The Freshman
The Freshman
Season 4, Episode 1 (Episode 57 of entire series)
I don't know why, but Anne Murray's "Snowbird" popped into my head on the first viewing of this. Your basic season-opener episode...out-of-place Buffy dealing with adjustments. No Angel (for good or for bad?), even Joyce isn't acting herself, or at least how Buffy would like for her to act since she's moved into the dorms. New levels of change, etc. Also, it's been way too long since I started this page and then finished it, so if it sucks, don't feel like you have to tell me. I already know it. Heh.
Show begins with Buffy and Willow hangin' in the cemetery, poring over Buffy's new college schedule. Er, make that, schedule in the making. Turns out Buffy's had a slay-heavy summer, no time to schedule classes. Or let's just be real...she's a procrastinator. I can relate to that. I mean, how long did it take me to get this episode page up, hmm?
Anyhoo, during the yammering (wherein we learn that Buffy once again will maintain her secret identity), a vamp rises from a fresh grave, and sneaks up to feast on the chicks. One look at the slay-heavy artillery and Mr. Smart Vamp, surprised, backs off. Truly amusing. No ego here.
Buffy decides to take a course called something like Images of Pop Culture, but since she's registering so late, she's not sure she can get into the class. This plays a big part later, as Buffy will later anger her new professor and get booted from taking the course anyway. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
Next day, Buffy's on campus surveying the madness that surrounds her. I guess her transition from Hemery High in L.A. to Sunnydale High was smoother, though I can't imagine why. I mean, she burned down a school! Er...I just remembered what happened at the end of Graduation part 2, where the school was blown up, but hey. (And anyway, it was Giles who did the actual blowing up of the school...) Anyhoo, finally she runs into Willow, who's all a-chatter. Willow digs her new atmosphere, yammers about how it's cool to like knowledge here, and blah blah biddy blah, I'm so excited, give me a blue book.
When the gals run into Oz, Buffy thinks maybe he'll be caught up in the fish-out-of-watery thing she's feeling, but hey man, this is Oz. As if.
Buffy and Willow part company from Oz and journey on.
Okay I have limited space here so let me try to nutshell. Basically Buff is thrown by everything around her. She's been reduced to sort of like, "Vowel-muttering Willow". She finds the library to be imposing, rather than impressive, and while in the bookstore, she knocks books onto a guy who turns out to be her psych TA. Stunned, Buffy can only stand around and say dumb girly things while Willow takes charge with the introductions. Then Willow and Riley (aka, Mr. Concussion) go off to discover more books and stuff, as they chat away about psych theories and such. This whole thing gave me the wig. I mean, not that I've never done it, but I was surprised to see Buffy acting like that. But I guess a new environment can do that to you...
After this much embarrassment, what's a gal to do but go to her dorm room for some comforts of home? Ha. I laugh. This is where she meets super-peppy roomie Kathy. I want to call her "Bright Eyes" but I like Planet of the Apes too much to do that. Anyhoo, Kathy hangs up a Celine Dion poster. It's almost like when we found out that The Mayor liked The Family Circus. Add it up, it all spells "evil." Of course, if the poster didn't clue you in, Kathy's teeth-gnashing and snorting and snoring might well do the trick instead. Yeesh. I recommend that Buffy get some earplugs. I had to do that this year as I've had some damn obnoxious neighbors. (But I've moved, so...)
I would like now to take a moment to reflect on that dorm room. Can I just say that our freshman dorm room (and sophomore, too) had no kitchen? Our idea of a kitchen was one of those crappy little fridges that holds nothing but odors. So please tell me how on earth that room had those dimensions! Dang.
Okay. Anyhoo, next day is Buffy's ubersuck. She arrives to class which looks to be already in progress, and when she just tries to ask this person next to her if the class is full or can she still get in, Prof. Jerkmeister interrupts his 'welcome' lecture to embarrass her. He makes her stand up, share her question with the class, and then boots her. I had a big problem with this. I know of no professor who would do this...I mean I haven't had all the professors (er, you know what I mean) but it seemed odd. I know a few of you told me that you thought it was realistic, but I still have an issue with it. Like whatever. Anyhoo, then Buffy has more major embarrassment. She spots Riley in the hall, but does he remember her? No, he does not. I have to say, I sure as heck would remember the doofus who beaned me with some books. But I guess that's just me.
Next up is Buffy's class with Willow and Oz...the psych class. It's here that the Professor Walsh lady tells the class that this will be an intensive type course. It's also here that I sort of got miffed because she, as most people do, told folks if they're looking for an easy way out, to take Geology..aka Rocks for Jocks. Okay. See, I took Geology. I took it a bit in high school. I took it in college (hey, I needed a science class okay?). It is so damn boring that I couldn't force myself to read it, and hey, you have to memorize rocks. Though I guess jocks memorize play strategies so maybe..no, no! Geology. It's not just rocks for jocks. There. I've said it again. I also took psych 101 and found it incredibly boring. Sorry. Either I'm sane or my professor blew. (Which she did, and she came up before the board for something about competency, but I'm getting a wee bit sidetracked.)
Anyhoo, the next big thing to happen to Buffy is her meeting of Eddie, this other guy who's floundering about on campus. He's lost, so they try to make heads/tails out of the campus map. Eddie and Buffy yammer about feeling out of place, and Eddie asks Buffy if she has a security blanket like he does. His is Of Human Bondage (the movie bored me. What can I say, I must have a high entertainment threshold. Just kidding.) Eddie tells Buffy that that's not porn. Heh. So it turns out that they're in the same psych class, so they make a point to look for each other and all that. Too bad Eddie's nabbed by vampires.
The vamps then go clean out Eddie's room, to make it look like he couldn't hack it anymore so he just left school.
Did I say nutshell? Okay. Buffy checks out Eddie's room, discovers he probably didn't leave willingly, sees him vamped out, does the staking thing, then gets ambushed by vamp Sunday and her groupies. Blah blah blah, Buffy goes to Giles, but he's involved with a "houseguest" and blah blah blah.
Basically it ends up that Xander's the one who sort of helps Buffy get her (blank) together. They go off in search of Sunday's hideout and Xander leaves Buffy on lookout while he goes to get her weapons. Blah blah blah. Buffy takes down Sunday, Xander gets Oz and Willow to help out, and it's Vampapalooza. Buffy & gang take out all the vamps, except one who manages to flee the scene, and lo and behold, Buffy's regained her ground. Yay.
Enter Giles who's ready to help Buffy now. The gang's back. Well...what did you expect in the first week of school? Clogging by Cibo Matto?
Oh yeah..the vamp that got away? Some masked army-type guys used laser-gun type things to electrocute him. But not really electrocute..just..bring him down with shocks. Looked kinda painful.
1. Buffy took down Sunday.
2. The gang took out some random vamps.
3. I'm sure another site has the blow-by-blow you're looking for.
1. Xander's living in his folks' basement.
2. Apparently, talking in class can get you kicked out.
3. Vamps who talk trash 'bout Buffy's clothing can get the upper hand.
4. Buffy's a bit overwhelmed by college.
5. Xander needs to work on his Star Wars speeches.
6. Giles apparently doesn't need the Band Candy.
7. Prof. Walsh disses Geology, but dammit, I'm taking a stand. (See above.)
8. Of Human Bondage doesn't make the best security blanket...
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
1. A cemetery
2. UC Sunnydale Campus
3. Buffy's dorm room
4. Buffy's house
5. The Bronze
6. Campus Bookstore
7. Campus Library
8. Pop Culture Classroom
9. Psych 101 Classroom
10. Sunday's Lair (old frat house)
11. Giles's place
1. Buffy
2. Willow
3. Xander
4. Giles
5. Oz
6. Riley
7. Joyce Summers
8. Olivia
9. Sunday
10. Partier/Surfer/Jeff Spicoli/Duh Vamp
11. Fat Sweater Girl Vamp
12. Eddie
13. Kathy (Buffy's roomie)
14. Pop Culture Prof.
15. Maggie Walsh, Psych. Prof.
16. Smart Newly Risen Cemetery Vamp
17. Eddie's R.A.
Check out the Dingo Action! Results for this episode..your answers to wacky questions and what you thought of the 'sode.
The Episodes