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!