I didn't get much sense of the plot falling into place in this issue, the thing that fell into place for me was the characterisation. Just as I'd begun to think Buffy was acting strangely suddenly it all makes sense. Similarily the odd tension in the Buffy Willow relationship, warmth but only as long as they never touched on anything serious. Even Giles actions have more depth now.

I don't really think it's so easy to separate plot, philosophy and characterisations. Characterisation is what happens when you see how the characters respond to the plot and rom that the themes follow. I liked S7 because even while people seemed to be criticising it because Buffy was a bad leader and the show wasn't following Sun Tzu approved principles management it seemed to me to be all about how the weight of responsibility she had as leader would feel. How it would affect her.