Buffy Challenge Post 49: Season 5: Episodes 21 - 22

The Weight of the World

Finally we’re about to wrap up what has been a very emotional and entertaining season so lets get started.

Previously on Buffy……. Glory thinks Tara is the Key and took her mind when she realized she once again made a mistake…….. Glory Finds out that Dawn is the key and Buffy and the gang make a run for it…….. they get chased by knights………The true purpose of the key is revealed and Glory gets her hand on the key.

The minions are running around to get Glory ready for her trip. Glory has some real plans for the destruction of the world but is still not satisfied. Giles has stabled but Buffy is still in shock after losing her sister. Buffy needs to get her head back into the game as she is facing some insurmountable odds.

Buffy tries to shake her back to her senses which only leaves Xander and Spike to go at it and Willow takes charge! Spike lets the guys know that Ben and Glory are the same person and for some reason they have no idea what they are talking about due to the fact that anyone who sees the transformation forgets it ever happens (don’t remember when that happened?)

Glory is getting things ready for the dimensional collapse and Armageddon on the world. (Good thing I read DC comics where multi dimensions and earths are the norm.) Glory hits a soft spot for Dawn and vice versa as Glory starts to feel human emotions which she does not like.  The death of Dawn is the key to the destruction of the universe.

Tara is still troubled (and her acting is phenomenal!) Willow is off to snap Buffy out of whatever issues she is facing while Anya looks after Tara. Willow enters Buffy’s mind to find a young Buffy in her room.

This is a really  surreal scene as we see the memory of when Dawn is brought back from the hospital. Fast forward a few years and Willow is not the only one confused. Giles has been discharged from the hospital, Spike has found nothing at Glory’s apartment (Last time I checked there was no smoking in a hospital Spike) Oh the chip in the head brings such hilarity as Spike gives Xander  a clip over the ear.

It seems that the minds of Glory and Ben are merging and she is losing her power over suppressing the good that is Ben.  Glory wants him removed however that seems unlikely to happen.

Meanwhile back in Buffy’s brain ……….. Willow sees the desert interaction between the first and current slayer. Glory is struggling with humanity, (don’t we all!) She is whining to Dawn that humans are depraved beings who want to kill or die.

Back in Buffy’s mind and we get the explination to “Death is my gift”  Buffy thinks that her only purpose is to kill.

Glory is now Ben and he is remembering Glory’s actions, Dawn is trying to convince him to escape. “This is weird indeed!” as we are back to little Buffy. Around and around we go in her mind.

Spike catches up with the demon who gave Dawn the ability to raise the dead. He is not overly thrilled with helping the guys with Glory, he attacks them as it seems that he is a follower of Glorificus! Xander does a great job killing the old man who bleeds blue. (CREEPY WITH THE EYES OPEN!!!!) Spike gets the box.

Back to the mind of Buffy and she is about to  kill Dawn again. Ben helps Dawn escape but he changes to Glory after knocking Ben out. She is not happy. Now Glory and Ben are fighting each other. (wonderful work with the special effects.) Talk about an internal struggle between good and evil! (with Dawn stuck watching the freak show!) Is this a Monologue or a Dialog?

Back to the crazy world of Buffy’s mind, is there something in that book? It’s the point that Buffy quit and realized that she will not win this war. This episode is like the writers were on some acid trip.

Willow finally snaps Buffy out of her trance and Giles lets the gang know the only way that Glory can be stopped is to kill Dawn!

WHOAH!!! What a weird episode, so much happening so quickly and it sets up for what will be an momentous ending to this season with a huge moral delema for everyone. Kill one to save the world? or try to save Dawn and risk the fate of reality as we know it?

WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO?

7/10

The Gift

Here we go……… Previously …… Starting right at the beginning as in season 1 beginning….. Buffy is the Slayer……. We meet everyone for the first time again……and a montage of everything that has happen in the show right to this point in time. A great way to build up the ultimate challenge.  It stops with a kid in the ally way with a Vampire chasing a dumb looking kid. We get back to what we know she does best, fight Vampires it never ceases to amaze me how much wood there is around in Sunnydale and how the Vampires seem to fight Buffy around it. (if I was a Vampire I’d go to a scrap metal yard that way there was no wood) Buffy is not “Just a Girl” She is a Hero!

That was a great way to remind the audience that our hero is a powerful entity as she has spent the last few episodes running away from her troubles…… Giles is going over the ritual that is about to happen and it seems there is not much that can be done to stop the gates to hell open except by killing Dawn. Tensions are rising and thus holds the dilemma of the whole season. The only way to succeed is to stop the ritual and for the first time Giles has lost faith in Buffy’s ability to prevail against insurmountable odds.

Good thing that Anya is there to keep the ideas flowing. (not now Spike!) I think Tara is the answer to this problem. Anya has figured out how to distract Glory and attack Glory. (nice use of props from previous episodes) Xander remembers why he is in love with Anya and Smart Chicks are HOT!

Dawn realizes that Ben is as evil as Glory but the difference is Glory is up front about it. Back in the Box Buffy is working up a sweat and is ready to face the ultimate challenge, Giles has had to be the bad cop, he sees that his purpose is to protect the world and that includes sacrificing Dawn to do that.

Glory is doing her homework and is ready to begin the ritual to open the dimensions to hell. Xander and Anya were “Looking” for the sphere. Xander finds the Buffy Bot. Anya is fantastic as a character as she freaks out over the Bunny she finds and XANDER POPS THE QUESTION!!!!! Which Anya slaps him for it.

This is a slow build up for the final showdown. Buffy lets Willow know that she is the biggest asset that she has while Willow lets her know that she has a plan to restore Tara’s mind. The sphere has been found. ENOUGH with the wrapping up plot threads and get to the action already!

Why does the whole tying up Dawn at the top of a tower scene remind me of the first X-Men movie? Tara is the key to finding Glory!  They find where the ritual is about to happen and Spike offers Willow some liquid courage. Awesome scene with Willow taking back Tara’s mind from Glory. Buffy shows up and it is on! (Or not?) Glory is not feeling great as the sphere is causing major problems for Glory, the opening Buffy needs to even up the odds.

Glory gets her strength back and knocks Buffy’s head off.

BUFFY BOT!!!! I KNEW IT WOULD COME IN HANDY!!!!!

Ogre hammer to the head sends Glory flying, as Buffy goes to save her sister. Once again really impressed with the fight chorography and wire work. Xander is a glorified bricklayer who is excellent with bowling as he smashes her with a wrecking ball.

The old guy was the wild card as he is ready to help Glory win. Spike gets up to protect Dawn but is no match for him. meanwhile Buffy goes to town on Glory with the hammer. She reverts to Ben when Buffy runs to save her sister. Giles does what Buffy couldn’t and kills Ben. Dawn’s blood is spilt and the dimensions are opening up on each other and all types of evil starts to enter our plane.

Buffy sees that she can save her sister by sacrificing her own life. In the ultimate heroic act she jumps into the portal to save the world as it closes, Buffy falls to her death…………….

 

As we look at her tomb stone and fade to black……… I finally get a season finally that makes me think “NO WAY” I never would of seen that ending coming……….. But you can’t keep a good hero down as there is no way the next two seasons of “Buffy” don’t have Buffy in it.

Slow to get started… however……

Amazing ending, to a Really wonderful season!

8/10

See you all for season 6 ……… Oh and on a side note…… Happy Birthday to April, the inspiration for this little experiment which is the Buffy Challenge!

Buffy Challenge Post 48: Season 5: Episode 19 - 20

Tough Love

With 4 episodes to go, they need to get a move on to rap up this very busy season of Buffy..........

Previously ........... Glory is a God, Dawn is the Key, Ben and Glory are one and Ben spilt the beans, Glory captured Spike but couldn't make him talk.....

Oh that's right Buffy is still studying well was studying seeing that she has now having to defer her studies with everything that is going on. Well we get a another layer to Buffy, She likes poetry.

Ben gets fired from his job for not attending for 2 week, that will kind of do it I guess. Ben is fighting the inner demon that is Glory and finally Glory wins out.

Glory is enjoying a bubble bath with sorry I was distracted again by Glory in the bath..... Glory has her minions blindfolded while they try to brainstorm and figure out who the key really is.

which switches us to Dawn..... who has been skipping school. we also get a bit of a timeline as Buffy mentions that it has been a tough couple of months in the meeting with the principal. (oh boy the principal is so dead if she has more than one scene.)

At the magic box and Anya is giving us her definition of patriotism (which I read somewhere is big in America) She is American and she is in love with capitalism and people browsing are so un American! Xander once again needs to quit when he is behind as Buffy needs to have a chat with the foreigner Giles.

Buffy is struggling with Dawn and she is asking Giles to step into the role of authoritarian with Dawn. He lets her know that only Buffy can fill this role. It is a difficult thing to ask for someone so young, to step into the role of her mother. No small task.

Willow is right on the mark with her explanation of kids learning better using visuals. Buffy doesn't buy it and puts her foot down.  I've got a feeling that Dawn is going to feel that Buffy is a hypocrite for leaving her studies.

It seems that Glory has figured out who the Key is and that person is in trouble. (I think there will be some misdirection and it won't be Dawn.) Willow and Terra are having a chat about the Buffy situation and Terra lets Willow know how difficult the situation is. Willow is feeling a little left out because she can't fully grasp the concept of loss. Terra and Willow are examining their relationship and the word frightened has really got Willow on edge. Is this scene going somewhere? It feels a little forced.

Buffy is trying to set some goals for Dawn which is clearly not  working, this is all happening while the minions are watching. Buffy lets Dawn know that if she doesn't get Dawn on track then she will be removed from her care. So far this episode is moving at a snails pace as everyone seems to have their issues.

Surprise, Surprise...... Glory thinks that Terra is the key. The minion is captured by Giles who seems to be afraid of twine. He lets them know that Glory has Terra, she squeezes her had so tight that blood oozes out. When she gets a taste of her blood she realizes that Terra is not the key. Her threats go on deaf ears as Glory does her mind thing to her. Willow arrives too late as Terra is now a schizophrenic mess. The hospital is like communism according to Anya.

Buffy drops Dawn off with Spike for protection, there is way too much exposition in this episode as we hear why Dawn is feeling so horrible. Dawn feels like she is the reason bad things are happening. Willow steps up to the plate and wants to take out Glory, emotions are running high as Willow sets out for revenge as only a witch knows how...... with books!

Whoa, here comes a really peeved off Willow attacking Glory. Unfortunately and quite predictably she is no match for Glory as Buffy comes and saves the day.

Terra is left without a mind as she is reduced to someone with a mental disability. As we think this episode is about to end, Glory shows up and Terra due to her state of mind lets her know that Dawn is the key. fade to black.

There are times when episodes are just bad that it is ridiculous, this was not one of them, this was just boring, this episode could of been cut down to about 15 minutes and it would of hit the key points needed. It was overly padded and it suffered because of that. So hard to rate so I'm going to say......

4/10

Not horrible, just boring.

Spiral

Previously ......... Key was hidden and made into Dawn, Glory is looking for the Key, Ben and Glory are one in the same, Spike loves Buffy, there are knights looking to get their hands on the key, Glory takes Terra's mind and with that finds out Dawn is the key. We start where we left off as Buffy and Dawn run from a really angry god. (who now runs like the flash!). Glory gets hit by a truck (I know how that feels) and Ben takes back control.

Dawn lets the gang know what happened and also makes Buffy out to be a hero. Buffy now realizes that no matter what they have done they have not even been able to put a scratch on Glory. Anya suggests death by piano (nice call back to season two with the rocket launcher from Xander!) I agree with Anya Bugs Bunny is creepy. Buffy wants to run away and Anya agrees. Fight or Flight, and Buffy finally chooses flight.

So there are female minions? who look exactly like the male ones? Ben is trying to figure out a way to rid himself from Glory. Hey another DC Universe reference from Xander with Sergeant Rock! Buffy and Spike rock up in a winabego  (to the protest of Xander and Giles) and they are off on a road trip.

Back at the hospital the knights are signing out their comrade who had the run in with Glory earlier in the season and I have to say that was magnificent penmanship!  Oh that's right they are after the key also and they brought a small army with them.

Giles is driving the van and Xander is not traveling well. Willow is cramming on her Magic book to find how to stop Glory. Something is happening to the people who have been effected by glory as some form of darkness is overcoming them. Dawn is finally appreciating everything Buffy has done for her in a touching scene and as soon as Dawn says things can't get any crazier, crazy things happen like a bunch of medieval knight on horses attacking the van.

Ok how can I discribe this sequence? it's like one of those old westerns where they fight on a moving train, but substitute train with camper van, cowboys with knights and the old west with the modern Californian desert. all in all lots of fun as Buffy show us her mad sword wielding skills and gets rid of almost all of the knights except for the one who puts a spear into Giles and crashes the van. They take cover in an old abandoned gas station as Giles is going into shock. Unfortunately the knights make short work of their defenses. Thanks to Willow they get an energy barrier around the station. The head knight is captured and we finally get some answers to what the key is. I have to give real props to the actress playing Terra as her performance in the last few episodes has been exceptional. The people effected by Glory have started some sort of movement. Giles is looking really bad right now however I doubt they are going to kill off Giles. Buffy goes to ask for help from the enemy and they allow Ben in to tend to Giles. (BAD MOVE!!)

Spike and Xander are having a moment, it only took 5 seasons. Spike does talk some sense when it comes to his idea of making a break for it. Buffy however will have none of it. We get a history lesson about Glory's origin. They have found the weakness, where they only have to kill Ben to kill Glory. The Key is also to explained why it exists. The key opens the dimensional wall to  the demon space. Talk about having a lot on her plate as Dawn sees that the fate of the universe is in her.

The general gets to Ben and lets him know that the death of the key will stop this madness. Ben now has a decision to make however Glory has taken back control with her on the inside she has been able to take Dawn, destroy the army that was waiting out there and leave. Buffy slumps down with her worst fears realized.

Now that was a huge improvement from the previous episode, I loved the chase scene in the winabego and the final act of the episode sets up the season finally nicely. How does Buffy get her sister back and stop Glory when she knows that all of her attempts previously have been fruitless? Will Giles survive? and will Terra get her full psyche back?

6/10

Looking forward to the conclusion to this very interesting season in our next installment. So until then don't go opening up any inter dimensional barriers that may make the universe collapse on itself.

Buffy Challenge Post 47: Season 5: Episodes 17 -18

Forever

Well it is a Dawning of a new era for Buffy as we witnessed the sudden death of her mother in the previous episode. Also previously we get Dawn realizing she is not real and Ben finding out she is the key and the object that his other form in Glory is looking for.

You would think that Buffy would not have issues walking around the dead, but choosing a casket for her mother is not a task she takes lightly, Dawn has still trouble accepting the fact that her mother is gone. This is a natural feeling I suppose.

Organizing a funeral is never easy, especially when the deceased had wishes that would be considered unconventional. Joyce seems she didn't want people to morn her death at a wake. Dawn is finding the situation difficult and would like to crash at Willow's. I have a feeling that this episode will focus on the relationship between the sisters.

Spike comes to pay his respects, he may be a cold hearted killer with a chip in his brain stopping him from killing anyone, but his relationship with Joyce was always a positive one. Xander is calling Spike out and he is letting him know that Joyce was the only one who treated him right, and not a way to get to Buffy. (he has that guy working on his own Buffy for later.)

We see the funeral service at the burial site, with a really touching montage of the people attending the service. I really like the fact that it wasn't packed out with extras to make it look like it was something huge. (Some shows have a tendency to do that.) Buffy stands and reflects until dark and Angel makes a cameo to pay his respects.

Willow and Terra try in vain to comfort Dawn, She confronts them about being witches and asks them to raise Joyce. (I don't think this will happen!) Xander and Anya share an intimate moment and as usually Anya speaks her mind. Back to Dawn and Terra is trying to explain to Dawn that Magic can't bring her back. Dawn is not buying it. (please no Zombie Joyce!).

Buffy and Angel share a moment as she confides in Angel that Joyce was her strength in her fight against evil and that now she doesn't know what the future holds. Buffy blames herself for the death and now she wonders if she can take care of Dawn on her own. Buffy is in a fragile state as she seeks comfort from Angel who does the right thing by not taking advantage of her.

Now that the funeral is over, the story continues with Ben running into Glory's minion, he slips that the key is a person so he fixes it by killing the annoying minion. (finally!)

Dawn is still angry with the girls and Willow leaves her a clue in the form of some light morning reading. (There goes Willow thinking with her heart and not her head again.) So Dawn is going to try to bring her Mother back.

Spike runs into Dawn trying to work on the spell, however he warns her that she is moving into Zombie territory. Then he decides to help. So it seems that Ben couldn't get the job done as the minion gets the message back to Glory that the Key is a person.

Spike takes Dawn to some crazy magician, even he doesn't think it's a good idea with brining back the dead. (is it me or is he humming the theme to Rocky and Bullwinkle?) He gives Dawn all she needs to perform the spell, with a warning that is conveniently ignored. They go for a hunt for the egg of what I best can describe as a monster rejected from a 60's Japanese monster movie. The rubber suit does not look good!

Well they have the egg and Dawn begins the incantation. Wow Willow is a really bad liar. Buffy catches Dawn in the middle of the spell and there is a major argument between the sisters that leads to Buffy giving Dawn a wicked slap, then she breaks down. Dawn realizes her folly and destroys the picture before we catch a glimpse of  the shadow coming to the door. The girls both now realize that their mother is not coming back.

A really good episode continuing from the last one, it seems they had to shoe in the Glory stuff to move the story along, this does need to be done as the main threat of this season has been interrupted on numerous occasions, thankfully for better storylines in my opinion.

7/10

Intervention

Previously, Glory asks Dawn about the key, Spike lets Dawn know she is the key, Ben spills the beans, Spike has a crush on Buffy and is rejected, Everyone knows she's a Robot (and what a Robot!) and Spike puts in an order! (Oh yeah and Joyce is dead.)

The Summers girls are being comforted by Giles for dinner. They are still struggling with the loss as Giles suggests Buffy returns back to her training. Buffy gets the feeling she needs a break from slaying the undead. Why is she still blaming herself for Riley leaving. Does Buffy have to give up love to be the slayer?

Giles solution? A quest for Buffy in the desert. So Sarah Michelle Gellar will be doing double duty as Spike's robot is complete. (with extra love!)

Glory seems to have a internal struggle between her and her other form. Ok now the whole plot of this episode has been spoiled, the real Buffy is off the map (training), and the minions are going to see the robot Buffy with Spike and think he is the key and hilarity will ensue. So Giles does the hokey pokey to do a spell as Spike has fun with his new toy.

We follow the real Buffy on a mystic journey through the desert. (I wonder how she manages to wear such a thick coat in the middle of the Californian desert!) Is it me or is Dawn all of the sudden stealing a lot of things. Robot Buffy runs into Xander and Anya as Spike runs to cover his tracks. Out comes the vamps as Robot Buffy does her job killing the vampires and protecting Spike. Xander see's something wrong with Buffy and then catches Robot Buffy and Spike going at it.

Back to the mystic journey  for a second. Xander confronts Spike when the minions come crashing in to taking Spike as they now see him as the Key. (didn't see that one coming.) The return of the first slayer or a vision of her. Buffy asks the vision why she is losing her love and the vision lets her know that she needs to embrace love to become stronger.

Robot Buffy catches Willow and it's funny how they spotted the first robot, but they don't see that Buffy is a Robot. The vision lets Buffy know that death is her gift and then she disappears. Glory gets her hand on Spike and decides to poke inside to see what is so special about him. Back at the Summers home, the gang take the clueless Robot Buffy to collect weapons and still don't see that she is a Doppelganger. Conveniently as the robot goes up to change, the real Buffy returns to the intervention. Enter the robot Buffy to confuse things.

Spike is being tortured to the point where he is about to talk. Spike is holding out as long as he can. Bob Barker is THE KEY!!!! Of course! Spike is taunting a god which is never a good idea, however it did buy him a way to escape. In comes the troops as the real Buffy and Xander come to save the day. For someone who trains a martial artist, Giles really does get his butt kicked easily! They all escape and they confiscate Robot Buffy.

Ok, my guess is that real Buffy is pretending to be Robot Buffy to find out if Spike talked. For all of his trouble, it seems that Spike has earned Buffy's trust.

A nice move to another light hearted episode after two very somber ones. Interesting that the Death of Joyce saga was bookend by these two episodes featuring Robots. (I would of kept the robot Buffy as a decoy reprogramming it for when it was needed. (even Superman has Robot Supermen to help from time to time.)

I enjoyed this episode even though it was predictable from the start, however I thought it was hilarious in parts (I can see Bob Barker as the mystic key.)

8/10

Well another challenge down as we move closer to the big showdown between Buffy and Glory. Who will find out the other's secret first? I wonder..........