Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP8

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 1 Episode 8

"I Robot...You Jane"

Original Airdate: April 28, 1997

Summary: In 1418, a group of Italian priests use magick to trap the demon Moloch in a book, only to be released if the book is ever read aloud. In 1997 Sunnydale, the computer teacher, Ms. Calendar, is working on a project to digitally scan all the books in the library. When a new arrival, in a strange language, is scanned, Moloch is released into the computer... and into every computer connected to it. Now Buffy must face Moloch's human minions, while Giles must figure out how to exorcise a demon from the Internet.

Meanwhile, Willow meets a nice boy online. His name is Malcolm...

Review:  Another weak episode of the season, another movie-of-the-week episode, this time it's centered around Willow. She gets her first "boyfriend," someone she met online. It just goes to show that sometimes online dating is not always a good thing, however this was several years ago when this episode came out and online dating was sincerely frowned upon, anyway more on the episode. Now that Willow has someone in her life, Xander is jealous. But still something is just off about this guy.  Buffy notices that it's not just Willow, but 2 of the other "computer geeks" are also acting weird. 

One thing I love about this episode is the sexual tension between Jenny Calendar and Rupert Giles. This is where they begin. I remember when I first saw this episode and Giles said "There's a demon in the internet" and Jenny said "I know." I immediately thought that she planted the book, and then we find out that she is a technopagan. Awesome! 

This is a great Willow episode, mostly I have no complaints, just that in the end it gets hard to see. The color is not as bad as most, only in a few spots. The story line is a little weak, but the over all message of the episode is pretty clear. Careful with the people you meet online. I give this episode a 6/10.

Quote of the Episode: 

Xander: I mean... sure, he says he is a high school student -- but I could say I'm a high school student.
Buffy: You are.
Xander: Okay, but I could also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman... Get me? And who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?
Buffy: I get your point... (beat) I get your point! This guy could be anybody -- I mean he could be weird, or crazy, or old, or... he could be a circus freak -- he's probably a circus freak!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP7

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 1 Episode 7
"Angel"
Original Airdate: April 14, 1997


Summary: After Angel saves Buffy from a gang of vampire warriors, their relationship starts to become more intense. As their love blooms, Buffy learns that Angel has been hiding a dark secret. She hesitates, not sure what to believe, but when Angel's secret puts someone she loves in danger, she knows what she has to do.


Review: Dark Clothing and dark lighting, make for a bad combo. Every so often especially in the first season these combos come together, and guess what folks, it's happened again! I don't know what it is with this season. I guess they just haven't gotten the groove down yet.
Anyway onto the episode, we start off at the Bronze with the gang and Buffy seems to be bringing down everyone, so she decides to leave and ends up getting jumped by a gang of vampire warriors, and Angel comes to her rescue causing the events of the rest of the episode to unfold. We find out what Angel's been hiding, and why he's been so distant. He's a Vampire!! I'm shocked! Not really, He's handsome, brooding, and buff why wouldn't he be a vampire. So here comes the forbidden love story line. 
Still not sure if Angel is good or bad, Buffy's confusion causes her and the gang to hit the books where they learn that over the past 80 years Angel has lived in solitude and shunned himself from other beings like himself. He's a vampire, but she's the slayer she's supposed to kill him. Can she? Well you'll just have to tune in to find out!
This episode is gearing up for the finale, I wouldn't call it movie-of-the-week, but it doesn't really giveaway what is going to happen in the end at all. One character who has been in several episodes is Darla, but I have yet to really discuss her. She is basically the Master's lackey and also ex-lover of Angel. Darla wants Angel back on her side, but we fans know there is only one way to do that. So she makes it look like Angel attempted to kill Joyce (Buffy's mom), and Buffy seeks vengeance. At the end of the episode we learn about the curse. Angel has received his soul back, and can no longer feed on human beings. So he is good! Yay! 
It's a good episode, one of my favorites of the season. Only a few more left, can't wait for the next few when it gets so good! Buffy and Angel's love starts to bud, and they are a wonderful couple! The definition of True Love. I give this episode an 8/10 stars.


Quote of the Episode: 
Willow: What about Angel?
Buffy: Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. "Hi Honey, you’re in grave danger, I’ll see you next month.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP6

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 1 Episode 6
"The Pack"
Original Airdate: April 4, 1997



Summary: While enduring the annual field trip to the zoo, Xander and several other students enter the quarantined Hyena pen and become possessed by the demonic spirit of the wild animals. When Buffy notices a significant change in Xander's personality, she must figure out what happened and how to reverse it before something terrible happens

Review: Xander's becoming a hyena! Oh no! What are the scoobies to do? Well simple try to get their old pal Xander back to his normal self, and also the other knuckleheads that are bullying the school community. After all the strange behavior, pig and principal eating, they figure out how to fix him and the rest of the cronies. 
It's the classic possession episode that, every paranormal show has it. It's a Xander focused episode, and one that I truly think it's a great one. There's not many vampires in this episode, which I am ok with. I know that the series is called Buffy the VAMPIRE Slayer, but that doesn't mean that's all that's involved in this world. There is so much more. I like seeing the non-vampire side to the show, to see where it is going. 

I noticed that the coloring to this episode has been a lot brighter than the previous ones and that they were able to fix what was wrong with it. I didn't have to turn all the lights off to watch it! Yay!

Nicholas Brendon's acting in this is great. He plays the perfect person that turns on his friends and betrays them. He's started to step up and show how good of an actor he actually is. 

Buffy is turning out to be a wonderful show. It's got the humor, the story lines, the characters, and everything else that makes a great show. "The Pack" is just a movie-of-the-week type of an episode, not anything truly spectacular, but I wouldn't say it flops at all. It's still a great episode especially for the first season of the show. I'm excited for more. I give this episode a 7/10.

Quote of the Episode: 
Giles: Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?
Buffy: Uh-huh.
Giles: And, there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?
Buffy: Yes.
Giles: And, well, otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging about with imbeciles.
Buffy: It's bad, isn't it?
Giles: It's devastating. He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Of course, you'll have to kill him

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP5

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 1 Episode 5

"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date"

Original Airdate: March 31, 1997

Summary: Yearning for a normal life, Buffy agrees to a date with the mysterious and brooding Owen. Giles discovers a prophecy of coming danger which would interfere with her plans, but she chooses Owen over battling the forces of darkness. When Giles goes out on his own and is trapped by a group of vampires, Buffy must figure out a way to balance dating and Slaying.

Review: Vampires are all the rage in Sunnydale, and the series takes even more form with “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date.” Buffy’s slayer/watcher relationship with Giles grows more, and the awkwardness seems to have completely disappeared. Buffy has settled in to the swing of things with friends, a new school, and her slaying duties.

Buffy’s gone boy-crazy over this boy Owen! But of course at that age what else should she have on her mind, Hm… Let’s see vampires, saving the world, the anointed. One thing that I’ve noticed about the season so far is Buffy’s fashion sense. She usually wears sleeveless dresses with some sort of strange design on them, and are also the same cut.

This episode also has color issues. Again it’s very dark like some of the previous ones. A lot of it has to do with the clothes that the actors wear. Most of them are in dark, almost black outfits, and that mixed with what appears to be very low lighting makes the picture extremely dark.

The story line follows Buffy trying to be an average everyday girl, and also the slayer, however being average doesn’t work so well when you live on the Hellmouth. She ends up having to leave her date just so she can save Giles who is trapped in the Sunnydale Funeral home, and vampires are trying to get at him. Buffy has to save the day, and nearly kills her date in the process. At the very end of the episode we find that the Annointed has risen, and the vampire they killed was not the anointed but what appeared to have been a decoy.

It’s a good episode, with only a few flaws. We get to see some new aspects of the show, which is great. I’m pretty content with the episode, so I give it a 7/10.

Quote of the Episode:

Buffy: We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Buffy, and you're history!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP4

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 1 Episode 4

"Teacher's Pet"
Original Airdate: March 24, 1997

Summary: Xander and most of the male population of Sunnydale High, are falling all over themselves trying to impress the new substitute Biology teacher, Ms. French. When Buffy sees this femme fatale scare off a particularly nasty vampire, however, she begins to suspect that Xander may be in serious trouble.

Review: Finally an episode that revolves around a different character in the show, Xander! It's good to take a break from just the Buffy aspect. We start off inside Xander's head, he's having a daydream about saving Buffy from a vamp, and then busting out a rockin' guitar solo, he awakes and we see he's in biology class.

Right before the credits roll, after the students have left the classroom, we see the teacher get swept away by a giant arm like thing. The next day we find out he's missing, and suspicions begin to arise as a woman who is extremely attractive takes his place. At lunch Cordelia finds him, only he's missing his head. The gang then goes into detective mode, onlty to find that the new substitute is not who she says she is.

This episode is a good one, not a classic Buffy episode, but still decent. I love watching the episodes that have to do with the other characters, but also have that true Buffy-ness to is.The story is ok, Xander falls for a teacher who just so happens to be a gigantic bug as well. AndB Buffy, Willow, and Girles end up having to save him before he becomes bug food.

No witchcraft in this episode, and very few vampires. Mostly just about a "She-Mantis" but still like I said it's an ok episode. This episode isn't as dark as previous episodes, atleast not until the end, then you're going to want to turn the lights down low to see better. All in all it's an ok episode, but I would only give it a 4 out of 10 stars.

Quote of the Episode:

"Buffy: Well, your buddy, Carlyle faced it, and he's still around.

Giles: Yes. In a straightjacket howling his innards out day and night.

Buffy: Okay, Admiral. Way to inspire the troops."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP3

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 1 Episode 3
"Witch"
Original Airdate: March 17, 1997

Since the characters have been pretty well developed, we were able to dive right into the episode. This episode is one of my favorites of the season, granted there are only 12 episodes of the season so that’s really not that hard. In the episode, Buffy is trying to get on the cheerleading squad, along with several others. In the first scene we see one girl trying out and her hands catch on fire, then the credits role.

Buffy seems to be jealous of the girl Amy, who has a “close relationship with her mom.” When she talks to her mom about cheerleading, her mom doesn’t really pay much attention to her. She’s too busy getting everything ready for the gallery.

We find out that there is witchcraft among Sunnydale High School, and the gang has their suspicions that it might be Amy, a girl who is desperate to follow in her mother’s footsteps and get on the team. First Amber’s hands get burned up, then Cordelia goes blind, then another girl loses the ability to speak because her mouth is no longer there, and Buffy is hit with a vengeance spell. Once she is hit with the spell, the gang really gets to work, to save Buffy’s life.

When they get to Amy’s house, they find her mother alone and shocked to see Giles and very sick Buffy. Buffy comes to the conclusion that Amy’s mother switched their bodies because she wanted another shot at cheerleading so she could relive “her glory days.” The gang ends up saving Buffy, and reversing all the spells just in the nick of time to save Buffy (this is becoming a pattern.)

It’s a great episode of Buffy, that doesn’t have anything to do with vampires. I would say this is a classic episode. We Giles cast a spell, the gang comes together to help Buffy and all the others that were affected. The storyline is great, and we see that Xander has an infatuation with Buffy, and in a weird way we see Buffy get a little closer to her mother. The episode is very original, especially for when it first aired. I give this episode 6/10 stars.


Quote of the Episode:
Xander: I laugh in the face of danger, and then I hide until it goes away.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 1 Episode 2

"The Harvest"

Original Airdate: March 10, 1997

After narrowly escaping the vampire Luke, Buffy is able to barely help both Xander and Willow escape, but poor Jesse was taken. After the credits role, Buffy, Xander, and Willow are seen in the library discussing vampires with Giles. Xander and Willow are still in shock that vampires exist, but want to help get their friend back whatever way they can.

Once they figure out where Jesse was taken, both Xander and Willow want to help Buffy anyway they can, but they know it will be dangerous. Willow helps Giles research “The Harvest” and Xander not being able to stay put, ends up following Buffy to save their friend.

In the scene in the computer lab with Cordelia, Harmony, and Willow we see just how rude Cordelia can be. She’s already starting to damage Buffy’s reputation by spreading rumors about her saying she’s crazy, but Willow stands up to her and says she’s not. Cordelia says “Who gave you permission to exist?” It’s lines like that that give the pretty popular girls a bad name. But Charisma Carpenter has the tone of voice down pat!

After this scene we learn that Jesse is a vampire, and he has been set up as bait to attract Buffy and Willow so that the other vampires can go after them. It’s just like Joss Whedon to kill off what looks to be like a main character within the first few episodes.

Giles and Willow tell Buffy everything that they found on “the harvest,” and they saddle up and get ready to roll. They get equipped and head to the bronze where the Harvest will take place.

They arrive just as the Harvest is starting and we get ready for a wild ride. Luke kills a few people in front of everyone, and Buffy ends up getting there just in time to kick some vamp butt!

The episode is very dark, and I don’t mean disturbingly dark or creepy dark, but color wise, it’s quite dark. Watching it during the day could cause problems with sun glare, and at night make sure you turn off lights so you can see ok.

The story continues from where it left off, making the pilot episode a two parter. It’s my opinion that the second half of the episode is the better half. We get the whole gang fighting, and we get the whole picture as to what the series will be about.

For this episode of Buffy I’ll rate it a little higher than the last by giving it a 5 out of 10 stars, but remember I still have 7 seasons! So stay tuned and find out what episodes get my 10/10 star rating!

Quote of the Episode:

Xander: (Kicking the recycle bin) I don’t like vampires, I’m gonna take a stand and say they’re not good.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1 EP1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 1 Episode 1 

“Welcome to the Hellmouth”

Original Airdate: March 3, 1997

            Buffy is a pretty girl, with a bright future, but little do people know she is a vampire slayer. She’s just moved to Sunnydale, CA and is trying to get a fresh start and live a normal life. Little does she know that the librarian has also just moved to Sunnydale, and it’s not just a coincidence. Giles, the librarian is not just a librarian, but also a watcher. And as it turns out he’s her watcher.

            There are several other characters of the episode. Xander who’s you’re average, boy next-door type of character. He is the type of character that jokes about everything and essentially creates awkward moments. Willow, who is your nerdy, geeky, know it all kinda gal. Then we have Cordelia who is the popular, “fashion guru” of the show, so to speak. She’s the girl that every school has that every girl wants to be just like. She’s the pretty popular cheerleader type. She makes fun of Xander and Willow for being really nerdy and scrubby. Buffy is slightly torn because she wants to be popular and have friends and be friends with Cordelia, but she also likes Xander and Willow and would love to become friends with them.

            The down fall to being a vampire slayer is that no one can know what you are and what you do. But when Buffy discusses how she feels about the whole slaying “profession” Xander overhears. She’s afraid of getting Xander hurt, but also having a friend that knows your secrets is very relieving.

            As Buffy is on her way to the club, She meets a mysterious man in black. He’s tall, dark, and handsome. He calls himself a friend, but why is he being so mysterious? Interestingly enough Buffy just can’t seem to get him out of her mind. He even gave her a Stainless steel cross.

            As the episode continues we learn that Buffy will probably have a stronger bond with Willow than anyone. She needs the most help, and with Buffy watching out for her she’ll listen to her every word. Buffy tells Willow to Seize the Day tomorrow you might be dead. Willow does seize the moment, but with the wrong guy!

            Buffy goes on a frantic search for her, and eventually asks Xander, who brings up the fact that he knows that Buffy is the slayer, however he at first thinks she’s delusional. Until he sees how frantic she is.

            When Xander and Buffy enter the Mausoleum, he’s shocked to learn the truth. Vampires are real, they’re in Sunnydale, and they’re attacking his two best friends. It’s at this moment that we see the potential that the two have to become great friends.

            The episode ends with a fight between Buffy and one of the older Vampires Luke. We see what a slayer is all about and how strong they actually are compared to vampires. Luke throws Buffy into and open casket and we are left lingering for a few seconds, then Luke jumps into the casket and goes in for the kill.  We’re left with the words “To Be Continued.” That’s when we know that it's going to be a great show!

            As a pilot it’s one of the better ones that I have seen, and let me tell you I’ve seen many. As an episode of Buffy, it’s just ok. Not one of the stronger episodes, but that’s to be expected because it’s the first season. Obviously the first episode is more about the characters than anything, but again that’s to be expected, you can’t just jump right into an episode without developing anything.

            Buffy has been a breakthrough for the vampire world, I remember the first time I watched this pilot, and I was instantly hooked. I still thank my brother to this very day! The show starts with a smash and ends with a well I’ll get to that! For a pilot episode of a show I give it an 8 out of 10; for an episode of Buffy I give it a 4 out of 10, which just means the show only gets better from here.