Buffy the Vampire Slayer Timeline - Season 5
The dates listed below are more or less the dates of the events in Sunnydale, NOT in what most of us think of as "the real world."
Click on the episode title to go to Otts' wonderful episode summery.
Color key - Audience first sees a
character, Buffy (et al.) first meet a character, Character death, Character
leaves show, Romance, Breakup, Character
returns, 
= important event
Episode 1 (79th in the series)
(Buffy gets bitten by a legend.)
Mid-September, 2000
· Buffy et al meet the legendary Dracula.
· Dracula bites Buffy.
· We finally see Giles using a computer (and scanner!)
· Buffy dusts Dracula? Maybe.
· Giles considers returning to England; Buffy begs him to stay and become her Watcher again.
· We meet Buffy's younger sister!?! (Dawn)
Episode 2 (80th in the series)
(We get to know Buffy's sister Dawn.)
Late September, 2000
· Giles is driving a brand new red BMW convertible
· Crazy man on the street tells Dawn that he "knows what she is."
· Harmony is back in town, with a new gang of vampires.
· Giles' buys "The Magic Box"
Episode 3 (81st in the series)
(Two Xanders for the price of one.)
October, 2000
· Joyce mentions having a headacheŠ
· Xander (II) is given a permanent position with the construction company.
· Xander (II) moves into a nice apartment.
· We finally see Xander's (I) "Snoopy Dance"
· Riley tells Xander that he knows that Buffy doesn't love him.
Episode 4 (82nd in the series)
(Joyce, Spike, and Riley are all in the hospital)
October, 2000
· The gang sets up a training room in the back of the Magic Box
· Harmony and Spike team up.
· Joyce collapses and is taken to the ER; she's fine, but they don't' know why she fainted.
· Dawn and Buffy meet Ben, an intern
· Graham briefly returns to Sunnydale to force Riley to get some medical help
· Spike tries to make the Initiative doctor remove his chip. (It doesn't happen.)
· The Initiative doctor does a procedure on Riley to undo all the strength/endurance modifications that would otherwise kill him.
· Spike has an erotic dream about Buffy. ("Oh God no," he says in horror. "Please, no!")
Episode 5 (83rd in the series)
(Time to meet the REAL Big BadŠ)
November, 2000
· Buffy finds the Dagon Sphere (glowing orb)
· The Magic Box opens and Anya takes a job there with Giles
· Joyce's headaches have returned
· Buffy meets and fights Glory, an extremely strong woman
· Spike seems to be stalking (or at least "actively watching") Buffy
· Buffy discovers that her "sister" Dawn is actually the manifestation of The Key, energy that can open The Door, but that she knows nothing about it and is truly human
Episode 6 (84th in the series)
(The Scoobies celebrate Tara's birthday)
November, 2000 (immediately after "No Place Like Home")
· Buffy tells Giles that Dawn in The Key.
· Buffy moves out of the dorms and back home.
· Spike thinks about Buffy while having sex with Harmony.
· We meet Tara's father Mr. MacLay, brother Donny, and cousin Beth.
· Riley and Buffy have a it of a fight about Buffy not "letting him in"
· We discover that Tara's family has told them she's half demon and evil. She is not. (See Season 4, Episode 14 "Goodbye, Iowa")
Episode 7 (85th in the series)
(We get to see some interesting parts of Spike's past.)
December, 2000
· Spike was sired in 1880 London by Drusilla.
· Spike killed a Chinese Slayer in 1900 China during the Boxer Rebellion.
· Spike killed a African-American Slayer in 1977 New York City, and took her leather duster as his own.
· Spike tells Buffy that all Slayers have a death wish, and that her family and friends have helped keep hers at bay.
· Joyce announces she is going into the hospital for a CAT scan.
Episode 8 (86th in the series)
(We find out what's wrong with Joyce.)
December, 2000 (just after "Fool for Love")
· Buffy continues to push Riley away.
· Joyce has a brain tumor.
· Riley hooks up with a vampire at Willy's Bar.
· We meet Dreg, one of Glory's jawa-like minions.
· Glory sends the snake-like Sobek to find the Key; Buffy kills it.
Episode 9 (87th in the series)
(Meteor showers and crazy people.)
December, 2000 (just after "Shadow")
· We see Riley allowing a vampire to suck his blood from his arm.
· Riley meets up with Graham Miller and Major Ellis.
· Joyce is allowed to go home before she has surgery; she starts going a bit crazy.
· Joyce goes in for surgery.
Episode 10 (88th in the series)
(..no, not the musical..)
December, 2000 (immediately after "Listening to Fear")
· The doctors tell the Scoobies that Joyce's surgery was successful and she should be fine.
· Spike discovers that Riley is letting vampires suck his blood, and brings Buffy to witness it.
· Graham and Major Ellis offer Riley his job in the Initiative back.
· Riley and Buffy fight; unless Buffy gives Riley a reason to stay, he's going with the Initiative.
· Riley ends up leaving with Graham and Major Ellis.
· Xander professes his love to Anya.
Episode 11 (89th in the series)
(Meet Anya's ex - Olaf the troll.)
January, 2001
· Giles tells Buffy he is going to the Watchers Council for help
· Joyce is told that Dawn is the Key.
· Anya and Willow release a troll (Olaf, who used to date Anya)
· Anya and Willow send Olaf back to a universe of trolls, but his really big, strong hammer stays in SD
· Dawn overhears talk about her and freaks.
Episode 12 (90th in the series)
(The Watchers Council returns and runs some "tests.")
January, 2001
· Quentin Travers and other members of the Watchers Council come to Sunnydale (They leave after this episode.)
· Ben figures out that Buffy is the Slayer
· Glory meets Dawn, but doesn't realize that she's the Key
· We meet Jinx, another one of Glory's jawa-like minions.
· Buffy meets the Knights of Byzantium, who are not allies of Glory but also looking to destroy the Key
· Buffy forces the WC to reinstate Giles (with pay)
· Quentin tells everyone that Glory is a god.
Episode 13 (91th in the series)
(Another Buffy birthday.)
Late January, 2001
· We learn that Glory drains energy from people's brains to survive, leaving them loony
· Buffy and Giles tell the Scoobies about Dawn/Key
· Dawn and Spike find out that she is the Key (Giles journal)
· Ben figures out that Dawn is the Key.
· Ben/Glory are the same being!! (But they don't remember each other's stuff, so Glory doesn't know that Dawn is the Key.)
· Dawn forgets/can't remember that Ben and Glory are one and the same.
Episode 14 (92nd in the series)
(Spike, Buffy, Drusilla, and ropesŠ)
February, 2001
· Dawn tells Buffy that Spike is in love with her.
· Drusilla returns to Sunnydale.
· Drusilla and Harmony both tell off Spike and leave.
Episode 15 (93rd in the series)
(Meet the original Kinkbot.)
March, 2001
· Ben invites Buffy out to coffee Š sometime.
· We meet Warren, his girlfriend Katrina, and his robot "girlfriend" April.
· April's batteries run out.
· Buffy cancels her date with Ben.
· Spike asks Warren to make him a "Buffybot"
· Buffy finds her Mom at home on the couch, eyes open and unmoving.
Episode 16 (94th in the series)
(The Scoobies mourn the loss of Joyce.)
March, 2001 (immediately after "I Was Made to Love You")
· Joyce is dead. (aneurysm ruptured artery in the brain)
· Willow and Tara share their first on-screen kiss
Episode 17 (95th in the series)
(Dawn and Buffy deal with the loss of their mother.)
March, 2001 (right after "The Body")
· Buffy stays in the graveyard the night after Joyce's funeral, comforted by Angel.
· Buffy and Angel share some kisses before Angel returns to LA.
· Willow "allows" Dawn to find a magick book with resurrection spells.
· Spike takes Dawn to a guy named Doc to help with the spell.
· Glory discovers (via Jinx via Ben) that the Key is human.
· Dawn cancels the spell.
Episode 18 (96th in the series)
(Buffy goes on a "spirit quest.")
April, 2001
· Warren gives Spike his BuffyBot
· The Spirit of the First Slayer tells Buffy "death is your gift"
· Dawn steals a pair of Anya's earrings.
· The Scoobies meet BuffyBot and deactivate it.
· Glory beats the hell out of Spike, trying to discover who the Key is.
· Buffy (posing as the Bot) ascertains that Spike didn't tell Glory about Dawn and kisses him.
Episode 19 (97th in the series)
(Buffy and Willow both get really grumpy.)
May, 2001
· Buffy drops out of UC Sunnydale.
· Willow and Tara have an argument.
· Glory "brain drains" Tara.
· Willow uses some dark magicks to hurt Glory, but it doesn't last long.
· Glory discovers that Dawn is the Key. (Tara babbles in her presence about Dawn being green energy.)
Episode 20 (98th in the series)
(The Scoobies are on the run.)
May, 2001 (immediately after "Tough Love")
· The Knights of Byzantium figure out that Dawn is the Key and give chase.
· Giles gets impaled by one of the Knights' spears.
· Buffy discovers (via one of the Knights) that Glory was born into the body of a newborn male and that she wants the Key to get herself back to her dimension by ripping down the walls that separation the dimension.
· Buffy calls Ben for help; he comes and helps Giles, but morphs into Glory.
· Glory takes Dawn and Buffy goes catatonic.
Episode 21 (99th in the series)
(Buffy retreats into her mind and Willow follows.)
May, 2001 (right after "Spiral")
· Everyone finally figures out that Glory and Ben are one and the same.
· We find out that Glory needs to bleed Dawn to open the portals.
· Spike and Xander go to Doc to find out what Glory is up to; Doc is one of Glorificus' (Glory's) followers.
· Willow pulls Buffy out of her catatonia.
· Giles discovers that the once opened, the portals will only close when the blood is stopped. In other words, when Dawn is dead.
Episode 22 (100th in the series)
(Showdown with Glory.)
May, 2001 (right after "Weight of the World")
· Buffy swears that she will not let Dawn die; no matter what.
· Anya suggests using the Dagon Sphere and Olaf's hammer in the fight.
· Xander proposes to Anya and she accepts!
· Dawn is chained to the top of a makeshift tower for the ceremony.
· Willow does a spell that brings Tara's mind back and weakens Glory.
· Doc slices Dawn, beginning the ritual to open the portals.
· Giles kills Ben/Glory. (Suffocates a severely injured Ben.)
· Buffy pushes Doc off the tower. (Not sure he's dead, but close enough.)
· Buffy dies. (She realizes that her blood is the same as Dawn's, and jumps off the tower into the portal to close it.)
I've left out characters that made minor, one time only appearances. If you think I've missed something that is important to the canon of the show, drop me a private message on the posting boards or email me at fiatlux@hellmouthcentral.com and let me know.
- fiatlux