Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Anne

Anne
Season 3, Episode 1
Airdate	September 29, 1998
Production Number	3ABB01
Written by	Joss Whedon
Directed by	Joss Whedon
← 2x22 Becoming (2)	3x02 → Dead Man's Party
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season Three

Anne is the first episode of the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the thirty-fifth episode overall. Though Buffy has runaway from her life in Sunnydale, she discovers that no matter how hard she tries, she can't run from who she really is. Meanwhile, school starts up for the rest of the gang, who are inadequately attempting to fill the void she left.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz)

and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles)

Guest Starring: Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Julia Lee (Lily), Carlos Jacott (Ken), Mary-Pat Green (Blood Bank Nurse), Chad Todhunter (Rickie)

Co-Starring: Larry Bagby III (Larry), James Lurie (Teacher), Michael Leopard (Roughneck), Harley Zumbrum (Demon Guard), Barbara Pilavin (Old Woman), Harrison Young (Old Man), Alex Toma (Aaron), Dell Yount (Truck Guy)

Plot Overview

Buffy is lying low by settling for a lonely life in L.A. However, her old life comes back when someone from her past comes to her in need of help.

Meanwhile, the Scoobies take on slaying duties, as Joyce continues to come to grips with the secret life her daughter kept from her.

Notes

Monster of the Week

Ken is the leader of a demon cult which takes in vagrants off the streets and works them in a sweatshop until they're too old and broken to go on. In the factory itself, time slows down to the point that a day in the regular world is equivalent to 100 years in the factory. Under threat of death, they're demoralized to the point that workers often commit suicide after they're released back into the world—too old to labor any further in the factory.

The exact nature of what the slaves are making is not revealed, as the factory is shut down when Ken is killed by Buffy.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Rickie	Himself	Suicide	Alley
2	Vampire	Xander & Cordelia	Staked	Cemetery
3	Ken	Buffy	Head Bashed In	Factory

Music

• "Back to Freedom" by Bellylove: The band playing "depressing night" at the Bronze is Bellylove, an independent adult contemporary band, who played "Back to Freedom" off their debut album. Reportedly, the band had only made a handful of copies of the album before they received a call from Marti Noxon about using the song in the episode.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Summer Vacation: Because Buffy skipped town after she was expelled from school and she sent Angel to hell to close a world-destroying vortex, Willow, Xander and Oz have stepped up to fill the void of vampire slaying. They aren't very good at their new jobs.

Characters

• Buffy: Since her departure from Sunnydale, Buffy has assumed the name "Anne", her middle name, and moved to Los Angeles where she has a job as a waitress in a diner. She eventually returns home to Sunnydale.

• Oz: Although Oz is a year older than the rest of the gang, he's being forced to make up his senior year because of his incomplete classes and the fact that he didn't go to summer school.

Referbacks

• 2x07 - Lie to Me: Chantarelle was the woman who greeted Xander and Willow when they went snooping around in The Sunset Club, a collective of goths who romanticized vampires, calling them "The Lonely Ones." Their leader, Buffy's friend Ford, tried to aid Spike in return for being vamped himself. Spike made good on his promise, but set after eating the rest of the club members. Buffy stepped in and stopped them by threatening Drusilla's life.

Lily: I was in this cult that worshiped vampires.

• 2x04 - Inca Mummy Girl: Xander had a brief fling with a mummy posing as a foreign exchange student living with Buffy. The girl was part of a sacrifice established to prevent a great disaster and can only survive by absorbing the life from people with a kiss.

Cordelia: Probably hooked up with some hot little Inca mummy girl.

Trivia

The Show

• Credits: Seth Green is added to the credits as a billed cast member with this episode.

• This episode establishes that there is demonic/supernatural activity in Los Angeles. This lays part of the basis for the spin-off Angel, which is also set in L.A.

Behind the Scenes

• Guest star Carlos Jacott would later appear on Joss Whedon's other series Angel and Firefly. He is one of only six actors to appear in Whedon's first three series (the others being Jeff Ricketts, Michael Nagy, Andy Umberger, Bob Fimiani, and Jonathan M. Woodward).

• International: Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been dubbed into many different languages and the title translated for each different international version. Some international translations of this episode's title are:
  • French: "Anne"
  • Italian: "Identità segreta" ("Secret Identity")
  • German: "Anne, Gefangen in der Unterwelt" ("Anne, Captured in the Underworld")
  • Japanese: "アン" ("An" - "Anne")
  • Spanish: "Anne"

Goofs

• When Rickie, as an old man, steps out onto the open street, his pant legs go up and down between shots.

• When Buffy is fighting the demon guards, you can see safety mats circling the platform for them to land on as she's knocking them off.

Quotes

• Xander: Okay, and the, uh, second problem I'm having - "Come and get it, big boy"?

Willow: Well... W-Well, the Slayer always says a pun or - or a witty play on words, and I think it throws the vampires off, and - and it makes them frightened because I'm wisecracking. Okay, I didn't really have a chance to work on that one, but you try it every time.

Oz: Uh, if I may suggest: "This time it's personal." I mean, there's a reason why it's a classic.

• Giles: For God's sake, be careful. I mean, I appreciate your efforts to keep the vampire population down until Buffy returns, but, uh, well, if anything should happen to you, should you be killed, I shall take it somewhat amiss.

Willow: You'd be cranky?

Giles: Entirely.

Willow: Well, we try not to get killed. That's part of our whole mission statement. "Don't get killed."

• Larry: This is our year, I'm telling you. Best football season ever. I'm so in shape, I'm a rock. It's all about egg whites. If we can focus, keep discipline, and not have quite as many mysterious deaths, Sunnydale is gonna rule!

• Buffy: This'll probably go faster if we split up.

Lily: Can I come with you?

Buffy: Okay, where did I lose you on the whole splitting up thing?

• Blood Bank Nurse: What are you doing?

Buffy: Breaking into your office and going through your private files.

• Buffy: I don't want any trouble. I just want to be alone and quiet in a room with a chair and a fireplace and a tea cosy. I don't even know what a tea cosy is, but I want one. Instead, I keep getting trouble, which I am more than willing to share.

• Cordelia: Why do I have to be bait? I'm always bait. Why can't Willow be bait?

• Buffy: You know, I just... I woke up, and I looked in the mirror, and I thought, hey, what's with all the sin? I need to change. I'm... I'm dirty. I'm, I'm bad with the... sex and the envy and that, that loud music us kids listen to nowadays. W... Oh, I just suck at undercover.

• Demon Guard: You work and you live. That is all. You do not complain or laugh or do anything besides work. Whatever you thought, whatever you were, does not matter. You are no one now. You mean nothing. Who are you?

Aaron: Aaron.

(the guard strikes him)

Demon Guard: Who are you?

Lily: No one.

Demon Guard: Who are you?

Boy: No one.

Demon Guard: Who are you?

Buffy: I'm Buffy, the vampire slayer. And you are...?

• Buffy: Hey, Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?

(Buffy swings the club down on Ken)

Lily: Gandhi?

Buffy: Well, you know, if he was really pissed off.