Kick the Spike

Episode 5.13: Blood Ties. Original Airdate 2.6.01

"When Dawn learns her true identity, she runs away - only to encounter Glory."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Hey! A Buffy birthday!
• “The bigger they are…” “The faster they stomp you into nothing.”
• Oh, the reveal.  I’m glad Buffy and Giles finally told the gang about Dawn.  It was the right time.
• Ever notice that one of the scenes they show of Xander in the opening credits is of him peeing.
• Oh, except they’re all acting weird.
• So Joyce and Dawn are allowed out of the crypt now?  This was just a temporary stay? No more danger?
• “You make a very pretty little girl!”
• “Xander needs help with his thing!”
• “I want the presents!”  You’ll have to wait for the 4^th of July, Anya.

I wish it was mine!

• “It’s a picture of when we visited San Diego that summer.” BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS HERE.
• Did Willow cut the cake without Buffy?
• Look, Dawn’s annoying but she’s a smart girl.  She knows something is going on.
• Teletubbies? Remember when that was a thing?
• Shouldn't Willow’s protection spell be going off right about when Spike picks the lock?
• Dawn’s face when she’s finding out and putting all the pieces together.
• Wow, we’re still talking about Riley.
• I love her reaction.  It’s heartbreaking.  I mean, imagine finding out you were blipped into existence less than six months ago.
• The one time I’m on Spike’s side.  It wasn't his fault she found out.  Maybe she should have been told earlier.
• I mean the amount of detail in this spell.  Holy crap. All those diaries that were just magically filled.
• I hate the “overhearing the wrong thing" TV trope.
• Dawn’s room is so weird. There’s a foyer!

Why is there a little room before you get to Dawn's room?!

• Spike & Buffy are always together when they all split up.  It’s like Fred always choosing Daphne over Velma.
• Is Buffy wearing a fur coat? In southern California?
• Dawn is just dumb here.  Why would she just tell some random guy.  She has to know how dangerous it is.
• Dawn seems to remember the Glory/Ben connection a lot longer than most people do.
• I love that Glory always fights in an evening gown.
• Willow & Tara throw glitter on Glory.  Man that’s the worst. She’ll be seeing that for weeks.  Good plan. Oh, the teleportation spell worked too.
• I’m confused as to who or what Ben exactly is.  Is he a God too?  It seems he might just be a host? But for how long?

Zelda's Thoughts:

• It's Happy Birthday Buffy!
• Also YAY the Council's gone.
• "I know way more about dimensions than Giles does. [Giles frowns] Well I do."
• BTW we got confirmation in the comments on our last post that Nicky was indeed injured (a sprain) and that's why he's still in a cast from Olaf's attack.
• Oh I see, now that we know Glory's a god, she's willing to say it herself? Coulda saved us a lot of time there, show.
• Yep everyone's being weird with Dawn now that they know. But Anya wins. "You make a very pretty little girl!" "Xander needs help with his thing!"
• Oh Dawn. No way is Glory prettier than Buffy.
• "This is extremely suspenseful! I want the presents."
• Oh Dawn. It's not that they don't want you to hear about Xander and Anya's escapades. It's that none of them want to hear about it. Stop bratting.
• "I wasn't lurking. I was standing about. It's a whole different vibe."
• "I'm breaking into the Magic Shop. To steal things." Foreshadowing!
• So I guess the protective spell cast by Willow and Tara wasn't alerted by Spike? He really is neutered.
• Spike is bored. "Hey! Troll hammer!" *thunk* I actually don't think I ever registered that moment before.
• It's a pretty horrifying image, Dawn with the knife and the bleeding arm.

• It's a problem, I know Dawn is in pain, but the "Get out Get Out GET OOOOOUT" makes me laugh.
• "A round of Kick the Spike." Ah, memories, youth, nostalgia, all that.
• "Blobs of energy don't need an education."
• Oh look, my favorite trope of characters overhearing only part of a conversation and taking it the wrong way. No wait, I fucking hate this trope.
• Dawn's breakdown in her room was pretty well done.
• Spike's pep talk would be more effective if he didn't sound so resentful about it.
• Shit man, that's also pretty horrifying. Dawn goes to the mental ward to see the people who see her for what she is.
• "There've been a lot of nights I wish ... she didn't exist either." Gosh, Ben, what could you do to achieve this? there must be some thing you could dooooooooooo
• Gasp Ben is Glory, Glory is Ben!
• Nice of Ben to keep a dress for Glory in his locker. Wonder if any of the other interns have noticed.
• So right now Dawn remembers that Ben is Glory, but we know that knowledge will fade away. That was not clear to me on my initial watch, and I was like "WHY ISN'T DAWN TELLING BUFFY THE WHOLE STORY."
• Um. Shenanigans? Buffy takes Spike with her to hunt for Dawn but they don't try to use his enhanced vampire nostrils to track her?
• I think Glory likes playing Kick the Spike.
• Yay good job Willow and Tara! You transported Glory elsewheres.
• "It doesn't matter where you came from, or how you got here. You are my sister. There's no way you could annoy me so much if you weren't."

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "You make a very pretty little girl!" - Anya

Zelda: "It doesn't matter where you came from, or how you got here. You are my sister." - Buffy

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• First appearance: GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT
• Recurring: Joyce, Tara, Knights of Byzantium, Glory and her minions, Olaf's Troll Hammer, Ben
• Buffy's turning 20. So. Still not allowed to drink.
• Glory's immortal, invulnerable, and insane, but being held in a human body is limiting her extended powers and also she's a brain sucker and is crazy.
• All the Scoobies (including Dawn and Spike) know Dawn is the Key. So does Ben.
• Also Ben is Glory.
• Willow did a spell somewhat outside of her power level, and got a nosebleed for her trouble.

Stats:

Anya's Hair - blonde, curly, shoulder-length

Dead Humans - 3

Dead Undeads - 0

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 1

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 1

Apocalypse Called - 0