Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996–2003): Season 5, Episode 21 - The Weight of the World - full transcript

Despite the gang's best efforts, Glory has succeeded in taking Dawn. This failure after so much effort proves too much for Buffy and she slips into a catatonic state. Willow must use magic to enter her mind and help her work through the trauma before it is too late to save Dawn and the rest of the world from Glory.

Previously on
Buffy the vampire slayer.

So it's her.
Under our noses all this time.

- Glorificus will find the witch.
- Witch?

- Tara.
- You're not the key. You're nothing.

No!

Tara!

I'm so sorry.

They kill mice.

- Not if I get the key first.
- Could you do it?

Take a human life
with your own hands?

I told you this wasn't over.



Such pure green energy.

- The key.
- Just pack up whatever supplies we need, and that's it.

We're gone.

- Giles!
- I see them.

- Help me!
- How is he?

- Will?
- I think I got him stabilized,

but there's a lot of damage.
We need to get him out of here.

We got company.

The key.

Once the key is activated, the walls
separating realities will crumble.

Dimensions will bleed
into each other.

I won't let anything
happen to you.

- Let me out.
- Will, open the door.

No!



- Buffy!
- Dawn!

Buffy, you have to get up.

Buffy, please.
Buffy?

Quickly, quickly!

Already we're behind schedule.
Someone's bound for a beheading.

Let's make sure
it's not me.

Why don't we remain, when our moment
of triumph lies so close at hand?

The glorious one, having
acquired much in this world,

doesn't exactly
travel lightly.

Hey! Minions,
I can hear you.

God-like ears don't miss
much, know what I'm sayin'?

- Come here!
- 'Twas he who blasphemed, your magnificence.

- Spurred on by treacherous urging.
- Guys!

I'm not gonna kill you.

I'm not in the mood. What
do you think that's about?

In mercy does
your power lie?

No, brainless. In torture, death,
and chaos does my power lie.

So tell me... why am I not popping
your head like a zit right now?

- Maybe I'm just hungry.
- Yes, we shall fetch a lovely, uh...

No, I'm not hungry.

I'm just a little tight
in this skin is all.

I've been waiting an eternity...
well, 25 human years...

And it all comes
down to tonight.

- The portal shall open.
- And the great glorificus shall return.

To the hell I came from,

where I'm gonna rain down more super-sized
portions of slaughter, mayhem...

And bloodshed than any of you
scabs can even dream about.

So, how come I ain't happy?

I've got everything
I ever wanted.

Still, something's off.

I don't know.
What do you think?

Better part of a century spent
in delinquency just paid off.

Hot-wired Ben's auto. Who's for
gettin' the hell out of here?

All in favor, let's do it.
You good to go?

Oh, don't worry about me.
How's Buffy?

The same.
Still.

It's been almost
a half an hour.

The slayer's gonna be
all right, won't she?

You should
try again, wil.

All right. But I'm not
even sure she's, you know,

really in there.

Try.

Can you hear me?
Buffy!

Buffy.

Buffy?

Buffy?

She can't just be
brain dead.

I mean, she's still Buffy.
Somewhere in there, right?

Spike, come on. We're not gonna get
dawn back by sittin' around here.

You're not gonna get dawn back any way you
slice it, Harris. That's for Buffy to decide.

Good. Panic.
That ought to help.

We should move her.
Un-unless we shouldn't.

- Should we?
- Couldn't that make it worse?

I think I read that
somewhere.

I am so large
with not knowing.

It's impossible
to know for sure.

Losing dawn, after all
that Buffy's been through...

I think it's pushed her too far,
into some sort of catatonia.

You don't need a diploma
to see that.

Snap her out of it.
Buffy!

- Oi! Rise and shine, love!
- Spike.

Come on, people. Girl's endowed
with slayer strength.

It's hardly the time
to get dainty. Buffy!

- We tried that!
- Ow!

- We didn't try that.
- Are you insane?

We could be dealing with
neurological damage here.

- You want to kill her?
- We have to do something.

I can't just sit watching.
You waste time with kid gloves.

I'm willing to wager, when all's
said and done, Buffy likes it rough.

Separate.

Buffy's out.
Glory has dawn.

Sometime real soon,
she's gonna use dawn...

To tear down the barrier between
every dimension there is,

so if you two want to fight, you
do it after the world ends, okay?

All right. First,
we head back to sunnydale.

Xander'll take Giles
to a hospital.

Anya's looking
after Tara,

and, spike, you find glory.

Check her apartment.
See if she's still there.

Try anything stupid
like payback...

And I will get very cranky.

Everyone clear? Anya?

Um, w-what
will you do?

- I'll help Buffy.
- Okay, then.

The world is spinning...

Straight to a new day.
Big day. Big, big day.

Shh, shh, shh.

Uh, wil? Now, uh...

Don't turn me into
a horned toad for asking,

but, what if we
come across Ben?

I-I don't think a doctor's
what Buffy needs right now.

Well, yeah. Especially not one
who also happens to be glory.

- What do you mean?
- You know. Ben is glory.

You mean...
Ben's with glory?

"With" in what sense?

- They're working together?
- No. No.

Ben is glory. Glory's Ben.
They're one and the same.

When did
all this happen?

Not one hour ago. Right here,
before your very eyes.

Ben came,
turned into glory,

snatched the kid, and pftt!
Vanished. Remember?

You do remember?

Is everyone here
very stoned?

Ben! Glory! He's a doctor.
She's the beast.

Two entirely separate entities
sharing one body.

It's like a bloody sitcom.
Surely you remember.

So you're saying...

Ben and glory...
Have a connection.

Yes, obviously.
But what kind?

Oh, I get it.

That's very crafty.

Glory's worked
the kind of mojo...

Where anyone who sees her little
presto-chango instantly forgets.

And yours truly, being somewhat
other than human, stands immune.

So... Ben and glory...
A-are the same person?

Glory can turn
into Ben,

and Ben turns
back into glory.

And anyone who sees it
instantly forgets.

And a Kewpie doll
for the lady.

Excellent.
Now...

Do we suspect that there may be
some kind of connection...

Between Ben and glory?

The key.
The key.

The key, the key.

Unbelievable how
annoying the groupies can be.

They merely sense that tonight, at last,
the dimensional portal shall open.

Ushering in the long and
bloody reign of the great...

What's he doing?

- I must anoint the key.
- You really don't. Go.

But...
Get out!

Get out! Get out!

You know,

you recapture your godhood and unleash
Armageddon, and all of a sudden...

Everybody wants to be
a part of the inner circle.

You okay?

I want to go home.

Sweetie! Oh.

You're about to.

Not that fake
suburban nightmare...

The monks cooked up for
you, I mean your real home.

As the key,
you fit in a lock.

Well, it's like a lock.
Hey. You want a pizza?

No.
Pillow?

I don't know if this thing gets cable.
Doubtful.

Please. Stop.

- You nervous?
- Yes.

I know how you feel.
It is your last night.

As, you know,
a human.

This body? It's just
a rental, dawnie.

Being human... it's like a costume
for girls like you and me.

Being something else...
That's what we are.

- Don't.
- What?

Don't call me "dawnie."

Wow.

You know, that actually
hurt my feelings.

I'm sorry.
Not the point.

I'm just thinking. Here I am,
trying to make you feel better,

when comforting others...
Not part of my life.

And I'm doing it
so I can stop...

Feeling so, um...

Help me out.
Guilty?

Guilty.
That's it.

But I'm not supposed
to feel guilty.

I'm not supposed
to feel anything.

I'm-I'm... I'm a god.
I'm above it.

I'm...
You.

You did this to me,
didn't you?

Some sort of spell. You've
been hanging with the Wicca.

You could have...
But no.

Not magic.
It's something else.

Still, it is you
doing this.

I-I'm not doing
anything.

- I swear.
- We'll see.

Anoint this thing now!

You know what they're all
chanting for out there, dawnie?

Blood. 'Cause we found out your
blood is the key to the key.

All I gotta do
is bleed you dry,

- the portal opens up,
and I can go home.

So knock yourself out, girlfriend.
Make me feel bad as you can.

'Cause tomorrow
you bleed, little girl.

- Sure you know what you're doing?
- I think so.

I don't know.

It's not exactly well-explored
territory, but...

I gotta try.

A spell like this could be
really dangerous for Buffy.

- And you.
- Time...

Oh, time is coming.

Shh. It's okay.
I'm here.

- You'll look after her while I'm...
- sure.

What do I do?

Mostly just
be here for her.

And there's some pills
in my knapsack.

Half of one every two hours
keeps her pretty mellow.

Y-you think you'll be
gone more than two hours?

- Wish me luck?
- Okay.

Good luck!
Thanks.

Okay. Be good now,
sweetie.

I'll be back as soon as I can.
Okay?

We're good?

Good luck.

Hi, Willow.

Hello, Buffy.

What are you doing here?

Actually, I'm, uh,
looking for you.

Do you like dolls?

Buffy, what
are you doing here?

I like it here.

But...

You know we need you.

- You have to come out.
- Why?

To be with your friends.

It's a big day
for me.

Hello?

Mommy! Daddy!

You're back!
You're back!

Hello, Buffy.
How's my girl?

Are you ready to meet
your new baby sister?

Oh, come on, now, Buffy.
She's nothing to be afraid of.

- Who's afraid?
- Don't you want to be the big sister?

No. I want to be
the baby.

- Buffy.
- You're gonna pay more attention to her...

And forget
all about me.

Ohhh...

Doesn't she look funny?

Like a wrinkly old grandpa.

Like this.

Okay, support the head.
There you go.

We're calling her
dawn.

- Dawn.
- I-i could be the one...

To look after her sometimes
if you need a helper.

Mom? Can I
take care of her?

Yes, Buffy, you
can take care of her.

Okay.

Can you, uh...

There.

How you doin'? It only hurts when
I answer pointless questions.

Where's Buffy? Willow's on it.
Or in it.

She's workin' some spell, trying
to reach Buffy psychically.

She's gone into Buffy's mind?
Pretty trippy stuff.

It's extraordinarily advanced. I was thinking
we should check on glory's victims...

While we're here. The mental ward?
I already been.

The vegetable section's closed.
Nobody there.

It's like they all just
got up and walked away.

Checked out glory's flat. Looks
like the great one has scampered.

Gone to, uh, perform her
ritual with dawn...

And leaving us
entirely clueless.

Not entirely.

I know this bloke.

Well, not so much a bloke
so much as a demon.

But still bookish. All tuned in to the
nastier corners of this, our magic world.

It's a bit of
a last resort, really,

but still,
we might persuade him...

To suss out
glory's game plan.

Sound worthy?

Off we go, then.
Meet back at the shop.

Found Ben's room at glory's.
Didn't learn much.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Ben? At glory's?

You're saying all this time
he's been subletting from her?

This is
gonna be worth it.

Ow!
Ow!

Last time.
From the top.

I'm hating this, murk.

And "this" would be what
exactly, your holiness?

Memories. I'm starting to
remember the things Ben did,

people he spoke with,
stuff he wore.

Mmm. Kid.

I came... he came to
see you, didn't he?

- Ben?
- Yeah, Ben!

You called him to the desert
when you were hiding from me.

And he came. And then he was me.
You remember?

Yes.

See? She's not supposed
to remember that.

Nobody should! The cloak
between Ben and me is fading.

I almost helped her!
He... I wanted to.

Huh! I can't do this!

Get him out of me.
Wh-what?

Ben. The human meatsack
who's infecting me.

Do your mojo.
Make an incision...

Or removal or whatever
you gotta do.

Help me.

I'm-I'm thinking
Ben's thoughts,

and I'm feeling
his feelings...

And...
I...

Can't kill the girl.

Damn it.
Help me.

Th-this I cannot do.

You risk
terrible magics...

In opening the portal.

Nothing comes
without a price.

This is yours.

Gods don't pay.

We do this now.

Hey! I know you.

You-you're
the first original slayer...

Who tried killing us all
in our dreams.

- How've you been?
- Death is your gift.

- Death is my gift?
- Wait. Death is her what?

Death is your gift.

- Where are you going?
- Glorificus! Wait!

Kill the key now,
and all will be lost.

We'll be stuck on this
mortal plane forever.

All right.
You're right.

It's cool. I'm just a
little emotional right now.

Which, if you're
into irony... funny.

Leave. We need a little girl time.
Good-bye.

How do they do it?

Do what?

People. How do they
function here like this...

In the world with all this
bile running through them?

Every day, it's whoo! You have no control.
They're not even animals.

They're just these
meatbaggy slaves...

To hormones
and pheromones...

And their...
And their feelings.

Hate 'em.
I mean, really.

Is this what the poets go on about?
This?

Call me crazy, but as
hard-core drugs go,

human emotion
is just useless.

People are puppets, everyone
getting jerked around...

By what
they're feelin'.

Am I wrong?
Really. I want to know.

Gonna bleed you either way.

Depends on the person.

So you're saying some
people like this. Some.

Funny, 'cause I look
around at this world...

You're so eager to be a
part of, and all I see...

Is six billion lunatics looking
for the fastest ride out.

Who's not crazy?
Look around.

Everyone's drinking,
smoking, shooting up...

Shooting each other, or just plane
screwing their brains out...

'Cause they don't
want 'em anymore.

I'm crazy?

Honey, I'm the original
one-eyed chicklet...

In the kingdom
of the blind...

'cause at least I admit
the world makes me nuts.

Name one person
who can take it here.

That's
all I'm asking.

Name one.

Buffy.

I can't keep following you around
like this, Buffy. We have to go.

You have to talk to... me.

I'm sorry.
Don't be.

Death is my gift.

Yeah, I keep hearing that, but I'm
not exactly sure what it means.

It's really
not that complicated.

Not for you, maybe.

It's what I do.

Come on. You've known me...
For how long?

It's what I'm here for.
It's all I am.

Buffy, stop!

No!
God, no!

What?

I keep telling you, wil.
I-i figured it out.

Death is my gift.

Oh, Ben. This is
really not a good time.

Dawn,
has glory hurt you?

Uh, no. Not yet.

But I have to
get out of here.

Ben?
You okay?

Where is it?

Wh-where's what?

All the blood.

I can feel it,
still warm and wet.

And glory.
Oh, god.

She slaughtered
hundreds of men.

But I can feel them
breaking.

Ben. Something is happening
to both you and glory.

I'm remembering her,
aren't I?

The things she's done.
Things she's going to do.

I know. Sh-she told me.

I think, whatever the magic is
that keeps you guys apart...

Is starting to break down.

Ben, glory could
come back any minute.

How could she do this?

I don't know. But we have
to get out of here...

And find Buffy. No! I
mean, I have a job.

I have a life.
And glory?

She never once thinks
about me in all this.

Help me.
How?

Highness?
Please.

Is everything all right?

You're not...

I'll take you as far as I can.
Ditch you before she comes back.

Okay. Now, this is weird.

Hi, Willow. What
are you doing here?

Actually, I'm, uh,
looking for you here.

Again.

Do you like dolls?

No, and I think
we already "deja'd" this vu.

You talk funny.

Yes. As you'll
tell me again...

When we're older
and in chem class.

Buffy, what
are we doing here?

Don't you like it here?

We don't have time.

Mommy! Daddy!

- We're home!
- You're back! You're back!

Hi, Buffy.

We're calling her dawn.

I could be the one to
look after her sometimes.

It's always open!

What can I do
for you boys?

- Want some cocoa?
- No.

We need information.
We need...

- Ben's glory!
- Who's what?

Look at this...
Special ed remembers.

Yeah, I do. Ben's
glory, and glory's Ben.

It's like this
fog's liftin'.

Wonderful.
But not why we're here.

Hell-god type,
name of glory...

- A.K.A. Ben...
- Has gone missing.

She's brewing up
some major league bad.

And she's nicked the slayer's
kid sister in the bargain.

Hmm. That girl you brought here.
Sweet little thing.

How'd things work out with her mom?
Changed her mind, didn't she?

Yeah. You got any idea where
glory would take her?

Glory. Glory.
Ooh!

Y-you don't mean
glorificus?

Gosh. What do you want to
get mixed up with her for?

That's a sure way to
get yourselves killed.

I hear she's
awfully unpleasant.

When it comes to hell-gods,
my best advice...

Is get out of the way...
And stay there.

Love to. Can't.

Well, uh, other than
that, I'd like to help.

But I-I'm
a small town guy.

This glorificus...
If it is her...

Whoo. She's big city.

- She's got dawn.
- Right.

Well, I may know
a fella,

you know, who knows a
fella in-in China.

He might... how the hell are
we supposed to get to China?

- Teleport?
- I guess.

You know, if you're in that much
of a hurry, I wish you luck.

You're lying. And what's more,
I believe you're standing...

Right in front of
the very thing we need.

- Idiot.
- Get him!

You think only underworld
bottom-feeders worship the beast?

Her day is coming,
boys!

And when she returns, then
you're gonna see something.

Ow!

What do we got? Something
worth dying for.

Buffy, will you just stop a
second and listen to me?

Buffy.

You have to stop doing this.
Doing what?

Killing dawn.
Why?

Because this
never happened.

You never killed
your sister.

Wil, I did this.
In your imagination.

None of this is real.

Y-you're stuck
in some kind of loop.

I don't know what you're talking about.
Excuse me.

Buffy, why are
you doing this?

I think they see us. Stay close to me.
Don't look back.

Shh!
Stay very still.

I'm sorry.

Sorry?

That actually hurt,
you prepubescent puke.

Okay. First thought... just
totally spontaneous, unfiltered,

off the top
of my head: Ow!

You hit Ben in his soft human
head, and I remember the pain.

You probably think I won't waste any
precious blood of yours till tonight.

You're right. But I know...

A thousand ways to hurt you...

That won't spill a drop... and you know
those pesky feelings I've been having?

Like guilt, empathy? I'm gonna take 'em and
mash 'em back down where they belong. Okay?

Now, let's have
big girl fun...

Just you and...

Leave her alone.

I said,
leave her alone.

No, no. Little late in the game to
start growing a backbone, Benjamin.

Be good, and stay quiet.
No, you don't!

Get over yourself, Ben!

This is the way things are.
I'm strong. You're weak.

This is reality. Stop trying
to infect me with your...

Do you ever stop talking?

I don't know which is worse. Waking up
in a dress, not knowing where I've been,

or having to hear all
your self-involved ranting!

- Animal.
- Wrong, glory. I'm no animal.

This is humanity
you're feeling.

- Welcome to the world.
- No, no, no!

Stick around, chica.

I won't let you
hurt her, glory.

Ooh! Shut your hole, you
sanctimonious little meatworm.

I'm going home
no matter what you do.

You really think I'll
just let that happen?

Benjamin, what
are you doing?

You need her blood?

When I'm through, there won't be
enough left to fill a bottle cap.

- Then you, hellbitch, have nowhere left...
- to go.

You can't hurt her,
and you know it, Ben.

I know it because I feel
what you're feeling.

Scared.
Shh! Shh! It's okay.

You don't want to die.
Who would?

- I don't.
- You can't. You're immortal.

Nobody has to die
here, Ben.

Just let me bleed the girl and go home.
Everything'll work out fine.

Do you really believe, with all
I know, that you can trick me?

Stop and think,
baby.

We bleed the kid, return
me to my seat of power.

I become a god again.

- And I disappear.
- Ooh, unless somebody up there likes you.

Give up the girl,
I could like you a lot.

I won't make a deal
with you, glory.

When exactly
did you get stupid?

I'm offering
immortality here.

I believe you.
That's not the problem.

You make me immortal.
Then what?

I have to kill her to do it, and I
won't be able to live with that.

Not even for a day.
Forget about eternity.

Hey, baby,
baby, baby Ben.

Why do you
worry so much?

When you're immortal, all this crap
you've been carrying around inside...

The guilt, the anger,
the crazy-making pain...

Ooh, it all just
melts away like ice cream.

Trust me.
When all this is over,

I can set you up real nice.

I'm makin' it easy.

It's you or the girl.

I can't accept that.

Accept it.

I'm a god, stupid.

I'm sorry.

Don't make this harder
than it already is.

I'm sorry. I got no choice.
It's you or me.

No. Buffy! Leave dawn alone.
What is this?

My gift.
This is what I do.

I'm not talking about this.
I'm talking about...

Th-this.

Right here, it happened.
I know...

It's something small,
but it's something.

- What?
- Don't go there, wil.

I'm not. You're the one who
keeps dragging me back here.

A-and you wouldn't
be doing that...

If you weren't trying
to show me something.

Do I?

Buffy, come on. It-it's your brain.
Just tell me.

What happened here?

- This was when I quit, wil.
- You did?

- Just for a second.
- I remember.

I was in the magic shop.

I put a book back
for Giles.

Nothing special about it.
And then it hit me.

- What hit you?
- I can't beat glory.

Glory's going to win.

You can't know that. I
didn't just know it.

I felt it.
Glory will beat me.

And in that second
of knowing it, wil?

I wanted it to happen.

- Why?
- I wanted it over.

This is... all of this...

It's too much for me.

I just wanted it over.

If glory wins,
then dawn dies.

And I would grieve. People
would feel sorry for me.

But it would be over.

I imagined what a
relief it would be.

I killed dawn.

Is that what you think?

My thinking it
made it happen.

Some part of me
wanted it.

And in the moment,
glory took dawn.

I know I could've
done something better.

But I didn't.

I was off by some
fraction of a second.

- And this is why...
- I killed my sister.

I think spike was right
back at the gas station.

- Snap out of it!
- What? - What?

All this...
It has a name.

It's called guilt. It's a
feeling, and it's important.

But it's not more
than that, Buffy.

Buffies. You've carried the weight
of the world on your shoulders...

Since high school... and I-i
know you didn't ask for this,

but you do it,
every day.

And so, you wanted out
for one second.

- So what?
- I got dawn killed.

Hello! Your sister?
Not dead yet.

But she will be if you
stay locked inside here...

- And never come back to us.
- And what if I can't?

Then I guess you're right,
and you did kill your sister.

Wait.
Where are you going?

Where you're needed.
Are you coming?

Buffy?

- She's back.
- You're okay?

Yeah. I'm okay. I hear you
found the ritual text.

Uh, something
like that, yes.

Did you know that
Ben is glory?

So I'm told.
What do we know?

Um, well, uh, according
to these scrolls,

uh, it is possible for
glory to be stopped.

I-I'm afraid
it's, um...

Buffy, I've read these
things very carefully,

and there's not much
margin for error.

You understand
what I'm saying?

Might help if you
actually said it.

Um...

Glory plans to open
a dimensional portal...

By way of
a ritual bloodletting.

- Dawn's blood.
- Yes.

Once the blood is shed
at a certain time and place,

the fabric which separates all
realities will be ripped apart.

Dimensions will pour
into one another...

With no barriers
to stop them.

Reality as we know it
will be destroyed,

and chaos
will reign on earth.

So how do we stop it?

The portal will only close
once the blood is stopped.

And the only way for
that to happen is, um...

Buffy, the only way
is to kill dawn.

Grr! Arrgh!