First Date

Season 7, Episode 14, Aired

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Buffy accepts an invitation to dinner from the mysterious Principal Wood, and the secrets of his past are revealed. Xander impresses a beautiful girl with his knowledge of knots, and she seems to be interested in tying him up. Meanwhile the First contacts Andrew in another attempt to destroy the Potentials and Giles finds himself tongue-tied with the new Potential, Chao-Ahn.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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  • Speed dating Sunnydale style

    7.0
    "Good"
    By joxerlives, Jan 21, 2012
    FIRST DATE

    The Good;
    So we finally find out Wood's secret! Some nice comedy stuff with Xander and Danny Strong suprisingly creepy as Jonathon/The First. It's amazing how funny Chao Anh can be with just such a simple old gag.

    The Bad;
    Buffy really should take more care with her cellphone. Who opens a French resteraunt down a creepy dark alleyway? Note Woods doesn't lock his door after Buffy leaves whilst he's putting away his knife. Honestly if you were Xander on your first date with Lissa would you ever dream of telling the story of leaving your bride at the altar? Not exactly something that makes a girl think 'Boy this one's a keeper!' (although considering the attraction to bad boys in this series maybe it would impress her?)

    Best line;
    Buffy; (of Xander's date) "Good thing you're not jealous!"
    Anya; "Are you nuts? Can't you hear my bitter ranting? The shrill edge of hysteria in my voice? Little hardware store whore!"

    Women good/men bad;
    Anya considers Xander's date a slut and whore despite never having met her.

    Jeez!;
    Decaying Jonathon (love Amanda's little squeal). Bleeding Xander isn't nice either.

    Kinky dinky;
    Needless to say Ashanti is GORGEOUS especially when she puts on her sacrificial gear and into bondage fun. The bleeding bit not so much fun nor is her demon form. Half naked Xander, NB slimmed down a lot since season 6. Andrew admires the contents of Buffy's underwear drawer 'Nice things' and notes she has thongs amongst her intimates (as we saw before in Shadow) Interested in her wearing them or him? We also see Buffy in her sexy camisole top. Andrew considers Dawn 'A peach'. Buffy considers Wood's French pear desert 'The best thing I've ever had in my mouth', a line which would make the Carry On team blush! (and she says it in front of Spike!).

    Captain Subtext;
    Xander; "Willow, gay me up!" imagining Scott Bakula in his underwear which Andrew also appreciates. Buffy worries that this would just attract male demons, Dawn mentions that Clem always liked Xander further portraying him as Buffy's gay friend. Willow considers Buffy a 'frisky vixen'. Buffy's description of Woods is very reminiscent of Riley which hardly bodes well for him as a potential lover. Buffy wonders why she's so attracted to 'wicked energy', in the next ep we find out why. Interestingly when Willow asks about Spike Buffy says 'Why does everyone still think I'm in love with Spike?'. Her use of the term 'love' is unprecedented. Buffy is attracted to Woods, another older man for her, older than Riley although still much younger than Spike and Angel (Hank leaving really screwed her up even before all the Slayer dark energy lust kicked in, one wonder's if Dawn will be the same?) And of course Woods whose mother was a Slayer who died when he was four, breaking his heart now finds himself dating one. He comments that he 'Doesn't know how that happened' but I think it doesn't need Freud to guess? Kennedy and Willow now make out and hold hands under the table although she tries to hide it.

    Guantanamo Bay;
    Andrew wears a wire

    Apocalypses; 7,

    Scoobies in bondage: Xander big time! Lissa into recreational bondage (or she mistakes him for a kayak?)
    Buffy: 8
    Giles: 4
    Cordy: 5
    Will: 4
    Jenny: 1
    Angel: 4
    Oz: 1
    Faith: 3
    Joyce: 1
    Wes: 1
    Xander; 3
    Dawn; 4
    Spike; 3

    Scoobies knocked out: Xander passes out, Giles is the one notorious for it but he's far ahead.
    Buffy: 20
    Giles: 12
    Cordy: 6
    Xander: 16
    Will: 9
    Jenny: 2
    Angel: 6
    Oz: 3
    Faith: 1
    Joyce: 3
    Wes: 1
    Anya;7
    Dawn; 4
    Tara; 1
    Spike; 1

    Kills: 1 Bringer for Giles, 3 vamps for Buffy plus Lissa giving her her 200th kill! 2 vamps for Woods plus he says he's killed 'A few vamps and some demons' previously so we'll give him 3 more vamps and 2 demons at least.
    Buffy: 121 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
    Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.
    Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
    Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
    Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
    Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, 2 humans
    Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon
    Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
    Spike; 9 vamps and 6 demons+1 human
    Buffybot; 2 vamps
    Tara; 1 demon
    Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon
    Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire
    Amanda; 1 vampire
    Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons

    Scoobies go evil:
    Giles: 1
    Cordy: 1
    Will: 4
    Jenny: 1
    Angel: 1
    Oz: 1
    Joyce: 1
    Xander: 4
    Anya; 1
    Dawn; 1
    Buffy; 1
    Spike; 1

    Alternate scoobies:
    Buffy: 8
    Giles: 4
    Cordy: 1
    Will: 6
    Jenny: 2
    Angel: 3
    Oz: 2
    Joyce: 2
    Xander: 4
    Tara; 1
    Dawn;1
    Spike; 1
    Anya; 2

    Recurring characters killed: 13
    Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.

    Sunnydale deaths;
    103

    Total number of scoobies: 15-Chao Anh and Woods join the group. Andrew really picks his side here and starts taking a major step to becoming a proper Scooby.
    Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Chloe, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Woods

    Xander demon magnet: 6(7?) yet another demon digs Xander
    Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

    Scoobies shot:
    Giles: 2
    Angel: 3
    Oz: 4
    Riley; 1
    Buffy; 1
    Tara; 1

    Notches on Scooby bedpost: does Xander get anywhere with Lissa before she ties him up? (or afterwards?)
    Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
    Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 2 possible, Dracula+RJ(?)
    Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
    Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
    Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
    Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
    Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
    Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
    Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
    Anya; 2 Spike and Xander

    Dawn in peril; 14

    Dawn the bashful virgin; 9

    What the fanficcers thought;
    Once read a HORRIBLE fic where Giles really was killed by the Bringer and season 7 Giles is Ethan Rayne in a glamour spell. By the end of the fic Buffy has been tricked into killing Spike, Woods tricked into raping Buffy who then kills him and Buffy slits her wrists in the bathtub in despair. Thankfully in the follow-up story the Scoobs save Buffy using a blood transfusion from Dawn and her love for her friends and family give her the will to live. After sharing the Slayer power with the Potentials she obliterates the Hellmouth with a nuke borrowed from Riley&co, Ethan Rayne reforming to become her new Watcher and Amanda and Anya surviving the final battle. Meanwhile in season 5 Angel Harmony misses her blondie bear and gets her hands on the spell WR&H used to bring back Darla....

    Questions and observations;
    Note in the scene where Giles' is leading the girls through the graveyard one of the tombs reads 'Snyder'. Only a limited number of Potentials each ep as they can't afford more. Buffy says she believes in Spike. The First knows about the gun implying that Amy was one of it's agents, otherwise how would it know? Of course the 'blood' on Buffy's blouse that Anya is trying to clean is actually the pizza sauce Dawn spilt on it in 'Conversations with Dead People'. People constantly mock Buffy's counselling skills, she seems to actually enjoy her job, something in her life that's NOT connected to slaying (Woods feels the same way saying he enjoys being the headmaster). Woods has no slayer powers, if he was a Slayer's daughter you wonder if that might be different. Buffy seems intrigued that Slayer's can have children, something she and Faith might now have the chance to do (certainly post-Chosen). Note Amanda still has her forehead scar from Potential. So anyone's blood can open the seal? Why doesn't the first just have it's Bringers kidnap random people? Why does The First want Woods to kill Spike, isn't he it's agent? Poor Woods, how heartrending for him to find his mother's killer after all this time. When Woods tells the First 'You didn't raise me at all' is he saying "You're the First so you didn't raise me' or is he mad at his mother for dying and leaving him alone? I always thought vamp limbs went to dust when they were removed from the body but here we see they don't (luckily for Spike in 'Damage')

    Marks out of 10; 7/10
    moreless

  • just a filler episode with a few comedic moments

    6.0
    "Fair"
    By omelethc, Aug 04, 2011
    Despite the few mildly funny bits with Xander and Andrew and some others, this episode was pretty weak.

    Buffy and Xander get dates. Giles points out the stupidity of this considering their circumstance, as well as confronting Buffy about her irrational soft spot for Spike with regard to chip removal. Buffy says that he has a soul now which should prevent him from being evil (as if the presence of a soul makes you not hurt people? clearly a fallacy). Giles is ignored in both cases. Principal Wood turns out to be a vampire hunter. Really? So considering the gang's underworld informants, and nightly patrolling, they never got wind of any of this? Why does he have so many knives and axes, and no stakes in his secret closet? And why would he put that stuff in his office where it could be discovered when he could leave it at home, considering it is a day job?

    Xander's date turns out to be evil... c'mon. How did she even get him down there in the school basement from the coffee shop? I assume also that she dug all that dirt off the seal. Just non lethally cutting Xander in the stomach did more with regards to raising the vampire than Jonathan bleeding to death? This plot line is just plain stupid. When Buffy goes to Spike's side to see if he's ok (though he can't die from normal wounds) before going to Xander, it is reminiscent of her betrayal of her friends in season 6. She clearly cares more about the guy who tried to rape her than her lifelong friend. She then indicates to Spike that she needs him still emotionally and that he should not leave despite the First having a plan for him. She is so utterly selfish and stupid.moreless

  • "Or what if he is wicked, in which case, is that why I'm attracted to him?" - Buffy "Why go looking for trouble? If it's gonna find you, it's gonna find you." - Xandermoreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By rachel_london, Apr 26, 2011
    In the last episode, one of the season's mysteries was solved - Giles is not the First after all (reiterated in the teaser when we see how he offed the squeaky-soled axe-wielding Bringer) - in this, we find out about Principal Wood just as he finds out the name of his nemesis at the same time that the nemesis might have become dangerous again.

    Two themes run throughout the story things are not what they seem, and some wicked back-to-the-beginning continuity: from the return of Giles's legendary bad flashcard illustrations to Nikki the dead subway Slayer, to Xander mentioning it would soon be his and Anya's wedding anniversary (last season's Ep 15), to Anya washing 'blood' out of Buffy's date top, a stain that is actually Dawn's pizza from Conversations With Dead People. The blood is not what it seems to be, sometimes things are more innocent than they would appear at first sight.

    So, taking the lead from Willow and Kennedy, Buffy and Xander are moving on from their ex-lovers and both have dates. Buffy suspects Robin Wood of being "aligned with the First" and "too charming to be real", but it's Xander's date who turns out to be both of these things. Buffy finds a man mysterious and possibly dangerous, so her reasonable course of action is to go out with him to a hard-to-find downtown restaurant. Both Wood and the writers are leading us down a blind alley as a vamp-gang attacks and Principal Wood turns out to be... a Boy Slayer! No?

    Meanwhile, flabby Xander (the Reptile Boy days are over) is stripped, strapped and stabbed. He is (almost literally) gutted that he is, once again, a demon magnet, although he does manage to send a coded text to Willow (with his pen1s?) so that Buffy can rescue him. Poor old Xander; he doesn't know that worse is to come, but he foreshadows it once more as he says of his date: "I'm going in blind" (I think the wardrobe people were also blind when dressing Ashanti in a split-skirt and crop-top, although they may have been following the tedious trope of sexy woman=evil woman).

    Neither date works, one because the girl was a demon, the other because Buffy can't do without her demon. Spike knows that Wood is his romantic rival, but not that Wood is plotting vengeance, whereas Wood knows that Spike is is his enemy, but not that he might have riled him by taking Buffy out. It's Spike who looks like the bigger man, he doesn't show Buffy any jealousy, he gives the Slayer her space.

    Meanwhile, Andrew has had a haircut, a new microwave (last seen exploding in Conversations With Dead People) and a visit from Jonathan-slash-the-First. It seems that Andrew is moving back to the dark side (indicated by his black jumper), but surprise! Things are not what they seem and Andrew tries to fool the First, (let's not go into the metaphysics of trying to tape a non-corporeal evil entity), earning him some bonding points with Dawn as she tells him that he was "really amazing". Although would anyone have minded if he had have done the First's bidding and killed all the Potentials? Fortunately, only Amanda, Lieutenant Kennedy and a new Chinese recruit are involved in this episode (Giles can speak ancient Sumerian but not modern Cantonese?)

    Ironically, at the end of an ep that explained Wood and showed that he is on the side of good, we see that he may turn to the dark side after all, as Nikki/The First reveals to him who her killer. We see that TFE is stepping up its battle for souls. It has tried to corrupt the bad ones (Spike, Andrew), and failed as they have both come into the Slayer fold, so now it's moving onto the good people, trying to find the smallest spot of evil in them and working on it. Just as the Scoobs must put away childish things, choosing duty over dates, blood over pizza, and concentrate on the good fight (i.e. become adults), then Wood must put away his thoughts of revenge before he can join the gang. As Ashanti asserts: "The end is coming. The final fight, and everyone is hearing the drumbeat. It's telling us to pick our partners, align ourselves with the good or the evil." There are no more grey areas and those on the rocky road to redemption - Spike, Willow, Andrew, Anya - have to remain on it; they can't cross over to the dark side of the street; there is no more room for blurred lines. Buffy's justification for the removal of the chip fits into this she can't defeat evil with evil, she has to choose to let Spike choose, to unmuzzle him and to allow him to do good in order to help her.moreless

  • First Date

    10
    "Perfect"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Apr 26, 2011
    First Date was a perfect episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode had lots of action, drama, intirgue, humor and the classic trait of Zander going on dates with Demon women. It was fun to watch as Buffy learned the truth about Principal Wood, as he learned the truth about who really killed his mother. Zander went on a date with a seemingly random woman who turned out to be working for The First. I like that the series continues to play upon the characters repeated history. This was a very entertaining episode that moves the season forward. I can't wait to watch th enext episode!!!!!!!moreless

  • First dates all around.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By SMGslayer97, Jan 03, 2011
    Buffy ends up on a "kind of" date with Principal Wood, though it's not actually a date as it turns out. Xander has a date with some girl he picked up, who turns out to be a demon surprise surprise and Willow's totally been making out with this girl...I mean Kennedy (Anya's words!). And while the gang is off skipping in date land The First targets Andrew again to aid in it's bidding. However, this time Andrew isn't quite so easily manipulated. Turns out he's not so evil after all and he's so freaking hilarious!

    Jonathan/First: Oooh. Ahhh. It burns as it ineffectually passes through me. I'm not corporeal, remember?moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (12)

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    • In addition to Miss French and Lissa, Xander also dated/had sex with a semi-evil ancient mummy (Inca Mummy Girl), the formerly evil Anya (The Prom), the eventually-evil Willow (Homecoming), the soon-to-be evil Faith (The Zeppo), and Cordelia, who just the following day would be revealed as evil over on Angel (Calvary). That's seven evil out of seven, hence the comment about "playing the odds" whether Xander was getting lucky or in grave danger.

    • When Anya tries to help Buffy get rid of a stain on her shirt she says that it's blood, or maybe pizza. In "Conversations With Dead People", Dawn eats pizza holding the shirt, and gets a stain on it, but says: "Never mind, she'll think it's blood".

    • In the opening graveyard scene, the name "Snyder" is on one of the headstones.

    • When the demon first cuts Xander, we see blood start to pool on the seal. When Buffy comes in the room, we get a view of a very bloodless seal. We do not see blood on it again until Wood is cutting Xander down.

    • When Buffy and Wood first see a vampire come around the corner in the alley, the vampire isn't actually there and the shot is stock footage from "The Gift". It was the vampire from the beginning of that episode.

    • How exactly is Xander able to call/text Willow that he's in trouble, what with being bound to the wheel and all?

    • When Wood is driving he looks in the mirror for Spike, whose sitting in the back seat. However, he doesn't seem to notice that he doesn't have a reflection, or if he did, he seems surprised later on, when Spike goes into his "vamp" form.

    • In "Bring on the Night", the Turok-Han doesn't come out until the seal is fully open. Why didn't the Turok-Han's arm turn to dust when the seal cut it off. It "Conversations with Dead People", a whole mass of blood flows from Johnathan onto the seal, but when Xander's blood is dripping drop by drop, onto one single place.

    • If those dark alleys are so infested with the vampires how does anyone get to that restaurant without getting killed? Who opens a luxury French restaurant in an alley anyway?

    • Willow tries to call Buffy, can't, and Spike leaves out the door. He doesn't have a cell phone or anything, but later when Buffy asks Spike how he knows where Xander is, he says that Willow used a locator spell. When? He left before she had a chance to do anything.

    • When Xander was bound to the wheel we clearly see his hands and feet bound, but principal Wood only cuts the ropes on his hands yet he falls off the wheel.

    • After jumping Giles in the graveyard, Spike says Anya said Giles was the First. But Anya and Co. didn't even consider Giles could be the First until after Spike and Buffy were out with the Initiative, and they disproved their theory before ever meeting up with Spike and Buffy again.

  • QUOTES (10)

    ADD QUOTES

    • Buffy: The First is back in the mix. Spike: It talked to the little boy. Said it wasn't time for me yet. I should move out. Leave town before it is time for me. Buffy: No. You have to stay. Spike: You've got another demon fighter now. Buffy: That's not why I need you here. Spike: Is that right? Why's that then? Buffy: Because I'm not ready for you to not be here.

    • Xander: Another demon woman was attracted to me. I'm going gay. I've decided I'm turning gay. Willow, gay me up. Come on, lets gay. Willow: What? Xander: You heard me. Just tell me what to do. I'm mentally undressing Scott Bakula right now. That's a start, isn't it? Andrew: Captain Archer... Xander: Come on, let's get this gay show on the gay road. Help me out here. Buffy: What if you just start attracting male demons? Dawn: Clem always liked you.

    • Willow: No, it's a text message. Oh, it's from Xander. It's one of our signals. Amanda: Signals? Willow: Yeah, the system we set up a while back. Like codes. Uh, this one's either "I just got lucky, don't call me for a while" or "my date's a demon who's trying to kill me." Kennedy: You don't remember which? Willow: It was a long time ago. Dawn: Well, if we play the percentages... Giles: Something's eating Xander's head. Anya: Say, that's gratifying.

    • Buffy: There he is, on the Hellmouth, all day every day. That's gotta be like being showered with evil. Only from underneath. Willow: Not really a shower. Buffy: A bidet. Like a bidet of evil.

    • Andrew: What do you want from me Jonathan-slash-The-First?

    • Jonathan/First: Oooh. Ahhh. It burns as it ineffectually passes through me. I'm not corporeal, remember?

    • Buffy: Now if I were a sign of evil, where would I be?

    • Jonathan: Did you find the gun? Andrew: Yes. It was in Buffy's underwear drawer. She has nice things. Jonathan: Show me. Andrew: Well, I didn't take 'em, but there were thongs and regular underpants. Jonathan: Show me the gun.

    • Anya: Fine. Go. Leave me here to stew in my impotent rage... I'm also gonna pee, so you should probably go.

    • Buffy: I guess it was instinct, like you were talking about. Giles: I made that up! I knew the bringer was there because his shoes squeaked!

  • NOTES (5)

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    • Xander's joke about "going gay" at the end of the episode may be a winking reference to comments Joss made earlier in Buffy's run about always planning for either Xander or Willow to turn out to be gay.

    • Four of the potential slayers; Molly, Rona, Vi and Chloe, do not appear in this episode.

    • In "Potential", Andrew asked if they were going to get the microwave fixed, it having been smashed by Dawn in "Conversations with Dead People". In this episode, they seemed to have bought a new one, and Andrew is setting it up.

    • The First Evil cannot be recorded on film.

    • Principal's Wood's mother was the Slayer killed by Spike in the New York City subway, first seen in season 5's "Fool for Love". The character is played by a different actress in this episode.

  • ALLUSIONS (2)

    ADD ALLUSIONS

    • Willow: I've googled till I just can't google no more. Willow is referring to the near exhaustive Google web search engine. She also used it in "Help" when searching for information on Cassie Newton.

    • Xander: I'm mentally undressing Scott Bakula. Scott Bakula, best known as Dr. Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap, now stars in the UPN series Enterprise as pointed out by Andrew as Captain Archer. Enterprise is the 5th Star Trek series, and is actually set before all previous Star Trek time periods, showing the earliest days of space exploration.

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