Reviewed by Sanguine

"Death is your gift."

The non-cryptic, very verbal First Slayer

"Is everyone here very stoned?"

Spike, the frustrated.

Sometimes people actually say what they mean. It's rare, but it does happen. Spike's good at saying what he means (for example, his frustrated and wonderfully snarky response to the Scoobies' short-term memory loss about Glory/Ben). On some level he also meant it when he told Xander, "I'm willing to wager, when all is said and done, Buffy likes it rough" (admittedly an inappropriately sexual comment given the situation at the time--besides when Spike shagged the BuffyBot, he was tender rather than violent, so his actions belie his belief in this statement, at least in sexual terms). However, Spike has shown special insight into the Slayer's, and indeed virtually everyone's, psyche over the years. To steal a line from Willow, in this case "I think Spike is right." Perhaps the Slayer (not Buffy) *does* like it rough (metaphorically, if not literally speaking). She is not one to take the path of least resistance. She's the Slayer, the killer of evil beasts. She thrives on violence. She has no choice; it is her calling. In the past we have seen Buffy's attempts to lead a normal life (represented by her relationships with "normal" guys Owen, Scott, Parker, Riley, etc.) fail spectacularly. Now she must choose between her identity as a Slayer, saviour of the Universe, and her identity as a sister. She must choose between her supernatural duties and her emotional impulse to protect a family member. She must choose between being a superhero and being human.

The First Slayer, as it turns out, was also saying what she meant when she told Buffy, "Death is your gift." Buffy informs Willow that the First Slayer's statement doesn't need deconstruction. It is what it is. "It's what I do. It's what I'm here for. It's all I am." Interestingly, Spike used similar words to describe the Slayer in another Petrie episode, "Fool for Love". Spike said, "Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day." As the Slayer grasps the pillow in her hands and smothers her sister, she is doing what the Slayer is supposed to do; she kills and sees "that final gasp." But if the Slayer were to take this course of action, where would it lead Buffy? Would Buffy disappear?

While I was disappointed in some elements of Doug Petrie's episode, "The Weight of the World," he did a wonderful job drawing parallels between characters, bringing back salient material from past episodes, and delineating the difficult choice faced by Buffy. As usual, Petrie showed his gift for writing morally ambiguous characters (the Slayer, Spike, Dawn, Glory, and Ben).

Petrie's portrayal of Buffy's troubled mind was insightful. Buffy is paralysed by guilt. She feels as though she gave up on her sister, thereby facilitating her impending death at Glory's hands. To represent Buffy's guilt, Petrie has her replay certain events in her life (some of them false memories like Dawn coming home from the hospital as a baby) again and again. Indeed, when one is feeling guilty, that is precisely what one does. One replays the perceived misdeed in one's mind again and again. Guilt, as Petrie shows, can lead to complete inaction.

When Buffy finally reveals her dark secret (for a moment she wished that Dawn was dead) I was struck again by the similarities between her words and Spike's words in "Fool for Love". In "Fool for Love" Spike theorises that Buffy has a death wish. He tells her that "Death is on your heels baby--and sooner or later, it's going to catch you . . . And some part of you wants it. Not only to stop the fear and uncertainty--but because you're just a little bit in love with it . . . Sooner or later, you're gonna want it and the second, the second that happens, I pray to God I'm there. I'll slip in --have myself a real good day." Buffy tells Willow, "I can't beat Glory. Glory's going to win . . . and in that second of knowing it Will, I wanted it over . . . I imagined what a relief it would be . . . some part of me wanted it." Again, Spike's comments were insightful, but like his comment about Buffy "liking it rough" his original meaning was a bit off target. Buffy doesn't necessarily have a death wish. She wished someone else dead. Also, Spike no longer wants to kill Buffy. Buffy now trusts him and he has managed to slip into her life. If Buffy does seek death in the final moments of the season finale, perhaps Spike will be there and will have a "real good day." Instead of killing her, he might save her.

I enjoyed the parallels that Petrie drew between Ben and Buffy and Glory and Spike. Ben did not want to be the vessel for a hellgod. His destiny is controlled by something beyond him. Similarly, Buffy did not choose to be the Slayer. As we know, she has no choice. Her destiny is the subject of prophecy. Ben must choose between killing the Key (an innocent) and his own survival. Buffy must choose between killing the Key (her sister) and the survival of the entire universe. In this episode, Glory, a hellgod who should not feel anything at all, is remorseful about her past misdeeds. Her human half (Ben) is seeping through and she behaves inconsistently. One moment she is threatening Dawn, the next she is trying to comfort her because she feels emotions she technically shouldn't feel. Similarly, this season we've seen Spike's behaviour become increasingly inconsistent. He is feeling things that a soulless vampire shouldn't feel (at least according to the Watcher's Council). We know from Spike's past with Drusilla that he is capable of intense love in a sexual relationship. This season we see that he is capable of another kind of love. He genuinely cares about Dawn (he loves her) and is willing to sacrifice himself to save her. When he withstood Glory's torture, he proved his "humanity".

Petrie seems to have a special talent for writing Spike. In "Weight of the World" Spike, while continuing to be integrated into the Scooby Gang, had an edge that was lacking in the last few episodes. I rejoiced when I saw him light up in front of a No Smoking sign in the hospital. I laughed when he smacked Xander (loved their developing buddyhood). I wondered when he told Doc that part of him wishes he didn't have to face Glory. In this episode Spike was still fighting for puppies and Christmas (i.e., good), but he was snarky and complex. That's what I want to see next season.

I was glad to see Joel Grey return as Doc, but one of his comments puzzled me. When Xander and Spike enter Doc's apartment he asks them, "Want some cocoa?" Of course Joyce had shared cocoa with Spike in the past; besides blood, beer and other alcoholic beverages it is one of the vamp's drinks of choice. It was the drink Joyce offered him in Season 3 ("Lover's Walk") when a sobbing Spike recounted his rejection at the hands of Drusilla. Perhaps I'm reading too much into Doc's comment, but Spike might be crying over the loss of another loved one soon.

Both Xander and Willow came through in this episode, although Xander got off to a shaky start when he allowed himself to be goaded by Spike's sleazy comment about the Slayer. Willow, now endowed with superwitchly powers (they really need to explain that one!) easily stopped their bickering and became the defacto leader of the Scoobies. Willow has become so powerful that she was able to do a very advanced spell to enter Buffy's damaged psyche. Xander eventually had some great moments (coughing when Spike lit up the cigarette, his realisation that Ben was Glory). But his best moment of all was when he "killed" Doc. Spike was easily taken out by the serpentine demon (Spike's weakness in recent battles is another thing that needs to be explained) but Xander prevailed. Go Xander! Even though Doc isn't really dead, it's the thought that counts.

While I enjoyed this week's episode, it still felt a bit hollow. I was too invested in subsidiary storyarcs (i.e., Spike's character development) and not invested enough in the primary storyarc (Ben, Glory, and the key). Part of the problem was the casting of substandard actors in major roles. Clare Kramer and Charlie Weber were simply not up to the task. Michelle Trachtenberg was definitely up to the task (she might be the finest female performer on the show) and her relationship with the other characters, particularly Buffy and Spike, was fascinating. Her role as the key was not. I never really cared about what she unlocked. I did care about her adolescent identity crisis, which perhaps in the final analysis was the point all along. As others have stated, Ben and Glory and the key aren't really important. The story this season was really about difficult moral choices and the meaning of family. I look forward to seeing whether Buffy or the Slayer makes the final choice about Dawn's fate.