"Tough Love" begins setting the stage for the season finale. This is an important episode in the story arc, with Glory finally finding out that Dawn is the key and Tara getting brain sucked. There are some slow parts to this episode, (**cough** Dawn **cough**) But all in all you really shouldn't miss "Tough Love" if you've been following the main story this season. Everything's about to come to a head.
"Tough Love" revolves around the relationships of Willow & Tara and Buffy & Dawn. Buffy has dropped out of college to take care of her little sister. And Dawn really does need all the help she can get. She's been skipping school and blowing off her homework. Her principal tells Buffy that if she can't keep Dawn on the straight and narrow, then the school will have to report her to social services. Buffy tries hard to be firmer with Dawn, which only makes her sister angry and resentful. Meanwhile, Glory is still determined to find the key and she has a new plan. She'll go after the newest Scoobie, (since the key has to be new to this world) which means that Tara is in trouble.
At the same time, Willow and Tara have gotten into an argument. Willow feels that Tara and Buffy are shutting her out because she doesn't have their shared experience of losing a mother. Tara is afraid that Willow is only having a fling with her and will one day return to a heterosexual life style. Tara goes off to the UC Sunnydale World Culture Fair. Willow goes to commiserate with Giles. At the Magic Box, they capture one of Glory's minions spying on them. He tells them that they're too late. Glory already knows that the key is Tara. Horrified at the mix-up, Willow rushes off to find her girlfriend. By the time she finds her, though, Tara has already been brain sucked.
Tara is taken to Sunnydale General (Or whatever the hospital's called) and admitted to the mental ward. Willow is heartbroken that this has happened to Tara. She vows revenge on Glory, by Buffy tells her it would be suicide. Willow pretends to agree, but in reality she heads to the Magic Box for supplies and then goes to Glory's mansion. Buffy has dropped Dawn off with Spike and she heads down into the tunnels to update them on Tara. When Spike hears that Buffy "explained" things to Willow and she promised not to go "all pay-back-y" on Glory, he's skeptical. He understands Willow a little but better than that. (He's always been good a reading Willow's moods. See, season four's "Something Blue" for another instance of Spike seeing through Willow's facade of normalcy when nobody else could.) He tells Buffy that "for the right person" he'd go after Glory, suicide mission or not. And so would Willow. Buffy immediately heads off to find her friend.
At Glory's Willow is putting up a good fight, but she's losing. Her magic isn't strong enough to hurt Glory for long. Buffy arrives just in time to save Willow and they escape. The next day, Buffy, Dawn, Tara and Willow go to Tara's dorm for lunch. Tara is still ranting and brain sucked, but Willow says that she'll always take care of "her girl." Buffy looks at Dawn and agrees. Both Willow and Buffy are dealing with the "tough" aspects of love, but they're willing to do whatever they have to keep Tara and Dawn safe. Just then, the wall to the dorm comes crashing in. Glory has ripped it down and, as she stands there, Tara begins screaming and mindlessly saying that Dawn is glowing. Glory realizes that she has finally found her key.
There are some good parts to this episode. I love Anya deciding that she's an American and capitalist now. Tara being brain sucked is terrible... "Like communism." Then, when Willow says that she won't be able to sleep without Tara, Anya sweetly says, "You can sleep with me. Hmm, well that sounded much less lesbian in my head." Anya has troubles in the human world, but she always tries to be a friend to the Scoobies. I just think that she's adorable. Also, I like Willow and Tara's argument. They're both so uncomfortable with the idea of fighting, but they have legitimate stuff that needs to be discussed. When Tara gets hurt and Willow whispers how Tara is her "everything" it just breaks your heart. Willow can be so sweet one minute and a complete bad ass the next. Her revenge on Glory is an indication of things to come. Finally, I like that Buffy told her teacher how much she liked poetry, considering that Spike used to be a poet and Angel gave Buffy a book of poems for her birthday back in season three's "Helpless." I'm always looking for a way to tie Spike and Angel into a scene.
On the downside, why did Glory just brain suck Tara? Why didn't she torture her for information first? She knows that Tara has been around Buffy and could know who the key is. Why not tie Tara up and beat her like she did with Spike? What with Tara not being an immortal vampire, I bet Glory could have gotten her to talk eventually. Also, I don't think that Giles should have let Buffy drop out of school. She's still very young and she need his help. As her only remaining parental figure, he should have stepped in and agreed to assist with raising Dawn while Buffy finished college.
My favorite part of the episode: Giles' "asking" Glory's minion some questions. Every once in a while, Ripper just has to came out.
"Tough Love" revolves around the relationships of Willow & Tara and Buffy & Dawn. Buffy has dropped out of college to take care of her little sister. And Dawn really does need all the help she can get. She's been skipping school and blowing off her homework. Her principal tells Buffy that if she can't keep Dawn on the straight and narrow, then the school will have to report her to social services. Buffy tries hard to be firmer with Dawn, which only makes her sister angry and resentful. Meanwhile, Glory is still determined to find the key and she has a new plan. She'll go after the newest Scoobie, (since the key has to be new to this world) which means that Tara is in trouble.
At the same time, Willow and Tara have gotten into an argument. Willow feels that Tara and Buffy are shutting her out because she doesn't have their shared experience of losing a mother. Tara is afraid that Willow is only having a fling with her and will one day return to a heterosexual life style. Tara goes off to the UC Sunnydale World Culture Fair. Willow goes to commiserate with Giles. At the Magic Box, they capture one of Glory's minions spying on them. He tells them that they're too late. Glory already knows that the key is Tara. Horrified at the mix-up, Willow rushes off to find her girlfriend. By the time she finds her, though, Tara has already been brain sucked.
Tara is taken to Sunnydale General (Or whatever the hospital's called) and admitted to the mental ward. Willow is heartbroken that this has happened to Tara. She vows revenge on Glory, by Buffy tells her it would be suicide. Willow pretends to agree, but in reality she heads to the Magic Box for supplies and then goes to Glory's mansion. Buffy has dropped Dawn off with Spike and she heads down into the tunnels to update them on Tara. When Spike hears that Buffy "explained" things to Willow and she promised not to go "all pay-back-y" on Glory, he's skeptical. He understands Willow a little but better than that. (He's always been good a reading Willow's moods. See, season four's "Something Blue" for another instance of Spike seeing through Willow's facade of normalcy when nobody else could.) He tells Buffy that "for the right person" he'd go after Glory, suicide mission or not. And so would Willow. Buffy immediately heads off to find her friend.
At Glory's Willow is putting up a good fight, but she's losing. Her magic isn't strong enough to hurt Glory for long. Buffy arrives just in time to save Willow and they escape. The next day, Buffy, Dawn, Tara and Willow go to Tara's dorm for lunch. Tara is still ranting and brain sucked, but Willow says that she'll always take care of "her girl." Buffy looks at Dawn and agrees. Both Willow and Buffy are dealing with the "tough" aspects of love, but they're willing to do whatever they have to keep Tara and Dawn safe. Just then, the wall to the dorm comes crashing in. Glory has ripped it down and, as she stands there, Tara begins screaming and mindlessly saying that Dawn is glowing. Glory realizes that she has finally found her key.
There are some good parts to this episode. I love Anya deciding that she's an American and capitalist now. Tara being brain sucked is terrible... "Like communism." Then, when Willow says that she won't be able to sleep without Tara, Anya sweetly says, "You can sleep with me. Hmm, well that sounded much less lesbian in my head." Anya has troubles in the human world, but she always tries to be a friend to the Scoobies. I just think that she's adorable. Also, I like Willow and Tara's argument. They're both so uncomfortable with the idea of fighting, but they have legitimate stuff that needs to be discussed. When Tara gets hurt and Willow whispers how Tara is her "everything" it just breaks your heart. Willow can be so sweet one minute and a complete bad ass the next. Her revenge on Glory is an indication of things to come. Finally, I like that Buffy told her teacher how much she liked poetry, considering that Spike used to be a poet and Angel gave Buffy a book of poems for her birthday back in season three's "Helpless." I'm always looking for a way to tie Spike and Angel into a scene.
On the downside, why did Glory just brain suck Tara? Why didn't she torture her for information first? She knows that Tara has been around Buffy and could know who the key is. Why not tie Tara up and beat her like she did with Spike? What with Tara not being an immortal vampire, I bet Glory could have gotten her to talk eventually. Also, I don't think that Giles should have let Buffy drop out of school. She's still very young and she need his help. As her only remaining parental figure, he should have stepped in and agreed to assist with raising Dawn while Buffy finished college.
My favorite part of the episode: Giles' "asking" Glory's minion some questions. Every once in a while, Ripper just has to came out.
