Episode Report Card Sep: B+ | 10 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT I wonder what the return policy is?
By Sep | Season 5 | Episode 22 | Aired on 05.21.2001
Back from commercials, we see the same tableau. Glory still seems to be suffering from Willow's attack, so Buffy sasses her some. Glory sends her minions to guard Dawn, trying to stutter out that Buffy is attempting a diversionary tactic. The minions scurry off and round up the human crazies to guard the base of The Pillar Of Purgatory. Buffy mocks Glory's weakened state and then suggests, "It might be this!" as she hefts the Dagon Sphere. She quickly tosses it to Glory, who catches it. She seems to feel some pain, but then crushes the sphere into dust. Buffy doesn't give her time to recover, though, and the fight is on. Kicking, punching, we all know the drill. As the minions make bad puns on the stairs of The Pylon Of Perdition ("day of glory"), Spike, Anya, and Giles enter the fray.
High up on The Minaret Of Misdeed, Dawn hears faint sounds from the fight below. Buffy and Glory fight, and they seem pretty evenly matched. Willow regains consciousness nearby and stumbles to Tara's side. The blonde witch slowly comes to and, recognizing her lover, whimpers, "I got so lost." Aw, her voice breaks so endearingly there. Willow is ecstatic; she hugs Tara and covers her face in kisses, promising, "I will always find you." Very sweet, touching moment that brings tears to my eyes, and only ruined just the littlest bit by the heavy-handed score. The witchlets hug. Back in the ring with Buffy and Glory, Glory professes to be "feeling a little better." She says she's bored and then knocks Buffy's block off. Literally, right off. Hee! She's been fighting the Buffybot. I knew we'd see her in action again. Glory is shocked, and then cracks me up by exclaiming, "The Slayer's a robot! Did everybody else know the Slayer was a robot?" Single best line delivery Clare Kramer managed all season. As Glory chuckles, we see that the real Buffy has walked up behind her. She then decks Glory with the troll hammer, which sends Glory flying across into some chain-link fencing. Oh, right. The hammer that didn't kill Xander or even break his spine when he was hit with it two or three times in "Triangle" now has the power to send a god flying? Not buying it, but moving on. "You're not the brightest god in the heavens, are you?" snarls Buffy. Above her, Dawn has realized her sister has arrived, and screams her name. Buffy stares up at The Tower Of Torment, realizing where Dawn is. She runs to the stairs and, fighting off minions, begins the long climb. Glory follows and catches the Slayer partway up. They fight. What else, really? I personally think it was bad strategy for Buffy to ascend the tower; she should have worked on keeping Glory from even getting near the stairs. Slayer and hell god fight on one of the landings, swinging about on chains and attempting to beat each other to the top. Girls, that doesn't look too safe! Get down from there this instant! Hey, looks like they heard me, because Buffy teeters over the edge and, as she falls, manages to drag Glory down with her. They hit the cement and lie stunned. In other news, Spike is fighting two or three minions nearby. Buffy struggles to her feet and pushes Glory away from her. From the way Glory ends up standing very still as she delivers a sassy line in front of a blank wall, I get the feeling something is about to happen to her. Oops, I was right -- a wrecking ball smashes through the wall, and again Glory is sent flying. We see that Xander is manning the wrecking-ball machine. "And the glorified bricklayer picks up a spare," he nerds. Go fight beside your girlfriend, Mr. Safe-In-Large-Machinery. Buffy grabs the troll hammer and runs. Spike, Anya, and Giles are hiding behind a metal something, having been driven off by the minions and crazies. In a nice effect, Spike pokes his head up, and then he and Anya get beaned with the same thrown brick. Hee. Giles says, "If Buffy can keep Glory down long enough, it doesn't matter. There's only a few minutes left to start the ritual."
Buffy does seem to be keeping Glory contained, and is in fact now beating the stuffing out of her with the troll hammer. But don't get too excited, because things aren't looking too good up with Dawn. She gasps as she realizes that Doc is standing quietly in front of her. No indication of how he got up the tower; Doc has changed his ratty bathrobe for a classic black suit. Dawn begs him to help her, and Doc approaches her. Seems Glory's running late, and "if her Splendidness can't be here in time to bleed you..." He trails off. Dawn's face falls as she realizes that Doc is not on her side. "Hey kid, wanna see a trick?" he winks and brandishes a large shiny knife. Insert Sideshow Bob shudder.