Guest Starring: 
     
 Kristine Sutherland: 
 (Joyce Summers) 
   
 Robia LaMorte: 
 (Jenny Calendar) 
   
 Andrew J Ferchland: 
 (The Annointed One) 
   
 Armin Shimerman: 
 (Principal Snyder) 
   
 James Masters: 
 (Spike) 
   
 Juliet Landau: 
 (Drusilla) 
   
 
 
  3. School Hard.  
   
  A new Vampire arrives in town and decides that its time to deal with Buffy once and for all.  
   
  Great quotes:  
   
 
Spike and Drusilla are great.
  • Willow on Angel's dating: "If you only had 2 dates a year that's still 400 dates with 400 different... why do they call it a mace?"
  • Spike proving that the new breed of vampires isn't stuck in the time of the crucifixion: "You were my Yoda man!"
  • Cordelia showing off empathy with oppressed people: "Even slaves get minimum wage!"
  • Vampire: "Slayer", Buffy: "Slayee". Nice.
 
  Fantastic moments:  
   
 
  • Spike's entry, crashing into the Sunnydale sign while the rock beat kicks in showing a change of direction for the 'bad guys' in the series, going from 'old' to 'cool'.
  • Spike's stalking of Buffy at the bronze is highly charged with a lot of sexual tension.
  • Joyce's speech to Buffy at the end about responsibility and how Buffy showed amazing leadership skills, all parents should be like that. Not to mention her wading in with an axe to help Buffy out.
 
  Duff Bits:  
   
 
  • Buffy seems to be strangely unconcerned by Cordelia and W being missing at the end of the episode.
 
  Dean's comments:  
   
 The introduction of Spike is a real highlight here, showing a change in tack for the series in terms of its vampire mythology. The Master and the Anointed one were 'old school' and mythological, Spike and Drusilla are just plain cool and sexy. We get one of our first glimpses of Joyce's character opening up here; the Spike/Joyce interaction (well; her hitting him with an axe) is to become a running joke through the rest of the series. Spike's first sight of Buffy (dancing at the Bronze with her friends), alludes to the sexual tension that will build up between the characters in later years. Snyder also gets his first real airing as a character after being in a couple of episodes fleetingly, he hints at some kind of conspiracy going on in the Sunnydale authorities. There are lots of other great elements too, like Willow and Cordelia hiding in the broom cupboard until sunrise and Buffy taking control of the situation in the school much to Snyder's discomfort and her mother's surprise. 
   
 8/10 
 
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