Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"Blood Ties"

Airdate: February 6, 2000

Well, damn. This girl can really act.

Buffy's birthday time. Oh, good. Big fights, drama and emotional upheaval foretold. Bonds will be tested, trusts will be broken -- possibly, sex will be had. We can see it all coming a mile off.

Oh, and Glory will turn out to be Ben in disguise. Or it might be the other way round. Of course. Also: wow! What a great episode this is!

Remember last ep, when Glory was demanding aid and abetting to track down the Slayer from the cute young Doc, and our buddy Intern Ben refused to let anything slip? Well, this is one hell of a split personality she is laboring under, 'cause it seems she was keeping the Buffy-locating information from... wait for it... herself. Yes, Glory the God (oh, you knew she was a god, right?), is making like Sybil. She's Ben and she's Glory. She even does this cool Animorph thing from one to the other, right in front of our little Dawn's Key-ish eyes.

To back up. Giles reveals that the Key-hunting Glory is, in fact, one of three gods who once ruled some backwoods Hell-type place. When Xander ever-so-sensibly suggests that they should be seeking not Glory, but this Key she's so gung-ho about, Buffy sets her slightly-pissed-off gang straight on what the much-vaunted Key is -- her sister. As predicted, they all thence begin to act weirdly around Dawn; Xander's attempt at big-brotherly tomfoolery is priceless. Getting increasingly petulant and suspicious, Dawn chooses the night of Buffy's birthday party -- when else? -- to get the goods on herself, and with Spike as break-and-enter chaperon, she liberates Giles' diary from its (lame) hiding place in the Magic Box and finds out that The Key is she.

Aw, they're so cute.

Which causes her to go all Self-Mutilation Girl, and pretty much brings another of Buffy's birthday celebrations to a bloody, disturbing, conclusion. And then she trashes her room! How much fun does that look? I have always wanted to trash a room! It just seems so cathartic, so devil-may-care, so rock-star. Of course, I wouldn't go so far as to set the room on fire, 'cause I'm not a delinquent; you've gotta wonder if "daughter is The Key" is covered under Joyce's home insurance.

Anyway, not content with all this destruction, young Dawn decides to go off and seek the meaning of her existence. The poor dear has been to Paradise, but she's never been to her. I mean, not only has she just found out, Party of Five-style, that she was adopted, but she also learned that she's only six months old! It is on this quest to find herself that she makes her way to the Hospital (are we sick of that place yet?), asking enlightenment from the town's ever-increasing crazy people -- including one of those mysterious, Key-hating Knights of Byzantium. She ends up spilling her story to the lovely Intern Ben. (Who, by the way, wins this episode's Most Improved Hair Award. While Willow is holder of the Worst Hair title for the fourth episode in a row.)

And this is when the big unveiling happens. How very weird is this? Why does Glory know about Ben, and yet not know what he knows? Why does Ben seem convinced that she is a separate entity? Is he right? They're siblings, or at the least related, yet they share the same flesh -- and what is it with Ben keeping one of Glory's signature red dresses in his locker? What must the other Interns be thinking? And are there any other gods hanging out in that body, at all? Who else have we not seen in the same room as Ben and Glory? Hmmm.

This episode's quite Dawnerific, so we thought we'd make the review match.

Somewhat freaked by the transvestitism of doe-eyed Ben, that Dawn still proves herself to be a clever little human-shaped ball of energy whatever. When confronted with the fact that her confidante is, in fact, the monster even her Slayer sis is afraid of, she has the presence of mind to do a little interrogating, and gets as much information on herself as she can. Her sweet face a picture of every emotion, she learns that she is millennia old, and evil -- or not -- and that Glory will stop at nothing to get a hold of her. And when you think about it, how come Glory -- who is, we have been given to understand, insane -- can't discern Dawn's true nature? Isn't that what all the insane people are basically there for? I wonder if Dru could tell?

And speaking of things odd -- and Dru -- can I just ask what is going on with Spike? (Oh, and while I'm on the subject, remember a while back, when Harmony was hanging out at Spike's place? What happened with that? She get jealous of Buffy Barbie and move out? Where is the girl?) Anyway, Spike here is the epitome of wannabe boyfriend-ly, all concerned Scooby Gang-er and part of the team. When Dawn was out and about late at night, he kept her safe from the demons and the darkness. When Dawn was missing later that same night, he was in on the hunt for her -- partnering up with Buffy, no less. (Buff, the faux fur? Girl, please.) When the gang came upon Dawn being threatened by Glory, there he is, putting himself on the line, and getting thrown about like a human-type. (Xander -- a crowbar? And Willow -- cool spell!) Also, Buffy apologized to him. They had a real moment or two. This is just... weird.

He's too nice right now. Something has got to give. He may not be able to hurt people-people, but he's still a vampire. A soulless evildoer of the kill-the-innocent school. Of course, he's never been your common, garden-variety bringer of destruction, but did you ever see him as a bringer of candy to the Slayer? As Miss Clavell might say: something is not right. Is this the impact of Benglory? Or of those monk-types? Or of the chip? Who knows? But I tell ya, if the next cross-over sees Spike and Angel bonding over Buffy, I will just... well, I will love it, is what.

And it's all awfully adorable, the in-love Spike stuff, so let us not worry about what the future might bring. In this Buffy-verse, only time -- and sweeps episodes -- will tell us what the hell is going on. In the meantime, let's just go with it. There is so much to be grateful for here. Willow and Tara are engaging and delightful, Anya is ever-amusing, Joyce is newly-tolerable, Giles is oh-so-Giles-y, and Dawn is just so perfect, how can you not love her? And, as was recently pointed out to me: Xander is Key Guy.

Oh, surely they weren't thinking that far in advance. Were they? But then again... a girl called Summers has always been the one to bring out the hero in our Zeppo, and nothing is more fun than seeing Xander save the day. I see definite potential in this (that is, if we're not all reading far too much into it, which would not surprise me in the least). So hey, little sister! Go on and do what your big sister does. (I've been waiting forever to use that line.)

-- Rachel Hyland

Buffy the Vampire Slayer airs at 8/7c, Tuesdays on the WB.

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