The first scooby meeting.

Written by: Joss Whedon. Jesse... Eric Balfour Joyce... Kristine Sutherland the Master... Mark Metcalf Darla... Julie Benz Luke... Brian Thompson Summary: Buffy has to rescue Jesse from the vampires and stop them from freeing the Master to the world as the Harvest is about to start.

The cryptic wise man. And all Jesse had to do to get a dance with Cordelia was to tell her to shut up. Xander's first touch with the cold reality. Buffy's first bad ass stance.

Quotes: Willow: Oh, I-I need to sit down. Buffy: You are sitting down. Willow: Oh. Good for me. Xander: So vampires are demons? Giles: The books tell the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding... Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to return. Willow: Uh, this may be the dumb question, but shouldn't we call the police? Giles: And they'd believe us, of course. Willow: Well, we don't have to say vampires. We, we could just say that there's a, a bad man. Buffy: I looked around, but soon as they got clear of the graveyard, they could have just, voom! Xander: They can fly? Buffy: They can drive. Xander: This is just too much. I mean, yesterday my life's like, 'Uh-oh, pop quiz.' Today it's 'Rain of Toads'. Willow: I know. And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day. Xander: Nobody knows. It's like we've got this big secret. Willow: We do. That's what a secret is, when you know something other guys don't. Buffy: Sorry you had to wait. Okay. Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name? Angel: Angel. Buffy: Angel. It's a pretty name. Buffy: You gonna wish me luck? (Angel doesn't say anything and after a while Buffy leaves) Angel: (whispers) Good luck. Xander: Okay, so, crosses, garlic, stake through the heart. Buffy: That'll get it done. Xander: Cool! Of course, I don't actually have any of those things. Buffy: (hands him a cross) Good thinking. Xander: Well, the part of my brain that would tell me to bring that stuff is still busy telling me not to come down here. Xander: You've done some beheading in your time? Buffy: Oh, yeah. There was this time I was pinned down by this guy that played left tackle for varsity... Well, at least he used to before he was a vampire... Anyway, he had this really, really thick neck, and all I had was a little, little Exact-O knife... (Xander laughs nervously) You're not loving this story. Xander: No, actually, I find it oddly comforting. Xander: Jesse, man. I'm sorry. Jesse: Sorry? I feel good, Xander! I feel strong! I'm connected, man, to everything! I, I can hear the worms in the earth! Xander: That's a plus. Buffy: So, Giles. Got anything that can make this day any worse? Giles: How about the end of the world? Buffy: Knew I could count on you. Cordelia: Senior boys are the only way to go. Guys from our grade, forget about it, they're children. Y'know? Like Jesse. Did you see him last night, following me around like a little puppy dog. You just wanna put him to sleep. But senior boys, hmm, they have mystery. They have... What's the word I'm searching for? Cars! I just am not the type to settle. Y'know? It's like when I go shopping. I have to have the most expensive thing. Not because it's expensive, but because it costs more. Xander: We've gotta get in there before Jesse does something stupider than usual. Giles: You listen to me! Jesse is dead! You have to remember that when you see him, you're not looking at your friend. You're looking at the thing that killed him.

My review for the episode: And the episode continues where it left off and Buffy is saved by the cross Angel gave her . But where did it come from because it wasn't around her neck before Luke's hand got burned or after she jumped out of the casket. It didn't look like it was around her neck because it came more from the side, so was it in a pocket or something? Or was it just one of those things. Poor Xander is already knocked unconscious, he better get used to it while Giles is still waiting for his turn. Xander shows he is a good friend as he is somewhat studiply courageous in going to rescue his friend and as Buffy starts guilt tripping, he states it wasn't her fault that Jesse was taken. And a great Xander moment, “They can fly?” and Willow's suggestion to call the police and tell a bad man took Jesse, she's still so innocent . Xander and Willow are just so cute together that I almost want to pinch their cheeks and speak incoherent baby-talk to them. Willow's hacking abilities are established, she accidentally decrypted the city council's security system, well accidents do happen. And she shows she is a good friend, even though she hasn't known Buffy for more than a day, as she stand up for her when Cordelia is trashing her to others. I felt bad for her when Cordelia turned her evil tongue to her but she did get back at Queen C with the “Deliver”. Did she know Cordelia would press Del or was she just helpful? And Angel is again looking good. But how did he get in the mausoleum since it's day, unless he got there before sunrise then it would make perfect sense for him to hope Buffy would get there a little sooner. And we get to hear what's the mystery guy's name and a smirk on top of that. Buffy instantly feels bad that he doesn't have any friends, maybe she should give him a hug. Poor Angel. And finally the soft whisper of “Good luck” after Buffy has gone, he soooo likes her . Xander chooses mortal danger over chem class, heh, but again he shows he has courage when needed. Jesse was a little too conveniently left chained in the middle of the sewers but the first time I saw this episode it did come as a surprise that he was a vampire. Giles is just great in this episode, a little stuffy but great. He explains what a vampire is, apparently they do have a soul, a fact that is established many times in this episode including by Master, but it is a demon soul so it makes the vamp evil, like he said to Xander, “You're not looking at your friend, you're looking at the thing that killed him.” And gotta love him being all giddy about living at the Hellmouth. Master is again creepy and kinda funny in a cruel sort of way, “You've got something in your eye” and he pokes his finger into minions eye, ouch. Jesse stalking Cordelia gives me a brief flashback to School Hard where Spike is stalking Buffy at the Bronze (or is it a flash forward). Funny how all Jesse had to do to get a dance from Cordelia was to tell her to shut up, heh . And why is it that when a person turns into a vampire he becomes cool and dangerous looking. Joyce again shows her less than great parenting skills, she just starts how she has read from parenting guidance book how she needs to say no. it's not very encouraging when she says 'it's starting again, isn't it' and doesn't even ask why Buffy was skipping classes. She just tells she's grounded but doesn't discuss about the reasons what makes her act like she does. But she does have once word of wisdom, “If you don't go out it'll be the end of the world”, and for once she's right. Cordelia has a great comedy value, like the airhead speech she gave in the Bronze but she still is a real bitch. I know gossip changes and grows while traveling but Cordelia had the first hand information and most of her story was from her own imagination. The way she treated Willow made me want to bitch-slap her but karma came to bite her in the a... behind soon after. Why are the people at the Bronze just standing whimpering in fear? Are they paralyzed from the fear or is it just the Sunnydale-way? Cordelia screams when she is given to Luke but only gasps when she sees Jesse in vamp-face, why? She knew Jesse so it should be a greater shock to see him as a demon. And really Buffy needs to work on her timing, just a little while longer and Cordelia would have been history. The fight was okay, Buffy showed how resourceful she is and it had some great suspense moments. Poor Xander had to kill his friend, well technically he didn't since it was the fleeing girl that pushed him against vamp-Jesse and Willow saved Giles from Darla by splashing holy water to her face, you go girl! The way Buffy killed Luke was funny and we get the first badass Buffy stance. When the Bronze is empty and only the gang is there we get a great sense of unity from them. And Cordelia's short term memory kicks in, she was nearly vamp food but all she remembers is that the guys were ugly and Buffy knew them. Plus her friends should have been there, heh. Giles is great with her giddy speech and finally we get the “World is doomed”, heh. A great episode. 9 ½

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