Guest Starring: 
     
 Kristine Sutherland: 
 (Joyce Summers) 
   
 Mark Metcalf: 
 (The Master) 
   
 Brian Thompson: 
 (Luke) 
   
 David Boreanaz: 
 (Angel) 
   
 Ken Lerner: 
 (Principal Flutie) 
   
 Julie Benz: 
 (Darla) 
   
 J Patrick Lawlor: 
 (Thomas) 
   
 Eric Balfour: 
 (Jesse) 
   
 
 
  1. Welcome to the Hellmouth.  
   
  Buffy arrives in Sunnydale and re-discovers her destiny as a slayer; she quickly makes new friends, who are immediately thrust into danger.  
   
  Great quotes:  
   
 
Buffy Summers.
  • Buffy starts a long list of 'Buffyverse' sayings with: "What's the sitch?", "How keen...", "Gee can ya vague that up for me?" and of course "...Wiggins...".
  • Cordelia has a couple of nicely bitch lines; she asks Buffy "What is your childhood trauma?" and her reaction to Jesse chatting her up, "Oh please!"
  • Cordelia: "...extreme dead guy, totally dead, way dead."
  • Willow: "When I'm with a boy it's hard for me to say anything cool, or witty, or at all. I can usually make a few vowel sounds and then I have to go away."
  • Giles asks Buffy if a vampire's outfit is dated, the response: "It's carbon dated.", now that's witty dialogue.
  • Jesse: "I'm on the prowl; witness me prowling."
  • Giles: "You are the Slayer, into each generation a Slayer is born; one girl in all the world, a chosen one, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires"
  
  Fantastic moments:  
   
 
Giles is the show's best character.
  • Can I put Giles down as a classic moment? When I think of one thing that perked my interest in the series from the start it's probably Anthony Head's character. They way that the writing for him was totally on the mark in terms of him being an English man in America and the fact that he is never mocked for being in the older generation (as some lesser shows might have done) gave me an instant affinity with the series that hooked me in.
  • The first exposition scene in the library is brilliant, Buffy and Giles do a bit of word sparring (Buffy: "Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going 'ooh'?") before Giles delivers his "...you are the slayer..." speech (see above).
  • Buffy's outfit for her first day at school is an episode highlight.
  
  Duff Bits:  
   
 
Willow: far too geeky.
  • Willow is too 'Amish'. I don't understand how the production team didn't realise she needed a different look before the show was filmed.
  • I hate to have to say it but David Boreanaz had some acting issues when this series got off the ground. He delivers one or two very wooden lines when he first encounters Buffy, thankfully Gellar carries the scene and the spark of sexual tension comes through.
  • All the candles and worship of the Master is very OTT, I'm glad they ditched most of it for the rest of the season.
  
  Dean's comments:  
   
 
Cordelia and Jesse.
A fantastic opening episode with loads of quick, witty and sharp dialogue while the acting just about hits the right marks across the board. Take the opening scene as an example, the camera slowly pans through a deserted school to set the scene before the fantasy genre is immediately broken apart when the girl turns out to be the monster rather than being the damsel in distress. The episode also works as a pilot for the series as a whole, the characters are immediately alive and three dimensional while the basic premise of the show is introduced without boring anyone. We discover who Buffy is, what Slayers and Watchers are as well as a little vampire mythology such as how they're killed, we see Willow and Xander's relationship and discover that finally there is a proper British character on an American TV show. The viewer is introduced to the concept of the series by letting the characters come to terms with the fantasy just are we the audience are. Essentially the episode (in common with the rest of the series) represented something new, different and fresh, an instant hit with punters and critics alike.		 
   
 8/10 
 
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