Episode Five: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

On the surface, this is the episode that really lays out one of the fundamental tensions in Buffy's life: can she be a Slayer and still have a semblance of a "normal" life? Whedon's comments on the DVD underline that as a theme, and the answer to that is--in many ways--the point of the last scene in the entire series. It's possibly the foundational question the show is based on.

But...in episode four, we find the Willow has serious computer skills, a willingness to break the law to serve the bigger picture. She's not really bad, just....helpful. Because of the context, it's essentially innocent. But wait--in this episode, Xander lies to the potential boyfriend, claiming that Buffy doesn't like kissing, or dancing, or even being looked at. Again, because of context, it's funny. No one seriously believes him, and Owen (potential boyfriend #1) does look at Buffy and dance with her.

However, as benign as the situations are, both Xander and Willow now have a history of at least a bit of moral ambiguity. Willow's occurs in the context of doing whatever she can to help & protect; Xander's morals take a vacation when Buffy is (potentially) involved with other guys. We see those dynamics again in far less benign situations as the story progresses, but it's interesting to see the seeds of it this early in the show.

When I first watched season one, the episodes 3-6 seemed...odd. I didn't especially like them; they didn't "fit." Angel is peripheral, they aren't essential to the metaplot, and--honestly--they're a bit girly. Cheerleading? Crushes and dating? But really, they are character-creating episodes, and that's interesting to see.

And note: Buffy doesn't let Owen become a Scooby. She realizes that he's "Mr. Dangerman," and would put himself and others at risk. He's the only character I can think of that isn't accepted...hmmm. Oh, and his little speech about how almost dying makes him feel so alive? We see that turn into a whole theme in season 6. Slowly, the whole series is being foreshadowed, but with twists and turns that are amazing!