like me. A wolf.
Willow : Well, I knew you two had a lot in common, but... (Oz tries to touch her.) Don't touch me! (She jerks back.)
Oz : She was gonna hurt somebody. I didn't have a choice.
Willow : But you did. You could've told somebody. Your solution... Just put you two together in a room all night?
Veruca : (Having woken up, stands up baring all.) Girl's got a point.
Oz : (Angrily.) Leave.
Veruca : I'm just saying--
Oz : (Shouts) Now! I'm sorry. I know.
Willow : I knew, you jerk. And you sat there, and you told me everything was fine? And that's as bad as... as... (Now crying.)
Oz : I know how it feels. I remember.
Willow : Oh. So what, this is payback? I had this coming?
Oz : No. It's not--
Willow : Because I thought that was behind us. And you know, what happened with Xander, it doesn't compare. Not with what you and I had. Not with whatever you've been doing with her.
Oz : I don't know what Veruca and I have done. When I change, it's like, it's like I'm gone and the wolf takes over.
Willow : But before this, when you were regular Oz, you had feelings for her, didn't you?
Oz : No. I could sense something, but...
Willow : But you wanted her... Like in an animal way? Like...More than you wanted me? (She runs off, tears streaming down her face.)
Oz : Willow!

Badness. Not going to comment.

Willow rushes off and almost gets run over, she's so distressed. Riley saves her, and Buffy takes her home to look after her. Buffy puts the blame entirely on Veruca.
Buffy : I have to go. I have to find Veruca before the sun sets. I will, though.
When I do, this thing stops. She's bad news.

Meanwhile, Oz is also on the hunt for Veruca.
Cut to Oz's room. He's on the phone sitting on the edge of his bed.
Oz : So you haven't seen her around? (Pause.) Ok. Thanks, man.
The door opens and Buffy enters.
Buffy : Where is she?
Oz : I don't know. I already checked all the usual haunts. But I know the areas we're drawn to. I'm pretty sure I can follow her scent.
Buffy : We'll try that, then.
Oz : Look, Buffy, you should know that--
Buffy : Oz... (Coldly.) Now might be a good time for your trademark stoicism.
They leave to go look for Veruca.

So Oz is no longer in Buffy's good books, it seems – for the first time ever. And it is understandable, given how hurt Willow is. They go Veruca hunting.
Cut to Oz and Buffy running through the woods.
Oz: She's near here. I can smell her.
They come upon a pile of clothes in a heap, and no Veruca.
Buffy : Or the dirty pile of clothing she left on the ground.
Oz : Well, they could be from the other night when she-- Turned into a werewolf.
Buffy : Unless she wanted to throw you off the scent.
Oz : Willow.

Willow, meanwhile, has turned to magic for vengeance. This will be a recurring theme for her – when things go wrong, she turns to magic.
Cut to Willow. She' got her wicca stuff out and is casting a spell. Beakers and vials are out, some boiling.
Willow : I conjure thee by Barabbas, by Satanas, and the devil. As thou art burning,
Let Oz and Veruca's deceitful hearts be broken. This way. I conjure thee by the Saracen queen and the name of hell. Let them find no love or solace. Let them find no peace as well.

Cut back to Willow. She has a picture of him and is holding it near the flame.
Willow : Let this image seal his fate, not to love, only hate.
Willow can't bring herself to finish the spell. She drops the picture and a levitating beaker along drops and the burning and boiling containers cease activity.
Veruca : (Walking in.) Wow. For a minute there, I thought you might actually play rough. Sometimes you have to, you know? To keep what's yours, sometimes you have to kill. How 'bout that? The sun's almost down.
She advances towards Willow.

Cut to Buffy and Oz running through the forest top speed. Buffy slams full force into a burly commando guy. They hit the ground and their guns go flying. (She's carrying a tranquilizer.) They get up and run off.

Cut to Willow amd Veruca.
Veruca : Can't say I'm surprised you didn't go through with your little hex. You don't have the teeth.
Willow : (Backing up.) You don't know what I have. You don't know anything about me.
Veruca : I know what you love. I have his scent on me right now. (strikes Willow, knocking her down)
Oz (bursting in): Don't touch her again.
Veruca : Come stop me. I like it rough, remember?
Oz : You wanna hurt me, hurt me. You leave her out of this.
Veruca : How can I? She's the reason you're living in cages. She's blinding you. When she's gone, you'll be able to admit what you are.
Oz : You don't wanna find out what I am.
Veruca : You're an animal. Animals kill.
Oz : You're right. (Advancing towards her.) We kill.
He starts to wolf as does she. They begin to struggle. They fight and he gets the upper hand and tears her throat out. Willow cowers in a corner, crying uncontrollably.
Willow : Oz?
He looks at her, and advances, then jumps but comes up short. Buffy has grabbed him. He goes to attack her but she kicks him out of her way, then shoots him with the tranquilizer. He attempts to get up but falls back. Buffy goes to comfort the traumatized Willow.

Harming someone in wolf form has always been Oz's greatest fear, but here he consciously begins what he knows will be a fight to the death, and he does it for Willow's sake. However, in wolf form he no longer has control, and would have turned on Willow next if not for Buffy's arrival. The focus of this all is on the impact on Willow, but it's got to be fairly traumatic for Oz, too. He never meant for any of it to happen.

Buffy tells Giles what happened.
Cut to Giles apartment.
Giles : I'm not quite sure I understand.
Buffy : There was just so much going on with Oz and Willow. And there still is. But I just thought you should know.
Giles : Well, this fellow in the woods, he was in military garb?
Buffy : And he was toting some serious weaponry. The thing is, I saw some guys dressed exactly like him on Halloween night. I just assumed they were in costume.
But maybe they were working. I wanna know what's up. The guy got in my way.
I almost didn't catch up with Oz in time. And as it was, I was too late to--
Giles : You saved Willow.
Buffy : Right now she wishes I hadn't. Giles, I've never seen her like this. It's like it hurts too much to form words.
Giles : You've... You've felt that way yourself, and you got through it.
Buffy : Yeah. I ran away and went to hell, and then got through it. I'm kind of hoping she doesn't use me as a model.
Giles : Fair enough.
Buffy : I just don't know how they're gonna deal with this.

Buffy's assumption seems to be, however, that they will at least attempt to deal with it – her anger with Oz isn't so great that she expects Willow to just dump him on the spot. Willow seems to be thinking the same way as she goes to see Oz.

Cut to Oz's room. He's packing.
Willow : (Walks in.) Hello.
Oz : Hi.
Willow : What are you doing?
Oz : I'm going.
Willow : Now?
Oz : Mm-hmm.
He zips the suitcase.
Willow : That's your solution?
Oz : That's my decision.
Willow : Don't I get any say in this?
Oz : No. Veruca was right about something. The wolf is inside me all the time, and I don't know where that line is anymore between me and it. And until I figure out what that means, I shouldn't be around you... Or anybody.
Willow : (Crying.) Well, that could be a problem 'cause people... Kind of a planetary epidemic.
Oz : I'll find someplace.
Willow : Well, how long?
Oz : I don't know.
Willow : Oz... Don't you love me?
Oz : (Holding her, pressing his forehead to hers as she sobs.) My whole life... I've never loved anything else.
Willow : Oz... Oh, god. Oz...
Willow is left standing crying. Oz walks out and puts his bag in his van. He gets in and starts the van. He pauses and cuts the engine, looking back up towards his room, where Willow still is. Then he starts the van again and drives away.

Aw. And Oz's time as a Scooby is over. And it is all played from Willow's point of view, as the one who has been hurt and abandoned, but from Oz's point of view it makes sense. He has always preferred to deal with problems on his own, for better or worse, and this time it backfired on him big time. Leaving to seek a solution to the wolf problem makes sense, though – he has just killed for the first time, his greatest fear come true, and has to be horrified and terrified at what could have happened to Willow if Buffy hadn't been there. All of a sudden he's confused and can only see one way out – to stay away from Willow until he can be sure it won't happen again. And so he goes.


Willow's post-Oz misery: this lasts for a few episodes.
Episode 4.07: The Initiative
Xander : How's Will dealing--?
Buffy : (Cutting off Xander.) With the black hole of despair she's been living in since Oz left? She's dealing. I'm helping. It's hard. Ergo, party. You two can take patrol.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find something slutty to wear tonight.

Willow : Riley. I notice you left off a name today in roll call. Osbourne, Daniel Osbourne, Oz?
Riley : He's not in this class anymore. I hear he dropped out.
Willow : (Looking distressed.) Oh, well you heard way wrong then. I mean, he's not gone. He--he left temporarily to work out a few things. I know that sounds lame in its vagueness, but I assure you, Oz will be back.
Walsh: (Walks up to where Willow and Riley are.) Not to my class, he won't. An educated guess. You know the rules, you know I hate exceptions, and yet somehow you feel your exception is exceptional. (She crosses her arms in front of her looking intimidating.)
Willow : Oh, but--
Walsh : (Cutting her off.) It is. To you. But since I'm neither a freshman nor a narcissist, I have to consider the whole class. If your friend can't respect my schedule, I think it's best he not come back.

So Oz's abrupt departure has consequences for him far beyond leaving Willow and the gang – he's dropped out of school. One has to wonder, also, how he is going to deal with his wolfy issues until a solution is found – his cage is not exactly portable.
And how weird is it that we never learned his full name until after he left! Daniel Osbourne. I like it.

Riley asks Willow for help wooing Buffy.
Willow : Ok, say that I help, and you start a conversation. It goes great. You like Buffy; she likes you. You spend time together, feelings grow deeper, and one day, without even realizing it, you find you're in love. Time stops, And it feels like the whole world's made for you two, and you two alone, until the day one of you leaves and rips the still-beating heart from the other, who's now a broken, hollow, mockery of the human condition.
Riley : (Looking a bit put out, but is glib.) Yep, that's the plan.

Well, that rather neatly tells us just how Willow is feeling.

At the party:
A Dingoes Ate My Babies song comes on. Willow gets a horrifically depressed look.
Riley : Are you ok?
Willow : This song...
Riley : Oh, yeah, it's a tape of some bands from last year's party. Associations?
Willow : Big.
Riley : Bad? A.J.! (He makes a cutting motion. A.J. changes the music ignoring the murmur of protest from the crowd.)

Episode 4.08: Pangs
When Willow runs into Angel, she's still full of her own woes.
Willow : See, I don't get that, all this "leaving for her own good" garbage. Because that's what it is. You can't just give up because there's obstacles. What kind--
Angel : (Interrupting her tirade.) Willow.
Willow : Sorry. My stuff.

Episode 4.09: Something Blue
Oz's room. All his stuff still remains. Willow is walking around, then sits on his bed, bringing one of his shirts to her face and smelling it.

Willow is clearly still missing Oz.

Giles: Um, Willow may have had a very helpful idea. She seems to be coping better with Oz's departure, don't you think?
Buffy: She still has a way to go, but yeah — I think she's dealing.
Spike: What, are you people blind? She's hangin' on by a thread. Any ninny can see that.

Spike is always very observant.

Cut to Oz's room. It's completely bare. Willow enters and stops, looking around, surprised.

Cut to Buffy and Willow's dorm room. Buffy is sitting on her bed and Willow is in her pyjamas under the covers of hers, crying.
Willow: Devon said that he sent for his stuff. I guess that means he's planning on settling down somewhere... else. Not here.
Buffy: I guess so...
Willow: I feel like I've been split down the center and half of me is lost.
Buffy: I know. It feels like that now...
Willow: Oz is gone.

Cut to The Bronze. Swinging, as usual. Anya, Xander, and Buffy share a table.
Xander: Geez, you mean Oz just sent for his stuff and didn't even call her? That's pretty harsh.
Anya: I only wish I had my powers back. I'd liquify his entrails for her.
Xander: That's sweet. God, poor Will.

Aw, everyone has turned against Oz – he is definitely made out to be the bad guy in this split, and maybe that is justified, but if only he had stayed, it would have been so interesting to see how the group dynamic was affected with him still around. Would he have been forced out of the group, or could he and Willow have managed to function around one another out of necessity?

Willow: I just can't stand feeling this way. I want it to be over.
Buffy: It will. I promise. But it's gonna take time.
Willow: Well, that's not good enough.
Buffy: I know. It's just how it is. You have to go through the pain.
Willow: Well, isn't there someway I can just make it go away? Just 'cause I say so? Can't I just make it go 'poof'?

Willow: I'm not kidding anyone. If I had any real power, I could have made Oz stay with me.
Buffy: Will, you wouldn't have wanted him to have stayed—

Wouldn't have wanted him to have stayed? What's that supposed to mean? Or did she intend to finish that sentence with 'if he didn't want to'?

Xander: Willow, I know it's hard to see it right now, but everything you're feeling is because of you and Oz. Not because of Buffy and me or anybody. But eventually you'll meet somebody else, and it'll be better.

So sad to see the full impact of the split on Willow, and not how Oz is coping.

From this point onward, Willow starts to get over it, drawn into a close friendship with fellow witch Tara. The pair are on the verge of becoming romantically involved when Oz returns for his last ever visit to Sunnydale (that we know of).

Episode 4.19: New Moon Rising
Willow has brought Tara to her very first Scooby meeting.
We hear the door open. Buffy and Riley look toward it. Giles keeps talking.
Giles: ...and if I say there is a matter of some import brewing, I-I-
Giles notices everyone looking behind him. He turns.
Shot of Tara looking confused.
Shot of Willow looking shocked.
Shot of Oz in the doorway, hands in jacket pockets.
Oz: Hey.

WILLOW: Oz.
Oz looks around, uncomfortable.
TARA: (understanding) Oz.
Willow looks at Tara, looks back at Oz.
Shot of Buffy looking at Willow, concerned.
WILLOW: When, when did you get back?
OZ: Pretty much now.
(Xander looks at everyone, steps forward.)
XANDER: Oz, man. Hate to sound grandma, but... you don't call, you don't write.
OZ: Yeah, sorry.
(They shake hands.)
BUFFY: So are you here here, or are you just passing through?
GILES: Well, um, let's not, uh, bombard the poor chap with, uh, questions right off. Can I get you something, um, tea? (Takes off glasses, moves toward kitchen)
OZ: I'll pass, thanks.
(Riley looks confused. Oz walks forward to Willow.)
OZ: Look, I'm going to Devon's to see if he's got a place I can crash. But... I was hoping that we could talk. Later. Tonight.
WILLOW: I guess so.
OZ: I'll come by your place?
WILLOW: Okay.
(Oz smiles.)
OZ: It's great to see you guys again. Really.
(Oz leaves.)
(Willow still looks shocked.)
ANYA: Everyone's uncomfortable now.
(Buffy goes to Willow and touches her arm.)
BUFFY: You okay?
WILLOW: I-
TARA: I just, um - I realized, um, I'm-I'm late for study group.
WILLOW: Tara, wait.
TARA: No, no, it's okay. You-you should be with your friends, and, and I-I should go.
(She leaves.)
WILLOW: Wait...
(Everyone looks at Willow, who is upset.)

Ooh, awkwardness.

RILEY: So, um, I was missing something this afternoon, wasn't I?
(Riley and Buffy walk through graveyard. He wears his battle fatigues.
Buffy wears a long leather coat and a white cap. Riley carries a bag.)
RILEY: I mean, breakups are tough, but when Oz walked in, it seemed like emotions were running extra high.
BUFFY: Oz and Willow had a rough breakup.
(Riley nods.)

BUFFY: So, I was just about to say something fascinating.
RILEY: Oz and Willow.
BUFFY: Right. They had a rough breakup. Some stuff came up, and Oz pretty much bailed overnight. It left Will really devastated.
RILEY: I remember.
BUFFY: The thing is before that, they were doing great. I mean, she was totally dealing with Oz being a werewolf, it wasn't even-
RILEY: Whoa, wait.
(They stop walking.)
RILEY: Oz is a werewolf, and Willow was dating him?!
BUFFY: Yes. Hence the high emotions.
RILEY: You're kidding me. Gotta say I'm surprised. I didn't think Willow was that kind of girl.
BUFFY: What kind of girl?
RILEY: Into dangerous guys. She seems smarter than that.
BUFFY: Oz is not dangerous. Something happened to him that wasn't his fault. God, I never knew you were such a bigot. (Starts to walk away)
RILEY: (stopping her) Whoa, hey, how did we get to bigot? I'm just saying it's a little weird to date someone who tries to eat you once a month.
BUFFY: Yeah, well love isn't logical, Riley. It's not like you can be
Mister Joe Sensible about it all the time.

Oh, its nice to hear Buffy sticking up for Oz again, even if it is more about her Angel issues than Oz, really.

(Willow opens her dorm room door. Oz is leaning against the doorframe.)
OZ: Hey.
WILLOW: (nervous) Hey.
(Oz smiles.)
WILLOW: So... you wanna come inside?
OZ: Actually, I want you to come outside. I wanna show you something.
(They walk across campus. It's dark. They're both wearing jackets. Willow stops walking.)
WILLOW: Oz... (He stops walking too) This is all so weird.
(Oz sighs, fidgets with something on his hand)
WILLOW: I-I-I feel like... this isn't really happening. Like it's a dream or, or something.
OZ: It's real. Look up.
WILLOW: What?
OZ: (smiling) Look at the sky.
(Willow looks up. The moon is full.)
OZ: I guess you stopped keeping track of 'em after I left.
WILLOW: Full moon. (Looks at Oz, back up at moon)
OZ: Full moon.
WILLOW: Full moon, but-but how? I mean (smiling) you did it! How, how did you do it? Where did you go?
OZ: It's a long story.
WILLOW: (looks up again, then down, smiling) Oh my god, Oz!
(She hugs him. He holds her and closes his eyes. Willow pulls back. Not smiling any more.)
WILLOW: This is... I mean, it's wonderful for you.
OZ: I talked to Xander, and he said you didn't have a new guy.
WILLOW: No. No new... guy.
(Oz smiles and takes her hand.)
OZ: I know what I put you through, and I'm not gonna push. But I am... a different person than when I left. And I can be what you need now.
(Willow looks sad.)
OZ: That's what I want. That's why I'm here.

Well, when he left he did tell her it was to find a cure for his lycanthropy so that they could be together safely. Did she think that was just an excuse to get away from her? Did she not believe that he'd come back to her?

(Buffy and Willow's dorm room. Willow sitting on her bed with something in her lap. Oz reclines on the end of the bed.)
WILLOW: I love this.
OZ: A woman in Tibet traded it to me for the Radiohead record. Got a lot of mileage out of the barter system.
WILLOW: So Tibet was your favorite?
OZ: Well, it's where I stayed the longest. This warlock in Romania sent me to the monks there to learn some meditation techniques. Very intense. All about keeping your inner cool.
WILLOW: Good, 'cause you were such a spaz before. (Smiles.) So that's it? You keep your cool, and no more wolfie?
OZ: No, there's more. I take some herbs and stuff. Some chanting. A couple of charms. (He shows some beads on a string wrapped around his hand.)
WILLOW: It's incredible. You've been all around the world. You've had this ... complete mind/body transformation. I've just been here. (Chuckle) Same old Sunnydale.
OZ: Doesn't mean you haven't gone through a lot.
WILLOW: It's true. Some of it, you know, was me telling myself I hated you and cursing your name. Not literally.
OZ: Well, thanks for that.
WILLOW: And, I don't know, I - I think I'm getting better at my spells and stuff.
(They look at each other. Willow fidgets, looks at the window.)
WILLOW: It's so light out.
OZ: Yeah, we talked all night.
WILLOW: Well, I believe a manly sized breakfast is in order, don't you?
OZ: Or we could just... (puts his hand on hers) sleep a little while.
(He gives her a meaningful look. Willow looks nervous)
OZ: Whatever you want.
WILLOW: I'll have the less confusing waffles right now.
(Oz smiles.)
OZ: Breakfast it is.
They both get up.
WILLOW: Lemme just, ah, freshen up.
(She takes her toothbrush and toothpaste and leaves. Oz watches her go, smiling.)
(Knock on door. Oz gets up and answers it. It's Tara. She's surprised to see Oz.)
TARA: Oh, sorry, I-I-I'll come back.
OZ: Are you looking for Willow? She's just in the bathroom down the hall.
TARA: No, no. No, it's, it's okay. (Backing away)
OZ: I saw you at Giles' yesterday.
TARA: Yeah. Sometimes Willow takes me with her to the s-scoobies.
OZ: You sure you don't wanna come in?
(Tara shakes her head and leaves. Oz shuts the door, looking confused. Willow comes back in and sees his expression.)
WILLOW: What?
OZ: Your friend came by. The blonde girl? But she wouldn't stay.
(He turns away to get his coat.)
OZ: So what do you think? Where you wanna go?
(Willow looks upset again. Doesn't look like she heard the question.)

Willow explains the problem to Buffy.
BUFFY: I wanna hear about you and Oz. You saw him, right?
WILLOW: I was with him all night.
(Buffy raises her eyebrows.)
BUFFY: All night? (Grins) Oh my god. (Sits on Willow's bed.) Wait. Last night was a wolf moon, right?
WILLOW: Yup.
BUFFY: Either you're about to tell me something incredibly kinky, or-
WILLOW: No kink. (Smiling) He didn't change, Buffy. He said he was gonna find a cure, and he did. In Tibet.
BUFFY: (smiling) Oh my god. I can't believe it. (Pause) Okay, I'm all with the woo-hoo here, and you're not.
WILLOW: No, there's "woo" and, and "hoo." But there's "uh-oh," and... "why now?" And ... it's complicated.
BUFFY: Why complicated?
WILLOW: (sighs, steels herself) It's complicated... because of Tara.
BUFFY: (frowns) You mean Tara has a crush on Oz? No.
(The clue-by-four hits Buffy.)
BUFFY: Oh!

BUFFY: I'm glad you told me. What did you say to Oz?
WILLOW: I was gonna tell him ... but then we started hanging out, and ... I could just feel everything coming back.
(Buffy looks sympathetic.)
WILLOW: He's Oz, you know?
BUFFY: Yeah. I know.
WILLOW: I don't wanna hurt anyone, Buffy.
BUFFY: No matter what, somebody's gonna get hurt. And the important thing is, you just have to be honest, or it's gonna be a lot worse.
(Willow nods.)

So, now its Willow's turn to hide things because they're difficult to deal with, leaving Oz in the dark and leading him on, allowing him to believe there's a chance for them still.

Willow goes to talk to Tara.
WILLOW: I just want you to know that what you saw this morning, it wasn't-
TARA: No, it's okay. I-I always knew that if he came back-
WILLOW: We were just talking. Nothing happened.
TARA: (hopeful smile) Oh. (Pause) Really?
(Willow nods.)
WILLOW: But, you know, it was intense. Just talking. We have a lot to talk about. (Frowns) I kinda feel like my head's gonna explode.
TARA: (struggles for a moment) Whatever, you know, happens ... I'll still be here. I'll still be your friend.
WILLOW: Of course we'll be friends! That's not even a question.
TARA: (upset) But I'm saying, I know what Oz means to you.
WILLOW: How can you, when I'm not even sure? I mean, I know what he meant to me. But he left, and... everything changed. I changed, and... then we--
TARA: What?
WILLOW: (teary) I don't know. I just - life was starting to get so good again, and -- (sighs, moves closer to Tara) You're a big part of that.
(Crying) And here comes the thing I wanted most of all, and... I don't know what to do, I ... I wanna know, but I don't.
(Tara looks sympathetic. She brushes the tears off Willow's cheek.)
TARA: Do what makes you ... h-h-happy.

Willow's inability to tell Oz the truth about her changing feelings has consequences.
(Inside one of the college buildings. Oz is looking at a wall covered with flyers and posters. He wrinkles his nose and calls "Willow!" just as Tara walks by. She stops and looks at him. Oz looks confused. He walks toward Tara.)
OZ: Hey. I thought I sm ... ah, heard Willow.
(Tara looks nervous, clutching books to her chest.)
TARA: Hey. (notices Oz holding books) You're um, you're coming back to school here, huh?
OZ: Pretty much. Feeling ... oddly motivated. (He still sniffs the air and looks around, confused)
TARA: That's um, that's great. I mean, that's, that's great for you and Willow, right?
OZ: I hope so.
TARA: (nervous) Good, that's, because-
OZ: Is that her sweater?
TARA: (looks down) I just, I just hope that you guys'll be very ... happy.
OZ: (moves closer) You smell like her. (Tara still doesn't look at him) She's all over you, do you know that? (Getting angry)
TARA: I can't. I-I can't talk about this. (Tries to walk away. Oz grabs her arm.)
OZ: But there's something to talk about? (Angrier)
(Tara just gasps and stares at him.)
OZ: Are you two involved?!
TARA: I have, I, I, I have to go.
OZ: Cause she never said anything to me like that. We talked all night and she never- (Tara starts to walk away) No, stop! (Grabs her again. Tara looks scared.)
OZ: (yelling) Is she in love with you? Tell me, is she?! (Shakes her by the shoulders. Then he lets her go. He's panting. They look down at his hand and it grows fur and claws. Tara looks really scared.)
(Oz looks up. His face is half-wolfed and his eyes are black.)
OZ: Run.

Poor Oz. His self-control only extends so far, apparently – and finding out about Willow and Tara in this manner breaks it. And just when he thought he had a reason to stay in town and get on with his life. But when he realises he's beginning to wolf out, he warns Tara – he doesn't want to kill again, he knows it's not her fault.

(Tara runs through the hallways, not carrying books any more. The werewolf chases her. She runs into a classroom, up the tiers of chairs, tries to get out the back door but it's locked. The werewolf chases her up the stairs, then back down. She tries to get away but he corners her. Tara screams and throws a chair at him. He collapses and doesn't move. Tara stands there panting. We see a tranquilizer dart sticking out of the werewolf.)
(Riley and Forrest and a bunch of other Initiative guys come in. Riley is putting away the tranquilizer gun.)
FORREST: Are you okay?
TARA: What's going on?
FORREST: We'll take it from here.
(Riley and the others are putting Oz in a bag.)
COMMANDO 2: This thing looks like it may be one of the demons that took out
Graham's guys the other night.
RILEY: We'll take it back. We'll make an ID. If it is, we'll put him down.
TARA: You don't understand, that's - (stuttering)
FORREST: Listen, we know what we're doing. You're in shock.
TARA: But-
FORREST: We'll handle it. (Walks away.)
TARA: No.

Riley already knew that Oz was a werewolf, and he also knows where Oz was when Graham's team was taken out (I think) so he should know it wasn't Oz.
Tara goes straight to Willow for help.
WILLOW: What's up? You okay?
TARA: Oz. We were talking and, he changed. Right in front of me.
WILLOW: What? It's daylight.
TARA: I know, but it happened.
WILLOW: Oh my god, are you all right?
TARA: I'm fine. Riley and the commando guys, they stopped him. But they don't know it's Oz. I tried to tell them, but ... they took him away.
WILLOW: When? Just now?
(Tara nods.)
TARA: I think they might hurt him.
WILLOW: I, I have to go, I have to find Buffy.

(Cut to Giles' place. Xander and Anya on the sofa. Giles behind it. Willow pacing. Buffy in the background, on the phone.)
WILLOW: Tara said they took him right before she found me.
ANYA: So that's good, right? I mean, they probably haven't had time to eviscerate him yet.
(Willow sits on sofa.)
XANDER: An, you can help by making this a quiet time.
GILES: Once again we're faced with a fairly daunting prospect of having to infiltrate the Initiative.
XANDER: It'd be great if we knew someone dating a man on the inside. Someone with connections.
(Buffy hangs up phone and comes around to the sofa.)
XANDER: Oh, wait! (Gestures at Buffy)
BUFFY: He's still not answering his pages. I left him another message.
WILLOW: So what do we do?
BUFFY: Well, we need to move fast. So we make a plan without Riley... (Shot of Giles looking concerned) and hope he calls.

Nice to see their concern for Oz, in spite of it all – almost as if they hadn't spent the last 6 months vilifying him for the split with Willow.

(Underground at the Initiative. Oz-wolf is in a cage, growling and trying to get out. Riley, Forrest, soldiers with guns, and scientists in white coats are watching. Another scientist approaches.)
FORREST: What's the word, Doc? Is this the animal that took apart our men?
DOC 1: We don't know yet, soldier.
RILEY: What's the holdup? I thought Graham gave you a full description.
DOC 1: The holdup is that he described characteristics present in over 40 known varieties of demon. So we're cross-checking DNA evidence - hair, fibers-
RILEY: (impatient) And how long is that gonna take?
DOC 1: (annoyed) I have no idea.
RILEY: I don't need a bunch of tests to know that this thing's a killer.
(Takes out his gun and points it at Oz. Suddenly Oz stops growling and morphs back into his human self. Riley lowers his gun and steps back. Everyone looks surprised. Oz looks up at them panting and closing his eyes.)
(Fade to white screen.)
(Fade to Oz's perspective, lying on a table with two docs over him and many more in the background. Doc1 is on the left, shining a flashlight in his eyes. Riley is behind him.)
(Shot of Oz on the table, naked, tied down and looking groggy.)
(Riley pushes forward.)
RILEY: Hey, he's coming to. Oz!
DOC 1: He won't be able to talk for a while. We gave him Haldol to keep him quiet. (Shining flashlight on Oz's teeth.)
RILEY: Why? He's not a threat now.
DOC 1: I allowed you to stay as long as you let us do our work, Agent Finn. Only Colonel Macnamara can place a cease order on medical testing, and he's told us to proceed.
DOC 2: I always suspected that stuff about werewolf transformations being based on a lunar cycle was campfire talk. (Injects Oz with something. Oz groans.)
(Riley sees the second doctor pulling out another instrument (stun gun?).)
RILEY: Oh, hey, that's enough. Come on, the guy's a student, I know him.
DOC 1: (points to the other soldiers) Take him out.
COMMANDO 3: Yes sir.
(Riley looks angry, but lets the other soldiers escort him away.)
(Doc 2 puts the tip of the instrument on Oz's chest and zaps him with electricity. Oz screams and turns into the werewolf.)
DOC 2: See that? Transformation related to negative stimulation.
(The docs exchange a look.)

Not pleasant stuff.
Okay, a question – did Riley have silver bullets in his gun, and if not, would they have actually killed Oz or not? Once Riley recognised Oz, did he know for sure that it couldn't have been Oz who attacked Graham, because he doesn't treat him as a suspect after that? And, those Initiative doctors are not nice people – got to wonder how bad their treatment of Oz would get given time.

(Back at Giles'.)
BUFFY: Something's wrong. Riley usually returns my phone calls by now.
XANDER: We can't wait much longer.
BUFFY: I know. (Looks at Willow) Okay. Xander, you and I are gonna go in.
We've done it before.
WILLOW: I'm going with you.
BUFFY: No. Look, it's too dangerous, Will. Besides, I need you to help
Giles hack into the city's electrical grid. We've gotta try to power down the Initiative.
WILLOW: Giles can do it without me. I can give him all the instructions, I can show him exactly what to do.
GILES: Of course.
WILLOW: I-I can't just sit here.
(Buffy looks at Xander.)
BUFFY: Okay. Okay, you can back us up. (Sighs) Now, the only way I know into the Initiative is through the elevator in the Lowell House. But my clearance is long gone.
XANDER: So we grab a guy, make him take us.
SPIKE: Or you could just use the back way.
(Everyone turns to see Spike standing by the closed door.)
SPIKE: Hell of a lot less bother.
GILES: How did you get in?
SPIKE: Door was unlocked. You might wanna watch that, Rupert. Someone dangerous could get in.
BUFFY: Or someone formerly dangerous and currently annoying.
SPIKE: (extremely amused and pleased with himself) Now, now. None of that. Or I won't help you get Red's mongrel back. (Everyone looks surprised.) Bad news travels fast with us demons. We all like a good laugh. (Chuckles)
GILES: Short of cash, Spike?
SPIKE: I happen to be seeking monetary gratification, yeah. But I also get a kick out of jackin' up those army ginks myself. I know how to find the big guy who can take you to Oz.
BUFFY: Uh-huh. So what's the going rate on a wild goose chase, Spike?
SPIKE: Fine, if you're not interested. But I was stuck in that hole, remember? And I've heard things from other guys who've gotten out. I can get you in. No alarms, no cameras ... no waiting.

More frantic concern to get Oz back. I like it.

(Oz huddled in a corner of a cell in the Initiative, naked and shivering. The door opens. Oz looks up, squinting like the light hurts his eyes. There's a big bruise on his shoulder, and a scratch on his other arm. He frowns as Riley comes in.)
RILEY: Oz. Put these on, man. (Gives Oz some clothes.)
(Oz frowns but starts to get up.)

What did they do to him?

(Riley is helping Oz walk through the darkened Initiative staging area. Oz is clothed, but weak. He leans on Riley. Suddenly the lights come on and they're surrounded by soldiers with guns. Forrest and Graham step forward.
Graham's holding his handgun.)
FORREST: End of the line.
(Riley looks alarmed.)

Nice to see Riley finally seeing the light – not everything is black and white.

COLONEL: Being new around here, Finn, I had a look at your record and Professor Walsh's notes. Until recently, you were an exemplary soldier headed straight for the top. Then you meet this girl, this ... slayer, and suddenly you begin to exhibit signs of disloyalty. You abuse your command. But tonight... (shakes his head, squints) To release a lethal HST back into the population -
(Riley shakes his head.)
RILEY: Sir, the prisoner-
COLONEL: You will speak when I tell you to!

Lethal HST? Is that what Oz is?

Buffy and co break into the Initiative, and Buffy takes the Colonel hostage.
BUFFY: You know who I am?
COLONEL: (looks from her to Xander, to Spike and Willow in the doorway) Yeah.
BUFFY: Then you know I'm pretty good with this thing. Take us to him.
Colonel: Finn stays in the brig. Helping an HST escape is a court-martial offence. (Buffy looks surprised) You're only gonna make matters worse.
BUFFY: Riley tried to help Oz escape?
COLONEL: (looks from one to the other) That's who you came for. The wolf.
XANDER: Guess we're two for one.

Obviously, the Colonel wouldn't know that Oz was connected to the Slayer and her people. Riley obviously never explained that part (wasn't given the chance, not that it would have made any difference).

(Cut to the gang walking down the halls with Buffy holding her crossbow to the Colonel's head.)
VOICE: Hold it!
(The hallway in front of them suddenly fills up with soldiers holding guns. We see Oz in his cell nearby, watching. Buffy sees him too. More soldiers appear at the other end of the hall. Buffy and the gang are trapped.)
BUFFY: Stay back... or I'll pull a William Burroughs on your leader here.
(Everyone looks confused.)
XANDER: You'll bore him to death with free prose?
(Buffy looks annoyed.)
BUFFY: Was I the only one awake in English that day? (Slowly, like you'd talk to an idiot) I'll kill him. (To the Colonel) Get him out.
(The Colonel nods to one of the soldiers, who drops his gun and lets Oz out. Willow starts forward.)
WILLOW: Oz....
OZ: Will, get back.
(He looks down at his hand, which is hairy and clawed again. Willow steps back looking shocked.)
(Oz concentrates and his hand goes back to normal. Riley steps forward and helps him walk.)
BUFFY: Let's go.

They escape. Riley is out of the Initiative, but just for the record the military take him back within a year.

RILEY: I was wrong about Oz. I was being a bigot.
(Buffy shakes her head.)
BUFFY: No you weren't. You were thrown. You found out that Willow was in... kind of an unconventional relationship, and it gave you a momentary wiggins. It happens.
RILEY: Still... I was in a totally black and white space, people versus monsters, and it ain't like that... especially when it comes to love.

Shame Riley never got the chance to get to know Oz better – wonder how their interaction might have gone.

(Cut to Oz and Willow sitting in Oz's van.)
WILLOW: This thing looks pretty good, considering you drove it overseas.
(Oz doesn't look at her.)
OZ: Well, it broke down outside of Mexico, and I traded my bass to have it fixed and garaged.
(Pause.)
OZ: I shouldn't have come back now.... I just thought I'd changed.
WILLOW: You have changed. (Smiles) You stopped the wolf from coming out. I saw it.
OZ: But I couldn't look at you. (He still can't.) I mean, it turns out ... the one thing that brings it out in me is you... which falls under the heading of ironic in my book.
WILLOW: It was my fault. I upset you.
(He finally looks at her.)
OZ: Well, so we're safe then, (sarcastic) cause you'll never do that again.
(Willow tries to look amused.)
OZ: But... you're happy?
WILLOW: (smiles) I am. I can't explain it-
OZ: It may be safer for both if us if you don't.
(Willow looks sad.)
WILLOW: I missed you, Oz. I wrote you so many letters... but I didn't have any place to send them, you know?
(Pause.)
WILLOW: I couldn't live like that.
OZ: It was stupid to think that you'd just be... waiting.
WILLOW: I was waiting. I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you. Like if I'm old and blue-haired, and I turn the corner in Istanbul and there you are, I won't be surprised. Because... you're with me, you know?
OZ: I know. (Pause) But now is not that time, I guess.
WILLOW:(shakes her head) No.
(They look at each other.)
WILLOW: What are you gonna do?
OZ: I think I better take off.
WILLOW: When?
OZ: Pretty much now.
(Willow nods. She's teary again. Oz leans over and they hug.)

And that's it – the end of Oz.

Later Oz-mentions:

Oz gets a brief mention in the season 5 episode 5.15: I Was Made To Love You
The gang encounter a robot, made by Warren as his girlfriend.
Xander: (wistfully) Beautiful girl with ... no other thought but to please you ... willing to do anything...
He looks up. Shots of the four girls staring at him. Xander laughs nervously.
Xander: Too many girls. I miss Oz. He'd get it. He wouldn't say anything, but... (clears throat) he'd get it.
Nice to know that Xander misses having another guy around – especially since Oz was probably the closest guy friend he ever had, Jesse-from-the-pilot notwithstanding.

In the final season of Buffy, Oz is mentioned, just once, by Xander in the episode 7.12: Potential.
Xander: Seven years, Dawn. Working with the slayer. Seeing my friends get more and more powerful. A witch. A demon. Hell, I could fit Oz in my shaving kit, but come a full moon, he had a wolfy mojo not to be messed with. Powerful. All of them. And I'm the guy who fixes the windows.
As far as I recall, this is the only instance ever where Oz's height – or lack thereof – is referred to. The fact that he is incredibly short, only 5'4", was never an issue of any kind (except possibly for Doyle calling him 'my little Bam-Bam' in the Angel episode In The Dark).