Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
Season 1, Episode 5
Airdate	March 31, 1997
Production Number	4V05
Written by	Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali
Directed by	David Semel
← 1x04 Teacher's Pet	1x06 → The Pack
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season One

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date is the fifth episode of the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy tries to juggle dating and her duties as a slayer. Meanwhile, the Master makes reference to "the anointed one," his unbeatable warrior who will bring the Slayer into hell.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase)

and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles)

Guest Starring: Mark Metcalf (The Master), David Boreanaz (Angel), Christopher Wiehl (Owen Thurman), Geoff Meed (Andrew Borba)

Co-Starring: Paul-Felix Montez (Mysterious Guy), Robert Mont (Van Driver), Andrew J. Ferchland (Boy)

Plot Overview

Buffy finally goes on a date with a boy from school, Owen. However, her dating plans are put on hold when Giles discovers that the Anointed One is supposed to arise from the dead. When Giles finds himself in trouble at a funeral home, Buffy, Owen, Willow, and Xander go to help him, and Owen almost gets killed in the process. The next morning, Buffy breaks up with Owen when she discovers that he's now hooked on danger, and she knows he'll get killed if he stays near her.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• The Master: Well into fulfilling the prophecy that would free him from his catacomb prison, The Master references the next part of the prophecy involving a being known as "the Anointed One." The prophecy is read as follows:

And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell. As it is written, so it shall be. Five will die, and from their ashes the Anointed One shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny.

• The Anointed One: The Anointed One is supposedly a great warrior who will lead the Slayer into hell. He's discovered after the deaths of five people on the bus, but Buffy is misdirected into believing that Andrew Borba, a suspected murderer who was babbling about prophecies on the bus, was the supposed warrior. In the end, it turns out that a little boy who was riding the bus is the real Anointed One.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Member of Aurelius	Buffy	Staked	Graveyard
2	Van Driver	Member of Aurelius	Drained	Street
3	Colin	Member of Aurelius	Vamped	Street
4	Colin's Mother	Member of Aurelius	Drained	Street
5	Anonymous Woman	Member of Aurelius	Drained	Street
6	Andrew Borba	Member of Aurelius	Vamped	Street
7	Andrew Borba	Buffy/Giles	Incinerated	Funeral Home

Music

• "Rotten Apple" by Three Day Wheely: The song that's playing at The Bronze while Owen and Cordelia dance together is "Rotten Apple," by Three Day Wheely. The song appeared on the band's debut album Rubber Halo.

• "Strong" and "Treason" by Velvet Chain: During Buffy and Owen's first date, Velvet Chain is seen playing on stage. The song they open with is "Strong," which continues to play while the two are talking. When they move to the dance floor (after Giles is attacked), the song changes to "Treason." Both songs are from their debut, out of print album Groovy Side. Of the two, "Strong" appears on the first soundtrack and both songs appeared on The Buffy EP, an EP released by the band to capitalize off their appearance on the show. The 1999 release also featured a song called "Buffy" which retold the relationship between Buffy and Angel up through season two.

• "Junky Girl" by Rubber: When Angel appears on the scene to warn Buffy about the looming prophecy threat, the song playing at The Bronze is "Junky Girl" by Rubber. The song appears on their self-titled album.

• "Let the Sun Fall Down" by Kim Richey: At school, after the assault on the funeral home, "Let the Sun Fall Down" by Kim Richey plays in the background while Buffy is rejecting Owen. The song appears on Richey's debut self-titled album.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Watchers: After Buffy rejects Owen, Giles comes up to her and tells her about how he had to struggle with destiny. In his short speech, he mentions that being a Watcher is an inherited position passed down by generations. As a young boy, he was given "a very tiresome speech" about how it'll be his responsibility one day. This may have been the genesis behind his rebellion, which will be covered somewhat in later episodes.

Trivia

The Show

• The Lesson: At the end of his bit about the prophecy, The Master concludes by saying "Here Endeth the Lesson." This saying is Anglican in origin and is used to close sermons, basically by saying that the sermon is comparable to the word of God. The phrase is echoed twice more in the series, first in "Fool for Love" by Spike and again by Buffy in "Showtime."

Behind the Scenes

• International Titles: Because Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an international phenomenon, the title of this episode has been translated into several different episodes to go along with the redubbed show. Some of these names are listed below:
  • French: "Un Premier rendez-vous manqué?" ("A First Date Missed?")
  • German: "Ohne Buffy lebt' sich's länger" ("You live longer without Buffy")
  • Italian: "Il primo appuntamento" ("The first date")
  • Japanese: "初デートで彼を殺さないこと" ("Hatsu Dēto de Kare o Korosanai Koto" - "Don't Kill Your Boyfriend on the First Date")
  • Portuguese: "O primeiro encontro" ("The First Date")

Allusions and References

• Emily Dickinson: The poet that Owen is enamored with is Emily Dickinson, a prolific poet who was active during the mid 1800s. However, Dickinson was a solitary writer and her poems were largely unknown until 1955 when a complete collection was published. This is likely the book that Owen and Buffy check out from the library. Dickinson was noted for her morbidity, as mentioned by Owen, and her garden, which explained the references to bees.

Owen: I lost my Emily... Dickinson.

• Soylent Green: Cordelia makes Buffy spill her tray of green cafeteria food which looks a bit like Soylent Green, as Owen says. Soylent Green is a 1973 science fiction movie starring Charlton Heston about a futuristic dystopia where food must be made synthetically. The most popular food in the Soylent series is green, but in short supply. Heston, a police detective, eventually discovers that Soylent Green is made from recycled human corpses.

Owen: At least you don't have to eat your Soylent Green.

• Clark Kent: Clark Kent is the secret identity of Superman, one of comic books' most iconic superheroes. Kent is a reporter for The Daily Planet, a daily newspaper in the city of Metropolis. Kent, in one version of DC Comics continuity, graduated with a degree in journalism from Metropolis University.

Buffy: Clark Kent has a job.

Quotes

• Buffy: We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Buffy and you're history!

• Buffy: (to Giles) Oh, that's great! I kill 'em, you fence their stuff.

• The Master: Here endeth the lesson.

• Giles: What do you want?

Owen: A book?

Giles: Oh!

Buffy: See, this is a school, and we have students, and they check out books, and then they learn things.

Giles: I was beginning to suspect that was a myth.

• Owen: I lost my Emily. Dickinson. It's dumb, but I like her around. Kind of a security blanket.

Buffy: I have something like that. Well, it's an actual blanket. Uh, and I don't really carry it around anymore... So! Emily Dickens, huh? She's great!

Owen: Dickinson.

Buffy: She's good also.

• Buffy: Do you have any more copies of Emily Dickinson? I need one.

Giles: Buffy, while the mere fact of you wanting to check out a book would be grounds for a national holiday, I think we should focus on the problem at hand.

• Xander: (in public) So, Buffy, how'd the slaying go last night?

Buffy: Xander!

Xander: I mean, how'd the laying go? No, I don't mean that either.

• Giles: Alright, I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show.

Buffy: Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm.

• Giles: Buffy, this is no ordinary vampire. But we have to stop him before he reaches the Master.

Buffy: But... cute guy! Teenager! Post-pubescent fantasies!

Giles: Those will just have to be put on hold. The dark forces are aligning against us and we have a chance to beat them back. Tonight we go into battle.

(smash cut to Buffy and Giles sitting idly in the cemetery)

Giles: Perhaps I miscalculated.

• Giles: Well, you know what they say. 90% of the vampire slaying game is - is waiting.

Buffy: You couldn't have told me that 90% ago?

• Giles: If your identity as the Slayer is revealed it could put you and all those around you in grave danger.

Buffy: Well, in that case I won't wear my button that says, "I'm the Slayer, ask me how!"

• Xander: So you just went home?

Buffy: What was I supposed to do? Say to Owen, "Sorry I was late, I was sitting in a cemetery with the librarian waiting for a vampire to rise so I could prevent an evil prophecy from coming to pass"?

Xander: Or "flat tire"?

• Owen: Where were you last night?

Buffy: Oh. Well, um, my watch broke and we don't have any clocks in our house and so I didn't know what time it was or even what day it was...

• Willow: So, where's he taking you?

Buffy: Oh, I don't know. Where do you suppose young kids go on dates these days?

Willow: Well, I read somewhere once that sometimes they go to movies.

Buffy: Movies! Interesting!

Willow: And I saw on TV once, a bunch of people our age went to a party.

Buffy: Wow, I never knew being a teenager was so full of possibilities.

• Owen: (about Buffy) What, she doesn't like to dance?

Xander: Well, it's a little too late to do anything about that. Uh, you should probably know that Buffy doesn't like to be kissed. Actually, she doesn't like to be touched.

Willow: Xander.

Xander: As a matter of fact, don't even look at her.

• Buffy: If the apocalypse comes, beep me.

• Cordelia: (seeing Angel) Hello, salty goodness! Pick up the phone, call 911. That boy is gonna need some serious oxygen after I'm through with him.

• Giles: Uh, two more of the brethren came in here. They came after me. But I was more than a match for them.

Buffy: Meaning?

Giles: I hid.

• Giles: Buffy, when I said you could slay vampires and have a social life, I didn't mean at the same time.