The Girl's Got Bite: The Original Unauthorized Guide to Buffy's World

by Kathleen Tracy

  INTRODUCING: The first episode introduces the main cast of characters—Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Rupert Giles, Cordelia Chase, and the mysterious Angel, who warns Buffy to beware of the Harvest when presenting her with a silver cross.

  THE BIG BAD: The Master—the oldest, most powerful vampire who has been trapped beneath Sunnydale for years after getting stuck in a mystic portal while attempting to open the Hellmouth. The Master’s attempts to gain his freedom is the overriding story arc of the first season’s twelve episodes. Among his many minions is Darla, who uses her schoolgirl look to lead unsuspecting young men to a grisly end.

  As it happens, a lot of the Master’s plans eventually involve the Bronze, Sunnydale’s only nightspot open to the high school set. When not beset by vampires looking for sacrifices to bring to the Master, the Bronze offers the town’s teens soft drinks, bands, and overfed cockroaches.

  ANALYSIS: The first episode picks up by retroactively revising the end of the feature film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Instead of the ending of the movie, we are now informed that Buffy wiped out the horde of vampires by trapping them inside her school gymnasium, then setting it on fire. Los Angeles school authorities were not amused and summarily expelled Buffy, so she and her mom are hoping to make a fresh start in Sunnydale, California.

  The film was more campy than creepy, but when Buffy, on her way to rendezvous with Willow and Xander, hears footsteps behind her, it’s established early on that the series won’t be afraid to evoke palpable unease in its viewers. Buffy’s stalker is the enigmatic Angel, whom Buffy finds both intriguing and off-putting. As many women can attest, there’s something dreadfully attractive when a handsome face is combined with a whiff of danger.

  The pilot effectively establishes the relationships between Buffy, her Watcher Giles, and her new friends Xander and Willow, who will become the Slayer’s inner circle. Xander represents the “everyman” nonbeliever who is forced to believe, against all logic or reason, in all sorts of creatures that do a lot more than just go bump in the night. Complementing Xander is Willow, the whiz kid who faces the unbelievable with more amazement than doubt. Giles, whose British countenance should not be mistaken for meekness, assumes the role of mentor/father figure to Buffy’s rebellious but well-intentioned nature. While many teenagers go through a period of resisting the responsibilities that come with pending adulthood, Buffy has a better reason than most, to want to remain carefree—she’d like to live long enough to become an adult.

  One of Buffy’s primary character traits is her unwillingness to leave people behind, even if it means putting herself in jeopardy. She might be fighting an unending internal struggle over her role as the Slayer, but when someone is threatened, she has no choice but to go save them. This is one of her great human strengths, but also an Achilles’ heel the Master and others to come will use against her.

  The pilot also establishes that Buffy is not invincible. She feels every punch and kick doled out by her Hellmouth adversaries. This vulnerability will prove to be a crucial aspect of the series—while she may possess superhuman strengths and abilities, Buffy is no Superwoman. The high mortality rate of previous Slayers is what propels Giles to push Buffy so hard. The secret to her longevity will ultimately prove to be her loyal, if not exactly fearless, support group, who will come to call themselves “the Scooby Gang.” Buffy does more than just “get by” with a little help with her friends—she lives to Slay another day.

  THE REAL HORROR: Enrolling at a school after everybody else has already formed well-defined cliques. Anybody who’s ever been “the new kid” can empathize with Buffy’s nervousness at walking into an unfamiliar situation, whether it be a new job, a new neighborhood, or, especially, a new school. Nothing is so nausea-inspiring as having to decipher a high school’s preordained popularity pecking-order and going through the agony of finding where you fit in—which is not necessarily where you’d like to be.

  Although she’d like to be as popular as Cordelia, the queen of the “in” crowd, Buffy is drawn to Willow and Xander, who represent the vast majority of students who pass through high school just this much on the outside: They’re close enough to see in but seldom get invited to join the party.

  Xander’s buddy Jesse reflects another common adolescent occurrence: A friend you’ve known all your life suddenly turns into not just a stranger, but an absolute monster. It’s “hanging out with the wrong crowd” taken to a horrific extreme. But even though Jesse has become a vampire, he still looks like the same person he used to be, so it’s difficult for Xander to accept the change. He’s hoping that something will restore Jesse to the guy he was before. Fortunately for Xander, while his intellect and emotions are battling it out, Jesse is pushed onto the wooden stake Xander’s clutching, causing Jesse to disintegrate in a puff of ash.

  BLOOPERS: In the scene where Giles is piling ancient tomes in Buffy’s arms, the bindings first face Buffy; then in the next shot, face Giles; then, finally, face Buffy again.

  OF SPECIAL NOTE: “Welcome to the Hellmouth” was originally filmed as two separate episodes: “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” and “The Harvest,” which was to be the second episode. The two episodes were combined and presented as a two-hour pilot. But for this episode guide, the two-hour movie will be counted as Episodes 1 and 2.

  Sunnydale High is actually Torrance High School, which was also used in Beverly Hills 90210.

  Although most Buffy fans may be too young to remember, Charles Martin Smith, who directed the first hour of the pilot, was once best known as an actor, having gotten his big break in American Graffiti—along with Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, and Suzanne Somers.

  MUSICAL NOTE: The band that performs the theme song, Nerf Herder, took their name from a bit of The Empire Strikes Back dialogue, when Princess Leia referred to Han Solo as a “scruffy nerf herder.” And no, she was not being complimentary at the time.

  3. “The Witch”

  (MARCH 17, 1997)

  Director: Stephen Cragg

  Teleplay: Dana Reston

  Recurring cast: Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers); William Monaghan (Dr. Gregory)

  Guest cast: Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy); Jim Doughan (Mr. Pole); Nicole Prescott (Lishanne); Robin Riker (Catherine); Amanda Wilmshurst (head cheerleader)

  Music: “Twilight Zone,” by 2 Unlimited

  Plot: A girl’s obsession with becoming a cheerleader is suspected of being the evil force behind a series of witchcraft-like spells spontaneously combusting, blinding, and otherwise maiming other members of the squad. When the student witch realizes Buffy knows her secret, she puts Buffy under a deadly spell that will kill her, unless Giles can locate her book of Magic and reverse the spells.

  THIS WEEK’S EVIL CREATURE: A very powerful witch trying to hold on to her youth.

  INTRODUCING: Science teacher Dr. Gregory is introduced, as is Cordelia’s frightening lack of driving skills. Also, “The Witch” represents the first non-vampire story line.

  ANALYSIS: Buffy’s desire to try out for the squad reflects the dichotomy of Buffy. She doesn’t conform to the will of the Cordelias of the world in order to gain acceptance, and yet she wants to be accepted enough that being a cheerleader really matters to her—even though she’d never admit just how much it matters. For, as much as high school life has changed over the last half century in America, there remain a few constants—the jocks and the cheerleaders are still considered to be near the top of the high school food-chain hierarchy; they are the golden children secretly envied and openly resented.

  If anyone doubts the lengths some girls—and mothers, on their behalf—will go to win a spot on the sidelines, consider the real-life incident that occurred in Texas in 1991, where an overzealous mother was convicted of plotting to murder one of her daughter’s competitors for a spot on the cheerleading squad. The surreal situation was the basis for the Emmy-winning HBO movie The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. So,
by comparison, using witchcraft to make the squad doesn’t seem all that unbelievable.

  * * *

  WITCHES

  The word witch is derived from the German wic, which means “to bend or turn.” Historically, witches are women who use supernatural powers, in the form of black magic, for evil purposes to “bend” or “change” events or people. Male witches are called warlocks. They can either be possessed by evil spirits, or under the guidance of some mystical power or deity. Because of their association with magic, the term sorcery has long been synonymous with witchcraft in the English-speaking world. (However, neo-pagan witches hold a deep and abiding respect for the freewill of all living creatures and abide by the motto, “Do what you will, but harm no one.”)

  Records reveal that belief in witchcraft dates back to prehistoric times. There are several references to sorcerers in the Old Testament, and the Greek writer Homer makes references to witchcraft. Among the Germanic peoples, belief in and fear of witches was widespread.

  Witch mythology varies from country to country. For example, while in many cultures witches have been historically depicted as ugly old women, a more modern view of witches tends to cast them as ordinary or beautiful women who just happen to have the power to cast spells.

  In Europe witches are often portrayed as thin and gaunt, much like the Wicked Witch of the West as she appears in the The Wizard of Oz, but in Central Africa witches are thought of as being fat from eating human flesh. The notion of witches buzzing around on brooms actually came from a long-standing European tradition which has become part of American pop culture thanks to Halloween. Sometimes witches use animals either to help them carry out their evil deeds or as protectors. In Europe they use cats, dogs, or weasels; in Japan, hyenas or owls; in Africa, baboons. Some witches can even take animal forms.

  From the mid-fifteenth to the-eighteenth century—during what’s been referred to as Europe’s “witchcraft craze”—witches were accused of having special links to the Devil. Thousands of people were convicted of witchcraft and executed. The most notable American example was the Salem witch trials of 1692, during which nineteen people were hanged.

  In the early years of the witch hunts, the accused were mostly women. One interesting study concluded that women who were economically independent made up 89 percent of women executed for witchcraft in New England. Scholars believe that was no coincidence. In Mystic Cats, author Roni Jay explains:

  “In the thirteenth century, people were becoming disillusioned with the Church and the whole structure of society. The Church needed a scapegoat, and it picked on witchcraft—after all, old women were less likely than anyone to put up a serious defense. Over the next few centuries, thousands of women throughout Europe were executed for witchcraft—and many cats were condemned along with them.”

  Poor kitties.

  * * *

  The major revelation of the episode—that Amy’s mother has literally stolen her daughter’s youth by switching their bodies—provides a shocking plot twist that is indicative of Buffy’s storytelling conventions: Just when viewers think they have things figured out, the story often takes a creative and surprising turn.

  IT’S A MYSTERY: How and when did Amy steal Buffy’s bracelet? We see how Buffy makes off with a lock of Amy/Catherine’s hair—but whatever scene showed Amy lifting the bracelet must have been left on the cutting-room floor.

  THE REAL HORROR: Trying to live up to your parents’ sometimes unreasonable expectations.

  In this episode, both Buffy and Amy are confronted with the reality that they haven’t always lived up to what their parents had hoped, either in achievement or in character. In Buffy’s case, her secret exploits have resulted in a complete family upheaval but she’s unable to explain to her mother why “Life with Buffy” is so difficult. It’s not that she wants it to be a problem but she can’t help it—what teenager can?

  When Joyce suggests that Buffy work on the yearbook committee—an activity on the low end of the 1990s school social scene—she’s projecting her own past glories onto Buffy without taking into account that her daughter is a very different person than she was, and that projecting interests onto a child usually just sets the stage for hurt feelings: The child’s belief that the parent doesn’t have a clue is reinforced and the parent is injured because something that was once so important to them is summarily blown off, which is often interpreted as a personal rejection.

  In Amy’s case, her mother so desperately wants to relive her youth through her daughter, she casts a spell enabling her to switch bodies. What Catherine “the Great” does isn’t all that much more horrific than parents who drive their children into careers or activities in an effort to live vicariously through them. Catherine is Gypsy’s Mama Rose with a spellbook. The biggest irony of the episode is that after Catherine has switched bodies and is finally poised for her moment of triumph, she discovers that no matter how much she practices, no matter how strong her desire, Catherine as Amy simply doesn’t have the innate skills to be great again. She failed to learn one of the most important lessons of parenting: Your child’s destiny is their own, and trying to live vicariously through them by re-creating your youth through them can only lead to tragedy … or being trapped in a trophy case for eternity.

  FORMER SERIES CO-PRODUCER DAVID GREENWALT ADDS: “What I love about what Joss has done with the show is, he can take the psychological truth behind the true story of the mother who had her daughter’s rival killed because she didn’t make the cheerleading squad, and turn it into a story of a mother who takes her daughter’s body so she can relive her glory days as a cheerleader. I like that he takes very real issues and then magnifies them. It’s fun doing that.”

  BLOOPERS: In the gymnasium, a sign reads: “1996 CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS.” It didn’t read “1997” because the series was originally supposed to debut at the beginning of the 1996 season that autumn, but was pushed back because of production problems.

  OF SPECIAL NOTE: Robin Riker, who played Catherine the Great, is no stranger to witches, having guest-starred in 1996 on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

  4. “Teacher’s Pet”

  (MARCH 25, 1997)

  Director: Bruce Seth Green

  Teleplay: David Greenwalt

  Recurring cast: David Boreanaz (Angel); Ken Lerner (Principal Flutie); William Monaghan (Dr. Gregory)

  Guest cast: Jean Speegle Howard (Natalie French); Jackson Price (Blayne); Musetta Vander (She-Mantis)

  Music: “Already Met You” (music in Xander’s dream) and “Stoner Love” (at the end when Xander chops up the eggs), by Superfine, from the Stoner Love 7 vinyl release.

  Plot: After the gruesome death of science teacher Dr. Gregory, Xander falls for the flirtatious charms of the new substitute, who brings new meaning to the term “man-eater.”

  THIS WEEK’S PHENOMENON: Metamorphosis, which is a very ancient belief that certain people have the magical ability to change themselves and others at will into other life forms, such as other human beings, animals, birds, and insects. In this episode, the animal of choice is a She-Mantis, who can only maintain her human form by mating with, and then devouring, virginal young men.

  INTRODUCING: The first death of a recurring character. In this case, science teacher Dr. Gregory, who is dragged off by a creature just minutes after giving Buffy a supportive pep talk. The character of Dr. Gregory is the first recurring character introduced on the series who will later be killed off. Breaking the long-standing tradition of only killing off guest stars, having recurring characters regularly die will become a hallmark of the show.

  Also new to the scene is the mutual sexual attraction sparking between Angel and Buffy. Up until this episode, Buffy has been wary of and annoyed with her mysterious shadow. But her initial distrust is being replaced by flirtatious banter and bedroom-eyes glances.

  ANALYSIS: Poor Xander. Not only is his sexual prowess repeatedly challenged by self-proclaimed womanizer Blayne, now he discovers that Buffy’s mystery man, An
gel, looks like he stepped straight out of a GQ ad. Meeting Angel for the first time, Xander obviously feels threatened on an “attractability” scale.

  The episode is a showcase for Xander, as his creepy-crawly encounters with the She-Mantis take center stage. But while the story allows Nicholas Brendon to display his acting range, his alter ego wished some things had been left unrevealed—like the fact that the creature only goes after virgins, which the others are all too aware of. Xander takes out his frustration over the revelation of his virginity on a sac of mantis eggs, which he chops apart with a machete.

  THE REAL HORROR: Learning how to cope with adult feelings of sexual desire while still an emotionally immature teenager. Among high school boys, it expresses itself as verbal sexual competition.

  Xander represents the average teenage boy who feels compelled to play along with the game rather than admit sexual innocence and risk eternal ridicule from their more sexually mature peers. But even worse than being ridiculed by the guys, is having the object of your fantasies and passion find out you’re not sexually experienced. There’s a reason why so many high school girls date older guys.

  THE MORAL OF THIS STORY: Although hormones will be hormones, in this age of deadly sexually transmitted diseases—and evil creatures who are drawn to Sunnydale like ants to blood—uninformed sex with a stranger can kill.

  BLOOPERS: When the substitute teacher is first seen sitting at her desk preparing her sandwich, her sleeves are pushed up to her elbows. But during the close-up of her hands dumping the crickets on the bread, the sleeves of her sweater are clearly visible. Then, in the very next shot of her taking a bite of the sandwich, the sleeves are pushed back up.

  OF SPECIAL NOTE: The director of this episode, Bruce Seth Green, has some experience with television action heroes, having also directed episodes of Hercules and Xena. And his horror credentials include a stint on Airwolf, the onetime Jan-Michael Vincent vehicle.