Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) Spiral (2001) User Reviews

Time to get out of Dodge

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 22 April 2012]

The Good; Buffy fighting medieval knights on top of a mobile home. Again you never get this on Dawson's Creek!

The Bad; Once again the budget can't really keep up with the concept. Also you can see it's a dummy when Buffy carries 'Dawn' (as indeed it is in many scenes at the end of Aliens because Sigourney had hurt her back)

Best line; Xander; "We got company and they brought a crusade!"

Jeez!; The scene between Dawn and Buffy in the camper van really brings home to you how much her life can 'Suck beyond the telling of it'.

Kinky dinky; The female minion fancies Ben. Shouldn't she fancy other 'hobbits with leprosy'?

Captain Subtext; Xander helps Spike light his cigarette. Dawn observes that Glory has 'nice feet'. Ben observes terrible things happen to good people. Well, they're certainly going to happen to him.

Guantanamo Bay; Gregor captured and occasionally hit by the Scoobs.

Scoobies to the ER; Giles speared. Spike's hands cut.

Apocalypses; 5,

Scoobies in bondage: Dawn tied up Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 5 Will: 3 Jenny: 1 Angel: 4 Oz: 1 Faith: 3 Joyce: 1 Wes: 1 Xander; 1 Dawn; 2

Scoobies knocked out: Buffy: 16 Giles: 10 Cordy: 6 Xander: 8 Will: 5 Jenny: 2 Angel: 6 Oz: 3 Faith: 1 Joyce: 3 Wes: 1 Anya;1

Kills: Buffy kills at least one knight Buffy: 95 vamps, 32 demons, 6 monsters, 4 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon Will: 6 vamps Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans Xander: 5 vamps, 2 zombies, a demon, a demon Anya: 1 vamp and a demon Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons Buffybot; 1 vamp Spike; 1 vamp and 1 demon

Scoobies go evil: Giles: 1 Cordy: 1 Will: 2 Jenny: 1 Angel: 1 Oz: 1 Joyce: 1 Xander: 3

Alternate scoobies:

Buffy: 6 Giles: 3 Cordy: 1 Will: 2 Jenny: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 2 Joyce: 2 Xander: 3

Recurring characters killed: 9 Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce

Sunnydale deaths; 89;

Total number of scoobies: 7 from now on Spike an intrinsic part of the group Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Spike

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?) Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot: Giles: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 4 Riley; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost: Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes? Cordy: 1? Buffy: 3 confirmed; Angel, Parker,Riley, 1 possible, Dracula(?) Angel: 1;Buffy Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?) Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley Xander: 2; Faith, Anya Willow: 2;Oz and Tara Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore

Questions and observations; Willow seems to have got over her fear of horses and now doesn't want Buffy to hurt them. Xander doesn't travel well. Anya knows this but you wonder how? I for one agree with Buffy's strategy, they can't fight Glory, Tara's already been hurt, time to get the hell out of dodge! The knights actually seem pretty good guys if they weren't trying to kill Dawn, all they want to do is stop Glory which seems a reasonable idea. But they should have taken Mr Trick's advice and got some Uzis. Of course Gregor is played by the same actor who murdered Tru's mother in Eliza Dushku's show Tru Calling (Riley's friend Forrest also guest starring as did Clare Kramer and Cobie Smulders, the girl who plays Robin on Alysson Hannigan's show How I Met Your Mother and in Joss' Avengers). Gregor actually plays the part of Basil Exposition pretty well, Glory knows him so he's survived an encounter with her before. The camper van with the windows blocked out reminds me of the excellent Kathryn Bigelow vampire film Near Dark. Poor Buffy, it really does just keep coming and coming. Why does Ben come to the Scoobs if he knows he's a threat to Dawn? Note both Summers girls have their darkside. Why don't they go to The Council or Angel Investigations for help?

Marks out of 10; 8/10 for the chase sequence alone

Knights Siege the RV

[Samuel-Shovel · 8/10 · 13 March 2018]

In "Spiral", Buffy and the Gang barely escape from Glory and must now go on the run that Glory knows the key's identity. They hop in Spike's RV and head for the desert but get attacked by the Knights of Byzantium en route. The RV is destroyed and Giles gets a spear to the gut. The gang takes refuge in an abandoned gas station and Willow throws up a force field to keep the knights at bay. Buffy calls Ben, asking for medical assistance but this quickly becomes problematic when he transforms back into Glory. Glory steals Dawn, wipes out the knights, and disappears as the episode ends. Buffy falls to the ground in hopelessness.

I don't care how cheesy it was; watching an army full of chainmailed knights on horseback attack an RV was the most fun I've had watching TV in a while. I really did enjoy the structure of this episode. The few scenes of them waiting around in the RV or in the gas station just reiterated for me the hopelessness of their situation. Anya's shtick of bad one-liners and not knowing pop culture is getting a tad old though; she's especially bad in this episode. She kind of took over for Xander's obnoxiousness in that department. (I think I'd prefer it be him again but oh well.) Still, a pretty strong episode that's building us towards the season finale.

The Weakness of Glory

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 15 October 2007]

Buffy runs from Glory with Dawn, meets the gang and feels that she is not able to defeat the powerful god. She decides to runaway from Sunnydale with Dawn and her friends and asks Spike to bring his recreation vehicle. However, they are followed and attacked by the Knights of Byzantium that want to kill The Key, Giles is seriously wounded while driving and the RV capsizes. They run to an abandoned construction and Willow uses magic to protect them. Buffy calls Ben to help Giles bringing also Glory.

In this episode, Buffy and the Scooby gang learn how Glory can be defeated and the danger that The Key is. Dawn is kidnapped in the end by Glory, and now Buffy must rescue her to avoid the opening of countless demon dimensions. The problem with Dawn is that this annoying character seems to be protected by Buffy not because she is her sister or a nice human being, but just for her danger to the world. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Espiral" ("Spiral")

Only BTVS could have knights attacking an RV and make it all seem perfectly reasonable

[katierose295 · 10/10 · 1 September 2006]

I love this episode. Seriously, it's probably in my top ten episodes of the entire series. It's fun and unexpected and dramatic. It has the Scoobies all riding around in an RV, while the "Renaissance Fair" (AKA the Knights of Byzanthium) chase them down on horse back. It has Glory nabbing Dawn and there's finally an explanation for her desperate quest for the key. If you're watching the season five story arc, you can't skip this episode.

"Spiral" picks up right where "Tough Love" left off. Glory had discovered that Dawn is the key. Buffy barely gets her sister away from the hell god. She, Dawn and the Scoobies meet up at Xander's to formulate a plan. Buffy says that they have to get out of Sunnydale. Glory's too strong to defeat and now she'll be after all of them. They have to run. (Buffy takes some flak for this but I think she has a point. Spike and Buffy can't injure Glory when they fight, even Willow's magic does minimal damage. What else can the do, but retreat and regroup?) The Scoobie gang reluctantly heads for the hills in an ancient RV that Spike has "procured" from someplace. Unfortunately, the knights of Byzanthium are hot on their heels. They know that Dawn is the key, too. And they are willing to sacrifice her if it means stopping Glory. The RV crashes and the Scoobies retreat to an abandoned gas station.

Giles has been injured and Buffy calls Ben to come and administer aid. Meanwhile, Willow has put a magical force field around the gas station, and Gergor, the Knight's general guy, is trapped in there with the Scoobies. They take him hostage and demand answers about Glory and the key. It seems that Glory is going to use Dawn to unlock the mystical gateway to her hell dimension. Then she can finally return home. The only catch is, as soon Glory opens up one dimension, they ALL open. Every dimension will spill into each other, destroying the world. Ben arrives and starts administering to Giles. But Glory soon gets free of him. The Scoobies are stunned when Ben shifts into the hell god. Glory grabs Dawn and escapes, killing the all Knights. Buffy stares after he sister is shock and horror at the defeat.

There are a lot of things to love about this episode. I just really enjoy watching the Scoobies in that RV together. There isn't another scene like it in the entire Buffyverse. (Well, Angel season four's "Sacrifice" has the Angel Crew escaping LA together in a car, but it's kinna different since there's this whole "Stepford" thing happening around them.) Any time all the characters are stuck together and force to interact it's gonna be fun. Anya's cooking Spam as a road snack, and Xander is queasy enough already. Tara accidentally burns Spike by opening the window blinds. Willow is trying to take care of her and research a spell that would work on a camper. Giles insists that Spike let him drive. (Maybe he's remembering what happened to his car when Spike was behind the wheel back in season four's "A New Man.") Then the knights of Byzanthium attack. ("They're throwing arrows at us!") It's just a really cool scene. Also, I love the exchange between Spike and Xander in that gas station. They have an often hostile relationship, but underneath that there's a little bit of respect. When Spike can't operate his lighter, Xander does it for him and says "Have I mentioned today that I don't like you?" And Spike sort of smiles and replies, "So, you've finally let it slip, huh?" It's just a great quiet moment that lets you see inside the characters. I really like Buffy's scenes with Giles, too. He's injured and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure he gets help. When she apologizes to him for this mess, and he tells her that he's so proud of her and of her choices, it's really moving. Finally, there are few darkly funny moments that can compete with Glory cheerfully announcing, "Hey, it's Gregor!" Then decapitating him with a flying hubcap.

I like the moral questions that this episode raises. Are the Scoobies really right to risk the entire world to keep Dawn safe? Are the Knights of Byzanthium right to want to destroy the key before Glory can get it? After "Becoming Part Two" Buffy's capacity to sacrifice someone she loves for the greater good is gone. (She'll make a similar choice to risk the world in season seven's "Lies My Parents Told Me.") Buffy can't let Dawn go. But if the key had been inside, say Anya, would Buffy endanger every known dimension to keep her safe? I doubt it.

On the down side, what the heck was Ben thinking coming out to the desert like that? I'd actually forgive him if he was planning to kill Dawn. And not just because I find her so annoying. Because, it might just be the right thing to do in order to protect the world. But, he doesn't seem to have any kind of plan at all. He lead Glory right to them. Also, is Buffy allowed to kill all those Knights? Aren't they human. She's only supposed to kill demons.

My favorite part of the episode: Glory's taken Dawn, the Knights of Byzanthium have fallen, and Buffy's collapsed in a catatonic ball. Spike looks around and shouts, "Get the car." His first instinct was to keep going, even though there was no way the Scoobies could possibly catch Glory. Of everyone in the Buffyverse, Spike is a most tireless fighter. Whether he's a good guy, a demon, a ghost, a champion, or poet, Spike's always adapts, and survives, and plows ahead. That tiny moment just encapsulated his whole character for me.

The One Where They Run...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 19 November 2015]

I love this episode. It's so amazing. It's the first episode leading up to the amazing Season Finale, which is one of my all-time favorite Finales from the show. This episode is definitely one of my all-time favorite episodes from this season, and from the series.

In this episode, now that Glory knows Dawn is the Key, everyone decides running is the best chance for survival. Spike steals an R.V., and they all head out of town. They are followed by the Knights Of Byzantium, who try to kill Dawn, and even end up seriously hurting Giles. After the R.V. is destroyed, they seek shelter, but the Knights continue to come. They find a place to hide out, and Willow casts a protection spell around. It works for a while, until the Knight's Priests punch a hole through the barrier. Buffy eventually calls Ben for some medical assistance, but while there, Ben turns into Glory, and she takes Dawn.

Fun Fact: This is the first and only time that Buffy ever kills humans (the Knights Of Byzantium).

Best part of the episode: Everything.

Worst part of the episode: The Knights, they're so annoying.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Freaking Ridonkulous.

On the run

[Realrockerhalloween · 5 October 2016]

Spiral follows Buffy as she runs from Glory and the knights after the key. When Giles is hurt they call in Ben who shares a connection to Glory. It's a great episode focusing on Buffy heading for the hills in an RV as she along with her friends when the gallop up on their horses ax swinging and swords piercing the side of the van. Buffy using her slayer training keeps them at bay. All through this season its been a battle of wills between Glory, Buffy and the knights who are trying to keep the key in their possession.

Another factor is Glory sharing a body with Ben who since birth and anyone who sees it forgets. Ben has to live his life like he has multiple personalities would yet tries to keep it a secret and undo the damage she causes. My only problem is I wish they go more into detail about his life growing up where his family or friends dealt with the changes and how he was selected as a vessel.

Road trip

[ossie85 · 8/10 · 19 August 2022]

Following on from 'Tough Love', we see Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara get away from Glory but only just. The four, along with Xander, Anya, Giles and Spike decide to make a run for it and get as far away from Glory as possible. The Knights of Byzantium have also found out that Dawn is the key and are now also trying to kill her.

Why It's So Good - The gang on the run is something new and a very enjoyable experience. Solid and exciting action sequences, and yet another great cliff hanger.

Watch Out For - Truck!

Quote - "We should drop a piano on her. Well, it always works for that creepy cartoon rabbit when he's running from that nice man with the speech impediment." - Anya.

yup another reviewer with ....

[jtsjtssmokey-703-366973 · 10/10 · 3 June 2013]

the who whating how with huh...i will read these once in a while an get a kick out of the "hater" ones, they watch them to just find all they don't like an even point out its a bad show/writer/actor/director...Buffy is entertainment an u either like the show or u don't but it is still funny to see those who i think really like it but are trying hard to "tell" us they don't...

OK spiral is Buffy at one of her lowest, lost a lot with her mom being the last an now her sister an yes she is her sis no matter how she came to be, is in mortal danger an Buffy has had enough....running at the moment is a valid choice, she needs to regroup an rest but her life an all it entails, well this episode goes well into the next when she is lost an findin no easy way out.

her extended family too is lost an really cant help at the moment, an well as a slayer death is, an most (all) slayers have that death wish, but Buffy has and does want to protect those she loves, something that the other slayers (except maybe now faith) never really had/have. i think with the budget had for this show, it was done well. OK done with my run on sentence/paragraph

Spiral -- As in...BtVS continues its out of control spiral -- downwards!

[skay_baltimore · 2/10 · 1 August 2010]

How convenient that the whole "Ben-Glory-Body Sharing" contrivance appears just in the nick of time at the start of Spiral, not to mention the fact that Ben is to Glory what Dawn is to The Key -- merely a vessel to house a host. All it amounts to is lazy writing that pushes the suspension of disbelief principle beyond its intended limits. And I don't know about anyone else, but the whole Glory/god thing seems very lame to begin with -- she's the least god-like creature of any BtVS creature to date.

And let's not forget the un-funny silliness when Anya suggests they drop a piano on Glory to kill her because she's been watching too many Roadrunner cartoons. (NOTE: More and more... Anya is morphing into the mermaid from Splash -- whose entire world view is derived from watching TV.) If ever a show cried out for euthanasia it's BtVS. Either that...or just kill all the people watching it to put them out of the show's misery.

Spike, who has helped out the Keystone Cop Scooby Gang of Misfits more times than they seem to care to remember, and is about to do it again, does not deserve Gile's the p-whipped librarian's snide remarks "What's HE doing here?" WHEN IT'S SPIKE'S RV that's being offered to help save The Key in the first place. At least Spike retains his sense of humor -- "Buckle up kids...daddy's puttin the hammer down!" If only the rest of the cast were half as witty instead of being half-wits, this series might actually be pretty good.

Additionally, Spiral provides another example of self-pitying/feeling sorry for herself Buffy, with Dawn trying to console and comfort HER. Again -- I fail to understand why Dawn is perceived by the BtVS fan base as the whiner, when Buffy wins hands down in that regard.

And who can forget the Knights of Byzantium. (They're like ants at a picnic...first you see one...then two...and before you know it...all your watermelon is gone.) Horseback riders chasing down an RV is certainly a novel image, so I guess Spiral has to get some points for that. And now that I think about it...this is the first episode to take place almost entirely outside of Sunnydale -- so that should earn a point or two as well. And Anya hitting one of the Knights with a frying pan is sort of cute. And I did find Xander's nausea to be poetic justice, since I usually get nauseous watching him.

But considering the relentless nature of these Knights we're supposed to believe that ALL of their horses just suddenly vanished into thin air, allowing the Scoobies time to run from the RV to the abandoned gas station, after we're supposed to believe that these same Knights suddenly appeared seemingly out of thin air in the first place? And Buffy knocks out the general of the Knights by pushing his head against a wooden pole? And Buffy with her tough guy role while interviewing the general after he comes to is supposed to draw us in and hold our attention? Not only is it not believable, it's lousy acting on top of everything else. And Giles survives a spear to his gut? And Willow puts a spell on a pay phone to make it work? And Ben drives out in a matter of minutes to patch up Giles, who should be dead by now? See...this is exactly what I'm talking about. The writers of BtVS totally abuse not only their audience but logic as well; even fanciful logic. Saturday morning cartoons have more logic than episodes like this. It's insulting. Seriously.

First of all...Dawn is NOT Buffy's sister. She is NOT even human in the traditional sense. She is a construct -- not unlike a robot -- who was forged for a specific purpose. And yet the show constantly misses that point, choosing instead to draw upon sappy, false sentimentality. Ironically, Dawn herself is really the only one who actually GETS that. This show is a humongous pile of poop, any way you try to avoid stepping into it.

"Call the Clerics!"

[wxryycb · 2/10 · 4 March 2024]

This episode significantly underwhelms (it sucks), especially within an otherwise compelling arc. It's baffling to see the Knights Templar depicted in a Dungeons & Dragons-esque setting, complete with horses, poorly crafted chainmail, and dangerously sharp weapons, all while inexplicably evading law enforcement interaction. This subplot is nonsensical to the point of frustration and detracts considerably from the series' quality, making one wonder about its inclusion at all. Additionally, the inexplicable discovery of the Winnebago raises further questions about logic and continuity within the storyline. This segment not only fails to add value but arguably should have been omitted from television history for its lack of coherence and contribution to the narrative.