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..........