Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S5/E22 The Gift

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.

The Scoobies face off against Glory. Xander proposes to Anya. Buffy discovers the meaning of "Death is your gift". This was the last episode to air on The WB. So in a way its sort of a series finale for the network that supported the show from the beginning.

Tropes used in The Gift include:
  • Actually a Doombot: Glory decapitates Buffy -- only to be surprised that the Slayer is a robot. Then the real Buffy appears behind her wielding a great big hammer.
  • Always Save the Girl: Buffy refuses to even consider the idea of killing Dawn to stop the ritual.

Giles: (quietly) If the ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death ... including Dawn.
Dawn: Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her.
Giles: (quietly) You'll fail. You'll die. We all will.

  • Ass Pull: Two. There's Olaf suddenly being called a "Troll God" rather than just a Troll to explain why his hammer can hurt Glory. And the one that really gets fans upset: Buffy sacrificing herself in Dawn's place on the theory that since Dawn was made from Buffy's blood, her death will also close the portal. Never mind that if that was the case, it should mean they both have to die.
  • Batter Up: Anya, but she doesn't know how to hold it properly.
  • Barrier-Busting Blow: Badass Normal Xander with a wrecking ball.
  • Blood Magic: The Key's blood is used to open the portal while Buffy's blood -- which is the same as Dawn's -- is used to close it again. The importance of this trope is lampshaded by Spike.

Xander: "Why blood?"
Spike: "Blood is life, lackbrain. Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going, makes you warm, makes you hard, makes you other than dead. 'Course it's her blood."

  • Call Back: The opening scene where Buffy saves a boy from a vampire is a reference to the original premise of the series.

Kid: H-how'd you do that?
Buffy: It's What I Do.
Kid: But you're ... you're just a girl.
Buffy: That's what I keep saying.

  • Cat Scare: Xander and Anya are searching the basement; Xander removes a cloth and shrieks as he suddenly finds himself facing the Buffybot. Then Anya shrieks and starts ranting at whatever sick person put a...stuffed toy rabbit in the basement.
  • Chekhov's Armoury: The Hammer of Olaf, the Dagon Sphere, and the Buffybot are all used to fight Glory.
  • The Coats Are Off: Glory takes off her sacrificial robe to fight Buffy.
  • Completely Missing the Point: According to the Parents Television Committee Buffy is one of the worst, offensive, atrocious shows on TV because Buffy gives her life to save the world, stating it was suicide. Apparently they believe she was meant to let the world be destroyed.
  • Courtly Love: Spike is now willing to die protecting those Buffy loves, even though he knows Buffy will never return his feelings.
  • Cowardly Lion: Willow and her jelly-belly.

Giles: Need anything?
Willow: [staring at Glory's tower] Could use a little courage.
[Spike's hand comes into the shot, holding a small flask in front of Willow's face].

Willow: The real kind. But thanks.

Buffy: This is how many apocalypses for us now?
Giles: Oh well, six, at least. Feels like a hundred.

Buffy: I've always stopped them. Always won.

Giles: Yes.

Buffy: I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much... but I knew. What was right. I don't have that anymore. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world, if these are the choices, if everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish... I just wish my mom was here. The spirit guide told me that Death is my gift. I guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all.

Giles: I think you're wrong about that.

Buffy: Doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting.

Xander: I'm also a swell bowler.
Spike: The gods themselves do tremble.

  • Flashback Echo: When Buffy puts together the clues on how to close the rift.
  • Get Out!: Dawn is sick of listening to Ben's excuses for his Face Heel Turn and demands he change, shouting in a similar manner to her "Get-out-get-out-GET-OUT!" of previous episodes; "Be Glory. Be Glory. (yelling) Glory! Glory! Glory!"
  • Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: Xander asks why the Buffybot hasn't been melted down.

Anya: Maybe Willow wanted it.
Xander: I don't think Willow feels that way about Buffy. I mean, I know she's gone through a lot of changes, but--

Anya: To study it.

Xander: Right. Robotics. (embarrassed ) Science.

Anya: [beat] Pervert.

Xander: Other pervert.

  • The Glasses Come Off: Inverted -- Giles deliberately puts on his glasses before suffocating Ben, making a point of not sparing himself the horror of what he's doing.
  • Groin Attack: A rare female example. It's hard to see due to the pace of the fight, but at one point Glory clearly punches Buffy in the groin. And yes, it hurts just as much for women, and Glory is a god... ouch.
  • Hell on Earth: Glory's departure will tear open the dimensions, causing Earth to be invaded by Eldritch Abominations.
  • Hidden Depths: Despite the derision of Spike and Giles, Anya comes up with some good ideas to fight Glory, and stays to fight instead of leaving Sunnydale like she did in "Graduation Day".
  • Held Gaze: Spike shares an Oh Crap look with Dawn a moment before Doc pushes him off the tower.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Dawn tries to throw herself off the tower so as to close the rift. Buffy stops her and goes in her place.
  • I Gave My Word

Spike: You don't come near the girl, Doc.
Doc: I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?
Spike: I made a promise to a lady.

Spike: I know you'll never love me. I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man. And that's...

Giles: She's a hero, you see. She's not like us. (Suffocates Ben)

Minion 1: Stand fast! Kill anyone who dares approach! This will be our day of glory!
Minion 2: Well punned.
Minion 1: Well, it just called out to me. (crossbow bolt hits him in the chest)

Spike: Ah, when you [Buffy] say you love us all...
Xander and Giles: Shut up!

  • Mad Oracle: Tara, who has been Mind Raped by Glory and reduced to a babbling childlike state, suddenly points to Giles and shouts, "You're a killer!" foretelling his murder of Ben.
  • The Magnificent: Doc called Glory "her Splendidness" and one of her minions refers to her as "Oh, Most Sweaty-Naughty-Feelings-Causing One."
  • Manly Tears: Spike weeps over Buffy's death.
  • Meaningful Echo: "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it" is repeated (by Dawn) in Season 6, where Buffy finds real life more difficult to cope with than any Big Bad.
  • Negated Moment of Awesome: Doc bests Spike in combat, then faces up to Buffy knife in hand, saying "This should be interesting." Buffy throws him off the tower without even breaking stride.
  • Nerds Are Sexy: After Anya figures out some good ways of attacking Glory.

Xander: Smart chicks are soooo hot.
Willow: You couldn't have figured that out in tenth grade?

Spike: Doesn't a fellow stay dead when you kill him?
Doc: Look who's talking.

Buffy: I don't wanna hear it. (turns away)
Giles: I understand that--
Buffy: (whirls back) No! No, you don't understand. We are not talking about this.
Giles: (jumping up from the table) YES, WE BLOODY WELL ARE!

Glory: "The Slayer's a robot? Did everybody else know the Slayer was a robot?"

Buffy: Hey, everybody knows their jobs. Remember, the ritual starts, we all die. And I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn.
Spike: Well, not exactly the St. Crispin's Day speech, was it?
Giles: (Wryly) "We few, we happy few..."
Spike: We band of buggered.

Glory: I need a brain to eat.
Minion: Oh, take mine, oh groove-tastic one!
Glory: I said a brain, you worthless dirt!

  • Super Strength: Anya suggests using the Hammer of Olaf. Spike is in the middle of saying that he tried to lift it (in "Blood Ties") and it was too heavy, when Buffy casually hefts the hammer in one hand.
  • Taking the Bullet: Anya shoves Xander out of the way of a bolt of lightning, and then gets injured by falling rubble.
  • Targeted Human Sacrifice
  • Telepathy: Willow uses this to communicate during the battle.
  • Tempting Fate

Glory: You lost your hammer, sweet cheeks. What are you gonna hit me with now?
(A huge wrecking-ball smashes through the wall and into Glory.)
Buffy: Whatever's handy.

  • Too Much Information: Ben tries to comfort Dawn by saying at least she'll die quick. A hobbit-minion chimes in that actually it'll be slow to encourage the maximum blood flow.
  • Unusual Euphemism: Anya's "pleasure moment".
  • With This Ring: Xander proposes to Anya. At first Anya is offended, thinking Xander is only doing it because they'll be dead soon and he won't have to keep his promise. Xander says he's doing it because he thinks they'll live. Anya is touched but, clearly seeking to avoid Tempting Fate, tells him to hold onto the ring until after the battle.
  • Vampire Invitation: Spike is quite moved when Buffy allows him back into her house.
  • You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Buffy is mildly surprised when the vampire she encounters doesn't know who she is. No problem.

Buffy: You ever heard the expression, "biting off more than you can chew"? ...Okay, um, how about the expression "Vampire Slayer"?

Vampire: What the hell are you talking about?

Buffy: Wow. Never heard that one? Okay, how about, "Oh God, my leg, my leg?" (Breaks his leg)

Vampire: Oh God, my leg! Ah!

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