0:51 : The bag Buffy is unpacking appears to be the same one she will use again in Get It Done, although that bag is supposed to be in the possession of Robin Wood. We see it again in Buffy’s dream in Restless.

1:18 : This is the first time we see Joyce’s bedroom.

3:27 : An unfortunate joke if ever there was one: “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.” Xander will lose one in Dirty Girls.

4:02 : Just like Willow in the previous episode, Cordelia is also wearing leather in her Slaying duties. Leather will be more closely associated with the Slayers in the next episode, as it’s a frequent favourite of incoming Slayer Faith.

5:35 : The front door to Giles’ apartment, and the surrounding area outside, now seems to have been finalised: this seems to be the same layout we’ll see throughout the series run.

6:45 : It’s mentioned that Buffy is, at least, no longer wanted for murder. That’s fantastic for her, but was anyone convicted for the death of Kendra in Becoming? Indeed, was her body sent home to rest or was it buried somewhere in Sunnydale, and if so, by whom?

7:12 : A beautiful and quiet moment here: when Giles listens in on the Scooby Gang reuniting, he smiles to himself, unable to show his gladness at Buffy’s return to them, but relieved nonetheless.

7:20 : Please note, despite our speculation, Giles does not own a tea cozy.

7:33 : A joke is made about ‘kindly old people,’ which is more on point than the gang realise, considering Buffy’s adventure in the previous episode.

7:55 : Cordelia herself now comments on the leather – and doesn’t seem to like it much – but does suggest dressing up as a Slayer to improve her relationship with Xander.

8:54 : Joyce is quite correct in her reasoning to Snyder: legally, he cannot keep Buffy from school. Despite the incidents he decides to use against her, Buffy’s grade point average is surprisingly high (for someone who never seems to be in class). Indeed, her SAT score later this season surprises everyone, Buffy included!

9:52 : Joyce threatens Snyder with further action and communication with the still-as-yet unseen Mayor. Snyder’s response this time suggests that that would be an interesting conversation, and seems rather smug – considering how frightened of Wilkins he’s appeared before, in particular in I Only Have Eyes for You.

10:00 : We see the newly constructed main street of Sunnydale for the first time in this episode, including the Espresso Pump. This coffee hang-out, seen frequently over the next two seasons, was built by Mutant Enemy in their car park.

11:04 : Enter Pat. She doesn’t have a surname, but the book she’s reading (The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard) is all about a girl who runs away from home, which is telling. She’s played by Nancy Lenehan, a veteran of television, who has appeared in shows such as Veep, The Boys and with Alyson Hannigan on How I Met Your Mother.

12:51 : This is the first time we venture into the Summers’ basement. It won’t be the last and features more prominently in Flooded and Normal Again.

13:03 : The picture Buffy finds is the one that was in the dining room in Halloween.

13:24 : Another first: the Summers’ backyard and porch… More on this later…

14:29 : The zombie lord Ovu Mobani is the creature inhabiting Joyce’s art mask in the bedroom. Its eyes glow red when it activates and seemingly resurrects the dead. This is the first instance of zombies in the franchise, but unlike most horror franchises, they don’t eat flesh and instantly disappear when defeated.

15:06 : Buffy is dreaming again, this time of Angel on the school campus. While it’s a wonderful moment, it does, as did his appearance in the last episode, suggest an imminent return. He’ll be back on campus within the next two episodes, so the dream is also prophetic.

16:37 : Joyce’s description of Snyder is a fantastic line, delivered perfectly by Kristine Sutherland: “At least he seems more reasonable than that nasty little horrid, bigoted rodent-man.”

19:23 : Oz, unsurprisingly, quite likes the zombified cat. He suggests the name ‘Patches’.

19:32 : Cordelia proclaims that she’s the dip-girl, meaning that’s the ingredient she brings to parties. She also did this in Surprise.

20:56 : Giles has a wonderful moment here when Xander slaps him on the back – and misses the mask of Ovu Mobani in his book as a result.

22:10 : Devon McLeish, the lead singer for Oz’s band Dingoes Ate My Baby, is back, played by Jason Hall.

22:17 : Of course, the Dingoes band is played by Four Star Mary, who perform multiple songs in this episode, starting with ‘Never Mind,’ followed by ‘Sway’ and finally ‘Pain’, which we also heard in Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.

23:48 :Willow is, as we have all surmised by now, a terrible liar.

26:15 : The idiot who answers the phone to Giles is unnamed, but he’s called a Stoner in the script and cast credits. He’s played by Chris Garnant.

27:08 : Why can’t we hear the (rather loud) music upstairs in Buffy’s room? Her door is almost wide open! That’s good sound-proofing!

29:40 : In a big moment, Willow spirals as she explains to Buffy that her world is changing and she can’t handle it on her own: she needs her best friend and, understandably, feels abandoned by Buffy. Buffy, due to Xander’s message (“Kick his ass”) in Becoming, doesn’t want to tell her friends about Angel’s death and the exact circumstances. Blame this one on Xander.

31:19 : One of Giles’ most memorable moments comes here as he begins paraphrasing Joyce with a mocking accent and tone. “‘Look at my mask. Isn’t it pretty? It raises the dead!’ Americans.”

32:44 : Just as she’s confronting Buffy, Joyce gets her own licks in: “You know what? I don’t care. I don’t care what your friends think of me, or you for that matter, because you put me through the wringer, Buffy. I mean it. And I’ve had schnapps.“

33:40 : While looking around for someone else to target her, Buffy focuses on a confused Jonathan, who’s tucking away into what appears to be Cordelia’s dip.

34:47 : In the UK, on both screen and media to this day, the scene of Giles hotwiring the car is removed from the episode’s edit, due to it being “imitable.”

35:09 : Cordelia is more Cordy-esque than ever when she tries to defend Buffy. While she’s being sassy and kind of bitchy, she’s not actually wrong. It’s another example of Cordelia’s lack of tact, but it’s endearing here.

35:33 : Xander and Willow seem particularly mean in this moment, especially considering they don’t know the full story of what happened with Angel or Acathla. Again, see Xander’s lie in Becoming.

35:57 : The Summers house is invaded by the zombified hordes, the first time the house is under siege and certainly not the last. In Season Seven’s Showtime, Buffy and company will be forced to evacuate when the Turok Han manages to breach its doors.

36:38 : Kristine Sutherland had been isolated from most of the regular cast for the first two seasons, mainly doing her scenes with Sarah Michelle Gellar. This is the first time she’s actively part of the action, and Sutherland would say in 2026 that she adored it, making her feel like part of the Scooby Gang for the first time.

36:56 : When the zombies invade the Summers’ home, Jonathan seems to reach for Oz’s guitar to use as a weapon. Ouch, that one must be costly.

38:40 : Cordelia seems to only be able to tell Giles isn’t a zombie not by his lack of injuries but by his British tone and the use of the word ‘tiresome’. Brilliant! Charisma Carpenter is clearly ready for her Angel role…

39:40 : In another great moment, Xander tells Joyce that ‘when scary thing gets scared’, the situation tends to be worse. This is in the middle of Buffy fighting for her life in the doorway.

40:08 : This is the first time we see the back garden of the Summers’ house in the midst of the action, although Joyce buried the cat there earlier in the episode. Buffy and Mobani fall from the upstairs window, which will be broken again in Seeing Red, this time from the garden itself.

43:04 : Giles goes full Ripper on Snyder for a moment here, physically threatening him. Why Snyder doesn’t report this or fire Giles is unknown, because he’d be well within his right to. It also makes us question what exactly Snyder knows about the Slayer and the Watcher or whether he’s simply been told to keep an eye on them.

43:53 : Willow confirms that since Becoming she’s been practising magic, getting increasingly more confident and powerful as she goes. This is a huge part of the character’s storyline and will inform the character for the rest of the series’ run.