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Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5, Episode 5 - Uncut Version (Patreon)

Published:
2026-08-26 22:31:15
Imported:
2026-08

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Lola Lirola

Guys, I just found out the incomparable Dolly Parton, a true angel on Earth, was secretly a producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I've been waiting for this update all day so we can talk about how amazing she was for giving us this, too. Even this, the way we keep coming together to watch this show every week with you and the great time we're all having with it, we have her to thank for a little bit. I care very little about celebrity, and I don't believe in hero-worshipping, and I'm from a different continent altogether and I don't even like country music, if I'm honest, but I have genuinely cried real tears at her passing. And I don't do that often. She was kind and giving in ways that can't be measured, and she made the world truly a better place. Such an example of a person.

Anjali Agarwal

Spike's "Out. For. A Walk. Bitch" line is so iconic.

JC

As we are ramping in season 5 wanted to flag something for your scheduling (no spoilers; and I hope anyone responding respects that). Episode 5x15 and 5x16 should really be released on the same day (there is no real way that folk can comment on 5x15 without potentially spoiling 5x16).

James B.

Watching this later tonight. I'm sure that there will be 135 comments by then.

James B.

Spoiler, kid. It's pretty minor, but still.

Anjali Agarwal

Yikes, Sorry. I didn't realize.. Deleted.

Youtalkingtome

She was a national treasure here. It really is a tremendous loss, for her philanthropic work alone.

vala p

She was the "Doll" in Sand Dollar ( it was a play in her and her friend Sandy Gallin's names) They also did the Father of the Bride movies and the new Sabrina. I saw her talking about it in a talk show and she was, as to be expected, pretty humble about her contribution to our culture.

Erik

I feel like you guys might have a bit of a sliding scale for how strong Buffy is, undoubtedly due to the variable nature of how strong she has been shown to be. But it's one thing to be much stronger than the average person, and it's entirely a different thing to be "knock a steel door out of the wall" strong. That's strength on the level of industrial demolition equipment, not people. Also, a good call out about "the beast" being used in What We Do in the Shadows as well. Classic subversion of horrible creature trope, but going even further here with how beautiful and well dressed the actress is.

Lola Lirola

Aw, so cool, and a clever pun!!

Leah W.

Out. For. A. Walk. Bitch. is such a legendary line. But Spike needs to work on his flirting skills lol.

GemmaBeeBee

Finally you fully join the anti-Riley train! Seriously though, everything you said about his attitude is spot on. It does link back to the dream episode though - in that he was occupying a very male power role as the new Initiative leader and he called Buffy ‘killer’. Even that dream suggests that he struggles with the power imbalance, though it could have been seen as Buffy’s own subconscious picking up on it.

Pam Nail

Someone may have mentioned this in an older episode, but today seems a good day to mention that Dolly Parton was a silent/uncredited co-producer of this show (and Angel). In the 80s, she formed a production company with her former manager Sandy Gallin called Sandollar. She backed the original movie and all seasons of both Buffy and Angel. If you watch through the credits, you can see the company’s logo (right after the Mutant Enemy “grrr … argh”). On to the episode: - YES! We're here! Please everyone behave. We don't know her name yet; she's just The Beast (or The Abomination). I already love how bratty and demanding she is, and when she starts to go crazy, both the actress and the editing really go for it. And GAH, when she puts her fingers in the guy's brain! It's a cheesy effect, but it doesn't matter because the idea of what she's going is HORRIFYING. - Riley's attitude about Buffy was dated even then. - LOVE the saturated effect when Buffy is trancing. And the reveal with the picture changing (and Dawn's room, which looks like it would just be storage if she wasn't there). - I wish they hadn't felt the need to make Dawn seem sinister as a misdirect, but I love that they've answered the question of what her deal is. Not late in the season after a ton of false clues. No, we're getting it now, so it will hang over the episodes going forward. LOVE Sarah Michelle Gellar's acting in that last scene.

vala p

But I don't think Riley has ever wrestled with a kitten if he thinks they're harmless. Adorable sharp toothed killers.

Barbara Panigot

Great episode. A building block for the season.

Erik

An interesting interpretation, but I have to say I disagree and find the sudden disdain for him to be overly negative, presumably due to assuming Riley's motivation is in line with the trope of the emasculated man. But at no point does he want Buffy to be anything less than what she is, and he has had several little speeches calling out that he loves the fact that she's the slayer. The part he's insecure about is that he doesn't think he'll be enough for her in his current state, combined with feeling like he doesn't have his own mission anymore. But there's a big difference between self destructive insecurity, and trying to tear down your partner. He's definitely got the latter going on, but he's also never been anything less than supportive of Buffy in my view. Just my interpretation though.

Lyla

'She's not my sister.' 'She doesn't know that.' Gives me chills every time. Excellently played by the actor in the role of the monk. And a great episode all round, I love the reveal around Dawn as well, especially with all those red herrings and twists and turns. Amazing how genuinely sisterly she and Buffy can be too, despite everything. That last scene of them fighting, Buffy stroking Dawn's hair, and her quietly asking 'what's wrong with mom' is so well judged and real. Also everything you said about Riley is absolutely on the money. It's perhaps even more validating to hear two men say it. I don't hate him like some of the fandom, but he's massively insecure for sure, and that's getting in the way of things now.

Gail Hislop

I have been waiting this season for you guys to get to this episode! It's one of my favourites for all we get to learn. Dawn is 'the Key'. The Big Bad wants the Key and she is really seriously powerful and brutal and can suck energy out of brains!! So Buffy has her work cut out for her to protect Dawn now. This episode is brilliant on many levels, first with all its misdirects in making Dawn look like she is evil or responsible for what is going on with Joyce. And then that reveal of what she actually is was so perfectly written. The look on Buffy's face when she realises what the monk is saying and what the Key is. Sarah Michelle played it perfectly. And that last scene with her and Dawn is really sweet. You realise all of Dawn's behaviour has just been that of an annoying 14 year old girl, who is a bit jealous of her big sister, but also desperately wants to be liked by her. Michelle also played it brilliantly with the misdirects and the vulnerability. And we see Buffy just letting it all sink in that Dawn is her sister for all intents and purposes, even now she knows what she is and all the memories that have been planted she has to take as real and protect her as this innocent very important being. I love that we have the Magic Box now as the gathering place that the library used to be. Giles has a purpose again and his rightful place amongst all the books and magic stuff. Anya finding her place there too is a delight!! And the new relationship this will build with her and Giles seems fun. Retail work as summed up by Xander 'its a long standing tradition of raging insincerity' cracks me up every time, as someone who spent too many work years having to be insincere 😂😂 Not much Spike this episode but that scene was gold, his insults to Buffy to cover his true feelings were hilarious. And now we also have a scary, actual medical mystery of what is going on with Joyce and her headaches. So much to unfold now. Oh and a side note to your end commentary about the misogyny of Riley was spot on, but your thoughts that 20 years later we 'left the caves a while ago' is sadly not the case, misogyny is on the rise amongst a lot of males and there is a sector of women who buy into that and proudly lead their lives as 'trad wives' to these men- but that's just a whole other subject and social commentary.

jimmy2k4o .

Dude 9 cigarettes does not a pack make. You’re off by about 11. Most packs are packs of 20

GemmaBeeBee

To be fair I agree - I was joking about the anti-Riley train just because I find people to be so incredibly vocal in their dislike! Along with yourself I don’t agree that he is a hate-able character. I do think he is self destructive but as I said in the dream sequence episode, maybe part of the problem with Buffy and Riley’s relationship is that Buffy herself may have issues regarding her own power. The dream is her own mind, Riley’s responses to her within it aren’t his voice, they are her voice speaking through him. As such it does seem that she worries about the power dynamic and in itself that could be poisoning their relationship because she can’t fully be true to herself. Just remember that scene with Willow after she sparred with Riley and hurt him accidentally. Willow tells her she can’t hold back and has to be herself. Buffy says ‘I held back a little.’

ScarlettMi

Xander has a construction job. We saw him doing well at work and getting an apartment during his whole double thing.

Michelle

I have to second this.

Lola Lirola

I just mentioned it on this episode! She really was amazing

Kelsey Krehbiel

This episode is the Anya parts I like best! She’s so sharp and her long history comes in useful! And then also brusque because her human behavior is still a work in progress, but again, she’s also super competent.

Ncohafmuta

I'm gonna give Riley a little bit of rope. He's rudderless. He was strong, now he's not. He was a TA, his professor got killed. He was a soldier, now he's not. He had that structure, and did what he was told, now he has to find his own structure. He's not expressing it in the healthiest of ways, sure. He's not used to a civilian or girl being stronger than him, not a good male mindset. He's what, 23 or so? Maybe go back to being a TA, maybe start a security/bodyguard company with the skills he has, I don't know. He's just having a hard time with transition and mental open-mindedness.

dys

aaand we're back to having a FUN big bad again. Hope that's not a spoiler but seems you guys had figured out red dress lady is at least going to be the villain for a whole arc, we've been setting up Dawn all season and she's wrapped up in red dress lady's deal so safe to assume she'll be around for a while. They were definitely trolling the audience the last few episodes with Dawn's introduction and making you question if she was evil or knew what she was. I think the boom mic in frame you noticed was a victim of the widescreen version, the later seasons were shot in 16:9 but still originally broadcast in 4:3, then later disc and streaming releases have the full widescreen frame containing parts of the shot that were never intended to be shown.

dys

I agree with this. My plan was for my only comment on episode 15 to say that I *wasn't* going to comment until the next episode.

Lola Lirola

Poor Riley suffers from "tv boyfriend" syndrome. I think the writers weren't expecting him to survive season 4 either, and now they don't know what to do with him. So they have to try to find any conflict they can for him to have something to do. The problem with Riley is that (up until now, at least) he was real-world great, but tv-world boring. There's very little play to explore for the writers with a stable, caring, knowledgeable, capable, brave, prepared and steady boyfriend. There's only so many "good job today, darling" scenes you can write for a screen before it becomes stale. To be fair, back when the show was airing, I thought he was so dull, I was itching for them to get rid of him. Today, I can see how they wrote him as a sort of antithesis of Angel (zero drama to his all drama), and then realized that was a mistake!

Christopher simeon

I won't say much but I think you guys are a little harsh on riley. All I will say is do you believe a relationship should have mutual support or just one strong person supporting the weaker one?

Neill Shaughness

The orb was there to keep the Beast away. Buffy accidentally got that monk killed when she took it away

Erica

I don't think this is the best episode of the show, but it's definitely the most overlooked/underrated. An all time favorite of mine, especially as a big fan of Dawn. Just a reminder that Dawn is annoying bc teenagers are annoying. You'll see so much Dawn hate online, and most of it is just bc people love to disparage teenage girls and the things they like (which is my theory as to why the show wasn't more acclaimed) Wrt riley, i feel like he's always "needed" buffy to make herself less for his owb self-worth. Remember in s4, the first time they sparred? He told her not to hold back, so she kicked his ass, and he definitely felt some type of way about it (and if he'd known she was STILL holding back a little at that point? His tiny ego would've been so bruised). I want to like riley bc he definitely has great qualities, but his arc goes downhill from the beginning

that girl

The show primes you to interpret all of Dawn's actions nefariously when the truth is that's just how little sisters behave (source: I'm the middle of five girls)

Chemical Em

Riley's attitude- my steak is too juicy, my lobster is too buttery

Youtalkingtome

Clearly mutual support, but Riley seems to be struggling with a clear power imbalance here that has nothing to do with their romantic relationship.

Stephanie P.

Riley always gave me Dean (from GG) vibes.

TalynOne

I'm no Riley superfan, personally I think he's a bit plain bread boring, but I think you're being a bit harsh on him. I'm pretty sure he's accepted Buffy is way stronger and more capable than him. The part he's not so willing to accept is that he's completely useless and has no identity anymore beyond just being Buffy's boyfriend. This is someone who from a young age felt the calling to serve, not for ego, but he wanted to do good and protect. And now he's having a bit of an identity crises feeling useless. Some people just want to be more than housewives.

Ginevra

Such a good episode. Such a good season.

Jontor11

Great stuff guys! I love this episode. The reveal of Dawn is so well done and it is at the same time very sad. Buffy really needs to protect her sister, and who can she tell about this? Dawn was planted *two months ago* during the Dracula episode. At first in that episode Joyce was saying how lonely it was at home without Buffy, and at the end suddenly Dawn is there. This also makes the Jonathan episode from season 4 more relevant. That episode showed that we can have manipulated realities.

Jontor11

Yes, those two episode are an entity that should be watched together.

lee

(longwinded yapping and overthinking ahead, don't feel obligated to read! I'm just thinking out loud and relishing this forum for spewing Buffyverse thoughts. I'm really enjoying this fandom space and seeing your Buffy journey! It's all spoiler-free too, I double checked just to be sure) I feel like expressing anything other than frustration or derision towards Riley (which I do feel, trust me) would get me labeled as a "Riley apologist", but at times I do feel like he gets a lot more malice attributed to his lines or actions than seems reasonable. I think his insecurity gets automatically branded as misogynistic by virtue of Buffy's strength dwarfing his, even though he is clearly not trying to achieve or maintain dominance in their relationship. He wants to be useful and find ways in which he can actually add value to Buffy's life outside of being a passive and reliable comfort object, and I think painting that as a desire to control her or "wear the pants" in the relationship is a bit reductive. I don't think it is inherently toxic or unreasonable to want to be an active participant in your relationship or an asset to your partner's mission, work that at its core is something that he once considered his calling as well. He doesn't express or navigate his emotions with the greatest finesse or acuity, especially given all of his heavy programming that he is in the very early stages of unlearning, but his basic drives do not feel toxic to me. I don't think it is inherently misogynistic to want to be more than your partner's simple, steadfast golden retriever, and want to do more than come when called and speak when spoken to. Dawn and Anya, one unfathomably young and the other impossibly old, are both yearning for a place and a purpose in this episode and stepping on people's toes trying to find it. I see a lot of that in Riley, and he could certainly do a better job at it, but I don't feel like any of his actions in this episode or in the time we have known him warrant the level of "this dude fucking sucks" that his character gets most if not all of the time. His career, purpose, world view, surrogate mother, and best friend were all annihilated at the end of last season and now he is just this supplementary character with no family in the state, no social network outside of his partner's, and no calling or sense of purpose. Not to mention he was brainwashed, gaslit, drugged, and nearly killed by his physical violations and driven insane by his mental ones. I don't cite these as excuses, but I feel like a lot of people neglect to factor in a lot of his very recent experiences when criticising his behaviour, particularly when we've seen other characters, even the scoobies (even Buffy!) behave in much more toxic ways towards their friends and partners as a result of their trauma. I've come around on his character the more I have contextualised The Initiative as effectively a cult, and Riley as a deeply traumatised and abused escapee with an insufficient post-cult plan and support network. I am in no way saying that this is any other character's fault or responsibility, and of course there are actions Riley could take to further his own healing and address his more grating behaviours, but I think he could certainly be doing a lot worse for a very young adult in his situation. I feel like some pretty weak, inconsistent writing and bland characterisation makes his trauma easy to dismiss or forget, and there's a lot of blank space in his character that is easy to fill up with our worst assumptions. He is not as sound or cohesive a character as anyone else in the core cast, and he absolutely feels like he has overstayed his welcome and the writers don't really know what to do with him at this point. That undoubtedly frustrates me because I feel like his arc lags behind the rest of the show in its depth and creativity, but I still hold that separate from how I perceive "Riley" as a person. He's surely one of the least well crafted characters to take up this much real estate in the show and the credits, and understandably that breeds resentment, but I do think his reputation in the fandom as "pathetic misogynist shitbag" is pretty out of proportion to his actions and the actions of other male characters who get a considerable amount more grace. Xander has turned his average Joe insecurity into overtly vindictive misogyny towards the women around him countless times. Oz cheated on Willow. Jonathan violated the minds of everyone on earth and sexually assaulted twin sisters he hypnotised into thinking he was some kind of god. Angel "fell in love" with a 15 year old Buffy while spying on her outside her high school from a blacked out car and then stalked her for a year before dating and then statutorily raping her on her 17th birthday. Giles drugged Buffy to literally rob her of her powers and participated in the council's elaborate "let's kill the slayer when she becomes a legal adult and get a fresh and easily controllable minor" ritual and he was forgiven by the end credits of that episode. Yet Riley is still the name that everyone groans at. I mean, I don't love him either but I just find that odd! I really do think most people see him as a cardboard cutout (which is fair) and then auto-complete every gap in his character with "generic dude who sucks in any and every way", even when they have to dismiss or directly contradict what little concrete character definition he has gotten. I don't think people need to like Riley, I think that would be asking a lot for such an out of sync, incohesive, and blandly drawn character, but I've just never met anyone who thinks Riley is "the worst" that has ever kept the same energy and standards towards other male characters in the show who are equally or more flawed, insecure, petty, immature, misogynistic, selfish, and emotionally, physically, and sexually violent towards women. His narrative loitering and cardboard-ness seem to make him a dumping ground for a lot of judgment and vitriol that fans let slide off of their more beloved male characters and I do find it kind of irksome. Not out of any affection or defensiveness for Riley, but because I feel like a lot of other male characters are allowed to get away with murder because they're more entertaining, and after seeing countless famous abusers benefit from the same lenience in real life, it's a pattern that just icks me out. You can be a creep, a bully, a manipulator, and even a rapist and people will tie themselves in knots to make excuses for you but god help you if you're boring! Great reaction as always, I love this episode and the cards it puts on the table for the season ahead. I think Clare Kramer hits the ground running as The Beast, she got the part by channeling Jack Nicholson in The Shining during her audition and it shows and works so well. I think the episode leaned a little hard on the "Dawn might be evil" misdirect but I find it kooky and entertaining. Her offering the tea to Joyce is like Bart flying a kite at night on The Simpsons with how cartoonishly eerie it is. I love the hard launch of the magic shop because it is one of my favourite locations on the show, it's a beautiful and vibrant set with a great look and feel and might even rank higher to me than the library in terms of Scooby headquarters. You get to go to and explore the shop in a couple of levels in the second Buffy video game (the library features heavily in the first) and I really loved being inside what I consider one of television's most iconic environments. Glad you're enjoying the season so far and all I can say at this point is buckle up! We're just getting started.

lee

Oh I never realised that Sand dollar was the connection! I heard she was involved but did not know the extent or specifics. I had no idea that I've been seeing her imprint on this show at the end of every episode since I was watching them on vhs as a kid, how lovely! I always thought the sand dollar name and logo were beautiful and I wish I had looked into it sooner. Dolly really did do a tremendous amount of good in her time on earth. I especially respect her commitment to fostering childhood literacy and her belief in it being essential to one's independence and ability to make their way in life. She was right, as she was about many things. She was a great storyteller in her music and a very compassionate soul, it makes a lot of sense that she so greatly valued and championed the power of stories in all their forms. May she rest in peace! I remember being similarly delighted when I found out Whitney Houston produced The Princess Diaries (as well as its sequel and both Cheetah Girls movies). Gotta love legends supporting new talent and using their success to create joy for younger generations. Imagine being Anne Hathaway as a teen in her first movie and showing up to a set with Whitney Houston and Julie Andrews!

lee

Ravil Isyanov's delivery of "she doesn't know that" really makes that scene for me, he has so few lines yet somehow filled each one with such layered emotion. He says those words like someone who really is feeling themself die and is passing on their life's most crucial information and responsibility to the one person who can use it to protect the world and reality itself. He says it with such gravity but also like he is relieved to finally pass it on and fulfill his purpose, like he is seeing his entire life's work at once and finding a sense of peace. really sensational work. The moment he acts the life leaving his eyes really impressed me on this watch and gave me chills all over again.

lee

On this watch I found myself really appreciating the gentleness and love with which Xander taught her how to speak to customers more politely. No impatience, no condescension, no mockery, just guidance. A very good moment for him (his less patient and kind corrections of Anya really grate me at times) and it made me a little sad that no one extends that grace to Dawn when she put her foot in her mouth earlier in the episode.

Lola Lirola

I remember seeing one of the wide-screen versions somewhere, and on a scene where Willow and Buffy are talking in the dorm, there's a whole-ass dude technician just sitting by the bed! Just there, in his jeans and cap, holding a light reader. It's so hilarious.

lee

The anti-Angel thing feels very true, and I think in the process they also tried to make him behave a lot more like Buffy in some ways, only worse. It's like they leaned too hard into making him human and fallible so that Buffy could relate to him on a level she couldn't with an immortal vampire, and he ended up feeling like Buffy's directionless cousin or something. He was spun by his loss of purpose and ability like Buffy was in Helpless, and he self isolated in response to trauma like Buffy did in When She Was Bad and Anne. Only Buffy is our hero and her life has an unshakable mission and purpose so she can right herself in ways that wouldn't suit a character as undeveloped as Riley. He's relatively new, dimensionless compared to Buffy, and has no real destiny to lock back into so he feels like he's just flailing on the sidelines while shit is getting real for Buffy in ways even she can't comprehend. He's not the worst guy in the world (or the show) but him being so out of sync and out of his depth does make him feel like kind of a hangnail on an otherwise brilliantly crafted season. When everything and everyone else is so well written, a loose and aimless character like Riley can really grow to feel like a bit of a nuisance just by being there.

Tina

100% true, Erik. It's very thoughtful character design, and quite true to human nature. He's a good guy going through a lot, it's just that by comparison, it's nothing compared to the weight of the world Buffy is carrying. I don't think he ever was anything but that thoughtful, good-hearted partner everyone wishes for (unless drugged or deceived) - which unfortunately makes him kinda boring. But I love his part in the series, even as it is less exciting than others'.

lee

I agree, I think people jump to the conclusion that Riley not wanting to be in that "housewife" role means that he instead wants Buffy to be in it, but he says very plainly in the episode that he wants them to take care of each other. He doesn't want either of them to be the housewife, but people assume his rejection of that role is a desire to impose it on Buffy as if it's a mandatory role in a heterosexual relationship that cannot be left empty. Buffy and Riley have different ideas and needs when it comes to relationships, sure, but I feel like this idea of Riley demanding or even wanting a traditional patriarchal power structure is a bit of a projection. He struggles with his heteronormative programming and everything he has been taught by society (not to mention The Initiative) of what a man "should" be, but he is expressing a clear effort and interest in finding a different "non traditional" dynamic with Buffy, as long as it doesn't just mean the housewife/husband structure is simply flipped. Buffy would never tolerate or enjoy being someone's housewife, and it is not inherently toxic for Riley to not want that for himself either. No one has to be the housewife, and it's normal to want to feel like you serve a purpose in your partner's life beyond being a complacent security blanket. I feel like some spotty writing and characterisation leave this relationship and its conflicts wide open to getting oversimplified along gender lines and it's a little frustrating. It's funny that in criticising Riley, a lot of people reveal their own essentialist notions of what men and women want and the limited and necessarily imbalanced ways in which they can relate to each other.

Tina

I was just thinking about how much he isn't like Dean, actually! He is trying to re-define himself and his role in lofe / in his life, struggling with it, and talking about it rather than brooding. He is very much not going along with pre-defined roles and paths, like Dean would. Dean was 16, thus gets a pass for being incredibly threatened and upset when confronted with Lorelei and Rory's notion of what a family is, what a partnership can be. But as opposed to Riley, he doesn't work through it, you can see it in the progression of his life over the seasons. Dean seems like he listens to what Rory tries to tell him, he seems like he is trying to adapt to her, to open his mind to something that transcends traditional heteronormative family structures. Riley is the opposite if that - Buffy's slayer role surprises him, he adapts. Circumstances change, he adapts. His role changes, he adapts. He doesn't always do it flawlessly, obviously, he keeps failing, but he also keeps growing, and deals with the consequences. When has Dean ever willingly done that? Caveat - we see Dean from what, age 16 to 20, mostly? It's not a fair comparison, really, teenagers' brains are still developing, of course Riley is much more mature. But I still think Dean is lightyears worse at processing and being a solid partner to their girlfriend than Riley is, even during his darkest days.

Carl Wilson

I'm mostly with you on Riley's issues, but you kinda missed the part in that bedroom scene where Buffy was the one trying to cater to him and he was the one saying he didn't need any special treatment. He was actually being pretty sweet about it, and then cheerfully left her to do the ritual solo.

Carl Wilson

That was very well said.

Tina

Yes. That. Spot on, well elaborated, excellent examples.

Christopher simeon

I think he believes the power imbalance makes it harder for buffy to let him be her support. If he were stronger she would actually want his help because he knows Buffy values strength. He was so focused on the power issue because losing it meant losing the one thing that could keep him closer to Buffy since Slayer is the most important part of her life. Riley is looking for mutual support not only physically (since he isn't the strong one) but even emotionally. He can't help physically so being her emotional support is the next best thing but instead she has him pouring sand instead of talking about what is bothering her. He tells her what he wants and she seems to agree here. Buffy seemed to want support. When she complained that dawn always gets that from her mom in 5x2 riley was listening. She seemed jealous here too when her mom and dawn had nicknames and book club together. They were supporting each other and connecting and Buffy has someone who is trying to do that but she is closed off to it. Riley is a bit insecure but he is not wrong about buffy being incapable of letting him in. It is why he said she doesn't love him.

Jamie Morgan

In mild defence of Riley, I don't think he's trying to be a superhero in their relationship any more, he's just trying to make it more balanced. Buffy has been treating him like a wounded puppy the last few episodes, but now he's recovered he's trying to readjust the equilibrium between them and she's just not. She still sees him as weak and something to be protected. I can see how that would bother him, especially because even without the super soldier meds he is still strong and very capable!

Jamie Morgan

If they can't fit that into their schedule, and people can't help but to spoil stuff, let me just remind everyone that Rot13 exists! Please use it!

Lyla

Perfectly put! I could not agree more

Erica

Fun fact: Buffy and Dolly share a birthday! Buffy's DOB of January 19, 1981, was Dolly Parton's 35th birthday

Lola Lirola

I didn't know that, that's so cool!

Zyrenicus

This is a great episode and where Season 5 hits high gear.

NyzoiB

100%. And just generally speaking, tread very lightly this season when it comes to reading comments etc. It's an amazing season to get surprised by.

jimmy2k4o .

Awesome that this week you started Angel. Because in here the villain says to Buffy “you have superpowers, can you fly” And (Angel pilot spoilers below) And in Angel the bad guy says he can do anything he wants and angel replies “can you fly”

jimmy2k4o .

Cmon guys even off a butt too hard on Riley. Feels like he’s receiving the Venom that you’ve saved up on genuinely sexist characters. Don’t worry real characters will come in both shows to show Riley is pretty much on the positive end of the ma spectrum

jimmy2k4o .

Dawn has a theory that Buffy was adopted from a family of howler monkeys but in reality, dawn was adopted from a family of howling monks. *x files music*

danzthename

I'm giving another upvote to this suggestion. It really would be best, if you guys can swing it. I know your schedule is crazy busy.

danzthename

I love the way the revealed that Dawn wasn't always there with the photos and Buffy's room flashing between the two realities. That whole sequence is great.

danzthename

One of my favorite lines of the whole series. The delivery is perfect

lee

thanks so much! :)

Erica

Wanted to share this now that the truth about dawn has come out! It's a 3 minute video tracing all the foreshadowing about dawn. There's clips in the below video from S3E22 (graduation day pt 2), S4E15, (This Year's Girl, aka the one where faith wakes up), S4E22 (Restless), and S5E2 (the real me) https://youtu.be/9lRU8rgREA8?is=Jb6vMo6Pi68ObLzy

Erica

And to round out the Little Miss Muffet motif, is part of the woman in red's speech from this episode: "It's typical! The whole mortal meatsack comes complete with stink and bile sweat and protein. Yes, I said humans! Not now, Mommy's talking! Wriggling, piling, prowling, crawling, clowning, cavorting, doing it over and over and over and over until someone's gonna sit down on their tuffet and make this birthing stop! "

Alex

We finally got to "5 words or less" :)

Ashley Thomas

i know this is supposed to help us warm to dawn but i just dont like her. never have. i think maybe im just an only child to my core. i find her soooooo annoying.