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| 90. Checkpoint Original Air Date: January 23, 2001 Written by: Jane Espenson & Douglas Petrie Directed by: Nick Marck Guest Cast: Harris Yulin (Quentin Travers) Clare Kramer (Glory) Charlie Webber (Ben) Kevin Weisman (Dreg) Cynthia LaMontagne (Woman Watcher) Peter Husmann (Mailman) Wesley Mask (Professor Roberts) Buffy apologizes to the Scooby Gang for not keeping up the housekeeping as they meet in Buffy's living room. Finding one of Riley Finn's sweaters left behind her couch doesn't help the mood any and Xander quickly suggests that they start the meeting. Giles begins with the news that the Watchers are sending a delegation, presumably with information on Glory. Buffy tries to explain to a naive Tara why that news upsets her so. Besides a history of conflict with the Watchers Council, she can't tell them that her main fear is that the Watcher's will stumble across the secret that her little sister, Dawn, is actually The Key, an ancient mystical artifact that the current evil menace, Glory, needs to complete her nefarious plans. Only Buffy, Giles and Buffy's mother, Joyce, are aware of Dawn's true nature, but Dawn is suspicious, having overheard whispered conversations. Dawn sneaks down the stairs so she can listen in on the meeting and presumably learn more about the secret that involves her. Joyce catches her before she hears much and shoos Dawn off to her room. Buffy is panicky that Dawn is spying on them, but everyone else thinks that that is normal for Dawn. They don't realize that all their memories of Dawn growing up are false. Giles thinks that if the Watchers can help stop the powerful Glory then their visit will be worthwhile. Meanwhile, Glory looks anything but powerful as she huddles on the floor of her lavish home, sweating and breathing heavily. She looks like a junkie needing a fix. Two of her robed henchmen rush into the room with a captured mailman. One of them helps Glory over to the frightened man and she first caresses his face and then drives her fingers magically into the man's head. Bright yellow light shines from where her fingers enter the man's skull. Glory's scream blends with her victim's into one mournful tone. After a few seconds both of them fall to the floor. Glory quickly regains her composure after the "feeding". The mailman gets to his feet with sunken eyes and he sweats heavily. As he begins to babble and wander away, Glory scolds her henchmen for waiting so long to fulfill her needs. Then one of her followers, Dreg, tells her that the signs indicate that she needs to find The Key quickly if she intends to use it. Glory is unconcerned because she is certain that Buffy can tell her where The Key is, all Glory has to do is force her to give up the secret. Giles is warning a consumer about following proper spell-casting techniques when a phalanx of Watcher personnel invades the Magic Box. Quentin Travers begins to talk to Giles as six strangers begin snooping about the shop. Travers' tone is imperious and accusatory without really saying anything. Some of the Watcher personnel comment on how dangerous some of the items in the store could be. One of the men announces to the customers that the store is closing temporarily. Giles accuses Travers of judging the enterprise before even learning anything about it. When introduced, Anya blurts outs a cover story about being raised in Iowa. She fears that if the Council discovers that she used to be a Vengeance Demon that they will deal harshly with her. Travers tells Giles that the purpose of their visit is to review Buffy's situation. They do indeed have information about Glory that is important, but they won't release it to Buffy until they are satisfied as to her training and capability to deal with the info. Giles assures him that Buffy is working hard at her lessons. Buffy is working hard at staying awake as Professor Roberts lectures on Rasputin. Her professional interest is peaked when they discuss how hard it was to kill the "Mad Monk" [Poisoned, shot twice and eventually drown in a frozen river]. She remarks on reports that witnesses saw Rasputin after his supposed death. The history teacher is not impressed with such speculation. Buffy rebuts that history sometimes changes as what we used to believe is contradicted by further discoveries. Sometimes the unbelievable turns out to be the truth. The professor quickly loses patience with Buffy's version of history. He mocks Buffy's interest in arcane knowledge like which historical figures seemed to sleep during the day and only awake at night. He sarcastically instructs her to sit quietly and learn the real history. Later, Buffy confuses her vampire opponent by mocking the history professor while fighting. Her venting is interrupted when Spike jumps from the shadows to stake the vamp. Spike waits for Buffy's gratitude and instead is berated for interrupting. He suggests that she's just upset over the loss of Riley. As Buffy tries to walk away, Spike follows, irritating her with possible reasons that she can't seem to keep a boyfriend. After he finally leaves, Buffy stands alone in the quiet graveyard and seems to consider the same question. The intern, Ben, is walking down a hospital hallway when he is hustled into a room by Dreg. Dreg tells him that Glory needs to know anything that Ben knows about the Slayer. Ben is surprised to hear that Buffy is the Slayer. Dreg asks for personal information on Buffy that Glory can use against her. Giles is trying to explain Buffy's fighting style to Travers, when Buffy walks in the door of the magic shop. Realizing it's too late to run, Buffy reluctantly meets the Watchers. Travers announces that the Council plans an extensive review of everything in the Slayer's life. He reminds Buffy that the one constant in the fight against evil has been the Council, supplying guidance and instruction to a parade of often changing Slayers. He tells her that unless she cooperates with them, they will not give her the vital information they have on Glory. Giles vehemently objects to this method of exerting control over Buffy, but Travers suggests that they have other methods that they haven't used yet, like getting Giles deported. He implies that Buffy needs a lesson in real power and how it is used by grownups. A battered Dreg tells Glory that Ben is not going to help with her plans. She becomes upset at Ben's reluctance. Dreg's fear is obvious as the volatile Glory pouts and whines. To his relief, Glory merely decides to find the Slayer on her own. Buffy and Giles are commiserating over their lack of leverage in dealing with the Council. Giles warns Buffy that the Council is expert at manipulating bureaucrats and government systems to achieve their ends. Buffy's not worried about any physical test, it's the mind games that concern her. She also worries that she hasn't handled the Glory situation well. Giles assures her that she has done the best that anyone could. She begins to fear that she isn't up to the challenge, that she's fooling herself about her abilities and that the Council will abandon her to face Glory without any clue as to how to defeat her. Giles suggests that it's the Council that should be judged for withholding possibly life-saving information to coerce her. Unfortunately, Buffy cannot risk losing Giles, so they have no choice for the moment. Anya babbles her way through a fake life history before she is asked the first question by the Council personnel. Willow and Tara are very nervous but they quickly work up the courage to declare their love for each other, before the interviewer can explain that he really wants to know about their relationship with Buffy. Xander is proud of his contribution to the fight against evil, until the interviewer points out that he and Anya are both untrained amateurs. The man asks Xander whether Buffy often needs help in defeating her enemies, as Willow and Tara try to come up with the perfect answer to that question. They are all over the map with their answer, obviously trying to zero in on what the interviewer wants to hear. He flusters them further by asking them about their official skill rating and membership in any recognized witches' organizations. Willow and Tara try to bluff their way through. A woman questions Spike as two Council members hold a cross and crossbow. Spike casually mentions that Buffy pays him to help her and sometimes lets him drink the blood of terminal victims, the last part being, of course, a lie. He bad-mouths Buffy and suggests that if she doesn't turn things around soon, she'll be seeking him out for comfort. The woman is confused by Spike's relationship with Buffy, considering that Spike is a vampire and something of a Vampire Slayer slayer. Spike learns that the woman has studied him as a part of her training and she appears charmed as Spike begins to flirt with her in hopes of learning how Buffy is scoring. The first physical test for Buffy is to defend a dummy from an attacker, while blindfolded and listening for jiu-jitsu instructions in Japanese. Buffy tries to cope with Travers' shouted commands, Giles' awkward translations and the man swinging an ax at her. Buffy finally decides to block out the distractions and concentrate her senses on the attacker. She succeeds in defeating the foe, but not before he throws his ax into the chest of the dummy Buffy is guarding. When she removes the blindfold, Buffy is horrified to see that the dummy is dead and she babbles an apology for injuring the mock attacker. She makes excuses and asks for a retest, but Travers suggests that they test her fighting strategy and critical thinking later in the evening. Dejected, Buffy returns home to find Glory in her living room. Glory comments on the decor as she walks around exploring Buffy's living room. Buffy makes her way to the fireplace, but as she grasps the poker, Glory is instantly and silently behind her. Glory warns her that they are only talking, if violence begins, Buffy will die. Glory takes a seat and demands the location of The Key. As she drones on about how Buffy has no choice but to tell her, Dawn innocently walks into the room, behind Glory. Dawn freezes and from the looks on Buffy's face, realizes that there is danger. As Glory is explaining how she will kill Buffy, Dawn tries to tip-toe from the room. But Glory calls to her. Buffy asks Glory to keep Dawn out of it, but Glory will not be deterred. Glory tries to get Dawn to tell her the location of The Key, but she doesn't know it. As Glory tries to raise sibling resentment, Dawn angrily tells Buffy that one day she will figure out what secrets are being kept from her. Buffy orders Dawn up to her room and Glory does not protest. After Dawn leaves, Glory compliments her spunk and tells Buffy that she will kill Dawn and everyone else that Buffy loves, before her eyes. Glory warns Buffy that soon someone will die horribly, unless Buffy surrenders The Key. Glory leaves and Joyce emerges from hiding in the hallway. Buffy tells her to start packing. Spike is startled from a sound sleep by the arrival of the Summers family. Amazingly, Buffy asks for Spike's help in protecting her mother and Dawn. He is the only one she can turn to that might have enough strength and fighting ability to keep them safe. Spike tries to be a gracious host, but his crypt is not quite furnished for visitors. Before Buffy leaves, she starts to speak to Spike, but he stops her and tells her that her "or else I'll stake you" warnings are hardly worth repeating. After Buffy leaves, Spike is brusque with his guests, warning them not to interrupt his story, the soap opera, Passions. Joyce instantly recognizes a fellow fan and they talk animatedly together about the storylines as Dawn rolls her eyes. Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara are relegated to an upper level storage area as they watch the Watcher minions' continued inspection of the Magic Box. Giles assures Travers that, even though Buffy is over twenty minutes late that she will arrive. Buffy hurries down an alleyway. She is tackled by someone covered in Medieval chain mail. Two more opponents emerge to surround her. The first man carries a small broadsword and the others twirl shiny metal staffs. Buffy doesn't have time for this, but her foes attack anyway. They are quick and well-trained but Buffy is faster, stronger and more imaginative. After defeating them, she unmasks one of her attackers and is surprised to find a mere man, with an emblem displayed on his forehead. He claims to be a Knight of Byzantium, and they are out to get Buffy. Buffy wonders if they are allies of Glory, but he knows about The Beast and scorns the idea that they would help her. Their Brotherhood has sworn to destroy The Key and that means they must destroy Buffy. The man warns her that they will send as many soldiers as it takes to kill Buffy, even if it takes an army. The man expects Buffy to kill him and for a moment she lowers the sword threateningly, but then she dismisses him and he runs for his life. When Buffy arrives at the shop, Travers is ready to begin the review, but Giles instantly notices the sword she carries and assumes the worst. She confirms that she was attacked. When Travers tries to continue, Buffy stops him. She informs him that there will be no review. When one of the Watchers begins to protest, Buffy informs them that there will be no interruptions. She will not cooperate with a test designed for her to fail. She explains that lately a lot of people have been trying to tell her that she's worthless. She's finally realized that the opposite is true. The people trying to get her to surrender to them are the ones that desperately need something that only she can supply. That gives her power over them. Glory keeps saying that she could easily kill Buffy, but she can't because she needs Buffy to give her The Key. The Watchers keep telling her that she needs to work for them, but without a Slayer, they are powerless. Without her, their lives are meaningless. When the Watcher tries to argue again, Buffy, in one smooth motion, picks the sword off the table and slings it at the man. It embeds in the wall with a loud metallic ring, just missing his chest. She reminds everyone that she wants no interruptions. Her friends sitting on the edge of the upper floor are enjoying the show. Buffy realizes that the Watchers have no outlet for whatever information they have on Glory, unless it's to publish it in some lunatic fringe newsletter. They need The Slayer for their knowledge to become action. She begins to instruct them on how things will go from now on. They are going to become absent advisors. They will continue researching Glory and any contact will be through Giles who will be restored as Buffy's official Watcher. An unsubtle reminder from Giles and Buffy instructs them to pay Giles back wages from the time he was fired [two years ago (#046 - Helpless)]. Buffy will continue to work as she always has, with the help of her friends. The woman Watcher hesitantly interrupts and, fearful of being skewered, she insists on pointing out that the young people are just that - teenage civilians. Buffy points out that Willow and Tara are powerful witches and Anya is an ex-demon with a thousand years of experience. Another Watcher pushes that Xander is pretty worthless. Buffy reminds them that Xander has fought more monsters than all them, combined, have ever seen. Xander's chest swells with pride as Buffy tells them that they are a team and that's not going to change. The individual members can consider if they want to be a part of a Watcher's organization that works for Buffy, instead of the other way around but she faces Travers and, calling him by his first name, insists that he answer now, whether the Watchers organization will obey. After a few tense moments of hesitation, Travers gives in. The Scooby quartet, in the balcony, cheers and Giles calm exterior almost cracks with glee. Travers mentions to Giles that they discovered a bottle of single malt scotch behind the incense while inventorying the store. Giles at first thinks he is being accused of something, until he realizes that Travers is asking for a drink. Before anyone has a chance to relax, Buffy demands to be told at least what kind of demon she faces in Glory. Travers tells her that Glory is a God. Summary by: OBCooke at EpisodeGuides.com |
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