Spike associates with Adam and agrees to split the Scooby group, and in return Adam would remove his chip. He intrigues each friend of Buffy as if she had made gossip: Giles and his early retirement as librarian; the lack of culture of Xander; Willow's lesbianism. He succeeds and Buffy is left alone by her friends. Meanwhile, Angel comes to Sunnydale to say to Buffy that he is sorry for their misunderstandings in Los Angeles, and he accidentally meets and fights Riley.