Buffy the Vampire Slayer

WTTH


The Good; Great opening scene, straight from every slasher flick ever but with a Joss twist. Brian Thompson is an excellent villain with a real sense of menace about him as anyone who saw him on the X-files can tell you. He plays a very similar role in the excellent Fright Night pt2. The Master is pretty OTT but like Darth Vaders first appearance in Star Wars you really get the sense this is the baddest guy in the universe and no mistake.

The bad; not much although it's early days yet. The one thing they could have improved upon is putting Eric Balfour in the opening titles, when you don't see him it's a big clue that Jesse isn't going to make it

Best lines; Instantly fell in love with Giles when he states that "You didn't hone". Also a good one from Xander when he recovers Buffy's stake "All I can think of is that you're building a really small fence"

Observations and questions; And here we have the REAL Willow although we'll never again see her so nerdy, from now on she dresses more like Cassandra from the movie. We also never see Buffy wear either her Jehovah Witness dress or her PVC number which is a shame on both counts. Nonetheless both Buffy and Cordy dress scandalously in these early eps, obviously going for the ratings. Darla is also lovely although she really does look too old to be a schoolgirl. But everyone looks SO young. SMG is a little more voluptuous and DB is a lot thinner and it suits both of them
We see Buffy's vamp sense again but it now seems more based on her fashion taste than cramps. Presumably Aura who has the dead guy in her locker is the same girl who calls Cordy in the Angel ep 'Rm w/a vu'? (Do the Cordettes stay constant or do they change over time?)
Cordy has a mobile phone! We won't see one of those again until season 1 of Angel and the Sunnydale Scoobies won't have them until season 7
Another point against Normal Again, Buffy doesn't want to be the Slayer and is trying to leave her past behind her. Presumably either the council or PTB arranged Joyce's job in Sunnydale? Buffy/Cordy fancy James Spader presumably for Pretty in Pink (although that's an 80s film when Cordy and Buffy would both have been toddlers). You wonder what they thought of him in S&M fest 'Secretary' although considering what both get up to in later seasons maybe that would be ok with them (or they'd like him MORE?). Still I guess Buffy is over her Christian Slater phase?
Who's John Tesch?
A strong opener that hints at great things to come but not overtly brilliant in itself, I'll give it 3/5

A good first episode certainly not the worst pilot in existance, Buffy starts out slow and somewhat builds up speed, the episode does a good job of explaining Buffy's birth right and destiny, and sets the foundation for the rest of the series, it also introduces the Scooby Gang and Angel (who will later leave and start his own show). The Master is possibly one of my favorite Big Bad's. Over all Welcome to the Hell Mouth is a pretty decent episode to kick off the series and will lead right into The Harvest, you can expect a lot of great episodes from this series.

Just as in every generation there is a chosen one, every few years, a TV show comes along that really shakes things up and redefines thing. 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' is one such example. It spawned many wannabes, clones and imitators, and probably contributed in no small part to the teen horror movie resurgence of the 2000s. But BTVS, the one that started it all, in many ways remains the best.



The series didn't start on terrestrial TV here in the UK until 1999, shown on BBC Two. Immediately I loved it. (Ironically, on this first episode, shown in original feature-length version with 'The Harvest' in a 9pm slot before the following series moved to it's regular 6:45pm Thursdays haunt, I was in a play the night it was shown, and accidentally only set my video recorder – as we still used back then – for an hour; I had to wait for the story to be released as a stand-alone VHS release, pre-box sets, to see the end of the story!!).



As much as I loved the series at the time, it's one I hadn't yet come back to, to watch again. Part of the reason of this is because of some of the later episodes (I'll dare to say it – in particular, the terrible season 6!) which lacked the charm of the earlier ones, maybe made my interest wane a little; and they maybe turned up dial on the many "feel sorry for Buffy" storylines a little too high. At the start of the series, I loved how the main leads (Buffy, Xander and Willow) were basically nerds and misfits, but by the end of the series they'd become a little too "cool" for my liking.



But I've recently bought the complete DVD collection (after having Season 1 sitting on the shelf for years), so I've decided to re-live this, for the most part, excellent series.



'Welcome to the Hellmouth' sets the scene perfectly. Following on from the 1992 movie (a take-it-or-leave-it popcorn flick that probably would have been forgotten by now if not for it's connection to this series), there are a few vague references to that film, but for the most part, things stand on their own, and you don't need to have seen that movie to get into this series.



Sarah Michelle Geller is perfectly cast as the Slayer of the title. Her quips here are really funny - they did verge on being a bit grating in some later episodes. In fact, with the quips and aforementioned "feel sorry" storylines, I'll make a big confession – if it was purely Buffy herself, I probably wouldn't have really got into this show; it's her oddball friends and associates that really give this series its appeal. (By the way, I hated when people in my local area started trying to talk like Buffy and her little sayings... but then, imitation of TV programmes is something that has gone on pretty much since the invention of TV way back in what, 1975 or something).



I instantly like Xander (Nicholas Brendon), back in the day I wanted to be like him. But the star for many is Willow; Alyson Hannigan brings the character to life incredibly. Again ,Willow is one of the characters who totally changed later on (again, falling slightly into the "cool" syndrome). Fellow Brit Anthony Steward Head, star of a hundred 1980s coffee adds, is likewise terrific as 'Watcher' Giles; and as Cordelia, Charisma Carpenter is delightfully catty about everyone and everything. Then there's David Boreanaz as Angel... another shock confession: I often hated this character! To my 20 year old mind back then, he loved himself way too much; I MUCH preferred Spike (introduced in Season 2). But in fairness, here in WTTH, he plays the mysterious card well, and hey, I'll admit it, back then I was probably a bit jealous of him!!



I'm surprised how many reviewers have decided they don't care for WTTH very much. Certainly its pace isn't as tight as the typical episodes – it has a LOT to introduce and set up; and both it and the first season have a slightly different approach to much of the later series. But for a Pilot, I think it works incredibly well, finding it's footing from the off.



I should also mention the music. The main theme, by Nerf Holder is great (I didn't like when they re-recorded it for Season 3; this original version is far punchier). The series is also notable for eschewing the typical commercial tripe of the time, and instead featuring underground and up-and-coming bands, something which worked really well.



Watching WTTH on DVD this evening, I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did when I first saw it way back in 1999 (until my video timer cut off, of course... d'oh!). I was also presently surprised at how well the series has dated – not bad considering it's 14 years old (wow, has it been that long?)!



All-in-all, I enjoy 'Welcome to the Hellmouth' enough to give it a high-ranking 9.5.



(Review continued in Part 2, 'The Harvest'...)

When I first saw this episode back in 1997 I really enjoyed it. It was smart, hip and fresh with great dialog and music. However, it doesn't seem to have aged too well. Rewatching it is painful at times. There are very clever moments and then there are cheesy moments. I still enjoy the characters, dialog and music, but the story seems pretty weak. However, it was still a good start to a great series, just don't watch it and expect the rest of the series to be more of the same. It gets much better.

First episode, I can even remember that I watched it and was glad that another show had surfaced dealing with the supernatural. (even though these days that's pretty much "normal") Anyway, I loved the whole concept that a tiny white blond girl is the chosen one and is kicking some serious @ss while dealing with all the drama that is teenlife. I'm not sure what I've would have rated this show back in the day but now that I'm rewatching it, I thought it was a good basis for all the characters and some of the jokes still made me laugh. I am spoiled a little(or just a little older) becausenow the vampires look really ...well halloweenish to me and a lot less scarier than first but maybe that's also because it's the pilot. All in all a good episode with a great cliffhanger!

The beginning of an epic classic in television history. I really liked this episode a lot. I love Buffy, and I also like Sarah Michelle Gellar. She gets a lot of good roles and she's marvelous in all of them. I liked when she said, "That gym was filled with vampi---asbestos." Haha. Her facial expression was so good too. I loved the introduction to everybody, especially when Buffy and Giles met. David Boreanez is extremely hot! Woohoo! He's too sexy. He should never be allowed to wear clothes and this show should be for adults, in that case. ;) Weird cliffhanger, though. Nonetheless, enjoyable episode, and an excellent beginning.

So i watched this episode. it was ok. But not super.



It's good thing to start off this series with a bang. Get to see Buffy Starting at school and slaying her first vampire. Not a big fan of the vampire look and I'm guessing the speacil effects get better as the series goes along.



Not sure with the whole master being stuck in the cave and sending his followers out to get Buffy and her friends. And they seem to have endless amount of vampire soldiers.



It would be great to show other people being turned to show how they become vampires before they are killed off. or a bit of back ground.

A great episode in one of the greatest shows in all of the world... Buffy The Vampire Slayer. With this episode they will lead to seven seasons of greatness, and even a comic book continuation. But this episode shows you the introduction of the "Big Bad" of the season, The Master. It captivated all of this and it is only the first part of a two-part episode. The episode's title is also a parody of one of the best songs to be made in the 19th century. Right from the Teaser it shows you what you don't expect which has always been a specialty of Joss Whedon.

Welcome to the Hellmouth, indeed,I would declare that this is my favorite show of all time. The first episode of the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is Exceptional!!! This episode introduces viewers to the main heroine, Buffy Anne Summers, and also introduces us to her future friends, and enemies. I really enjoyed watching this episode, it is a cult classic. I think that this episode is the begining of a classic series that is original and unique. I think that all of the characters fit into their places well. Buffy's Punning is the Best Ever, and the villians are awesome! The writers, directors, and actors of this show are all to be commended for their debut performance of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. This is one of the best Television series of all time!!!

The opening scene of WTTH sets the theme of the show by showing us a girl, looking innocent and schoolgirl-like, and a guy, in a closed school, at night. The guy is obviously searching for danger but the girl seems to be a little bit scared. Only after a minute or so we find out that the girl is actually the one who would never be scared of the dark, because she is a vampire. She kills the boy after she's made sure there's no one around. Now, why is this such a good introduction? Mainly because it is very unexpected that the girl turns out to be the 'bad guy'. It shows that in BtVS girls are not (always) innocent and they can be strong; weater good or bad. The rest of the episode pretty much contains of an introduction of the Scooby's and other main characters in the first season: Xander, Willow, Giles and Cordelia.



Xander and Willow's friend Jesse dies in this episode, and even though the three of them seem good friends they aren't very sad when he gets killed (after being turned into a vampire, by the way). Because we never get to know this character it doesn't really matters that he dies, however weird that may sound. Anyway, if you do care, you are going to be in trouble while watching the rest of the show, because in (almost) every episode people die. Trust me, you'll get used to it.



Besides from the character's being introduced in this epispde, we also get to know their relationships with one another. This is probably always the case in a pilot, otherwise you wouldn't know what and who you are watching, but anyway... Nerdy but cute Willow is being picked on by Cordelia because of the clothes, Cordelia [Cordy] seems to be popular among the other students (or groupies; whatever you call them), Xander appears to be a bit of an outcast on his skateboard, bumping into other students and getting snide remarks from Cordy. And Buffy. Well, she wants to get along with everybody (except maybe Giles, at least at the beginning of the ep), but soon learns that she 'can't' hang out with both Xander and Willow, and Cordelia. Ignoring those unwritten rules, she get's excepted by Cordelia's gang but also has lunch with Willow. This not only shows the viewers the relationship between the characters (Xander&Willow vs Cordy) but it also shows that Buffy does what she wants, which makes her stand on her own. That's something that'll come back in the show, especially towards the end of season seven (the last season), when her friends are against her leading them. I won't go into detail because this review is only about the first episode so I won't jump to the finale. ;) Overall, I love this episode. I have no idea why I rated it a nine in stead of a nine and a half or even a ten. I know why I didn't rate it an eight: Because it's better than that;) No seriously, I can't really explain. I guess some episodes are better, but it depends on what you look at. I love the characters' introduction in this episode, but the overall storlyline (vampire related, I mean) might be less good than in other eps? I don't know. Rating eps is the hardest. The show overall? A ten, for sure!

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What is the point of a pilot episode? Why, to introduce the series, of course, a feat that 'Welcome to the Hellmouth' accomplishes with startling ease. It introduces us to the characters, the setting and the overall feel of the series, and let me tell you, what a series it turns out to be.



Let's start from the top: the episode teaser before the main credits was great, a perfect example of one of the 'spook-outs' that Joss loves to pull on us throughout the series run.



We are of course first introduced to our main heroine, the Buff-Buff. Whedon succeeded in the task of making Buffy an immediately likeable character, what with her quick wit and preference to Willow and Xander rather than Cordelia. Willow and Xander are equally lovable, goofy and shy yet somehow cool at the same time (at least, to me anyway. Am I weird?). Cordelia, on the other hand... ah, you love to hate her! As for The Master, well, struck no fear in my heart! He was just goofy-looking. I think it might have something to do with him rising out of the pool of blood - and yet not covered in blood. Budget-fault and all, but still...



Favourite scene has to me Buffy's first encounter with Angel, although that velvety look he's got going on does nothing for me. Also loving the first fight scene of the series - obviously no where near as epic as some other examples in the series, but it still manages to firmly stamp the 'action' genre into our minds.



The cliffhanger at the end was a bit pointless, in my opinion; we KNOW she's going to get out of it alive, for Pete's sake, she's the titular character, so why bother? On the wit front, this episode had some superb dialogue; something we viewers can get used to for the rest of the series:



Principal Flutie: 'You burned down the gym.'

Buffy: 'I did, I really did, but... You're not seeing the big picture here. I mean, that gym was full of vampi...asbestos.'



Xander: (holding Buffy's stake) 'The only thing I can think is that you're building a really little fence.'



Buffy: 'I'm going to a club.'

Joyce: 'Oh. Will there be boys there?'

Buffy: 'No, Mom. It's a nun club.'



Willow: 'When I'm with a boy I like, it's hard for me to say anything cool, or witty, or at all. I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away.'



and, my favourite:



Cordelia: (after being attacked by Buffy) 'God! What is your childhood trauma?'



Overall, great opening episode, introduces the character's well, and already makes us, as the audience, feel at home.



8/10



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Buffy is a sophmore in high school who has transfered to Sunnydale High after being kicked out of her old school. After a brief interaction with Cordelia, Buffy meets Xander, Willow and Jesse, as well as librarian Giles, and they become sort of friends. However, the Master is preparing for the harvest, and Buffy is warned about this by Angel, while Darla and Luke fight with Buffy.



This episode had some classic moments, including the introduction of all the central characters, as well as Buffy meeting the gang. It's a pilot episode, so it needs to set the scene for the rest of the series. I loved when Xander discovered Buffy was the slayer, and also when Buffy first meets Angel.



This episode of course has some weak moments, such as the teaser scene. I think Cordelia should have a bigger role in the series - she is definately a favourite character of mine, and this episode is great, but compare it to things to come, and this episode is slightly weaker.



Overall a nice introduction, a jam-packed pilot episode which gives us valuable insight into the characters that will become like our family.

"In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone..." but wait, no way. such girl as Buffy Summers can't be alone even in the first day in the new place -- Sunnydale High School. she immediately finds the friends: Willow -- too smart girl, Xander -- too funny guy, Cordelia -- too... (well, just too :), Angel -- too handsome vampire, and Giles -- too old librarian to hang out with the 16-year-olds :) and it's the beginning not only of the great show or of the war between Scoobies and forces of darkness, but it's the beginning of the "fantastic four's" friendship that will last till the end, it's the beginning of the pure love between the Slayer and the vampire that will lead to painful consequences. and it's really beautiful! it's something you've never seen before. it's something you will carry through the life. it's something you want so hard. and it gives the hope that we'll have it someday.



it's the beginning, the very powerful one, that made fans all over the world watch every single episode of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and re-watch the show again, and again, and again...



FAVE SCENE: Buffy/Willow first talk on the school yard.



FAVE QUOTE: Buffy (to Giles): Prepares me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead! Prepare me.

All in all, a nice beginning to the show. Clearly, if you're going to watch BTVS, it helps to see this episode first. It introduces us to Buffy, Xander, Giles, Willow, Angel and Cordy, setting up the BTVS cast for the next several seasons. It explains Buffy's conflicted feelings towards her slayer-ness, neatly covering the vampire/slayer rules and starts the battle with the season's Big Bad, The Master. It's important that the characters establish real relationships and this episode has some funny moments where Willow and Xander adjust to the idea of vampires among them. Xander dubiously returning Buffy's wooden stake and her strained explanation that everyone in LA uses them for self defense because "mace is so passé" is pretty humorous. And it's cute to go back and see all Scoobies looking so young.



Honestly, season one isn't the show's best, though. It spends a lot of time trying to build its backstop and define itself. While important to the overall story, this episode doesn't have a lot of repeated viewing potential. Also, Angel's character is a little bit too... cool. The Angel who Buffy meets in this episode is far more verbally confident than the endearing, socially baffled Angel who emerges later. (Although, it is sort of funny that Buffy assumes Angel and Giles are friends,considering the problems that will arise between them next season.) Angel gets a lot more interesting as time goes on, eventually becoming a supernatural champion whose favorite past time is sitting in the dark alone reading philosophy, brooding, listening to Barry Manilow and, occasionally, watching hockey. And that outfit... Ugh! No way Angel would wear that weird shiny coat. If Spike saw him, poor Angel would never hear the end of it.



My favorite part of the episode: Cordy's increasing confusion and disgust as Buffy questions her about the kid Darla killed. "Geez, morbid much?"

buffy and the hellmouth go together like stripes and polka dots. this episode is one in a million. but the main thing that stands out is WILLOW!! with her long gorgeous hair and her beautiful voice. Xander is also really very funny and will do anything to get buffy to notice him. WILLOW!! has a crush on xander but will help him in anyway to be with buffy as a true friend would, but as for cordy the spoilt rich girl of sunnydale high isn't what she makes out to be. When buffy first meets giles buffy isn't soo keen as she moved to sunny dale unnaware of the hellmouth. she moved t sunnydale after getting kicked out of hr old school henrie 'cause she burnt down the gym.

This Episode was amazing! It starts off the show Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Buffy Summers and her mom move to Sunnydale California. There Buffy meets four new people her own age, who all at first want to be her friend. Superficial Cordelia, who decides near the end of the episode that Buffys to much of a freak to be caught seen with. Brainy Willow, who actually becomes her friend along with dorky Xander. And Jessie, who gets turned into a vampire before him and Buffy can actually become friends. Buffy also meets the new llibrarian, Rupert Giles, he creeps her out a bit at first. Hes actually her new watcher, sent by the watchers counsil. She also meets a stranger, Angel, who seems to annoy her. Buffy wants more then anything to be a normal girl, but she cant fight her destiny. She soon learns that her and her mom moved to the home of the hellmouth. And vampires and demons constantly try to open it. In this episode she has to save her new friends from a gang of vampires. This is such an interesting episode, I was at the edge of my seat. Although the graphics are better in later seasons, it was still believable enough for me.

Welcome to The Hellmouth-Buffy Summers is the Slayer, but after being expelled from her old high school for burning down the gym (it was full of vampires) she just wants to forget about her destiny and be a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She and her mother move from L.A. to Sunnydale, California. A new school, new friends, and a chance to start over. But Sunnydale is on top of a Hellmouth -- a center of mystical convergence that draws evil and demonic forces -- and Buffy soon realizes that she will have to pick up her stakes and holy water in order to save her new friends.



In a time where female action heroes were rare, but at the same time where "girl power" was becoming popular (Xena, Spice Girls). Joss Whedon picked the perfect time to revive the concept of Buffy the Vampire Slayer into a series. While his first shot with Buffy came as a box office flop in 1992, The WB thought the idea was perfect as TV show for it's young audience. By March 1997, Buffy premiered and TV was literally never the same again. Never had an hour of television been so hilarious yet scary at the same time! Joss really put some thought into how Buffy was suppose to be this time and it began with this great premiere. I mean it's been over 10 years since Buffy premiered yet the teaser immediately catches you're attention as you think this young blonde girl with her boyfriend are about to get jump by some monster when it turns out she's the monster! The rest of the episode is filled with unforgettable introductions to which all the actors fit into their roles very quickly. Our leading lady, a then 19-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar is great as Buffy, as she's just a valley girl trying to fit into her new school and trying to forget her past. Then, Xander, the goofy yet funny man played wonderfully by Nicholas Brenden, Willow, which Alyson Hannigan brilliantly captures the character's dorky, innocent nature. Also, Anthony Stewart Head is perfect as the librarian/Buffy's new watcher Giles and Charisma Carpenter nails the mean, self-obessed teen queen that is Cordelia Chase. Lastly, of course, is Angel, the mysterious drifter who runs into Buffy. Even as though as David is a great actor, he is so-so in the premiere episode, although maybe it's because the character so far is very limited and one-note at this point.



The scenes flow well together as the refreshing dialogue was so fresh and still is today. Scenes like Buffy in Principal Flutty's office, her meeting Xander, Giles, and Coredlia, and her running into Angel have some memorable dialogue. One of my favorite scenes is when Buffy confronting Giles in the library after finding out about the dead, the introduction of Buffy being the slayer is played well by both actors, also I love Buffy's comment about "the Time Life series". The episode also introduces the whole town of Sunnydale well, and the Hellmouth concept was always a genius idea. So clever how it's literally under the Sunnydale High as the metaphor for high school being hell is set up flawlessly by Joss Whedon. Our vampire villains are good, with Luke being the brutal if not a little cliche leader of the clan of vampires and Darla, played well by Julie Benz. Althought the character isn't as great as she would be much more developed in the future, she is still a pretty good foe in this episode. Then there's the Master, the first Big Bad of the series and he is pretty msyterious but nothing special about him in this episode. I liked how all characters came together for the firsst vampire encounter, Willow and Xander being afraid yet Buffy keeping her cool with her pre-fight jokes like "Live in the now, I mean you look like DeBarge." Of course, the first time you saw Buffy stake a vampire was cool back in 1997, but now, the special effects look sub-par even cheesy. But the conclusion with Luke about bite Buffy leaves you hanging on to your seats for part 2 of the premiere. One Great start!

As an avid fan of Lost/Alias/Veronica Mars, my friend gave me the Buffy dvd's. He said "you'll like this." Now, I just don't know what I should tell him tomorrow when he asks how I liked the pilot episode. How I liked it? I didn't like it.



To start off with the good: the characters are good. I mean they are not all that amazing as everyone says(though I'm positive the show gets much better than this as it progresses) but they are likable and the dialouge was good.



It was funny seeing Allyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter so young. And the plot is actually somewhat intriguing, but...



(here comes the negativity)



...its ruined by the unbelivable cheese factor. What the heck? Why do they have to make vampires so... unreal? Why can't they just be normal human beings? I mean these crappy masks are not scary at all. It'd be more bizarre if vampires were actually perfectly normal.



Also, what the hell was up with the "Master?" SRSLY. That was so lame. Felt like watching an old cartoon. Actually, it's almost like that. The budget was low, yet they tried to make it look compelling with the (once again) stupid masks and seriously over the top and cheesy sets. As good the dialouge was between the "normal" characters, the dialouge between the "vampires" was downright atricous. Horrible. Disastrous.



I'll probably watch one or two more just for the lulz. I understand that the first season is probably the weakest of the show(many say this)... but I just don't feel like watching 13 or so episodes to finally get to the supposedly good stuff.

What a brillant pilot episoe !



All shows should be like this



This is most deffiently better then the original film (which i liked) It shows Buffy as sassy yet cool. I have seen the unaired pilot which is crass, The beginning was quite scary (not jump out of my skin scary) with the whole woman/man whos the vampire. "What kind of name is buffy" "Hey afrodisea"... hilarious.



Anthony heads portrayl of Giles is superb (i know hes english but WOW)the scene in the libary with him sending off the the times life series and the phone.



I found it quite comical how 'the master' was trapped in an underground church. Angels intoduction was cool too.



Buffy being so nice to willow in the bronze even though she was accepted into the b*tch squad.



i loved how buffy faced up to her responsiblity when willow was taken ! and the to be continued kinda annoyed me !!

Buffy The Vampire Slayer is new to me. I just started the show and am already hooked, however I give a fair and critical review. This episode was a perfect introduction to the show. The characters are already likeable even though some feel pointless or unfleshed out. SMG is the true find as she brings vulnerbility and immortality to the same character, Buffy. Also Xander is a great goofball and Williow is hilarious- you have to love the geek. Good plot, chese factor a wee bit high for my test but still a very solid episode with a cliffhanger to boot (not a very intense one, mind you)!

I have found very few shows that have a fantastic pilot episode, so it isn't surprising that this episode isn't so great. Although it is one the best episodes of the 1st season, season 1 is my least favourite so that isn't a great achievement.

Buffy moves to Sunnydale after being expelled from her school in LA after burning down the gym which was full of vampires. Buffy wants a fresh start but the new librarian won't let her quit her calling. She meets Xander, Jesse and Willow, but Cordelia the school b***h doesn't approve of her befriending those she considers nerds. Xander overhears her discussing vampires with the Librarian (and watcher) and thinks she is crazy. She confronts her only to discover that Willow has been kidnapped by vampires, so Xander and Buffy walk into a trap of vampires. Buffy is pinned down by a vamp..... to be continued



Well it is a good introduction for the characters, but some corny writing, bad vampire masks and not the best acting from several actors. But a very interesting episode for big Buffy fans landing this a rating of 7.9

This is barely a good episode. This should make us to be sure to watch this show again and provide most important information about show. Does this episode do that? I would say barely. There are some scenes that are worth to remember. Like when Buffy first arrive at sunnydale high or Snyder is meeting Buffy at his office. Also the scene when Buffy first time meets Giles is worth to mention. Basic information about show's main storyline is provided by Giles at scene when Giles tells Buffy about her destiny, fair enough way to do it but not great. End part of the episode is not very interesting. After all I think that this is about average of first season's episodes.

It starts with two kids breaking into Sunnydale High. The girl is scared that they're going to get caught, so the guy checks the place out to make sure no one is around. When he clears the area, the girls shows her true form, a vampire, and kills him. Which was a pretty good opener, just a little disappointing in the visual aspect, but it was the '90s. Next you meet Buffy, a 16 year old girl who has just transfered to Sunnydale High after being kicked out of her previous school, of which she burnt down the gym of (it was full of vampires). Buffy gets accepted by Cordelia, the self-declared coolest girl in school. But when Buffy sees her not so nice side she decides to hang out with the "geeky" kids, Willow, Xander and Jesse. When Buffy goes to get some text books from the library Mr. Giles, the librarian, knows who she is. He tries to give her a book titled "VAMPYR" and Buffy freaks out. She thought she would have a clean slate here. All she wanted was to be a 16 year old girl, not a slayer. In the gym girls locker room, two girls are beyatching about all sorts of things, when one of them opens her locker to reveal the boy that was killed by the vampire in the first scene. After investigating the dead boy, Buffy goes to confront Giles and ends up having an argument with him about Buffy being the slayer and just wanting a normal life, all of which Xander overhears. Next you see the vampires in their underground lair, awaiting "the sleeper to awake". On her way to the BRONZE, the only teen hot spot in Sunnydale, Buffy is followed by an extremely gorgeous guy. When Buffy confronts him he informs her she is "standing in the mouth of Hell and it's about to open". He gives her a silver cross necklace and takes off. Buffy meets Willow at BRONZE and whilst talking to her, she spots Mr. Giles upstairs. She goes up to find out what he wants. They have a discussion about her being able to spot vampires and she spots one. One who just happens to be talking to Willow. Buffy follows where they goes, breaking off the leg of a chair as she goes to use as a stake and almost ends up attacking Cordelia by accident. Back inside BRONZE Jesse is talking to the vampire from the first scene, Darla. The vampire Master awakens. Willow and the vampire Buffy spotted are walking to get ice-cream and he leads her into the cemetery. Buffy, still looking for Willow, bumps into Xander outside BRONZE. He tells her he knows she's a slayer, but you can tell he thinks she's crazy. Thomas, the mystery vampire with Willow, pushes Willow into a moselium. She tries to escape but Darla is at the entrance with Jesse, who has been bitten. Buffy somehow finds them with Xander. Buffy kills Thomas and fights with Darla. Luke, the Master's right-hand man, shows up and fights with Buffy as Darla runs off. As Willow, Xander and Jesse are escaping they get surrounded by vampires. Luke starts to beat Buffy and just as he is about to bite her the episode ends. So quite a lot happened in this episode and it was good, but we spent a lot of time introducing the characters, which really was necessary, but brings the episode down a bit, focusing so much on them. (Inside Joke: MMM...Sexy Bob. Grrr!! Aarrg!! :D)

As a Buffy Fan to the highest degree, a true Buffy Geek or Stalker if you will (literally I have seen each Buffy/Angel episode over 50 times as a proud owner of the box sets) I will review the first episode and the remainder of the first season with different criterian than seasons 2-7; with a golf like handicap...Why? Many reasons but several that stand out: The first season had close to no budget as most know, Joss Whedon was given limited resources by the WB...For example, the Sunnydale H.S was one hallway-shot from many creative angles as they did not actually have a H.S. at all to film inside of …Joss was learning on the fly as to what the network needed from characters like Willow and Xander and constantly changing minor details which made it a bit more challenging with regard to continuity or story telling. The Church beneath the School where the Master would eventually arise at one point had characters wandering around and Joss would soon nix the idea entirely. Again continuity would suffer a bit as he was more keen on long term vision and putting the best product on T.V. for years to come. However, despite all of the changing and tinkering Joss would do throughout the season, he still managed to hook a cult following in a very short time frame. That is the difference and brilliance of Joss Whedon, while he tinkers and adjusts the show on the fly with a subtle stroke here or there, most other shows are losing viewers and ratings and in jeopardy of being tossed off the air. Joss not only cleaned up Buffy in Season 1 but created a following that would only grow as his budget and plot development& continuity did moving into Seasons 2 & 3.

Episode #1 does suffer from many of the above shortcomings(for example i still cannot get over the fact that Darla comes off as a very weak vampire which in later seasons she is re written into one of the most critical/evil/powerful and influential in the whedonverse) However Joss overcomes these details or mishaps with us Buffy faithful and manages to to craft a story in which Buffy comes to Sunnydale, introduces the entire cast, an ensemble of villains and leaves a hook asking us for the very next episode...The acting was also strong and gave us insight that this would be a cast that not only would work well together long term, but could also have the potential for well written scripts moving forward. Many low budget shows on television at the time would lack either drama, comedy or well written dialogue. The first episode demonstrated Joss and the cast were going to attempt to deliver all of this into a show sinking its hooks into us as each moment passed.



REVIEW Score: 8.5

This was a very strong start to a classic in TV history. Buffy is now being studied in most every college film clas across the nation and this episode launched this cult phenom. my rating for this is an 8.5 as i will be downright brutal when grading Joss Whedon shows. Joss is the golden rule by my definiton and a 9.5+ on a Whedon show is platnium level or what i call the golden rule.

The episode that started it all. Buffy Summers seems like an ordinary high school girl, who burned down her school gym and slays vampires. So maybe not ordinary.We see her adjust to Sunnydale and we see her slaying. She meets her new watcher- Giles, reluctantly. We are introduced to Willow, Cordelia, Flutie, Xander, Giles, Joyce, Jesse, The Master, Darla, a few vamps, and Angel. This episode also marks the beginning of the terrific friendship of Willow, Xander, and Buffy. Willow, Xander, and Jesse get taken by a few vampires for The Harvest. Buffy comes to the rescue, and runs into a litle trouble. This is the first of a two-part episode.

You should definately watch this episode. It's pivitol really.

This is the first episode of one of the greatest TV shows in the last 20 years, maybe even history. After initially meeting Buffy Summers in the movie "Buffy the Vampre Slayer: The Movie" (for those of you who've seen it) we are again introduced to her at Sunnydale High School, this time, away from Los Angeles.



As all first episodes go this one was magical. We were introduced to the main characters fabulously and brilliantly, and met some of the better supporting characters for this season and the ongoing seasons of the show. What's not to like here? A fantastic script, great perfomances, and a TV presence ahead of its time.



I recommend this show to anyone who's a fan of drama, comedy, and fantasy. It's everything you'll love rolled into one.



Signing off, Ryan B. Rogers

Already being a Buffy fan, I was a little hesitant about the series. I remember when the movie came out I saw it 9 times in the theater! I thought the concept of a cool chick that fights vampires was awesome. Well, I watched the show, and gotta say, the pilot does a great job of staging the rest of the series.

In the film, we see that Buffy and Pike left the school, but it is revealed here that she must have gone back to burn it down to destroy the vampires. Ultimately, she was expelled, and moves to Sunnydale with her mom, Joyce. She walks into the library where she meets Giles, and he tells her "In every generation..." and she is not happy at all. Throughout her day she meets her new friends (Xander, and Willow) who inadvertantly find out her secret. And so the story begins. Buffy and her friends will go on fighting evil through 7 seasons of fun.

very good episode.

this episode introduces most of the caracters and shows you how they fit into the buffyverse.



buffy- the new girl who turns out to be a vampire slayer.

xander- likes buffy and is the first one to find out that buffy is the sayer.

willow- quiet and shy girl. befriend buffy when she is asked.

giles- very posh sounding english man. buffys watcher and school librarian.

cordilia- popular girl (like buffy was in her old school.) does not like buffy but befriends her at first.

jesse- xander and willows friend. gets killed by the master and his "gang" in the first episode.



overall a great episode.

This episode introduces us to characters we will care about for seven great years of tv. Xander the dorky guy with a heart of gold, Willow the shy hacker who has a crush on Xander but he's too dense to notice, Cordelia who at first isn't a very likable person but towards the end of the first season you will see she has layers, Buffy (ok maybe some care about her I think she's a whiny bitca), Giles the watcher who is also the school librarian, Angel the vampire with a soul (don't think it really is a spoiler I mean there's a whole series about him at this point). And of course the place they all congregate Sunnydale a small town that just happens to be on top of a Hellmouth a center of mystical convergance. Anyway this was more of a summary than anything I'd say this is definitely a good intro to the series characters but don't take my word for it watch it tell your friends to watch it get enough people together we might get a new slice of whedonverse