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
- 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
- Mark Metcalf as The Master
- David Boreanaz as Angel
- Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers
- Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar
- Andrew J. Ferchland as The Anointed One
CO-STARRING
- Scott Gurney as Kevin Benedict
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.
CONTINUITY
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.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
The Watcher's Guide 