Summers house: Buffy cleans up a bit in the living room as the gang settles in for a meeting. Giles tells them the Council of Watchers (CoW ;) will be coming to Sunnydale, after having found some information about Glory. Buffy's freaked out; she doesn't want them to come, because she doesn't trust them still after "Helpless", in season 3, and their actions toward her in "Who Are You?" Giles says they basically have no options, the council's already on their way, and they really need any info they might have. During the conversation, Dawn sneaks down the stairs and listens in, hearing that Buffy thinks this is just a bad time, because she's gotta take care of Dawn and stuff. Xander, whose arm is in a sling after the events in last week's "Triangle", says that's nothing new; she's always had to take care of Dawn. Joyce comes down the stairs behind Dawn and asks her what she's doing up at this hour and sends her back to bed. In the living room, Giles basically reiterates that they need any information the CoW has. Cut to Glory in her apartment, looking pretty ragged. Two of her minions (Jinx and Dreg) come in, hauling a post office guy. One of them helps Glory over to him, and she sticks her fingers in his head and sucks his sanity. They both collapse to the floor, Glory looking refreshed, and the post office guy is now crazy. He gets up and stumbles out, mumbling to himself, and Glory tells the minions not to wait so long the next time. Jinx tells Glory that the stars are moving into alignment, and she doesn't have much time to find the key and use it. Glory supposes that Buffy might know where the key is, and says if she's all that's standing in between her and the key, then she won't need much time. The next day, the CoW shows up at the Magic Box, and they all manage to insult Giles and his new job, before shutting the shop down "for the duration of the review". Giles asks what about a review? Travers ("Helpless") tries to ask Anya (who is nervous about the Council's view on ex-demons) some questions, but Giles tells her she doesn't have to talk to him and sends her on her way. He accuses Travers of not telling him anything about a review, and Travers explains (as the whole Council takes over the shop) that they've found some information on Glory. "Some of it is clearly vital, the rest of it is very disturbing." He says that the Council will not hand over the information, however, until they review Buffy to examine her methods; until they know they can trust her. Giles says they can trust Buffy; she's come quite far recently, and gained an incredible focus. Cut to Buffy in class, yawning through a lecture about Rasputin until the professor mentions how hard it was to kill him. She mutters to herself, and the professor hears her and asks if she had a question. Buffy stands up and points out that he was beaten, shot, poisoned, etc, and still they couldn't kill him. The professor says that eventually he was drowned, but Buffy reminds him that there were reported sightings of him afterward as late as the 1930's. The professor says that history is pretty clear and accurate that Rasputin died, but Buffy says history was also pretty clear about Columbus, until someone asked the Vikings what they were up to in the 1400's, and they were discovering America. Buffy's just saying that it might be interesting if they looked at it from another perspective, but the professor snarks back that he's interested in the truth, and how things actually happened. He makes reference to last week, when Buffy was interested in the sleeping patterns of Prussian generals. Clearly Buffy has been seeing the mystical / dark forces side to every account of history, and wondering just what is the truth and what isn't. The professor pretty soundly puts her back in her place, and goes on with the class. That night Buffy takes her anger out on a vampire, but Spike leaps up out of nowhere and stakes him. Buffy and Spike get into an argument, naturally, about how she didn't need his help, blah blah. She tells him she never needs his help, and Spike turns around and says why doesn't she call he boyfriend then? Oh right, he ran off. He proceeds to insinuate that every fear she's had about herself is true. That she either pushes guys away, or she clings too tightly to them, or that her looks are fading, or that she just doesn't hold their interest. Having shattered her self-esteem, Spike leaves. At the hospital, Ben prepares to leave but gets dragged into an X-Ray room by Glory's minion, Jinx. He tells Ben that Glory wants him to give her any information he has on the slayer. Ben says he doesn't know any slayer, but Jinx tells him her name is Buffy, and Ben's surprised that Buffy Summers is the Slayer. He refuses to give Jinx any information though, and instead says he's got a message for Glory too, and beats Jinx up offscreen. Back at the Magic Box, Buffy comes in to find the entire Council there waiting for her. Travers greets her, and informs her of the review they'll be putting her through, which includes examining her abilities and methods, and talking to her friends, which they know she still takes out on patrol. Buffy's already on the defensive, and Giles sides with her. Travers reasons with Buffy that they have information about Glory that she sorely needs, and if she doesn't cooperate with their recommendations, he will withhold the information. Giles kind of erupts at Travers, saying that they're not under his thumb, etc, but then Travers threatens to not only close the Magic Box for good, but also to have Giles deported within the day if they resist. Buffy, realizing that they not only can, but they will do this if she doesn't cooperate, says nothing. Back at Glory's apartment, Jinx returns all bruised and battered. Glory's annoyed that Ben won't help, but says she'll have to find another way to get the information she needs. Back at the Magic Box, Buffy wonders if the CoW can do what they say they can, and Giles confirms it. Buffy asks Giles if he thinks she can make it through the review, and he says they'll make it difficult. Buffy's mostly worried about the decisions she's made, and her inability to slay Glory. Buffy kind of freaks out that they're going to go away and not give her the information she needs, and she won't be able to protect Dawn. Giles calms her down, and says she hasn't done anything wrong; indeed, it's the CoW who are acting inappropriately. In a touching moment, Buffy concedes that they certainly knew how to get at her, though, by threatening to take Giles away from her. She wonders how the CoW will start their review. The next day the CoW starts off by asking the scooby gang all sorts of questions, at their individual places. They ask about the gang, about Buffy, and her methods. Each member of the gang tries to represent Buffy as the epitome of a slayer, but more often than not make it appear as if she needs their help, or else she's so busy saving them all the time that she doesn't get any real work done. They can never seem to answer the questions right, due to the tricky wording of the council guy questioning them. Next, they question Spike, who tells the CoW that Buffy pays him for help sometimes, and "offers him a nip of blood from stray victims" and stuff. He says her work is slipping because she can't keep a man. A few more disappointments and "she'll be in here crying on my shoulder, mark my words" In the training room, the council prepares to test Buffy physically, by tying a blindfold around her eyes and making her protect the dummy, as another council guys circles with an axe, trying to "kill" it. Travers will be shouting out the Japanese names of the aikido moves she will need to use to counter the thug's moves. Buffy freaks because she doesn't know any japanese, and Giles frantically tries to translate for her as the fight begins. Travers wonders what Giles has been teaching her, and Giles says he trained her to win. After several near misses, Buffy finally decides to just fight it her way, and disarms the guy, kicking him across the room. The only problem is she disarms the guy by throwing the axe right into the dummy she was supposed to protect. Travers says he doesn't need to see any more of her performance, and says the mental review will start at 7 that night. Buffy goes home, and Glory's there waiting for her. She makes a little small talk, and then tells Buffy she wants the key, and she thinks Buffy knows where it is. While they're talking, Dawn enters the room behind Glory, and Buffy widens her eyes at Dawn, trying to get her to leave. Dawn does so, quietly trying to walk out. Glory knows she's back there, however, and calls her forward. Glory questions Dawn about the key, but Dawn doesn't know anything, though she tells Buffy she knows she's always talking about stuff, and eventually she'll figure it out. Dawn leaves, and Glory threatens to kill Buffy's whole family and friends if she doesn't hand the key over. She says this is a one-time offer, and the next time they meet something she loves will die. Glory leaves, and Joyce comes in asking who it was. Buffy tells her to pack her bags. Cut to Spike's crypt. Buffy comes in with Joyce and Dawn, and Spike wonders what's up with the family outing. Buffy tells him she needs his help. She needs him to look after her mom and sister because he's the only one strong enough to protect them. After teasing Buffy a bit, Spike agrees to help. Buffy leaves and Spike turns on the television to watch Passions. Dawn sighs in exasperation as Joyce and Spike start talking about the characters on the show. Back at the magic shop, the gang (minus Buffy and Giles) sit on the upper level, looking down at the rest of the shop as the Council guys and Giles wait for Buffy, who's twenty minutes late already. Cut to Buffy hurrying to the shop. She's attacked suddenly by some guys in chain mail and stuff, and she fights with them. She takes them all out, and pins the last one. She takes off his mask to reveal that it's a human. He tells her that he is but one soldier in a vast army called the Knights of Byzantium, and they are now her enemy. She asks if they work for Glory, and he says that they are not aligned with the "beast". But they are out to destroy the key, and if Buffy continues to protect it, they will kill Buffy, too. He tells her that there are thousands of them, and for her to go ahead and kill him now, so that legions might follow. Buffy lets him go, but takes his sword. At the Magic Box, Buffy enters with the sword, and lays it down on the book in front of Travers, who's sitting at the table. She tells him there isn't going to be a review. That she's had a lot of people talking at her the past few days, telling her how little and insignificant she is, and she's finally figured out why. It's all about power. She's got it, and they want it. She mentions how Glory came to her house that day and threatened to squash her like a bug, but didn't because she needs something from Buffy. She points out that they're all Watchers, but without a slayer they've got nothing to validate themselves with. Nothing with which to work with. No way to use the information and knowledge they've got. She tells them that they have to work together. One of the members asks about the "civilians", saying they're just children. Buffy replies that they're two very powerful witches, and a thousand year old ex-demon. And that Xander has clocked more field time than the rest of them combined. She lays down the new rules for Travers: that Giles will be permitted to stay in Sunnydale as her official Watcher, he'll be reinstated at full retroactive pay, and they will give her all the information they have on Glory. Travers agrees to her terms, and Buffy asks him what kind of demon Glory is. "Well that's the thing, you see," Travers says. "Glory isn't a demon. She's a God." FLAWS: none found. THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE: Good ep, good ep. Lots of info coming through finally about the Watcher's Council, and Glory. The Council is finally back in the Slayer's good graces, and we discover that Glory is a God. Giles is the official Watcher once again, and we get a new player in the form of the Knights of Byzantium (KoB). We also have Buffy actually trusting Spike with taking care of her mom and Dawn, and that's kind of foreshadowing for later. * sigh * I love Spike : ) BEST LINE: Glory: "Why won't Ben help? He knows her. He could go to her. He could talk to her. He could seduce her and bang the key out of her!" and: Buffy: "I need you to look after them." Spike: "Well that's a boatload of manly responsibility to come flying out of nowhere." " |
"Checkpoint" |
