Blood Ties • S05E13 • TPN's Buffy Guide

[@keltzy]

I could never be annoyed by "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!" I have very distinct memories of being 17 and mad at my brother and doing that exact thing, shrieks and all. It always felt really authentic to me.

[@SuziQ.]

Yes. Exactly.

[@glockenrein]

True but that doesn’t mean I find it enjoyable to watch/spend my limited free time with.

[@Xehanort10]

I never was annoyed by Dawn. Connor on the other hand I hated him.

[@biglc034]

@@Xehanort10 Just when I'd forgot about Connor...ugh.

[@jok1957]

Probably that's why one get's annoyed, too real

[@lolaandjoe123]

"Hormone bomb" kinda describes Spike too sometimes. It's hilarious to think he's just relating to her teenage angst.

[@j.d.cunegan302]

Overly sensitive young man with maternal issues at the time he was "killed." Yeah, that tracks.

[@Katiewithdaffodils]

And yet Spike is so much older than himself, and Dawn is less than a year old. There's so much about age and emotional development in this show and the ways people get stuck or forced into maturity.

[@sydneydunaway5618]

God, I love Spike and Dawn's relationship. It's like he sees her in a way no one else on the show manages to pull off. And she treats him like a human being and an actual character in the show. Those little glimpses of Spike actually being allowed to interact with the rest of the cast is so nice. That's all I ever wanted, personally, as a Spike fan.

[@CaptainTimeStories]

Yeah, I still like dawn. Get out was understandable. Hoverdawn may be annoying, but at least she makes the most important discovery by her own agency and investigation.

[@haydenmusicacademy7502]

Glory also yelled "Get out, get out, get out!!!" to her minions in the Weight of the World episode in another parallel to Dawn's tantrum here in Blood Ties.

[@JLisleWrites]

It could just be sloppy writing.

[@SuziQ.]

@@JLisleWrites , No. That was deliberate. Ian should add that to his buttons.

[@emmarie2930]

I think he just didnt bring that up yet for people watching who havent seen the show yet.

[@cirrustate8674]

@@JLisleWrites Sloppy writing? In this show? No. It was intentional.

[@tomswiftyphilo2504]

@@cirrustate8674 there are certainly moments of sloppy writing. But interconnecting the themes from one episode to the next through repeated use of motifs is something they do quite well.

[@catherinegabriellajohnson8881]

"we'll jump off that bridge when we come to it..." Nicely done

[@quinnsinclair7028]

I've struggled with self harm since high school. That scene where Dawn comes out with the cuts in her arm and Buffy says "I'm here for you and I don't want you to hurt yourself." Always meant a lot to me. It was a much better reaction than I got when my mother found I out I was a cutter.

[@lynneperrigo7551]

🙌💔🙏

[@JhadeSagrav]

Right here with you, friend. 😢 🫂 Hugs from an Internet stranger.

[@fadedneverland6091]

For me, Spike’s “just standing around looking really sexy” was my favorite part of the earlier season 5 episodes. I love the way they showed him doing his vampire version of processing his feelings for Buffy. He’s sniffing sweaters, sneaking into her house to steal pictures of her and acting super awkward whenever she’s around, like a stalkerish schoolboy with a crush. Yes, it’s wrong and everything you should not do to show you’re interested in someone, but it was strangely endearing. He’s dealing with these huge emotions he’s not supposed to be able to have. For ANYONE. Much less the person whose sacred destiny it is to kill him and every creature like him. A lot of the earlier season 5 episodes are kind of lackluster and Spike’s wildly inappropriate but somehow hilarious antics really brightened some of those episodes up.

[@BriaBella]

Totally agree!! I like how you described Spike's weird behavior as his way as a vampire sorting out his feelings for her.

[@hitismeduh]

11:11 "Even if some of them are just memories of *lies her father told her*." I've always understood that these episode guides take a long time to write, record, and edit. This line in particular feels like such a perfect example of why - the attention to detail is really outstanding. Every second of these videos is filled with so much love and respect for this show and I just want to commend that.

[@calistusjay60]

This whole season is an allegory for a custody battle, with one parent being a narcissistic biological mom who only wants the kid for selfish reasons, and the other being an unorthodox guardian that actually cares for the child.

[@SuziQ.]

Did you used to be Cup(ertino) Jay? I’m beachgirl, but Google won’t give me access unless I give them my phone number. Long time, no see.

[@cirrustate8674]

I doubt that's the Entire intention of the season, but that's almost certainly one of the underlying themes.

[@HelloXrancidkitteh]

that's interesting o: I've never thought about it like that before, with the whole Buffy-Dawn-Glory thing.

[@Girl4Music]

TPN nails it once again. There’s a distinct parallel between Dawn and Tara with them being “new” and therefore the wrong one is targeted in ‘Tough Love’. “Tara seemed particularly horrified at the thought of what Glory does to her victims - what with the brain-sucking and all. It struck me that the idea might not seem to her completely dissimilar to someone being misled and gaslit by an abuser. I couldn’t help but think about what Mr. Maclay might have done to her mother.” Yep. Hence, the return of that same thought when Willow erases her memory and Tara compares it to Glory’s brain-sucking. Not dissimilar at all. Horrific. However, one could argue that Willow taking Tara’s memory is not comparable to Glory taking her sanity. But I’m thinking about it in terms of what the character experiences from the taking - not what is taken. Meaning her autonomy. Her ability to make informed choices. The governing of self. And I’m sure that’s what Tara meant by her comment to Willow.

[@BrightNeonBrilliancy]

I appreciated Dawn's 'interrogation' of Glory, trying to get as much information as possible. It shows she's capable of thinking on her feet, and is one of the episodes that shows she'll be capable of being a Scooby some day (with Conversations with Dead People being my ultimate Dawn Scooby moment) and not just the slayer's kid sister. Also, kinda cool how she's wearing a green shirt this episode, and the key is described as a ball of green energy.

[@travisspazz1624]

When it's all said and done, this will (and is) an amazing companion series to the show! All the credit in the world!

[@tothorsi]

4:53 Sarah and Michelle's chemistry continues to be stellar. - I see what you did there 7:30 gaslit or misled by an abuser. Could have "foreshadowed" S6 Willow

[@NCC-1701_no_bloody_a_b_c_or_d]

This episode made me really feel for Dawn, who was I still kinda iffy about her introduction alone, nevermind she was that annoying younger sibling. But this one really made me properly think of all the things she must remember, even though those aren't the things we've seen, and how insanely overwhelming all this must be to take in... and that doesn't just stop at the end of this episode, or the next or this season. Honestly, the lack of empathy for Dawn and all she has to deal with and take on made me distance from a lot of the BtVS fandom because it's just super toxic.

[@omolisa3783]

Exactly! Her "Am I real? Am I anything?" alone makes me just wanna hug her. She's not among my favourite characters, but I definetly like her & I think her story is fascinating!

[@fiction5559]

Thank you, I've always loved Dawn, and over the years, my liking for her has only gone up. She's in my Top 10 Buffyverse characters now. And yeah, I distance myself from the Buffyverse fandom too, asides from some people I know very well who I can trust to have a civil discussion with.

[@ambearmerp9574]

I love that you mention Spike challenging canon, because he's literally like no other vampire in buffyverse, can't wait to hear more about it the next episode!

[@PassionoftheNerd]

Hello, all. Heck'uva marathon hangout on Saturday for 'The Body.' Thank you to everyone who joined to share and talk through the episode. I hope you enjoy the 'Blood Ties' run-through. Next up for the guides is the Angel episode, 'Happy Anniversary,' and for the discussion group, 'Epiphany.' HOWEVER, Lani and I are currently packing our home to move back to Colorado SO, I can't say with great certainty WHEN either of those will be. I'm going to solicit your opinions from the Patrons about scheduling the 'Epiphany' chat on Patreon, tomorrow. If you'd like to join in on those discussions or just toss a McDouble towards the channel once-a-month, here is the link to Patreon: www.patreon.com/passionofthenerd

[@mendiehofma3433]

Good luck with the packing, Ian and Lani. Hope everything will go smoothly!

[@cindytartt4048]

@J N of topic, dude, come on, man. Also this is Ian’s vlog . You could do one on your own. Where you heart Riley. Personally I find Riley manipulative and emotionally twisted. Still…..

[@JLisleWrites]

Your discussions about vampires are always the most interesting to me. I think it's easy to understand why Spike cannot be altruistic even when he's kind when you consider the psychology of the narcissist. Often their deeds of selflessness or charity are done out of their need to feel superior than others, masking a deep self-hatred. Spike in an effort to mask his true nature as a demon, someone who Buffy has no future with, acts selflessly to empower his own ego. It's just pride. Even not telling buffy of the good things he's done qualifies as the person who he was good to now has a higher opinion of him.

[@mindyp51d]

"Blood Ties" is another reason why Season 5 is just so damn SPECTACULAR!!!! Great vid, Ian!

[@YozoraHeart]

"She doesn't know that." They write her um...interestingly sometimes, but that line helped me empathize with Dawn way back when. I think about it any time she has a bit of a GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT moment. It was funny finally watching the series after hearing so much about it for years. I didn't hate Dawn. In some moments she's even pretty great. It just took them a while to find her character rhythm.

[@doctorwholover1012]

I entered the BTVS universe a bit weirdly - in 2015, I saw a random episode of S5, watched to the end of S7, then went back to S1 to get the rest. I've always seen Dawn (both as an in-universe Person and as a Character) to be both perfectly understandable and well-written, and I was mostly confused by the sheer amount of Dawn hate I discovered in BTVS fan spaces. She's not my favourite character by any means - not even in my top 5. But she is (to me) the 10/10 example of how to introduce a younger character to a older cast and/or how to write a sibling character for an super/overpowered main character. I'm certain I'd have a different opinion on her if I'd watched Buffy when it was originally airing, but how much of that would have been the weekly airing schedule vs her actual character I can't say (having binged BTVS every time I've watched it + not really ever following a show as it aired) Idk, I struggle to find anything to dislike about Dawn - she's written to be an annoying, insecure, middle class, younger sibling to an overpowered chosen one only child/older sibling. She's a screamer because she has no other tools at her disposal to make others do what she wants, she's nosy because she's got a literal Chosen One sibling like something out of a fantasy book, she's privileged/entitled because she was protected and coddled her entire childhood, she's insecure because anything she does, her sister did better, with less effort, and had a boyfriend AND was wearing a really cute outfit while doing it. Throw in the "magical key turned girl to prevent a hell-god from ending the world" and their parents divorce, and she comes across remarkably normal + chill considering it all.

[@kristavaillancourt6313]

It's difficult to accept a teenager when none of the characters acted their supposed age. I always forgave Dawn her childishness, no one else was like that and it made sense.

[@doctorwholover1012]

@@kristavaillancourt6313 yes - Dawn was the only one who acted her age because she was one of the few main/reoccurring characters who wasn't a child soldier 👀 she acts her age, while everyone else acts like they have PTSD - because they do.

[@Philbert-s2c]

@@doctorwholover1012 It's not that there is really all that much Dawn hate out there...it's that the err, "fans" who hate her never shut the hell up about it.

[@jamie7398]

@@Philbert-s2c Not to be argumentative but the people who like her also Never shut the hell up about it.

[@winterscribbler6745]

I love this episode mainly because it's the first instance of Dawn and Spike teaming up which is so adorable, and I love how Spike and Buffy are sort of behaving like friends at this point ... like they're not quite sure what kind of relationship they should have now. Plus i feel Dawns reactions are justified and believable.

[@ajwritesfiction]

I think, being closest to Dawn's age when I watched and having an unclear idea of family and self when I found out I was adopted a few years prior accounted for a lot of the reasons I always empathized with Dawn. Relating to her as a 12 year old in 2001 made sense to me-but it definitely didn't do me any favors in the fandom, which in turn probably did a number on that whole sense of self thing in retrospect. But I'm fine now. I'm great. Totally fine. A-OK. It's all copacetic.

[@SuziQ.]

😂 I heard the last part in Dawn’s voice. That is why I love this fandom- most of us know the best lines word for word.

[@davewolf6256]

Oh, and _'Get out! Get out! GET OUT!'_ was totally earned every time I rewatched the episode. I can't remember what I thought when I first watched it, though.

[@MadCatLady28]

As an adopted child, Dawn always resonated with me. And you nailed it, there's always a sense that you're not REAL when you're adopted. I distinctly remember the horror I felt at 5 when my parents did IVF to have a REAL kid. That's how I thought about it then, and still how I phrase it far too many years later to admit on here. That GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT was me at 14.

[@GodOfWar187]

Was never annoyed or had a problem with the first "GET OUT!" The second one on the other hand...yeah.

[@cirrustate8674]

Your offhand comment about whether or not Oz would have been able to tell there was something different about Dawn really caught me off guard. I cannot believe I didn't ever think of that before. Though I suppose it's mostly because I didn't recall the exact wording of what Dawn read. Still, fascinating to think of, and something I'm sure fanfiction writers don't take into consideration, though they absolutely should.

[@loopyvirgo]

Re: Buffy and the Little Red Riding reference Buffy also dressed as Little Red Riding Hood in the Halloween episode of season 4. Another interesting parallel

[@gabrielurbinatm]

A terrific video - lovely work as always! I'll also throw in an additional Little Red Riding Hood connection besides the one in Helpless: that was Buffy's costume one season earlier in Fear, Itself!

[@ChrisInTheNorth]

I like this episode in an above average way but my favourite scene is one this review almost passes over; Where Spike is with Dawn when she learns about herself - 'I guess that's you Nibblet'. Dawn and Spike have a bond, perhaps its starts here, which leads to her hanging out in his crypt, and she says more than once I think that Spike is the only one who talks to her as if he understands her... In a way this is a forerunner of the link between Spike and Buffy in S6, where he is the only one who knows where Buffy has been.... A soul he might not have but he can be the most empathetic character in the show.

[@derJOgelle]

How wonderful, a new PotN Video and to a great episode!😍👍 Ah yes, the _tower_ ..ing S5 finale! nice one! I agree that this episode's very underrated! Then again I'm a fellow "born again Dawn defender"!😅 The little details, like e.g. the journal being introduced earlier, make this okay episode a lot richer and more realistic/believable. Dawn being curious/confused/having suspicions or her frustrations for example is all a lot more understandable this way. Anyways, thank you, Ian! Can't wait for the Guide Videos to the last couple of S5 episodes (aka. some of the best BtVS ever)! Keep up the great work!

[@plentyofmagoes1143]

Yes!!!! We’re getting ever closer to “I was made to love you”! I’ve been looking forward to an analysis of that episode since I found out about this guide back when it was on season 3

[@danwiesdamageinc]

3:40 Why? BUFFY: What did you do to her? WILLOW: Teleportation spell. Still working out the kinks. BUFFY: Where'd you send her? WILLOW: Don't know. That's one of the kinks.

[@Philbert-s2c]

Love that scene...THIS much.

[@serenity4eva89]

Exactly! Willow's spells almost never go according to plan 🧙🏻‍♀️

[@samiridgethevoice]

I wished you would've touched on the small conversation between Glory and Dawn- Dawn inching for details as to what she is, (evil or not), and who she belongs with. Glory talking to someone "relatively" calmly. It was almost a connection that I always found interesting. But, wonderful job again.

[@dipperjc]

Did you notice that in Weight of the World, Glory also uses the "Get out get out get out" line in the same way that Dawn does? I always found that interesting. As though Glory's claim to the Key as "her's" might have had some kind of basis in fact. Certainly, at least, she had an influence on it.

[@caitlin329]

It's all interesting in the context of the 'Dawn and Glory representat different aspects of Buffy' metaphor popular with some

[@Rubix78]

Just started watching, don’t know why I started with season 5 as you haven’t finished it yet but it has my favourite episode in which you are getting closer too. Love your videos, keep it up.

[@charlesedwardandrewlincoln8181]

Another wonderful episode analysis! This is one of my favorite shows on KZbin! Thanks for this! It's causing me to go through all these videos again!

[@Katiewithdaffodils]

Dawn very much acts like an actual teenager, Buffy and the scoobies were a lot more like young adults, even in the high school seasons. I think this either makes the scoobies seem too old or Dawn seem infantile to many audiences. That and the old antipathy our culture has towards teenage girls. Michelle Tractenberg has such a range though, I agree her performance is stunning.

[@samkathryn4825]

3:12 This line is even more creepy when taking into account Xander’s old crush on Buffy and what we later learn about how Dawn was designed.

[@frogurtcremebrulee5252]

And the fact that (spoilers for the comics that take place after the show’s finale) her and Xander form a relationship and have a child. Admittedly, she’s nineteen/twenty at that point but it’s still a bit uncomfortable.

[@helenryan5217]

@@frogurtcremebrulee5252 I think you just put me off ever reading the comics.

[@frogurtcremebrulee5252]

@@helenryan5217 honestly it’s for the best lol. Theres some good stuff that takes place before the show starts (a comic about Buffy, Joyce, and Dawn first moving to Sunnydale, an adaptation of the Buffy movie but with SMG’s likeness and stronger connections to the show, plus the excellent Angel: After the Fall which takes place seconds after the Angel series finale) but the rest is really bad or mediocre at best

[@TigerNightmare]

I haven't read them, but season 8 would make her 18 and Xander 23. That doesn't make him Woody Allen. I don't see anyone having a problem with 19 year old Sarah Michelle Gellar kissing a 27 year old David Boreanaz in season 1. Either be consistent or make peace with it.

[@jamie7398]

@@TigerNightmare Yes but Xander has memories because of the monks of Dawn being a 10/11 year old child when they meet. And Xander being friends with Buffy and having a crush of Buffy for a while and watching Dawn grow up is just weird that they end up together.

[@jedisalsohere]

I don't know why Michelle Trachtenberg is never brought up as a contender for the show's best actor. The fact that she manages to be just as convincing as the rest of the cast, with arguably worse material, at the age of *fourteen* is ridiculously impressive.

[@danielgilbert8338]

I love the way Dawn shows up unexplained at the beginning of the season, because it was a go-to 90s contrivance for siblings to just appear and disappear. So it feels like they're just doing that, and it feels out of place. But then there's an explanation. Fun twist on a silly trope

[@brandonellis8330]

Thank you, I always appreciate these episodes, even shorter ones like this. It’s my favourite show and I love the commentary 😁

[@ARestlessMindYT]

Thiis is a really great video brother, it was nice meeting you in your livestream. GL with the next one. 👍

[@scarletphoenix2927]

Hold up! Are you saying there is some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?

[@lynneperrigo7551]

😂😂😂

[@Philbert-s2c]

that would be silly...

[@dipperjc]

Certainly, but what kind...

[@rachaelknudsen8801]

Is everyone here very stoned?

[@alexandracorvo377]

Dawn is such an interesting character. She might not be a fan favourite (nor a favourite of mine), but that doesn't mean I don't understand her, or that I don't value her story. I was never in a Dawn hater camp, she's far from being a favourite (which I think it's the writers intend actually, I'll get to that), but I think her story is so important. To me, Dawn is one of the most realistic depictions of a teenager on tv ever. She might not be a cool teen like everyone on One Tree Hill (which I'm also quite fond of) or Dawson's Creek, but she's REAL, she feels like a picture of what we all were when we were teens, of course with our own levels of high pitched 'get out's' and our own problems, but she's a true teen. I think she's written as an annoying little sister, sometimes bratty, and most of the times acting out of proportion, not gasping what adults truly mean, and thinks the world is against her at all times, EXACTLY like all teens. And because they write her as a normal kid, with the normal 14 year old worries, the self-doubt, trying to find herself, understand who she is, it makes her storyline even more interesting and, for the lack of a better word, real. She's both going through what a normal 14 year old is going through, and then we add another layer of 'who the hell am I?' to the mix, on top of an already layer of normal teen angst, of course anyone would lose their mind. I think Dawn's characterization, the challenges she goes through her, realizing her fears of not belonging were real and in a worse way than she ever imagined, were so well acted. Especially that scene where Dawn feels not just a Summers, but human, that yes she can feel pain, she can feel happiness, and she can feel it all, because there's blood in her, she IS, is amazing. This episode is truly so well done and makes me 100% sure the choice of making Dawn a teen girl was beyond brilliant to her journey, even if sometimes we might get a bit annoyed at a teen who's discovering herself while her sister saves the world.

[@danjonmills]

Joss Whedon gets A lot of flack these days but he sure knows how to write females, particularly teenage girls and burgeoning women.

[@visionary202]

Thank you! I really enjoy the detail and genuine empathy for the show and those within it that you share. You're videos for Buffy have not exactly the same magic, but close to the same magic of the episodes themselves

[@anonymous-dirigible]

I am actually weeping into my phone right now. Another great episode, Ian, thank you.

[@caitlin329]

I've always thought Dawn handles everything surprisingly well tbh. Not sure I'd handle all of the revelations.

[@frogurtcremebrulee5252]

This was an amazing examination of an ep that gets glossed over imo. Also, there’s a comic (canon or non-canon depending on your opinion of it) where the gang recounts memories altered by Dawn’s arrival. Dawn being present at the high school during Innocence, Dawn finding Buffy’s body after The Master killed her, Dawn catching Xander and Cordy making out at a carnival. The comic is pretty well written imo, but it’s true purpose is just to retcon Dawn into those scenes.

[@PassionoftheNerd]

Hmm...that's some good encouragement to pick up the comics again.

[@frogurtcremebrulee5252]

@@PassionoftheNerd ya some are really good like the one inserting SMG into the Buffy movie and making sense of that film and Angel: After the Fall, but some are really bad like the later continuations of the show (seasons 10,11,12)

[@avichaid6021]

You haven't touched on the most important part in this episode. Can we suspect that there's some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?

[@TheLokki242]

a delightful video as always, so happy to have been following this channel for years now

[@LeoP2008]

Xander: She kinda has a crush on me. Me: Oh right!! *This* is why that thing in the comics happened.

[@Philbert-s2c]

Thanks ever so much for bring up THOSE nightmares....

[@colettepot7350]

If the monks would have turned the key into a needle in a stack of needles, Glory would probably have never been able to find it.

[@Henrik_Holst]

So perhaps by the laws of magic/whatever they could not turn the key into something that Glory could not find. Then if one really thinks about how the key have to bleed to open the portal, how they have ceremonial clothes for the key to wear and so on, at least I start to believe that they key was bound to always be in human form.

[@basharic3162]

Ian I think you missed a little something in the Spike/Dawn relationship -- much like Joyce she treats him like a person. That counts for a lot with Spike. The fact is Spike generally likes humans far more than pretty much any other vampire we see. Over the course of the series he's rarely seen actually feeding on run of the mill people of his own volition. The only one I can even think of right now is the shopkeeper in Lover's Walk. Otherwise it's just implied. Outside of his aggression towards slayers, which is more of a challenge/deathwish thing, the beings we see him be the most aggressive towards are generally either obnoxious or jerks to him. So it seems to be your best chance of survival when confronted with pre-chip Spike is to be nice to him. This makes perfect sense, since he was bullied as a human, and it's pretty clear those feelings of being bullied have stayed with him.

[@basharic3162]

Oops, forgot to add: We also don't really know all the Dawn memories the monks gave him, but it's a safe bet they wouldn't have given him anything that would have made him aggressive to Dawn. That's actually a really big downside of season five for me. We don't know how much the monks tampered with our characters. Did they simply insert Dawn into Buffy's life and let the natural tendencies of the people around her adjust to the new memories, or did they remove the power to choose and program everyone with a baseline tendency to like and protect Dawn. We can argue Buffy and Joyce got to make that choice, because we see them make it. Everyone else it's debatable and even with Buffy and Joyce it's tough to say definitively they made that decision without being influenced, more that they are aware of the influence and decided it didn't matter to them.

[@michaelcain9324]

And this was the episode I became a Dawn fan.

[@rebbyberard8150]

this episode is why I love dawn. three reasons: her inability to stand being out of the loop which is relatable, her relationship with spike is adorable, and her reaction to the knowledge is heartbreaking. this is also an episode where I love spike because he just... I think he just finds Dawn cool and likes hanging out with her which is both kind of adorable and a bit... odd, which is how I feel about the best parts of Spike as a character in seasons 5 and 6

[@Yeaster]

Dawn is such a clever character. I love everything about her storyline this season

[@silentob_server6061]

These Episodes make me so happy!

[@ginakearney4146]

This episode is just one of the many examples and reasons for why season 5 if my favorite season.

[@dwemercogs]

The big issue I had with Dawn's introduction was this: we spent seasons of seeing Buffy choose a family to build around her (Giles was her figurative dad, Willow and Xander her siblings). But then suddenly, out of nowhere, we are introduced to a new person who now suddenly trumps all these other people. It felt too much like telling, not showing her love for Dawn. Suddenly, there's actual family for Buffy, who is now more important than all the metaphorical family she had been building up and surrounding herself with for seasons. Willow being hurt that Buffy didn't let them in on The Key is symbolic of this schism. Before Buffy would have told her (probably). When she had to kill Angel, she told them. But when Dawn's life is on the line, they can't be trusted. Willow feeling hurt at not being let in is a way to display to the audience that Buffy chooses her new not-literal sister over her old not-literal sister. Which hurt for me as a viewer, because I saw the bond between the former grown, but not the latter. Later, when Buffy says she will straight up kill any of her old formerly figurative family members if they come for Dawn, it just drove that point further. We are suddenly given this new person, who through no character development of their own, suddenly surpasses all the other people we grew to love over seasons. I think that it where a lot of the resentment comes from. I have to say Michelle's acting is fantastic, and it is no way a criticism of her, just the way this plot develops. It doesn't feel like she earned her place as Buffy's most important person. And... the get out screaming really didn't help much either.

[@ninjanibba4259]

I’m with you 💯,it’s so weird but I’m going along with it to see how that works out I’m a first time watcher as I’m with this episode

[@danielbaguley2483]

Always a treat when one your videos drops!

[@ChocolateTeapot93]

You've said vampires can't change but I wonder if the chip acts as a kind of artificial superego keeping the vampire id monster in check allowing Spike to grow. Also, he's under the influence of the Scoobies and I think Spike is a very malleable person. He changed his personality as a vampire to fit in better with Angelus, Drusilla and Darla so maybe being around the Scoobies and not being blinded by blood lust is helping him get back to his original personality. Even as a newly turned vampire he still wanted to take his mum with him. He's a big sap putting up a front and we don't know how much of that is the lack of a soul and how much is just posturing.

[@eliterkeurst2011]

A GIFT FROM THE GODS YESSSSS A NEW EPISODE THANK YOU THANK YOU.

[@Wednesdaywoe1975]

Spike was bullied as William. The moment he helps out Tara felt very much like the moment in season 4 when he assures Willow she IS biteable. He doesn't like to see people feel bad in that way. Beaten down.

[@iteachlit]

The season’s “towering conclusions.” “We’ll jump off that bridge when we come to it.” Oh, Ian, you saucy boy….

[@ginime_]

Rewatching this video and I just caught "We'll jump off that bridge when we get there" I see what you did there

[@louishindle6620]

"*Towering* finale" lol

[@avichaid6021]

People fixate on "get out" and forget the "is this real" scene before.... Michelle was amazing in this episode

[@michaelcain9324]

Just when I so needed a pick me up. Thank you! 💖

[@margaridabaptista3712]

3:11 Even weirder when you take the comics into account, lol. ((To be clear, I actually like the comics, in yet another unpopular opinion just like my love of Dawn, and I like their relationship there, so this isn't dismissive, but acknowledging that there's a lot of layers here, and a lot of weirdness in general...))

[@sarahconnor5879]

Wonderful as always ❤️, thank you

[@SuigetsuIsArt]

WTF is Xander wearing. Giant black suit jacket, brown khakis, blue shirt? Good lord. You talked about Darla needing someone to take care of. I think Spike is much the same. He's spent centuries protecting someone he perceives as vulnerable, and I'm sure he sees Dawn much the same way. I'm not sure vulnerability is something he even sees as a compelling prey? He's defined by killing two Slayers. He isn't nun slayer Angelus. He likes a fight. I will never get people hating Dawn. She's a good kid. The way people talk about her reminds me of the way people disparage Harry Potter in the fifth book, where he's lashing out because he faced something horrible the year before and is hormonal and traumatized and sad. Do they not remember being 15? Now imagine being 15 and going through a genuinely horrible time. It's not easy. ETA something I like about Dawn's introduction to the show is that it provides Buffy an emotional lodestone that is not Angel. It is also an interesting way to fundamentally alter your main character's character halfway through a series without it being nonsensical. The change from only child Buffy to older sister Buffy is clear, but she retains who she is even with the changes. I think that's a really cool writing trick.

[@jamie7398]

To me it's not a real choice Buffy and Joyce make. Just because they logically know Dawn wasn't real until a few months ago and their memories are fake doesn't change their feelings about her, and those memories are still very much real to them. Of course they want to protect Dawn she still feels like their daughter/sister. Buffy being angry with Spike is somewhat justified imo. Spike did take Dawn and help her break into the magic shop, but Buffy and Giles should have told her the truth awhile ago and told Dawn first with Joyce involved as well.

[@Tysongranger5]

I love how in this episode when Buffy says Glory is in no way prettier than her Giles gives this look as if to say “🤨 I don’t know about that”

[@co81385]

Yes! A new one! I can't watch the video now, but I can't wait to watch this later!

[@Xehanort10]

3:12 Even worse is Xander being paired up with Dawn in post show comics.

[@canadiankazz]

I’ve seen a fair few people who struggle with their identity for one reason or another identify with Dawn in this episode. Excellent analysis as always!

[@MakeItSo-ThisIsME]

Love your breakdown of this Ep, Season 5 is the BEST! It was never really done or gone into depth with how Dawn was created and who she actually is now that she is Human. I like to go with the Theory that she has a part of Buffy's soul (more of a Daughter than Sister too Buffy) and is made literally of her blood as well. I guess we'll never know, but I do know that I'll have the tissues ready for the Gift!

[@LeoP2008]

I theorize that Spike has empathy for Dawn because the Monks implanted that into him. The Key is precious and it was sent to Slayer for protection...and the Slayer's allies. Spike being one of those powerful allies, it would make sense that they would want even him to guard her.

[@SSGranor]

Maybe; but, to me it feels more like an extension of the way that Spike has never shown malice towards Joyce.

[@jamie7398]

@@SSGranor I think that might be because Joyce reminds Spike of his own mother.

[@spikesecho724]

This is a great episode 💓

[@joshfactor1]

if nothing else, though, you got to admit it's a pretty unique plot device. i mean how many series do you know of that introduce a retconned sibling more than halfway through its run?

[@Xehanort10]

And actually have an in universe reason for said retconned sibling. Most shows would just introduce somebody's brother or sister with no explanation and act like they were always there.

[@scarletgiry3958]

@@Xehanort10 Looking at you Miraculous Ladybug

[@KitsuneRokaku]

2:26 As much as I love Tara (and I love her with every fiber of my being), I would've loved to see how Oz would've reacted to Dawn. He thinks he's going crazy and the wolf acts more feral around Dawn.

[@Dayarus]

I think the emphasis on Summers' blood is meant to set up and foreshadow the Gift. "They made her out af me" is another important line. It's meant to explain why Buffy's death can close the dimensional portal in place of Dawn's. I suspect that on a genetic level, Dawn is a clone of Buffy even though they look different (which can happen to genetically identical people IRL, though usually not so drasticallly). As such, the spell doesn't distinguish between Buffy and Dawn. The death of either will do to end it.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

There's a headcanon amongst some Spuffy shippers that Dawn was made from both Buffy and Spike so in this particular episode, both of them are basically acting like her parents.

[@spikesecho724]

I have never ever heard of this headcanon lol. What's the reasoning behind it? Why would the monks involve Spike?

[@tothorsi]

that might be the stupidest thing i have ever heard LOL Spuffy shippers can be 'a bit' too much

[@Philbert-s2c]

Yeah, I'm a fairly old-school Spuffy and I never heard that. As far as I know, Dawn is a Buffy clone. I would assume both her soul and her body are from Buffy herself. The Spike thing? No idea how anybody would get that.

[@spikesecho724]

There's an interesting and disturbing headcanon that Dawn is *literally* made from Buffy's experiences, as in, Buffy was once called "pumpkin belly" by Joyce, etc.

[@Philbert-s2c]

@@spikesecho724 I suppose that's possible. The arguments over exactly how Dawn was made and from what have been raging since these episodes aired. We have that quote from Buffy in "The Gift" (which I won't go into here) that suggests how the Monks created Dawn but doesn't go into details. People have been guessing about it ever since.

[@carilabok6319]

I think that at this point, he has a genuine fondness for Dawn, as her own person, so his choice to accompany her and keep her safe was derived from not wanting her to get killed because he would miss her. Much like he fought hard to protect Drusilla and cure her from her mysterious vampire illness. There is also the boredom factor, cuz what else was he gonna do that night. And maybe a desire to be in the loop, because breaking into the Magic Box got him information that he didn’t have before.

[@Admiralmeriweather]

Excellent as ever

[@notoriouslybratty]

Compared to S1, 2, and 3, teenagers were never written as well. While the main cast was written as more mature, witty and insightful, all the teenagers afterwards were written as more self-centred, dramatic and irritating. Conner and the potential slayers also suffered from this writing regression for teenagers on the show.

[@notoriouslybratty]

It’s like the writers have a rosier coloured pictured of how they were as a teenager compared to being an adult and having to deal with a teenager afterwards.

[@jamie7398]

I agree. The writers really dropped the ball on teen characters after the main cast graduated high school. I think that's one of the reasons Dawn/Connor get on my nerves so much doesn't feel like the same effort was put into them. And the potentials were just awful.

[@Buffy8Fan]

COMICS SPOILERS I don't know what the fanbase as a whole thinks about most Dawn episodes as I don't hear nearly as much Dawn-hate as I used to (and I am thankful for that as I never hated her), but every once in a while someone types or says something that makes me think they are an alpha older sibling or a newcomer to watching the series for the first time, and don't understand Dawn's arc. 1:00-1:03 The look on Willow's face when she finds out Buffy didn't tell her something (in this case Dawn being the key) always bugged me. The next four paragraphs are going to argue 1:05-1:22 Willow's look suggests she is hurt over Buffy and Giles not telling her something (which long-term is the same issue as jealousy over Buffy spending time with Faith *_before_* Faith went to The Mayor aka Willow is upset over something she shouldn't be, as with Faith, Buffy was trying to add her to the group, not replace Willow, and with this Ian made it clear by saying she had no real reason to know). Willow has been in situations where she hasn't told Buffy things either. And in this situation, the Scoobies didn't have a right to know unless Buffy, Joyce and Dawn agreed to tell them, so Buffy telling her friends before Dawn was also a big mistake. And Buffy not telling Dawn, while Joyce had the excuse to "wait until [she's] older" was dumb because Glory is currently looking for her. What should have happened was Buffy should have told Dawn and Joyce at the same time she told Giles (although there is no reason Buffy couldn't have waited to tell Giles until after the monk gave her the information on his deathbed). From either of those situations, Buffy could have handled their reactions without having anyone leave in anger (Although Dawn ran because she was angry no one told her, and had been lied to, so telling her would be easier than her finding out and cutting herself to see if she is real before running away). Then the four of them determine when the Scooby Gang should know. If they all agreed to say something in _Family_ (I love the idea that the whole episode could have been a B storyline that tied thematically into Tara's story). But if they don't tell them right away, then tell them Giles and Buffy know where the key is and strategically it is better if the fewer people who know the better, as that wouldn't even be a lie. As such we get the Scoobies treating Dawn oddly once they know, Dawn being upset about being lied to, and Buffy feeling guilty and taking it out on Spike before him telling her "Maybe if you had been more honest with her in the first place, you wouldn't be trying to make yourself feel better with a round of Kick the Spike." The above situation that I suggested, also wouldn't have detracted from Buffy in _No Place Like Home_ and Joyce and Buffy in _Listening to Fear_ when Buffy tells Giles, and mother and daughter tell each other, they still care about Dawn. Basically everything that happened in those episodes and in this one, with Dawn choosing Family, could have happened as a B storyline to _Family._ It definitely would mean Tara's family members getting less screen time, but I'm OK with that. 😁 I never understood people having issue with, "Get out! Get out! Get out!" A fourteen year old going through what she is going through. It makes perfect sense that she is not only upset and angry at what she learned about herself, but upset and angry about being lied to, and that Buffy and her mom told everyone else first, which is why I think the way I said it could have happened above is the way it should have happened. I know DVR were available in 1999, but I didn't realize they were popular enough for people to understand and use them until after the Buffyverse was done airing on TV? I am not a fan of the Scooby Gang's choices as a group whole (even the non OG four that I mostly praise join the group mentality in this episode) a lot of times. This episode should be showing people why I have that opinion. The AI Team all the way for me. Never thought about the fact that Oz could be considered enlightened enough to see Dawn, but I am loving the idea. He might as well been halfway there already before he left to get control of the werewolf, and after he and Willow settle their issues in _New Moon Rising,_ it wouldn't surprise me. Xander bringing up Dawn's crush out of the blue (I understand, like Ian, it was supposed to be cute - it didn't come across that way) is even more creepy than Angel dating and sleeping with an underage Buffy. By the comics, when Xander and Dawn get together and have a kid, Dawn is 23 and Xander is 30, but in the same vein as Angelus says when he tells Connor, "doesn't it freak you out that she used to change your diapers?" It also happens in the fans minds, with the idea that Xander babysat Dawn. It will always cause a disconnect whether they are in the right to date or not. And getting back to the point, Xander bringing Dawn's crush up here makes all their future relationship comics storylines disturbing. But even not knowing all those storylines makes his crush comment disturbing. It aged poorly, and Xander being Xander about it doesn't help. Dawn is just as much a product of "being a kid" as Faith was at reasons for "going to The Mayor." From Dawn's perspective, she wants to be involved in the life of a sister she loves and worships, and when she isn't involved, she gets involved the only way a fourteen year old would. From Faith's perspective she tried to get involved and become a part of the group, and when she realized everything Gwendolyn Post was saying about the "Faith and the Scoobies dynamic" was true, she started working for the mayor [PS That is a very condensed version of a long theory I have]. Dawn and Faith both ran away in some form, but Dawn had a support structure to come back to and Faith didn't. I am not saying the group should have involved Dawn in the slayer related issues, but just as I typed above, there were easier ways than leaving her out without making her feel left out. And considering Dawn actually is a part of slayer related issues means she should have been told about the key - and before The Scoobies were told. Spike not doing much and lurking about this season has more to do with him trying to figure out his own feelings for Buffy than anything else. Which ties into all the other issues Ian brought up about him. Spike is just as confused about himself as the audience is about him.

[@donsample1002]

I think Spike's protectiveness toward Dawn is part of the Monk's spell. He was magically compelled to protect her. It also explains why Buffy trusts him with Dawn, despite all the evidence of his untrustworthiness.

[@SuziQ.]

I think it’s because Spike genuinely likes Joyce and Dawn (and is smitten with Buffy). If he were magically compelled to protect Dawn, he wouldn’t have been able to bring her to the warlock (Joel Grey) to resurrect Joyce. Edit: demon? We’re never clear on that, but he’s an “underworld” guy with a lizard tongue.

[@SuziQ.]

Did you say “the knights of potassium”? 😂

[@speabody]

"Why didn't they send Glory to the same realm they sent Olaf?" Call it cover it you want but Willow answers this question immediately, saying the "where" is one of the kinks she hasn't yet worked out.

[@chuckpoulin4575]

One of my favourite!

[@mmusya793]

Wow still got it 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯 Best channel ever!!!!!

[@cecileph5404]

There's no way you could annoy me so much if you weren't Such a sisterly thing to say... 😊 Thank you for your hard work potn 😇

[@emilyjenkins8288]

Gaaaaaaaaawd I just love you and everything you do - next episode please!!!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@sarahroberts2396]

Early for once I love your videos and always make sure I'm free for when the next one comes out.

[@thalia7104]

...and Buffy wore the Red Riding Hood-costume on Halloween in season IV 😊.

[@PhilospherDjPsychologist24]

6:49 If spike doesn't tell Buffy, Dawn will think the two share a secret, which would increase intimacy in their relationship, so Spike would always have Dawn in the background of Buffy's decision making, influencing them to show mercy for Spike

[@paulieswalnut]

I agree with your insight into Tara's reaction to Glory brain suckage however I think there's even more there than what Tara's father might've done to her mother. It's been established that having the walls of the minds of Glory's victims brought down gives them fleeting glimpses of past and future events and, ugh, not to get too heavy here but in The Gift, Tara says to the scoobies: "They held me down!" And I can't help but think this was an allusion to the possibility the the men in her family were abusive to her in more ways than just violent physical abuse... it was probably sexual too. 😥

[@allis143]

I only found Dawn annoying until "No Place Like Home." Buffy says to the monk, "she's not my sister." The monk says, "she doesn't know that." For some reason, that made me stop thinking she was annoying. Also, Michelle made a comment about Dawn being annoying: "well, yeah, she's supposed to be. She's a TEENAGER." 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Emilys_opinion]

You should really consider reading audio books… 👍 your voice is nice!

[@jaycievictory8461]

But considering the insertion of lifelong false memories of being family, Buffy (and Joyce's) decision to look after Dawn, to even say they want to, doesn't really feel like a choice. In a way, the Monks' spell is the same principle as Jonathan's spell in Superstar.

[@antoniolamounier]

This is a valid point. I wish they had done an episode in season 5 where at least Buffy got her real memories back and in the end decided to retain the memories with Dawn.