History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E8Shadow

* PlaceOfProtection: Invoked when Glory instructs the cobra-monster to seek out the Key in the [[SeekingSanctuary holy places]]. Unfortunately it passes by the place where Dawn was sitting, and tracks her to the Magic Shop.

* VillainsOutShopping: Literally--Glory, rather than steal or kill for the ingredients she needs for the Sobekian ritual, simply purchases them from Giles.

* HellBentForLeather: Glory turns up at the Magic Box in a [[EvilIsSexy tight, cleavage-revealing Leather Dress of Evil]].

** Spike enjoys hinting that Buffy hasn't revoked his invitation because she's secretly attracted to him. When Buffy finds out about Spike's VillainousCrush, his invitation will be the first thing to go.

** Spike asks Riley why Buffy hasn't revoked his invitation. This happens in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E14Crush Crush]]".

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Giles realises that the BigBad not appearing in their books and [[HeWhoMustNotBeNamed not having a name]] could mean she predates the written word.

* DidTheyOrDidntThey: Played with in the beginning. With Spike consoling Buffy on Joyce's brain tumor the night before in the [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E6Family previous episode]], Riley finds Spike sniffing at the clothes in Buffy's bedroom. Spike stuns Riley with his knowledge about Buffy's mother going to the hospital saying he knew since last night. This has Riley assuming that Spike did sleep with her, but even if they didn't do the deed, the fact that Buffy confided in a sworn vampire enemy instead of her boyfriend about her family problems still riles Riley very much.

** PlayedForDrama when Spike taunts Riley he's [[EvilIsSexy not dark enough for Buffy]]; Riley responds by shoving him out into the sunlight. "Am I dark enough for you now?"

* ShoutOut: The scene when Buffy catches up with the Sobek snake demon and uses a chain to try to strangle it is almost surely a reference to ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' in which Princess Leia uses a chain to strangle Jabba the Hutt. Although Buffy doesn't fully defeat the snake until pummeling it on the ground, Buffy's position relative to the demon during the strangulation and even the similarities of the "look" of its flesh very closely mirror the scene in the film.

* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: Glory is a dangerous PhysicalGod... who happens to look like an average if well-dressed pretty girl you see on the street. She casually buys supplies for a spell at the Magic Box, and since only Buffy knew what she looked like and wasn't there, the Scoobies think nothing of it until they realize she bought items for a dangerous SummoningRitual and would require tremendous power to be able to perform that particular spell; cue OhCrap.

* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: Glory is a dangerous PhysicalGod... who happens to look like an average pretty girl you see on the street. She casually buys supplies for a spell at the Magic Box, and since only Buffy knew what she looked like and wasn't there, the Scoobies think nothing of it until they realize she bought items for a dangerous SummoningRitual and would require tremendous power to be able to perform that particular spell; cue OhCrap.

-->'''Glory:''' I mean, nothing worse than a [spell] that doesn't work. Then I'd have to get all mad, and kill you!

-->'''Glory:''' I mean, nothing worse than a [spell] that doesn't work. Then I'd have to get all mad and kill you!

* WhenPropsAttack: The close-up shots of Buffy's fight with the enchanted snake clearly show Sarah Michelle Gellar clinging to a rigid plastic snake head and trying to look as if it's fighting back.

* GoLookAtTheDistraction: Ben tells Dr. Issacs he's needed elsewhere, later pointing out to Buffy that as he's a good doctor, he undoubtedly is needed (this is Sunnydale, after all).

* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: At their mother undergoes a CAT scan, Buffy strokes Dawn's hair and gives her a forehead kiss. [[{{Bookends}} At the end of the episode]], Riley goes to brush away Buffy's tears, but her mother calls to her and she turns away.
* Creator/AleisterCrowley: A customer at the Magic Shop wants ''Aleister Crowley Sings''. There's no accounting for taste.

* BuffySpeak: Biggy-Snake

* IdiotBall: Buffy rushes off to confront Glory a second time because she's frustrated over not being able to help her mother. Riley responds to Spike's taunts by making out with vampire chicks.

* ConspicuousCG: The cobra monster. In closeups, it's a Conspicuous Animatronic.

** Spike enjoys hinting that Buffy hasn't revoked his invitation because she's secretly attracted to him. When Buffy finds out about Spike's VillainousCrush, his invitation is the first thing to go.

* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: At their mother undergoes a CAT scan, Buffy strokes Dawn's hair and gives her a forehead kiss. [[BookEnds At the end of the episode]], Riley goes to brush away Buffy's tears, but her mother calls to her and she turns away.

* ConspicuousCGI: The cobra monster. In closeups, it's a Conspicuous Animatronic.

** Willow sums up Riley's OneManArmy act in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E7FoolForLove Fool for Love]]" as "Tomb [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud kaboom!]]"

->'''Xander:''' ''"Just once I would like to run into a cult of bunny-worshipers."''
->'''Anya:''' ''"Great. Thank you very much for those nightmares."''

In Glory's luxurious headquarters, a demon named Dreg offers a spell to Glory, groveling before her as she tries on elegant shoes, debating on whether they make her ankles look bony. Dreg promises that this spell will allow Glory to find The Key. She just needs some supplies, and she finds the advertisement for the Magic Box in the new phone book.

Riley finds the front door to Buffy's house open, a blanket on the steps, and Spike in Buffy's room, sniffing her clothes. Spike declares that Buffy wouldn't care that he was in her room, and that the clothes-sniffing was just normal predator activity. Riley responds, "Yeah, what's a little sweater-sniffing between sworn enemies?" Spike taunts Riley with his knowledge about Buffy's mother going to the hospital (which Buffy had failed to mention to Riley), as well as the time he and Buffy had spent together the previous evening eating, drinking, and talking. Spike insinuates Riley cannot keep Buffy satisfied, and Riley tells him to stay away from Buffy and throws him out into the sunlight, with his blanket. Riley shows up at the hospital to comfort Buffy, who seems relieved to see him. She directs him to sit with Dawn in the waiting room while she talks to their mother. Joyce confesses to Buffy that the doctors have found a "shadow" in her CAT scan, and they need to do an initial operation to evaluate her condition, and to discover whether surgery is an option.

At the Magic Box, the Scoobies continue to search for information that might indicate the origins, purpose, or weaknesses of Glory. Tara suggests that maybe the Beast is something that is too old for the books, which Giles believes may explain the presence of the Dagon Sphere, which is to ward against that "which cannot be named." They discuss the possibility that Glory may predate language itself, when she herself shows up there and buys several items for a spell. The gang is, of course, oblivious to her true identity, and she leaves the store without incident. Back at the hospital, Dr. Isaacs tells Buffy her mother has a brain tumor and presents her with her mother's options. Ben, an intern, gets the doctor away from Buffy, giving her a break from the doctor's constant questions.

At the Magic Box, Anya goes through the receipts and finds the items that Giles sold to Glory earlier and panics, saying that the items should not have been sold together due to them being the ingredients for a Sobekian transmogrification spell. Giles points out that the spell has been lost for centuries and starts to mention that the young woman he sold them to would need to have enormous power... causing it to finally dawn on the gang that the woman they sold the items to was none other than Glory herself.

Riley takes Dawn to the park, where he tries to comfort her about her mother. Dawn tries to make Riley feel good by positively comparing him to Buffy's former boyfriend Angel, but unintentionally makes him feel worse: She relates that she thinks Riley is good for Buffy because Buffy was always in tears over her tumultuous relationship with Angel, but that she never "gets that worked up" over him. The impact of this revelation is evident in his face - Buffy isn't as emotionally invested in her relationship with Riley as she was with Angel.

Back at the Magic Box, Buffy talks with the gang about the possibility of helping her mother through the use of magics. However, while Willow expresses willingness to help if she can, Tara and Giles both insist that the magical and the medical are not meant to mix, and that any attempts they made to help Joyce would likely only make things worse. They encourage her to put her faith in the doctors. Anya then lets slip that Giles sold to Glory the ingredients she needs to make a monster, and the gang inform Buffy that the items will allow Glory to create some kind of monster. Buffy takes off in search of Glory, despite the concerns of Giles and her friends that Glory will merely overpower her again.

Buffy calls Giles from the hospital and tells him to take care of Dawn while she stays with her mother. She stays with her mother as the doctor tells her more bad news about Joyce's condition - she has a brain tumor, and they don't know yet if it is operable or not. Riley returns to Willy's Bar to drink away his worries and again encounters the vampire Sandy. He allows her to bite him in the alley, but stakes her.

The cobra demon arrives at the Magic Box and goes after Dawn. Dawn screams in fear and the cobra, having found its target, leaves to report to Glory. Giles and Buffy, knowing what will happen if the snake reaches its destination, go after it and corner it near the luxury apartments where Glory resides. With the help of a chain, Buffy is able to beat it to death and continues thrashing it long after as a way of finally letting out her anger over her mother's condition. Nearby Glory watches from a window, frustrated as the snake fails to return.

Joyce tells Dawn the truth about her health. Riley is there to comfort Buffy (wearing a turtleneck to hide his bite marks) but she refuses to accept comfort from him - she insists that she needs to stay strong for her family, refusing to cry. Joyce calls for Buffy and she turns and walks away, oblivious to his attempt to caress her face. Riley is left standing alone in the hallway, becoming increasingly frustrated with Buffy's inability or unwillingness to develop an emotional closeness with him, and to let herself be vulnerable around him.

!Tropes:
* AffectionateGestureToTheHead / BookEnds: At their mother undergoes a CAT scan, Buffy strokes Dawn's hair and gives her a forehead kiss. At the end of the episode, Riley goes to brush away Buffy's tears, but her mother calls to her and she turns away.
* Creator/AleisterCrowley: A customer at the Magic Shop wants ''Aleister Crowley Sings''. There's no counting for taste.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys / HasAType: Spike taunts Riley with Buffy's liking for "bad boys", particularly vampires.
-->"Face it, white bread. Buffy's got a type, and you're not it. She likes us dangerous, rough, occasionally bumpy in the forehead region. (patronizingly) Not that she doesn't like you ... but sorry Charlie, you're just not dark enough."

* CallBack
** Buffy screamed the first time she saw Angel's NightmareFace, but when her mother ran in, Buffy assured her that she'd just startled at a shadow. Here Joyce assures Buffy that the shadow on her X-Ray is also nothing to worry about.

* ConspicuousCGI: The cobra monster. In closeups is Conspicuous Animatronic

* DeadlyHug: Riley follows up Sandy's invitation from "Family", letting her take him into an alley for a KissOfTheVampire, only to dust her during the act.

** For "Forever" and "Bargaining". Buffy wants a healing spell, but Giles and Tara warn her of the dangers of mixing "the mystical and the medical".
** Spike asks Riley why Buffy hasn't revoked his invitation. This happens in "Crush".

-->'''Willow:''' It feels like we're going around in circles.
-->'''Xander:''' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Our circles are going around in circles]]. We've got dizzy circles here, Giles.

* HalfTruth: Spike doesn't hesitate to play up the fact that he already knew about Joyce after spending the night drinking with Buffy in "Fool for Love" as meaning she's closer to him than Riley wants.

* HellBentForLeather: Glory turns up at the Magic Box in a [[EvilIsSexy tight, cleavage-revealing Leather Dress Of Evil]].

-->'''Riley:''' What are you doing here?
-->'''Spike:''' What, me? I was um ... uh ... what are YOU doing here?
-->'''Riley:''' Looking for the girl who's gonna rip your arms off when she finds out you were in her bedroom.
* KneelBeforeZod: Inverted

* MagicalIncantation: To transform a common reptile (this case a cobra) into a Spawn of Sobek
-->'''Glory:''' Sobek, grant the power ... that it may mold this wretched creature ... that it may be reborn ... that it may serve ... ''Argh!'' [[EvilIsHammy Dark incantations! Always overwritten!]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Giles sells Glory the items she needs for her rite. Cue the OhCrap! when Anya points this out.

-->"Every day was like the end of the world. She doesn't get worked up like that over you."

* PervertedSniffing: Riley catches Spike sniffing Buffy's clothes, which he [[BlatantLies tries to excuse]] as "standard predator behavior". As Riley throws him out Spike [[PantyThief snatches her panties from a drawer]].

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Unless you're Anya]].
-->'''Anya:''' Reptile demon -- Sobekites were reptile worshippers.\\
'''Xander:''' Just once I would like to run into a cult of bunny worshippers.\\
'''Anya:''' (angrily) Great. Thank you very much for those nightmares.
* RightInFrontOfMe: Giles is saying that there's no way of knowing where Glory will turn up next, turns around and finds himself facing...a blonde, attractive customer whom he's never seen before.

* [[HeWhoMustNotBeNamed She Who Must Not Be Named]]: Only now she does have a name -- "[[TheMagnificent the most silky and effervescent Glorificus!]]" ''(Glory throws shoeboxes at Dreg)'' "Glory! Glory!"

** Willow sums up Riley's OneManArmy act in "Fool for Love" as "Tomb [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud kaboom!]]"
** The advertisement describes the Magic Box as ""Your one-stop spot to shop for all your occult needs." Which as Tara points out is a mouthful to say.
* ScreamingWoman: Dawn. Well you would too if you came face-to-fang with a huge cobra-monster.

** The snake monster crashes into the magic shop moments after Willow told Buffy that there's no sign of it anywhere.

-->'''Glory:''' No fair! ''(Buffy kicks her)'' Attacking ''(Buffy punches her in the stomach, then in the face)'' when I wasn't even looking! ''(Buffy grabs her head and begins slamming it against the wall)'' Ow! ''(She grabs Buffy's hand, removes it from her head, and slams Buffy into the wall)'' No, this is no good. ''(Buffy rises and tries to punch her again; Glory grabs Buffy's arm and pulls it behind her)'' I'm out of the moment ''(braces her other hand against Buffy's shoulder)'' and you're not giving me anything I can use.

-->I mean, nothing worse than a [spell] that doesn't work. Then I'd have to get all mad and kill you!
* VillainsOutShopping: Literally.