<Episode 90: Checkpoint>

Watchers come to town to test Buffy & Glory tracks Buffy down.

Plot Highlights:

Giles lets the gang know the Watchers are coming. Buffy is humiliated in class, takes it out on a vamp. Spike saves Buffy, gets no gratitude & goes off about her love-life. The Watchers Council threatens Giles, subjects Buffy to a physical test & interrogates the gang. Ben sends Glory a message. Glory meets Dawn w/out realizing she's the Key. Buffy entrusts her mother & Dawn to Spike. Knights attack her. Buffy tells the Council off.

Quick Review:

A necessary if not particulary thrilling episode, Checkpoint brings us back into the season arcs after the mostly stand-alone Triangle and thus prepares the way for the following ep (Blood Ties). Some nice little touches of humor here and there and it was good to see confident Buffy emerging at the end to triumph by sheer force of personality. A decent effort, but not enough happens of moment to motivate multiple rewatchings.

Memorable Moments:

• Anya's "kill the ex-demons, right?" and subsequent over-enthusiastic attempts to prove her apple-pie human-ness.
• Spike's sour-grapes jabs at Buffy's beauty & ability to retain boyfriends after she fails to show any gratitude for his help dusting a vamp.
• The Watcher's Council's condescending invasion of the Magic Shop and threats to deport Giles.
• Buffy's admission to Giles that she can't stand to lose him.
• Xander & Anya, Willow & Tara, and especially Spike getting interviewed by the Watchers. "I wrote my thesis on you..."
• Buffy burdening Spike with some manly responsibility by entrusting him with her mom & sister's safety.
• Buffy putting the Watcher's Council in its place.

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Transcribed by Joan the English Chick (pisces@englishchick.com).
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