First Date (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"First Date" is the fourteenth episode of season 7 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
discusses the removal of Spike's chip with Giles
; Giles doesn't believe that it was the right thing to do, while Buffy is convinced that it was.
At work, Buffy tries to hunt for clues as to whether Principal Wood is good or evil in his office. When she is about to open a cabinet, Principal Wood finds her in his office and asks her out to dinner. Back at the house, Buffy expresses mixed feelings about the date, and is unsure over whether she is interested in him. Willow
suggests that it would be good for Buffy to "move on." Xander
enters and reveals that he too has a date that evening. Upstairs, Buffy is getting dressed for dinner when Spike appears in the hallway, and tells Buffy that he feels fine about her having a date with another man, although Buffy tells him he doesn't have to be noble.
On Buffy's date, she and Wood are jumped by a group of vampire
s. Buffy slays most of them, and thinks that Wood has set her up until she sees him take out two of the vampires. At the restaurant, Wood reveals that he is a "freelance" demon
hunter, and tells her about his mother — that she was the Slayer and was killed when he was four years old, after which he was raised by her Watcher. Buffy is struck by the idea that it is possible for a Slayer to have children. Meanwhile, Xander's date appears to be going well until he learns that she is a demon who has, like other demons, been motivated to work for the First.
Throughout the episode, the First again appears to Andrew
in the guise of Jonathan
, and attempts to get him to kill the potential Slayers staying in the house, using the gun that Willow brought to the house in "The Killer in Me", while she was possessed
by Warren
. There is a mislead in which the viewers are led to believe that Andrew is successfully persuaded by The First Evil to kill the girls. However, it is revealed that Andrew is committed to helping Buffy and her friends, telling the First "I'm good now." In the second scene with Andrew and the First, Andrew is wearing a wire that Willow has set up and the others are listening to his conversation with the First through Willow's headphones. Andrew shows the First the gun and asks it questions about its intents and potential weaknesses. The First discovers that Andrew is wired and is not pleased, but not before telling Andrew that it isn't time to use Spike again for the First's purposes. The First appears to Willow, Dawn
, Amanda and Kennedy in the guise of a horribly maimed Jonathan, threatening them before disappearing.
Immediately after the First leaves, Willow receives a text message with a help code from Xander. Spike offers to go fetch Buffy. He finds her at the restaurant with Wood in a slightly romantic moment, and they all rush out to rescue Xander, driving in Wood's car, the three of them awkwardly together with Spike in the backseat. When they get to the seal beneath the school, they fight and kill the demon woman and find Xander not too badly hurt. They prevent the seal from opening again, but during the course of the fight, Wood finds out that Spike is a vampire and that Buffy cares about him very much, making him uneasy.
Back at the house, Spike tells Buffy that as the First is not ready to use him yet, he will leave town. Buffy tells Spike not to leave because she isn't ready for him not to be there. In the final scene of the episode, the First
shows itself to Wood in the guise of his dead mother (she is the Slayer seen previously during the 1977 flashback in "Fool for Love") and, though it does not say so explicitly, leads him to conclude that it was Spike who murdered her.
Plot synopsis
BuffyBuffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
discusses the removal of Spike's chip with Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
; Giles doesn't believe that it was the right thing to do, while Buffy is convinced that it was.
At work, Buffy tries to hunt for clues as to whether Principal Wood is good or evil in his office. When she is about to open a cabinet, Principal Wood finds her in his office and asks her out to dinner. Back at the house, Buffy expresses mixed feelings about the date, and is unsure over whether she is interested in him. Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
suggests that it would be good for Buffy to "move on." Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
enters and reveals that he too has a date that evening. Upstairs, Buffy is getting dressed for dinner when Spike appears in the hallway, and tells Buffy that he feels fine about her having a date with another man, although Buffy tells him he doesn't have to be noble.
On Buffy's date, she and Wood are jumped by a group of vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s. Buffy slays most of them, and thinks that Wood has set her up until she sees him take out two of the vampires. At the restaurant, Wood reveals that he is a "freelance" demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
hunter, and tells her about his mother — that she was the Slayer and was killed when he was four years old, after which he was raised by her Watcher. Buffy is struck by the idea that it is possible for a Slayer to have children. Meanwhile, Xander's date appears to be going well until he learns that she is a demon who has, like other demons, been motivated to work for the First.
Throughout the episode, the First again appears to Andrew
Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the canonical continuation of the series....
in the guise of Jonathan
Jonathan Levinson
Jonathan Levinson is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Danny Strong.-Character history:Jonathan was born in 1981 and raised in Sunnydale, California...
, and attempts to get him to kill the potential Slayers staying in the house, using the gun that Willow brought to the house in "The Killer in Me", while she was possessed
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
by Warren
Warren Mears
Warren Mears is a fictional character portrayed by Adam Busch in the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as its canonical comic book series continuation.-Television:...
. There is a mislead in which the viewers are led to believe that Andrew is successfully persuaded by The First Evil to kill the girls. However, it is revealed that Andrew is committed to helping Buffy and her friends, telling the First "I'm good now." In the second scene with Andrew and the First, Andrew is wearing a wire that Willow has set up and the others are listening to his conversation with the First through Willow's headphones. Andrew shows the First the gun and asks it questions about its intents and potential weaknesses. The First discovers that Andrew is wired and is not pleased, but not before telling Andrew that it isn't time to use Spike again for the First's purposes. The First appears to Willow, Dawn
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...
, Amanda and Kennedy in the guise of a horribly maimed Jonathan, threatening them before disappearing.
Immediately after the First leaves, Willow receives a text message with a help code from Xander. Spike offers to go fetch Buffy. He finds her at the restaurant with Wood in a slightly romantic moment, and they all rush out to rescue Xander, driving in Wood's car, the three of them awkwardly together with Spike in the backseat. When they get to the seal beneath the school, they fight and kill the demon woman and find Xander not too badly hurt. They prevent the seal from opening again, but during the course of the fight, Wood finds out that Spike is a vampire and that Buffy cares about him very much, making him uneasy.
Back at the house, Spike tells Buffy that as the First is not ready to use him yet, he will leave town. Buffy tells Spike not to leave because she isn't ready for him not to be there. In the final scene of the episode, the First
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
shows itself to Wood in the guise of his dead mother (she is the Slayer seen previously during the 1977 flashback in "Fool for Love") and, though it does not say so explicitly, leads him to conclude that it was Spike who murdered her.
Cultural references
- After Principal Wood asks Buffy out on a date, she jokingly admits that she would have otherwise been "watching a reality show about a Millionaire." This is in reference to the 2003 reality series Joe MillionaireJoe MillionaireJoe Millionaire is an American reality television show that was broadcast on Fox beginning in January 2003. It was broadcast in the UK that same year...
.
Continuity
- In the opening scene, in the graveyard, a gravestone bears the name Snyder on it. This may be a reference to Principal SnyderPrincipal SnyderPrincipal R. Snyder is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Armin Shimerman. Shimerman originally auditioned for the role of Flutie, but lost that role to Ken Lerner...
, who was killed by Mayor Wilkins in Season 3. - Prior to Buffy's date with Principal Wood, Anya attempts to remove a stain from the shirt Buffy wishes to wear. She remarks on it being a blood stain but on being unable to remove it suggests it could be pizza. This is a reference to the episode "Conversations with Dead People" in which Dawn makes a pizza stain on one of Buffy's shirts and dismisses it thinking Buffy will assume it's blood.
- Although we're introduced to Principal Wood's mother as a slayer in a flashback from "Fool For Love", when the Principal sees his mother in the final scene of "First Date" she is played by actress K.D. Aubert...but in "Fool For Love" the slayer who Spike kills on the subway is played by actress April Weeden-Washington. The change of actresses was probably due to Weeden-Washington's unavailability. The writers, cleverly, cover this up by having Principal Wood explain to Buffy that his memory of his mother is "fuzzy" since he was only a young boy when she died.
Arc significance
- Buffy learns of Principal Wood's past and that his mother was a Slayer, though she doesn't know which one. She also discovers that Wood knows she is a Slayer, and that is why he hired her as a counselor.
- Buffy is struck by the idea that a Slayer can have children, a mark of a "normal life". The negotiation between the Slayer's duties and the desire for a normal life has been a constant motivation for Buffy from the beginning through the end of the series.
- The First informs Wood that Spike killed his mother.
- It is revealed that Spike had his chip taken out in the previous episode, much to the disdain of Giles, whose feelings on the subject will become critical within the next few episodes.
- In this episode and in her later appearances, the Potential Slayer Chao-Ahn speaks Cantonese. In the earlier episode "Potential", however, it was stated that Giles picked her up from ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. - Buffy says to Spike, "I'm not ready for you not to be here yet", showing her attachment to him.