Tough Love

"Tough Love" is the 19th episode of season 5 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy withdraws from school in order to better look after Dawn, who has been skipping school and shirking her responsibilities since her mother's death. Buffy assumes a new role, head of household, as she finally realizes that social services will take Dawn from her if Buffy is found to be "unfit" as a legal guardian. Meanwhile, Willow and Tara have an intense quarrel, which culminates in Willow storming out after Tara called her rapidly growing magic power "frightening." Tara goes to the local culture fair alone, and Glory, having proclaimed newest-Scooby Tara the key, finds her there and approaches her. After discovering that Tara is indeed not the key, Glory "feeds" off of Tara's mind right in the middle of the culture fair, just before Willow is able to find her. In a vengeful rage, Willow storms after Glory, unsuccessfully trying to defeat her. Buffy rescues Willow from Glory's thus-far unsupressable wrath, and all seems to be calm for the moment, until Glory surprises Buffy, Willow, Dawn, and a now-insane Tara at home, where Tara unintentionally reveals Dawn as the key.

Quotes and trivia

 * When Dawn and Buffy enter the Magic Shop early in the episode, Xander is reading an X-Men comic book.