Buffy the Vampire Slayer

THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

The Good;
The dream sequence is wonderful, nice scene between Doc and Xander/Spike too. Love the forgetting Glory joke (as did the writers of Dr Who).

The Bad;
Very much a standing still sort of ep but hinting at better things to come. If Doc could tell that Joyce had good DNA from a hair off Dawn's head then surely he'd realise she was the Key? (Glory can tell it by tasting Tara's blood)

Best line;
Dawn "I want to go home" (AAAAWWWWWW!)

Jeez!;
Dawn hostage is horrible. Buffy in her dream smothering Dawn is UTTERLY horrible! Killing Dawn is unthinkable.

Kinky dinky;
Spike says he thinks Buffy likes it rough. How right he will be proved to be!

Captain Subtext;
Again Glory seems to have some genuine rapport/attraction with her Key. Glory says that she and Dawn need 'Girl time' and 'big girl fun'.

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: 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: 94 vamps, 32 demons, 6 monsters, 3 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: a demon
Riley; 18 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: 10
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce

Sunnydale deaths;
89;

Total number of scoobies: 6
Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara,

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;
Different little Buffy this time and I think she's a much better match, if you've ever seen the burger ads she really does resemble 6 year old SMG. Lovely to see Joyce and Hank again, lovely to see the first meeting between Buffy and Dawn and what she means to Buffy. We see Glory try to bring her worldly goods with her to her home dimension, humanity working on demons once again. Willow in charge once more foretelling season 6. Glory actually uses Dawn's catchphrase 'Get out!'
So Ben, good guy, bad guy? Hard to judge but ultimately a bad guy with some sympathetic qualitities. Maybe in the end Ben is influenced by his Glory side to be evil?
Marks out of 10; 7/10

The Weight of the World-Despite their best efforts, Glory has succeeded in taking Dawn. This failure after so much effort proves too much for Buffy and she slips into a catatonic state. Willow must use magick to enter her mind and help her work through the trauma before it is too late to save Dawn. Or the rest of the world.



Being the penultimate episode of the series, "The Weight of The World" ironically has it's own weight to carry by leading into the finale. "The Weight of The World" is often seen as an episode that drags given some slow scenes and the overall feelings of pointlessness of the hour. But I for one, liked this episode a lot. Willow's mini-adventure into Buffy's mind is nifty and has some cool, surreal moments. Although, I do agree the repeated senario scenes inside Buffy do get tedious and tiresome, making you wish that part of the episode would get to the point. But the big reveal behind Buffy's comatouse state is heartbreaking as she admits that she once wanted Glory to win and let Dawn die for it all to be over. It's shocking for Buffy to think that way, yet at the same time, how couldn't she. After losing so much this season, it's understandable that she would feel defeated and hopeless. But Willow's speech was inspiring and loved how she rejuvenated Buffy's sense of responsiblity.



The other half of the episode is Glory preparing Dawn for her to bleed. The inner struggle between Glory and Ben is fascinating, especially the great switching effects between Ben and Glory as each other try to take control. It's a shame that Ben chose to help Glory in the end, instead of trying to develop the character more than just a plot and more as a character trying to seek redemption, he turns out to be a gullible fool in the end. Also, the continuing gag throughout the episode where everyone keeps forgetting Glory is Ben and Spike getting irritated by their stupidity is priceless. "The Weight of the World" is a great set piece that leads into the finale very well giving a sense of dread as Giles' last words to Buffy in the episode is "the only way is to kill Dawn".

The Weight of the World was a superb episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Weight of the World has finally crushed Buffy's spirit and she falls into a catatonic state after losing Dawn. This episode was so interesting and dream like. I really enjoyed watching and trying to figure out what was going on in Buffy's mind. It was cool to see Willow take control and give the gang assignments while she works on helping Buffy. There was a lot of character development in this episode. In the end Buffy comes out of it and starts planning her next move. I can't wait to watch the final episode of this season!!!!

Glory has captured Dawn. Buffy, after all of her efforts have failed, enters a catatonic state. Willow attempts to enter Buffy's thoughts in an attempt to get her back to normal in time to rescue Dawn.



This episode was pretty good. I liked the whole Willow in Buffy's thoughts thing. Little Buffy was so adorable when Joyce brought Dawn home! :) Plus, Ben is hot. Haha. It was really weird watching Buffy kill Dawn in her dream. I was really hoping Ben would help Dawn escape, but then it wouldn't be interesting. That old guy that helped Dawn with the resurrection was sooo weird. Like weirdness overdose. Anyway, good episode.

'The Weight of the World' is the last episode before the end of Season 5. In it, Buffy goes into a catatonic state after realizing she might have killed her sister by not trying too hard and Willow goes inside her mind to bring her back. Meanwhile, the magic that allows Ben and Glory to share the same body starts to fade and they must deal with their actions and its consequences.



The episode is not as action packed as the previous episodes are, but I love how it let us understand Glory's decisions and brings us closer to her, in a nice contrast to Buffy's mind, which we also take a look at. Clare Kramer is brilliant here and she makes you love Glory even more when she shows us her human side. I lover her confrontation with Ben and her takes on us mortals and our feelings. Is it weird that some of the stuff she says makes sense to me?



In the episode we also have Buffy's mind and even though not entertaining as Glory's, it's great to see the things she has been going through and how it has been affecting her. Alyson Hannigan is great as Willow in her efforts to bring Buffy back and I love to see her in charge of the Scooby gang. There's also a special appearance by Kristine Sutherland!



A good episode but not A+ material especially in the final part of the season.

Buffy's catatonic state is wholly justified, this is the only episode where I have been happy because Buffy was sad. I mean if she never had, as Willow later calls it, her 'coma,' we probably would not have explored the surreal mind of the Slayer! And that would have been a crying shame! Whedon has gotten that good that he can have his protagonist simply put a book back on a shelf and have it mean something extremely significant, that along with implanted memories, fake manifestations and a Hell God on the verge of a serious split personality breakdown... you can't go wrong!

In which Joss, Doug and the gang turn a problem (SMG needing to be away filming the first Scooby Doo film) into an opportunity – for Willow to shine, as a Wicca, as a temporary leader, as a clear thinker: she organises the Scoobs, warns Spike not to try payback against Glory, helps Buffy wake up and, at the end, tells her to "snap out of it".



Spike is still a bad boy, slapping the slayer to arouse her ("Slayer likes it rough"), smoking under a no-smoking sign, stealing medicine, smacking Xander upside the head, but fortunately he is the only one who can remember the Glory/Ben connection. Xander also shines especially when he teams up with Spike and "kills" Doc, gaining the magic box for their endeavours; at this stage, a magic box might still change everything or a spell will be cast or Ben will kill Glory or a miracle will happen and Dawn and the world will be saved.



Buffy is catatonic; she can no longer run away physically, so she runs away mentally. She sits in a mental coma as the action happens around her. Her state is also a plot device to hold off the action until next week; similarly Glory's "infection" by Ben's humanity also slows down the story as she struggles with feelings of guilt towards what she intends to do with Dawn. I can't help feeling that the monks did a bad job in turning the key into a human, how would Glory bleed a bicycle? Similarly, as the cloak fades, Ben becomes contaminated by Glory and his good boy persona changes into something more evil. Dawn senses this and knocks him out, little knowing that Ben being weakened makes Glory stronger. The argument with Ben and Glory morphing into and arguing with each other is inspired and makes them appear like the crazy people they've been creating and trying to cure (or sometimes kill). The madmen meanwhile finally have a purpose – to build the tower for Glory's return to her world. Glory tempts Ben with the promise (or lie) of guilt-free immortality, to be a god in her world. Choosing between this and nothingness, he has no choice: "It's you or me," he tells Dawn.



In the last ep, we saw the parallels between Ben and Dawn (and in this, Glory echoes Dawn when she shrieks: "Get out get out get out!" to the anointing priest), now we see the similarities between Ben and Buffy. Both have a destiny that they didn't choose but have to live within, both facing the decision to kill Dawn, one to save himself, the other to save the world – this latter being the Slayer's role. At the beginning of this season, Buffy wanted to know more about the Slayer side of herself, but after her mother's death, she only wanted to regain her humanity. We see that to feel guilt is human, Glory doesn't feel it, Ben is trying to shake it off to be a god, and Buffy is paralysed by it. As Willow goes into her mind, we see Buffy wanting to retreat to responsibility-free childhood: "Don't you want to be the big sister?" asks Joyce. "No, I want to be the baby" Buffy replies. Along with her destiny, Buffy didn't ask to be a big sister, real or not. But soon love overcomes her desire for childhood: "I could be the one to look after her," she says of Dawn. The next memory shows Buffy trying to make sense of the "Death is your gift" message from TFS. Buffy believes that death is "all I am" and we see Joyce's grave, alluding to Buffy's residual guilt over her mother's death. She couldn't stop her mom dying and she thinks she has killed Dawn by failing to stop Glory taking her. The other scene in her catatonia is Buffy returning a book in the magic shop, we learn the significance of this as Buffy wakes up. In that moment she knew: "I can't beat Glory. Glory's going to win." This is not the worst of it however: "In that second of knowing, I wanted it to happen. I wanted it over. All of this. It's too much for me….I killed Dawn. My thinking it made it happen. Some part of me wanted it". Buffy is talking about her responsibilities towards Dawn but of course this also relates to her slayer self. We've seen how unwilling she has been to fight and be around death since Joyce died and, in the last ep, her resignation towards fighting the knights. If Glory won then Buffy, for the first time, would have failed. Her slayerness would be under threat, maybe even rescinded. Could Buffy have a normal life without being the slayer, without being Big Sis? Willow is incredulous: "You've carried the weight of the world since high school. You wanted out of it for one second - so what?" And so the Slayer is back, only to discover that once Glory has started the ritual, the only way to stop it is to kill Dawn. Buffy is back where she started, choosing between her human self and her slayer self. She may yet have killed Dawn after all.

After Dawn is taken by Glory Buffy feels responsible for this and becomes katatonic. Willow decides to help her and get her back, she enters Buffy`s mind. They wonder in some memories, one after another. We see little buffy, on the first day Dawn came home. She promises her mother to take care of her little sister. Then she deals with the "Death is your gift issue, misreading it as trying to kill Dawn in her dreams. And finally Willow notices that Buffy shows a short memory of her putting a book back in the magic shop: That`s when she wanted out. In the end Willow manages to get her out and Buffy breaks down in her arms. All in all it is not easy to be the hero, to carry the weight of the world.

The Weight Of The World



This episode is underrated and for sure necessary. it's very well written and directed. those mind scenes of Buffy made this episode really good. what I don't like that much are the Glory/Ben scenes but those weren't bad either. it's a well made episode and it could have been cut out but still has a lot of good information that just needed to be.



cut to Glory's minions talking about what happened. but she is hearing them. she wants to kill but doesn't feel like doing it or hurting anything and she doesn't know why. continue to the place they are and Buffy is all in a chock.



the credits start



cut to Spike trying to wake Buffy up and hits her and then Xander hits him and then a big fight but Will separates them. she's cranky and tells them to stop. she gives them all a thing to do and she will help Buffy. then Spike says what to do about Ben but no-one remembers. he tells them what's what but they still don't understand because Glory did some kind of mojo that everybody instantly forgets. cut to Glory with Dawn, she sends some guys away and tries to make Dawn feel better but then she realise she isn't supposed to. why is she feeling guilty? she thinks Dawn has something to do with it and she says that she doesn't care how Dawn makes her feel because Dawn will bleed tomorrow.



cut to Willow saying goodbye to Tara. Anya is staying to take care of Tara. then Willow goes into Buffy's mind. she arrives to a place and Buffy is playing with her dolls. cut to Spike going into Glory's apartment. he goes into a place and finds where Ben stayed. cut to Buffy's mind. Willow sees the moment where Joyce and Hank come home with baby Dawn and give it to little Buffy. she wants to take care of Dawn. then Willow sees Buffy putting some book back and realising something. cut to Spike and Xander walking out and Xander forgot about Ben and Glory and that pisses Spike off.



cut to Glory, she is feeling everything Ben does and has is memories. and Dawn also remembers than Ben is Glory. and that's not supposed to happen. Glory's minions can't take it out either because that's how she has to pay. she wants to kill Dawn now. cut to Willow in Buffy's mind. to the place with the first slayer and Buffy. she hears about death is Buffy's gift. then she is in that place again where Buffy puts a book in a bookcase. then she follows Buffy to a room. cut back to Glory with Dawn. she hates the human emotions and doesn't understand how some other people do. She asks Dawn to name one person who does really like emotions.



cut to Willow following Buffy to a place where Joyce is buried. Buffy says that death is her gift. not that complicated. she goes to Dawn's room and puts a pillow on her face. cut to Glory changing into Ben. he is mad at Glory. Dawn asks him to help her. cut to Willow with Buffy young again. this already happened. again she also sees Buffy putting a book in the bookcase. Spike and Xander go over to the Doc. and he acts all innocent and Spike knows he has what they need but the guy tries to burn it but Xander puts a sword in him and Spike grabs the thing. but the Doc is still alive.



cut to Ben escaping with Dawn but he keeps changing into Glory. Ben says that he will kill Dawn and then Glory will fade away but she doesn't believe him. she says she has a better idea. if they go back to the world she gives him immortality and he won't feel a thing. then he changes his mind and grabs Dawn to take her out and he is sorry but it's her or him. cut to Willow again with Buffy. she explains her. that when she put that book back it hit her. she can't beat Glory. somewhere she wanted it over. she killed her sister. it's just too much for her. Willow says that Dawn isn't dead yet. if she doesn't come out of it. then she killed her sister. then she comes out of it. cut to the magic shop. Buffy comes back and is ready. Giles says that when Dawn started to bleed. the only way to make it stop is by killing Dawn.



black out



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Best episode quotes:



Spike: She can't just be brain-dead. I mean ... she's still Buffy, somewhere in there, right?

Xander: Spike, come on, we're not gonna get Dawn back by sittin' around here.

Spike: You're not gonna get Dawn back any way you slice it, Harris, it's for Buffy to decide.

Xander: Good, panic. That oughta help.

Willow: We should move her. U-unless we shouldn't. Should we?

Anya: Couldn't that make it worse? I think I read that somewhere.

Xander: I am so large with not knowing.

Giles: It's impossible to know for sure. Losing Dawn, after all that Buffy's been through ... I think it's pushed her too far into some sort of catatonia.

Spike: You don't need a diploma to see that. Snap her out of it.



Spike: Now, uh, don't turn me into a horned toad for asking, but ... what if we come across Ben?

Willow: I-I don't think a doctor's what Buffy needs right now.

Spike: Well, yeah, especially not one who also happens to be Glory.

Giles: What do you mean?

Spike: You know. Ben is Glory.

Willow: You mean ... Ben's with Glory?

Xander: With in what sense?

Anya: They're working together?

Spike: No. No. Ben is Glory. Glory's Ben. They're one and the same.

Anya: When did all this happen?

Spike: Not one hour ago! Right here, before your very eyes! Ben came, he turned into Glory, snatched the kid, and pfft! Vanished, remember? You do remember...? Is everyone here very stoned? Ben! Glory! He's a doctor, she's the beast. Two entirely separate entities sharing one body. Like a bloody sitcom. Surely you remember.

Xander: So you're saying ... Ben and Glory...

Anya: Have a connection.

Giles: Yes, obviously, but what kind?

Spike: Oh, I get it. That's very crafty. Glory's worked the kind of mojo where anyone who sees her little presto-change-o instantly forgets. And yours truly, being somewhat other than human ... stands immune.

Willow: So ... Ben and Glory ... are-are the same person?

Xander: Glory can turn into Ben, and Ben turns back into Glory.

Anya: And anyone who sees it instantly forgets.

Spike: Kewpie doll for the lady.

Giles: Excellent. Now. Do we suspect there may be some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?



Glory: You okay?

Dawn: I wanna go home.

Glory: Sweetie ... ohh... You're about to. Not that fake suburban nightmare the monks cooked up for you. I mean your real home. As the key! You fit the lock. Well, it's like a lock. Hey! You want a pizza?

Dawn: No.

Glory: Pillow? I don't know if this thing gets cable. Doubtful.

Dawn: Please. Stop.

Glory: You nervous?

Dawn: Yes.

Glory: I know how you feel. It is your last night. As, you know ... a human. This body ... it's just a rental, Dawnie. Being human? It's like a costume for girls like you and me. Being something else, that's what we are.

Dawn: Don't.

Glory: What?

Dawn: Don't call me Dawnie.

Glory: Huh. Wow. You know, that actually hurt my feelings.

Dawn: I'm sorry.

Glory: Not the point. I'm just thinking, here I am trying to make you feel better, when comforting others ... not part of my life. And I'm doing it, so I can stop ... feeling so ... um ... Help me out.

Dawn: Guilty?

Glory: Guilty. That's it! But I'm not supposed to feel guilty. I'm not supposed to feel anything. I'm, I'm ... I'm a god. I'm above it. I'm ... you. You did this to me, didn't you? Some sort of spell, you've been hanging with the wicca, you could've- But no. It's not magic. It's something else. Still, it is you doing this.

Dawn: I ... I'm not doing anything. I swear.

Glory: We'll see. Anoint this thing now! Know what they're all chanting for out there, Dawnie? Blood. 'Cause we found out your blood is the key to the key! All I gotta do is bleed you dry, the portal opens up, and I can go home! So knock yourself out, girlfriend. Make me feel bad as you can. 'Cause tomorrow ... you bleed, little girl.



Kid Buffy: What are you doing here?

Willow: Actually, I'm, uh...looking for you.

Kid Buffy: Do you like dolls?

Willow: Buffy ... what are you doing here?

Kid Buffy: I like it here.

Willow: But ... You know we need you. You have to come out.

Kid Buffy: Why?

Willow: To be with your friends.

Kid Buffy: It's a big day for me.

Joyce: Hello!

Kid Buffy: Mommy, Daddy! You're back! You're back!

Joyce: Hello, Buffy.

Hank: How's my girl?

Joyce: Are you ready to meet your new baby sister?

Hank: Oh, come on now, Buffy. She's nothing to be afraid of.

Kid Buffy: Who's afraid?

Joyce: Don't you want to be the big sister?

Kid Buffy: No, I want to be the baby.

Hank: Buffy.

Kid Buffy: You're gonna pay more attention to her and forget all about me!

Joyce: Ohh...

Kid Buffy: Doesn't she look funny? Like a wrinkly old grandpa.

Joyce: Like this ... okay, support the head ... there you go! We're calling her Dawn.

Willow: Dawn.

Kid Buffy: I ... I could be the one to look after her sometimes ... if you need a helper. Mom? Can I take care of her?

Joyce: Yes, Buffy, you can take care of her.



Glory: How do they do it?

Dawn: Do what?

Glory: People! How do they function here like this in the world with all this bile running through them? Every day it's whoo-oo You have no control. They're not even animals, they're just these meatbaggy slaves to, to hormones and pheromones and their, and their feelings. Hate 'em!

Glory: I mean really. Is this what the poets go on about, this? Call me crazy, but as hard-core drugs go, human emotion is just useless! People are puppets! Everyone getting jerked around by what they're feelin'. Am I wrong? Really, I want to know. Gonna bleed you either way.

Dawn: Depends on the person.

Glory: So you're saying some people like this.

Dawn: Some.

Glory: Funny. 'Cause I look around at this world you're so eager to be a part of ... and all I see is six billion lunatics looking for the fastest ride out. Who's not crazy? Look around. Everyone's drinking, smoking, shooting up ... shooting each other, or just plain screwing their brains out 'cause they don't want 'em anymore. I'm crazy? Honey, I'm the original one-eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind. 'Cause at least I admit the world makes me nuts. Name one person who can take it here. That's all I'm asking. Name one.

Dawn: Buffy.



Willow: I'm sorry.

Buffy: Don't be. Death is my gift.

Willow: Yeah, I keep hearing that, but... I'm not exactly sure what it means.

Buffy: It's really not that complicated.

Willow: Not for you maybe.

Buffy: It's what I do. I mean, come on, you've known me ... for how long? It's what I'm here for. It's all I am.

Willow: Buffy, stop! No! God, no!

Buffy: What? I keep telling you, Will. I-I figured it out. Death is my gift.



Ben: Where is it?

Dawn: W-where's what?

Ben: All the blood. I can feel it ... still warm and ... wet. Glory. Oh, god. She slaughtered hundreds of men. But I can feel them ... breaking.

Dawn: Ben, something is happening to both you and Glory.

Ben: I'm remembering her, aren't I? The things she's done ... things she's going to do.

Dawn: I know. She told me. I think ... whatever the magic is that keeps you guys apart, it's starting to break down. Ben, Glory could come back any minute.

Ben: How could she do this?

Dawn: I don't know. But we have to get out of her and, and find Buffy-

Ben: No! I mean, I have a job. I have a life! And Glory? She never once thinks about me in all this!



Kid Buffy: Hi, Willow. What are you doing here?

Willow: Actually, I'm, uh ... looking for you. Here. Again.

Kid Buffy: Do you like dolls?

Willow: No ... and I think we already deja'd this vu.

Kid Buffy: You talk funny.

Willow: Yes ... as you'll tell me again when we're older and in chem class. Buffy ... what are we doing here?

Kid Buffy: Don't you like it here?



Doc: What can I do for you boys? Want some cocoa?

Spike: No. We need information. We need-

Xander: Ben's Glory!

Doc: Who's what?

Spike: Look at this. Special Ed remembers.

Xander: Yeah. I do. Ben's Glory and Glory's Ben. It's like this... fog's lifting.

Spike: Wonderful. But not why we're here. Hell-god type. Name of Glory-

Xander: A.K.A. Ben.

Spike: -has gone missing. She's brewing up some major-league bad, and she's nicked the Slayer's kid sister in the bargain.

Doc: Hmm. That girl you brought here. Sweet little thing. How'd things work out with her mom? Changed her mind, didn't she?

Spike: Yeah. You got any idea where Glory would take her?

Doc: Glory ... Glory. Oh! You don't mean Glorificus. Gosh. What do you wanna get mixed up with her for? That's a sure way to get yourselves killed. I hear she's awfully unpleasant. When it comes to hellgods, my best advice ... is get out of the way ... and stay there.

Spike: Love to. Can't.

Doc: Well, uh, other than that ... I'd like to help ... but I-I'm a small-town guy. This Glorificus, if it is her ... whoo, she's big city.



Xander: What do we got?

Spike: Something worth dying for.



Glory: No, no. Little late in the game to start growing a backbone, Benjamin. Now be good and stay quiet. No you don't! Get over yourself, Ben! This is the way things are! I'm strong, you're weak. This is reality. Stop trying to infect me with your...

Ben: Do you ever stop talking? I don't know which is worse, waking up in a dress not knowing where I've been, or having to hear all your self-involved ranting!

Glory: Animal.

Ben: Wrong, Glory. I'm no animal. This is humanity you're feeling. Welcome to the world.

Glory: No, no, no! Stick around, chica.

Ben: I won't let you hurt her, Glory.

Glory: Ooh, shut your hole, you sanctimonious little meatworm. I'm going home no matter what you do.

Ben: You really think I'll just let that happen?

Glory: Benjamin, what are you doing?

Ben: You need her blood? When I'm through there won't be enough left to fill a bottle cap. Then you, hellbitch, have nowhere left-

Glory: -to go. Huh! You can't hurt her and you know it, Ben. I know it 'cause I feel what you're feeling. Scared. Shh! Shh! It's okay! You don't wanna die. Who would? I don't.

Ben: You can't, you're immortal.

Glory: Nobody has to die here, Ben. Just let me bleed the girl and go home. Everything will work out fine.

Ben: Do you really believe with all I know that you can trick me?

Glory: Stop ... and think, baby. We bleed the kid, return me to my seat of power, I become a god again...

Ben: And I disappear.

Glory: Ooh, unless somebody up there likes you. Give up the girl ... I could like you a lot.

Ben: I won't make a deal with you, Glory.

Glory: When exactly did you get stupid? I'm offering immortality here.

Ben: I believe you. That's not the problem. You make me immortal, then what? I'd have to kill her to do it and I won't be able to live with that, not even for a day, forget about eternity!

Glory: Baby, baby, baby Ben. Why do you worry so much? When you're immortal, all this crap you've been carrying around inside ... the guilt, the anger, the crazy-making pain ... Ooh, it all just melts away like ice cream. Trust me. When all this is over I can set you up real nice. I'm making it easy. It's you ... or the girl.

Ben: I can't accept that.

Glory: Accept it. I'm a god, stupid.

Ben: I'm sorry.

Dawn: No!

Ben: Don't make this harder than it already is. I'm sorry, I got no choice. It's you or me.



Willow: No. Buffy! Leave Dawn alone, what is this?

Buffy #2: My gift. This is what I do.

Willow: I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about...this. Right here, it happened. I know it's something small, but... it's something. What?

Buffy #2: Don't go there, Will.

Willow: I'm not! You're the one who keeps dragging me back here! A-and you wouldn't be doing that if you weren't trying to show me something.

Buffy #2: Do I?

Willow: Buffy, come on. I-it's your brain. Just tell me. What happened here?

Buffy #1: This was when I quit, Will.

Willow: You did?

Buffy #2: Just for a second. I remember.

Buffy #1: I was in the magic shop.

Buffy #2: I put a book back for Giles.

Buffy #1: Nothing special about it. And then it hit me.

Willow: What hit you?

Buffy #2: I can't beat Glory.

Buffy #1: Glory's going to win.

Willow: You can't know that.

Buffy #2: I didn't just know it.

Buffy #1: I felt it. Glory will beat me.

Buffy #2: And in that second of knowing it, Will...

Buffy #1: I wanted it to happen.

Willow: Why?

Buffy #1: I wanted it over. This is ... all of this ... it's too much for me.

Buffy #2: I just wanted it over.

Buffy #1: If Glory wins ... then Dawn dies.

Buffy #2: And I would grieve. People would feel sorry for me. But it would be over. And I imagined what a relief it would be. I killed Dawn.

Willow: Is that what you think?

Buffy #2: My thinking it made it happen.

Buffy #1: Some part of me wanted it. And in the moment Glory took Dawn...

Buffy #2: I know I could have done something better. But I didn't. I was off by some fraction of a second.

Buffy #1: And this is why...

Buffy #2: ...I killed my sister.

Willow: I think Spike was right back at the gas station. Snap out of it!

Buffy #1: What?

Buffy #2: What?

Willow: All this ... it has a name. It's called guilt. It's a feeling, and it's important. But it's not more than that, Buffy. Buffys. You've carried the weight of the world on your shoulders since high school. And I, I know you didn't ask for this, but ... you do it every day. And so, you wanted out for one second. So what?

Buffy #2: I got Dawn killed.

Willow: Hello! Your sister, not dead yet! But she will be if you stay locked inside here and never come back to us.

Buffy #2: But what if I can't?

Willow: Then I guess you're right. And you did kill your sister.

Buffy #2: Wait! Where are you going?

Willow: Where you're needed. Are you coming?



Xander: You're okay?

Buffy: Yeah. I'm okay. Hear you found the ritual text.

Giles: Uh, something like that, yes.

Xander: Did you know that ... Ben is Glory?

Buffy: So I'm told. What do we know?

Giles: Um ... well, uh ...according to these scrolls, uh, it's possible for Glory to be stopped. I-I'm afraid it's, um ... well, Buffy, I've read these things very carefully and there's not much ... margin for error. You understand what I'm saying?

Buffy: Might help if you actually said it.

Giles: Um ... Glory ... plans to open a ... dimensional portal ... by way of a ritual bloodletting.

Buffy: Dawn's blood.

Giles: Yes. Once the blood is shed at a certain time and place ... the fabric which separates all realities will ... be ripped apart. Dimensions will ... pour into one another, uh, with no barriers to stop them. Reality as we know it will be destroyed, and ... chaos will reign on earth.

Buffy: So how do we stop it?

Giles: The portal will only close once the blood is stopped ... and the only way for that to happen is, um ... Buffy, the only way is to kill Dawn.



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Story: 10

Acting: 9

Writing: 10

Picture: 10

Gripping: 9

My Rank: 9

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Total: 9.5

"Buffy" has a pretty excellent track record when it comes to season finales, but the week before is often as good or better. Season Three's classic tearjerker "The Prom." Season Four's delirious actioner "Primeval," or, if you prefer to look at "Primeval" as the finale and "Restless" as a coda, the hysterical and seminal to the characters' development "The Yoko Factor." Even Season One's "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" was perhaps the most fully realized of the mystery-of-the-week tales the show quickly grew beyond. Season Two's "Go Fish"...OK, the exception that proves the rule.



Then there's "The Weight of the World." This is a terrible, boring, pointless episode that sees the action and developments of its predecessor "Spiral" come to an absolute standstill. Glory's monologues became tedious months ago, but "Weight"'s "accomplishment" is that the scenes with Glory/Ben and Dawn are actually a relief from the stilted sequences with Willow in Buffy's mind. What were they thinking?



There are so many problems with both the show's construction (Not the least of which is, did Buffy's parents really let her dye her hair blonde so young?) and its ultimate message that I don't know where to begin. Willow and Buffy's dialogue isn't convincing. If the reasons for Buffy going into a catatonic state were specious, the reason for her coming out isn't any better. The whole idea of Buffy deciding that there was no way she could defeat Glory only draws out Season Five's big weakness and puts it on display. You have to show and not tell, and just having dialogue dutifully report over and over again that Glory is unbeatable flies against the constant demonstrations we have viewed characterizing her as merely annoying and extremely stupid.



That leads us neatly into "Weight of the World"'s other fatal flaw. It's the 11th hour of the season, and only now has the writing staff mounted an attempt to prove Glory is anything beyond a cheap bimbo with a nasty left cross. Likewise, attempts to give Ben depth up to this point have withered on the vine. Glory's confusion here and in "The Gift" as Ben's human memories begin to comingle with hers is simply too little, too late. If Glory had begun experiencing parts of Ben's life long ago, perhaps even before we knew of their connection, it would have been interesting. Here, like Riley's sudden move to the dark side earlier in the season, we just don't care. We want them all to die.



I think Ben's struggle about what to do with Dawn might have seemed more interesting on the script page than it does on screen. "Buffy" rarely misses the mark when it comes to casting, but Charlie Weber doesn't seem up to task here. His only visible reaction to some real tough ethical questions is to set his jaw the slightest bit squarer. Clare Kramer on the other hand is really quite good; it's the writers' fault that we've bailed out on her character by this time. It's interesting in retrospect that for Season Six the writers chose to go in the complete opposite direction with villains who had no real power, but lots to say of interest to the average "Buffy" fan.



Not much else to say about this stinker, except only one more show until the infinitely better Season Six begins and we can say goodbye to boring Ben, tiresome Glory, and those miserable minions. Oh, I hate the minions.