Real Me

Season 5, Episode 2
Written by David Fury
Directed by David Grossman
Original Airdate: 2 October 2000

“She still thinks I’m a little Miss Nobody, just her dumb little sister. Boy, is she in for a surprise.”
Dawn

REGULAR CAST

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Marc Blucas as Riley Finn
Emma Caulfield as Anya Jenkins
Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers
James Marsters as Spike
Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

GUEST CAST

Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall
Bob Morrisey as Crazy Guy
Amber Benson as Tara Maclay
Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers

CO-STARRING

Brian Turk as Mort
Chaney Kley Minnis as Brad
Faith S. Abrahams as Peaches
Tom Lenk as Cyrus

SYNOPSIS

Buffy trains and works on her strength with the help of Giles and some crystals. She practices a handstand on a block of wood, but falls when her sister, Dawn, knocks over the crystals. In the morning, Joyce asks Buffy to take Dawn shopping for school supplies. Buffy and Dawn bicker until Riley shows up with intention of hanging out with his girlfriend. Buffy has to cancel so she can go work with Giles.

Giles and Buffy talk about books and Giles’s new car while driving to the magic shop. Willow and Dawn show that they’re good friends and on the way to the magic shop, Buffy tells Willow that she’s dropping Drama in favour of more slayer training. At the shop, the gang finds the owner dead, killed by vampires. Buffy sends Dawn outside where the young girl encounters a homeless man. He recognizes her and tells her she doesn’t belong here.

Tara finds Dawn outside the shop and they talk then thumb wrestle. Inside, the gang realizes that a pack of vampires killed the shop owner. Giles admires the shop and its potential for a future business. It turns out that Harmony’s minion vampires raided the magic shop and under Harmony’s leadership, they plan to kill the Slayer. Buffy receives a lecture from her mother about allowing Dawn to see a dead body. Dawn needs a babysitter for the night and she was happy to have Xander do the job, until she discovered that Anya would come along too. While patrolling, Riley tries to talk some sense into Buffy. Both Buffy and Dawn resent each other for similar reasons.

Tara and Willow move into their new place and talk about how Dawn is having a hard time as the outsider of the Scooby Gang. Harmony tries to draw Buffy out of her home, but is disappointed to see that she’s not home. Xander taunts Harmony and her minions from the safety of the house until Dawn mistakenly invites the vampire inside. After Harmony puts up quite a fight, Xander kicks her out of the house, literally. Xander tells Buffy about Harmony and after the Slayer stops laughing, she gets angry that Dawn invited Harmony inside.

Harmony and her lackeys run into Spike in the graveyard and the two ex-lovers talk about Harmony’s plans to kill the Slayer. While Dawn listens outside in the hall, Buffy complains to Riley and Xander about the trouble Dawn has been causing and how she can’t always be there to protect her. Dawn runs outside in tears and despite Anya’s attempts to bring Dawn inside, Harmony’s vampire minions are waiting outside and capture Dawn. Anya is found knocked out on the floor and Buffy runs out to find her sister.

Harmony explains her plan to her minions and she won’t let them eat Dawn. Buffy crashes in on Spike’s crypt and using her fist for motivation, Buffy finds out where Harmony is. Harmony complains to Dawn about her problems until she finds that her minions are revolting and want to kill her and Dawn. Buffy arrives and eventually kills all of Harmony’s minions while Harmony runs away. The Slayer frees her sister and when they get home, they agree not to tell their mother. The next day, Buffy and Giles talk about his plans to take over the magic shop, while Dawn writes in her journal that Buffy still thinks she’s a nobody, but she’s going to be in for a surprise.

TRIVIA

Michelle Trachtenberg has been added to the opening titles as of this episode.

David Fury notes in his DVD commentary for this episode that Dawn was supposed to be much younger, about 12 years old, but when Michelle Trachtenberg came to read for the role they decided to make her older.

David Fury mentions in his DVD commentary how uncomfortable Sarah Michelle Gellar feels with laughing on screen, seen here when she laughs at Harmony’s minions. Fury says, “it’s hard to seem spontaneous” when ‘acting’ laughing.

Tom Lenk plays Cyrus, one of Harmony’s minions in this episode. He was brought back in the next season to play nerdy Andrew Wells.

CONTINUITY

Giles has a new car to replace his destroyed Citroen, which Spike inadvertently smashed up in A New Man.

Contrary to her opinions in the previous episode, Joyce has since discovered about Willow’s relationship with Tara.

Willow has taken drama, a fact that she stated in her dream in Restless.

The crazy guy who approaches Dawn foreshadows her presence as the Key, a storyline that will take over the latter part of the season. He also refers to her as ‘Curds and Whey.’ Faith predicted her coming and called her ‘Little Miss Muffet’ in Graduation Day (Part 2).

GOOFS

In the scenes where we first see Harmony and her minions, at one point Harmony is talking and the camera focuses on a minion placing a unicorn on a table. We can see Harmony in the background and she clearly isn’t talking.

When Dawn is at the magic shop, her hair keeps changing angles without her moving.

Willow’s hair changes when she goes into the magic shop.

When Mort lifts Buffy up by her neck, we see that she is wearing white high heeled boots, but in the next shot she’s wearing brown boots.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

EPISODE
Buffy vs. Dracula / The Replacement

STORY ORDER
Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been / First Impressions