Welcome To The Hellmouth / The Harvest

The pilot episode of the show was actually a double episode.  The episode was written by Joss Weedon and directed by Charles Martin Smith (Hellmouth) and John T Kertchmer (Harvest).

The day starts badly for Buffy as her mum, Joyce, drives he to school on her first day!  She has a meeting with Principal Bob Flutie who says that the school doesn't hold a pupils past against them and he believes in clean slates for everyone.  He says that he won't hold the fact that Buffy burned down her old school gymnasium down against her! 

The first person she meets up with is Popular cheerleader Cordelia Chase who gives her a "coolness" test and offers Buffy the hand of friendship.  This is soon withdrawn though as Buffy befriends computer geek Willow and Willow's friends Xander and Jesse. During the day, she meets the school librarian who makes Buffy aware that he not only knows she is the Slayer, but he is to be her watcher. 

Later that day, Buffy meets a mysterious guy who informs her his name is Angel.  He tells her he is a friend.  When Buffy says she may not want him as a friend, he says "I didn't say I was your friend".  Angel informs Buffy that the inappropriately named Sunnydale is actually located on the Hellmouth which attracts vampires and demons like moths around a flame.  However, Buffy chooses to ignore both Giles and Angel's advice and tries to start a relatively normal life after her Vampiric adventures in LA.

Under the town, a vampire named Luke awakens the Master, who is a very old vampire so that he will be ready for the Harvest.  The Master has been trapped under Sunnydale for 60 years. At that time he tried to open the Hellmouth but this was foiled by an untimely earthquake.  Apparently, the time is now right for the Harvest which would give him the power to break free.

Luke sends a bunch of vampires out hunting for food and they capture Jesse.  Buffy rescues Willow and Xander from the vampires and realises that she has to fulfil her destiny as the Slayer whether she wants to or not!  During the rescue, Xander tries to help but unwittingly stakes the newly born vampire version of Jesse.  Eventually, with help from Willow, Xander and Giles, Buffy kills Luke as well as some other vampires although Darla (more about her later!) survives.

Gueststars:-

Back to season 1       Back to Home Page

-