The first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally aired on The WB from March 10, 1997 to June 2, 1997. It served as a mid-season replacement for Savannah and only contained 12 episodes.
Cast
Principal Cast
In order of character appearances:
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers (12/12)
- Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris (12/12)
- Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg (12/12)
- Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase (10/12) (Does not appear in "The Pack" and "I, Robot... You, Jane")
- Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles (12/12)
Regular Cast
In order of character appearances:
- Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers (7/12)
- David Boreanaz as Angel (7/12)
- Mark Metcalf as The Master (6/12)
- Ken Lerner as Principal Flutie (4/12)
- Andrew J. Ferchland as The Anointed One (4/12)
- Julie Benz as Darla (3/12)
- Eric Balfour as Jesse McNally (2/12)
- Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar (2/12)
- William Monaghan as Stephen Gregory (2/12)
- Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall (2/12)
- Armin Shimerman as Principal Snyder (2/12)
- Brian Thompson as Luke (2/12)
- Jeffrey Steven Smith as Adam (2/12)
- Elizabeth Anne Allen as Amy Madison (1/12)
- Dean Butler as Hank Summers (1/12)
Season Summary
The first season began several months after the events of the movie, with Buffy Summers arriving in Sunnydale with her mother, Joyce.
After moving with the hopes of leaving her born slayer duties behind, Buffy inevitably came into contact with her Watcher, the librarian Rupert Giles, and the two friends who would fight demons alongside her through the series. They soon realized that Sunnydale High was located on a Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions, which attracted supernatural phenomena to the area.
The first season included mostly standalone episodes, exploring the problems faced by the student population as a result of the centrality of the Hellmouth that it has. Such issues explored include: ignored students turning invisible; witches; demon teachers; and the never-ending supply of vampires.
With the high emphasis on teenage angst and metaphorical nature of the episodes, Buffy's inevitable love interest came in the form of Angel, who frequently turned up with cryptic warnings for Buffy. However, the relationship became complicated when the truth about Angel's past is uncovered. Angel is a vampire with a soul that was restored by gypsies many years prior to the series' beginning.
The overarching plot concerned The Master's attempts to reach the surface. He was an ancient and very powerful vampire who was trapped by an earthquake caused by his attempt to open the Hellmouth decades ago. Buffy and her comrades managed to stop each supernatural threat, typically employing a combination of detective work, frequent physical combat, and extensive research of both ancient mystical texts and computer-accessible records.
Ultimately, The Master recruited a prophesied Anointed One who brought Buffy to her death in The Master's underground prison. He used her blood to escape to the roof of Sunnydale High, but she is quickly revived by Xander, who had tracked her with the help of an unfed Angel. She managed to throw the Master onto a shard of wood, and the Hellmouth is closed.
The main antagonist of this season was The Master.
Season 1 Episodes
Trivia
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