When Giles goes away to London to seek the Watchers' Council's assistance on the Glory and Key situation, Anya is left in charge of the magic shop. Having problems with Willow's interference, it isn't long before the pair have managed to conjure up trouble...

The only real problem with this story is the way that it takes a long time to build to anything, but once it gets there it turns out to have all been worth it. The troll Willow and Anya inadvertantly release is a wonderful creation: strong enough to pose a major threat, even to Buffy, but also with some fine dialogue, especially when it's revealed that he's an old boyfriend of Anya's which she 'trollized', a feat which granted her the chance to be a vengeance demon.

The relationship between Anya and Willow has never really been dealt with up to now; in fact Anya's place in things has never been particularly well handled. It's good to see her used centrally and we get a chance to see how much Willow has grown from being a shy, awkward and geeky teenager to a 'don't mess with me' witch. It's also satisfying to see both Xander and Tara refusing to take sides, leaving the warring twosome to work things out between them, especially when it looks as though the argument will impact on their respective relationships.

Xander's heroism at the end of the story is also good, showing how much he cares about the two most important women in his life and fighting the troll, even though it will cost him his life without help. On top of that, there's the fall-out from Riley's leaving, superbly dealt with by having Buffy keep bursting into tears when she thinks of people in happy relationships. It makes a change to see the Slayer vulnerable and it's wonderfully comic, especially at the end.

Aside from Willow and Anya, this episode also shows Buffy and Tara together at university, demonstrating Tara's acceptance into the gang, which is how it should be. Too often certain characters are paired with other ones; moving them round a little certainly can't hurt. Plus, a few other plots are quietly moved on in the background; Giles' caginess about the Watchers may lead to further stories and with Dawn overhearing her mother, sister and Giles discussing her, it might be time to see a change in her attitude. Let's hope there's a return to the Glory storyline next, which feels rather ignored of late.

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