Forever (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

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"Forever" is episode 17 of season 5 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Scooby Gang attends Joyce's funeral, and Angel visits to pay his respects. The day after the funeral, Dawn attempts to bring her mother back to life. Also, Glory learns that the Key is in human form.

"Forever"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 17
Directed byMarti Noxon
Written byMarti Noxon
Production code5ABB17
Original air dateApril 17, 2001 (2001-04-17)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Intervention"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 5)
List of episodes

The premise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is that an adolescent girl, Buffy Summers, is chosen by mystical forces and given superhuman powers to kill vampires, demons, and other evil creatures in the fictional town of Sunnydale. She is supported by a close circle of family and friends, nicknamed the Scooby Gang.

Plot[]

Buffy selects a coffin for her mother with Giles and Dawn. Dawn expresses her concern that their mother would not have appreciated Buffy's choice. Later, the gang gathers for dinner at the Summers residence and discusses plans for the funeral, excluding Dawn from any decision making.

Spike, while bringing a bouquet of flowers to the Summers home, runs into Willow and Xander. When Xander accuses Spike of taking advantage of the situation to get closer to Buffy, Spike insists that he was attempting to pay his respects to Joyce, as she was the only one of Buffy's "lot" that ever treated him decently. Irritated at the accusation, Spike throws the bouquet down and storms off, and it is only after he departs that Willow and Xander discover that he did not include a card with the flowers and recognize the sincerity of the gesture.

The next day, at the end of Joyce's funeral, Dawn leaves with Tara and Willow while Buffy remains at the grave. Inconsolable regarding the loss of her mother, Dawn reveals to Tara and Willow her intent to perform a resurrection spell. Tara tries to convince Dawn that magic cannot be used to alter the natural order of things, such as life and death, and tells her that Wiccans took an oath disallowing resurrection. Hours later, after the sun has set, Angel arrives at the graveyard to console Buffy, who confides her worries on continuing without Joyce's strength, and wonders if there was any chance she could have saved her mother. Angel offers to stay in town for as long as she needs him, and Buffy asks him to stay with her forever. The two kiss sweetly but pull away, knowing nothing more can happen. Buffy expresses her gratitude, and he stays with her until the sun rises.

The next morning, Dawn is sulking over Willow and Tara's refusal to help her. As she leaves, Willow magically pulls a book named A History of Witchcraft out from the bookshelf to make it noticeable. Alone, Dawn retrieves the book, identifying the section about resurrection spells. Later, at The Magic Box, Dawn sneaks up to the loft after Giles tells her that is where he keeps his most dangerous books. She slips several items into her backpack. While collecting dirt from Joyce's grave that night, Dawn is caught by Spike, who recognizes her actions but offers to help, though makes her promise not to tell Buffy of his involvement. In the home of a man named Doc, Dawn and Spike receive an incantation, but learn that they need a Ghora demon's egg and a picture of Joyce. Doc advises Dawn that the results might not be what she wants and that, if she wishes to undo the spell, she must tear up the image. Spike takes Dawn to a Ghora demon nest, where he plays interference with the three-headed demon while Dawn gets an egg, which she drops in her haste. During their second attempt, Spike is bitten by the Ghora, but kills it in turn.

Tara realizes that the book is missing from their shelf and after concluding that Dawn took it, she and Willow inform Buffy over the phone about Dawn's spell just as she is finishing it upstairs in her room. When Buffy confronts her, the two girls get into a vicious argument about their different ways of dealing with their mother's death. Dawn accuses Buffy of being so busy arranging everything to even care that their mother is dead, earning herself a slap across the face from her sister. Buffy immediately regrets her actions and admits that she is keeping busy so she does not have to deal with the situation, because, when she stops, then her mother is really gone. During their argument, a figure emerges from Joyce's grave and walks toward the house. A shadow passes by the front window followed by a knocking on the door, and Buffy, hoping it is Joyce, rushes to answer the door. Dawn immediately realizes the inherent dangers of the spell and rips up the photo, and when Buffy answers the door all she finds is an empty step. This is too much for Buffy and she starts to cry, finally facing the reality of her mother's death. A sobbing Dawn hugs her, and they collapse to the floor united in grief.

Meanwhile, Ben encounters Jinx, saying that he will not help Glory and he is tired of her games, but accidentally makes a comment that leads Jinx to conclude that the Key is human. Not wanting Glory to learn this fact, Ben stabs the minion with his own knife. Later, Glory fumes about Ben after Jinx returns to her wounded, but quickly cheers up when he informs her that the Key is human.

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