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Season 5, Episode 1
Written by Marti Noxon
Directed by David Solomon
Original Airdate: 25 September 2000
"Now that I know there's something to know, I
can't not know, just because I'm afraid somebody'll know I know, you know?"
Willow
REGULAR CAST
GUEST CAST
CO-STARRING
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E.J. Gage as
Mover #1
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Scott Berman as
Mover #2
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Marita Schaub as
Vampire Girl #1
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Leslee Jean Matta as
Vampire Girl #2
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Jennifer Slimko as
Vampire Girl #3
SYNOPSIS
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Unable to sleep, Buffy goes out to patrol the
cemetery and after staking a vampire, she returns to bed. At the beach,
Buffy and Riley play around and the gang attempt some relaxation under
the sun. After Willow uses magic to ignite the barbeque, a storm starts
suddenly, forcing them all to seek shelter from the rain. Two men
deliver a large crate to a residence, but when they drop it, a clawed
hand breaks through the wood and attacks the men.
Giles has Willow begin to scan the pages of books so that they can be
resources for the gang to use. He then announces to her that he's going
back to England because it seems he's no longer needed by anyone in
Sunnydale. Buffy has dinner with her mother then goes out to patrol.
After staking one vampire, she is confronted by another. However, this
is no ordinary vampire: he is Dracula.
Buffy talks with the legendary vampire, and when she tries to stake him,
he is able to disappear. Xander and Willow arrive to see Dracula before
he turns into a bat and flies away. The gang talks about Dracula, all of
the women focusing on how amazing he is. Riley and Xander both express
their jealousy towards the Dark Prince. Willow makes a lame attempt to
attract attention to Giles and his usefulness, but the gang seems
oblivious to it all.
Anya talks adoringly about Dracula and as Xander is walking home alone,
he runs into the vampire himself. Using his mysterious charms, Dracula
persuades Xander to be his aid and lure the Slayer to him. Riley goes to
Spike for information regarding Dracula. Spike reveals that he knows
Dracula, but warns Riley that Dracula is too dangerous for the former
commando to take on alone. Buffy awakens to find Dracula in her bedroom.
She is helpless against his powers and unable to stop him from biting
her. When she wakes the next morning, she spots the puncture marks in
her neck and hides them with a scarf.
While munching on donuts, the gang talks about their plan of attack on
Dracula. Buffy seems distracted and after hearing about the truths of
Dracula, she leaves abruptly. Riley follows her and forces her to take
off the scarf to show the puncture marks on her neck. Everyone is
shocked to see that she has been under the control of Dracula. Since
Xander is under Dracula's power, he has a strange hunger for spiders and
attempts to defend the powerful vampire to his friends. Xander
volunteers to have Buffy stay safely at his place, Willow and Tara use
magic to protect the Summers' home, and Giles and Riley go after
Dracula.
Anya complains about not going after Dracula herself, until Xander locks
her in the closet. Xander takes the willing Slayer to his 'Master' in
hopes of getting immortality in return. After being left alone with
Dracula, Buffy tries to take control and stake him, but he is easily
able to make her put the stake down. Riley and Giles discover Dracula's
castle that mysteriously appeared in Sunnydale and enter carefully.
Dracula talks to Buffy of all the things he will do for her while she
struggles to regain control of herself.
Xander tries to stop Riley from going after Dracula, but Riley quickly
knocks him out. Giles finds himself a victim of the Three Sisters who
effectively keep him distracted. Dracula offers his blood to Buffy and
she hesitantly takes a drink. A flash of memories allows Buffy to break
his control over her. Riley rescues Giles from the sister vampires and
they go to save Buffy. Buffy and Dracula fight in a vicious battle and
finally Buffy stakes him. After they leave, Dracula comes back from the
dust. Buffy is there and stakes him, knowing he would come back.
Buffy talks to Giles, telling him that she wants to be the Slayer again,
to learn about her duties and her future. She asks Giles to be her
Watcher again and Giles is pleased. Buffy comes home and announces to
her mom that she's going out with Riley. As she enters her room, she
finds a girl there going through her stuff. Joyce tells Buffy that she
should take her sister with her if she goes out.
TRIVIA
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Emma Caulfield has been added to the opening
credits from this episode. Amber Benson and Kristine Sutherland have
also been promoted and are listed by character name in the guest
credits. Michelle Trachtenberg makes her first appearance as Dawn at the
end of this episode.
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Rudolf Martin, who plays Dracula in this episode,
previously worked with Sarah Michelle Gellar on All My Children.
Rudolf also played Dracula again in 2000 in the TV Series Dark
Prince: The True Story of Dracula. The Buffy credits for
Rudolf were misspelled and his name was spelt as 'Rudolph'.
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This is the first season premiere to not be
written by Joss Whedon.
CONTINUITY
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Buffy's scar from Angel's bite in
Graduation Day (Part 2) is seen
again.
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Joyce doesn't know about Willow and Tara
yet, but will find out sometime before the next episode.
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Xander references the time he got
infected with syphilis in Pangs.
GOOFS
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After Buffy and Joyce have eaten dinner,
Joyce has a plate in front of her. The plate then disappears and is
replaced by a large bowl which had previously been a few feet away.
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When Buffy has a heart to heart with Giles,
she has a chain around her waist in some shots and in others she does
not.
Buffy Vs.
Dracula |
Real Me |
The Replacement |
Out of My Mind |
No Place Like
Home
Family |
Fool for Love |
Shadow | Listening to Fear |
Into the Woods | Triangle
Checkpoint
| Blood Ties |
Crush | I Was Made to Love You |
The Body |
Forever
Intervention
| Tough Love |
Spiral | The Weight of the World |
The Gift
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