“Blood Ties”
Buffy's birthday is just around the corner, so the gang thinks (naturally) it would be good for Buff to unwind and have a little party. The Slayer seems more concerned about Glory, and how in the world she'll be able to beat her, when (most likely, the season finale) they face off for good. Giles talks about Glory's ability to suck energy from the brain, and then the gang's collective concern shifts to looking for the key. Buffy says that Giles and herself have already found the key, and it's not an issue. Hurt, Willow and Xander tell Buff they think they should've been notified of this issue. Buffy sighs, looks at Giles, and finally lets them know.
Shift to those wacky knight guys chanting around a fire. One knight reveals himself to be that ugly minion guy. Naturally, a fight ensues, and the minion tries to fend off a bunch of dudes with swords. Soon, the minion finds himself on his back with a sword in his face. How will he survive this? Our hero (at least mine), Glory, steps in. “Never send a minion to do a god's work.” Funny how it isn't until we've found out her stature as a god that now she decides to mention it freely. Glory kicks the knights' asses, and while doing so, we notice one crawling for his sword. Is it supernaturally powerful? Who cares? Glory yanks it away. “Nice sword. Bet it hurts.”
Now that the gang knows about Dawn, you can bet things will be changing. As evident when Dawn sees Willow and Tara performing a spell outside the magic shop. Dawn, curious, finds they're casting a spell that'll warn everybody if evil has entered a danger zone for the key. When little sister asks if she can help, Willow rambles about how Buffy probably wouldn't like it. Going inside, Xander acts a little too strangely around Dawn, and then with the help of Anya, acts even more strangely. By now, I think the signs are getting to Dawn. As if that weren't enough, talking to Buffy seems normal, saying she has stuff to tend to, but Giles quickly hides a pair of books when Dawn arrives. “I think you're just upset you have to fight someone prettier than you,” Dawn says. Ouch.
Glory tries hard to get answers out of a hostage knight as to the whereabouts of the key. No answers, of course. “What is it with you religious types?” Glory ties the whole thing to sexual frustration on the knight's behalf, and proceeds to suck the energy from his brain. I'm not sure that would get me off, but hey, it only looks like laser beams on television. Maybe I need a bigger TV.
Buffy has her little birthday shindig, and the monumental gift comes from Dawn. A picture frame of the two sisters, frame made of seashells picked up from when they visited dad in San Diego. Everybody gets quiet. “Geez, don't get all movie of the week,” Dawn cleverly notes. Dawn attempts to talk to Buffy's friends, but all acting weird, Dawn becomes upset, wondering why everybody is talking about her. “We were talking about sex,” Anya uses as an excuse. Dawn goes upstairs, but only to sneak out, where she runs into Spike, who happens to be carrying a birthday present. Dawn says she wants to break into the magic shop. Spike feels it would be good for him to come along as protection, but is quite surprised when he finds all he came over for is so Dawn could look at some books. Dawn reads how lunatics can see the key and are susceptible to necromanced animal detection. This all begins to click with the young girl (through the use of flashbacks, we get the idea), and Spike hammers home the notion by reading how the monks took the key and transformed energy or bent reality. All making sense, Spike says, “I guess that's you, niblet.” Dawn looks ready to crumble.
A little conversation between Buffy and Willow about lack of a card from Riley (thank God), and then Dawn shows up with a slit wrist. “Is this blood?” Very cool move as Dawn asks if she is real – more specifically, anything at all. Dawn has suddenly become a very good actress. Dawn goes to her room and screams to be alone despite the family's attempt to comfort.
