CHECKPOINT

Previously on Buffy the vampire... don't blink or you'll miss it.  This one only had four scenes: Quentin telling Giles that Buffy would be tested (okay a micro scene of Buffy diving down a laundry chute), Quentin firing Giles, Buffy firing the council and Dawn overhearing that Buffy was keeping something from her which concerned her.

Currently on Buffy the gang is at the Summer house.  Giles tells them that the Council is coming to visit Buffy with information they have about Glory.  Buffy and Anya are very upset, Giles is nervous and stuttering while Tara, Willow and Xander are sure that it won't be as bad as the other three Scoobs think.

Ha.

Glory, meanwhile, is in a bad way as she's going through something like withdrawals.  The two demons drag in a Postie (sorry, US Postal worker) and she sucks the sanity out of him.  He then toddles off looking for his hat.  Hopefully, just his hat.  Glory makes vague threats about Buffy along the lines that she can take Buffy anytime she wants.  She just has to find her.

After the opening credits the Council of Watchers, Quentin and around six lackeys, show up and immediately begin flexing muscles by closing and inventorying the shop.  Quentin tells Giles that the Council isn't going to hand over the information until the Slayer has been reviewed and found worthy.  Giles assures them that Buffy is focused.

Buffy may be focused but not in History which is a shame because that's where she is.  Being a Slayer gives her a unique perspective on history, like Rasputin's ability to remain alive and the Prussian general's sleeping habits.  The Professor openly mocks her causing Buffy to take out her frustrations on some poor vamp.  Spike shows up to help and needle Buffy on her inability to keep a man because she's A) too clingy, B) not clingy enough, C) aging prematurely (pencil test time) or D) unable to keep a man's interest.

At the hospital one of Glory's scabby demons tells Ben that Buffy is the Slayer and Glory wants Ben to tell Glory everything he knows about her.  Ben refuses.  Glory takes the refusal well in a kinda insane way.

At the Magic Box Quentin tells Buffy that she will be tested on her fighting ability as well as her decision making abilities and that they'll be interviewing her friends to get an idea of past methods.  And if she doesn't co-operate not only will they not tell her about Glory but they'll deport Giles.  Later Buffy and Giles agree that she has to play by their rules as she can't loose him.  Buffy kinda fails the physical test when, blindfolded she defeats an attacker but slays the "dummy" she was trying to protect.

There are several scenes of the Watcher Lackey's interviewing the four kid Scoobies and Spike.  I'm not even going to try to recap these as it would loose everything in the translation.

Buffy returns home and finds Glory.  Glory tells her the only reason Buffy is still living is because she knows where the Key is.  Buffy threatens to kill Dawn, her mom and all her friends (musta been watching Unforgiven on HBO) if Buffy doesn't hand over the Key.

At the shop everyone is waiting for Buffy to show up for her Orals.  The Scoobies are sitting in the upper floor while the "grownups" have the ground floor (just like Christmas at my mom's in reverse).  Buffy is late.  Reason being she has to first drop her mom and Dawn off at the sitters and then she gets attacked by three chain mailed guys with metal staves and swords.  She beats them up and finds out that they are after her because she has the Key.  And that they are sworn to destroy said Key and any that protect it.  So to recap, Glory wants to kill her to use the Key and the Knights of Byzantine (or something that sounded like that) want to kill her to destroy the Key.

Buffy arrives at the shop bearing a sword taken from one of the Knights.  Quentin tells her that the test is about to begin and she tells him no, it isn't.  She then explains that while everyone is trying to make out that she's small and insignificant she's figured out that they're wrong.  She has the power over the Council because she is the Slayer and the power over Glory because she knows where the Key is (except she didn't tell the Council that because, well, she's smarter than me 'cause I would have).  So she figures what should really happen is that the Council spill what they know about Glory, reinstate Giles, retro his salary and get their butts back to Merry Ol' and just give her a call when they have new information.  But she wants to know now, from Quentin, if it's a deal.

Quentin accepts, asks for a drink and then tells Buffy the most salient piece of information about Glory.

Fade to black.

Random Quotes

Ben: Don't touch me.  You're crusty.

Glory:  Buffy.  If I wanted to fight, you'd be dead already.

Buffy: You're Watchers.  Without a Slayer you're pretty much just watching Masterpiece Theatre.

Buffy:  Just tell me what kind of demon I'm fighting.
Quentin:  Well, that's just it.  You see, Glory isn't a demon.
Buffy:  What is she?
Quentin:  She's a god.
Buffy:  Oh.

Random Notes:

Nick Marck directed the episode.  Jane Espenson & Douglas Petrie wrote it.

Except for the silver cross that Buffy was wearing she and Spike dressed identically for most of the show.  Black jeans and t-shirt.  Black boots and black leather long coat.  YOU THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING???

Every time Giles said "agenda" I heard "gender" which confused the heck out of me.  I mean, Glory's gender was pretty evident.

In a way this show reminded me a lot of Anne, the third season opener.  As in that episode Buffy starts off doubting herself and her role in the universe but, by the end, comes to terms with being the Slayer.  Quentin is incorrect.  While the person who is actually Slayer is transient the "office" of Slayer isn't.  And it's the "office" that is the focus of everything.  

Angel Notes:

Repeat.  The one with the telekinetic which was pretty good.  I mean, it shows my Bard's little "the only way to break the cycle" motto if nothing else.