Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Good;
First appearance of Glory and she's a kick in the head, love her exaggerated creeping up on Buffy and her rambling madness, panto style. Also clever the way Dawn is actually a little menacing when remarking to Buffy that Joyce will be home soon, is the tea she offers her mother poisoned we wonder for a moment? But the very last scene is beyond beautiful, Buffy stroking Dawn's hair for the first time, the way the Summer's girls seem to express physical affection for one another. Giles' wizard outfit and Anya's skill as a salesgirl are also great. Like the little Anya/Giles moment when they reminisce about the sorcerer. Spike has a small role but it's fried gold.

The Bad;
Not much although it seems to be mighty convenient that the building just collapses on Glory.

Best line;
Spike; (explaining why he's outside the Summer's house in five words or less) OUT-FOR-A-WALK....BITCH!

Women good/men bad;
Nope, female villain time. In fact couldn't Buffy have made a little more effort to make Riley feel needed? Riley's slow fall is agony to watch. Ben comments that Buffy has some serious muscles for a girl.

Jeez!;
Brainsucking for the first time and it's HORRIBLE!

Kinky dinky;
Spike starts stalking Buffy. Joyce wonders if a 14 year old Dawn could be pregnant? When Dawn asks what Buffy is doing in her room she replies 'My boyfriend'!!!! Glory thinks the stutter is sexy (look out Tara?)

Captain Subtext;
Joyce comments that Buffy is so grown up, we'll she's going to need to be.

Guantanamo Bay;
The poor monk tied to the chair and tortured

Scoobies to the ER;
No but Buffy goes to get Joyce's medication.

Apocalypses; 5,

Scoobies in bondage:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 3
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 1
Dawn; 1

Scoobies knocked out:
Buffy: 15
Giles: 10
Cordy: 6
Xander: 8
Will: 5
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;1

Kills:
Buffy: one vamp for Buffy so 86 vamps, 29 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon
Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon
Will: 4 vamps
Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 5 vamps, 2 zombies, a demon, a demon
Anya: a demon
Riley; 12 vamps + 7 demons

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 2
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 3

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 6
Giles: 3
Cordy: 1
Will: 2
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 3

Recurring characters killed: 9
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara

Sunnydale deaths;
83;

Total number of scoobies: 7
Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Riley

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Cordy: 1?
Buffy: 3 confirmed; Angel, Parker,Riley, 1 possible, Dracula(?)
Angel: 1;Buffy
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara

Questions and observations;
Glory whines about having to live in our reality. Well if you don't like it you can go to hell baby! (or go back there?). That said I think Clare Kramer does a wonderful job as Glory especially when she's acting insane (apparently she's a great friend of ED although they never have any scenes together much as Marc Blucas was a good friend of Christian Kane) Joyce refers to Dawn as 'little-pumpkin belly'. Buffy never had a pet name (except for Sleepyhead?) and never got piano lessons either (Will can play). Anyone else think that the monk on the run from Glory looks an awful lot like a young Lance Henrikson (Aliens, Terminator)? Dawn seems to have inherited Xander's big mouth. Buffy wears a very demonic looking t-shirt? Glory asks Buffy 'Can you fly?', the same words Angel uses in his pilot (and in Robocop)
Marks out of 10; 8/10

No Place Like Home was a great episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We are introduced to the Beast, and find out that Dawn is not all she seems. This episode also saw the Grand Opening of the Magic Box under Giles's ownership. I really enjoyed watching this episode as there was a lot of plot and character development. There were some interesting twists and turns that answer and ask questions. I look forward to learning more and seeing what happens next. Buffy also discovers a mysterious orb which is meant to repel Ancient Unspeakable Evil, so it should be fascinating to find out more about that as well!

Buffy finally gets the “big surprise” that she was “in for”. I’m glad that there have only been three episodes since the badly bewigged monks made the key into the whiny brat at the exact same moment Buffy walked into her room. To drag out the not knowing until the middle of the season would have been tedious



So this week’s mystical MacGuffin is a paranormally glowy ball which Buffy comes to suspect is harming Joyce. The other thing she thinks is hurting Joyce, or at least Buffy’s relationship with her mum, is Dawn. She is left out and annoyed at Joyce & Dawn’s book-club and pet names and li’l sis taking credit for Buffy’s breakfast. Despite Willow’s “natural empathy” with another “big spazz”, Buffy is only irritated by Dawn and her big mouth (telling Riley that Buffy thinks he’s “cute” when he’s all “weak and kitteny”) and her dyspraxia. She complains that she wants to be an only child, a hint towards the conclusion of the episode.



The B-story is the wholly successful opening of the magic shop. Despite our expectations that it will fail, Giles soon finds out that he preferred it “when demons would just crash in here and tear the place apart. It was much simpler”. At least he didn’t have to wear the magician’s coat the whole day – Buffy's silent admonition of him is funnier than any quip. Fortunately he has a saviour in “bitter” Anya who, despite having replaced “Have A Nice Day” with “Please Go” in the shopgirls’ lexicon, has discovered, via the Game of Life, that money is fun and is turning into the Mr Krabs of Sunnydale. Also providing the comic relief is Spike who has either taken up chain smoking or has been hanging ‘round the Summers’ residence for a good few hours on his way from “one part of town to another”. His sweet ‘n’ shy “Hi Buffy” is compounded by his teen-insults: “I never liked you anyway. And you have stupid hair”. He remembers that he has to keep up appearances and insult the slayer; when she asks him to explain his presence in five words, he tells her: “Out for a walk. B*tch. This delicious slice of Spike shows that he is not fighting his new feelings for Buffy, as well as pointing the way forward for their burgeoning non-relationship.



Meanwhile, Buffy is investigating her mom’s illness as she gets it into her head that the blethering brain-sucked security guard has given her a clue: a demon is attacking Joyce remotely in order to get to the Slayer. Buffy’s monstrous ego, once again. This of course lets the viewers, who know Dawn shouldn’t be there, think that it’s Buffy’s fake sister who’s distressing Joyce. This leads to Buffy’s trip, skilfully shot and brilliantly revealing. Her druggy spell is similar to mental illness as she sees how things ought to be – she views her life as it was in Seasons 1-4, before Dawn was photoshopped into the family portraits. Interestingly, we don’t see Dawn removed entirely from Sunnydale life, but flickering in and out; the two possible worlds. The duality is also shown in there being two possible explanations for Dawn’s behaviour from this point. On one hand, she is a malevolent presence, trying to interrupt Buffy’s spell, telling Buffy “do you really think I care you’re the Slayer?” making threats about Joyce coming home and bringing a cup of Evil Tea to her mom. On the other, she is just a brat, a typical teenager, which is what Buffy discovers when she visits the abandoned warehouse and finds the monk who provides the big reveal – Dawn has a bigger purpose than Buffy, but she knows nothing about it; she is an innocent, a child, someone who above all is to be protected. She doesn’t know that she is the key to unlock the door between this world and Glory’s.



Also interesting is the fact that Buffy is wrong about Joyce. The Dagonsphere isn’t harmful, a demon isn’t hurting Joyce, and Dawn is not evil. This, and Joyce lying prone on the sofa, is a foreshadowing of Joyce’s death and Buffy being unable to do anything about it. Joyce tells Buffy that she is “still the mom”, but Buffy feels responsible for Joyce and by the end of the episode, she is responsible for Dawn as well - as a big sister and as a Slayer. Buffy always felt the dichotomy between being the chosen one and life as a teenage girl, but now we see that she must deal with other responsibilities besides her slaying duties. Her slayer-sense telling her that something wasn’t right coupled with her antagonistic feelings towards Dawn made her believe that Dawn was the new bad, but now she must learn to be a sister – and we have the first of many hair-stroking sessions.



As the monks quiver before the Beast, we are finally introduced to this Season’s Big Bad - a valley girl with a predilection for red dresses and ultra-violence. She is the good cop and bad cop in one, she is hysterical solipsism in action; she is the 50 foot woman. She is also copied wholesale at the end of Angel S4 which also had an un-named Goddess from another dimension who needed to suck people dry to survive. The chick-fight that Buffy can’t win is only halted by Glory breaking a heel and the warehouse floor. Will she back? I reckon so.

Buffy is confident that there is a supernatural source behind her mother's illness after doctor's cannot determine what is wrong with her. When she tries a spell to let her see magical influences, Buffy sees far more than she had planned.



Sarah Michelle Gellar, once again, looked hot in this episode. Emma Caulfield looked good too, as did Alyson Hannigan. This was a very good episode with appearances. Anyway, I liked when Buffy cast the spell and saw all of Dawn's pictures disappear. I liked Buffy flipping out on Dawn because she thought she was evil. Great episode. I'm surprised Buffy hasn't staked Spike yet. Great episode. Dawn is the Key! And not really Buffy's sister! Amazing episode! :)

No Place Like Home is a brilliant episode and vastly underrated. It contains a lot of shocks, surprises and some fantastic acting. The season really begins here and from now on doesn't slow down once, making it my favourite seaoson of TV ever.



The start of the episode is a bit slow and that is perhaps the only downside. The fight was quite good with some nice puns from Buffy and the introduction to the Dagon Sphere. This little crystal ball may seem quite insignificant now but it is eventually used in the war against Glory later on in the season. I actually like it when little things come into play during big events, as it really makes you feel that the writers really know what they're doing.



The Joyce arc is continued a little bit here with Joyce still suffering from terrible headaches. I really love this arc as it's so sad and the fact that it really happens in the real world makes it all the more hard hitting. Buffy tackles big problems brilliantly as always.



However, the Dawn/Glory arc really kicks off here and it does so excellently. Seeing huge metal doors being kicked down and a small, slender, beautiful woman comes walking forward with a big smile on her face was a shock, as we are expecting a huge monster. Some people didn't like Clare Kramer as Glory but I thought she was magnificent. She could do funny one moment and then slip into complete madness the next. I do wish she had done things a little more crazy but I'm for the most part happy with her performance.



Glory screaming for The Key was good scene and there was really no doubt about who or what The Key is. The bit where Glory starts rambling on and on and then eventually brain sucks the guard was great. Clare Kramer played the madness just right and the way Glory just reverted back to normal personality right after was a good touch also.



Buffy's trance sequence was an amazing scene. The effects were done extremely well; it actually looked like she was in a trance. The beautiful singing in the background worked very well and the quiet whispers really gave the scene a great mystical feel. Buffy walking slowly around in a daze was good and the bit where she sees the photos of her, Dawn and Joyce and Dawn is fading away in them was really awesome. It is one of my favourite scenes of the entire show.



The scenes with Giles and the gang provided some good comedic relief. Anya was hilarious as always (I love her "If you wrapped it with feet" comment) and there were some nice Xander/Anya scenes. Spike waiting outside Buffy's house for hours and his and Buffy's conversation is quite a famous moment, due to his hilarious "Out. For. A. Walk... B-tch." line.



The fight scene with Buffy/Glory was well done as it showcased Glory's huge strength and her complete lack of caring towards Buffy. The way she just completely overpowered her and then caused the entire building to collapse by just stomping on the ground was very impressive.



The following scenes with Buffy and the monk were great and you could see Buffy's confusion and fear perfectly. Sarah was fantastic and the last scene between Buffy and Dawn was excellent and a nice sister moment.



No Place Like Home is a really great episode- shocking, emotional and it really advances the storylines further. The writers pulled it off perfectly and it is definitely not to be missed.

No Place Like Home-When doctors cannot determine why Joyce is sick, Buffy is convinced that the cause must be supernatural. When she tries a spell to let her see magical influences, Buffy sees far more than she had planned.



Only 5 episodes into the season and this episode already introduces the main story arc as well as the big bad who is quite the character. It's about time we had female big bad to challenge Buffy's female empowerment and Glory was a great choice. Clare Kramer (Bring It On) is beyond entertaining as the crazed hell god and I love how surprising it is when you think this Beast is something huge and ugly-looking when it turns out it's this high heel wearing blonde chick. Glory immediately shows she's also one of the most powerful villains of the series when she fights Buffy. We've seen Buffy get her a$$ed kicked but Glory sent her flying across the room mutiple times like a rag doll! Also, her brain sucking power looks pretty painful!



The highlight of the episode is Buffy's trance spell and how it shows her that Dawn isn't real. The special effects were stunning as any object involving Dawn or Dawn herself would fade in and out reality. The revelation that Dawn is the key is well written not to mention a brilliant plot development and Dawn's appearence makes complete sense. The ending scene is quite touching as Buffy takes full responsiblity for Dawn, and cares more about her sister than she did before. "No Place Likie Home" is a great episode with great new villains and developments that begins to craft a wonderful story arc.

This is the beginning of why season 5 is so freakin' fantastic. Some big questions are answered here, and a lot are raised and continue to elude in this exceptionally crafted episode. First, and most importantly, we learn why Dawn Summers exists in the Buffy universe. I didn't watch this when it was broadcast on television, but I can only imagine the frustrations by countless viewers of the inclusion of Michelle Trachtenberg. In my opinion, the idea of Dawn and the gimmick of just throwing her into the mix without explanation is fairly brilliant. What a way to generate interest through frustration. I'm sure folks were tuning in just to find out who this new annoying character was... hoping each new weak would yield an answer. Of course, my biggest problem with this gimmick is all Trachtenberg. She's almost unwatchable. Sure, any "little sister" character can dance on the nerves a bit, but the way Trachtenberg portrays Dawn is so poorly conceived and acted. That said, I still love the storyline.



!!!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!



Dawn is 'the key'. She's a big ball o' mystical energy being sought by an evil God who wants to lay waste to humankind. Some crusty monks took that mystical ball of energy and forged it into Michelle Trachtenberg. Yuck. Anyway, those funky monks implanted false memories into everyone in Sunydale about Dawn's existence, hence leaving their "key" under the protection of the Slayer. This is also the introduction of Glory, the God in search of her "key". After a lackluster big-bad for Season 4, Glory is a return to form with a big-mouthed, bat-crap crazy villain. In one of the many examples of brilliant thought on this show, Glory is personified as an attractive 20-something who is just as interested in her wardrobe as she is in world domination. She's like a mystical Lex Luthor with breasts.



This, like the score I gave it, is a superb episode and begins a long and hard journey for the Scooby gang. for us, the audience, this formula equals quality entertainment.



HIGHLIGHTS: Buffy's "vision-quest" she takes to discover what's ailing her mother that in turn allows her to find out what Dawn is... Buffy then semi-flipping out on Dawn and getting physical "You're NOT my sister!"... Buffy and Glory's first encounter where Buffy gets her arse kicked-in... and Anya's hilarious turn as an employee at the Magic Shop: "Please go."

I think most of us were a little weirded out at the totally unmentioned addition of Dawn at the start of this season. Fortunately, we only had to wait a few episodes to learn the reason for Dawn's random appearance. After the episode last season where Jonathan altered everyone's memories to make himself be badass, the Dawn storyline isn't too much of a stretch. Now, we get the intriguing drama of Dawn's humanity while also being "the key". Plus, we're introduced to the new bad guy (or girl, rather), and Spike humorously falls for Buffy. Does it really get any better? I think this episode is a great setup for the season 5 (albeit a few episodes into the season...).

This is the episode where we finally learn the truth about Dawn. While out on patrol near an abandoned building Buffy finds a strange item, an orb. Later the same security guard who pointed the orb out to Buffy and came in contact with it turns up in the hospital crazy leading Buffy to believe that there may be something magical making her mother sick, after the doctor's still can not figure out what is wrong with her. In doing a spell she searches for what can be hurting her but see's something else instead, something about Dawn.



When she returns to where she first found the orb she rescues a monk for the unknown crazy women (we meet her briefly a the start of the episode) keeping him hostage, the woman we come to know as Glory. After just barely getting away, thanks to some luck, from the super strong woman Buffy and the monk talk. He tells her the truth about Dawn, that she is the key in human form sent to her for protection but that Dawn doesn't know any of this. She only knows that she is Buffy's kid sister, nothing about what she was. But she's not Buffy's sister.

The arguments between Dawn and Buffy were pretty real:) Many sisters live that way. Buffy was jealoused Dawn 'cos she was Joyce's little baby and Buffy would want to have a relationship like them.

After Spike's love revealed in last episode, there was a little part of it too:) One of the best Buffy quotes : "Out... For... A... Walk... B*TCH" :D It was so funny.

Glory came in and i was 'woo hoo' because i like Glory:) She's cool, strong and evil. Buffy and she fought and i loved it... They both were great and i was so pleased to watch them together.

Buffy learnt that Dawn wasn't her real sister but she didn't feel that way and couldn't tell her the fact.

season 5 is a very good season and it is all thanks to episodes like this one. buffy goes under a trance because she thinks that someone is hurting her mom but she finds out that way that her little sister is not her sister at all. it is a key made by monks to be protected. the episode is very well written and introduced the goddess glory. this is why i watch this show.

This episode fills us in on several things that we'll be dealing with this season: Dawn's place in the series, the Big Bad and what she wants (what do you know, it's NOT to open the Hellmouth), and the medical drama surrounding Joyce. Finally we have another step toward Riley's exit as he is feeling more shut out than ever. Buffy's keeping secrets and he knows it, but she won't open up to him (its about Dawn and she not even ready to tell the Scoobies).





The episode is well written, making Dawn seem sinister and with ulterior motives, playing on the last few seconds of 'Real Me' when she wrote in her diary that Buffy was in for a shock. As it turns out, they're both in for a shock and its going to be a painful realization for Dawnie herself.





The new big bad appears to just be a lady with fine taste in clothing, but she handily beats Buffy without breaking a sweat. This makes us want to know more about what 'The Beast' really is and sets us up for the season. The scenes with Buffy doing her trance looking for the cause of Joyce's illness are interestingly shot and sound effect-ed. It's a great sequence; and watching everything with Dawnie going weird just helps racket the tensions up for the audience who knew that Joss MUST have been up to something when he suddenly introduced a sister we never heard of before. This is a great episode.

So we meet Glory for the first time, introduced to concepts about the Key, Dawn, and the monks. SPOILER: later we find out that Glory is the one that is sucking the brain life out of people, turning them into crazys that can see right thru reality.



So we see that the security guard went crazy, and possibily due to Glory. He says, \"They\'ll come at you thru your family\". At first Buffy thinks its causing her mom\'s illness, but later we find out that it probably means Dawn.



Here\'s my question - How would the crazy\'s know about Dawn and how she\'s buffy\'s sister? They would only know she is the key when they see her. He was only talking to Buffy. Also, who\'s \"they\"? Because nothing BAD is happening to buffy because of Dawn. Doesn\'t really make sense.

Much like the fourth season, the fifth season gets off to a relatively slow start. Sure, Dawn is introduced at the end of the premiere, and some of the seeds are planted for the character arcs, but it takes five episodes for the actual season arc to start in earnest. Rather than drag out revelations about Dawn, the writers answer the key question (no pun intended) in relatively straightforward fashion. One of the best aspects of this revelation is how little it explains. Several huge questions linger and await resolution.



The teaser is a particularly good beginning, because events are finally given a wider canvas. One of the issues with the fifth season, in terms of how it began, is the pacing. The story remains focused on the small scale of character relationships. This opens up the idea of a secret order of monks, trying to preserve something of great power, and thus immediately giving the plot more of an impact.



That doesn’t mean that the character development is set aside. The best aspects of “Buffy” are often realized when the plot arc provides the impetus for deep character exploration. That’s where the metaphors and themes play the predominant role. The monsters and situations are often metaphorical because the source of the angst and drama is incidental; it’s the changes and reactions to each challenge that drives the show.



In this case, Joyce and her questionable health remains at the forefront. At this stage, the viewers have every reason to believe that the cause is something unusual, since nearly everything in the Buffyverse falls in that category. The idea of a “real world” malady striking someone down was unheard of, so Buffy’s thought process is rational from her unique perspective. Given the information she has, and her own emotional distress, what other assumption would she make?



Giles is also continuing on his path, trying to restore a sense of purpose through his new business (complete with hilarious costume!) and his renewed mentoring of Buffy. Just as Joyce and her troubles would never go away, so will Giles’ recognition of his growing dissatisfaction play a part in the rest of the season.



Riley’s worries over his “normal” physical status are reflected in Buffy’s off-screen comments and his own lack of confidence. While this is a logical plot progression for Riley, it does not serve the character well, once again reinforcing the notion that he should have left Sunnydale once his purpose in the fourth season was fulfilled. (He does provide the writers with an easy way to reinforce the sub-theme of loss and isolation that helps define Buffy in the fifth season, but it’s still what killed the character for many.)



In the middle of all this, there’s the follow-up on Spike’s realization at the end of the previous episode that he has a growing obsession with Buffy. In keeping with his character, he approaches this situation with passive-aggressive loathing. Standing outside of Buffy’s house, pining away for someone who hates him with a passion, is exactly the sort of thing the human William would have done. This is a nice foreshadowing of the revelations to come.



This episode is notable for the introduction of Glory, played by the lovely Clare Kramer. The idea of making the Big Bad a hottie is hardly new, especially after the third season and Faith, but that was not the most controversial aspect of the choice. It was more a matter of the writers’ decision to have Glory act like a spoiled brat. Initially, many fans were annoyed and disappointed in Glory for that very reason.



Of course, in retrospect, it makes sense. If the season is about the dichotomy within personality and issues of self-identity, then this fits very well into the theme (especially given later revelations about Glory and Ben). If Buffy has something within her that is non-human (and at this point, there were hints that the Chosen line had demonic origins), then Glory is effectively the demon within, unleashed and seeking dominion. And what is the key to that dominion? None other than an aspect of Buffy’s human side, rendered flesh and blood.



The spell that Buffy performs is simply a plot device, a means of getting Buffy to the point where she realizes that something is up with Dawn and that things have changed. As a means of communicating intent to the audience, it is also effective. Those who felt that Dawn was a complete violation of continuity were granted a quick and immediate rebuttal. Yet there was also the possibility, laid out in “The Real Me”, that Dawn was something sinister, and that played into the spell’s effects and Buffy’s assumptions perfectly.



By the end of the episode, Buffy is placed in a position of responsibility that portends her role in Dawn’s life by the end of the season. More to the point, Buffy comes to the conclusion that she must protect Dawn as an “innocent”. Metaphorically, if Dawn was created out of the part of Buffy that is completely human, then Buffy is protecting the manifestation of her own innocence and humanity. Seen within that context, her choice at the end of the season is practically inevitable: the Slayer sacrificing herself for the Human.



The other interesting side to Glory is her method of maintaining “sanity”. Glory is effectively a “mental stability vampire”. She uses humans as something of a food source, and without that replenishment, she begins to unravel. That level of analogy makes her just another kind of vampire, and thus the perfect enemy for Buffy to counter, while still on a completely new level of power.



With the plot elements getting the ball rolling on the season arc, interspersed with character shading and a ton of metaphor, this episode is one of the highlights of the early fifth season. Another stage in Buffy’s development is achieved, and the pieces are in place for her sacrifice in the season finale.

‘No Place Like Home’ continues the fifth season and gives it a direction very early, but it works extremely well.



This episode reveals Dawn’s true identity and to do that we meet a new creature, a blond girl who is Cordelia-esque. Buffy feels very neglected because her mom Joyce is spending all her time with Dawn, when Buffy meets a guard who turned out to be crazy next day and tells her that someone will come to Buffy through her family, she decides to do a spell and is sure that Joyce is being hurt by someone.



There is also a new villain, very sexy and sassy, her name is The Beast. She captured a priest that was doing a spell at the beginning of the episode, all the others are dead. She tortures him and wants some kind of key and goes insane, her cure are people by sucking out their brains and making them just as insane. When Buffy goes to do her spell to find out if someone is really hurting her mom, she comes into some sort of trance but she doesn’t seem to be able to see something hurting Joyce, but she does see something strange about Dawn, everything that’s her keeps disappearing and appearing, she believes that it’s Dawn who is doing something to Joyce and that she is not her sister. First Buffy gets a call form Giles and goes to the place she found a ball, there she finds the monk and tries to save him but gets slapped by Glory and beaten up, it’s their first great fight but Buffy escapes with the monk and Glory gets buried under a building because of her own fault./



The best scene of the episode was when the monk broke down and died in Buffy’s arms, before doing that he tells her about Dawn, that she is a key and doesn’t exist. But Buffy has to protect her now because she is innocent and doesn’t know that she’s not real.



This episode was absolutely brilliant, it continued Riley’s storyline of feeling underappreciated by Buffy and Joyce’s illness. Also Giles opening the magic shop and having Anya very into it, she gets her own job there.



The last scene was Buffy apologizing to Dawn for mistreating her and Dawn says that she believes Buffy is the one who isn’t her sister. The chemistry and sister love was beautiful and how Dawn asked about her mother. A very effective episode that is the beginning of the season’s mythology.

although the gift is by far the best episode of season 5, this episode sets the who thing up, it introduces glorey(yay!!!!!!) and it also informs us about dawns 'real' origins. i love the episode because you also see the grand opening of the magic box, and anya getting her first job, and the intro of glory (woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!) i think glory is the best villain on the show (with angelus in a close second) (and all those people who get the buffy magazine seem to agree with me as glory was voted the best buffy villain!!!) and not to mention, i love glory!!!!!! (btw my name 'ggoh' stands for glory god of hell if you were wondering)

I loved this episode, basically from the middle to the end. When you hear the moks talking about "the beast" you think it will be some big monster, but it wasn't. When those large metal doors ge pounded down and a women in a red dress and high heels is standing there, it was amazing. even though you really don't know who or what Clare Kramer's character is... she played the character to be funny and dangerous. It was perfect. Her lines were funny and she knocked Buffy around as if she was a twig. Great episode!!

For better or for worse, "No Place Like Home" is the moment where Season Five commits full-bore to concentrating on a single main storyline for the rest of the year. While Season Four was much criticized for its disjoint, hit-and-miss nature, brilliant one week and silly the next, "Buffy" just doesn't do serial as well as its sister show "Angel." Maybe it's because "Buffy" has always worked best when it puts themes ahead of plot, while "Angel" has been the opposite. Maybe it's just because the central villain for Season Five just doesn't prove to have depth commensurate to the amount of screen time she's granted.



Seeing as "No Place Like Home" marks her introduction, let's take a moment to compare and contrast Glory/Glorificus with the Big Bads that have preceded her. What is it that makes Glory less interesting? Well, for one thing, she doesn't develop. At all. Season 3's mayor built alliances with secondary villains with independent motivations -- Faith, Mr. Trick, even Principal Snyder. Season 4's Adam was set up as some sort of demon messiah, and when he was first introduced he acted against expectations, killing his creator Dr. Walsh. Season 2 saw a whole shifting cast of villains with changing alliances -- Spike, Drusilla, and Angel/Angelus.



Adam was created to have an interest in constantly improving himself. The Mayor seemed to crave love and outside approval as much as the high school students he wanted to eat. And of course Angelus's perverse obsession with causing pain to Buffy is an essay unto itself. Glory, on the other hand, is an open book. In Episode 5 of Season 5, we find out that she is powerful, crazy, and wants the key. In Episode 22? Still powerful, still crazy, still wants the key. They don't begin to appear until "Shadow," but her boring, fawning scabby minions make things worse. How many static, repetitive scenes of the little trolls falling over themselves in praise of their goddess do we have to take? The only real conflict Glory has is with Ben, whom of course she can't actually speak to in person but only by proxy through the annoying scabby ones. Did nobody at Mutant Enemy think this through?



All of this has little bearing on the standalone quality of "No Place Like Home," though. Viewed in isolation, Glory's introduction is pretty effective. After the suggestion in the teaser of a huge, monstrous beast, the later reveal of a tiny girl in a stunning cocktail dress works great assuming you don't already know all that is to come. The other thread here, the beautifully filmed revelation that Dawn is not really Buffy's little sister, works just great. Even the sad little scene where Buffy asks Riley to help her light incense just so he'll feel like he's helping fits.



Although they don't long hold the secret that Dawn is indeed a benevolent entity, the writers do allow a little giveaway here. Given that her mother may be dying, would Buffy really run off and leave "Dawn" alone at the house after discovering she's not really what she seems? It certainly doesn't seem in keeping with Buffy's behavior in, oh, every episode before this one. Why wouldn't Buffy immediately accelerate to extreme slayage? Why, only because the writers know that Dawn isn't actually evil.



"No Place Like Home" is an episode that seems pretty solid at first glance, but really doesn't hold up to repeated viewings. Since it depends entirely on three major surprises -- Joyce's tumor, Glory's entrance, and Dawn's true identity -- seeing it again when you know how all that stuff pays off just isn't as exciting. Plus, whose idea was it to give such a lengthy piece of important exposition to a monk with a nearly impenetrable accent?