The thing about Smidge is you didn't realize how perfect she was for the role until she dealt with the tough stuff - in Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest, you could have given KBell's VMars (I like all these nickname things) a stake, and they would have done fine. It isn't until Prophecy Girl that you realize what sets the two apart: Veronica/KBell gets more snarky, more abrasive when pain comes, Buffy/Smidge wears the pain on her sleeve before picking up her stake and doing her duty/facing the Master. This is what makes iconic Buffy iconic - the fact that she shows pain, and it wasn't until the pain came that you realized how perfect the actress was for the part. THEN she became so "ultimately, awesomely perfect that I can't hardly stand it" for me, not from the get go.