Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Enter Spike.

This is my fourth time watching this episode in about as many months, and I still enjoyed it immensely. I used this episode to introduce my sister to the show, and still think it’s a great first episode for those people you know won’t watch the whole series. Spoilers abound below!

Up until this episode, the evil vampires have been rather boring, comprised of ritualistic leaders and dumb lackeys (with the possible exception of Darla in the last of her 3 episodes). Angel has been his angsty self. And then along comes Spike, punching vampires, making jokes, and giving Drusilla his jacket. With a fun British accent to boot.

Spike:  I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flowerperson, and I spent the next six hours watchin’ my hand move.

Angel may be the one who turned vampires into romantic heroes, but Spike made vampires cool.

I think it’s amazing how many of Spike’s numerous and conflicting facets make it into his first episode. His violence. His impatience. His signature attire. His romantic side. His arrogance toward authority. His underlying need to be part of a group (seen mainly in his conversation with Angel – he wants them to be “family” again). His tendency to get knocked to the floor by attacks he doesn’t see coming. His sense of humor. His love of rock music. His charisma.

While most villains tend to have motive and a personality quirk or two, Spike starts out as a fully fledged character who just happens to be a bad guy. It’s no wonder they decided to keep him on the show.

It’s fun looking at Spike and Buffy’s interactions in this episode, knowing what the following seasons will bring. His first words to her are, “Nice work, love.” And right before they fight, Buffy tells him. “No, Spike. It’s gonna hurt a lot.” That makes me think of the episode in season 7 where Spike tells Buffy, “Meaning I have come to redefine the words pain and suffering since I fell in love with you.” Hey, at least she warned him.

Even as an evil vampire, Spike has his good points. He cares for Drusilla. He respects Buffy as a fighter, and even honorably drops his weapon first. He does lure Sheila in and give her to Drusilla to kill, but he also sets up one of the vampires for Buffy to kill. He snaps a teacher’s neck, but also gets rid of Collin. Yes, he had selfish reasons for both, but the demise of the Annoying One should be celebrated by Scoobies and viewers alike.

In addition to Spike (portrayed awesomely by James Marsters), we get Drusilla (Juliet Landau) as another unorthodox vampire. She’s weak, gets visions, and is completely insane.

The main part of the episode is great, too. I didn’t get that the title was in reference to Die Hard until I read it in a review. But Buffy doesn’t spend all that much time crawling in the ceiling and taking out bad guys unexpectedly. The episode focuses on her trying not to disappoint her mother on parent/teacher night and trying to balance school, friendships, a budding relationship, and vampire slaying.

Xander:  As long as nothing really bad happens between now and then, you’ll be fine.
Buffy:  Are you crazy? What did you say that for? Now something bad is gonna happen!
Xander:  Whadaya mean? Nothing’s gonna happen.
Willow:  Not until some dummy says, ‘as long as nothing bad happens.’
Buffy:  It’s the ultimate jinx!
Willow:  What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?

Giles:  This Saturday’s going to need a great deal of preparation.
Willow:  Well, we’ll help.
Xander:  Yeah, I’ll whittle stakes.
Willow:  A-and I can research stuff.
Xander:  And while I’m whittling, I plan to whistle a jaunty tune.

It’s interesting that Cordelia joins them in the library, helping carve stakes – the first time she’s helping when she hasn’t been thrust into the situation by some outside force. Of course, the gang saved her life in both of the previous two episodes, so she kind of owes them. And in this episode, Willow saves her yet again. I love her “in danger” prayer, though:

Cordelia:  And if you get me out of this, I swear I’ll never be mean to anyone ever again. Unless they really deserve it. Or if it’s that time of the month, in which case I don’t think you or anyone else can hold me responsible…

Snyder’s conversation with the police chief hints that there’s more going on here than meets the eye – something that won’t play out until the end of season three.

There are also a bunch of fun little moments throughout the episode. Spike asking if the Slayer is tough – and cut to Buffy saying “ow” while brushing her hair. Xander going through Buffy’s purse looking for a stake. Buffy catching Xander and Cordelia about to swipe veggies. The sugarless lemonade punch.

Willow:  We can’t run, that would be wrong. Could we hide?

What’s your favorite part of this episode?

“When She Was Bad”

Season two starts off with an episode of Buffy being very un-Buffy-like, so much so that Cordelia gives her a talking to. The first time I watched it, I really got sick of Buffy’s ‘tude, but watching it now knowing she’ll get over herself, I was surprised how much I loved this episode!

It has the first Xander/Willow sparks, a glimpse of Hank Summers’ real personality to erase lingering hatred from the “Nightmares” episode, and brings Cordelia and Angel further into the group. Even the vampire scenes are less annoying than any other pre-Spike ones. And the dialogue is immensely quotable:

Willow:  That’s what it was! I mean, why else would she be acting like such a b-i-t-c-h?
Giles:  Willow, I think we’re all a little too old to be spelling things out.
Xander:  A bitca?

Snyder:  There’re some things I can just smell. It’s like a sixth sense.
Giles:  No, actually that would be one of the five.

Buffy:  ‘Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal.’
Xander:  They’re gonna cook her dinner? (pause) I’ll pretend I didn’t say that.

Buffy:  Because I don’t trust you. You’re a vampire. Oh, I’m sorry, was that an offensive term? Should I say ‘undead American’?

Xander:  Well, we could grind our enemies into talcum powder with a sledgehammer, but, gosh, we did that last night.

 

“Some Assembly Required”

Another great episode, with some foreshadowing of villains from seasons 4 and 6 (building a creature from parts and misguided geeks). Love-struck Giles has his first date with Jenny, hampered a bit by Xander and Willow, and of course, a bit of mayhem. Xander saves Cordelia’s life but ignores her gratefulness. Angel’s fighting skills don’t come into play as a lucky shovel strike sends him sprawling (stuff like that happens to Spike a lot in later seasons – I guess the writers don’t want them upstaging Buffy), and the jacket he wears throughout the episode doesn’t really fit his character.

Chris reminds me a bit of Oz (Willow even seems to like him a little), and is one of the show’s first “reluctant villains.” Even though his motivations are painted a bit broadly, it’s nice to have a change from “pure evil just for the fun of it.”

And this episode, like so many others, has great quotes:

Buffy:  You also might wanna avoid words like ‘amenable’ and ‘indecorous’, y’know. Speak English, not whatever they speak in, um…
Giles:  England?

Xander:  Simple deduction. Ms. Calendar is reasonably dollsome, especially for someone in your age bracket. She already knows that you’re a school librarian, so you don’t have to worry about how to break that embarrassing news to her.
Buffy:  And she’s the only woman we’ve actually ever seen speak to you. Add it all up and it all spells ‘duh’.

Cordelia:  Hi. Sorry to interrupt your little undead playgroup.

Cordelia:  Hello! Can we deal with my pain, please?
Giles:  There, there. (pats her shoulder)

Xander:  Y’know, this might go a lot faster if you femmes actually picked up a shovel, too.
Giles:  Here, here.
Buffy:  Sorry, but I’m an old-fashioned gal. I was raised to believe that men dig up the corpses and the women have the babies.

Xander:  And speaking of love…
Willow:  We were talking about the re-animation of dead tissue.
Xander:  Do I deconstruct your segues?

Giles:  Uh, Ms. Calendar?
Jenny:  Oh, no, please call me Jenny. Ms. Calendar’s my father.

Giles:  I just think it’s rather odd that a nation that prides itself on its virility should feel compelled to strap on forty pounds of protective gear just in order to play rugby.
Jenny:  Is this your normal strategy for a first date? Dissing my country’s national pastime?
Giles:  Did you just say ‘date’?
Jenny:  You noticed that, huh?

Xander:  Well, I guess that makes it official. Everybody’s paired off. Vampires get dates. Hell, even the school librarian sees more action than me. You ever think that the world is a giant game of musical chairs, and the music’s stopped and we’re the only ones who don’t have a chair?
Willow:  All the time.

“Out of Mind, Out of Sight”

This episode really sets the stage for season two. Cordelia finally shows a glimpse of humanity, and even saves a teacher’s life, though she’s still far from joining the Scooby gang (which hasn’t even been called that yet).

Cordelia:  Hey! You think I’m never lonely because I’m so cute and popular? I can be surrounded by people and be completely alone. It’s not like any of them really know me. I don’t even know if they like me half the time. People just want to be in a popular zone. Sometimes when I talk, everyone’s so busy agreeing with me, they don’t hear a word I say.
Buffy:  Well, if you feel so alone, then why do you work so hard at being popular?
Cordelia:  Well, it beats being alone all by yourself.

Angel has his first real conversation with Giles, and later rescues him, Willow, and Xander. The rescue might have seemed a bit too convenient, but a) he had a reason for coming to the school, b) in future episodes Angel typically uses sewers and basements to get around during the day, so him being in the basement is logical, and c) vampires have a keen sense of smell, so noticing the gas would have been easy.

There’s also the first hint that the government is aware of things most people in Sunnydale ignore, foreshadowing nicely for the Initiative in season 4.

Giles:  I’ve never actually heard of anyone attacked by a lone baseball bat before.
Xander:  Maybe it’s a vampire bat.

 

“Prophecy Girl”

The season one finale is easily one of the best episodes of that year. And it’s not only that we finally get rid of the Master (I’m thinking he’s a big reason why it took me so long to get into the show). He’s easily my least favorite “Big Bad” on Buffy, though I hadn’t remembered he used hypnosis. I wonder why some vampires have this power (Drusilla and Dracula do as well later in the show) and some apparently don’t. It’s interesting that both Buffy and Kendra are killed because of this. Almost feels like the vampires are “cheating” (at least compared to Spike’s slayer kills).

Xander finally confesses his feelings for Buffy by inviting her to the dance, but she turns him down. I love it that Willow’s not willing to be his consolation date, though.

The scene where Buffy finds out that it’s prophesied she’ll be killed by the Master is one of the best in the season. I also like how they did the scene where Willow and Cordelia find the massacre in the A/V room – there’s so much death in this show that random killings are often overlooked or set aside with so the characters can handle the menace. It’s sad that (likely the first time) Cordelia likes a guy enough to put her wants on the back burner he ends up dead. And Willow’s pain over the incident pulls Buffy back into the fight.

I love that Buffy’s willing to punch Giles out to save his life. And I love Xander and Angel teaming up to save Buffy.

Xander:  How can I say this clearly? I don’t like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you’re a vampire. But Buffy’s got this big old yen for you. She thinks you’re a real person. And right now I need you to prove her right.
Angel:  You’re in love with her.
Xander:  Aren’t you?

Xander:  You were looking at my neck.
Angel:  What?
Xander:  You were checking out my neck! I saw that!
Angel:  No, I wasn’t!
Xander:  Just keep your distance, pal.
Angel:  I wasn’t looking at your neck!
Xander:  I told you to eat before we left.

The beast the comes out of the hellmouth is almost comical (reminds me of the creature in the pit from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, complete with vine-like grabbing things). But that lack in effects is made up for by the totally cool image of Cordelia driving her car through the school. And while the theme music seems a little out of place while Buffy, Angel, and Xander march to the school, I love it when Cordelia bites the vampire trying to get into the library: “See how you like it!”

What are your thoughts on the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

“Angel”

This is THE pivotal episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s season one. While it’s almost impossible now to start watching the show without knowing who Angel is, I can’t imagine the shock viewers felt when the episode first aired and they discovered Angel was a vampire.

Having watched season one of Angel first and read part of his character biography online, the episode held few surprises for me. It was nice to see Angel finally do some fighting. I also enjoyed the hidden backstory in exchanges like this:

Buffy:  Well, what does your family think of your career choice?
Angel:  They’re dead.
Buffy:  Was it vampires?
Angel:  I-it was.

Darla in this season doesn’t seem to quite mesh with her personality in flashbacks and later on Angel. But the idea of her bringing guns to the fight fit perfectly. And the whole thing with Joyce was kind of interesting.

Willow:  Wow! And it is kinda novel how he’ll stay young and handsome forever, although you’ll still get wrinkly and die, and… Oh, and what about the children? (Buffy looks at her) I’ll be quiet now.

“I, Robot . . . You, Jane”

I’ve seen a few not-so-shining reviews of this episode, but for me, it’s one of my favorites in season one. Not only do we get the introduction of Jenny (and the added dimension her character brings to Giles), but it’s chock-full of great dialogue:

Ms. Calendar:  Oh, I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!
Giles:  Ms. Calendar, I’m sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box.
Ms. Calendar:  That’s TV. The idiot box is TV. This (indicates a computer) is the *good* box!

I couldn’t help but think of the season four episode where the gang invades Giles’ house and Xander discovers his dark secret: “Whoa, Giles has a TV. Everybody, Giles has a TV! He’s shallow like us.”

Giles:  I’m just gonna stay and clean up a little. I’ll be back in the middle ages.
Ms. Calendar:  Did you ever leave?

Xander:  Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he’s a high school student, but I can say I’m a high school student.
Buffy:  You are.
Xander:  Okay, but I can also say that I’m an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who’s to say I’m not if I’m in the elderly Dutch chat room?
Buffy:  I get your point. Oh, this guy could be anybody. He could be weird, or crazy, or old, or… He could be a circus freak. He’s probably a circus freak!
Xander:  Yeah. I mean, we read about it all the time. Y’know, people meet on the ‘Net, they talk, they get together, have dinner, a show, horrible axe murder.
Buffy:  Willow axe-murdered by a circus freak…

Buffy:  We’re literary!
Xander:  To read makes our speaking English good.

The demon-in-the-internet aspect is different from typical episodes, which keeps the story interesting even though there are a few logic leaps (like how Buffy was able to follow Dave’s car on foot). The monks at the beginning of the episode reminded me of the ones who hide the key in season five. And it’s interesting to note that Willow becomes interested in robotics later on.

Plus Xander gets to punch someone. And Willow stands up for herself and hits Moloch with a fire extinguisher.

“Witch”

This episode bored me this time around. It did have a few good aspects, like establishing Buffy, Giles, Xander, and Willow as the core group. It’s also full of awesome Xander quotes:

I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away.

For I am Xander, King of cretins. May all lesser cretins bow before me.

We’re right behind you, only further back.

I don’t think the writers intended for Giles’ statement of never doing spells before to be a boldface lie, as future episodes reveal, but he did seem to be awfully good at it for a complete novice. And who knew what Amy would become?

“Teacher’s Pet”

After rewatching the last episode was somewhat yawn-worthy, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The beginning dream/daydream sequence was fun. I’d forgotten how much Xander was crushing on Buffy in the first season. Two vamp dustings were implied but not shown – I wonder if the special effects budget all went toward the giant insect. Not that the giant insect was a great success, but at least they seemed to realize this and kept her in the shadows most of the time.

The main shortcoming to this episode was that things got overexplained and repeated, quite common for early episodes of shows until writers learn to trust their audience’s intelligence.

The episode did a great job of making you care about Dr. Gregory for the few short minutes of screen time he got. Poor Buffy. Everytime she seems to connect with someone employed by the school (other than Giles), they’re not long for the world.

But this episode is mostly about Xander. Not only do we see how his crush on Buffy is growing stronger, it’s also the first time we see him jealous of Angel. (And no, Xander, Buffy would not describe a guy as buff. Corny wordplay is more Willow’s forte.) We also learn his middle name, LaVelle.

This episode also gets the first somewhat cool vampire (other than you know who, of course, but shh – episode 7 isn’t here yet!), known simply as “Claw Guy.” He had to have been around for a while to make it into Giles’ books, and he both injured Angel and initially put up a decent fight with Buffy. His demise proved the interchangeability of stakes and fences (in the first episode, Xander’s explanation for Buffy’s stake is that she’s “building a really little fence”)

Buffy: So I’m an undead monster that can shave with my hand…How many things am I afraid of?

Giles: Um, this computer invasion that Willow’s performing on the coroner’s office, one, one assumes it is entirely legal?
Willow: Entirely!
Buffy: Of course!
Giles:  Right. Wasn’t here, didn’t see it, couldn’t have stopped you.

This episode feels like it’s at least several weeks after the last one (except for the overexplaining). Both Buffy and Giles seem to accept that Willow and Xander will be helping out, research-wise at least, with the monster fighting. Everyone seems comfortable with the fact that they’re up against more than just vampires. Even though everyone freaks out a bit, they seem to have faced more than just the events of the past three episodes.