Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Characters You Totally Forgot Existed

Beth Maclay was Tara's cousin who appeared in Episode Six of the show's fifth season. In the episode, Tara's family come to visit for her 20th birthday. The episode plays on how the Scoobies, aside from Willow, don't know Tara very well. All they know is that she's "very nice."

Tara's family throw a spanner in the works when they confront her and announce their frustration with her "lifestyle"; a reference to her continued use of magic. They even threatened to tell her friends about her "demon side." Out of everyone, it's Beth, Tara's cousin, who is one of the cruellest.

After the revelation about Tara's demon side, Spike punched Tara. Surprisingly, it triggered his chip and proved that she's human. When her family ask who Tara will side with, she told them that she'd stay with her friends. The episode draws heartbreaking parallels to the experiences of young LGBTQ+ people with strict religious parents who don't understand them. Except, in this story, it's Tara's magic that causes the problem instead of her sexuality.

Beth may have been a forgettable character, but she was played by future Academy Award nominee Amy Adams.