"No Place Like Home" (5x5) | *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* Reaction

[@uncleoyster]

That final shot, Buffy quietly stroking Dawn's hair... Gets me every time. One of my favourite episodes.

[@brandonbrooks3033]

EXACTLY. Whenever Buffy touches Dawn's hair, it makes me cry. It's always significant.

[@kirstonemmm1423]

You guys don't find sister hair stroking weird? My sister & I do. If she'd ever stroked my hair like that, I'd've been like no what are you doing please stop. We were basically the same ages as Buffy & Dawn when this first aired and we both went, "ugh, weird."

[@artman2oo3]

16:07 No no, Dawn's not a portal. She's the KEY to a portal. That's what the monk meant.

[@migmit]

Well, what he said was literally “it's a portal”.

[@colej.banning2419]

Kind of the same difference.

[@Logan_Baron]

Not really the same thing. I don't consider the keys to my house, a door. They open the door, but they are not a door.

[@Lucy-uv4hv]

"Poor Dawn, she's just a 14 year old going through it" - technically, as we found out in this episode, she's two months old... and also eternal. Imagine being a two month old, a fourteen year old AND eternal all at once. Brutal. I like to headcanon that Dawn literally appeared in the very first shot of her that we saw at the end of 5x01. That's why she's in Buffy's room - because the monks sent her TO Buffy. When Buffy and Joyce were talking a split second before, Dawn didn't exist - then suddenly, the entire family dynamic changed.

[@herbertkeithmiller]

That was the impression I got.

[@seekingoutfriday]

The orb didn't turn the security guard crazy. It's implied that off screen the security guard met The Beast and she sucked his brain, like she did with the janitor in this episode.

[@zootizoot]

it was implied so hard that I thought it was explicit. also that the orb was used to keep The Beast away and when buffy took it The Beast showed.

[@Jontor11]

The Jonathan episode in S4 is kind of the introduction to this changing-people's-memories-magic. So, Dawn is only two months old, and was obviously put in Buffy's life during the Dracula episode. Good call Cass! You noticed Joyce said it was so lonely in the house without Buffy.

[@brandonbrooks3033]

This is my faorite episode of the show. BUffy grows dramatically in this episode alone, but so much across this whole season. She accepts her role as older sister, protector, and Slayer. When BUffy says, "SIster stuff." to her mother when she returns hom eafter learning the truth - she has accpeted her duty as sister and protector. Joyce even says earlier, "You're so grown up." When Buffy and Dawn are sitting on her bed in the last scene, Buffy starts to strokaw Dawn's hair. There are different times in this season where Buffy touches Dawn's hair specifically, and it's always in a way where Buffy almost says to herself internally, "I love her as my sister. She IS my sister." When awn turns to looks and Buffy, tears in her eyes asking, "Buffy...what's wrong with mom?" It just breaks my heart.

[@jonathanmcclendon1873]

Cool to see a fan who gives this one the gold, it's not quite that high for me, but I always thought it unspoken for. Love the debut of the Lady in red, love the filter and the effects used for the ritual Buffy performs to reveal Dawn, and the opening of the Magic Box brings to the screen the only "Scooby" hub worthy of comparison to the old high-school library. This is definitely where the fifth season finds its solid footing, and as a plot- structure benchmark, it sets the season up fantastically. I agree with you in Buffy development as a character in this one as well as the season as a whole. I often thought her character was at her very best in this particular season. Nobility graduated with responsibility.

[@Nexusofgeek]

@@jonathanmcclendon1873 Buffy grows up fast generally since in canon, Slayers have a short expiration date, Buffy being the exception. In this episode, she continues to grow and SMG delivers it all with masterful performances. I like the Dawn-Buffy dyanamic a lot. My favorite season.

[@migmit]

I loved that silent conversation between Buffy and Giles. She doesn't need words to tell him he looks stupid. And he doesn't need anything else to take his garb off.

[@somecynic808]

Takes me back to the mind reading episode where Buffy tells Giles “When I walked in you thought _look at her shoes… if a fashion magazine told her she’d wear cats strapped to her feet_ “

[@dookieman93able]

The way I screamed when I saw this video 😂 been waiting for this as much as I was for Dawn's intro lol

[@mparantha]

i think you missed a bit. the orb was misdirection. the twist is that the orb was used to protect against evil. the implication is that the strong lady is the one who has made the other characters crazy doing that brain suck thing.

[@Madbandit77]

Insanity begets clarity when it comes to the Beast.

[@ErisRising]

I love how you're not falling for the writers' trick of giving Dawn lines that seem creepy, but are actually innocent in context. Or at least you're aware of the possibility, which puts you several steps ahead of most other reactors at this point.

[@DAVIDELLIOTT]

There's a theory that Joyce's headaches result from the conflict between the fake memories and her true memories.

[@crawdaddy2004]

If that were the case, what about Connor and his parents?

[@spamfilter32]

To give an idea of how powerful the mysterious woman/The Beast is, she was trading multiple blows with Buffy and then said, "I just realized, you have superpowers." Buffy's super strength punches didn't even register on her as more than an ordinary human would.

[@abbesatty9498]

Maybe you're the only buffy reactor who came damn close to understand Dawn origin, didn't think She's evil, and didn't cheer when Buffy violently pushed her against the door. Well done!

[@zenithquasar9623]

I love this episode, especially the ending with Dawn is so beautiful!

[@Junejane4]

The idea of Spike standing near her house is mostly about him being there, smoking and thinking "How the hell did he end up like this?" Falling in love with a slayer. And then he starts remembering his whole life, lol. That's how it is for him.

[@Isaaaa_Belle]

"love" lol

[@tinesess3521]

Spike definitely is the type that has obsessive "love"

[@SamuelFeutchine]

No, love but not selfless

[@hilaryarceneaux2948]

Who else clicked on this as soon as you saw it! 👋

[@Madbandit77]

I did.

[@vannthybun2546]

Been waiting for this one!!!

[@artman2oo3]

I did!

[@thedrewsephYT]

🙋‍♂️

[@Itsjandz105]

Me

[@jultejock7185]

Honestly, you're so fucking smart lmao. Like, I've never even HEARD of someone figuring out that Dawn was the Key before the reveal lmao.

[@brandonbrooks3033]

GIrl for real. I was kinda disappointed! hahahaha

[@justsayin2777]

This episode is a game changer much like season two introducing Spike and Drusilla and the series switching gears in a completely different way. This season is BIG starting with this episode. I’m so excited for you this is one of THE BEST seasons of the series you just wait, it’s full steam ahead from here

[@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. 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 many fans say it is by 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. S5 is so emotional with heart breaking 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.

[@johncampbell756]

The new woman is Clare Kramer of Bring It On with Eliza Dushku and Nicole Bilderback who was the test victim of the Master in The Wish. Scored by Buffy composer Christophe Beck.

[@Itsjandz105]

Spike’s out for a walk bit** line is one of the most iconic of the entire show!

[@Madbandit77]

I think there's a T-shirt with the line somewhere.

[@sk70091]

@@Madbandit77 There's many different t-shirts with that line

[@B-Dad]

That final shot is why Dawn was always there. Even if she wasn’t. She was. Dawn was made for Buffy to love and protect. Forever doesn’t have a time limit!

[@Buffy8Fan]

🗝 exposition five episodes in. When rewatching the episode, knowing how Dawn came to exist shows her actions throughout said episode as nothing more than Buffy's little sister wanting to spend time with her older sister. It was a great red herring. Cass: "I would just tell everyone." Including _The Beast/Abomination_ yet to be officially named. 😁 The real problem is Dawn isn't *only* slayer related business. She's also family related business, as well. Treating her like *only* slayer related business could have bad consequences and vice versa. It's a delicate line that Buffy now has to navagate, and by the end of the episode she hasn't had enough time to navagate, let alone tell anyone anything.

[@AnatoleVGC]

Not that its a big spoiler or anything but the beasts name wasnt mentioned yet

[@Buffy8Fan]

@@AnatoleVGC Spoiler enough, in my opinion. Thanks for the reminder. In reaction videos sometimes those spoilers are easy to forget. I fixed it. Thanks again!

[@AnatoleVGC]

@@Buffy8Fan yeah, especially name spoilers. The character is there so its easy to forget its not named yet

[@paulieluppino1856]

3:55 ...Can you make comedy by simply standing still?... The answer is yes.

[@christophtoifl6848]

Can you make comedy by watching somebody pouring rat poison into food without moving? Yes, yes you can!😂

[@paulieluppino1856]

@@christophtoifl6848 Only when is jelly, though...

[@rydbthatsme]

Spike has always been creepily stalking Buffy in some form or fashion, he's obsessed with Slayers

[@anyankafan]

Nothing but bangers from here to the finale

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Hopefully in your editing you caught that it’s not the orb making people crazy, but sometime reaching their hands into peoples brains & sucking out their ‘energy.’

[@matthewquinn6172]

Questions will be answered eventually. Just keep watching.

[@psychomagicshop]

When Buffy puts the rolled up towel at the bottom of the door- my mind goes back to college and smoking weed in dorm rooms to try and not stink up the whole dorm. The parallels between magic and drugs is interesting.

[@desupair]

Security guy went crazy because of "the abomination". Not because of the key. Same thing that happened with the guy in front of the tortured monk scene.

[@ronfehr7899]

The orb (the Dagon Sphere) was used to repel, as Giles said, 'that which cannot be named.' In this case, the woman fighting with Buffy.

[@williambowman2326]

You sounded like my friends did after we saw this episode with answers and more questions. One of the many reason I enjoy your take on Buffy. Please always remember one of the basic truths about BTVS story telling ….. all will be answered completely, just not on your time or in a comfortable way. This episode is crammed with so much information and future plot lines it’s hard to keep up( your editing will help). Remember that Dawn was created by 3 middle age Eastern European monks and sent to the Slayer because The Slayer is the only one that can protect the key/ Dawn from the beast.That’s an overview and more Will be explained… in the future. Secondly, Spike was outside of Buffy’s house long enough to smoke a lot of cigarettes and be patiently waiting for Buffy. ( think about Spike being patient and he left when Buffy said to go). Next, the magic shop is up and running with a place for Giles and Anya to forge their identity. It is full of magic books and information that makes it a dedicated place for the supernatural… a new library for research and materials. Finally, the woman in the red dress. She is powerful and speaks in weird terms and points of reference. She is someone to pay attention to and watch her actions. Finally, we have Dawn. You have far to go but she has been prophesied and referred to several times over the previous 2 years. Yes this storyline has been in place since Season 3 and has been set up slowly over time. Of course it’s only on a rewatch that it can be understood and just shows just how devious Josh Whedon is with his narrative and audience. Glad you enjoyed this pivotal episode and keep up the great work. You are preparing to see some of the best episodes ever written and produced for television. Buckle up because the roller coaster that’s Season 5 is loaded and getting ready to take off. Enjoy the journey.

[@AnatoleVGC]

This season is so good 💜 all this kistery and questions make season 5 so fun. I always say this season feels like a book

[@feudist]

I just think it's uncanny that she predicted the Oz episode.

[@planetwatch0000]

Dawn is the KEY to the portal. Not the portal itself.

[@cerrobueno]

Yeah, thanks Mr. Monk for saying "The Key is energy, it's a portal". It's his fault, not the reactor's.

[@Lions1986]

shes not a portal shes a key made out of energy that they turned into a human

[@blotcho84]

NOW the season's really begun! One of my favorite episodes! Loving your reactions to Buffy

[@VerMaarte]

About 11.20 ... Dawn was obviously angry because Buffy was very agressive towards her and she didn't understand that.

[@alysharichards3757]

I’m SO glad to see you get to this episode, this season is so huge. I’m back here in YT since the changes on Patreon and as much as I wish I could’ve seen your full react it was still good :)

[@gehrehmee]

If there was something supernatural causing Joyce's headaches, you'd think Buffy would see /something/ in the trance. That said, sorting out the misdirects from reality is always a challenge in this series 😛

[@glassestosee]

i've been waiting for you to react to this episode. this is when season 5 truly starts.

[@ArielCarmona]

Buffy was dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood before, not Dorothy.

[@itsjoelui]

Love your reactions about Buffy. When I was young, this was my favorite tv show and I experienced feelings for the characters on Buffy, and I suffered when something bad happened to them haha! So these reaction videos bring back all the memories but in a good way! Thank you for this!

[@codypendragons]

The security guy got his brain sucked or whatever with those fingers going into the head, like the other guy that was locked up next to the lady in the red dress.That's how, they both went crazy the same way.

[@thedrewsephYT]

I can’t wait to discuss more with you! I’m not spoiling it! I’m a fan of the series and watched its original run. Here with you gooorl! Let’s ride this wave together!

[@tetamale4280]

remember the first we see this episode? i remember be with the mouth open until the end

[@greigclement9081]

Dawn's dialogue is perfectly bratty as younger siblings go.

[@DaDunge]

0:15 "I have a theory" You will get it in a few hudnred episodes.

[@ThiagoDragon]

You put everything together easily.

[@MartinGonzalez-ke9uy]

I enjoyed a lot your reaction to this one! nice catch on things :) Looking forward for next reactions!

[@tetamale4280]

one of the best episodes

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

No one needs to tell her what is going on, the show will take care of that. Remember the only reason we have all these answers to give is because we have foreknowledge, let's all stop behaving like we got everything the first time around.

[@carrieels]

Love listening to all your theories x

[@umarslayerful]

Always waiting for your Buffy reactions 😌

[@Elephant2024-wi2li]

Love your Buffy reactions & all your content. Since you did 'La La Land', which was awesome. Hope you will do additional musicals, 'Mean Girls' & 'Dear Evan Hansen.'

[@LeeCarlson]

This is where we learn that Giles became a librarian (as his cover) because he is a raging ISTJ, and crowds of people are not his thing. Anya, on the other hand, appears to be in her element.

[@Madbandit77]

And the irony is Anya's not great with social clues.

[@LeeCarlson]

@@Madbandit77, I have an autistic relative who is an extrovert, and this is just how they come across.

[@Madbandit77]

@@LeeCarlson But Anya's not autistic. She's been a demon for so long as an young adult, she's forgotten how human beings interact with each other.

[@LeeCarlson]

@@Madbandit77, if you look back, I did not say that Anya was autistic, only that I have autistic family members who present the same kinds of affect.

[@Madbandit77]

@@LeeCarlson I know you didn't say that Anya was autistic. You were just making a opinion, based on a relative, that I didn't feel was on the same level with my observation about Anya.

[@godmagnus]

Keys and portals are different things. Keys open things. Portals are things that open and close.

[@grife3000]

Two banger episodes next.

[@zd4797]

Dawn isn't the portal. She's the key that opens the portal

[@charlesbaldwin3166]

Generally if I have to guess which of two people is the bad guy, I'm going with the one who says speak American is bad until proven otherwise.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

😂😂😂

[@Nicamon]

When I read this comment I didn't get who you were talking about...now I'm watching the reaction and I got it...😘💗Fun fact...in the Italian adaptation,since the line wouldn't have made sense,she says:"Speak like everyone else!!"meaning"in a modern language"(or at least that's how I interpreted it).Makes sense and sounds a little less racist.😉

[@Nicamon]

05:23 - 05:37 (CAN'T SAY HER NAME YET...PRETEND I JUST SCREAMED IT!!!!!) 🤩🤩🤩🤩💗💗💗💗 09:26 - "Nothing....There's nothing." 10:44 - 10:48 Voldemort?;-P 10:23 - 10:30 The:"She doesn't...know that."moment is *THE* moment I re-think of whenever I need to sympathize with Dawn(since she usually annoys me a lot X-P)🥺💔and you spoiled it to yourself just like that.😅 I know they already told you,but I'll just repeat it one more time since the dialogue was a bit confusing...the Key was originally a green ball of energy that can be used to _open_ a portal to another dimension. It's not _the portal_ itself.Dawn is the Key,the portal is the Door.🗝🚪 And yes,you guessed it right. The Beast is basically a Slayer without the"human part".Just sass,beauty and super-strenght.😎👑✨💗

[@shabadoo25]

Might want to go back and watch 4X22 the end conversation with Tara and 3X22 the dream conversation with Faith.

[@Madbandit77]

Clues, clues, clues. So many clues...😃😃😃😃😃

[@exorcismofgardentools304st3]

On another note. Anya. She has been around for centuries. i would think with all her time and resources she would have a main stay. Like a castle and many riches. I know she was a demon, but at least she has knowledge of many things. Wonder why she never used it to share with the scooby gang or at least Xander

[@justinpilla5741]

But if Dawn is the Key Master who is the Gate Keeper? Tara? Is that why she seems weird/off sometimes?

[@Oldmanmovies]

And now you know😁.

[@taraxist]

This episode season and number should have been a faith episode. Its 5 by 5

[@singingwolf3929]

You keep conflating Universe and Dimension. In the Buffy UNIVERSE there are many different DIMENSIONS. We've seen two "alternate universes", The Wish and Johnathan's special. Though I'd argue that the latter is more of an augmented reality since everyone remembered after it was finished. The former is more of a branching timeline, though it can be considered an alternate universe with the way Anya describes it. I'd also argue that The Wish didn't actually replace our universe so much as it took us there with Anya (The magic wielder viewing the fruits of her labors) and Cordy (The wisher who subsequently died fairly quickly.) My guess is that in our reality (Had Giles not destroyed Anya's power center) Cordy would have simply vanished without a trace which would have had an effect on how things went down in the story line but would have balanced itself eventually. So, yes. There is a "Multi-verse" but it's more just multi-dimensional.

[@xyex]

Dawn is the key, not the portal. The key *opens* the portal.

[@thewolframhart6777]

Enjoy your holiday!

[@trexinvert]

Yes. Everything you just said.

[@RLucas3000]

This is of course a great episode but next two episodes are easily top ten episodes. 5-6 melts my cold grinch heart, and episode 7s are always bangers.

[@maxlee8780]

No spoilers spike in the past as always mixed love and pain. So I don't think it makes sense for Him to stop causing pain to the ones he loves. He even has a bit of S&M vibe. The Dagon sphere only keeps the Beast away. It was brought up in this episode.

[@kendavis8046]

From your telling of the interaction, is it safe to assume that your boyfriend has actually seen the series? If so, he is an honorable fellow to not spoil things for you before you react. Thanks, and this is my favorite season of the series. I'll be interested if you have a similar opinion if you do a series wrap up after finishing all sever seasons.

[@davidwalsh7128]

Fireworks for the 4th...

[@tetamale4280]

FINALLY

[@Dvloper10]

Is k12 soon?

[@coreyissus]

🗝️

[@grkpektis]

I don't think it's a coincidence that the mother is having brain trouble after the monks messed with her mind.

[@Zso-VIII]

The only instance of a prophesy being a physical thing (an orb) is in the Harry Potter series. That's not a thing in any other media.

[@AriannaBrooks]

In Encanto, Bruno's visions of the future (basically prophecy) are images in a green glass like substance. Very physical things

[@mysteronix]

🗝

[@ernesthakey3396]

Interesting theories...

[@Ethos10128]

New Lana single Tough, we need your reaction!

[@justinpilla5741]

The Lady in Red! My Girl! I've got a theory--she's a dancing demon.

[@paulieluppino1856]

Ok show, you did it again... First with Jonathan and now with Dawn... You fool me once, shame on you; you fool me twice... Shame on you too, for being a bloody liar.

[@snowden1865]

are you ahead on patreon?

[@coreyissus]

Only 1 episode

[@PaperbackWizard]

I like this episode, but from a storytelling perspective, it's *really* rushed. They set up this big mystery about who and/or what Dawnie is, and then in less than five minutes, after no real investigation on the characters' parts or even a chance for the audience to figure it out, the monk just gives one big infodump about her right at the end. There are still questions to answer, sure, but they could have drawn out some of this episode's exposition a bit more, or at least given more clues to it in the earlier episodes.

[@godmagnus]

A physical prophecy. That phrase doesn't make sense. It's like saying physical prediction or physical guess. These things can be written, but are not physical things.

[@tuxegirls]

I think Harry Potter made her think that because in the movies, the prophecies are kept in orbs that look a lot like the sphere

[@yvetterodriguez2550]

@ 6:37 Wow, Cass. You put that together so quickly 👏. Most of our brains could not compute. We were still processing the information 😵‍💫 lol. When this episode aired, I immediately recognized who that blonde woman in the red dress was because the film she was in came out before this episode aired. That's Clare Kramer from the movie Bring It On (2000) starring Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, Jesse Bradford and Eliza Dushku. ICONIC film in pop culture history.

[@Iris-f2j]

Listen to k-12 by Melanie Martinez next

[@joeslater2390]

I worship this big bad like a god definitely the best

[@ianhill8345]

Spike and buffy noo nooooooooooooo In all 4 seasons of buffy when did we ever get any indication that spike was attracted to buffy none and then buffy is treating riley like shes her bit on the side. The girl has problems poor riley. Go Team Angel big thumbs up for your vids Cass

[@SilveryRow]

I so wanted Dawn to be evil. *sigh* This is my second least favourite season, after six 😳 I'm sure Cass will enjoy it all though! :) "Maybe he's just a creep." You said it.

[@AldWitch]

I've got a theory .... 😸

[@DerekRawlings]

It could be bunnies!

[@bobapjok4241]

So stupid, the Key being made human. Humans are not hard to kill. one of the most fragile things they couldve made. The slayer could easily have protected the "Key" if it was in a different form as well. just never made sense why they chose that. TV show wise, yea, adds a new character, wanted a "Cousin Oliver", but logically, in universe, makes no sense