We are family
Doug Petrie on Buffy's family future

With the James Bond pyrotechnics of season four's Initiative story arc drawing to a close on the BBC, Doug was keen to offer some teasers as to what viewers might expect from the forthcoming season five. Family, in particular, seems to be an area that Buffy will focus on heavily in the coming year.

�I think that [family] is absolutely the theme of season five,� Doug agrees. �It's about a return to magic and a return to the family. The family dynamic, both within the group and literally within Buffy's home will be very important. Nothing stays the same forever and she's going to grow up in many ways.

�I have to say that the BBC fans should be very pleased. Speaking for myself, I personally feel that season five is very strong and we're doing really good stuff. Most TV series tend to run out of steam at around this time but we are exploring an all-new terrain with I think is emotionally very satisfying.�

Relationships have always played an important part of the show - particularly the Slayer's doomed one with Angel. Under the influence of Willow's magic in the episode Something Blue, Buffy even became extremely touchy feely with the Big Bad himself - Spike.

Despite being doted upon by current beau Riley Finn, Doug Petrie anticipates that Miss Summers has plenty of soul-searching to go through before she finds what she really wants in a man.

�I think that there will be a lot of tension. Expect tension there.� Doug promises. �I think that Buffy has a great, supportive, loving boyfriend in Riley and I think that the question she will be asking herself, in her heart, is 'do I like the wild boys better?'

�It's a thing that she cannot really control. Does she, despite herself, and her own �wanting to be good� - does she like bad boys? Because Angel could be very bad. Sometime rough and cool and sometimes genuinely evil. So there will be tension between Buffy's good intentions and her own dark, romantic heart.�