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"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" The Gift (2001)

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39 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
The reason that television was invented, 1 September 2006

Author: katierose295 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is arguably the greatest episode of BTVS. (In my opinion, the only two episodes that could even come close to challenging it are season six's "Once More With Feeling" and season two's "Becoming Part Two.") "The Gift" wraps up season five (and, in a way, the entire series to this point) with such a perfect mixture of laughter and tears that it reaches the level of art. This episode is just flat out great television and I almost hate to write about it. I'm not going to do it justice. I highly recommend that you see this episode for yourself so you can fully appreciate it. It's too d*mn good to miss.

"The Gift" is the season five season finale. It picks up where "Weight of the World" left off. The Scoobies are at the Magic Box, Glory has Dawn and she's going to use Dawn's blood to rip down the barriers between every dimension. Giles tells Buffy that they need to stop that at all costs... Even if that cost is killing Dawn themselves. Buffy refuses to even consider such a thing. She sacrificed Angel to save the world and she can't do it again. She is more convinced than ever that the first Slayer was right, death is her gift. Needing another way to defeat Glory, the Scoobies brainstorm some ideas. Finally, they decide to just keep Glory busy with a fight so she misses the mystical portal time line. Spike and Buffy gather weapons at the Summers' house. Xander and Anya have sex in the basement of the Magic Box. Willow works on a spell to fix Tara. They finally complete their preparations and head off to face Glory.

Tara leads them to Glory's tower-thing. The portal's going to open high above the street and Sunnydale's brain-sucked citizens have built a rickety structure to reach it. Dawn is tied at the top. Buffy fights Glory with the Dragon sphere, the Buffy-bot and Olaf the Troll's magic hammer. Meanwhile Spike races up the steps to get to Dawn. He finds Doc at the top and the smaller demon pushes Spike off. Buffy beats Glory so senseless that Ben comes out again. Unable to kill a human, Buffy leaves him and heads up to her sister. Giles, who knows that Glory can't be allowed to survive inside Ben, quietly suffocates him. When Buffy finds Dawns the portal is already opening. Dawn tries to jump into the opening so it will stop, but Buffy won't let her. Instead, she tells Dawn that she loves her and asks her to take care of her friends. Then she turns, leaps through the portal herself and dies. The Scoobies gather around her body at the base of the tower, crying and holding each other. The episode closes with Buffy's tombstone with the fitting epitaph "She Saved the World A Lot."

There is just so much to love about this episode that I can't even list it all. Every one of the Scoobies is just brilliant. There's Anya and Xander getting engaged in the basement, bunny scare and all. Apocalypse aside, it's such a perfect moment. Watching that scene you really wish that they could just end up happy. And there's Glory gaping at Tara and demanding "What are you doing here?" when she shows up at the tower. Which prompts Willow to step out and calmly says, "She's with me." Then she does a little brain sucking of her own on Glory, which brings Tara back to her. There's Giles' killing Ben, which was, I honestly believe, the right choice given the circumstances. Giles' didn't make the decision lightly. He even puts his glasses on so he'd have to watch Ben die and he couldn't take the easy way out by not looking at other man. It had to be done if the world was going to be safe from Glory, but I'm not sure that Giles ever recovers from it. There's the wonder and emotion on his Spike's face when Buffy quietly invites him back into the house. Then Buffy asks him for his help, trusting that of everyone Spike will willingly end the world to keep Dawn save. Prehaps she's think back to last apocalypse they headed off together back to season two. When they stood in that very living room and struck a bargain to stop Angel and Dru, as Joyce looked on in confusion. Now Buffy need him to help her protect Dawn. Spike nods, "To the end of the world. Even if that happens to be tonight." His failure to rescue Dawn from Doc will haunt him into next season. And finally Buffy herself. That moment with Dawn on the top of the tower is just incredible. The look of pure understanding that passes over her face as she realizes what she has to do. Buffy finally understands what the first Slayer meant by "death is your gift" and she sacrifices herself to protect her sister and world.

BTVS could have ended here and still have been one of the best shows ever. Personally, I'm glad we got to follow that Sunnydale gang for two more season, though. Since "The Gift" was BTVS 100th episode, it had a special "previously on" segment when it first aired. (It's an easter egg on some DVD sets) Clips from the previous 99 episodes flash by, faster and faster, as if everything has been building towards this episode and this story line.

On the down side, I'd kinna like to know what happens to that dragon that came out of the portal. Also, not to nit pick, but when did we establish that Buffy and Dawn had the same magical dimension closing properties in their blood?

My favorite part of the episode: Spike breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of Buffy's dead body. Oh, God, I'm getting misty just thinking about it.

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13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
A Few of My Favorite Moments, 3 January 2007

Author: davidalan528 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"The Body" and "The Gift" comprise two of the best hours of television I've seen in my raised-by-TV existence. Here are my favorite moments from what may be my favorite episode (I refuse to choose between this, "The Body," and "Chosen").

Prescient Tara, to Giles before heading to the battle: "You're a killer; this is all set down."

B: "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: "...'We few, we happy few'..." Spike: "...We band of buggered."

B: "Willow, you're up." Giles: "You need anything?" Wil: "Could use a little courage." (Spike promptly offers up his flask) Wil: "The real kind. But thanks!"

Glory: "I need a brain to eat!" Minion: "Take mine, O Groovetastic One!" The best running joke throughout the season is, as Glory calls it, the toadying.

Glory, after decapitating Buffybot: "Huh. The Slayer's a robot. Did everybody else know the Slayer's a robot?" B: "Glory?" (Puts the trollhammer smackdown on Glory.) "You're not the brightest god in the heavens." The shared wide-eyed look of horror between Spike and Dawn when they realize he couldn't protect her long enough.

The look in Buffy's eyes as she realizes a) that she has the power to close the portal with her blood, and b) that she's won, that she did beat Glory (remember in "The Weight of The World" and earlier in this episode, Buffy defines 'victory' as saving Dawn from Glory).

And here's a bonus favorite of mine: I've been watching the series again on DVD...remember good ol' "Graduation"? If anyone's seen part two since you've seen Season Five, you picked up on Faith and Buffy's little exchange in which Faith mentions "little sis coming"...but what it took me more than a minute to get was that the scene is of them making up Dawn's room, and the beginning of that scene is Faith saying "Little Miss Muffet, counting down from seven, three, oh..." - The first crazy dude to confront Dawn this season looked her dead in the eye and said "curds and whey, curds and whey". And, 365 x 2 = 730. Two years to the episode after "Graduation, Pt. 2," Buffy dies. You have to give Joss Whedon his props - the man plans ahead.

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11 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Undoubtly One of the Best Buffy Episodes!, 11 January 2007

Author: Tina from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I may be bias because I'm a huge Buffy fan and almost 90% of the episodes are down on my list of favorites, but this one makes you cry and laugh, and the script is phenomenal and quotable.

This is a pivotal episode in the Buffyverse. Xander proposes to Anya, Buffy sacrifices herself for Dawn, Spike really steps up as becoming one step closer to the vampire that will later choose to get a soul, Giles shows that as a good man, he still has a bit of ripper in him, and Willow's magic takes a whole new turn.

At this point, I have pretty much memorized the script from beginning to end.

My favorite lines would have to be:

"B: Have you ever heard the expression 'biting off more than you can chew? (Vampires shakes head) B: OK. How about the expression, 'vampire slayer'? Vamp: What the hell you talking' about? B: Wow. Never heard that one. Okay. How about 'Oh god, my leg, my leg!' (Vamp tries to attack her and she punches him then kicks him in the leg) Vamp: Oh god. My leg! B: See? Now we're communicating."

About the apocalypses: "B: I've always stopped them. Always won...I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew ... what was right. I don't have that any more. 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 that...I just wish my mom was here. The spirit guide told me ... that death is my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all."

"(Anya screams when looking into a box) Anya: God, who, who would put something like that there? Is this supposed to be some sort of sick joke? (Anya pulls a bunny out of the box) I mean, things aren't bad enough! This is an omen. No, no, it's an omen. It's a higher power, trying to tell me through bunnies that we're all gonna die. Oh god."

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

"B: Dawn listen to me, listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles...tell Giles that I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."

Back to the review. Even though I have seen this episode a million times, I still sit on the edge of my sit hoping that Buffy will beat Glory up on the tower and reach Dawn in time.

This episode includes a lot of sacrifice or the will to be sacrificed for those you love. It's definitely the main theme of the episode. Ex: - Anya pushes Xander out of the way because she loves him so much that she'd rather die than him. - Buffy dies for Dawn and the world.

The episode has some amazing camera techniques and the music selection is superb! The editing is smooth and the dialog is witty, as usual.

This is undoubtedly the most amazing episode. I cry every time.

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9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Beautifully Orchestrated Finale, 5 June 2007

Author: www-kristabellax from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Never could I have imagined that such a complex narrative and plot would indefinitely lead to one of the most fine hours upon TV.

The teaser was refreshing and reminded us I think of the very first memories as one of the greatest moments of TV. Stark, revealing, funny and charming a sure reminder of when Buffy entered our hearts for the very first time.

To see a character so loved torn by so much conflict and done in such a raw manner is not something people are accustomed to seeing on the TV and yet Buffy managed it with gracefulness and eloquence.

For me the pivotal moment in the episode was when Buffy of course realised what her gift actually meant. It didn't mean death. It meant rebirth, life. Giving it unto others by sacrificing yourself which she did with great aplomb.

The scene on the tower when the words disappear and there's only music is one of the most heartbreaking and most intensely beautiful moments of Buffy that I will always cherish. The score is done so beautifully and true to the shows form.

I believe doubtlessly that Buffy TVS'S "The Gift" will go down in history as one of the greatest hours in TV history. Now that Buffy has truly, honestly ended TV will be that much emptier for it.

God bless a show that didn't always play it safe. God bless a cast that could act more than many other movie stars.

God bless Buffy for a show that equivocally touched so many lives.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Death is not the end, 18 July 2012

Author: Joxerlives from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The Good; The final battle especially the bait and switch with the Buffybot and the Dawn/Buffy scene at the end. Also like the way Buffy casually announces to the gang she killed a vampire and they treat it like no big deal. Love the Scooby strategising session and Anya's gameshow hostess introduction of the troll hammer. Best ever Minion toadying 'Oh groovetastic one' and 'Oh sweaty naughty feelings causing one'.

The Bad; Doesn't anyone notice Glory's tower? Since when was Olaf a troll 'god'? Some of the minion makeup doesn't look so good, one rather looks like Michael Myers from the Halloween series. WHY NO COMMENTARY? Especially as this could have been the last ever Buffy ep.

Best line; Minion 1; "This shall be our day of Glory!" Minion 2; "Nicely put!" Minion 1; "Well it just cried out to me!" (takes crossbow bolt in the chest) "Ugh!"

Jeez!; How heartrending is it when Dawn folds her clothes up before she is to be sacrificed, like Joyce taught her? Just as Buffy wishes that Joyce was still there.

Kinky dinky;

Xander and Anya have a world in peril quickie. Then he proposes. Anya and Xander call each other pervert.

Captain Subtext; Tara's back, hooray! "I got so lost". So you can restore Glory's brainsucking. She also tells Giles 'You're a killer' before he kills Ben. Dawn asks Ben to turn into Glory as she prefers her, Glory refers to Buffy as sweetcheeks. Xander observes 'Smart chicks are so hot'. "You couldn't have figured that out in 10th grade?" asks Willow ruefully (another mark in the bi column). Xander however doubts that Willow thinks of Buffy like that but what does he know, he never noticed Tara and Willow and Spike did. Spike quotes Henry V, William the Bloody sensitive poet still in there somewhere.

Guantanamo Bay; Giles kills Ben/Glory. The right thing to do but still ruthless as hell. Would Xander have done it if Giles hadn't? It's him who comes up with the idea in the first place. Giles proposes killing Dawn. Too much to ask of Buffy but there are millions of Dawns all over the world, sacrifice one to save them all? Buffy tells Giles that if Dawn dies the council can get someone else (Faith?). But could she ever walk away from all those other Dawns?

Scoobies to the ER; All pretty banged up, I heard a rumour that season 6 would see Anya in a wheelchair but it never happened.

Buffy and Dawn more than sisters? Buffy once again hints that the connection between her and Dawn is deeper than just sisters, she describes it as physical and says that she is closer to Dawn than anyone (as the final scene with the Summers' blood will prove).

Questions and observations; Lovely recap of past 100 eps, especially nice to have Cordy and Angel. The vamp in the alley goes 'Oh god'? I know it's weird but I always rather liked Glory's minions. Very clever that when we see the Buffybot it's wearing the clothes we've last seen Buffy in. SMG puts on her white jumper which later turns up in 'The Grudge'. The creatures from the transformed city hall rather resemble the bugs from Aliens especially the Alien Hybrid from Alien 4 which Joss wrote.

So what happens to the people Glory brainsucked? We know that there is a link between Glory and them, when Glory dies do they return to normal? (I remember reading one very inventive fic where Faith had been brainsucked by Glory and in the follow-up story DarkWillow cures her by brainsucking Warren before she kills him and giving Faith his mental energy. But you figure if Faith can recover from her coma Slayer healing would easily take care of it?) Spike says blood is life which is what possessed Xander says in Buffy vs Dracula. Please note all Dawn-haters, Dawn was quite willing to commit suicide to save the world. And if Buffy's blood hadn't worked she'd have followed her off the tower, Faith would be the Slayer and the Summers girls would all be together in heaven.

A lot of people wanted Buffy to end at this point but I don't, I don't want Buffy to die young like all the other Slayers, I want her to live a long and happy life and I don't want poor Dawn to lose the mother and sister she loves within 6 weeks of each other. But still, stonking ep, if it had ended like this it would have been OK with me.

Marks out of 10; 10/10 for the girl who saved the world a lot (and still does

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
"The Hardest Thing In This World Is To Live In It", 28 August 2010

Author: WakenPayne from Valhalla

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Buffy tells that she would kill anyone that could harm Dawn. Anya suggests the use of the Dagon sphere and the Troll's hammer to fight against Glory. While in the basement looking for the magical objects, Xander proposes Anya. Glory prepares Dawn for the ritual and the Scooby gang uses Tara to find the exact location where Glory is. Willow retrieves Tara's brain from Glory, and while Buffy and the gang battle against Glory and her followers, Doc unexpectedly makes Dawn bleed, opening the gate to hell and forcing Buffy to a deadly decision. I Think That This Is The 2nd Best Episode Of Buffy (1st Is The Wish) & My Vote Of 10 On Both Episodes Just Is Not Enough. I Always Like 100th Episodes Because They Always Make It Something Special. I Loved How Giles Killed Glory/Ben Glory Is My Least Favourite Character & The Most Annoying Villain & I Was Cheering & The Fact That Buffy Didn't Waste The B!tch/Bastard (WHATEVER) Herself Made Me Hate Her For A Split Second...Then Buffy Sacrificed Herself For Dawn, She Made The Definition Of A Hero Stand Out In Big F##king Red Capital Letters "HELPING OTHERS" & I Thought That Everyone Bursting Into Tears While The Narration Of Buffy Was Going On Made This Episode One Of The Best (Which Will Be At The End Of The Review)...Just Saw It While I Went From "The Body" To This Episode & On That Note This Was A Much Sader Episode Than "The Body" Especially When We Have Known & Loved Buffy Since 1992 & Joss Whedon Kills Her Off. Thats What Makes Joss Whedon One Of My Favourite Writers.

RIP Buffy Summers 1981 - 1997 - 2001 She Saved The World A Lot

"Dawn, Listen To Me. Listen. I Love You. I Will *Always* Love You. But This Is The Work That I Have To Do. Tell Giles... Tell Giles I Figured It Out. And, And I'm Okay. And Give My Love To My Friends. You Have To Take Care Of Them Now. You Have To Take Care Of Each Other. You Have To Be Strong. Dawn, The Hardest Thing In This World...Is To Live In It. Be Brave. Live. For Me. "

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2 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
This is the episode where Buffy sacrificed herself for Dawn, 20 October 2006

Author: Joekellachan from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This episode was a bit shocking when Buffy sacrificed herself for Dawn.Iwas sitting on the sofa with my mouth wide open I mean Dawn was the key and she was supposed to die!This was one of the episodes that lifted me off my feet well not literally!My dad and I thought it was the end of Buffy forever but we where wrong oh boy where we wrong.And I thought it was amazing that Glory and Ben shared the same body and they could not live without each other.I don't think Ben deserved to die Glory was the real bad guy.When Ben was in control of the body he took pity on Dawn he really didn't deserve to die.If Buffy could have found a way to separate each other in one of Gile's books that would have been good.

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10 out of 37 people found the following review useful:
Buffy is a Hero and Death Is her Gift, 15 October 2007

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Buffy tells that she would kill anyone that could harm Dawn. Anya suggests the use of the Dagon sphere and the Troll's hammer to fight against Glory. While in the basement looking for the magical objects, Xander proposes Anya. Glory prepares Dawn for the ritual and the Scooby gang uses Tara to find the exact location where Glory is. Willow retrieves Tara's brain from Glory, and while Buffy and the gang battle against Glory and her followers, Doc unexpectedly makes Dawn bleed, opening the gate to hell and forcing Buffy to a deadly decision.

In this last episode of Season Five, Buffy defeats Glory but spares Ben, while Giles have an unthinkable attitude. The battle between Buffy and Glory is disappointing and the surprising conclusion will only be resolved in the next season. Unfortunately Fox do Brasil distributor does not respect the Brazilian consumers and I have no idea when or if they will release the Sixth Season on DVD. The most hilarious moment of this episode is when Spike asks Buffy: "When you say you love us all…" and is interrupted by a shut-up. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Dom" ("The Gift")

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1 out of 27 people found the following review useful:
The Gift Is A Crock, 1 August 2010

Author: s k from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The problem with "The Gift" -- the season finale -- is that it's a lie. So much is built up to the climax, yet, in truth, Buffy doesn't die. Or...to be more accurate...she does die...but is brought back by Willow's black magic in season 6. But regardless, it's a lie to play on those emotions of the viewers. It's a lie to do it once. But the writers of BtVS have the audacity to do it twice. How many times can they kept stacking the deck and pulling the rug out from under the viewers? It's as if it were a game to them. All it does is cheapen the show and what would otherwise have been a stellar season ending finale.

Maybe the most profound thing ever to leave Buffy's lips were the words: "Dawn...the hardest thing in this world is to live in it". Then she seemingly sacrifices herself rather than follow the proscribed course which would have been to kill Dawn. That in itself, however, according to her own words, makes her a coward, not a hero. People are too easily deceived by cheap emotion and sentimentality. The perfect example is this season finale. It's the exact opposite of what it should have been. And to play the "Buffy's dead/no she's not" card -- twice in 5 seasons -- is simply unconscionable. Shame on Whedon. And shame on the fans who don't call him out on this. It makes an absolute mockery of BtVS, whether or not anyone sees it or has the courage to call Whedon out on it.

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