Buffy The Vampire Slayer:

Grading the Episodes: Season 1

Last updated: October 1, 2000.

Posted to alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer on September 26, 1999.

 The Cast for Season #1:

   Buffy (Anne) Summers          -Sarah-Michelle Gellar
   Alexander "Xander" 
     (LeValle) Harris            -Nicholas Brandon
   Willow Rosenberg              -Alyson Hannigan
   Cordelia Chase                -Charisma Carpenter
  and, 
   Rupert "The Ripper" Giles     -Anthony Stewart Head

  also,
   Angel/Angelus                 -David Boreanaz

  with,
   Joyce Summers                 -Kristine Sutherland
   Principal Flutie              -Ken Lerner
   Principal Snyder              -Armin Shimerman
   The Annointed One             -Andrew J. Ferchland
   The Master                    -Mark Metcalf

A decent pilot, but (not surprisingly) it tends to falls somewhat short of what's to come. One of the good things about this pilot is that Angel is much a more effective (and much more interesting) character in the pilot than he is in any episode that follows (not including his stint as evil Angelus). Other good things: I'm big on Darla (Julie Benz; though she's less effective in the pilot than in her later season #1 episode), and I like Luke The Vessel (Brian Thompson; especially when he's about to do in Cordelia). However, I still am uncertain as to what the whole point with the character of Jesse (Eric Balfour) was (he's not missed much even in this pilot, and he's never mentioned again after it). And I don't like how quickly Buffy and Cordelia have the falling out (I would have liked it if Buffy had led Cordelia on for a few season #1 episodes, before Cordelia realizes what a "freak" Buffy is). Still, as a pilot, it is decent enough.

This episode is a decent potboiler, and introduces the lovely Elizabeth Anne Allen as Amy the Witch. Another plus is the character/main villain, Catherine Madison, who (when you come right down to it) is a pretty interesting character (in fact, I'd like to see more of her at some point later in the series). In my opinion, this episode also has some killer scenes: I personally love the sequence where Amy's/Catherine's spell makes Buffy 'high'. Finally, any episode that has both Buffy and Cordelia (and Amy!) in cheerleading outfits is good in my book! Bottom line: this episode was the 'clincher' for me with Buffy, and I was hooked from this episode on.

Bottom line: a pretty weak outing all around. I like Dr. Gregory, but he's gone real fast from this episode. Besides this, the 'Fork' Vamp is pretty lame, Miss French (Musetta Vander) never really interested me, and this episode drags in every scene. In short: probably the second worst of season #1 (and one of the worst episodes of Buffy overall).

My vote for the worst episode of Buffy ever (until season #4's "New Moon Rising" came along...). Owen (Christopher Wiehl) is lame and uninteresting, Warrior Vamp gets a good line or two but is nothing special, and this episode bears the ultimate shame of introducing The Annoying One. And nothing interesting happens anyway. Making matters worse: this episode gets less and less interesting with every subsequent viewing. It's boring, and derivative, and formula, and... did I mention boring? Next!

An episode that is probably overrated by old-timers in the alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer newsgroup; this episode is decent, but is a pretty good example of the weaknesses inherent in early Buffy (i.e. relatively uninspired execution). The things I like: Jennifer Sky is yummy (even if she doesn't get any lines of dialogue), and Xander (and the rest of the hyena gang) are genuinely menacing in this episode. Xander's hateful attack on Willow generates one of the better season #1 scenes, and his physical assault on Buffy and her subsequent fighting Xander off is another good scene. But the main villain is lame, and the pace in this one (like most of season #1) is too lackadaisical for my tastes. I also wish that Principal Flutie has lasted a little longer into season #1, instead of meeting his fate here.

A generally good episode, one of the best of season #1, except for the unfortunate staking of the vamp-hottie Darla (Julie Benz). Indeed, Darla shows more brains here than any of Buffy's other vampire opponents, as Darla is the only one to come after Buffy with guns-a-blazin' (Mr. Trick should have stuck to this strategy), and is one of the few vamps to go after Joyce (a strategy that Angelus uses to great effect in season #2). Aside from that, the revelation of Angel's identity is a shocker (when you don't know what's to come, like I didn't when I first viewed this episode). And the fight scene at the end is pretty exciting.

This is one of those episodes that's pretty much standard fare for Buffy: not among the best, but not terrible either, simply mediocre. This one is basically a 'Willow' episode, but it's a decent enough effort, and one of the only episodes which actually evokes some sympathy for the Willow character with me. Beyond this, while the two computer nerd henchmen of Morloch are weak, Morloch himself is pretty droll. Basically, what raises this episode above a "C" grade is the introduction of Jenny Calendar, who has some of her finest moments in this episode.

My vote for the best episode of season #1 and the second funniest episode of Buffy overall, this is definitely among my favorite Buffy episodes. I like everything about this one, from the opening scene on: the lame talents on display, the introduction of Principal Snyder, Snyder's coercing Giles into running the talent show, Cordelia's vanity, the creepy dummy who's really a demon hunter - it just all works for me. In addition, this episode sports some of my favorite one-liners (Snyder: "Kids... I don't like 'em." Cordelia (as Giles stares at her): "What? Is something wrong? Is it my hair?... Oh my God!" (runs away)... Xander (joking around with said-dummy): "Redrum! RREEDDRRUUMM!" The scene where Syd The Dummy and Buffy each realize the other is innocent while talking over one another. Snyder: "What is it? Avant garde?..." Etc.) And the scene where Syd tells Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow his 'real' story is a classic (the gang's expressions tell it all!). Finally, the last scene during the credits ROCKS! Bottom line: I love this episode!

A chillingly effective episode, I recently said that I found this one to be probably the outright scariest episode of Buffy, and I don't think that I'm wrong about that. This episode sports lots of good stuff, including my vote for the single most heartwrenching scene in the show's run, when Buffy (thinks she) is rejected by her father. Other good stuff: important Xander breakthroughs when he fights off the killer clown and when he apprehends the villainous coach at the end, Willow's and Cordelia's amusing nightmares about being on stage and having bad hair (respectively), Giles' nightmare about "failing as a watcher", and the chilling nightmare about Buffy becoming a vamp (which I maintain is both Buffy's and Giles' worst nightmare). A must-see first season episode IMHO.

This one's pretty close to a full 'Cordelia' episode, so I'm obliged to like it right from the start. And how can you not like an episode in which Cordie's boyfriend gets beamed with a baseball bat, Harmony (Mercedes McNab) is pushed down the stairs, and Cordelia is the eventual torture target?! (Cordelia: "Don't you see? This is about me! Me, me, ME!" Xander: "Wow. For once, she's right...") Beyond that, I like the theme of this episode: that no matter how low the social standing of people like Xander and Willow, that there are people so far down the social ladder that even Xander and Willow ignore them ("Have a nice summer!", Willow!). So ignored in fact, is Marcie Ross (Clea DuVall) that the poor girl is driven 1) invisible, and 2) insane. (Cordelia: "She's evil, OK? Way eviler than me.") I find this episode to be an extremely satisfying twist on one of the show's important high school themes. And at least Marcie and Cordie both get happy endings...

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a rather overrated episode among many in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer, but there is a fair amount of pretty darn good (if not great) stuff in here. In one of my favorite parts, Xander gets rejected by Buffy (Xander: "On a scale of 1-to-10? It sucked.") then by Willow. (Xander: "I'm going to go home, and listen to country music, the music of pain.") Meanwhile, Giles and Angel discover Buffy's destiny, leading to more emotional melodrama from Buffy (though her whining about dying doesn't move me as much as annoy me). Still, the TV room scene is chillingly effective, the army of vamps closing in on Willow and Jenny Calendar (and Cordelia's subsequent rescue of them) is cool, and the final scenes pretty much rock. Still, I can't help but think that this episode isn't quite as good as it should be.

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