Spiral

Season 5, Episode 20, Aired
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Episode Summary

Buffy, Willow, Tara, and Dawn narrowly escape from Glory, but only because she is hit by a truck. Buffy and the Scoobies leave Sunnydale in Spike's RV, because Buffy fears that they will never beat Glory.
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • Time to get out of dodge

    8.0
    "Great"
    By joxerlives, Jan 20, 2012 Report Abuse
    SPIRAL

    The Good;
    Buffy fighting medieval knights on top of a mobile home. Again you never get this on Dawson's Creek!

    The Bad;
    Once again the budget can't really keep up with the concept. Also you can see it's a dummy when Buffy carries 'Dawn' (as indeed it is in many scenes at the end of Aliens because Sigourney had hurt her back)

    Best line;
    Xander; We got company and they brought a crusade!

    Jeez!;
    The scene between Dawn and Buffy in the camper van really brings home to you how much her life can 'Suck beyond the telling of it'.

    Kinky dinky;
    The female minion fancies Ben. Shouldn't she fancy other 'hobbits with leprosy?'

    Captain Subtext;
    Xander helps Spike light his cigarette. Dawn observes that Glory has 'nice feet'. Ben observes terrible things happen to good people. Well, they're certainly going to happen to him.

    Guantanamo Bay;
    Gregor captured and occasionally hit by the Scoobs.

    Scoobies to the ER;
    Giles speared. Spike's hands cut.

    Apocalypses; 5,

    Scoobies in bondage: Dawn tied up
    Buffy: 8
    Giles: 4
    Cordy: 5
    Will: 3
    Jenny: 1
    Angel: 4
    Oz: 1
    Faith: 3
    Joyce: 1
    Wes: 1
    Xander; 1
    Dawn; 2

    Scoobies knocked out:
    Buffy: 16
    Giles: 10
    Cordy: 6
    Xander: 8
    Will: 5
    Jenny: 2
    Angel: 6
    Oz: 3
    Faith: 1
    Joyce: 3
    Wes: 1
    Anya;1

    Kills: Buffy kills at least one knight
    Buffy: 95 vamps, 32 demons, 6 monsters, 4 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
    Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon
    Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon
    Will: 6 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: 1 vamp and a demon
    Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
    Buffybot; 1 vamp
    Spike; 1 vamp and 1 demon

    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, Joyce

    Sunnydale deaths;
    89;

    Total number of scoobies: 7 from now on Spike an instrinsic part of the group
    Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Spike

    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
    Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore

    Questions and observations;
    Willow seems to have got over her fear of horses and now doesn't want Buffy to hurt them. Xander doesn't travel well. Anya knows this but you wonder how? I for one agree with Buffy's strategy, they can't fight Glory, Tara's already been hurt, time to get the hell out of dodge! The knights actually seem pretty good guys if they weren't trying to kill Dawn, all they want to do is stop Glory which seems a reasonable idea. But they should have taken Mr Trick's advice and got some Uzis. Of course Gregor is played by the same actor who murdered Tru's mother in Eliza Dushku's show Tru Calling (Riley's friend Forrest also guest starring as did Clare Kramer and Cobie Smulders, the girl who plays Robin on Alysson Hannigan's show How I Met Your Mother). Gregor actually plays the part of Basil Exposition pretty well, Glory knows him so he's survived an encounter with her before. The camper van with the windows blocked out reminds me of the excellent Kathryn Bigelow vampire film Near Dark. Poor Buffy, it really does just keep coming and coming. Why does Ben come to the Scoobs if he knows he's a threat to Dawn? Note both Summers girls have their darkside. Why don't they go to The Council or Angel Investigations for help?
    Marks out of 10; 8/10 for the chase sequence alone
    moreless

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  • Spiral

    10
    "Perfect"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Nov 03, 2010 Report Abuse
    Spiral was a perfect episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer combining urgency, action, drama and humor. This is one of my favorite episodes. It was cool to see Glory using her strengths to get the key. What really made this episode awesome was when Buffy was fighting on top of the mobile home against the Knights of Byzantium. She was in perfect form, and really showcased her abilities. We also saw Willow using some Magic which is always cool. In this episode we learn exactly what the Key is for, and its devestating power. Glory has the Key and the Knights of Byzantium were slaughtered by the Beast, and we were left with Buffy looking like she accepted defeat. I can't wait to watch what happens next!!!!!moreless

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  • Season 5, Episode 20.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Wanted23, Jul 23, 2009 Report Abuse
    Buffy, Dawn, Willow, and Tara narrowly escape Glory's attack at the college. They decide they cannot fight Glory's power, and head out of town in Spike's RV. However, escaping isn't as easy as they think. I liked this episode. The beginning was amazing. I loved it. Plus, Ben is hot. But I liked seeing them in fear and everything. It's the first time that she's ever run away. I like that they waited till the end of this season, considering it was supposed to be the final one. :) The end was so sad! It was like Buffy knew she couldn't help Dawn. :( Good episode. :)moreless

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  • Horsies and Role-playing rejects. Buffy is on a roll!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By alias571, Jul 03, 2009 Report Abuse
    I can't say I like the Renaissance Fair costumes and in my opinion, without them 'Spiral' would have been a much better episode, but nonetheless it's still pretty great. Buffy realizes she may not be able to stop Glory, and tries to escape Sunnydale with Dawn, Spike and the rest of the gang, but that doesn't work out after the funny-dressing people with horses find out their location and vow to kill Dawn.

    The episode has some really amazing scenes and everything I love about Buffy is there. So much happens in it that I don't even know how to begin. Glory gets hit by a truck, Ben thinks about killing Dawn, there's a trailer, crazy people, flaming arrows, a big battle, great fight scenes and big revelations about Glorificus's endgame and her alter-ego Ben. The Buffy writers really outdid themselves on this one and you won't be disappointed, except for the so-bad-it-hurts outfits. The acting is once again great and Michelle Trachtenberg and SMG are really impressive throughout the story. There is also a bit of comedy (yep, Anya again) and even Xander-and-Spike bonding time.

    Awesome episode, as usual.moreless

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  • Buffy and the gang run from Glory...

    8.5
    "Great"
    By dcpgaus, Jun 10, 2009 Report Abuse
    This is an emotionally draining episode - where you feel Buffy may not be able to stop what is coming around the corner...

    She runs from Glory with the rest of the gang because she doesn't know how to stop her. In the caravan, she lies exhausted while the others look concerned about how they will survive. Tara has already become a victim and soon enough Giles is also injured by the knights. Buffy fights off some of these knights but the caravan crashes and everyone hides in an abandoned building. They are attacked again by the knights and only Willow can stop them with a magic barrier. The situation looks more and more desperate as Buffy finds out from the knights leader that Dawn is the key that will allow Glory to open up the demon dimensions and let them spill into theirs...With Giles ill, Tara insane, Spike injured, Willow stressed and everyone else looking scared - Buffy calls Ben to help. But Ben transforms into Glory and takes Dawn. Buffy breaks down when she realises that Dawn is gone too, like her mother and others she has loved...A great episode for Sarah Michelle Gellar displaying a hopeless side of Buffy that we have hardly seen.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • When Buffy goes up through the roof hatch she is facing forward with Spike seen behind her holding the sword blade. The scene changes to outside on the RV roof and suddenly she is turned facing the Knight who stabbed the sword into the roof. Edit
    • When Glory's minions are reading the Runes, you can see that the minion casting the Runes only has makeup covering her hands. Edit
    • When Glory is chasing Buffy and Dawn you can clearly see the "Dawn" Buffy is carrying is a dummy. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Xander:Because that's what we used to kill that big demon that one time! No wait, that-that was a rocket launcher. Xander makes reference to the Judge from Season 2 and the means they used to kill him Edit
    • Despite stating several times, including episodes after this one, that Buffy has never killed a human no matter how bad the circumstance, this episode seems to show otherwise. When Buffy is on the roof of the RV fighting two of the Knights of Byzantium, she throws and axe into the chest of one of the Knights. While the Knights have been known to use magical methods, by all accounts they are only human, so throwing an axe into the chest of one should kill him and end the notion that Buffy has never killed a human. Edit
    • Although it had been suggested before for other Big Bads, this is the first (and only) time that Buffy and the Scoobies actually try to run away and hide from the Big Bad. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Glory: I really hate it when people touch my things. Any last words, slay-runt? Buffy: Just one... Truck. (a truck slams into Glory) Edit
    • Dawn: I think Anya's gonna try to cook. Wanna come watch the tears and recriminations? Edit
    • (Willow puts up a barrier to keep the Knights of Byzantium from getting in) Buffy: Will... how long will it hold? Willow: Half a day, maybe. (She looks out through the wood and sees two people chanting away) Or until Heckle and Jeckle punch a hole through it. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • (Regarding the invisible wall Willow creates to keep the Knights out) Buffy: Wil... how long should it hold? Willow: Half a day... maybe. Or until Heckle and Jeckle punch a hole through it. Heckle and Jeckle are characters from an American cartoon series from the 1950's. They were two magpies and acted a bit like a cross between Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker, two more well-known cartoon characters. Edit
    • Xander: (to Spike) Give it a rest or... you can be undead man walking. This is a play on the term "Dead man walking," a phrase that is used to refer to prisoners on Death Row (sentenced to execution.) It was also the title of a 1995 film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, about a convicted killer on Death Row and nun who befriends him. Edit
    • Anya: We should drop a piano on her. Well, it always works for that creepy cartoon rabbit when he's running from that nice man with the speech impediment.
      The 'creepy cartoon rabbit' in question is Bugs Bunny, and the 'nice man' is Elmer Fudd. Bugs is just one of many Warner Brothers characters who like to drop pianos on their enemies. Edit

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