It’s hard to find your place in the world when you’re not sure where you fit. Giles has been going through an identity crisis ever since he returned from the dead, but whether he’s a child or an adult, it’s time for him to make a new life instead of trying to regain the old one. Maybe the second go around will be better.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Kicking off the issue, Willow has some tempting news. She has a way to age Giles rapidly, allowing him to become an adult again. But, like most spells, there’s a catch. She can only do it once, and it can only be for a day, so he’s got to be really sure when he chooses to make it happen. But Giles isn’t one for waiting around. Olivia wants to see him and he wants to be ready for her, so it’s adult-time right now! The gang give Giles his wish and he goes out to spend the night with Olivia. They drink, have sex, fun times. The next morning, Olivia goes to work and Giles uses his aged-up morning to test drive a car and check in with his aunts online before going back to the apartment. Somehow I feel like he wasted the adult-time opportunity, but whatever. It wasn’t meant to be the perfect day anyway.
Meanwhile, Buffy and Dawn are busy with their own life issues. Their father, Hank Summers, is back in town and wants to see the girls. Xander warns Buffy to not be taken in by his charms, but there’s no chance of that. She’s well aware of how Hank operates. And it’s not like he’s there for the good of his family, not really. He says he’s back in the area on a permanent basis and that he’s getting married to his girlfriend, Paige. Their step-mother-to-be doesn’t want Buffy in the wedding for safety reasons and Dawn explodes over that. Even if Paige is right, that Buffy is dangerous, this isn’t any way to kick off the togetherness of a blended family.
There’s a constant theme of not fitting in for the issue. Giles feels like no one respects him or needs to take his advice when he gives it. The kids are all grown up, and Giles is a man in a child’s body most of the time. It just feels like he’s never going to fit in again. And it doesn’t help that aged-up Giles doesn’t have as much control over his magic as child Giles does, so when he’s out with Xander and has to face off with a portal monster, it puts him in the position of having to make a choice. He must return to his child-size body if he has any hope of being helpful again. The world has changed, people have changed, and Giles has a second chance at making his life over again. But he won’t be doing it alone. He has friends, family, and a support system that will make sure this time-around is better than the last. It feels hopeful.
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
