No Place Like Home (24 Oct. 2000)

Buffy learns more about Dawn after she discovers a mysterious orb linked to a group of monks being pursued by an incredibly powerful force.

Director:

David Solomon

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Douglas Petrie

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Marc Blucas	...	Riley Finn
Emma Caulfield	...	Anya
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Dawn Summers
James Marsters	...	Spike
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Clare Kramer	...	Glory
Charlie Weber	...	Ben
Ravil Isyanov	...	Monk
Kristine Sutherland	...	Joyce Summers
James Wellington	...	Nightwatchman
Paul Hayes	...	Older Nightwatchman
Staci Lawrence	...	Customer

Storyline

A mysterious woman arrives in town looking for "The Key", and Buffy investigates a possible supernatural cause behind her mother's illness. She performs a ritual to see spells, and discovers something is not quite right about Dawn. Meanwhile, the gang helps Giles see through the re-opening of the magic shop, and Giles hires Anya to work for him.

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Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | heroine | lesbian | sister sister relationship

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2000 (USA)

Filming Locations:

1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At 24:14, as the camera tracks Buffy stepping back into her circle of sand, it also picks up the boom microphone in the upper left corner of the frame.

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Quotes

Buffy: What are you doing here?
Spike: Look...
Buffy: Five words or less.
Spike: [counts on his fingers] Out for a walk.
[pauses]
Spike: Bitch.

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Connections

References Iron Chef (1993)

User Reviews

The Secret About the Origins of Dawn

Three monks are under attack of The Beast, a gorgeous woman looking for a mysterious The Key, and they send the powerful device that they protect to another place. Meanwhile, Buffy vanquishes a vampire in an abandoned facility and the security guard gives a glow ball to her, believing it belongs to Buffy. On the next morning it is Giles big day with the grand opening of the Magic Box, and Joyce is sick, with a strong headache. Buffy goes to the pharmacy of the hospital with her prescription, and she sees the security guard she met in the previous night acting like crazy, advising that they come through the family. Buffy gives the ball to Giles, and after his research, he discloses that it is the Dagon Sphere, a protective device against "that which can not be named". Buffy uses magic to disclose the spell that is causing the illness of her mother, faces the abomination and unravels the secret about the origins of Dawn.

"No Place Like Home" is so far the best and most important episode of the Fifth Season. I was upset with the spoiled and annoying Dawn, and I believed there was a complete lack of coherence of the writer since Buffy had been the only daughter along the four previous seasons. However, this episode clarifies the origins of Dawn, in a real plot point of the series. Giles, Anya and Xander are hilarious in Giles' shop of magic stuffs. Now I am anxious to see the sequel of this intriguing episode. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Não Há Lugar Como Nosso Lar" ("There Is No Place Like Our Home")