[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/btvs_s5_ep05_noplacelikehome.jpg]]

->'''Buffy:''' What are you doing here? Five words or less.\\
'''Spike:''' ''*counting on his fingers*'' Out... for... a... walk. ... ''*flashes horns*'' Bitch.

Directed by David Solomon.

Written by Douglas Petrie.

Two months ago, several monks rush to perform a ritual while a powerful force of some sort threatens their lives. In the present, Buffy stakes a vampire outside an abandoned building and gets caught by a night watchmen who thinks she's a teenager looking for a rave. As she turns to leave, he tells her not to forget her glow-ball, an orb Buffy doesn't recognise, but takes to investigate.

Buffy makes breakfast for Joyce, who is still experiencing headaches the doctors can't explain. Dawn takes the credit for making the breakfast, saying Buffy only helped. Joyce and Dawn bond, which makes Buffy feel like an outsider. Giles's grand opening of the Magic Box is less than successful, but eventually it becomes so popular that he can't handle the business by himself. Buffy presents the orb to Giles, who can't explain what it is straight away.

While picking up a prescription for her mother, Buffy sees the night watchman from before strapped to a gurney. He's less than stable, but manages to warn Buffy that her family will be attacked.

A monk works on a blueprint in an empty building when The Beast smashes through a large, steel door. It's revealed to be a slim, blonde woman. The Beast tries to torture information out of the monk but he won't tell her anything. She starts to speak crazily before pushing her fingers into the monk's head and draining the life force from him.

Buffy assumes the danger the night guard was talking about is causing Joyce's headaches. Anya recommends to Buffy that she perform a ritual which shows if any spells are affecting her family. Buffy, eager to let Riley feel useful, asks if he'd like to help her with the spell. He realises what she's doing and they agree to look after each other. Buffy performs the ritual in her bedroom before walking around the house to see if anything unusual is happening. Her mother appears fine, although her headaches continue. However, when Buffy passes Dawn's room, all of her belongings appear to fade in and out. All pictures containing Dawn have her flashing in and out of the image. When Buffy sees Dawn, Dawn herself beings fading in and out. She confronts her about it and concludes that Dawn isn't her sister. Buffy physically attacks Dawn and threatens her to stay away from Joyce. Dawn appears truly confused and doesn't know what's causing Buffy's sudden change in personality.

Giles calls to tell Buffy about the orb--the Dagon Sphere--and its purpose of protection from an unnamed evil. Buffy sets out for the abandoned building in hope of finding out more information, but encounters Spike lurking outside her house and demands to know what he's doing there. She's unsatisfied with his explanation but lets him off with a warning, leaving Spike frustrated. Looking down, Buffy sees a bunch of Spike's discarded cigarette butts, indicating he'd been loitering there for quite a while. She proceeds to return to the warehouse as Dawn watches the whole thing from her room.

Buffy quickly comes up against The Beast, who proves too powerful for the Slayer to handle. After taking a beating, Buffy manages to escape with a monk. The Beast throws a tantrum causing the room to crumble around her which delays her pursuit of Buffy.

At the Magic Box, Giles offers Anya a job, as he finds it too much to handle alone and knows that she enjoys handling the money.

In the last moments of his life, the monk warns Buffy that she must protect the Key. He tells her the Key is a collection of energy put into human form--Dawn's form. They sent her to the Slayer to be protected from those looking for it. Buffy doesn't understand, as she, her mother and all of her friends have memories of Dawn's whole life, but the monk tells her it's all false. He also tells her that Dawn has no idea she's anything but human but needs the love and protection of the Slayer, as well as her sister. The monk dies and Buffy returns home, shaken from her new knowledge. Buffy apologises to Dawn, with them both accepting they have at least one thing in common: concern for their mother.

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!! Tropes in this episode include:
* AbandonedWarehouse: The monk is using one as his hideout; unfortunately it also makes a nicely isolated torture chamber for [[spoiler: Glory]].
* AffectionateGestureToTheHead: At the end of the episode, Buffy tries to apologize for her behavior, but Dawn just makes snarky remarks. She starts stroking her little sister's hair. [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther Dawn doesn't protest.]]
* AlmostDeadGuy: The monk Buffy rescues from [[spoiler: Glory]] lives just long enough to tell Buffy about the Key (though not why it's so important to [[spoiler: Glory]]).
* AlwaysMurder: Averted, as Joyce's illness is entirely due to natural causes.
* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Czech lines spoken by monks in the beginning are "Zabije nás to" (It's going to kill us), "Na našich životech nezáleží, musíme ochránit klíč" (Our lives don't matter, we have to protect the Key), "Pomož mi s obřadem" (Help me with the ritual) and "Soustřeď se" (Concentrate). They are pronounced in a very non-Czech way, however.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Giles bemoans the lack of customers, then gets swamped by more than he can handle.
* BlatantLies: Spike's excuses for lurking outside Buffy's house.
* BookEnds: The episode opens with Buffy defeating a huge vampire with the usual CasualDangerDialogue, and concludes with Buffy getting her ass kicked by a quipping [[spoiler: Glory]].
* BlindIdiotTranslation: Buffy's grasp of French remains...questionable.
-->'''Anya:''' He had this one spell demons just hated called ''tirer la couverture''.\\
'''Buffy:''' "Rotate many foodstuffs"?\\
'''Willow:''' "Pull the curtain back."
* BoundAndGagged: The captive monk, via {{Duct Tape|ForEverything}}.
* BrattyHalfPint: Dawn, even more than usual.
* BrokenHeel: [[spoiler: Glory]] breaks her heel chasing Buffy, [[DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength stomps her foot in anger]] and [[NiceJobFixingItVillain ends up bringing the warehouse down on her head]].
* BuffySpeak: Scooby-centric
* CallBack: Giles's wizard outfit [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E4FearItself recalls the time]] Buffy was shocked to see him dressed as a Mexican with a sombrero.
* CasualDangerDialogue: Subverted; a sign of TheWorfEffect is that ''[[spoiler: Glory]]'' is delivering the quips ''[[MadeOfIron while Buffy is hitting her]]''.
* CelebrityParadox: At the end of the episode right after Dawn storms upstairs, Joyce is reading a magazine and there is an advertisement that features Creator/SarahMichelleGellar in the ad.
* ChekhovsGun: The [[PowerCrystal Dagon Sphere]] is the first of [[ChekhovsArmoury several objects collected by the Scoobies]] [[spoiler: which become useful in the season finale]].
* CosmicRetcon: Memories of Dawn's entire existence were planted in her family and friends' heads by the monks who transformed the Key into human form--despite not appearing in earlier seasons, she's retroactively always been around.
* CreepyChild: Dawn after Buffy's trance revelation.
* CurbStompBattle: Buffy and [[spoiler: Glory]]'s first battle is this, starting with [[spoiler: Glory]] backhanding Buffy across the room.
* DefiantToTheEnd: The monk refuses to talk despite [[spoiler: Glory]] torturing him--to death, as it turns out.
* DescriptionCut
-->'''Giles:''' I just hope she isn't doing anything too rash. ''[cut to Buffy getting her ass kicked by [[spoiler: Glory]]]''
* DoesNotKnowHerOwnStrength: During her introduction, [[spoiler: Glory]] causes the interior of a warehouse to cave in by merely stomping her foot in a hissy fit. For once this is a good thing, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain as she was chasing Buffy at the time]].
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: When Buffy does a meditative ritual to try to find out what's wrong with Joyce, it looks very much like she's getting high--she won't let Dawn into her room, burns incense and tries to cover it up by sticking a towel under the door, and afterward we see through her eyes and her sight is wonky. As Riley says beforehand, "Have a nice trip."
* FinalBossPreview: In their first encounter, [[spoiler: Glory]] kicks Buffy's ass up and down a warehouse, showing just how far she'll have to go over the course of the rest of the season to take this new foe on.
* FoolForLove: After his LoveEpiphany in the previous episode, Spike starts mooching around the home of his unrequited love interest.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Buffy thinks that crazy people may be able to see past a glamour.
** Buffy enters the house and finds her mother lying on the couch, having suffered a relapse.
** Buffy does gain {{Flight}} as a superpower in the comic series.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Willow's attempts at gift-wrapping in the Magic Box.
* GlamourFailure: The TrueSight spell makes Dawn disappear, along with her picture in photos and all signs of her presence.
* HeWhoMustNotBeNamed: Lampshaded by Giles, who points out that anything that goes unnamed is either an object of deep worship or great fear. [[{{foreshadowing}} Or both.]]
* HypocriticalHumor: Plenty of this from the demon lady.
-->'''[[spoiler: Glory]]:''' You hit me! What, [[IResembleThatRemark are you crazy?]]
* IHaveAFamily: Said by the watchman who later gets mind-sucked.
* IncrediblyLameFun: Giles's joy over his first customer.
* {{Irony}}: Dawn tells Buffy she's not really her sister as she's so awful.
* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler: Glory]] is raving to the BoundAndGagged monk, who [[ComicallyMissingThePoint for some reason is refusing to talk]].
-->'''[[spoiler: Glory]]:''' I'm hurt! Yes, by your incredibly selfish behavior. Newsflash, [[TheNicknamer Hairdo]]--[[HypocriticalHumor it's not always about you]].
* TheKlutz: This episode establishes this as part of Dawn's skillset, knocking over the vase of flowers Buffy set up, then breaking something at The Magic Box.
* LameComeback
-->'''Spike:''' And I never liked you anyway, and you have stupid hair.
* {{Leave the Camera Running}}: Buffy enters the Magic Box and see Giles wearing a RobeAndWizardHat. She stares at him without speaking for a ''long'' moment until Giles gets the message and puts the costume away.
* TheLoad: Buffy re Riley, now that he's been BroughtDownToNormal. Worse, he knows it.
* LotusPosition: Buffy meditating.
* MadOracle: Buffy finds the security guard from the warehouse stark-raving and StrappedToAnOperatingTable; when he sees Buffy he shouts, "Don't think you're above it, missy. They come through the family! They get to your family!" This makes Buffy suspect that Joyce's illness may be due to supernatural causes.
* MadnessMontage: [[spoiler: Glory]] going crazy before we see her first MindRape.
* MandatoryLine: Spike getting caught lurking outside Buffy's house is his only scene in this episode.
* MotivationalKiss: Riley gives Buffy a good luck kiss [[HugeGuyTinyGirl on her forehead]]. Buffy says she needs more luck than that, so he smooches her on the lips as well.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Buffy takes the Dagon sphere away from the warehouse, allowing [[spoiler: Glory]] to locate the monk.
* TheNicknamer: Spike tells off Buffy for "shagging Captain Cardboard."
* ObliviousToLove: Buffy is puzzled but not threatened by Spike's bizarre behaviour, [[spoiler: a pattern that will continue until Dawn points out what's obvious in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E14Crush Crush]]]]".
* OddCouple: Seeing Anya's proficiency for retail, Giles hires her as his shop assistant.
* OhCrap: Buffy is confident right up to the moment [[spoiler: Glory]] breaks her grip and [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom backhands her across the room]].
* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Played for drama when Buffy discovers her little sister isn't what she appears to be. To Buffy it sounds like Dawn is making an ImpliedDeathThreat, whereas [[TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry she's just snarking at her big sister as usual]].
* PercussiveTherapy:
** After Dawn spills how Buffy didn't want him on patrol now that he's been BroughtDownToNormal as he'd just get in the way, Riley says he's going to the training room for some physical rehab.
** Buffy decides on some rather flimsy evidence that her mother's illness is due to a MonsterOfTheWeek that she can track down and kill.
* PowerGlows: The Scoobies are looking at the Dagon Sphere.
--> '''Giles:''' It appears to be paranormal in origin.\\
'''Willow:''' How can you tell?\\
'''Giles:''' Well, it's so shiny.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: [[spoiler: Glory]] is quite impressed that she can't throw Buffy any further than that.
-->'''[[spoiler: Glory]]:''' I believe you've got superpowers! That is so cool. Can you fly? [knocks Buffy flying]
* TheReveal: Ever since Dawn's proper introduction in the the second episode of the season, the audience has been given dark hints as to who, or ''what'', Dawn really is, why and how she brainwashed the Scoobies into thinking she was Buffy's sister and what she's really planning. Right before the reveal, we have Dawn making [[RedHerring what sounds like cryptic threats and acting somewhat sinister]]. And then we finally learn -- that she has no plan, she really does think she's Buffy's sister, and she was sent to Buffy so the Slayer could protect her.
* RealityWarper: The Order of Dagon. Not only do they form the Key into Dawn, they make everyone (including Dawn herself) believe she's always been there.
* RightBehindMe: Giles asks how the revealing spell went. Just then Dawn appears, so Buffy quickly ends the conversation.
* SameLanguageDub: Czech lines said during the ritual are likely not said by the actors, but some Czech speaking person, since they are pronounced correctly and understandable to Czech speakers. They are "Ochraňuj nás" (Protect us) and "A stvoř člověka" (And create a human).
* SayingTooMuch: Dawn [[BrattyHalfPint does this deliberately]] by telling Riley that Buffy doesn't want to patrol with him because he's too weak, which incidentally makes him [[WeaknessTurnsHerOn look cute]] and [[BuffySpeak kitten-y]].
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: The monks converted the Key (previously in the form of energy) into Dawn, knowing that the Slayer would then [[RelativeButton instinctively protect her]].
* SidetrackedByTheAnalogy: Buffy reassures Giles he'll be making money hand over fist, then wordlessly tries to work out what that means.
* SoundEffectBleep: [[spoiler: Glory]] mouths, "Oh shit!" as the roof collapses on her.
* SpellMyNameWithAThe: The monks describe She Who Must Not Be Named as "The Beast" or "The Abomination".
* StalkerWithACrush: Buffy catches Spike lurking outside her house. A pile of cigarette butts shows he's been there for some time.
* StatingTheSimpleSolution
-->'''Buffy:''' We need to find out who's making my mom sick and how.\\
'''Willow:''' Then what?\\
'''Buffy:''' Then I hunt them... find them... and kill them.
* StinkSnub: Dawn snarks that Buffy was probably adopted "out of a shoebox full of baby howler monkeys"...
--> '''Dawn:''' It explains your fashion sense...and smell.
* SuperStrength:
** Ben is struggling to put restraints on the insane security guard when Buffy slams him down on the gurney. [[AmazonChaser Ben is quite appreciative.]]
** When Buffy meets [[spoiler: Glory]], however, she effortlessly breaks her grip and punches Buffy clear across the warehouse and into the wall hard enough to break it, knocks chunks out of concrete pillars with her fists, and brings the whole warehouse down in a temper tantrum.
* SuperWindowJump: After being curb-stomped, Buffy grabs the monk and jumps out the window with him.
* SwitchToEnglish: The monks speak Czech, [[{{Omniglot}} as does [[spoiler: Glory]]]] until she gets annoyed.
-->'''[[spoiler: Glory]]:''' ''[in Czech]'' We're in the New World now, so please, for God's sake ''[in English]'' speak American!
* TemptingFate: Buffy appears unaware that the evil blonde is sneaking up behind her, [[SpiderSense then she turns and grabs She Who Must Not Be Named]] by the neck.
-->'''Buffy:''' ...I'm not stupid.\\
''[[[spoiler: Glory]] casually breaks her grip and smacks Buffy across the warehouse into the wall]''\\
'''[[spoiler: Glory]]:''' You sure about that last part?
* ThereWasADoor: Pretty much [[spoiler: Glory]]'s M.O. when she wants to make a DynamicEntry.
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch
-->'''Buffy:''' [[StalkerWithACrush What are you doing here?]]\\
'''Spike:''' Look...\\
'''Buffy:''' [[YouTalkTooMuch Five words or less!]]\\
'''Spike:''' ''[counting off his fingers]'' Out... for... a... walk. ''[beat]'' Bitch.
* ThousandYardStare: Giles, overwhelmed by customers.
-->'''Giles:''' Xander! There's too many of them... people! And they all seem to want things.\\
'''Xander:''' I hear ya. [[StiffUpperLip Stay British.]] You'll be okay.\\
''[Pats Giles on the shoulder, then heads over to Anya]''\\
'''Xander:''' The thousand-yard stare. Damn! You hate to see it on any man, but especially in retail.
* TrueSight: Buffy performs a ritual to reveal any magic that might be causing Joyce's headaches. Instead, it causes Dawn and all signs of her presence to fade in and out from Buffy's view, revealing her artificial origins.
* UseYourHead: [[spoiler: Glory]] grabs Buffy by both arms and gleefully suggests they find out what would happen if [[spoiler: Glory]] [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe ripped her apart]]. Buffy headbutts her in the face.
* VisibleBoomMic: When Buffy apologized to Dawn and the camera angle switches to behind Dawn facing Buffy, you can see the boom mic bobbing in the upper left-hand corner.
* WhatAreYou: Buffy demands this of Dawn.
* TheWorfEffect: Buffy finds herself completely outclassed by [[spoiler: Glory]], who throws her around the warehouse for a while before Buffy manages to escape.
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