Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episode 12: Prophecy Girl

The first season of Buffy comes to an end in this episode written by Joss Whedon. It went by far too quickly. It starts off with Xander practicing what he is going to say to Buffy when he asks her out by trying it out on Willow. This must be so hard for Willow since she has such strong feelings for Xander. He of course doesn't even notice.

Meanwhile across town Buffy almost ruins Cordy's make out session while fighting vampires. It seems that more and more of the undead are coming into town and giving the slayer problems. Back at school Giles is pulling an all-nighter, it seems that the prophecy says the Master will rise and the slayer will die. Before he can look into it anymore the whole town is struck by a massive Earthquake. The Master is beyond excited, calling out glory, glory. Could he be talking about Ben? Is Ben Glory? Am I getting ahead of myself? Is he simply saying glory since he is all into his vampire religion and I'm just reaching? Most likely but it is still fun to think about.

Buffy goes to school the next day and Giles is acting all weird towards her. Pushing her away, almost as if he can't stand to be in the same room with her. He has too much on his mind. She is bothered by the way he is acting but he doesn't explain, he just kind of sends her away. This is too hard for him, he cares about her too much, almost as a father cares for a daughter.

The Scooby's walk out of class and Willow talks about nerds being in, it was true back then and even more true now. This show was oh so ahead of its time. Xander gives Willow the nod telling her to leave before kicking some kid out of his seat. He sits Buffy down and goes into his pitch, just a bit before changing tactics and just coming out with it. SHe sits there and watches him make a fool of himself. She points out that he and Willow are her best friends, he says Willow isn't looking to date her, or if she is she is playing it close to the chest, its a bit of unintentional foreshadowing that I've always liked. Xander tells Buffy that doesn't matter, she either feels something or she doesn't and she says she doesn't. He asks her to try and then makes a snide remark about Angel before storming off. I've been in both their places before and neither one is fun. I always feel bad for both of them. Emotions always make life so much harder. Poor Xander, poor Buffy. Poor me.

Giles calls Angel asking him to come meet him after the sun goes down and Jenny shows up to tell Giles she is scared. That signs all point to the end times and that a monk keeps emailing her about the anointed one. Giles is sure he is dead but snaps at Jenny to go and find out everything she can from the monk. She doesn't like that he is being so forceful but she does as he asks. This is a more manly Giles that we won't see again for a few years.

Cordy is getting ready for the dance and even sucks up to Willow a bit to ask her a favor. It is nice to see how much Willow has grown over this season. She is more sure of herself and less mousey. She spots Xander and breaks off from Cordy to go talk to him. He tells her how bad it all went. He asks her to be his date and she shoots him down. She doesn't want to be his back of date and who can blame him? I love Xander, even if the internet hates him, but that was cold. Willow is his best friend and he knows how she feels about him, how could he not? He had no right to treat her like that.

Blood comes out of the sink, sending Buffy to go find Giles who she finds talking to Angel. She over hears him saying that she is going to die tomorrow night. This makes her laugh, people do weird things when they find out bad news. The two men go to find her freaking out. At first she keeps her cool, just asks a lot of questions like is Giles going to train the new slayer, or how she dies, or if it will hurt or why Willow had never seen anything like this before and Buffy makes her promise to stay in before going back to her slayer duties. Oh and Willow likes the dress.

Jenny gets up to speed on everything that is going on with the Master and Buffy. It also seems the monk who knew about the anointed one is missing. The last thing he sent out implies that the anointed one is a kid. Giles plans on going against the Master himself but Buffy stops him. Buffy knocks him out and tells Jenny to tell Giles she said something cool. Jenny points out that it will cost her life and Buffy says maybe she can take him with her.

Buffy finds the anointed one and tells him that she knows who he is. He leads her into the tunnels. The Scooby's meet up in the library as everyone gets up to speed. Willow and Xander don't seem too happy that Jenny is here. Xander takes off to go save Buffy leaving everyone else to sit and plan the next move.

Xander heads over to Angel's house and tells him to take him to the Master's lair. Angel points out how out of league Xander is but Xander pulls out a cross and tells him he hates him but Buffy likes him and he needs Angel to prove Buffy right. They both know that the other loves her and the two of them go to look for her. Jenny and the others change tactics and start looking for the location of the hellmouth.

Buffy finally comes face to face with the Master. She tries to act tough and even fires an arrow right at his heart. To bad he catches it. Angel and Xander are not getting along as they go looking for her. Willow and Giles put together that the hellmouth must be at the bronze since that is where the harvest was. The prom is going on there as they speak so Jenny and Willow rush off to warn everyone. The Master catches Buffy from behind. Her fate is sealed. The vampires close in on the school and we learn that the hellmouth isn't at the bronze it is under the school. The Master uses his powers to bring Buffy to him, the Master tells her that she sets him free by coming there. Her blood gives him the power. He bites her and drinks from her. I'll never know why he didn't drain her, he just drank a little and drops her into a puddle. Tells her he likes the dress and breaks out of the barrier.

Angel rushes to the lair and Xander is right behind him. Angel pulls Buffy out of the water and tells Xander that she is dead. CPR is the only thing that can save her and only Xander can do since Angel is already dead and has no breath. Cordy saves Willow and Jenny as the vampires close in on the school. See she is a hero, the best hero of them all! Buffy wakes up coughing out the water. Xander saved her life. The slayer is back yo!

Cordy drives through the school to get to the library, you just have to love her. You have to, if you don't there is something wrong with you. The girls make it to the library and Giles tries to block the door. The vampires keep trying to break it down. Meanwhile behind them some kind of demon tentacle starts to break through the floor.

The Master takes in the surface world now that he is free as Buffy leads Angel and Xander to go find the Master. Buffy feels different, somehow stronger than she use to.  Why? I don't know but she does. The vampire swarm into the library from all sides. Buffy somehow knows right where the Master is and is on a mission to stop him. Xander and Angel stand guard while Buffy goes to face the Master alone.

The tentacle demon breaks into the library from under the library and Giles figures out where it is. The Master is freaked out by Buffy still being alive. He uses his powers to pull her towards him once again. Giles tries to keep the demon at bay as it tries to kill the girls. Buffy breaks free of the Masters spell and starts to kick his ass. Xander is showing himself as a better and better fighting against the undead now. The Master gets ahold of Buffy but she breaks free and knocks him down into the library. He  gets stabbed through the heart and dies. The demon is sucked back into the hellmouth that closes. The vampires flee. For some reason the Master turned to bones instead of dust.

The Scooby's all get together and decide to go to the bronze. After all the day is won and Buffy is back from the dead. The season ends with Angel talking about how much he likes her dress. Such an amazing end to the first season. How could anyone not love this show? It is so ahead of its time.