School Hard

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 2, Episode 3

Air date	September 29, 1997
Written by	David Greenwalt (story & teleplay) Joss Whedon (story)
Directed by	John T. Kretchmer
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"School Hard" is episode 3 of season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Plot 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 by the Anointed One with 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 the parents, 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 prompting 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 to torture his victims with railroad spikes.

On Thursday night, the Scoobies are making weapons in the library while Buffy is preparing the buffet. She eventually fails to keep Snyder from her mother. Afterwards, a stern Joyce 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, tells them to stay put and 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 an 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.

Starring

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Trivia

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.

Willow is wearing a Scoobie Doo shirt at the PTA night.

The title and some plot elements of this episode are reminiscent of the action film Die Hard

When Buffy first encounters the vampire 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."

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.

Music

Nickel - "1000 Nights" (music at The Bronze)
Nickel - "Stupid Thing" (music at The Bronze)

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