"Earshot" and "Graduation Day, Part Two", were delayed in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre because of their content.

[1] After attempting to start a new life in Los Angeles, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) returns to Sunnydale in season three, and is reunited with her friends and her mother.

She is no longer a criminal suspect, but Principal Snyder, who took vindictive pleasure in expelling Buffy, refuses to reinstate her until he is told to do so by Giles.

Although the First is still out there, the antagonist of the season is shown to be the affable Mayor Richard Wilkins III (Harry Groener), who is near completion of his plan to "ascend" to become a giant snake-like demon – having already gained immortality through a Faustian bargain with demons when he founded Sunnydale a century ago.

The only antidote for the poison is the blood of a Slayer, so Buffy tries to grab Faith to feed her to Angel.

At the climax of the season, Wilkins speaks at the graduation ceremony and ascension, as the time for his transformation has come and he finally morphs into the demon Olvikan.

He eats Principal Snyder and kills several others; but Buffy and her friends have organized the graduating students to fight back against Wilkins and his vampires.

After the battle with the Mayor, he leaves Sunnydale, leading to the spin-off series in Los Angeles.

Cordelia also leaves Sunnydale at the end of the season in order to attempt an acting career in L.A., though later becomes a major character on the spin-off.

Buffy get infected with blood from a slain demon and soon gains the power to hear people's thoughts, with the exception of Angel's.

Xander stumbles upon a lunch lady spiking the food with rat poison, and Buffy knocks her unconscious.

Buffy taunts Olvikan about Faith, drawing him away from the remaining students towards the library, where Giles detonates a bomb, destroying the demon and the school.

In the aftermath, Wesley returns to England, and Angel leaves without saying goodbye to Buffy, although they share a final look at each other from a distance.

Writers Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, and Doug Petrie discuss the episodes "Bad Girls", "Consequences", "Enemies", "Earshot", and "Graduation Day, Part One" in interviews.

Featurettes include, "Special Effects", "Wardrobe", "Weapons", which all detail the title subjects; "Buffy Speak", which details the language and dialogue used on the show; and "Season 3 Overview", a 20-minute featurette where cast and crew members discuss the season.