Season 1, Episode 12
Written by Joss Whedon
Directed by Joss Whedon
Original Airdate: 2 June 1997
"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is
more than I can say for you."
Buffy Summers
REGULAR CAST
GUEST CAST
CO-STARRING
SYNOPSIS
-
On the eve of the Sunnydale High prom, Giles
translates a very disturbing prophecy from The Pergamum Codex. It says
that the Master will rise up from his dungeon below the earth and the
Slayer will die. At first Giles tries to ignore it but then several
weird happenings occur, pointing to the Master freeing himself.
Giles talks over the prophecy with a distraught Angel. They both are
trying to figure out what to do. Just then Buffy comes in and overhears
him discussing it with Angel. Buffy tells them she won't face the Master
and that she quits. She doesn't want to die.
The news of several students dying at the hands of vampires in the
school makes her realize that she must continue her duties as the
Slayer. She goes to the library and finds Giles preparing to fight the
Master. She punches him out and leaves to go find him.
The Anointed One leads her to the Master. The Master tells her that she
was the key to him freeing himself. He drinks some of her blood and
leaves her dead in a pool of water.
A few moments later, Xander and Angel come running in trying to find
her. They see her dead in the pool. Xander gives her CPR and revives
her. As soon as she is awake they all go to Sunnydale High to stop the
Master.
They find that the Hellmouth is opening right underneath the library.
While Buffy goes to the rooftop to find the Master, Cordelia, Jenny,
Willow and Giles try to fight off a big demon that is rising out of the
library floor, as well as a horde of vampires.
Buffy confronts the Master, who is very surprised to see her. They fight
and this time the Master loses. He falls through the skylight over the
library and impales himself on a sharp wooden stake. Only his bones are
left.
At that moment the demon disappears back into the depths of Hell and the
vampires scatter. When Buffy enters the library everyone celebrates. "We
saved the world," says Buffy, "I say we party."
TRIVIA
-
This is the first Buffy episode to
be written and directed by Joss Whedon.
-
Willow witnesses the aftermath of a vampire
massacre. This changes the character somewhat, as this is the pivotal
moment that she realises exactly what vampires can do. She unwittingly
convinces Buffy to go and face the Master, as the pain she is feeling
touches Buffy so much. In an interview with magazine DreamWatch,
Alyson Hannigan claimed that she filmed a much stronger version of the
scene where Willow and Cordelia discover the bodies of the students: "We
did the tame version for America and...a bloodier version that we
thought we could get away with in Europe. We poured blood
everywhere...It's probably non-existent now" This was the first episode
to be rated TV-14 in America.
-
Having filmed all twelve episodes of season
one before any were transmitted, the Buffy cast and crew had no
idea how popular the show would turn out to be, or if they would be
called back to film more episodes. Anthony Stewart Head even returned to
the UK to play magician Adam Klaus in the BBC series Jonathan Creek.
Luckily, the producers released him so that he could continue to play
Giles.
-
After being resuscitated by Xander, Buffy
says, "I feel strong. I feel different." No explanation of this change
is ever given, either in this episode or in subsequent episodes.
-
The budget apparently didn't allow for any
major CGI, so the Hellmouth's monster eventually became a massive
tentacled thing. Each of the tentacles has a person inside it, operating
it.
-
This episode marks the first and only time
when Nerf Herder's opening credits theme is played during the show.
-
When the Master is killed, only his soft
tissue is dusted, his skeleton stays intact. There is no explanation for
this other than as a plot device for the next episode
When She Was Bad.
CONTINUITY
-
Cordelia's conveniently passed her driving
test since Witch.
-
Buffy briefly dies in this episode. This is
a lot more common than you'd think. She dies again in
The Gift, and for a brief moment
flat lines in Villains. She also
dies in the alternate reality created by Anyanka in
The Wish.
-
Due to Buffy's momentary death in this
episode, Kendra is activated as the Slayer and turns up in Sunnydale in
What's My Line? (Part 1).
-
Xander tells Buffy that he wants to dance
with her. She grants his wish in When
She Was Bad.
-
Xander brings Buffy back using CPR. He also
aids Willow with her spell to resurrect her in
Bargaining (Part 1). He tells Buffy
in End of Days that bringing her
back is what he does.
-
Buffy realises that Andrew Borba, whom she
killed in
Never Kill a Boy on the
First Date was not the Anointed, who fulfils his prophecy in this
episode, by leading her into Hell.
-
Giles is knocked unconscious in this
episode, this time by Buffy. He was knocked out in
Never Kill a Boy on the
First Date, and it'll become a frequent event throughout the series'
run.
GOOFS
-
How does Xander know where Angel lives?
-
When Buffy drowns, she falls into the pool
with her hair tied in a ponytail and her arms under her. When she is
discovered by Angel and Xander, her arms are by her sides and her hair
is loose.
-
In the scene where Willow and Jenny get
into Cordelia's car, Charisma Carpenter's mouth doesn't move when she's
talking at some points.
-
Cordelia bites a vampire and states "See
how you like it." In contradiction to that, Cordelia just moments later,
asks Willow and Jenny what "those things are".
-
When Buffy has her big fight with the
Master on the roof you can see her white shoes. But later when she kicks
him you see that she has on brown boots. When did she change?
-
Willow, Giles and Jenny are talking about
where the Hellmouth will open. They figure the Bronze and Willow yells
"The Prom!". The only problem: the dance was the Spring Fling.
-
Where does Giles get Angel's phone number
from?
-
When Buffy walks through the sewers, you
can see the shadow of a production member on the wall.
-
When Buffy and Xander sit down on the
bench, watch the strap on his shoulder bag. It keeps switching sides in
every other shot.
Welcome to the
Hellmouth | The Harvest |
Witch | Teacher's Pet |
Never Kill a Boy on the
First Date
The Pack |
Angel | I Robot, You Jane |
The Puppet Show |
Nightmares |
Out of Mind, Out of Sight |
Prophecy Girl
|