The Gift (thing)

The “Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer” montage begins with clips from the very first episode. We meet all of Buffy’s friends. We see shots from later episodes, getting shorter as they proceed in chronological order, until it’s a blur of unrelated frames.

This is Buffy’s life flashing before her eyes. And still, none of us suspected.

The episode begins with a vamp cornering a teenager in the alley behind The Magic Box. Buffy wanders out, and is struck by the fact that this vamp has never heard of the Slayer. She dispatches him routinely, without a break in her somber mood.

Inside, she joins the Scooby gang as they attempt to plan how they will rescue Dawn. Buffy makes Giles describe the ritual again (fulfilling the recap that the montage didn’t): When Dawn’s blood flows, it will open a rift between dimensions, and only her death (the ceasing of the flow) will close it. Giles suggests that if they arrive too late, they may have to end Dawn’s life to save the world. Buffy insists that is not an option. She bluntly threatens to kill anyone who tries to hurt her sister.

Cut to Dawn held hostage by Ben/Glory and her minions. Dawn is disgusted by Ben (who won’t commit the murder, but won’t move to stop it either) and she demands that he become Glory. Glory makes Dawn put on a strange fairy-tale dress for the ritual. Evidently the apocalypse has a fashion sense.

The Scoobies are brainstorming ways to hurt Glory. Willow has been working on a spell to restore Tara’s soul after Glory’s having eaten it, and thinks that might harm her somewhat. Anya suggests the Dagon Sphere (from No Place Like Home) and the Troll Hammer (from Triangle). While she and Xander ostensibly search the basement for the Sphere—uncovering the Buffy sexbot in the process—they make sweet pre-traumatic nookie. Afterward, Xander proposes marriage. Once Anya is convinced he’s not doing it because he believes they’re both going to die, she displays more warmth than we’ve ever seen, visibly blushing. She says yes.

The Scoobies follow Tara (who, like the rest of the mental patients, is inexplicably drawn) to the site of the ritual, where Glory’s slaves have constructed a massive skeletal tower, with Dawn tied to a plank at the top. Glory confronts them. Willow places one hand on Tara’s forehead and the other on Glory’s, and performs the spell. All three of them go flying in a spectacular discharge of energy.

Glory gets up to find Buffy itching for a fight. She has the Sphere, which is having a Kryptonite-like effect on Glory, but then Glory crushes it with one hand and the two begin kung fu. Eventually, Glory knocks Buffy’s head off, only to discover she was fighting the sexbot. She then receives the first of many whacks in the face with the Troll Hammer.

Tara comes to.

Willow: Tara? Baby?

Tara: I got so lost…

Willow: I found you.

They embrace.

Willow: I will always find you.

Buffy and Glory are at something of a stalemate. Then a wrecking ball crashes through the wall into Glory, courtesy of Xander behind the wheel of a crane. Buffy begins pummeling the immobilized god repeatedly and mercilessly.

Dawn believes she is safe, as Glory cannot reach her in time to perform the ritual. Then the Doctor (from Forever) walks toward her with a very long knife. The Scoobies below notice the figure. Willow sends Spike a telepathic message to get ready to run. (We didn’t know she could do that, did we?) She and Tara link hands and blast the minions out of the way of the stairs. Spike runs.

Glory changes back into Ben. Buffy can’t kill him and walks away. Giles approaches Ben and remarks that Buffy is a hero, and that the two of them are not. Then he suffocates Ben.

The Doctor knocks Spike off the tower and cuts Dawn. Buffy reaches the top and pushes the Doctor off without even looking at him. The rift has opened and general chaos is everywhere. Buildings burst into flame, horrific beasts take flight. Dawn implores Buffy to kill her, knowing it’s the only way to stop the madness.

Buffy thinks back to what the first Slayer told her: “Death is your gift.” She remembers convincing Dawn that they were truly sisters, no matter what, because they shared the same blood. “She’s me.” “They made her out of me.”

Buffy says some beautiful final words to her sister and then leaps into the rift, closing it.

We see Buffy’s inert body as her friends gather around it and sob (even Anya, and especially Spike). Cut to a tombstone. It reads:

Here lies
BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS

1981—2001
DEVOTED SISTER
BELOVED FRIEND

SHE SAVED THE WORLD
A LOT

Highly subjective addendum: If you can watch this episode and not get teary, then you have a heart like a cold cold rock. The only time I’ve ever been more affected by a TV show was watching The Body.