Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Freshman

Season 4, Episode 1, Aired 10/5/99

Episode Summary

It's a new year, and Buffy is matriculating at UC Sunnydale. Willow is completely in her element in a place of higher learning, and Oz, whose band has played on campus several times, is right at home as well. Giles is entertaining an old girlfriend who is visiting from England, and Xander is away on a cross-country trip.''''Meanwhile Buffy feels like a fish out of water. Her classes are harder, she has almost no friends, she drops a pile of books on a cute guy, and her roommate is too annoyingly perky for words.''''But when a fellow student goes missing and Buffy suspects supernatural badness, she begins to think that college life may not be so different after all.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Sarah Michelle Gellar

Buffy Anne Summers
Nicholas Brendon

Alexander 'Xander' Harris
Alyson Hannigan

Willow Rosenberg

Fan Episode Reviews (30)

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The series worked best in high school

6.0

"Fair"

By joxerlives, Jan 20, 2012 Report Abuse

The Good;
Very clever ep, it's interesting that we really feel for Buffy, we're used to her being invincible but here she's bested by an ordinary vamp and it shakes her and us (note that people refer to her as 'Willow's friend'). Of course, our girl comes back and it's possible she was only off her game because Kathy had been sucking her soul. Great opening gag with the vamp behind Buffy and Will and it's amazing how funny the old comedy cliche of the smallest person carrying the biggest load can be.

The Bad;
It is disturbing to see Buffy so upset but the whole idea of putting the heroine in peril is to see her overcome

Best line;
Xander; You're sitting here alone looking like you've been diagnosed with cancer of the puppy

Character death; poor Eddie. Buffy says it's been a 'Slay-heavy summer'.

Shot;
no Scoobies but the vamp tranqulised at the end

Tied up;
No but Eddie's favourite book is 'Of human bondage'

Knocked out;
No although Riley says he has a slight concussion

Women good/men bad;
Professor Welch considers herself the 'evil bitch monster of death'. Sunday tells Buffy she 'fights like a girl' (which is maybe why Buffy beats her?)

Jeez!;
The idea of Sunday and co not only killing the weaker students but mocking them is awful.

Kinky dinky;
Buffy thinks 'Of human bondage' is porn which she's 'trying to cut down on'. Xander spent the summer working in a male strip club kitchen (and possibly on stage?) Read a great fanfic once where Wes pays for his motorcycle by working in the same club under the stage name 'Huge Grant'. Buffy compares Giles to Hugh Hefner and he now has the lovely Olivia as his own girl next door. Buffy thinks Giles shouldn't have a private life because he's old and it's gross which is a bit of a blow for Guffy. When Xander is all alone he sometimes wonders what Buffy is wearing. Willow compares learning to a sexual act

Calling Captain Subtext;
Xander and Oz don't hug because they're too manly. Buffy comments that she hopes her mum has a 'funny aneurysm' which is foreshadowing indeed as is the reference to Joan Armatrading's 'Once more with feeling'.

Scoobies to the ER;
No, Buffy's arm is hurt but not broken (and even if it was would heal pretty quickly)

Where's Dawn?
Interesting scene where Buffy goes home to find Joyce is storing stuff in her room. You wonder why she didn't put it in Dawn's room which isn't occupied yet?

Questions and observations;
Interestingly Buffy hasn't accepted Christ as her personal saviour, the series has always had an ambiguous relationship with Christianity. Five Scoobies at this stage, Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow and Oz. Buffy shows great tactical awareness, Faith or Kendra might have fought to the death even when they know it's hopeless, Buffy retreats, get's reinforcements and defeats the bad guys. Great gag where Buffy answers the phone, we know it's actually Angel phoning just to hear her voice. Buffy just walks into Giles, doesn't even knock.
Marks out of 10; 6/10 I think although that might be a little generous
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Moping is not a good look for you.

6.5

"Fair"

By frostbite200, Aug 29, 2011 Report Abuse

Season 4 kicks off with new a local and challenging issues in Buffy's personal life. Towards the end of season three, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was trying to juggled accommodate lot of characters, while this wasn't a bad thing, it did mean some of the less important characters were subjected to one-liners a hand full of B-plots. With Angel taking Cordelia off to his own show and the departure of Wesley, things do have some more breathing space, that being said, they wasted no time in finding quick replacements, not sure if that's a good thing. On then plus side, Xander was so awesome here, never really pictured him as the moral support kind of guy, but he does it well. I wish Seth Green had more to do and the serious lack of Giles was disappointing. Depressed Buffy is one of the fews things I didn't love in the opener season 2, it is handled about the same here, except she'd less bitchy, more mopey. Not sure which I'd rather stomach, while moping got more sympathy out if me, her rage in season was more in tune with the character. My only real frustration was how easily Buffy took that beating from Sunday.moreless

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Buffy gets a challenge

8.5

"Great"

By Phunner1416, Jun 06, 2011 Report Abuse

This episode shows Buffy's first time at university, and shows a villain, that isn't a Big Bad, that she can't defeat. It also shows Buffy being overwhelmed by the pressure of her new teachers, her friends easily being able to cope, and her first new friend gets killed and turned into a vampire, just like with Jesse, Xander and Willow's original third friend. All-in-all this episode was good, it lived up to the usual Buffy the Vampire Slayer standards, but not one of its most spectacular episodes. It also barely has Xander in it, which is one thing that makes it not wonderful.moreless

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The Freshman

10

"Perfect"

By TrueTvWatcher, Oct 18, 2010 Report Abuse

The Freshman was a perfect start to the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode kept with the classic stlye of the series. It also layed out the ground work for the major story lines that will be developing in this season. I think the gang fit into their new lives just as viewers would expect. It was interesting to see Buffy having a lack of confidence in herself in school, and in slaying. It was a very relatable experience for all college freshman. There was plenty of action, character development, and perhaps even romance. I really look forward to seeing what happens next at UC Sunnydale!!!!!moreless

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Season 4, Episode 1.

8.0

"Great"

By Wanted23, May 04, 2009 Report Abuse

Buffy and Willow are finally in college. Willow is in Heaven and Oz frequently plays on campus, but Buffy feels like a fish out of water. When a guy disappears from the campus and returns as a vampire, Buffy realizes there is a dark force lurking on campus.

This wasn't a necessarily bad episode. It had a much different feel to it. I liked the scene in the beginning with the vampire though. This episode just felt really different. It was kinda weird. I liked the way Buffy looked in the whole episode, though. I liked when Buffy fell through the glass window. Kathy is so weird, though. Cool episode.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- An odd thing about the vampires is that they have been doing this for years and have no clue if the person they are biting/robbing has a roommate. Edit
- Before the vamps appear Eddie and Buffy are talking about "security blankets" and Buffy says hers is "Mr. Pointy." This refers to Kendra's lucky stake from the Season 2 episode What's My Line which she gave to Buffy. Edit
- When Buffy and Willow first encounter Oz, Buffy's hands are together with her right hand over her left. The camera angle changes and Buffy's right hand is now holding onto the side of her U.C. Sunnydale booklet. Edit
Notes
ADD NOTES
- In the scene where Willow, Oz and Kathy find the note on Buffy's bed, the microphone can be briefly seen in the mirror behind Willow. Edit
- In the scene where Buffy talks to Kathy for the first time, the microphone can be briefly seen in the mirror behind Kathy. Edit
- Music: Buffy is walking around UC Sunnydale at the beginning of the episode -- "Universe" by Stretch Princess Sunday and her vampire clan are talking about Buffy -- "I Wish That I Could Be You" by The Muffs Buffy is looking for her room -- "Freaky Soul" by Paul Riordan Playing on Giles stereo when Buffy enters his apartment -- "Memory Of A Free Festival" by David Bowie On stage at the Bronze -- "You And Me" by Splendid Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- Buffy: Thanks for the Dadaist pep talk. I feel much more abstract now. Xander:The point is, you're Buffy. Buffy: Yeah. Maybe in high school I was Buffy. Xander: And now in college you're Betty Louise? Buffy: Yeah, I'm Betty Louise Plotnick of East Cupcake, Illinois. I might as well be. Edit
- Buffy: How am I supposed to hunt in this mob? Don't you people have homes? Eddie? Eddie! Eddie, hey! Wait up. God, I was worried something had happened to you... (she sees Eddie's face) And of course it has, because you're a vampire. Edit
- Buffy: OK, remember before you became Hugh Hefner, when you used to be a watcher? Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Stoner Vampire: I'm thinkin' Slayer blood's gotta be, whoa, like Thai stick. Thai stick was a particularly potent form of marijuana popular in the 60's and 70's. Edit
- Xander: Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to anger. No wait, hold on... First you get the women, then you get the money, then you...
  This is a combo. The first part is a misremembered quote from the movie Star Wars: Episode I. The full, correct quote is: "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." The second part is a variation on a quote from the 1983 movie Scarface. In the movie the line is spoken by Al Pacino and goes as follows: "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women." Edit
- Xander: There's some purple mountains majesty, I'm gonna have to say.
  This line refers to lyrics from the patriotic song "America the Beautiful" which was written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893. The lyrics go as follows: "O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties, Above the fruited plain!" Edit