Buffy Challenge Post 46: Season 5: Episodes 15 - 16

I was made to love you

...........BABY, AND YOU WERE MADE FOR LOVING ME...........

I don't know why but reading this title made me think of the KISS song! O.K Mic Check, Testing 1, 2........ HELLO MELBOURE!  ARE YOU READY TO ROCK? ARE YOU READY TO GET DOWN WITH YOUR BUFFY SELF??? LETS GO!

Previously on Buffy......Glory is a god, Dawn was given to Buffy for protection since she is the key, Riley makes an ultimatum (I thought we were done with him?) he cheats on Buffy with a Vamp Tramp...... Buffy misses the Copter..... Buffy tells the gang about Dawn...... Spike tells Dawn she is the Key........ Ben morphs into Glory...... Spike confesses his love for Buffy......Buffy tells Spike where to go and he is uninvited into the Summers household.

OH BOY THAT'S A LOT (I don't think we missed thing)

Buffy is taking out her frustrations on a punching bag as Buffy feels dirty because Spike loves her. Wait, it's Xander not a punching bag, (he looks great in the Sumo suit.) Buffy thinks that she is the problem (don't agree!) she is worried that she will scare another one away, and Xander just gave some awesome advice!  Be yourself!

Black sedan rocks up, that is never a good sign, HUH? who is that? and why are they looking for true love? This is going to be really good or really confusing I guess we'll find out in 34 minutes time (I can't believe 5 minutes of the show has passed to this point.....)

Joyce looks spectacular in her dress as the Girls are having fun at her expense. I wonder who this Ryan is and I really hope he is no Gigalo! It seems like Joyce hasn't been on a date for ages, Buffy refuses to give advice due to her track record. Terra and Anya are having a conversation about computers (now there is an interesting team up right there, the girl who never speaks up and the girl who never shuts up!) Anya gives some real solid trading advice maybe a little too late I think.

The strange girl from the car rocks up and asks for warren???  Anya has hooked up a web site, she has also allowed Xander to dance with Buffy YOU GO GIRL!!! Buffy has googile eyes for Ben the Intern (laughing at bad jokes is a good sign for Ben) Is Buffy in for a surprise with this guy. Xander is explaining to Anya the mystery of pretzels when our mystery girl rocks up to the party looking for Warren. Looks like old Warren wants nothing to do with her. I get it I think, she is not human and she is looking for her maker the goofy Warren guy. Willow puts her foot in her mouth as Spike rocks up to the party to an unimpressed Buffy!

I doubt it that Spike is just going to pack his bags and leave, he is one stubborn Vampire. Is it me or has this whole Buffy / Ben thing worked backwards? She asks him to dance and he gives her his number? what would I know anyway? So we get a name for our mystery girl it's April and I don't think Spike's little pick up line went the way he would of expected as he goes hurling through the window of the club thanks to a surprisingly strong April (SHE'S A ROBOT I TELL YOU!!!)

Buffy approves of the Spike throwing, however she is just getting in the way of her Warren hunt. Xander is really worried about the price of glass. Even the gang thinks she was a robot! "Code Pink" Robot's looking for their makers! Poor Giles, he has become Joyce's girlfriend! I wonder if Buffy is horrified about the fact that her mum cracked a joke about her Bra or that she just didn't want to picture it?

April goes knocking door for door for Warren, and Terra should leave her spicy talk to others. Now that I think of it, maybe she is not a robot, considering they all think she is a robot. What guy doesn't think about a sexbot? (RAISING MY HAND RIGHT NOW!) Buffy get's down on all the loneliness talk so she decides to call Ben who at this moment is being morphed from Glory in a really uncomfortable scene to watch. So is Ben meant to be the good side of the entity known as Glory? and he does look horrible in a red dress.

Warren is packing his bag and is ready to rush out the door with his girlfriend when Buffy arrives at the door to speak to Warren, he tells her the awful secret that she is indeed a robot. (knew I should of gone with my first instinct, not everything can be a twist on things.) Hey a call back to Ted, Spike rushes into the magic box to try to explain his side of things, and Giles gets physical and serious! He tells him to back off!

April is still looking for Warren and a group of guys send her in the wrong direction. Warren explains that April was made to be the perfect girlfriend and because she was too easy and boring, he is wondering why her batteries haven't run down, I'm wondering where the batteries go? Buffy asks if she is dangerous and Warren explains that she is programmed to love, hence to Buffy she is dangerous! (I bet his human girlfriend agrees after they run into each other)

Spike is burning all his Buffy stalking material and is ready to move on. April is voice activated and they find her holding one dead girlfriend, almost. Man up Warren and tell her the truth.  (the computer eye view was cool!) and April goes into system overload and crashes (I think she was running on windows 3.1, that system was really buggy!) April runs low on battery and now she is pouring her silicone heart out to Buffy.

Buffy makes April's last moments happy ones, she spouts out a whole lot of cliches and runs out of battery. Warren is one of the worst monsters ever on this show! (Although I have to say he does know how to build a Robot!)

Xander gives a lesson in glass making, he is kind of getting into it. So the Robot is a way for Buffy to get over her man troubles, she gives Ben a call and leaves a message, only one problem, it's Glory who is getting the message and is confused about what is going on. Good thing the minion is there to explain the situation to her.

Back to Warren, no surprise that he now is alone and panicking. He gets a visit from Spike who is placing an order for one Buffybot with the lot!

Will this episode end already? Joyce gets flowers  however she is found motionless on the couch...... this does not look good for Joyce and what a weird way to end a weird episode. really had nothing to do with the plot but a nice little cliff hanger there.

This is such a hard one to rate, as it was quirky and funny at times but seemed to drag on a little, we really didn't need 5 minutes of exposition to start with and the ending has me baffled to why it was there?

6.5/10 - maybe a 7 in some places.

The Body

With an ending like the one we just had and a title like that, I don't like the chances for Joyce Summers.

Previously on Buffy....... no straight into it from where we left off with Buffy discovering a lifeless Joyce on the couch, nice way to transition straight into it!

We're at the Christmas dinner, and Anya lets everyone know that Santa is real, but he was a child killing monster. Is this a dream sequence? yep as we go back to Buffy trying to wake her mother. Buffy calls 911 in a panic they give her instructions on how to administer CPR. She does it wrong and it seems that Buffy has broken her sternum. (taking a CPR class once they explained that when they show it done in the movies and on T.V it is usually done wrong  and they would more likely break something. just found it interesting that they did this as it was portrayed very realistically. Someone without the proper training in a panic will bound to make mistakes, also doesn't help to have super strength.) Joyce's body is cold and it seems there is nothing that can be done.

Buffy makes a call to Giles as the paramedics arrive. However there seems to be something going on. The paramedics start CPR where they tease us in a miraculous recovery. Only to snap back into reality, where it seems the worst has happen. Joyce Summers has died and been dead for some while. This is amazing the way this is being done. The silence of the episode is brilliant and the direction and emotion of the situation is really being felt. It's almost hard to watch as it brings back memories of losing someone dear to me only a few months ago.

Giles arrives to discover that Joyce is now gone and we switch to Dawn who is in tears, because some kid called her a freak in a little misdirection. It's just teen drama, we see Dawn in art class and the boy she has a crush on. This is a real build up for Dawn until Buffy shows up to let her know the news. Buffy takes Dawn out of class and that is the first clue that things are bad. She collapses in the news of her mother lost.

We see a quick shot of Joyce at the coroners. I can't begin to describe the emotion that is being displayed here this is really powerful stuff and the silence is exactly how you feel when a loved one is lost. Willow is freaking out over what to wear, and she knows that she has an important role in supporting Buffy. Terra is there to support Willow. Anya doesn't know what to do and for the first time Xander can't explain what to do either.

Xander is trying to find someone to blame for this, it is a real emotional response to find blame with someone. However, there is no real reason for this. Anya is wondering how to understand the whole mortality of human's as we get the child in her come out in her response to death. (Awesome delivery!)

Xander punches a wall in anger and his hand is now stuck in the wall. He pulls out his hand to find it bleeding, Xander gets a ticket for his parking.

We see the coroner finish up with Joyce as he makes the long walk to the family where there is a lot of hugging. The doctor lets them know that there was a hemorrhage in her brain and nothing could of been done to save her. Buffy is holding up as well as she can. Terra comforts Buffy by letting her know that she has gone through a similar situation with her own mother. Dawn sneaks into the morgue to see her mother, she can't bring herself to do it. A Vampire awakes from behind her.  The guys bring back snacks when they realize that Dawn is missing. Buffy finds her in the morgue being attacked and in the struggle, Joyce is uncovered. Dawn wonders where she has gone as she reaches to touch her mother for the last time we fade to black!

What an AMAZING EPISODE!!!!! I have not seen finer direction in a long time, the lack of a sound track was amazing and the reaction to her death by all the characters was spot on! I really want to see this one again with the commentary on by the writer and director of the episode Joss himself.

UNBELIEVABLE HOW BRILLIANT THAT WAS!!!!!

Best episode I have seen so far, by a mile!!!!

10/1o

Buffy Challenge Post 45: Season 5: Episodes 13 - 14

Blood Ties

Here we go for another installment of the challenge, Previously.....

Dawn is the key and Gloria doesn't know that Dawn is the Key, Buffy run into some knights who are also after the key, Spike admits he has the hot's for Buffy and we find out that Gloria is a god not a demon..... on to the episode proper,

Buffy is turning 20! however she is not overly keen to break out the party hats and baloons......... "The Bigger they are......... The faster they stomp you into nothing!" - Oh Anya still haven't quite got the whole cliche thing down yet. Gloria seems to be a hell god of a demon dimension, Oh a crazy hell god is not the type of hell god you'd like to run into. We find out why she sucks out brains with her fingers, (it keeps her sane.) The gang is looking for the key and Buffy is trying to tip toe around the subject. Finally she lets them know that Dawn is the key.

The knights are chanting something about getting rid of the key when they are attacked by Glory and her minions. The minions serve as a distraction as she quickly takes apart the knights. (yeah I know it doesn't make sense to me either!) Our resident witches have broken out the fluro powder as a warning sign. Dawn gets the cold shoulder from everyone who are acting really awkward around her. The old write a letter to your future self homework trick, it always a good filler to get students to think.

Glory has one of the knights strung up and is torturing him for information, cut to Buffy's 20th birthday where she gets clothes as a present. Dawn gives Buffy a touching photo from her fake past. Again Dawn kinds of overhears them talking about her, and she finally confronts everyone about the really bizarre behavior, her response is to sneak out and run into Spike!

Spike has a present for Buffy, oh how cute. Oh, Dawn is going all criminal off to break into the magic shop, good thing Spike is there to pick the lock. Dawn finds Giles note book, while Spike has problems picking up the troll hammer from a few episodes back. It now all comes falling into place as Dawn discovers why the patients at the hospital and the crazy guy from earlier in the season questioned her existence. Is it me or is that a pink unicorn candle? why would Giles have a pink unicorn candle?

Well Spike spells it out to Dawn that she is the key and was sent to Buffy for protection. Dawn returns to the house questioning her own existence by cutting herself to see if she is real? Oh boy, it's hard enough for teenage girls to survive in the world it must be really hard when they find out that they have only existed f0r 6 months. Buffy goes to confront Spike (interrupting his bad-ass nail painting time) Spike bites back from Buffy's accusation by letting her know that she should of been  more honest with her. (I tend to agree, sort of!)

Ben runs into one of the knights at the hospital (the one who had his brains sucked out!), what is his deal? What is his connection to Glory? and why can't she do anything to him?

Dawn overhears another conversation taken out of context and she destroys her room. Buffy is stuck between her duty as the slayer and as a older sister. Dawn burns her diary (which has been kept since she was 7) and does a runner to the park where memories are fading for her and others. Xander now is not the time to stroke your ego!

Spike and Buffy is looking for her, and hold the Press,  Buffy complemented Spike for the FIRST time!!!!! Dawn makes her way to the hospital for what I can only guess is to get some answers from those who can see her for what she really is. The knight recognizes her as the key however he has the the whole gotta kill the key routine. She runs into Ben the intern, who would not be the best person to fill in on her situation. (Ben has a sister? oh I wonder who that is?) Ben is freaking out then I'm freaking out! sorry, distracted by Glory changing.......

where was I? oh yeah Ben transformed to Glory who doesn't remember the conversation Dawn had with Ben. (are we following this? I'm trying....) Dawn is trying really hard to stall Glory and get information on what the key really is? Glory is getting frustrated by the whole situation and is talking to herself not seeing that the key is right in front of her. Buffy arrives just in time however Glory makes short work of Spike, the others distract her long enough for Willow to teleport dawn to the middle of the sky.

Buffy lets Dawn knows that it doesn't matter how she arrived but that she is here and is her sister. So we have the next piece in the Dawn mystery, now it seems the only person who doesn't know she is the key is the person who wants it most! An interesting episode to say the least, more questions than answers though.......

6/10

 

Crush

Previously on Buffy...... Spike lets Dawn know she is the key, Ben changed into Glory.....

At the bronze the gang are hanging out Willow and Terra, Xander and Anya, and Buffy and no one. Well Spike rocks up and complains about the price rise in beer due to Troll damage not being covered by insurance. (who would of guessed?) Buffy is trying to solve the mystery of why Spike is talking to her? (I wonder if the beer spill was scripted?) It seemed that Spike's next beer is on Xander. Willow is still feeling the effects of the transportation spell, as Ben shows up where Buffy thanks him for looking after her.

The Sunnydale express rocks up as the conductor discovers a gruesome sight that is the whole train dead. You know it doesn't bode well for the character on the screen when the camera is following them in the point of view shot! and as tradition has it, the conductor is no longer with us anymore.

Buffy comes home to the relief of Joyce, it seems that captain knocked out (Giles) doesn't cut it anymore. Buffy is given the advice to treat Dawn as her little sister so she obliges by accusing her of taking her blue sweater which Dawn denies doing. Cut to Spike with the sweater holding it in a creepy way. Harmony wants to know if Spike is willing to give her a work out, he doesn't want to know about it, ok this is just sad! (in a funny way!) Spike gets Harmony to dress as Buffy and away we go.

Terra gives us a quick rundown on Quasimodo (kinds of sounds a lot like Spike's situation.) Buffy see's the news of the train massacre. Dawn rocks up to Spike's lair who wants her to leave. Is it me or are they connecting? How dare you insult Spike by feeling safe with him? So Spike lets Dawn in on some of his exploits in the past. (I bet it has something to do with the train murders!) Buffy runs into ask Spike for help to find Dawn only to find her there.

It seems Dawn has a crush on Spike. However, Dawn let's Buffy know that Spike is in love with her. (Why is Xander using a torch in the middle of the day on the train?) Buffy confides in Xander over what Dawn told her, to the laughter of disbelief from Xander. He can be so egotistical at time our friend Xander, can't he. We leave the train to pan up to the baggage rack with the creepy squeeling music and an old doll that has a ribbon tied around her eyes. (this can't be good....)

Look who came to dinner? Spike gives Buffy some information about the train incident and She is freaking out over the fact that she knows how he feels. They are staking out a vampire hang out. Well it seems that Spike has put his foot in it and all the British quips won't get him out of this. Spike is now pleading his case to Buffy and pouring out his heart (does he have a heart?) Buffy cuts him off in total discust and runs off.

Dru is back!!!!! (This seems to be a tie in tread from Angel as Drusella is burnt up from an encounter with him) She wants Spike to go to the other show. (it won't work seeing that they need a vampire as a regular in this show.) Drusella knows about the chip and Spike's inability to harm humans. Dru tries to seduce Spike and get him to overcome the chip in his mind, this is a really intense scene which can only be spoiled by........... HARMONY...... who is anything but.

Please Drusella, please kill her! Spike throws Harmony to the wall and we have the return of Evil Spike!!! While this is going on, Buffy is having a girl session with her mum and Willow. They want her to be really careful about Spike's advances and that She should make sure that it is clear that he has no chance with her. (Not that it will matter now that Dru has woken the monster from within!)

Spike and Dru go to the nearest nightclub for a bite! Dru does the killing for Spike and they feast. (Welcome back Season 2 Spike!)  Buffy arrives to Spike's lair to confront him about the other night only to find his sick fascination with her. Dru cattle-prods Buffy then offers her to Spike for desert. It's not looking good for Buffy when out of no where Spike turns the shocker onto Dru. It seems that his feelings for Buffy are more than a crush. I don't know what is torturing Buffy more right now, being chained up or having to listen to Spike confess his love to Buffy.

Spike is ready to kill Drusella for Buffy? (not sure if murdering your ex is a way to win over a girl) The end game is here, Spike has laid down the gauntlet to Buffy, admit he had a chance or die. Buffy lets him know that the only chance he had was when she was not conscience. Spike can't win and I agree with him! Why do women torture men? He blames Dru for running off with some demon for his chip predicament,  and he admits that his feelings for Buffy is wrong, so he is just going to kill both of them.

Spike you forgot about the 3rd woman in your life, you know loud, blond and annoying...... Harmony shoots him in the back with a crossbow. Spike and Harmony throw down as Dru gets free and attacks a chained up Buffy. Spike comes to Buffy's rescue and Drusella knows that this is the death of evil Spike. Harmony gives him the whole your missing out on "this" speech and walks off, as for Buffy, well Buffy does what she knows best, She punches Spike then walks off, "STRIKE 3 YOUR OUT!!!" So that is what that means!

"What part of punching you in the face don't you understand?" Line of the episode! Spike lets her know that he is a part of her life and that she can't shut her out, only to relies he has been uninvited from the Summers household.

Ok quick note, the mystery of the train? are we to assume that was Drusella? if so it wasn't very clear. Other than that, what a fun episode, had nothing to do with the whole Glory storyline but a Spike centric episode is a good episode! (too bad Harmony was in it!)

8/10

Until next time challengers, try not to upset too many female vampires or slayers for that matter? It might cause a fate worse than death!

Buffy Challenge Post 44: Season 5: Episodes 11 -12

Triangle

So after sweltering through a record heat wave here in MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA!!! (always wanted to do a shout out to my home town!) and having my ego slightly bruised, were back for the next installment of the Challenge!

(on a side note I'm watching this season through my PS3 which upscale's the  DVD and it does look AWESOME in HI DEF!)

Recap time and I think that the recap is not going away so here it goes: Buffy finds out Dawn is the Key, Joyce is going to be fine, Spike leads Buffy towards the discovery that Riley is cheating on her with vampires, which leads to Riley leaving and Buffy running up to catch him.

We got all that? cool, (oh even the recap portrays Riley in a inegative light for all you Riley Finnatics  out there!) I liked the guy when he was first introduced but by the end of his arch I'm happy to see him leave.

On with the episode, Xander and Anya are lying awake when Xander remembered he forgot to give Riley his wrench back. Anya wants a countdown clock for any impending relationship break up, you know like the ones in the movies. Is Anya thinking that maybe the problem is with Buffy and her inability to keep her fellows?

As all young women who have their hearts broken we find ourselves in a convent with Buffy, I think it's more of the fact that she is killing vampires there and not planning on becoming a nun. (another side note? how stupid are some of these vampires? really? you'd think a convent would be the last place they'd be with all the crosses and holy water and such.)

Buffy makes quick work of the vampire, and then Buffy asks for some advice on how to join. I thought being "Super Religious" was a prerequisite for becoming a nun. It could be different in America.

Buffy is training with Giles and he has no answers for her about Glory. Buffy is afraid that the watchers would take Dawn away if they knew she was the object that Glory is after. Giles is off to the council and Anya couldn't be happier, thinking that she will be finally in charge. Giles is not overly excited about her people skills. Poor Xander is stuck in the middle of an argument between Willow and Anya.

Joyce is back on her feet to the delight of Buffy and Dawn. The sisters are having a heart to heart of sorts. Buffy is starting to open up to her fake sister about her heartbreak over the whole Riley thing. I don't think Buffy should hold her breath with the hope of him coming back.

Spike is psyching himself up in front of a mannequin about his true feelings for Buffy, it doesn't end so well for the mannequin, which highlights the importance of practice.

Hey it seems that Amy the rat is still a work in progress for Willow. Anya is not overly keen that Terra and Willow are sampling the merchandise.  Well Willow needs to know that the fish in the Cat in the Hat was right! I thought the definition of stealing is taking something and not paying for it! Oh peer pressure indeed, Anya! keep your guard up.

Xander walks right into the middle of another Anya and Willow fight. Xander is showing some real logic and leaves the two to work out their issues. Willow is working on the spell to make sunlight while Anya is taking inventory on all the ingredients. Their bickering only leads to disaster in the form of a giant Viking demon.

Buffy is still pining over Riley, You know what Buffy has a point, people always do say "things are done for a reason" when things are going bad. Buffy breaks down and we cut away to Anya and Willow on the hunt for the Viking. The left pedal does make it stop, good for you for figuring it out Anya! Can't argue with that logic, not knowing how to drive unless she tries first.

Spike runs into Xander and it seems that Spike is all talkative about Buffy no less. We cut to Buffy and Terra arriving at the magic box to see that it was trashed by what we now know was a troll. He is having a jolly good time smashing things up. Spike and Xander are bonding when our troll pal is hunting down a beer and with a side of babies for lunch. Everyone appears at the bronze and the big bombshell is revealed, this is no ordinary troll, it is Anya's ex-boyfriend!

Anya turned her ex into a troll after he cheated on her with a wench. Which is how she got the job as a vengeance demon. Willow tries to reverse the spell which doesn't work so Buffy does what she knows best, She hits things! in the battle the creature destroys the club and escapes. Buffy takes charge as Spike helps out the victims to no recognition for restraining himself from sampling the goods.

Willow and Anya are back at the Magic Box where they are both arguing over Xander and his safety. Yes Anya it was Willow who broke up Xander and Cordy way back when, well her and her lips! The troll returns to finish what he started. Xander to the rescue, sort of. He gets his butt handed to him in a huge miss match. His reward for fighting valiantly, he gets to choose between his girl and his best friend, one will live while the other will die. He breaks his arm for not choosing and is ready to kill him instead. Anya bravely offers her life as Buffy comes crashing in, unfortunately she is no match power wise so to distract him Anya uses her best asset, annoyance (with some really clever lines!) while Willow works on a spell to trap old Olaf the troll. In the end the troll said the wrong thing as Buffy fights for the love of Xander and Olaf gets sent to the land of trolls, maybe.

ALL THIS HAPPENED IN 3 DAYS? Giles is back with little information and surprisingly calm. In classic TV writing Dawn over hears the truth about her existence and this can not be good for her self esteem.

Hey now that was a fun episode, with a lot of wit and some nice twists thrown in. Also good to see that they are slowly moving the Dawn storyline along and hopefully all of Buffy's guilt and frustrations that had been built up about Riley has been taken out on Olaf the Troll.

7/10

Checkpoint

Previously, Buffy's right of passage where she is locked away where Giles is fired, Buffy becomes a free agent and Dawn finds out about the key.

The council of watchers are on their way to meet Buffy and Giles which makes Buffy nervous. Anya is worried that they will be going after ex demons, Terra thinks all British people are nice and Dawn eavesdrop again. We move to Glory who is not looking so crash hot. It seems she hasn't feasted in a while so they send the local mail man to revitalize her. Now there is a time limit on her plan and she needs to use the key to do whatever it is she is about to do? (Did I miss her master plan? I bet it has something to do with taking over the world, it always is.)

The Magic box is still doing wonderful trade as the council of tweed jackets arrive. The council go through the shop to see what is going on and they close the shop. Anya high tails it out of there as they convene. The council have found some crucial information that will only be given to Buffy when they are satisfied with her methods. Buffy is questioning her history teacher who goes to publicly humiliate her. If this show has taught me anything over the season is TEACHERS ARE NOT SAFE! So watch your back professor.

Buffy decides to take it out on some run of the mill vampires when Spike shows up for the assist. Spike really has it bad for her for a long time now (could it be something to do with the chip?) Spike your disgusting seems to be his pet name given to him by Buffy.

Over to Ben the intern who tortured us last time with one of the worst episodes I've seen when he summoned the slug thing. Anyway he gets summonsed by the minion of Gloria about information about the Slayer. (is it me or do those x-rays look really weird in the background?) Buffy walks into the Magic Box straight into the council who reminds her that the Slayer is a tool of the council. This offends Giles however the council lets them both know who is in charge.

Sorry I was distracted by Gloria in a towel....... oh yeah Ben refuses to help which makes Gloria upset. I don't think I've seen Giles this angry. His frustration with the council has reached a boiling point. Buffy is really worried about the review and the fact that without their help she is helpless against Gloria.

The review starts with Anya who is really nervous, Willow and Terra get all defensive about their relationship with each other, Xander is told that she is hopeless. Anya is going for team dead demons! The girls lie about their magical credentials. Now they are interviewing Spike (love the fact they are protecting themselves with the cross and crossbow!) It seems that the female council member has googlie eyes for Spike.

Buffy training time Blindfolded. With instructions in Japanese no less, she has to protect the dummy so which of course leaves said dummy with an ax in the head. Buffy comes home and runs into Gloria. Who is looking for the key.

Dawn walks in at the wrong time. Gloria wants the key (not knowing that the key is Dawn.) She threatens her family and loved ones and she turns to Spike of all people for help. They will be spending time with Spike, it seems that Joyce and Spike have a shared love for bad American soap operas.

Buffy is running late for the meeting when she is jumped by knights in chain mail? Great now there is an ancient brotherhood of knights who are also after the key. (If the story couldn't get anymore confusing?)

Buffy shows up to the watchers council and gives them a piece of her mind. She has turned this whole situation around, got GIles his job back and back pay. This is the strength that has been lacking from the character returning (nice line with Anya still paranoid.) So Glory is not a demon but a god. This is a new one and will be interesting to see how Buffy handles a threat like this coming up.

Now I really did enjoy this episode with the whole questioning of the council scene done really well. Still no information on what Ben's role is but things are moving into place for a big showdown. It's good to see that the previously is relevant to the show and to the point.

8/10

Until we meet again, keep those stakes pointy and don't try to cast any sunlight spells as you might just release the troll ex-boyfriend of your best friend's girl!