Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) Family (2000) User Reviews

Tara finally gets an episode

[katierose295 · 8/10 · 31 August 2006]

Tara is a good person. Over the course of her time of BTVS she grows from a nervous, insecure girl, into a responsible, confident woman. This is the episode where Tara really finds her place in the Scoobie "family." From now on, she will help them in dozens of small ways, caring for Dawn, listening to their problems, teasing them when they get too serious, and, if need be, telling them when their wrong. When season six rolls around Tara is the only one who I feel is completely blameless for the mess that the Scoobies create for themselves. She's not the flashiest character, she doesn't get the funniest lines of the coolest "powers," but of all of them Tara's the steadiest friend. "Family" explores Tara's trouble past. It also explains her tampering with that "demon locater" spell last season. While this episode isn't vital to the season's main story arc, it is important of understanding Tara's character.

"Family" revolves around Tara's twentieth birthday. Tara and Willow are completely in love and super happy. Laughing at each other's jokes and spending all their time together. Willow is throwing Tara a party and the rest of the Scoobies are unsure how proceed. They like Tara, but her relationship with Willow still makes them feel awkward and they often don't "get" what she's saying. Still, they want to make Willow happy and if she wants a party, they the Scoobies are willing to go. They just have to brainstorm some gift ideas first.

Meanwhile, Glory is sending a team of monsters after the Slayer and Buffy is moving back home to protect Dawn and her mother. And Tara's family arrives in town to bring her home again. Tara is terrified of her family. It soon becomes clear they they have convinced Tara that she has demon blood in her. On her twentieth birthday it will change her somehow. Tara doesn't want to leave Willow, but she is scared that the Scoobies will see her demon-ness. So she casts a spell to hide it from them. Of course, the spell goes wrong and suddenly ALL demons are invisible to the Scoobies.

When Glory's demon attack, none of the Scoobies can see them. Spike shows up, eager to see the Slayer die. When he realizes that she's really having trouble, however, he changes his mind. Buffy can't see her foes and can't defend herself properly, so Spike rolls his eyes and steps into help her. Tara arrives just in time to undo the spell. At first all the Scoobies are angry and confused that she used magic on them. When Tara's family bursts in and starts accusing her of "demon-ness," though the Scoobies step up to defend her. They refuse to allow her family to take her away. Spike "helpfully" hits Tara to prove that there's no demon inside her. And Tara decides to stay in Sunnydale with her real family, the Scoobie gang.

These's a lot to like about this episode. Tara and Willow are really sweet together and, although I don't get the "insect reflection" joke, I think it's cute that they both do. Also, I like Xander and Buffy brainstorming birthday present ideas. They keep saying that Tara's really "nice" and they like her all, "but there's the... You, know... Wicca thing..." Which, it soon becomes clear, they are using to hide their real feeling towards Tara and Willow's relationship. The Scoobies are still adjusting to the idea that Willow is gay, which is pretty realistic. And you have to laugh when Xander asks "What are we suppose to do? Buy her some stupid crystal ball?" And Giles retorts, "You'd bloody well better not, I already have mine wrapped." Who hasn't had a "present buying headache" like that? And the final scene of Willow and Tara dancing is just beautiful.

One of the interesting things about the episode is who qualifies as part of the Scoobie "family." Tara's been struggling to fit in for a while now and in this episode she's finally accepted. Anya is drawn into the fold more and more, now that she's working for Giles and is Xander's official "girlfriend." Even Spike is there. Grudgingly, declaring that he doesn't care what happens to any of them, by fighting to save Buffy and proving that Tara's a human. He's part of the group, whether he likes it or not. But where's Riley? He's at the party, but he's conspicuously absent when Buffy gives her "we are family" speech. He's just not one of them. Maybe he was accepted too easily last season. He and Buffy were dating and then he was going out patrolling and coming to Scoobie meetings, etc... But, he never went through the slow process of "Scoobie-fication" that Anya, Tara and Spike had to endure. So, he never seems like he really qualifies as a real member of the group. He's still an outsider.

On the down side, just that fact that the Scoobies could still see Tara when she walked into the Magic Box, should have proved to everyone that she wasn't a demon, right? Did Spike really have to hit her, too? (Not that I didn't love that scene, but still...) Also, why did Dawn give Tara a broom stick? Didn't she just say last episode that they never work?

My favorite part of the episode: Harmony's sparkly "Harmony" shirt. For some reason every time I see it, I start laughing. It's just so... Her.

The Family you choose

[ossie85 · 8/10 · 19 August 2022]

Tara's family arrive in Sunnydale for her birthday, but the tension between them is more than obvious. They reveal that Tara is a demon. To hide this from her friends, Tara casts a spell on Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Dawn and Giles to make them not see demons. Glory sends demons after Buffy to find the key and the gang can't see them. Riley begins to drown his sorrows at Willy's Place.

Why It's So Good - Tara is quiet and introverted, and is a character I've very much connect with. This is her first episode where they delve into her history, and highlights the differences between the family you have, and the family you choose.

Watch Out For - Spike not caring what happens.

Quote - "You're in a magic shop, and you can't think what Tara would like. I believe you're both profoundly stupid." - Giles.

Well you know what they say; you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family...

[elle-ss · 8/10 · 21 May 2012]

So we're 6 episodes in and already I'm reminded why I love Season 5 so much after the disappointment that was Season 4 for me. 'Family' is admittedly a little bit shmaltzy at times, but that's because it acts as a reaffirmation of the close bonds the Scoobies were missing throughout Season 4. They're back to being a family again, and I couldn't be happier! With Giles' new shop as the clubhouse, the Scoobies are closer than ever, and even dawn's presence in the scene towards the end felt right. To see her standing side by side with Buffy, both sisters strong and defiant...it was a pretty moving moment! Xander and Anya are absolutely adorable, and Anya working for Giles is a lovely addition to her storyline, giving her character a little more grounding whilst also allowing for some great comedic moments as she learns how to interact with customers, without scaring them away.

The main story of this episode revolves around Tara, though, and the arrival of her slightly unnerving family just in time for her 20th birthday. They intend to whisk her away before she turns 20 because she will allegedly turn into a demon. This of course turns out to be completely bogus, and at the end of the episode Spike helpfully reveals Tara for the misogynist he really is by hitting Tara, then leaping back in pain and proving that Tara is, in fact, demon-free.

The episode definitely develops Tara's character, and I personally find her much more likable thanks to this episode. Before we're inclined to distance ourselves from her because she hasn't been accepted into the Scoobie fold entirely - although at the beginning there's a scene where Tara makes a joke to the group and it's far from well-received, and, let's face it, we've all been that person before so it's not hard to empathise! - but by the end she is well and truly initiated into the group. Plus Tara and Willow's relationship is definitely moving beyond the 'aww, they're cute' to 'wow, they're really good for each other' stage. 'Family' also helps to explain Tara's confidence issues - with a family like that who could blame the poor girl! But she finally stands up to them, and shows just how much she's grown as a character over the previous Season. So overall, there might not be too much action in this episode but there's certainly a hell of an emotional punch!

We also get to see more of poor Spike nurturing his oh-so-painful love for Buffy, culminating in him coming to her rescue after intending to go and watch her get killed! Poor guy. He's also imagining Buffy whilst sleeping with Harmony, which I don't think Harm would be too thrilled about, being Buffy's "arch-nemesis" and all...

Speaking of arch-nemeses, we get a brief interaction with Glory again in this episode, sending some ugly demons Buffy's way, but really it's just setting us up for future episodes and said demons are fairly easily defeated once they're visible again, so there's not much to talk about there. She's definitely the perfect Big Bad though that the series needed, after the anti-climax of Adam.

The only other thing of note from this episode is obviously Riley. He isn't in this one much, aside from a brief scene in a demon-crowded bar, and a rather unflinching conversation with a female vampire that really puts the audience on edge, and makes the poor guy's impending descent pretty damn clear.

I have to admit, through Season 4 I could not stand Riley. He was so painfully perfect and yet so sinfully dull that I couldn't invest in his relationship with Buffy at all, let alone buy that he was some super government weapon. But in Season 5 I think the writers finally start giving Riley some thought. He gets funny lines, he interacts with the other characters and, most importantly, we are actually able to empathise with him. As he loses his strength he feels he is also losing Buffy, and with her pushing him further and further out of the picture (note his conspicuous absence in the last 'family' scene) it's not hard to understand why he feels this way. Through the beginning of Season 5 I've actually been able to feel bad for the guy - hell, when he nearly died in the previous episode I was actually mildly concerned! A part of me, however, thinks that I only like Season 5 Riley because I'm finally ready to accept that Buffy's moved on from Angel. (Yes, Bangel forever and all that) Unfortunately Captain Cardboard is very much the transitional man, and it seems even Buffy feels he's outstayed his welcome on some level.

Overall, a pretty heartwarming episode, (I won't lie, I'm a sucker for any moment of Scoobie family bonding) and it nicely sets up the bigger issues to come.

The One With Tara's Family...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 28 October 2014]

I really like this episode. It is more of serious episode instead of a funny one. But it's still awesome.

In this episode, Tara's family comes to visit her for her 20th birthday. Nice, right? No. It's not. Because they're not nice. Tara has been told all her life that the magic she has comes from being part demon. And on her 20th birthday, her demon side would come out and be able to hurt everyone she loves. So, they casts a spell on her friends, so that they can't see the demon in her. But it makes every other demon invisible to them. So when they're attacked by Glory's new friends, they can't see their attackers. They have to use all of their strength to kill them. Or at least, so they don't get killed. Spike hears that Buffy is supposedly going to be killed and goes to watch the show. But when he sees her struggling against the demons, he helps her. He says, "you're welcome", like thanks for acknowledging that I helped you. But Buffy couldn't see him. When Tara comes over to The Magic Box, where all this fighting is taking place, she undos the spell. All of her friends are shocked that she is the one who caused this mess. Her father comes in and explains about her demon side. But then Spike goes up and hits Tara, right in the face. And it hurts him. This means, that there is no demon inside of Tara what so ever. It was just a story to keep the women "in line". Anyway, everything ends up good. Tara's family reluctantly leaves and Tara has a nice birthday celebration with the gang at The Bronze.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

Even fillers were good...

[m-47826 · 8/10 · 2 April 2021]

That's the thing that makes this show so great. Thoughts were put into every single little details. And why it is so easy to watch it no matter the order. Wether it's a whole series binge, seasons you prefer first, or episodes you pick for a marathon/themed selection, or one of your favorites to watch before bed. I think I'll still be watching this when I'm old and grey... Family isn't one of the best episodes, but it's still superior to most shows of that time and current ones. It also manages to make statements that still echo today's society, without being too on the nose and judgy. Hats off guys...

Touching And Also Funny

[officialbrickworld · 9/10 · 28 August 2021]

I like Tara a lot and it's about time that she got her episode. Her and Willow are sweet together and everyone sticking up for her near the end after not feeling like one of the 'Scoobies' is very touching. Not to mention the comedy in this episode (like how Spike casually walks up to Tara and punches her in the face to prove she's not a demon). Very good episode overall.

Tara's truly one of the gang

[genderqueernothingtofear · 9/10 · 20 March 2023]

One of my favorite episodes of the season, beautiful. An episode that shows our family isn't necessarily the one we share blood with, Buffy has shown that through and through and then shows it to member of the Scooby gang who probably feels the least part of it. Episode shows that, and shows their love for Tara, despite not knowing terribly too much about her, but they love her and that's what counts. I really appreciated this episode, particularly so as a queer person myself and I absolutely loved Tara and Willow as a young teen, the episode is even better 20 years later. Great episode, I absolutely heart it.

The Real Family of Tara

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 September 2007]

Buffy tells Giles the truth about Dawn and they decide to keep the secret about her origin. Buffy moves back home to stay together with her sick mother and Dawn. On the Eve of Tara's birthday, her big brother Donny, her father and her cousin visit her to bring her back home, since she would have a demon inside that would unleash in her twentieth anniversary. Meanwhile, The Beast forces Lei-Ach demons to chase and kill Buffy. Tara casts a spell to her friends to make demons invisible bringing trouble to her friends.

This reasonable episode is centered in Tara, a character that has not been well explored along the last seasons. Tara sees who her real family is, increasing her bonds with the Scooby group. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Família" ("Family")

Willow and Tara 4ever!

[Joxerlives · 7/10 · 30 March 2012]

The Good; The wonderful face off in the magic shop at the end and the too beautiful scene where Tara and Willow dance on air.

The Bad; My Name is Earl aside rednecks get a hard time on US TV and this is no exception.

Best line; Will "See that's where you're the dummy"

Women good/men bad; Hugely misogynistic, the whole family lying to their womenfolk to keep them enslaved. Donny threatens to beat his own sister, Xander threatens to break him into pieces if he tries (and this is why we love Xander!). We learn for the first time that Hank is in Spain 'living the cliché' with his secretary. According to Buffy Hank now 'bailed' on the Summers girls.

Jeez!; The demon's sores are icky

Kinky dinky; Tara calls Willow a 'vixen'. Riley meets Sandy the vampwhore at Willy's. Of course Sandy is the poor girl Vampwillow bit at the Bronze in Dopplegangland which is some pretty damn brilliant continuity. Spike and Harmony have sex but he's secretly thinking about Buffy. Buffy promises Riley 'outfits' in return for his help, looks like Xander and Anya aren't the only ones who like to play dress-up? (The Duchess and the Highwayman? The schoolgirl and the Strict Headmaster? Princess Leia in the gold bikini? The cowboy and the rancher's daughter?)

Captain Subtext; Maybe it's just me but I always thought there were hints of attraction between Buffy, Glory and her Key? It starts here with Buffy describing Glory as Cordeliaesque (and one day Cordy too will be a hell-goddess). She also says that she's 'exciting and new'. Tara's mega-cute story of Miss Kitty is obviously Dawn once again. Spike saves Buffy for the first time.

Apocalypses; 5,

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

Scoobies knocked out: Buffy: 15 Giles: 10 Cordy: 6 Xander: 8 Will: 5 Jenny: 2 Angel: 6 Oz: 3 Faith: 1 Joyce: 3 Wes: 1 Anya;1

Kills: one demon each for Buffy and Spike (does the 3rd just run away?) Buffy: 86 vamps, 30 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot Giles: 5 vamps, 1 demon Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon Will: 4 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: a demon Riley; 12 vamps + 7 demons Spike; 1 demon (now in the service of the Scoobies)

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

Sunnydale deaths; Harmony kills the poor sales clerk 84;

Total number of scoobies: 7 Giles, Xander, Willow, Buffy, Anya, Tara, Riley

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

What the fanficcers thought; Once read an interesting one where Tara's family were actually Texas Chainsaw Massacre types and by the end whilst they'd been wiped out the Scoobies had lost everyone except Willow, Tara, Dawn and Riley. In the follow up story Willow and Tara resurrect Buffy 'Bargaining 1&2' style and she discovers Dawn has become become a cross between Lara Croft and Ash from the Evil Dead series (but still with both hands). Meanwhile Faith defeated the First and shared her power with the Potentials but was presumed to have perished in the collapsing Hellmouth. But whose is that gorgeous female hand holding a scythe breaking the surface at the Sunnydale crater...?

Questions and observations; Of course an unknown Amy Adams plays cousin Beth, hasn't she done well since! Riley comments that a lot of young people are experimenting with shortness nowadays. Well HE certainly isn't! Dawn thinks only losers drink alcohol but seems to have a great time during her first visit to the Bronze. Contrast Tara now to the girl we first meet in season 4 her stutter is gone. When her family come back so does it. Looking at SMG exercising in this ep you really believe she could be a Slayer, her athleticism is incredible. But she's TOO THIN, like Courtney Cox in some of the later seasons of Friends. Prefer the way she looks in season 1. Just me or do the demons look like clowns? Clever shot when Riley is in Willy's Bar, we think it's Spike at first.

Marks out of 10; 7/10

How Does This Have An 8.2???

[mcpuffin-27569 · 1/10 · 19 October 2017]

How on Earth can this horribly written and horrifically acted episode have an 8.2????? This is by far the worst episode of Buffy out of the whole series. The person who is trying to act the Tera character is just god-awful!!!!! She's NOT an actress. Her idea of a stutter is an actual an insult to those with a stutter and those who are real actors. It's as if she didn't research the part at all!

Meaningless Episode

[Samuel-Shovel · 5/10 · 11 November 2017]

In "Family", Tara's family comes to town in order to take her back home because of her terrible secret. Tara attempts to hide her secret from her friends. Meanwhile, Glory has demons go after Buffy after last episode's incident.

Not too much happens in this episode. We find out Tara's part demon, only to be told a few minutes later this was all falsified by her family. So really there's no point to this story arc at all besides establishing that Tara's "real family" is the Scooby gang.

The only takeaway I got from this episode is that Riley is a regular at the demon bar because he's got a death wish or something.

Conclusion: Pretty weak episode in my opinion. The entire plot was resolved by Spike punching Tara in the face.

Tara's family reunion

[Realrockerhalloween · 4 October 2016]

It was interesting to get to know Data's family as they come to Sunnydale wanting to take her home and reminiscent of many parents who miss their child. Yet I find there methods of controlling her to be abusive as they convince her she cursed to be a demon and can't have friends who will think she's repulsive. Throughout the while process they only play mind games messing with her mentally and account for her low self esteem. Yet the scoobies stick up for her proving that family is more then blood and even close friends or a relationship can be your family.

Another aspect is Spike's growing attraction towards Buffy as he fantasies about her and even rushes off to warn her of a demon attack. I'm starting to question rather vampires can love or not and if it isn't obsessive. He shows general concern when Harmony gossips about the pending battle, rushes off post haste as if time isn't on his side and even tackles a demon about to strike. In a way of he can love without a soul he'll be unique for a soulless creature to care more about another person them destruction and echoes.