Buffy The Vampire Slayer S05E05 |No Place Like Home♡Reaction & Review♡

[@SoFieReactsTV]

BTVS 5x18 and Angel 2x16 are now up on Patreon. For full reactions + more: www.patreon.com/SoFieReacts

[@MartinGonzalez-ke9uy]

Great reaction to this great ep . loved it, and great analysis overall.. Finally you got to find out where did Dawn come from. And yup Spikes scene is definitly one of the most memorable of whole series , iconic line :) . As for Dawns inviting Harmony , i pretty much guess that reality has been changed cause of the spell, for "this reality" Dawn lives there, kinda like things were real in Superstar epidose. Well lookin forward for joinin you rest of the season :)

[@Junejane4]

Sofie, just wanted to say that I watched couple of your Buffy reaction videos and wanted to say that you have the ability to look through scenes and see possible true meaning. I saw how you notice lot of details, references (that not lot of other people see) and make a good conclusion. I checked couple of other similar channels and I see the difference. It always nice to see when a person catch the idea the authors wanted to add, that it didn't fly past the viewer

[@manbearpig7359]

Apparently "out for a walk....bitch" is the phrase that James Masters get asked to do most at fan day, comic cons etc

[@dashabrunclikova6975]

I do believe that the "Superstar" episode quite elegantly set this up. It showed us that it's possible to rewrite the whole world complete with people's memories, so this huge reveal does not come completely out of the blue. Spells like this do exist in this universe.

[@Girl4Music]

It’s the power of magic. Especially with great intent behind it.

[@zemoxian]

And you gotta figure a band of powerful monks would have a lot more sophistication in their spells than an awkward teen learning a spell from another kid in group therapy. Though molding an ancient energy into human flesh and creating a human being from scratch is far beyond anything Jonathan could do.

[@Girl4Music]

@@zemoxian Exactly.

[@myprettypsych]

That is actually I great point I had never considered before. That maybe that episode was to plant that seed. Great observation!

[@dashabrunclikova6975]

@@zemoxian Maybe they didn't have to create Dawn from scratch. It's been established that there are parallel worlds, some are completely different, some just don't have shrimp. Maybe the monks just copy-pasted everything from a universe where Buffy does have a younger sister. They'd still need a lot of power and matter, but they wouldn't have had to sit down and write 13 years of memories for multiple people. But that's just my headcanon.

[@ferrisulf]

"She's not my sister". "She doesn't know that." Such a tragic scene. This episode is excellent and has a lot of great plot points moving. Giles with his store. Anya has a job. Joyce's headaches continue. Dawn's reveal. We get to meet a new villain. Spike's "Out. For. A. Walk...Bitch." And so much more! I just love season 5!

[@Nexusofgeek]

season 5 is amazing, probably my favorite season of the show

[@codypendragons]

I like the Way that season 5 changes the dynamic of the entire show. Not only the stage for the following seasons onward, but also all the way back to the very beginning. Then the way that °•seven•° ties that up. It's just a wonderful show.

[@ernesthakey3396]

"She's not my sister." "She doesn't know that." The point as which Buffy accepts yet another burden, without hesitation. The monks changed reality - as far as magic and the supernatural world is concerned, Dawn IS Buffy's sister, that IS her home.

[@painlord2k]

Dawn is made of Buffy flesh The monks changed reality so Dawn would fit in an no one would know about it. But the words of the monk changed the reality to Buffy. Buffy knows, then, Dawn believes she is her sister and "the lie" is everything she has.

[@IDyce88]

@@painlord2k actually Dawn is made of Buffy, Joyce and Hank...she is Summers blood...so technically she IS a Summer's child...just wasn;t born into the world in the normal way.

[@Kayjee17]

The monk said the key was pure energy before they did the spell. Everything in the world is made of energy in the form of atoms - so the monks used magic to shape the key's energy into the energy that forms a teenage girl; and the rest of the spell to shape her place in the world. That's how the key became Dawn. And yes, it's cool how Buffy and Faith's combined vision predicted Dawn's arrival. When Faith said "counting down from 730", that episode aired exactly 730 days before Dawn's first episode.

[@ShadowScrolls]

it actually is said in a few articles that 730 is the countdown of days to buffys final showdown and what buffy has to do i'm hiding spoilers but it was 730 days until buffy does what she does Also they say "little miss moppet" and the crazy guy tells down 'creme ----' something something, Which is in little mis moffet.

[@DanielOrme]

Your analysis of the ending truly pinpoints Buffy's greatness, not as a slayer, but as a person. Once she realizes that Dawn isn't her sister, but an innocent in danger, her deepest resolve is to protect her. It's a beautiful thing, far beyond any fake implanted memories.

[@Phoenixdark1]

"Out-For-A-Walk..... Bitch" Has become sort of an iconic line. Just because of the awesome delivery.

[@valeriamonti2590]

I didn't understand one point about this scene. Why is she beating him? she can't just ask him "what are you doing here?" he is also harmless at this point.

[@asthajindal5275]

@@valeriamonti2590 He still feels creepy to her. Some muzzled vampire who has interfered with Buffy's life and created problems for her loved ones over and over again is outside her home skulking about. I mean, just the last episode he tried to kill Buffy and almost succeeded in killing Riley. This is just the way she says hello to him now after all the crap he's pulled.

[@Girl4Music]

“How? What?! How?” 3 excellent questions. 😂 You’re really going to love Season 5.

[@MartinGonzalez-ke9uy]

😂 funny, i was actually waitin for her to finish askin "how" again 😂

[@Girl4Music]

@@MartinGonzalez-ke9uy me too. That’s why I commented this.

[@JacopoBasanisi]

14:34 never noticed the line "and the hand of glory packs some serious raw power" right after we met the woman in red!

[@chrissyjoy08]

Omg!😮

[@Ebbagull]

The guy who plays the monk does such a good job in that scene!

[@KeithEngel]

The most quoted Spike line is finally here. James Masters even quoted when he got his Covid Shot.

[@Girl4Music]

“I just don’t understand how she can be human” Magic is a very powerful and potent energy. Depending on the user’s intention, it can create or destroy. I can’t say more than that or I’ll give it away but the plot for this season is STUNNING. It’s some of the best writing I have ever seen in any TV show ever.

[@StefKomGeekru]

I remember someone having the same conflict by learning how humans reproduce, and then saying, how can it be human, it was just a cell. It was just nothing, just potential. But we know dominos can fall and can tear the world apart if they fall in the right conditions.

[@Girl4Music]

@@StefKomGeekru a really good way to put it. Everything is a potentiality before it is ever anything. A thought. A feeling. Energy. Empty space. Abstract. And some would even say it remains that way.

[@codypendragons]

I agree

[@idontsignin]

Season 5 is 1 hell of a rollercoaster, and it's my absolutely favourite season.

[@peggin169]

You commented on this a little in your review, but I just want to say, one thing I really love that they've done for these last few episodes is the way that Buffy had been constantly irritated by Dawn, and several other characters commented on it, making it clear that this was not how their (re-written) memories remembered Buffy feeling about Dawn. It reminds me of Superstar, and how Buffy was the only one who could actually feel that the Jonathan-world was wrong. Something about Dawn just felt wrong to Buffy, probably in a way she wouldn't have been able to consciously explain, but it was like Dawn's presence in her life was an irritation to her, even if she wouldn't have been able to explain why. And I extra special love the fact that it seems to have taken Buffy finding out the truth to change her feelings for Dawn -- it wasn't until after that monk told Buffy everything and Buffy knew the full truth of Dawn's origins, that Buffy, in that final scene, showed Dawn some genuine affection.

[@chrissyjoy08]

@peggin169 I don't think I ever connected Buffy seeing through the spell in Superstar to her irritation with Dawn here that goes against the planted memories... but it really makes sense...

[@ernesthakey3396]

"Out for a walk...bitch." He wasn't going to let that 5th word go to waste! Iconic...

[@UTU49]

With one word left... I think I would have gone with "archaeopteryx".

[@ernesthakey3396]

@@UTU49 LOL going for the extra syllables, eh? How about "perambulating"... ;)

[@UTU49]

@@ernesthakey3396 Well, he could have chosen anything. Perambulating is a nice word. What's a nice short word that he could have gone with? How about "lump"? Or "bundle". I've always wanted to name a cat "Bundle".

[@Buffy8Fan]

Dawn's backstory is always interesting for reaction videos. Dawn didn't actually know anything. It was all a red herring. Dawn was really acting like a typical little sister running her mouth about not caring that her older sister is the slayer and actually looks up to Buffy, but was hurt and upset when treated the way Buffy was treating her.

[@Girl4Music]

Yeah. They do the red herring thing too many times in this show to take it seriously enough.

[@elkins4406]

@@Girl4Music It's the one thing I don't like about this episode, which otherwise is one of my favorites. That horror movie shot of Dawn with the mug waiting for mum...it's such utterly unnecessary misdirection. We're already perfectly torn between suspecting her of being a conscious imposter and wanting to believe that she's innocent at that point in the story: there's really just no need for that additional lashing of misdirection at that juncture, and I really do think it weakens the episode.

[@Girl4Music]

@@elkins4406 There’s a whole season of unnecessary misdirection. The key (ha) is not to take it seriously. If you do, you will get frustrated with it and think it weakens everything else going on.

[@UTU49]

@@elkins4406 I agree. On the other hand, Dawn gets her mother the tea, in order to try to be the "good daughter"... which is a slightly devious thing to do. It seems that Dawn is not getting Joyce tea for Joyce's sake but for her own interests. To me, this somewhat justifies Dawn's devious appearance. I still agree that the episode would be stronger if the mislead were subtler. What if Dawn had just given Joyce the tea without there being any cues of mysteriousness from the camera angles, acting, music, etc.? The scene would have felt much more natural, and we STILL would have been suspicious of Dawn and her motives. I actually think the mislead in 5x3 with Xander's coin is even worse. It's one of the few times in the series when I felt that a mislead was just completely cheap, and not at all playing fair with the audience. They do a lot of misleads on this show and lots of them are subtle and playing fair with the audience. Some of the misleads, on the other hand, are not done with the same level of integrity. Considering how meaningful I find this series as a whole, I only have a minor quibble with their sloppier misleads. The only reason I analyze this show so much in the first place is that so much of it is so good.

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@UTU49 "The only reason I analyze this show so much in the first place is that so much of it is so good." - common "problem" among BuffyFans, sometimes we nitpick small things to much that outsiders wonder if we really like the show. Agree with the tea-scene, Dawn have that smug face due to her being able to play the good daughter now that Buffy is not around.

[@alalcoolj216]

Nice that you have your own glowing Dagon Sphere in the background.

[@dontgiveinfo]

You notice the layers? also notice that Faith said "little sis is coming" You find out about Dawn finally in S5/E5 - 5 by 5. Her catch phrase

[@zemoxian]

That’s a connection I’ve never seen pointed out before. And it’s possibly intentional, considering how far ahead they plan things out.

[@MartinGonzalez-ke9uy]

Nice one , i hadnt thought about that

[@Richard_Ashton]

@@zemoxian I’m still counting down as per Faith’s instructions.

[@jeanetteking434]

I rarely read anything I haven’t already heard or figured out but that’s new to me I love it!

[@katlamb7627]

People also seem to forget that there are two other references, "foreshadows", to Dawn in the last episode of season 4 "Restless". In Zander's dream Buffy refers to him as big brother which confuses him but is alluding to the fact that he feels/acts like a big brother to Dawn. The second is in Buffy's dream as she is walking out of the room with the bed and Tara says, "Be back before dawn." She was talking about Dawn.

[@FrancesW-]

Purely on the question of inviting vampires to a home, I think the rule is that a *resident* of the home can invite them. Any home may have residents who aren't blood related to each other or to the home owner, but they have to actually live there.

[@zemoxian]

Yes. Given they said she is now human and that’s where she lives, that holds up.

[@UTU49]

@@zemoxian I believe in 5x2 Real Me, Buffy says, "Only someone who lives here can invite her in... "

[@Tantalus010]

I want to know what defines a "resident". What if a guest gradually becomes a resident? At what point do they get the ability to invite vampires in? Do they have to be a legal resident or does it depend on how they feel about the place? Or, is it a communal thing - the invite only works if all who live there agree you are a resident? How long would someone have to stay at a hotel before that room became their residence?

[@UTU49]

@@Tantalus010 If 7 people live together and they have a guest... and that guest doesn't seem to be leaving, then at some point the guest would have to attain "resident" status. What if the 7 people voted on whether or not the guest "lived there" and 4 of them decided he did. Then the guest invites a vampire into the home. Then one of the 7 residents changes their vote so that now 4 of them say that the guest is NOT a resident. Suddenly the vampire would go flying out the door, because the invite would suddenly be invalid.

[@Nicamon]

The resident thing is a good answer. SPOILER But,even if it wasn't,Dawn *IS* blood related to Buffy!LITERALLY!;-P

[@Heldemon]

To be fair, we only met buffy at 16 when she was considered a "delinquent" who was burning down gyms and getting expelled from schools so Joyce probably wouldn't be very cuddly. Also "and the hand of glory packs some serious raw power" from Anya at the shop.

[@lenr112]

This episode kind of changed the way I think about life . One of my absolute favourite episodes .

[@UTU49]

I love this episode. It's one of my favorite "information drops" in a TV show. We're afraid that Dawn is something evil or dangerous... and we find out that not only is she not evil, but she's completely innocent... and Buffy has to protect her. That is so much worse for Buffy. Now she has to protect an innocent not only from threats but from the truth about herself. Yikes.

[@nathanielbacon2661]

Great reaction! I love this episode. Also, I believe Dawn can invite vampires in because she is human and lives there. Those are really the only requirements for the entry rule. No matter how she got there, it is her house now too.

[@Nicamon]

SPOILER Also,she IS blood-related to Buffy.LITERALLY!;-P

[@haddow777]

I really love all the intricacies they layered together in making Dawn and her relationship with Buffy in this show. First you can see how everyone around her is so protective of Dawn they touch her on little ways, like how their minds are proving to themselves that she's real to validate the memories they have of her. Buffy though, isn't the same. If you go back and look, you will actually see Buffy say something along the lines of her sending exactly when Dawn was created. Because in the memories that were implanted were all good, where Dawn and her got along all the time. Then suddenly Buffy couldn't really stand to be around Dawn as she suddenly started to irritate her all the time. This is because of her slayer sense. Inside, her sense was telling her the world was off, that Dawn was off. It's the same way she reacted to Ted in season 2 and her roomate and Jonathon in season 4. Also, Dawn herself gives clues about her recently becoming human. She can walk and talk, but these are skills that humans learn to do well over a lifetime. We build muscle memory, so we can do each skillfully without much thought. While the Monks did a good job at building memories, they didn't do a good job with the muscle memory. So Dawn is very clumsy, bumping into things all the time, dropping things all the time. Also, she doesn't understand social interactions very well, so she keeps blurting out inappropriate things all thenl time. If you go back and rewatch the episodes, you will find that these things lessen with each episode she's in little by little as she learns them better. Also, going back to everyone's protective instinct that the Monk's built into them and how they keep touching Dawn all the time. Watch Buffy here. Learning that Dawn is defenseless innocent, Buffy decides to accept the Monk's implanted memories of Dawn as her new truth, her reality. She makes herself believe in them and accepts Dawn as her sister. She trips over the memory still, but she immediately follows everyone else in touching Dawn. Caressing her hair. So much detail packed into one character and her relationship with her sort of sister.

[@stevencolatrella3257]

Dawn DID EXIST, for CENTURIES, but without form, like quantum energy waves if you like . She's a key, a portal, she's not physically stronger than Buffy. The monks didn't create her, they transformed her, gave her the form of someone Buffy would protect, because she obviously needs to be protected for some reason.

[@Richard_Ashton]

I always thought her strength / power increased significantly each season. she could easily take on a half-dozen vamps by the end of this season.

[@naraiceylob]

I really agree. In Season 1 normalish vampires were a significant plot point. Now a normal vampire is roadkill that is dealt with in a second that might draw attention to a plot point.

[@asthajindal5275]

I kind of always imagined that the reason Buffy gets stronger each time is because she draws strength from the demons she fights, so the more she defeats, stronger she gets. SPOILERS: We all find out in season 7 that the first slayer was made by fusion of a demon's essence with a human (actually kind of eeriely similar to a vampire). I always wondered what kind of demon that was, that doesn't take over her soul, gets reborn every generation, and does it have any special powers, apart from speed and strength, like maybe the original watchers' warlocks were looking long term, maybe it wasn't chosen because of its extreme strength, but because it has the ability to adapt and accumulate strength with each battle. Or maybe I am just overanalyzing. But I really like this idea, because Buffy's biggest strength is her persistence, and that really pays off for her, very well.

[@MyFeuerFrey]

Its kind of awesome in hindsight how well built up this is. We have precedent for pretty much everything in regards to Dawn. Rewriting reality and memories? We have seen Jonathan for all people do that. Supernatural being turned human? We have seen that happen with Angel in those hours with Buffy he had to take back in I Will Remember You. And if that's possible, then someone more experienced can absolutely do what was done with turning Key into Dawn. I do love that Buffy just accepts it in the end. Because for all the talks about how tired of Dawn she is, I think she does genuinely appreciate her because she's not alone anymore. For how much Buffy complains about Dawn and wanting to be the only child, she does not really want that. After all, if Dawn's human and genuinely does not know, then, even if she's a fake, she's still Buffy's sister in all the ways that matter.

[@killianlpc]

One of the most iconic quoted lines from the whole show is when asks Spike what he is doing if five words or less and he says 'Out for a walk, Bitch!' This is where S5 really starts coming together with our introduction to Clare Kramer hamming it up mercilessly as the vacuous fashion victim, but is the best 'big bad' of the whole show. Interesting that Sophie mentioned Faith saying ' little sis coming' this was mentioned in the comments many times as the foreshadowing for this show is incredible. The Key to this whole Season is 'The Key' and we now know that the ancient monks formed The Key into human form and that it is Dawn. The writing for S5 is exceptional this is why it is far the best Season. Buffy now knows that she is up against something that she has never seen before in strength and power, but must protect Dawn at all costs. The complexity of the plot and storylines running through S5 are just superb, we also see Dawn and Buffy very worried about Joyce's illness. The scene where the Monk tells Buffy is a brilliant reveal, and you can see Sophie almost crying at this. Sophie will have to keep the tissues handy for this season as it is so emotional with heartbreaking moments. Another interesting thing about BTVS and Angel is that both shows contains the same lines in certain episodes here we see Buffy being asked 'can you fly' the same line was used in Angel S1E1 when Angel says to Russell 'can you fly' before pushing him out the window.

[@annaarwen4345]

Ah I love this season so much. The creation of Dawn is such a beautiful plot. Im so impatient to watch the rest of the season with you 😆

[@lagms]

Buffy is the Best TV show ever made.

[@DegrassiInstantStar]

One episode that proves why the fifth season was an excellent season.

[@frugalseverin2282]

This was an excellent reaction to a mind-blowing episode. I love your comparison to "Blade Runner" which is one of my top 2 favorite movies. I always imagined what would happen if 1 day someone told you your life is fake, your memories belong to someone else. It would destroy you. "I am the business," she said to Deckard. The scene with Spike is indeed hilarious, a highlight of the season. As for the men becoming crazy, did you mean like the security guard that worked at the warehouse or the mailman who's brain was sucked by the Beast? That sort of crazy? The next one is another classic in a season full of them.

[@Jason_xofilos]

“It not fair” …Life is not fair especially this Season 5 of Buffy. It’s not even fair to Spike at this point.

[@IDyce88]

i love how Glory is just so unimpressed by Buffy...she played that role brilliantly...epic villain. that one punch from Glory and Buffy is like "ow...i'm in trouble...everything hurts!"

[@mj6866]

Fantbulous review! I loved that they waited long enough for the viewer accept Dawn before the big reveal.

[@billverno6170]

When I watched this during the original run I had a theory. The show, like a majority of the WB/CW shows, was centered on high school. The problem all these shows face is: what happens after graduation? I figured the writers brought on Dawn so they could keep a foot in high school.

[@JohnDoe-ls2zu]

That, but also to give Buffy someone she cares deeply about and ups the emotional plot. Kind of like how Buffy cared so much for Angel in season 2, that made everything more emotional.

[@krishnabrian691]

Oh my freaking god lol was right on point when she punched Buffy into the wall 😂

[@Sesheyan101]

The payoff for over 4 1/2 episodes of Dawn confusion \0/, now sit back and enjoy one of the best seasons. I also think the monks turned her into something that wouldn't draw attention to her, so no ninja, no superhero, no nothing. She had to be low-KEY >.> to stay hidden.

[@Nicamon]

But why not to just turn the Key into a grain of sand and hide her in the middle of a desert?!?Good luck to Gorgeous Woman in Red to find it there!!;-P

[@blacktronlego]

Dawn's character, as originally conceived was a couple of years younger and at this stage is written as such. I believe SMG suggested Michelle for the role and the producers agreed. One could argue the monks were not very familiar with teenage girls, so they did not do so good a job. They do seem to have got the bratty younger sibling right, so they may have been more familiar with that. 3:47

[@cobba42]

"What?", "How?", "What?". Three excellent questions!

[@hardybryan]

Dawn could invite Harmony into the house because she lives there. She's a person, she lives there, she can invite vampires in. Anya and Xander couldn't because they don't live there.

[@davidmeadows5627]

All you have to do to invite a vampire in is to live in the house. You don't have to be a blood relative. You just have to have the same address to have invite powers.

[@NeuroticNicky87]

The book on the shelf by Giles when they're all exhausted after the Magic Shop has closed is 'The Collapse of British Power' by Correlli Barnett, which is a great little detail considering the Brit is the only one in the shot.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

10:38 - 10:59 This was so long, I thought you had a stroke. If you listen carefully, you can hear the '90s modem connecting sounds. Anyway, no, "the blonde woman" is super powerful, but she is not the same thing as Dawn. And the fact that "the blonde woman" exists doesn't mean that the monks could have made Dawn as powerful as her. They did not have that option. It's not like they "chose" not make her super powerful. Example: I can turn liquid water into solid ice, but I can't turn liquid water into *solid titanium.* Even if I want to. PS: I still remember, after years, the "out for a walk" line at random moments and giggle in public.

[@ascii7085]

Been waiting for this one. Worth it.

[@trufamilybromontqc]

that spike part makes me always laugh ❤️

[@davidterhune8277]

"What? How? What?" Three excellent questions!

[@jasondavid3969]

There was also another reference near end of season 4 something about Dawn coming but you think it means Dawn at beginning of day. But is also referring to Dawn Along with little sis is coming.😜😎🇬🇧 I

[@UTU49]

In Buffy's dream in Restless, Tara says, "Be back before dawn." Is that the line you're thinking of?

[@jasondavid3969]

@@UTU49 yeah that's the one thanks😎🇬🇧👍

[@UTU49]

@@jasondavid3969 NP. My best friend and I are really lazy... but nice. We love it when we can help someone with a bare minimum of effort. 😄

[@Wungolioth]

I have a theory that starts with Dracula, he also never existed, and was created as a distraction while the monks changed everyone's reality. There was the scene where Riley went to Spike to ask about Dracula. James Marsters makes an interesting acting choice. When Riley asks about Dracula, at the first moment Spike seems to scoff at the idea, like the next thing out of his mouth would be "there's no such thing as Dracula", but there's a quick change, and he talks about Dracula owing him money. As the news spreads of Dracula, it's almost like a computer virus spreading, and anyone brought into the reality of Dracula, is now open to the reality of Dawn.

[@DanielOrme]

Yes, I remember reading other hypotheses that bring in the Dracula episode, too. They point out the sudden freak rainstorm at the beginning as marking the point where the reality shifts. Suddenly Dracula is real, Dawn exists, etc.

[@donnilloyd1355]

And the questions are answered. In a way. LMAO!!! Great Post.

[@karollysiak1]

I love the reactions to this episode

[@PumpkinStorm03]

If I were the monks, I would've turned the key into a single grain of sand at the very bottom of the deepest part of ocean

[@UTU49]

Hmm. Yeah, it's hard to imagine how that could go wrong.

[@Henrik_Holst]

And the lady in red would have found that grain instantly. Note that it only took here two months to find out that the key was in Sunnydale.

[@PumpkinStorm03]

@@Henrik_Holst good luck getting to it though. 80% of the ocean is completely unexplored and we cant even build equipment to get that deep. Shes strong but no air, freezing temperatures, pitch black, thousands of pounds of pressure, and who knows whats down there would definitely be more of challenge than the slayer even if it wasn't downright impossible

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@PumpkinStorm03 If you can put it there with magic you can get it out of there with magic ;)

[@PumpkinStorm03]

@Henrik Holst idk that feels like a cop out. By that logic, she wouldn't have had any trouble at all getting dawn, who is much more accessible than a tiny speck at the bottom of a massive ocean, she could have just gone a spell and gotten her

[@sld1776]

Clare Kramer is indeed a complete babe as Glory. I recognized her immediately from Bring it On.

[@boqndimitrov8693]

Spike has just managed to compose one of the most iconic sentences in the series. And the truth about Dawn was revealed very elegantly, right?

[@jdcatabas2260]

06:06 "I want this dress, seriously." Probably a red Prada sheath dress from 2000 Fall/Winter.

[@jenhalbert3001]

Yeah, this episode is wonderful for setting up the season without feeling really expository. 5 iis my favorite season, really hope you enjoy it. It's a huge plot, totally worth it.

[@caitlin329]

They had to make the key into something Buffy would *have* to protect. If she were a super-human it'd also make her stand out quite a lot.

[@Nicamon]

Yeah,but it's a bit of a stupid plan.Why not to just turn the Key into a grain of sand and hide it in the middle of a desert?Good luck to Gorgeous Woman in Red to find it there!;-P The point is supposed to be preventing her from finding the Key,not to *specifically* give the Slayer some extra work!!😵

[@TigerNightmare]

@@Nicamon As we eventually learn (spoilers!), Glory can use magic to locate the key. It would be unguarded and the world would end. The monks also believed the key needed to be protected. The knights wanted to destroy the key to merely avert the apocalypse Glory would cause, but the monks believed the key served a great purpose, which I think is explored in the comics.

[@Nicamon]

@@TigerNightmare SPOILER I hadn't thought about Glory's magical detectors. But about the monks wanting to protect the Key instead of destroying it I must say..I haven't read the comics and if we stick with the TV show's plot only,destroying the Key actually *does* make *much more sense* than"protecting"it!:-P

[@sgcastle8389]

The Best villain of the show is here.

[@Girl4Music]

Second best in my opinion. We haven’t come to the best yet.

[@sld1776]

I'm with him, but a lot of the fanhood favors #6s Big Bad.

[@sk70091]

Her and the mayor are my favorites.

[@Girl4Music]

@@sld1776 too right we do.

[@Nicamon]

@@Girl4Music I agree with SG Castle.💗

[@marcod476]

Love your reactions a lot

[@albertcornett7408]

Thanks for pausing the episode when you need to. Some reactors miss sooo many great lines and scenes because they talk over the show.

[@Girl4Music]

They react to the whole thing. They just cut it down for posting to KZbin.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@Girl4Music He meant that they pause it when they want to talk or laugh, not that they don’t watch the entire episode. Some reactors talk over a lot of lines because they don’t pause the video when they’re talking, laughing etc.

[@Girl4Music]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 oh right. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[@McHaven07]

SoFie is not prepared for this season. That thing a little later, then that THING, and that thing Spike does, and then the MUSIC and the ACTING in that one scene...! No one is prepared for this season.

[@Yakerina]

You'll figure out about the blood. Or not. Until they tell us. My theory is that Dawn was made with Buffy's subconscious cooperation. She and Faith made up the bedroom for her, after all. "We need you to take care of this innocent." "Of course." "She'll be your sister." "I never had a sister. That'd be nice!" Her mom: "I'll have a daughter who isn't a Slayer, and I don't have to lose Buffy? Absolutely!"

[@Smido83]

The "how did they do it" can be ecplained by physics. To say it short, In nature Energy can be transformed into Matter and the other way around. Easiest example are Trees. They transform the Energy of the sun (light and heat) into Matter (wood). If you then burn this wood it gets transformes into Energy again (light and heat). Of course the show makes this transformation with magic. So the mystical energy that is the key gets transformed into Matter that is Dawn. They take a sample of Buffy and form a living breathing and totally real Dawn out of it. And of course they alter the whole reality too, so that Dawn was "allways there". Do you remember Season 4 episode 17 - Superstar? They established back then that Magic is in fact able to alter the entire reality of everyone and everything. Thats also why Dawn is able to invite Harmony. Cause she is in fact a family member and lives in this house. The mystical energy does no longer exist, its transformed into Dawn and Dawn *IS* Buffys sister, cause the reality of this entire dimension is forever been altered and cant be turned back.This is actually such a great idea and at least somewhat rooted in real life physics. I allways loved this explanation.

[@alicequinn505]

Excellent reaction, and anyone who lives in the house can invite vampires, I'm not sure if it's 'anyone in the house' instead, though.

[@alexh8613]

It's kind of funny that numerous times during this episode Sofie repeats the phrase, "Oh My God"

[@Nicamon]

Indeed it is.😉💖

[@godmagnus]

"Human... Now." How? Magic.

[@tamarasmith9060]

The monk said (in a roundabout way) that they used Buffy like a pattern to create Dawn's flesh, so though all the memories implanted in everyone make the identity as her younger sister, after that reveal I always thought that really Dawn is really genetically Buffy's daughter as she is just a tweaked clone made by magic! She is real & not real at the same time, not her sister yet really is her sister as in if she was dna tested against Buffy's mom & dad she would be a match like Buffy is. However the monks didn't take samples from the parents & risk randomness, they magically copied the Slayer & made a girl with nearly identical physical traits & personality traits so that the Slayer would have a lot in common with her & bond like sisters actually would, even after the Slayer discovering her sister's origin. Of course the Slayer would protect, but for her own little sister she would be emotionally invested & work harder to protect the child.

[@TigerNightmare]

It's never fair for Buffy. She is burdened with overwhelming responsibility and she will always do what she needs to do, no matter the personal cost. And it's not like the monks had the time to go to Sunnydale and recruit Buffy in person, it was an emergency, and then Glory killed all of them, apparently. If they had the power to turn the key into a being capable of subduing The Beast, they would have just fought her off themselves. Even if they created a capable warrior out of the key, they wouldn't be capable of defending themselves anymore than Buffy.

[@nathanielbacon2661]

THIS. 👏

[@Logan_Baron]

While Dawn is not blood related, as pointed out she is a resident of the house. She would be more akin to being adopted, as she is still considered a sister/daughter, and a family member who lives in the house. So she does have the ability to invite vampires in.

[@Belnick6666]

Joss Whedon mentioned Dawn in season 3!!, remember the shared dream with Faith?

[@opinion8033]

Your analyzes are very good, almost psychoanalytic

[@adiarainfoster]

it wasn't that it didn't exist. it existed. as the monk said, it was pure energy, so i always envisioned some kind of light? there but not solid kind of thing. they made her human, but giving her powers may have been beyond them. they did what they could to hide her from the woman and sent her to the slayer as the slayer's sister. naturally the slayer will protect her sister with her life. it's rather ingenious really. and I mean, get past all the meat and bone, we all have energy in us. all the little electrical impulses in our brains that make us go. basically they put the energy key into a wrapper. a human wrapper.

[@Henrik_Holst]

So many reactors and fans often respond confused on why the monks not simply turned the key into something that Glory could never find, like a grain of sand at the bottom of the sea or something like that. First we have to consider the fact that glory seams magically bound to the key in some manner, consider for example that not only was she able to track the key down at the country where the monks tried to keep it hidden, but she also managed to track it down to Sunnydale in only two months! Further we have the cost of magic in the Buffyverse which often results in that you cannot do magic to get 100% what you want, there must always be some kind of sacrifice. We can somewhat compare this with how power works in world of The Lord Of The Rings where power increases if you make it more vulnerable, the reason that the one ring is so powerful is because it can be so easily stolen/lost (it was one of the themes that Tolkien put into the novels). And magic in Buffyverse tends to work in similar ways, consider for example the Gipsy curse of Angel, where they could not just get his soul back so that he would suffer (the revenge) but there had to be this caveat that if he ever found true happiness then he would lose his soul and he could start killing e.g Gypsies again (the cost). Or Willow trying to have things work her way only for the magic to kinda do that but in it's own sneaky way which also lead to her being courted by D'Hoffryn. Or the Rainstorm that appeared when Willow tried to lit the barbecue. Simply put magic in Buffyverse is not "make a wish and it happens". It's far tricker than that.

[@Nicamon]

"So many reactors and fans often respond confused on why the monks not simply turned the key into something that Glory could never find, like a grain of sand at the bottom of the sea or something like that."🙋‍♂ "Simply put magic in Buffyverse is not "make a wish and it happens". It's far tricker than that."OK,but I think I've found a better explanation in Alex H's comment: "The monks made the Key human because they knew that the Slayer would protect it. If they made it into let's say a tree or a piece of grass, Glory would have found it with the serpent spell."I haven't thought about that.🤔

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@Nicamon IMHO they are connected in that one is the logical outcome of the other. If there is nothing that you can do to prevent Glory from locating the key then your single option left is to have the only super power on earth protect it. One might argue that there might be another option, a discussion that will lead to spoilers at this time, but suffice to say I don't think that option works either.

[@Nicamon]

@@Henrik_Holst I was about to write"the other option"under SPOILER.Why do you think it wouldn't work?🤨(Actually,I'm not even sure that would be a spoiler 🤔 I mean..we're just discussing what we would do if we were in the Monks' place,we aren't saying that any of what we're saying IT'S actually going to happen in the show! It would be like saying near the end of S2:"If I was Buffy,I would kill Angelus to prevent him from killing people."..even if Buffy eventually DOES kill Angel,there's no spoiler in that sentence alone.It's just fan speculation.)

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@Nicamon *** spoilers *** I see it as a spoiler since most first time viewers or reactors haven't even contemplated that killing Dawn would be a viable solution until Giles brings it up (in 5x19 I believe and she is only at 5x18 on patreon). I think that it wouldn't work due to it being "the easy way out" and magic in Buffyverse seldom allows such solutions. Going by the LOTR logic Glory had to be made vulnerable by being bound to a human male host but is invulnerable in her Glory-form, the key have no such duality that we currently know of (which we perhaps don't know about since killing Dawn was never attempted) so it's an incredible power imbalance between Glory and the Key which tends me to believe that just killing Dawn off would not be so simple as it sounds. Further as we learn later in the show, it's Dawns blood that opens the portal so killing Dawn will open the portal. Now we also know that the portal was closed the second Buffy sacrificed her life but we don't know if the same would happen if Dawn was killed right away or the "the portal remains until the blood flow no more" doesn't mean exactly what we think it does (perhaps the portal feeds of the Key:s blood so it simply means that it stays open until the portal have consumed all the blood), I mean it's not the first (or last) time that some written prophecy would be slightly wrong (or deliberately misleading). That Buffy was able to close the portal could have been an intervention from The Powers that Be due to it being a sacrifice. In the end we don't know since that path was never shown, but I would find it very strange if it could have been solved that easy when nothing else so far have been.

[@Nicamon]

@@Henrik_Holst SPOILER "I see it as a spoiler since most first time viewers or reactors haven't even contemplated that killing Dawn would be a viable solution until Giles brings it up" Yeah,but I wasn't talking about _killing Dawn_ I was talking about _destroying the Key _*_instead_*_ of turning it into a human in the 1st place!_ It's obvious that,once she's a human,you can't just destroy her and *that's* why I think that making her human was a stupid thing from the very beginning!BUT if it was _not possible_ to destroy the Key in its original form then yeah,making the Slayer to protect it _could_ be an option,but still(and here comes the part that it's TRULY spoilery!)...Glory is a GOD...even the Slayer is no match for her,sooner or later *she would have won!* Giles had to *CHEAT* in order to beat Glory! The whole blood part is strictly linked to the Key's human form,though.Once again..a grain of sand has no blood so we can't know how the Key would have worked under another form. "In the end we don't know since that path was never shown, but I would find it very strange if it could have been solved that easy when nothing else so far have been."Possible,but there's to say this is a TV show.Which means writers *want* to search for complicated solutions for the sake of drama...this MAY mean that sometimes it's not that _there aren't_ simple solutions..it's just they're not good for drama and so they are not taken into consideration or at least not immediately. For example,killing Ben *was* a simple solution,but it was dragged thanks to the facts that the Scoobies didn't know he was Glory at first and then didn't want to kill an innocent human due to their moral code.But it *WAS* a simple solution in the end!:-P One that *could* have prevented Buffy from sacrificing herself OR Dawn!!

[@someperson6053]

0:51 really good guess. I'm pretty sure it's Czech, which is not dissimilar to Polish.

[@damascenka]

It´s supposed to be Czech as they mention czech monks, but it´s definitely Polish. They probably thought it was close enough when filming :o)

[@someperson6053]

@@damascenka Oh. Thank you for correcting me, I was not aware of that. West-Slavic languages (Polish, Czech, Slovak...) all sound very similar to me :)

[@allis143]

Buffy never lets Giles have any fun!

[@ihh619]

Spike stalking Buffy was both funny and weird. Buffy definitely doesn't like him though so his feelings are one sided.

[@jeremybrowand5941]

The monks safeguard the world from The Beast. Sofie attacks them for being men, lol. Priorities.

[@allis143]

Dawn was made out of Buffy's DNA (saying this because you're currently on season 7)

[@yesie8375]

All your questions will be answered in due time

[@sld1776]

How can she be human? The Polish-speaking (thanks for the info) holy men pack some serious magical power.

[@zoewinter2468]

>The Polish-speaking (thanks for the info) holy men Sofie was close - it was Czech, not Polish :)

[@sld1776]

@@zoewinter2468 Wait, where is Sofie from? I thought she was French by the accent.

[@zoewinter2468]

@@sld1776 I don't know, I just meant it was a close guess

[@Nicamon]

05:25 - 05:27 NO! *DEFINITELY NOT!!!!!* (BTW,Lady in Red,here,is my favorite of all"Buffy"s Villains,for the record.💗) 14:08 - 14:10 YES.❤ 14:13 - 14:17 Also yes!😬 09:06 - 09:57 THIS is chilling!😨I *LOVE* this scene!!!🤩17:24 - 17:26 , 17:32 - 17:36 And *this* is when you literally SURRENDER to Dawn!You can keep not _liking_ her(like I did!X-P),but you _can't_ blame her!X-((( 🤯 These 3 scenes combined(these 2 and the following with Buffy&Dawn)are a freaking *MASTERPIECE!* 18:25 - 18:34 Yeah...ever since _when?_ ;-( 10:10 - 10:13 Voldemort?;-P 10:37 - 11:04 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I love you!!❤You're so adorable!!X-3 20:44 (Looks in the background)Oh,look!There's Dawn!!😃😝🟢✨ 21:21 - 21:38 Even better:just turn her into a grain of sand and hide her in the fucking desert!!!Good luck to Gorgeous Woman in Red to find her!!!@______@ 26:46 - 26:53 Good question. A good question that *will* be answered,rest assured. After your *FLAWLESS* reaction to Dawn's appearence I was waiting for this reaction and you didn't disappoint at all!😍Next reaction I'm waiting for is...I was about to say"your reaction to what's actually wrong with Joyce"but actually no:IT'S THE VERY NEXT EPISODE!!!🤩My favorite episode of *ALL* the ENTIRE show!!!!💞

[@collinwilliams1020]

Well well well you've met the great one

[@bethechangebevegan853]

Best videooooooooooooossssssssssssssssssss 😍😍😍

[@marresjepie1887]

No spoilers, but better stock-up on tissues the coming episodes.. :P The moment that Buffy strokes Dawnie's hair is telling SO much. Pretty clear that Buffy -at that moment - takes all responsibility for protecting Dawn both as a 'key' AND as her little sister. The thing I remember quite vividly, was the annoyance, hatred even, that Dawn triggered amongst us 'fans' in my country. Whedon very craftily made us detest that overly cute bratty puppet-faced sister.. AND.. then pulled THIS out of his hat. He had us on a string, so to speak. Quite a new way of story-telling in a TV series for the times. By now ,we are kind of used to red herrings and mega-turns strung-out over multiple episodes in TV/netflix whatevers. But at the times? Where ALL action TV-series where utterly formulaic and predictable one-shots? Miami Vice did it in the 80's sortof, kind of in the first season with one mega villain in the background. But that was about it.

[@fewwiggle]

So, you're saying that Dawn isn't Buffy's sister? ..... :-)

[@Oldmanmovies]

Now you know 😃

[@MrLorenzovanmatterho]

Remember, Dawn is much younger than Buffy (and has inherited Xander's big mouth). Stay British is good advice at the best of times.

[@churchofthegoldenone4577]

Dawn was the best ting to hapen to the show.

[@alexh8613]

The monks made the key human, because they knew that the slayer would protect it. If they made it into lets say a tree or a piece of grass, Glory would have found it with the serpent spell.

[@Nicamon]

I haven't thought about that.🤔

[@angelacrobat7332]

Lots…tons…lots and lots of tons…😂

[@brianburwick5175]

@16:19

[@michaelstanley5575]

She's human so she can invite Harmony in.

[@Nicamon]

That's not why she can do it. If being human was all it took Xander and Anya could have done it too.

[@michaelstanley5575]

@@Nicamon Yes they could have. But they were not rash enough to do it.

[@Nicamon]

@@michaelstanley5575 Yeah.What I meant is that being human is not what makes Dawn _able_ to invite vampires into Buffy's home. If Xander or Anya tried to invite Harmony _it wouldn't have worked_ because that's not _their_ house.

[@michaelstanley5575]

@@Nicamon I understood you. But I seem to recall at least one exception to that. Wish I remembered which episode.

[@Nicamon]

@@michaelstanley5575 I don't know...🤔

[@gemmaxox8698]

You know you have a good point, the monks are stupid like they should of made her like a grain of sand😂

[@robertd1953]

So you edited Season 4 episode 15, but how about Season 4 episode 22 yet? 😋

[@vlastik]

I never understood the way these monks thought. Why did not they make the key to be a grain of sand or little stone on the bottom of the ocean or in the Earth core? Glory would never find it. They assumed the slayer would protect it, but they had to know a slayer is no match for Glory.

[@dashabrunclikova6975]

I agree for the most part. Except Glory has ways of locating the key. If it were an unprotected grain of sand, nothing would have stood in her way...

[@sirmoonslosthismind]

the earth's core? that's just asking for the earth to be destroyed in order to retrieve it. no, they should put it lightyears away, in some black hole.

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@sirmoonslosthismind Perhaps their magic is not that strong or the Key is magically bound to Glory and must by the laws of magic exist on the same plane as her.

[@Henrik_Holst]

Had they done that Glory would have found the key more or less instantly since there would have been no one to protect it. Remember that it only took her two months to find out that the key was in Sunnydale from whatever far away land the monks came from. Glory is drawn to the key, that they made it human form is something that she didn't anticipate and this is why Dawn have eluded her this whole time.

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@nathanielbacon2661 nope, she is up to 5x18 on patreon so that ship have already sailed.

[@shady_the_one]

SoFie, you can stop at Season Five and stop Angel at Season Two. Trust me, you may as well. That's all, take care

[@yesie8375]

Why ? Each season of Buffy is good in its own way and so is Angels. You might not like it but let others judge for themselves

[@shady_the_one]

@@yesie8375 fair. Aight, I stay away.

[@UTU49]

@@yesie8375 Yeah, I rewatch some seasons a lot more than others (including reactions), but they're all worth watching.

[@UTU49]

@@shady_the_one: "fair" Thumbs up. 👍

[@UnveiledAngel]

I don't like S6 as a whole but it still has some great episodes that are more than worth watching.

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

What makes something real? Some would say the memories...

[@Girl4Music]

Consciousness in it’s entirety. Not just memory. But memories would be a huge part of it for sure.

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

Welcome to season 5, let's all go over the checklist hahaha: 2:21: Realizes the Buffy and Dawn dynamic took me their next scene to notice. 2:50: Merlin Giles 5:25: She is here 5:26: "Harmony?" - that is new.... 5:38: "What's going on?" 5:56: Why I love Anyaka 6:15: "who are you?" 10:34: blames Dawn for Joyce 12:45: "5 words or less" 12:47 Spike and his 5 words... hahaha #17:32: "she doesn't know that".... sob, thank you @Nicamon for the addition it is the most worthiest of additions, please add on, I find them brilliant!!! Right where one is supposed to be... hahaha, actually ahead of schedule. Season 5, it is a banger... remember to enjoy the ride.

[@Nicamon]

What about 17:32 "She doesn't know that."?😭❣

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

@@Nicamon you are so correct, I am going to add it and give credit where credit is due.

[@Nicamon]

@@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829 That line is *so powerful.* 😭 I was never a fan of Dawn,for a variety of reasons,but everytime I feel a bit too much against her and I need to recover a bit of empathy I just rewatch or rethink to that line and I get immediately softer.💘 SPOILER (Even if..at one point it doesn't really count anymore,but still...such a powerful moment.😭❣)