Buffy the Vampire Slayer : Teacher's Pet

Season 1, Episode 4

Written by David Greenwalt

Directed by Bruce Seth Green

Original Airdate: 25 March 1997

"We all need help with our feelings. Otherwise, we bottle them up, and before you know it powerful laxatives are involved."

Principal Bob Flutie

REGULAR CAST

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

GUEST CAST

Ken Lerner as Principal Bob Flutie
Musetta Vander as 'Natalie French'
Jackson Price as Blayne Mall);
Jean Speegle Howard as Natalie French

CO-STARRING

William Monaghan as Dr. Gregory
Jack Knight as Homeless Guy
Michael Ross Verona as Teacher
Karim Oliver as Bud #1

SYNOPSIS

At the Bronze, Buffy meets up with Angel who again warns her of another demon. She notices a scar on his arm and he tells her to watch herself around 'fork guy' or else he'll rip her throat out. He gives her his leather coat and then leaves. The next day in biology class, Dr. Gregory tells Buffy that he wants to prove everyone who doubts her ability to succeed in school wrong.

The next day, Dr. Gregory is missing and a new substitute teacher, Ms. Natalie French, is assigned to teach the class. She is gorgeous and practically every guy in school falls head over heals for her. During class, she asks for volunteers to help her make egg sacks like those of the Preying Mantis. Blayne, a school jock gets assigned to help the first day and Xander the next day. Later that night, Buffy goes hunting for 'fork guy' in the park. When she finds him, they fight and then he runs off before she can stake him. As she's heading home, she spots the vampire moving in to attack Ms. French, but he runs away when she turns around and looks at him. Buffy is really confused and has no clue why the vampire would be scared of her.

At school the following day, Buffy arrives late to Biology class. As she peers through the window of the door, Ms. French senses her presence and turns her head completely around to see her. Buffy is freaked and runs off. After Willow joins up with Buffy, they rush to the library to tell Giles about what happened. Buffy tries to convince them of what she saw, but neither believes her at first. Buffy then does some research and finds out that Ms. French is actually a giant preying mantis. Giles calls a friend he knew who encountered the same creature and finds that the only way to kill it is to dismember it. Buffy tells Giles to record bat sonar, which makes the preying mantis' nervous system go to hell, while she heads off to go warn Xander.

Meanwhile, Xander goes over to Ms. French's house to work on the egg sacks. Instead, he is drugged and locked up in a cage in the basement. When he wakes up, Blayne is locked up next to him and they are watching the she-mantis prepare egg sacks. Blayne informs Xander that he's already seen her take this guy, lay her eggs, mate with him and bite of the head of her mate. Xander is chosen to go first and tries to make an escape. He fails and is dragged back and tied up.

Buffy, Willow and Giles reach the house of Ms. French using an address from school records, and find that the she-mantis used a retired teacher's records to get into the school. Buffy goes down into the sewers to find the fork vampire and he leads them to the she-mantis' house. Buffy then stakes him. Buffy crashes through the window of the basement and saves Xander and Blayne. Giles plays the bat sonar and Buffy chops the mantis to pieces. After all is done, Willow just happens to mention the fact that the mantis only chooses virgins.

TRIVIA

At the end of the episode we see that there are insect eggs (presumably praying mantises) in the store cupboard. They must have a long gestation period because, as far as we know, they never hatched.

CONTINUITY

Xander's middle name is revealed to be Lavelle. And it's never to be mentioned again.
This episode is the first time Rosenberg is mentioned as Willow's surname.
Angel gives Buffy his leather jacket in this episode. She continues to wear the jacket throughout the first season, and even continues wearing it as far as season three.
Xander's brief liaison with the She-Mantis is referred to again many times in the series, including references in Inca Mummy Girl, What's My Line? (Part 2), Anne and Something Blue.

GOOFS

In Xander's dream, he 'stakes' a vampire in the right side of the chest, not where the heart is.
Dr Gregory lectures to the class about ants. The slide on the screen as he's teaching is of a tiger beetle.
Why is the door open during Cordelia's private counselling session?
After giving his jacket to Buffy, it appears that Angel is wearing a crucifix.
Ms. French's sleeves jump up and down her arms while she is making her cricket sandwich. They are rolled up one moment and down the next.

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