I wish this episode had been filmed for no other reason than a desire to see Faith rubbing elbows with the young nobility of England, poncing about in a frilly dress and a crisp Windsor accent. Oh, and the scene in the tub wouldn't be half bad, either.

Season Eight of Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues in No Future for You. But Buffy isn't the central figure here; Faith, the bad-girl slayer, is recruited by Giles for a little wetworks action that requires the death of a fellow slayer. One of the chosen lasses, it seems, has been swayed by the promises of an Irish warlock and is using her powers to kill innocents and plot the death of, well, Buffy.

Of course, Buffy isn't Faith's favorite chica, so you'll understand if Faith feels a bit conflicted about the whole thing.

Writer Brian K. Vaughan, who has proven himself time and again to be a master of the craft, takes over from Buffy creator Joss Whedon for this arc, which once again casts the differences between Buffy and Faith in sharp relief. He tells a good, solid story that shows his keen grasp of character and flair for dramatic twists; I'm not sure Vaughan can write a bad book. And it's possible, just possible mind you, that Faith even might have gotten the upper hand in that one little scuffle.

Penciller Georges Jenty keeps the plot moving with kinetic art that shows a comparable mastery of these characters.

The book ends with "Anywhere But Here," a one-shot tale scripted by Whedon and drawn by Cliff Richards that sets Buffy and Willow on a quest for knowledge. It doesn't go anywhere spectacular, but it does set up a future story while answering some questions and posing a few more.

The Buffy crowd continues to be in good hands. Let's hurry up with volume three!