Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 3: School Hard

The episode we have all been waiting for. Spike has arrived in this episode written by the one and only David Greenwalt. Now I know we have dealt with him a few times already but those were all made after the fact just take place first. This episode is the first time Spike showed up. It is his first appearance. How great is it that I get to watch and write this one on my birthday? That is great luck!

The episode starts off with Snyder beating his chest in front of Buffy and a girl who seems to be even more trouble than Buffy. This girl stabbed someone and is being treated like she is in the same league as Buffy. Snyder put the two of them in charge of Parent teacher night. If they don't make it perfect one or both of them will be expelled. Yet another example of the expelled word being thrown around.

Buffy fills the Scoobies in on what Snyder is making them do and they fill her in on all the bad stuff the other girl has done. Xander jinxes her by mistake by saying that nothing bad will happen. Cut to the scene we have all been waiting for! A black car runs over the welcome to Sunnydale sign and a man in a long black overcoat gets out. He lights up a cigarette and says home sweet home. Who is this man you ask? he is Spike!!!!! The one and only yo.

The Anointed one is holding court looking for a replacement to lead their vampire religion. One man says he was at the crucifixion and Spike laughs saying that would make it Woodstock. Turns out Spike was at Woodstock. He moves into the warehouse and says he will lead the vampires on their religious day that makes their kind stronger. He also points out that he killed two slayers in his time. He is about to get into it when Drusilla walks in. Spike changes his whole mood when she enters. Fun fact, I'm friends with the actress who plays her on Facebook. Just thought that was cool. Oh and about Spike. . .

How cool is that? I have his and Cordy's autograph. I want to try and get them all. Anyways back to the story. Joyce tells Buffy that she got a note in the mail telling her about the parent teacher meeting. She also tells Buffy that if she isn't doing good in school than she will never leave the house again. She tries to act like a good mother by telling her that school isn't everything and she will love her no matter what. She then follows it up blaming her for them being there and telling her that she doesn't want to be disappointed in her yet again. Can I just say I hate Joyce. Hate Joyce.

The next day Willow helps Buffy makes the flyers since the other girl doesn't show up. She is under so much stress so enter Giles and Jenny with information about the vampire holy day that makes them stronger than ever. Giles tells her this is more important but she points out she can't get kicked out of school. Willow and Xander offer to help take the weight off of Buffy's shoulders. Snyder shows up so Giles and Jenny take off. He says that Xander and Willow better not be helping her in the other girls place but they cover for her. Just as she shows up.

Willow is helping Buffy study at the Bronze while Xander talks them into dancing. Spike shows up and watches them. You can see on Spike's face the attraction that he has for Buffy. It is all seen right here in their first meeting. The romance that would change his unlife for all time. He then sets up his fellow vampire so he can watch Buffy fight and introduce himself.

The bad girl is captured by Spike while leaving a bar. The Scoobies all meet up in the library, Angel too and he tells them how dangerous Spike is. Meanwhile Dru talks to her dolls when Spike shows up with the bad girl to feed her. They talk briefly about what happened in Prague and how it almost killed Dru. It is the reason they came here to the hellmouth.

The Scoobies, along with Cordy who is almost one of them are getting weapons ready for as Buffy stresses about making punch for the parent teacher meeting that night. Willow follows her and we learn that Buffy can't even make punch right. Joyce shows up early and Buffy sends Willow to keep her busy and away from Snyder.

It almost works but at the end of the night Snyder catches up with Joyce and everything comes to a screaming end for the slayer. Giles learns that Spike is also known as William the Bloody. He also informs the others about how Spike has killed two slayers in the past 100 years. Joyce demands Buffy get in the car, she sounds pissed. So cue Spike and the other vampires breaking into the school to kill Buffy. The good news is they are early so they don't have the extra power. The bad news, there are a lot of people they can kill.

Everyone splits up, Buffy leads a group including her mother and Snyder into a classroom while Giles and the other Scoobies end up in the library and Willow and Cordy end up in a closet. The vampires have no idea where Buffy went and Spike is not happy. The phones have been cut so they can't call any help. Giles sends Xander to go find Angel to help. Meanwhile Snyder says the vampires must just be some kind of gang. Buffy tries to keep everyone in the room safe but Snyder doesn't want to listen to her. Joyce tells Buffy she can't go out there but Buffy goes into the roof instead. Now what mom would let her even do that?

Spike starts walking around the school calling out for the slayer telling her that he is going to kill her friends. He almost finds Willow and Cordy when he hears Buffy in the roof. Giles starts to unblock the library doors so he can find Buffy and Jenny tries to stop him. Lucky Buffy drops from the roof before he does it. She tells him that she is going to kill the vampires in the hall and when she does she wants him to get her mother and the others out to safety.

Snyder and Joyce start getting into it. Some other parent tries to escape and it costs him his life. Spike breaks out the fire ax to help one of the vampires break into the classrooms. Angel pretends to take Xander as a snack to give to Spike. Buffy kills the vampire with the ax just before he breaks into the room with Joyce. Who doesn't even question it when the man who was cutting the door down is gone and replaced with her daughter. Joyce looking through the hole looks a lot like the dream from the last episode of season 4, I never noticed that before.

Buffy finds the bad girl who picks up the ax and follows her to help out. Angel gives Spike Xander and they joke around about Buffy before getting ready to eat Xander. We then learn the bad girl is a vampire, something we should have known since she was last seen as food for Dru. Buffy kills the other vampires and she runs. She lets her mother out who then runs with Giles. She lets Buffy stay, bad bad mother. Very bad mother.

Spike tells Angel he hasn't seen him out and about in a long time. Now see why I have issue with the first issue of Spike and Dracula? In that he learns about the curse, here he doesn't. You want another mistake, he also calls Angel his sire, when in fact Dru is his sire and Angel sired her. Spike attacks Angel who takes off with Xander and Buffy comes with the ax to fight Spike. The fight that we have been waiting for since the Bronze.

It is a good fight between the two, while Angel and Xander fight others outside and Giles leads everyone else to safety. Joyce finally starts to think about her daughter just as Spike gets the upper hand and starts kicking Buffy's ass. He almost kills her till Joyce smacks him with the ax. Spike takes off and Joyce saves her daughter's life. I still don't like her. At all!

The rest of the vampires flee and we learn that Snyder knows about vampire, he also pretends that he tried to stop the man who ran out of the school. Something isn't right there. Xander questions Angel about being Spike's sire but he doesn't answer just takes off. Joyce tells Buffy that she loves her and is glad that she can take care of herself. Willow and Cordy are still hiding thinking that the vampires are right outside.

Back at the warehouse Spike offers an apologize for messing up the holy day but the vampires want his head. So he does want any kickass vampire would do, he kills the anointed one and takes over. Got to love Spike, how could you not?

Also Happy Birthday to me!