Welcome to Rewatching Buffy, the part of the blog where I rewatch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Each Tuesday evening, you’re invited to join me as I attempt to rediscover what made me love this show 21 years ago.

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Family

• Willow and Tara settle in for the night.
• Then we cut to Buffy talking quietly to Giles. She’s filling him in on the whole, “Dawn isn’t really my sister” thing.
• Giles suggests sending Dawn away, since the crazy lady at the factory is close and could figure out that Dawn is the Key.
• The suggestion is that she go live with Buffy’s dad… But he’s living the cliche with his secretary in Spain. He hasn’t even called Buffy back when she reached out after Joyce got sick.
• I only include all that info because I feel like the absence of Buffy’s father may be important in the future…
• The gang helps Buffy move out of her dorm room. She’s heading back home to be close to Joyce.
• Willow has planned a surprise birthday party for Tara at the Bronze… But no one in the Scooby Gang remembered that this was a thing that was happening…
• Ben, the doctor (?) who has been so helpful every time Joyce has had to go to the hospital, looks like he’s about to get attacked in the hospital’s locker room.
• But then the crazy lady looking for Dawn grabs the potentially attacking demon and says she needs a favor.
• She’s definitely a bad guy, right?
• While researching the crazy lady at the Magic Box, Buffy and Xander discuss what they should buy Tara for her birthday.
• They really don’t know Tara at all…
• Xander suggests Buffy blow off some steam… and suddenly she’s fighting Spike in his crypt.
• This all turns out to be a sick fantasy in Spike’s head. Part of the whole “Spike loves Buffy” thing.
• Back at the Magic Box, a rednecky guy is asking questions about books and such.
• Turns out this is Tara’s older brother, Donnie.
• Donnie, along with Tara’s father and cousin Beth (Amy Adams!) have been looking for Tara all over campus.
• The rift between Riley and Buffy grows as she’s reluctant to share all that’s on her mind regarding Dawn and her new adversary.
• Tara gets to her dorm room and finds her father inside. He’s disappointed that she’s clearly still dabbling in witchcraft.
• He reveals that they’ve come to take her home. She’s turning 20 which apparently ushers in something evil inside her.
• Crazy demon chick finds out from the demon she abducted that Buffy is the Slayer. And she’s kinda embarrassed by the fact that she fought a Slayer.
• She orders the demon to get its friends together and find/kill Buffy.
• Tara casts a spell on the Scooby Gang. Probably related to whatever she’s alleged to turn into when she turns 20.
• Riley goes into Willy’s Place to drown his sorrows. He buys a drink for a girl named Sandy… a vampire…
• Spike hears about the demon that’s out to kill the Slayer. So he tells Harmony he’s going to get a decent seat so he can watch.
• Cousin Beth finds Tara on campus and offers to help her pack. But she just gives Tara a lecture when she reveals she’s not going back with her family.
• Beth figures out that Tara cast a spell and Tara reveals that it was just so they wouldn’t see the demon part of her.
• So Tara’s part-demon? Hmm…
• Willow hears something and opens the door at the Magic Box to reveal a trio of demons.
• But she doesn’t see them at all.
• This does not bode well for our heroes.
• The demons move quietly through the Magic Box and find Buffy in the training room.
• They attack. Spike comes in the back door and helps out.
• But they can’t see Spike, either, I’m guessing…
• Buffy manages to smash one demon’s head into the wall, killing it.
• Tara arrives and realizes what her spell has done, and she breaks the spell.
• Spike kills one of the demons.
• Able to see the last demon, Buffy breaks its neck.
• Tara apologizes for the spell… she doesn’t want the gang to see what she is.
• Her father speaks up and claims that the women in their family have demon in them. He’s taking her home because they know how to “control” her problem.
• Willow asks Tara what she wants.
• Buffy tells Tara’s dad that if he wants her, he’s free to take her. But he’s gotta go through her first. And then everyone else speaks up. Except Spike… he doesn’t care.
• Tara’s dad claims they’re blood kin. Buffy says they’re family.
• Then Anya speaks up. She wants to know what kind of demon Tara is.
• When Tara’s kin can’t give a clear answer, Spike understands what’s going on.
• “Let’s make this simple,” he says, then he slaps Tara, causing his chip to fire off.
• That wouldn’t happen if Tara had even a little bit of demon in her. Spike points out that this is just a family legend that they use to keep their women in line.
• Body count: Demons – 3