The entire Scooby Gang gather at Buffy's house to discuss the Council's plans to come to Sunnydale, which Buffy is very upset about. She doesn't work for them, Giles doesn't work for them, and she still hasn't forgiven them for the 'Angel Incident'

Glory is at her place, panting, gasping and in pain until Dreg and another demon bring a mailman for her to drain the sanity from, which she duely does. She gets up, refreshed and the mailman leaves disoriented. The other demon warns her that she has even less time now to use the key, but Glory isn't worried as long as Buffy is the only obstacle.

Quentin Travers and a team of watchers arrive at the shop and critique the merchandise harshly and close the shop down for as long as the council is in town conducting a review.Giles isn't happy about it, (it is his livihood after all, but understands that the Travers is doing it just to annoy him)

Quentin announces that they have information on Glory, but won't reveal it until Buffy's skills have been tested and she proves she can handle the information. In class, Buffy challenges the professor, and makes some good points, but he only makes her feel bad about what she shares. That night, Buffy complains about class to a vampire she's fighting until Spike arrives and stakes the vampire for her. He expects gratification, but he doesn't get it and the two verbally attack each other. For once he was in the rihgt though, as she was distracted enough to be killed, even though she won't admit it.

Jinx confronts Ben at the hospital and relays a message from Glory, requesting Ben's assistance in getting Buffy out of the way. Ben sends Glory his own message of refusal by beating up the demon. Quentin informs Buffy and Giles that she must pass the review or he will shut down the shop and deport Giles. Buffy and Giles realize that Buffy has no choice but to do what the Council asks, because they can do everything they've threatened and much more. Giles tells her that the Council has enough power to sign their death warants. Buffy worries that she may fail and she'll someone very close to her, Giles or Dawn.

Council members interview the rest of the Scooby Gang, including Spike, for information about the Slayer. With the exception of Spike, they all try not to incriminate Buffy to the council, and explain their importance to her, although Anya tries to disguise her demon origins and Willow and Tara end up embarrassing themselves. Spike even finds time to flirt with the Watcher who did her thesis on him.

In the training room, Buffy is blindfolded and tested of her fighting skills against one of the council members, it's a martial arts test, but each move she has to perfrom is shouted out in Japanese (which Giles never taught her, what's the point, she's no linguist :)) but she doesn't pass the test, allowing the 'civilian' dummy to get staked though the heart. oops.

Upon returning home, Buffy finds Glory in her house, and becomes very worried when Dawn appears in the room. Glory threatens Buffy's family and it worries Buffy enough to resort to asking Spike to protect her mother and sister at his crypt for a while. Joyce soon settles in as her and the vampire share a love for Passions (and him and Dawn probably watched Dawson's Creek together too)

On her way to the shop to meet with the council, several well-armed men wearing masks attack Buffy. Buffy takes them out one by one and discovers from the last conscious one that they are the Knights of Byzantium and are in town to get the Key. They want to destroy the Key so Glory can't use it. Now Buffy has two enemies to deal with.

Buffy returns to the shop and informs Mr. Travers that she's not going to deal with the review anymore because she holds the power and the council needs her. She demands that Giles receive retroactive pay, her friends stay involved and the council work with her and not against her. When one of the Watchers tries to interupt her she throws a sword at him, narrowly missingof course, to make her point.

Quentin reluctantly agrees then informs Buffy that Glory isn't a demon. No that would be too easy. She's a god.