Buffy the Vampire Slayer/School Hard

School Hard
Season 2, Episode 3
Airdate	September 29, 1997
Production Number	5V03
Teleplay by	David Greenwalt
Story by	Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt
Directed by	John T. Kretchmer
← 2x02 Some Assembly Required	2x04 → Inca Mummy Girl
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season Two

School Hard is the third episode of the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the fifteenth episode overall.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel)

and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles)

Guest Starring: Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Robia La Morte (Jenny Calendar), Andrew J. Ferchland (The Anointed One), James Marsters (Spike), Alexandra Johnes (Sheila Martini), Gregory Scott Cummins (Big Ugly), Andrew Palmer (Lean Boy), Brian Reddy (Police Chief Bob), Juliet Landau (Drusilla)

and Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder)

Co-Starring: Keith MacKechnie (Parent), Alan Abelew (Brian Kirsch), Joanie Pleasant (Helpless Girl)

Plot Overview

Between Snyder and her mother, Buffy dreads Parent-Teacher night. However, it might be moot given the upcoming Night of Saint Vigeous where the Anointed One and his followers plan to attack in full force. Things are made even worse by the arrival of a vampire named Spike who has killed two Slayers in the past and promises to make Buffy his hat trick.

Notes

Monster of the Week

There is no "monster of the week" in this episode because it focuses on the Big Bad — The Anointed One. More importantly, however, the chief antagonist in this episode is a vampire new to town named William the Bloody, better known as Spike. In Giles' research, he discovers that William got his moniker from torturing people with railroad spikes and is barely 200 years old. He also learns that Spike has killed two slayers in the past, including one during the Boxer Rebellion in China.

Spike and Drusilla, his weak and very delusional companion, arrive in Sunnydale in time for the Night of Saint Vigeous, a night named for a crusade of vampires which washed across Mesopotamia (specifically Edessa and Harran), likely between 1099 and 1144 when the Crusaders held Edessa. Allegedly, vampires are at their strongest on that night. However, Spike doesn't wait until the Night of Saint Vigeous to start causing mayhem, indicating that his arrival at that time was coincidence. He also makes the point that he doesn't appreciate ritual by killing The Anointed One.

Also of note is Spike's connection to Angel, who he calls Angelus during his "buddy buddy" act when they first meet in the episode. Angel sired Spike and taught him everything he knew when the two ran together along with Drusilla and Darla, terrorizing Europe during Angel's pre-curse days.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Vampire	Buffy	Staked	Outside The Bronze
2–3	Dwayne & Dell	Spike	Necks Snapped	Outside The Bronze
4	Sheila	Drusilla	Blood Drained	Drusilla's Room
5	Parent	Spike	Neck Snapped	Sunnydale High School
6	Man	Vampire	Blood Drained	Sunnydale High School
7–8	Vampire	Buffy	Staked	Sunnydale High School
9	The Anointed One	Spike	Direct Sunlight	Warehouse

Music

• "1000 Things" performed by Nickel: When Buffy and Willow are trying to study French at the Bronze, Nickel is performing on stage. The first song that they play is "1000 Things", a song from their album Stupid Thing released independently in 1997.

• "Stupid Thing" performed by Nickel: The second song performed by Nickel at the Bronze is "Stupid Thing", the title track from their album Stupid Thing.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Conspiracy: Although it has been hinted in previous episodes that Principal Snyder knows more about Sunnydale's supernatural elements than he lets on, it is made very clear that he is at the school because it is on the Hellmouth and not for the students. Not only does he know about the existence of vampires and other monsters in the city, but so does a select group of other adults, including the police chief. The two are apparently part of a larger conspiracy which foreshadows the rise of Mayor Wilkins next season.

Trivia

The Show

• First Appearance: Two major recurring characters, both vampires, make their first appearances in this episode: Spike and Drusilla.

Behind the Scenes

• Killed Off: The reason why Spike killed off The Anointed One in this episode is because actor Andrew J. Ferchland had a major growth spurt over the summer and would have defied the mythology stating that vampires do not age. For this reason, it became difficult to film scenes with him in episodes and necessitated him sitting down for most of his appearances.

• Technicality: On January 2, 1998, about four months after this episode aired, Joss Whedon explained that Angel was not Spike's direct sire, saying "Angel was Dru's sire — he made her — and she made Spike. But SIRE doesn't just mean [the] guy who made you, it means you come from their line. Angel is like a grandfather to Spike."

Memorable Moments

• Joyce Summers hitting Spike on the back of the head with a fire axe.

Goofs

• When Buffy races outside to fight the big ugly vampire, she evidently found the time and necessity to grab her jacket, but not a stake.

Quotes

• Willow: She was already smoking in fifth grade. Once I was lookout for her.

Xander: You're bad to the bone.

Willow: I'm a rebel.

• Spike: If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock.

• Spike: Nice work, love.

Buffy: Who are you?

Spike: You'll find out on Saturday.

Buffy: What happens on Saturday?

Spike: I kill you.

• Parent: Who are those people? What do they want?

Joyce Summers: I didn't get much of a look, but was there something wrong with their faces?

Principal Snyder: Yes! PCP. It's a gang on PCP!

• Xander: So, when you gave him my neck to chew on, why didn't you clock him before he had a chance to clock you?

Angel: I told you. I couldn't make the first move. I had to see if he was buying it or not.

Xander: And if he bit me, what then?

Angel: We would've known he bought it.

Xander: Hey, what's the deal with you being Spike's sire? What's a sire?

• Spike: A Slayer with family and friends. That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure.

• Spike: From now on, we're gonna have a little less ritual... and a little more fun around here.