Welcome to the Hellmouth
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Production number: 4V01
Original US Air Date:10/3/97
Written by: Joss Whedon
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith

Guest stars:

Mark Metcalf: The Master
Brian Thomson: Luke
David Boreanaz: Angel
Ken Lerner: Principal Flutie
Kristine Sutherland: Joyce Summers
Julie Benz: Darla
J Patrick Lawlor: Thomas
Eric Balfour: Jesse
Mercedes McNab: Harmony Kendall

Synopsis:

Young Buffy Summers and her mother move to the outwardly quite, peaceful town of Sunnydale.All Buffy wants to do is make friends, get good grades and forget her troubles. However her past refuses to remain buried, and it's not long before she has been excommunicated by the most popular girl in her grade, Cordelia Chase, and she and her new friends Xander, Willow and Jesse are threatened by vampires preparing for 'The Harvest'. Their master, while trapped underground, is gaining strength, and the mouth of Hell is about to open right underneath the town. Can the Slayer, her new watched Giles and the prototypical stop the evil bloodsuckers? Angel makes his first appearance as 'cryptic guy' and he and Buffy get off to a bad start - Buffy is annoyed because people she doesn't even know all expect her to do 'the right thing' and Angel's mysteriousness does not leave her in a better mood. Buffy reluctantly accepts her responsibilities as Slayer but can't stop Willow wandering of with a vamp while they're at the Bronze. Geeky Jesse also gets lucky - with vampire, Darla. Buffy follows them to a crypt where she kicks some serious vamp-ass-kicking, however when the Vampire Luke comes out of nowhere and throws her into a tomb with a skeleton things begin to look bad for Buffy.

Review:

One of the best opening scenes of any series ever. The characterisation, fang sharp dialogue and sheer inventiveness grab you by the jugular and never let go. Welcome to Buffy's world.

Points of interest:

Brian (Luke) Thomson played the shape-shifting alien bounty hunter guy from the X-Files. At this point in his career he had just finished a stint as vampire, Eddie Fiori, on Kindred:The Embraced. He also returns to the Series as 'The Judge' in Season two's 'Surprise' & 'Innocence'.

The Master's real name is Heinrich Joseph Nest.

Sunnydale High is in fact Torrance High, the school featured in Beverly Hills 90210 an film, She's All That.

According to Willow Giles' last job was as curator in a/thee British Museum

Music featured in this episode:

Sprung Monkeys : Believe

Vampire Deaths: 1

Total Deaths: 2