Buffy The Vampire Slayer, "Checkpoint" Review (5x12)

Brief Synopsis: “The Watcher’s Council, headed by Quentin Travers, arrive in Sunnydale with valuable information about Glory. However, since Buffy no longer works for the Council, they decide that they must put her and her friends through a series of gruelling tests to determine if she’s worthy of their trust and news.”


"Triangle" (5x11) quick link here                                                                                                                                         "Blood Ties" (5x13) quick link here

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With that being said, let’s get started, shall we?



Reviewing “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” simultaneously gives me a wonderful ability to see parallels between the two shows. As both shows are headed by the same genius man and some of  the same writers, it’s natural that some things would interweave. The first half of “Angel” season two has primarily focused on a power play between Angel and Wolfram & Hart. Similarly, “Checkpoint” revolves around a power play between Buffy Summers and the Watcher’s Council. Outside of “Helpless” and a few other episodes, “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” has rarely ventured into the realms of power and why people strive for it. Buffy is taking her first steps into adulthood during this season and in doing so she’s discovering who she is and how much power she actually holds as the only Slayer who’s currently not in prison. This is a trend that continues right up until the end of the show’s run. Over the course of the next three years, Buffy discovers what having power entails and the confidence that goes along with real power. You could point to the last quarter of “Checkpoint” as the discovery of that power. The Buffy Summers that exists at the start of this episode is scared of the Watcher’s Council. She’s scared that they’re not going to share their knowledge with her and that she’s not going to be able to save Dawn from Glory. By the conclusion of this episode, in one of the most powerful scenes in the history of the show, Buffy takes a stand against the Council and finds the power that she has the ability to wield as the Slayer. It’s an uplifting, empowering (pun-believable!) moment for her character and a wonderful moment for fans of the show at the same time. We’ve seen Buffy Summers struggle with her Slayer responsibilities for five years now. We’ve seen her hate them, we’ve seen her desperately seek a normal life, and we’ve seen her lose friends and boyfriends because of her Slayer status. “Checkpoint” takes all of that and turns it into a positive. Buffy takes hold of her Slayer powers here and she lays out the demands to the Watcher’s Council. Throw in the shocking ending and you have a recipe for a mouth-watering 42 minutes of television.

The episode opens with Buffy frantically worrying about the Watcher’s Council’s imminent arrival in Sunnydale. I can’t say I blame her based on her history with them. The one and only time she’s been face-to-face with the Council before (outside of Giles, Wesley, and the former-Watcher, Gwendolyn Post), it was on her 18th birthday, where the Council subjected her to a test known as the ‘cruciamentum’. Basically, they (Giles) stole her slaying abilities and set an insane vampire against her, who ended up kidnapping her mother and almost killing the both of them before Giles turned his back on the Council to save Buffy’s life. Outside of Buffy’s general distain for the Council, she also has to worry about them discovering that Dawn, her sister, is the mystical Key that Glory is trying to find. It’s rare that we see Buffy this anxious, but all this worry is needed to give Buffy’s speech at the end of this episode as much weight as possible.

Tara: “What’s so bad about them coming here? Aren’t they good guys? I mean, Watchers, that’s just like other Gileses, right?”
Buffy: “Yeah, they’re scary and horrible!”
*Giles looks offended*

While the Watcher’s Council are heading to Sunnydale and Buffy is distracted, Glory is frantically searching for The Key, after her monks inform her that she has to act more quickly if she plans to use Dawn to open the dimensional portals between the worlds. Glory remarks to her minions that if Buffy is all that’s standing between her and The Key, she doesn’t need much time. This leads Glory to 1630 Revello Drive later in the episode. It’s clear that Glory couldn’t care less about Buffy’s slaying abilities.

The Watcher’s Council arrive at The Magic Box and immediately start taking over. They search through all of Giles’ inventory before closing the shop for the duration of their stay. It’s an immediate power play, which isn’t lost on Giles at all.

Lydia: “Also, this statue. It’s removal from Burma is a criminal offense, and when triggered it has the power to melt human eyeballs.”
Giles: “In that case, I severely underpriced it.”
------------------------------------
Quentin: “You used to respect us, Giles. You used to be one of us.”
Giles: “You used to pay me.”

Oh, Giles, you so sassy. Even when faced with deportation and the closure of your shop, you still sass at the authority in the room. I can’t help but admire you for that. With that being said, let’s take a moment to appreciate Giles. The last time the Council were in Sunnydale, he betrayed Buffy in order to test her on her 18th birthday. Now, here he is yelling at Quentin and defending Buffy to the point of almost getting himself deported. HOW DARE YOU THREATEN TO DEPORT GILES, YOU BASTARDS! A SUNNYDALE WITHOUT RIPPER WOULD IMPLODE IN A MATTER OF MONTHS! I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS WHY THE SCOOBIES ALL ROYALLY SCREW UP SO MUCH IN THE NEXT SEASON!

Giles’ loyalties are to Buffy now, not the Council. Buffy is like his daughter and he’d do anything to protect her from anyone...even them. The level of Buffy and Giles bonding in this episode really warms my icy heart. Like when Buffy tells Giles that she can’t lose him. Ugh, I’m dying of cuteness overload, I swear. One of the things that irks me the most about the final season of the show is the strained relationship between Buffy and Giles. Buffy and Giles have had a magnificent father-daughter relationship since season one’s “Never Kill A Boy On The First Date”! Losing some of that specialness really hurts the show, in my opinion. The moment that Giles’ allegiances shifted from the Council to Buffy (“Helpless”) happens to be a moment that Quentin was there to witness. Therefore, Quentin uses his knowledge of this loving relationship to his advantage. He threats to have Giles deported, he threats to close The Magic Box permanently, and he makes it so that Buffy has no choice but to do what he says. While on the subject of the Watcher’s Council, I both hate and am fascinated by the way they view the Slayer. To them, the Slayer is an instrument, a means to an end in protecting the world. They – particularly Quentin – don’t treat Buffy like a human being at all. They don’t care if she’s hurt or killed in the line of duty because another Slayer will take her place. In their eyes, she’s expendable and they’re eternal (until Caleb makes them go ‘boom!’ in the final season), so they hold all the power. The only problem is that they haven’t realised yet what a unique Slayer they have on their hands. Buffy isn’t a regular Slayer, she’s one of a kind. She’s a born leader with a selection of close friends around her that support her. By the end of this episode, they will have discovered how amazing Buffy truly is.

As far as comedy goes in this episode, the undisputed champion is certainly the series of interviews between the Watcher’s Council and the Scoobies. I rarely laugh that hard. From Willow’s loud declaration of gay love, to Spike’s seduction of Lydia to weed information out of her about Buffy, to Anya’s lame attempt at trying to create a fake backstory for herself and blend in...I have belly pains. WHY ARE ALL THE SCOOBIES SO SOCIALLY AWKWARD AND GOOFY?!...

Nigel: “I need to know a little bit more about the Slayer and about the both of you. Your relationship, whatever you can tell me.”
Tara: “Our...our relationship?”
Willow: “We’re friends.”
Tara: “Good friends.”
Willow: “Girlfriends, actually.”
Tara: “Yes, we’re girlfriends.”
Willow: “We’re in love. We’re lovers. We’re lesbian, gay-type lovers.”
Nigel: “...I meant your relationship with the Slayer.”
----------------------------------------
Anya: “Anya Christina Emanuella Jenkins, twenty years old, born on the 4th of July...and don’t think there weren’t jokes about that my whole life, mister, ‘cause there were. ‘Who’s our little patriot?’ they’d say, when I was younger and therefore smaller and shorter than I am now.”
Philip: “...So you spell it ‘A-N-Y-A’, yes?”
Anya: “...Yes...”

I defy you to watch that without laughing.

Buffy’s tests from the Watcher’s Council extend beyond a simple interview like the rest of the Scoobies. Buffy is tested physically in the most ridiculous ways possible. Why would she ever have to defend someone while blindfolded and taking instructions in Japanese?! THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN, YOU MORONS! Also, wasn’t Buffy’s test technically to defend the straw dummy man from the attacker? Buffy did that! It was her weapon that killed the dummy man, not Philip!...that’s not going to be the winning argument here, is it? 

There are two scenes in this episode that are absolutely incredible. Like, the type of scenes that are usually saved for the last few episodes of the season. The first of which is Glory showing up at Buffy’s house to intimidate Buffy into giving up The Key’s whereabouts. Talk about suspenseful and dramatic! Glory works so well as a villain because she’s legitimately badass. She is vastly superior to Buffy in both strength and fighting ability. If Glory wanted to kill Buffy here, she could. If Glory wanted to kill Dawn here, she could. If she wanted to wiggle her fingers in Joyce’s brain, she could. That’s why Glory threatening to kill everyone Buffy knows and loves holds so much weight. She’s completely capable of doing that if she chooses. Another thing to mention is how relaxed and calm Glory is about the whole exchange. She’s not scared of Buffy, nor her Slayer powers, at all. The Master was to a certain extent, as was Angelus, as was The Mayor, as was Adam. Every villain on the show thus far has been weary of Buffy’s abilities at the very least. Glory couldn’t care less. Oh God, when Glory asked for Dawn to enter the room I was legitimately scared for her well-being. How lucky is it that Glory can’t sense The Key, even when it’s right in front of her?! Glory’s biggest weakness as a villain has always been her lack of intelligence. For example, “did everybody else know the Slayer was a robot?”...kill me now.

Glory’s threats legitimately scare Buffy. So much so that she takes her sister and her mother to Spike’s crypt for protection. Remember, this isn’t at a point in time where Spike and Buffy are friends. Just a couple of episodes ago Buffy loathed Spike. Now, here she is putting her family’s safety in the hands of a soulless vampire because he’s the only one who could potentially stand a chance against Glory if she really wanted to kill Buffy’s family. I must admit, while I understand Buffy’s choice here, I do question it at the same time. Spike is a soulless monster that was trying to kill her just a few months ago (“Out Of My Mind”)...should she really entrust the safety of her sister and her mother to Spike? If it wasn’t for the drama of “Crush” in a couple of episodes, I would point to “Checkpoint” as a key moment in the friendship between Buffy and Spike. Buffy trusting Spike enough to protect her family is a big moment for her and for their relationship, but it’s squandered in “Crush” after Spike ties Buffy up and demands for her to tell him that he stands a chance with her...how romantic!

Spike and Joyce bonding over their mutual love of “Passions” will never not be the most hilarious, adorable, wonderful moment since their bonding over hot chocolate in “Lovers Walk”. I know this didn’t happen on screen, but in my head Joyce took some little marshmallows to Spike’s crypt here so they could continue to talk about relationships. Also, I love how unwaveringly polite Joyce is to absolutely everybody!...

Joyce: “I love what you’ve neglected to do with the place.”

The Knights of Byzantium...I don’t understand their purpose in this season, I don’t get why they were added in, and they serve no purpose. With that being said, Buffy kicking so many asses in one scene is always welcome. The Knights want to destroy The Key before Glory can discover what/who The Key is. They’re aware of what will happen if Glory gets her hands on The Key and they’re willing to kill a human in order to stop the walls between dimensions from crumbling. So...how do they know about The Key? How do they know about Glory’s plan? Why are they even in this season? If they needed to be included, they needed to be fleshed out much, much more to make an impact on this spectacular season. Plus, they aren’t mentioned again until “Spiral”, which is waaaaaay too late.

The closing speech from Buffy is a beautiful moment. Not just for the show, but for Buffy Summers as a character. Buffy has finally realised that she holds the power. Remember, this is a young woman that has battled her responsibilities for five years. She never wanted to be the Slayer, she hated the responsibility and the burden it placed on her life. The fifth season of the show is the first one where she’s really embraced her role in protecting the world. She’s getting some self-worth and realising that she’s someone very, very important. Glory could have killed her in the episode, but didn’t. Why didn’t she? BECAUSE SHE NEEDS BUFFY TO FIND THE KEY. The Watcher’s Council travelled all the way from England to see if Buffy was responsible and trustworthy enough to receive the information they have. Was that the real reason they came? NO! They have information, sure, but the reason they came back was to re-establish contact with the Slayer. With Faith in prison and Buffy disassociated from the Council, what purpose do they serve? NONE! They need Buffy to stop Glory! They can’t do it themselves! Withholding information about Glory from Buffy would be stupid and  would jeopardise the future of the entire planet, so I firmly believe that they never intended to not tell Buffy what they knew. They wanted her, their instrument, under their command and under their thumb again. They threatened Giles and The Magic Box to try and control Buffy, they physically and mentally tested Buffy and the Scoobies to try and control Buffy, but ultimately Buffy bested them because they need her more than she needs them. She’s survived for almost two years without them and she’s barely missed a step. Outside of their vast knowledge, what do they have to offer Buffy except rules and restrictions? Not a great deal. Buffy has finally realised all of this. However, if she’s going to rejoin the Watcher’s Council, she has some ground rules...

GILES IS REINSTATED AS HER OFFICIAL WATCHER AND IS BEING PAID RETROACTIVELY SINCE THE MONTH HE WAS FIRED! OH, SWEET GHANDI, GILES IS RICH!

“I’m fairly certain I said no interruptions” might be Buffy Summers’ coolest moment ever as a character. She commands such respect and has such presence and confidence in that moment. She’s far removed from the bumbling person that was trying to impress Quentin earlier in the episode. This isn’t the scared, intimidated eighteen-year-old that was tested in “Helpless”, this is a confident, powerful, leader. The Watcher’s Council are used to getting their way. They’re used to intimidating people with threats and getting the job done. Never did they imagine that they’d be rejoining the Slayer on her terms. Not only does Buffy prove her own worth to the Watcher’s Council, but she gives the rest of the Scoobies a much needed confidence boost as well. She emphasises the importance of each and every member of her team to the Watcher’s Council...her Watcher, two powerful witches, an 1,122-year-old ex-Vengeance Demon, and Xander. The Watcher’s Council argue that Xander has no special skills and serves no purpose in the Scoobies (something some fans had argued for a long time). Buffy tells them that Xander has “clocked more field time” than any of them combined and that he’s part of the unit. After seeing firsthand how useless Xander has felt to the Scoobies for five years now, this moment is so special. Xander gets some recognition for his contributions to the Scoobies, which almost never happens.

Then, we get to the end of the episode, which is one of the most jaw-dropping endings of any episode...

Quentin: “Glory isn’t a demon.”
Buffy: “What is she?”
Quentin: “She’s a God.”

EXCUSE ME, SHE’S A WHAT? DID YOU SAY ‘GOD’?! PLEASE TELL ME I MISHEARD YOU AND YOU ACTUALLY SAID ‘COD’?!...it would explain why Ben’s personality is so wet. Ba-doom-doom-tsh!


Quote Of The Episode

Buffy: “Glory came to my home today, just to talk. She told me I'm a bug, I'm a flea, she could squash me in a second...only she didn't. She came into my home and we talked. We had what in her warped brain probably passes for a civilised conversation. Why? Because she needs something from me, because I have power over her. You guys didn't come all the way from England to determine whether or not I was good enough to be let back in. You came to beg me to let you back in. To give your jobs, your lives some semblance of meaning.”

Nigel: “This is beyond insolence!...”

*Buffy throws a sword at Nigel and it sticks in the wall just next to him*

Buffy: “I’m fairly certain I said no interruptions.”

Xander (whispering): “That was excellent!”

Buffy: “You're Watchers. Without a Slayer, you're pretty much just watching ‘Masterpiece Theatre’. You can't stop Glory. You can't do anything with the information you have except maybe publish it in the “Everyone Thinks We're Insane-O's Home Journal”...so here's how it's gonna work...you're gonna tell me everything you know. Then, you're gonna go away. You'll contact me if and when you have any further information about Glory. The Magic Box will remain open, Mr. Giles will stay here as my official Watcher, reinstated at full salary...”

Giles (coughing): “Retroactive!”

Buffy: “...To be paid retroactively from the month he was fired. I will continue my work with the help of my friends...”

Lydia: “I, uh, I don’t want a sword thrown at me, but...civilians. We’re talking about children!”

Buffy: “We’re talking about two very powerful witches and a thousand-year-old ex-demon.”

Anya: “Willow’s a demon?!”

Philip: “The boy? No power there.”

Buffy: “The boy has clocked more field time than all of you combined. He’s part of the unit.”

Willow (whispers to Xander): “That’s Riley-speak.”

Xander (whispers back): “I’ve clocked field time.”

Buffy: “Now, you all may be very good at your jobs. The only way we're gonna find out is if you work with me. You can all take your time thinking about that. But, I want an answer right now from Quentin, 'cause I think he's understanding me.”

Travers: “...Uh, your terms are acceptable.”

*the Scoobies break into loud applause and cheering*

FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10

What are your thoughts on "Checkpoint"? Did you enjoy this episode? Dislike it? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments section below!

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