Episode 6.17 - Normal Again

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A demon attack leads Buffy to believe her life as the Slayer is a delusion, and that she's actually confined to a mental institution. Willow, Xander, Dawn, and Spike try to help, but their own insecurities and in-fighting exacerbates Buffy's confusion. After a frustrated Spike challenges Buffy to "live already," she surrenders to the responsibility-free "reality" of the institution, where she's cared for by her loving parents. But in order to escape the "fantasy" of being the Slayer, along with the demands of her duty and responsibilities of life, she must remove the "traps" of that other reality: her friends. Buffy locks Willow, Xander, and Dawn in the basement, then turns loose a captive demon on them. Tara arrives to save the day, but watching the suffering of her friends and sister, and hearing their pleas for help, compels Buffy to embrace the true reality and reject the safe, insular illusion of the institution, and she kills the demon.

What we thought about this Episode:

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The Tarabula Rasa Review

Cath's summary

Klytaimnestra's Review: Normal Again - or, Give Up the Hero Trip, Buffy

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