School Hard

"School Hard" is the third episode of the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the fifteenth episode altogether.

Synopsis


"School Hard" starts with Buffy and Sheila Martini in Principal Snyder's office. He has decided that the two girls will prepare the school lounge for parent-teacher night on Thursday. Whoever does the better job will not be expelled. Sheila's continued unconcern puts even more pressure on Buffy, who already has a tough time balancing slaying with a social life.

That night, a new pair of vampires arrive in town, Spike and Drusilla, who interrupt a gathering of the Anointed One and the minions of the Order of Aurelius to discuss the Master's death. Spike promises to kill Buffy as he has killed two Slayers already.

While the Scoobies are busy preparing for Parents' Night, Giles and Jenny Calendar show up to inform Buffy that Saturday will be the Night of Saint Vigeous, named after the leader of a vampire crusade, and that during that night the natural abilities of vampires will be enhanced. Buffy is unimpressed.

Buffy tries to combine school and social life by studying French at the Bronze. Spike is there, too, and sends one of the Anointed One's minions to attack someone, then prompts Buffy to fight and slay the vampire while Spike watches. Spike then steps out of the shadows and tells her that he will kill her on Saturday. He later brings Sheila, who is enthralled by his bad boy charms, to the weak Drusilla as food.

Giles does not recognize Spike from Buffy's description. Angel walks in on the meeting and tells them that Spike is a large problem, and then leaves. Later, Giles finds a reference to Spike as "William the Bloody", and discovers that he has indeed killed two slayers already and that the "Spike" moniker came from his custom of torturing his victims with railroad spikes.



On Thursday night, the Scoobies are making weapons in the library while Buffy is preparing the buffet. Despite Buffy's best efforts to keep her mother from meeting any teachers or Principal Snyder, Joyce eventually meets the Principal, and then she sternly orders Buffy home just as Spike and the other vampires crash through the window, too impatient to wait for Saturday. In the ensuing fight, Buffy leads the adults to safety in the science room while Xander, Giles, and Ms. Calendar barricade themselves in the library. Willow and Cordelia hide in a utility closet. Xander is sent out to get Angel. Buffy takes command of the incredulous adults, telling them to stay put as she climbs through the air ducts to reach the library and her weapons.

Xander returns to the school with Angel, who pretends to be his former evil self. Though Spike first welcomes Angel as a long-lost friend, he sees through the ruse and Xander and Angel are forced to flee. Xander hears Spike call Angel his "sire" and "Yoda."

Buffy and Spike finally meet in the hall, and Buffy is almost bested when her mother shows up and hits Spike over the head with the flat of a fire axe. With the curse "Women!" he retreats. Joyce tells Buffy that she trusts Buffy to take care of herself, whatever Snyder may say.

Snyder tells the police chief to say that the trouble was caused by a gang on PCP. When the chief wonders if people will believe it, Snyder asks if he'd rather tell the truth.

Spike returns to the vampire lair, where the Anointed One demands penance for attacking too early. After starting to go through the motions, Spike simply throws the boy in a cage and pulls it into the sun, killing him. From now on, he says, there will be less ritual and more fun in Sunnydale.

Production

 * Show creators have stated in interviews included on the DVDs that Spike kills The Anointed One in this episode because Andrew J. Ferchland, who plays The Anointed One, had grown significantly over the summer hiatus, which contradicted the established doctrine that vampires do not age. Because of Ferchland's growth spurt, he remains seated for most of his scenes in season two.


 * When Buffy first encounters Big Ugly outside the Bronze, she tells Xander to go get a stake. The script reads "Xander races to the table. Upends Buffy's purse, claws through lipstick, make-up, hair brush, a tampon! XANDER - Ahhh! He drops it like a hot tampon, finally finds a stake, runs." In the actual episode, Xander barely even reacts to finding the tampon.

Deleted Scenes

 * Spike's line was cut from the original script for length:
 * Spike: "Would it kill ya, a little mouthwash every couple hundred years?"


 * Xander's line was cut from the original script for length:
 * Xander: "The important thing in punch is the ratio of vodka to schnapps.... That was obviously far too sophisticated a joke for this crowd."


 * An exchange between Buffy and Giles was cut from the original script for length:
 * Buffy: "I don't suppose this is something about happy squirrels?"
 * Giles: "Vampires."
 * Buffy: "That was my next guess."

Quotes
Spike - "If every vampire who said he was at the Crucifixion was actually there, it would've been like Woodstock."

Giles - "For three nights, the unholy ones scourge themselves into a fury, um, culminating in a savage attack on the Night of St. Vigeous." Xander - "Does anybody remember when Saturday night meant date night?" Cordelia - "You sure don't."

Willow - She was already smoking in fifth grade. Once I was lookout for her. Xander - "You're bad to the bone." Willow - "I'm a rebel."

Xander - "As long as nothing really bad happens between now and then, you'll be fine." Buffy - "Are you crazy? What did you say that for? Now something bad is gonna happen." Xander - "What do you mean? Nothing's gonna happen." Willow - "Not until some dummy says, "As long as nothing bad happens"." Buffy - "It's the ultimate jinx." Willow - "What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?"

Buffy - "Who are you?" Spike - "You'll find out on Saturday." Buffy - "What happens on Saturday?" Spike - "I kill you."

Cordelia - "And if you get me out of this, I swear I'll never be mean to anyone ever again. Unless they really deserve it or if it's that time of the month, in which case I don't think you or anyone else can hold me responsible..." Willow - "Ask for some aspirin." Cordelia - "And can you please send some asp- Hey."

Continuity

 * This episode is the first appearance of Spike, who will figure heavily both in this series and the final season of Angel. The episode also marks the first appearance of Drusilla, who was also a constant threat and influence in both series.


 * Spike pronounces Angel's vampire name "AN-ge-lus" (rhyming with the American English pronunciation with the city of Los Angeles); throughout the remainder of the series, the proper pronunciation "an-GE-lus" is more often used.


 * Spike calls Angel his sire, an intentional misdirection to make fans believe that Angel was the vampire who sired him. When Spike uses sire he also mentions "Yoda", indicating that he thought of Angel has his mentor - the father-figure who taught him after he became a vampire. In interviews Joss Whedon has stated that a 'sire' can mean any vampire ancestor. So Spike can consider Drusilla, Angel, Darla, and the Master to all be his sires, even though he was sired by Dru.


 * In this episode Spike seems quite happy to see Angel, although they have had a very rocky relationship even when Angel has no soul. This animosity will remain through both the Buffy and Angel series.


 * This episode establishes that Principal Snyder and the police are aware that there are supernatural happenings in Sunnydale. This foreshadows the development of Mayor Richard Wilkins as the "big bad" of season 3.


 * At the end of the episode, Spike complains about "A Slayer with family and friends." Buffy's rejection of the typical "lone wolf" style of Slaying will come up frequently in the series, usually in the context of people questioning her competence.


 * This is the first episode to reveal that Buffy's mother's name is Joyce.


 * Sheila was one of the smartest vampires in the Buffyverse. After a surprise attack on Buffy, she wisely decides to skedaddle instead of trying to fight the Slayer. She was never heard from again and conceivably could still be at large.


 * Spike claims that Nikki Wood, the last Slayer he killed, begged for her life. Contrary to this, a flashback in "Fool for Love" does not show her beg before Spike kills her. However, the line between flashback and his commentary of the story as he acts it out for Buffy is blurred; the scene sometimes switches back and forth between the alley behind the Bronze and the subway car during some of Spike's lines directed at Buffy. It is possible he glossed over Nikki begging in this telling of the event, or that he was simply exaggerating in the first place to intimidate Buffy.


 * Despite, or because of, Joyce's attack on him in this episode, Spike later has a deep respect for Joyce Summers, developing somewhat of a friendship with her and being genuinely upset by her death.


 * Spike's rather dramatic arrival in Sunnydale (running over the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign) is later recreated in "Lovers Walk", the only difference being that Spike was driving drunk.


 * This episode marks the first time a vampire, The Anointed One, is killed by immolation in sunlight, though it occurs off screen. It will occur on screen for the first time in Becoming, Part One.

Music

 * Nickel - "1000 Nights" - music at The Bronze
 * Nickel - "Stupid Thing" - music at The Bronze