Buffy has problems when her Slayer duties interfere with her mother’s instructions to look after her sister, but things come to a head when Harmony and her new gang go on the offensive.

Obviously this season is going to build slowly, and there are lots of hints dropped in this episode about upcoming plotlines. Tara looks ashamed when she is referred to as ‘one of the good guys’, and a passing tramp sees Dawn and realizes she shouldn’t be there. In fact, at the end of the episode, it seems Dawn also knows she’s not really Buffy’s sister, but is forced for some reason to keep up the pretence. It’s all very neatly done, building in a new life for Giles and a new outlook for Xander that should continue to bring both to the fore. Likewise, the fact that Harmony can enter Buffy’s home makes her more of a threat, although she’s so brainless that it’s unlikely she’s even realized.

Meanwhile, back in story land, the plot of the episode is fairly slight. Harmony isn’t a convincing villain, and it’s a fairly conventional slaying session, with Dawn as added interest. The magic shop aspect seems to be more of an excuse for Giles than a plot point, and Spike’s confrontation with his former lover, though fun, isn’t really necessary. Riley is also back in more reasonable form and is three-dimensional again, not just tough or soppy, but somewhere between. It’s not so much the plot that matters here; it’s the careful building of the lives of the regular characters, and Michelle Trachtenberg is a wonderful addition to the cast, playing the little sister to perfection while falling big-time for Xander. I await future developments with interest…

****

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