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<Episode 97: Tough Love>


Season: Episode 19 of Season 5
Original Air Date: 05/01/2001
Written by: Rebecca Kirshner
Directed by: David Grossman

Notes: Glory thinks Tara is the Key. Plot Highlights: Buffy leaves college. Ben loses his job. Glory takes a bubble bath. Buffy talks to Dawn's principal. Anya discovers patriotic capitalism. Buffy wants Giles to be the stompy foot. Willow's human triangle. Willow & Tara fight. Buffy tells Dawn about needing to be a fit legal guardian to keep her. Giles counsels Willow & interrogates a minion. Glory sits with Tara at the fair. Spike comforts Dawn. Buffy thinks she's cooled Willow off; Spike points out the obvious. Willow attacks Glory, Buffy saves her. Glory interrupts a quiet lunch with Tara. Quick Review: Because this episode has a very simple plot revolving around Glory's mistaking Tara for the Key, it's easy to remember it primarily as a Willow/Tara episode -- which of course it is. But in re-watching, I realized that it is in fact a very well rounded episode with great moments for the whole ensemble (see memorable moments below). And if I hadn't been trying to keep the list short, I could have added references to every scene -- I very nearly did. It may not be a sweeping episode with "GREATNESS" written all over it, but the sheer number of quality parts make the whole quite outstanding in a subtler way. An excellent candidate for repeat viewing. Memorable Moments: Anya embracing her American-ness and discoursing on Capitalism. Xander searching for supportive things to compare himself to. Buffy alternately trying to convince herself to be the "stompy foot" for Dawn and trying to pass off the responsibility to Giles. Willow storming out on a distraught Tara. Giles bringing back the Ripper for a little circumspect minion interrogation. Dawn's teary guilt trip & Spike's reassurance that she is in fact not evil. Willow's post-Tara-brain-suck challenge of Buffy's Glory-fighting plans. Spike & Dawn convincing Buffy that Willow hadn't really given up her plans to spill a few pints of god-blood. Willow & Buffy's bonding over both having a defenseless loved-one to take care of.
Transcript Source: Download from http://www.studiesinwords.de/97toughlove.html Once again, I'm typing these up myself as transcripts are scarce... (If the link above doesn't work, try looking here, under multimedia.)
There are 23 clips for this episode

The following AKAs appeared in this episode:

Glory referred to Spike as A pulseless, impure, follicly-fried vampire
Glory referred to Scoobies as wacky pals
Buffy referred to Buffy as the strong guiding hand and stompy foot
Anya referred to Anya as an American
Tara referred to Tara as the big Knowledge Woman
Wilow referred to Willow as snippy gal
Willow referred to Walsh as an evil government scientist
Willow referred to Adam as Walsh's Frankenstein-like creation
Willow referred to Willow as the junior partner
Spike referred to Dawn as Platelet
Dawn referred to Dawn as a lightning rod for pain and hurt
Spike referred to Willow as a powerful and mightily pissed off witch

The following characters appeared in this episode:

|Anya |Buffy |Dawn |Giles |Glory |Spike |Tara |Willow |Xander |

The following Story Arcs where represented in this episode:

NOTES ON EPISODE ART: CREATED 08/2001 ~Who could resist so many heart-breaking shots of Willow looking sad? Not me, and so I present this collage, otherwise known as "So Very Distraught" (some day I'm gonna do a happy collage. honest.) With all that great orangey hair, I just had to dust some purple about for contrast...

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