Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S5/E06 Family

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


It's Tara's birthday and her family comes to take her away before her true demonic nature surfaces. Glory sends some demons to kill Buffy

  • Arson, Murder, and Admiration: Spike works out that Tara's family have made up the entire demon story to keep their women in line. He then says with approval, "Oh you're a piece of work. I like you."
  • Blatant Lies: Spike tells Harmony he's going to watch the demons kill the Slayer; he actually saves her life.
  • Book Ends: Tara's "insect reflection" joke. At the beginning of the episode, she tells it and nobody gets it; at the end of the episode she explains it to Anya.

Anya: But it's still not funny

Spike: You want me, Slayer? Come and get me!
Buffy: Oh I'm coming. I'm coming right NOW! (Smash Cut to Spike finding 'sweet release' in Harmony)

Buffy: "Thinking there will be a lot of Wiccans there? Heavy Wiccan crowd?"
Xander: "That's sort of her deal. Her and Willow are all Wiccie. Swinging with the Wiccan lifestyle."
Buffy: "Which is cool!"

Xander: "Oh yeah."

  • Flying Broomstick: Dawn gives Tara a broomstick for her birthday.
  • Go Through Me: The whole gang does this to protect Tara from her abusive family. Except Spike.

Buffy: "If you want Tara, you'll have to go through all of us."
Spike: "Except me."
Xander: "Except Spike."
Spike: "I don't care what happens."

Tara: Yeah. You learn her source (grins) and, uh, we'll introduce her to her insect reflection. (everyone stares at her) Um ... that, that was funny if you, um, studied Taglarin mythic rites...and are a complete dork.
Riley: Oh, then how come Xander didn't laugh?
Xander: I don't know that Taglarin stuff.

"OK. Now...I'm...upset."

"How did you fi-- I, I mean, how come you came?

    • Spike hearing the demons are going to kill Buffy.

"God, that would be...pleasant."

  • Love Floats: The episode ends with Tara and Willow slow-dancing at the Bronze. A Reveal Shot shows they're floating a foot above the ground.
  • Nonhuman Lover Reveal
  • Not Worth Killing: Buffy assumes Glory will come after her; in truth Glory is embarrassed to discover she fought a mere Slayer, and just sends some demons to kill her as she regards Buffy as an interfering nuisance.
  • Oblivious Mockery: Buffy warns Dawn against boozing at the party; she replies that only losers drink alcohol. The Scoobies all look at their drinks.
  • Perception Filter: Tara casts a spell so her friends can't see her demon side. Unfortunately this means they can't see the demons attacking them.
  • Prodigal Family: Tara's family are an example of the possessive, malevolent variety.
  • Speech Impediment: Tara's stutter returns with vengeance the moment her family turns up.
  • Spider Sense: Buffy senses the 'invisible' demons creeping up on her while she's in the training room.
  • Stock Phrases: Beth snaps, "I hope you're happy!" after Tara rejects her blood family for the Scoobies. Tara just smiles because yes, she is now.
  • Suspect Is Hatless: Giles is trying to establish who Glory is, but isn't having any luck -- all Buffy can tell him is that she looks human, acts like Cordelia and recently dyed her hair.

Mr. Maclay: This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. WE are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?
[Shot of Giles, Dawn, Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya all standing together in a group, with Spike in the background.]
Buffy: We're family.

Willow: Tara ... look at me. I, I trusted you more than anyone in my life. Was all that just a lie?