Buffy for Beginners 2.3: School Hard
So if you’re a Buffyverse visitor, you’re usually in one of two camps: Spike or Angel. It’s difficult to be both in this world we’ve come to know and love, but the introduction of Spike in this episode sets a very high precedent for future Angel to live up to.
The episode opens with Snyder lecturing Buffy and Sheila, a random school troublemaker, about their desperate need for discipline. As their punishment, they must get the school ready for parent/teacher night, complete with decorating the gym and handling refreshments. It becomes immediately clear that Sheila is not interested in pleasing Snyder, and Buffy is wiggy because all her mom sees when she looks at her is a Sheila, but she’s the slayer, and slayers have special needs.
Cut to the “Welcome to Sunnydale” sign at night and in comes Sid Vicious a.k.a. Spike speeding over the sign in his black Cadillac. Home Sweet Home. And the competition between Spike and Angel begins. (As a sidenote, Spike was only supposed to be a three or four episode character and killed off by Buffy later in season 2. Aren’t you glad he’s so loveable?) As the Annoying One laments over his poor dead Master and makes plans for St. Vidious (again, Sid Vicious?) this coming Saturday night and in walks Spike, telling the story of his time spent in Woodstock. “I fed off a flower person and spent the next six hours watching my hand move.” He suggests killing Buffy and mentions he bagged a slayer during the Boxer Rebellion. And then there is Dru. We immediately know Dru is sick somehow, and as they put their heads together and turn to face the Annoying One, Spike says “me and Dru, we’re moving in.” (BTW, that head turn was unscripted).
As Buffy tries to show her mother that she’s no longer one who burns down gymnasiums, Giles warns her of what’s the up, lecturing her on letting her pesky life get in the way of slaying. As Buffy tries to study French, party at the Bronze, jones over Angel, and please her mother, the Scoobies take a break from studying and have a group dance while Spike does recon at the Bronze, watching Buffy and studying her every move. Arguably there is an unconscious attraction beginning here, and it builds over the next five seasons.
Sheila gets sired by Spike (or maybe Dru), and the Scoobs do research on him. Buffy chastises Angel for not showing at the Bronze; “what, you’ve been dating for like 200 years?” and as Willow finds, “even if you only had two dates a year that’s still like 400….why do they call it a mace?” (changing the subject). We get a glimpse of crazy Dru and her dolls, learning that she nearly died in Prague at the hands of an angry mob. “See Miss Edith,” Dru coos as she goes to bite Sheila, “if you’d been good you could’ve watched with the rest.” Miss Edith is one of her dolls. Oooh, creepy.
At the school Thursday night, Buffy bends over backwards and Joyce learns from Snyder that her daughter is not reaching her full potential. As Buffy gets dragged away to punishment, the school goes dark, and St. Vidious has come early, thanks to our friend Spike. Grrrrr. Aaaarrgggh (in a salty goodness way). We learn that Spike is known as “William the Bloody,” earning his nickname by torturing his victims with railroad spikes. Oh, and he’s killed two slayers. But before Buffy and parents can leave, the school is attacked; “what can I say?” Spike croons. “I couldn’t wait.”
Buffy steps up to the plate and begins making plans as Willow and Cordelia get stuck in a closet together. Oh, and Spike’s “a veal kind of guy,” so some of the parents are “too old to eat.” Snyder concludes that Spike and friends is a gang on PCP. “Slayyyyyaaerrrrr,” Spike sings, “here kitty kitty.” Buffy climbs up into the air vents above the classrooms, as Spike continues to sing “someone’s in the ceiilllling.”
Angel shows up to help and we learn that Angel and Spike know each other as Angel uses Xander as bait. “Angelus…” Spike said, “I’ll be damned.” Angel tells Spike that he’s been using that undead tortured soul bit, Spike lamenting “people still fall for that Anne Rice routine.” Seriously. Oh and Spike mentions that Angel was his sire, “his Yoda.” Yet we later learn that Dru actually made Spike, not Angel. A point of contention in the fanverse.
Buffy saves the day and is almost attacked by Spike, but as we think Joyce and others have left the building, Joyce comes up behind Spike with an ax, hitting him in the head and yelling “get the hell away from my daughter.” Go Joyce. A Slayer with family and friends? That wasn’t in the brochure.
As Spike heads back to the lair with his coat tucked between his legs, he throws the Annoying One into a crate, pulls him up to the ceiling and into the light, frying him. There’s a new vamp in town. Two, actually. “From now on, we’re going to have a little less ritual around here, and a little more fun.” Welcome to Sunnydale, Spike. We’re glad to have you (at least, I am. Aren’t you?)
About Sabrina: As a kid my dad would sneak scary movies past my mom and let me indulge in his horror movie fetish. I grew up watching V, Alien Nation, The Thing, The Fog (all originals) and then, in 1992 when Buffy the movie came out, I became obsessed with vampires, girl power, and all things gothic. I once stayed home from school, faked sick, and watched BTVS: the movie 6 times in a row. I know the beginning cheerleading dance by heart (still). Currently, I’m obsessing over Laurell K. Hamilton novels, and dream about Anita Blake being my best friend.
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As one of those hard-core, nit-picky fangirls… I believe it’s actually the Feast of St. Vigeous.
I’ve watched this episode kind of a lot ’cause, well, Spike. Mmm, Spike.
Just cross-checked with BuffyGuide – they say St. Vigeous, too.