So in this episode, we have the Scooby gang researching the First, Giles and some Potentials paying a visit, and Spike being beaten by an agent of the First.
We really see Buffy struggling in this episode, both internally and externally. Her internal struggles come from her fear of failing the Scoobies, Giles, the Potentials, and the world by not being able to defeat the First. She is clearly afraid of the First, and Willow's inability to perform magic and Spike's inability to help (because he's MIA) augment this dread. Externally, she is harmed by the ancient vampire, an agent of the First. We see her being thrown around like no demon has thrown her around before. Usually, she has the upper hand, or someone else comes in to assist her. However, this time around, the vampire clearly has the advantage, being more powerful than regular vampires. It is unable to be killed with methods used to kill normal vampires, so Buffy is quite stuck, not knowing how to defeat this guy. Additionally, no one can come to save Buffy, as Buffy is the one with most power; that's why everyone is depending on her to save the world. What perplexes me, though, is why the vampire just left her under all that rubble in the end instead of killing her. Isn't that what the First wants, anyway? All the slayers killed, especially the strongest one?
Though her external conflicts aren't resolved at the end, her internal ones are, to a degree. This is shown in her motivational speech towards the Scoobies, Giles, and the Potentials. One quote of hers really stood out to me...
Buffy: From now on we won't just face our worst fears, we will seek them out.
She was afraid of failing the others. She was afraid of confronting the ancient vampire because of the possibility that she might die, that there may not be anyone left to save the world. But now that she has faced the vampire, she realizes that continually doing so is the only way any of them will have a shot at defeating the First. Buffy knows that they can't just wait for the First to prepare itself, to make itself stronger, to conjure up more agents to use, to come to them; Buffy knows that they must seek out the First themselves, no matter how scary the true evil is, while it is more unprepared that it will be if given more time.
Truthfully, I don't really know how to feel about the Potentials. I think Annabelle was a little driven crazy by fear, as she went running out of the house. Without a weapon. Like, how stupid can you be? Of course, it's dangerous in the house, but the house at least contains weapons and a Slayer.
It is absolutely heart-wrenching to see Spike being tortured. But it is absolutely heart-melting to see Spike blatantly refuse the First's requests to join its side, even though all the pain Spike is being put through would stop if he accepted. And...
Drusilla: [as The First] And what makes you think you have a choice? What makes you think you will ever be any good at all in this world?
Spike: She does. Because she believes in me.
I loved this. So cute. It shows what Spike is holding onto through this utter pain: words from the girl he loves.