Buffy: Real Me (5.2)

Considering how heinous she eventually became, it's easy to forget how effortlessly Dawn was first written into the show. Shockingly, the out-of-nowhere kid-sister character is actually fun and endearing, something pretty unprecedented for television. Michelle Trachtenberg slides easily into the part, and the writers go that extra mile to make her a two-dimensional being. She's inquisitive, sweetly bratty and sometimes ridiculously cute. I can't think of a funnier moment this episode than that great bit where she narrates about Xander seeing her 'as a woman' while she sits there with chocolate ice cream all over her face.

With Dawn being dropped straight into the series, it's also impressive how the cast immediately has chemistry with Trachtenberg, while it's already obvious that time and effort has been put into exploring the various types of relationship Dawn has with everybody. She's in love with Xander, is bothered by Anya, admires Willow and sees a 'Scooby outsider' similarity with Tara. Giles can't stand her. But it's her dynamic with Buffy that is the most real and interesting. The two have an immediately predictable sisterly chemistry, both complaining that the other gets all the attention, and both being somewhat cruel about one another. Buffy, being the older sister, should have a clearer perspective, but you can understand her frustration. And, at the end of the episode, they have that camaraderie which ensures they keep their vampire hostage crisis a secret from their mom.

Harmony is such a great character. She provides just the right amount of low-key antagonism that this episode requires, and Mercedes McNab has never been better, the show exploiting the familiarity of her persona with the unicorn references and Buffy's abject laughter at the thought of her having 'minions'. At the same time, Harmony maintains that ridiculous humor, and I adore the moment where she confronts Buffy with 'so, slayer, we finally meet'.

Meanwhile, Giles finally gets some enjoyable character development with his purchasing of the Magic Box. It gives him some additional purpose, while at the same time granting the Scoobies a new hang-out place. I was never a huge fan of Giles' pad being mission control last year.

Real Me has a challenging job to do, but David Fury manages to pull the whole thing off successfully. Dawn is already an intriguing presence. Not only is she cute and fun at this point, but there's also that constantly recognized theme running through the hour that she doesn't actually belong here. It's a wonderful and daring position to put the audience in: Who the hell is the person and why is nobody commenting on the fact that thirty seconds ago she didn't exist? It's a remarkable start to the year. A

Credits
Guest stars Mercedes McNab (Harmony Kendall); Bob Morrisey (Homeless Man); Amber Benson (Tara Maclay); Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers)
Writer David Fury Director David Grossman