Episode No.	Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1, Episode 9
Directed by	David Solomon
Written by	Marti Noxon & Howard Gordon

Episode Entry

2:53 : Studious vampire Dalton makes his first appearance, and he’s one of the few vampires to turn up more than once in the series. He’s played by actor Eric Saiet, who’s best known for his work on the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He reappears again in Surprise.

6:44 : This graveyard that Buffy is walking through here is a set, actually erected in the Mutant Enemy parking lot. Sarah Michelle Gellar had a phobia of cemeteries, so the new set was built to make things more practical, for both actress and production – and has the added bonus of being slightly more respectful.

8:46 : Mr Gordo, Buffy’s stuffed pig, gets named for the first time here.

10:28 : Buffy calls Angel her boyfriend for the first time; two episodes ago she wasn’t so sure, but this is the first sign of her true commitment.

12:30 : Buffy completes the career test. Her test shows an aptitude for security and law enforcement, which is an area Buffy will work in after Sunnydale’s destruction in Season 9, both privately with DeepScan and with the San Francisco police department.

13:25 : Giles is noticeably distracted in this episode, due to the emotional fallout from Jenny breaking up with him in the previous installment.

15:01 : Drusilla and Spike are not scared of the cross, despite not being able to touch it. Spike uses a cushion and a glove to touch it, whereas Drusilla is brave enough to hover her hand extremely close to it. Neither show fear in the church in the second part of the episode either. The Master mentioned in Nightmares that he didn’t fear the cross, despite it burning him.

16:10 : Drusilla already knows the assassins are coming, not through a vision this time, but through a very distinctive set of Tarot cards. They may or may not be magical in nature.

17:40 : Xander bravely stands up to Snyder, who seems particularly bad-moody in this episode. He tells him he hopes one day he can be just as honest with the diminutive Principal, which he kind of will be, in his dream in Restless.

17:57 : Two men in suits approach Willow at the Career Fair. The one who speaks is played by Michael Rothhaar, who’s credits also include episodes of True Blood and Bones.

18:48 : And finally, after weeks of waiting, Oz gets his wish. He meets Willow for the first time and simply stares at her…

19:08 : …until his first words: Seth Green‘s awesome delivery of the word ‘Canape.’

19:37 : We’re back outside in the Mutant Enemy Graveyard. Seen during the daylight, it loses some of it’s realism – and it’s very easy to spot the exact same spot in multiple episodes, even with set redressing.

20:05 : Giles also considers that law enforcement would be a suitable career for Buffy, simply because the job is so similar to her calling. Faith and Buffy will both formally accept positions with the police force in San Francisco as adults.

21:10 : Giles reminds Buffy of the book that was stolen from his office in the library, which we saw in Lie to Me.

22:08: As the passengers disembark from the bus, the steps have a ‘Watch Your Step’ sticker – that vanish when the Assassin steps out. The last time we saw the bus depot was Inca Mummy Girl.

22:09 : Order of Taraka Assassin #1 is Octarus, a one-eyed human strong-guy. His name comes from the script and is not said in the episode. The actor playing the part is uncredited.

22:17 : Order of Taraka Assassin #2 is Kelly Connell, playing the truly sinister and creepy Mr. Norman Pfister. He appeared in over 70 episodes of Picket Fences between 1992-1996.

22:40 : Mrs. Kalish, the only neighbour of the Summers’ family we ever see is, briefly, played by P. B. Hutton. She appeared in 19 episodes of True Blood as Jane Bodehouse.

23:15 : We saw a coach coming from Sunnydale Airport in Never Kill a Boy on the First Date. This is the first time we visit it.

23:15 : The airport’s real-life location is Long Beach Airport in California.

23:55 : Bianca Lawson originally auctioned and won the role of Cordelia, before the character was set to be a regular. Lawson had to pull out of the role due to previous commitments with the teen sitcom Sister, Sister. Still working on television, Lawson went on to play witch Emily Bennett in The Vampire Diaries and has appeared in many TV series including her role as Maya St. Germain in Pretty Little Liars.

26:02 : Welcome to the Sunnydale Ice Palace – also known in reality as Iceland – which can be found at 8041 Jackson Street in Paramount, California. It’s roughly 25 miles from where Buffy‘s studios were located.

26:03 : Sarah Michelle Gellar is performing her own skating in this scene.

26:04 : The score for this scene, with Buffy on the ice, indulging in her fantasy, is beautiful. It’s composed by Shawn Clement and Sean Murray.

29:10 : Buffy kisses Angel while he has vamp face. She never does this again – and Darla told Angel that Buffy never would in Angel.

30:24 : Giles suggests running away from the Order of Taraka. While she doesn’t consider it often, Buffy wanted to run in Prophecy Girl, will do so in Becoming and will suggest it herself to escape Glory in Spiral.

31:29 : The CGI shot with the worms crawling up Kelly Connell‘s arm is obvious, but there really were wranglers on set to deal with the squirming creatures. For what it’s worth, we’re with Cordy on this one: “I don’t do bugs.”

31:57 : Although we don’t know it at this point, Order of Taraka Assassin #3, Patrice, eyes Buffy suspiciously in this scene. She’s played by Spice Williams, who also appeared as an inmate named Debbie – who attacked Faith in prison, in Salvage.

32:14 : This is the first meeting between Buffy and Oz…

32:14 : …although Sarah Michelle Gellar and Seth Green are great friends in real life and have worked together several times.

34:20 : Angel’s apartment is now less sparse than it was in season one. In fact, it’s clear that he’s tried to make it more homely and therefore ‘Buffy-friendly.’ This is the first time we see her in the apartment.

35:43 : Saverio Guerra is perhaps best known for his role as Mocha Joe on Curb Your Enthusiasm. His character, affectionally called Willy the Snitch by fans, will appear in the series through to season four.

35:43 : ‘Willy’s Place’, his bar, will change locations or layout by the next time we see it in Amends.

36:10 : Angel’s scenes here with Willy are a preview of what’s to come: Angel turns vampire detective in this scene and it’s a side of him we haven’t seen before – and one he’ll spin-off to great use for five seasons from 1999-2004.

36:26 : Willy says that all are welcome at his Place: humans, vampires and demons. He insists on no fighting (although enforcing this is not easy). Caritas will have the same rule in Angel, but also has anti-violence magic protecting it’s patrons.

38:12 : Angel knows that his assailant isn’t an Assassin: she’s not wearing a ring.

39:30 : “Don’t warn the tadpoles.” Despite previously being seen with a stuffed frog in Inca Mummy Girl, Willow tells Giles she has frog fear when she wakes from her dream.

40:52 : Angel is Drusilla’s sire. This is the first time the term is explicitly used the way fans will come to know it as: the term for the vampire that made another. It can also refer to any ‘ancestor’ in their line, such as when Spike referred to Angelus as his sire also in School Hard, despite Drusilla being seen transforming William into Spike in Fool for Love.

41:34 : Xander names their group as ‘the Scooby Gang,’ a title picked up immediately by fans and even adopted by the characters themselves on occasion.

41:34 : Please note, despite Cordelia’s making a sarcastic comment about wanting the Scoobies to like her, she doesn’t actually correct him. From this episode through to Lover’s Walk, Cordelia is now officially a member of the group.

42:40 : How does Kendra track Buffy to Angel’s lair?

43:45 : And in a line that will make the ‘Into every generation…’ intro obsolete, Lawson‘s character floors the audience as she reveals herself as Kendra the Vampire Slayer!

43:48: This is the first ‘To Be Continued’ of the series, not counting Welcome to the Hellmouth, which originally aired with The Harvest. Unlike on that occasion, this version appears before the executive producers credit and with the solid black background rather than the freeze-frame effect used there.