Teaser
5A) "Poor technique." (00:00:23) PICKY GILES: Giles' statement here is typical of the early, stuffy Giles, who strives so hard to uphold the Slayer/Watcher rules, while simultaneously knowing that he can't. His first acknowledgment that he can't, but also doesn't mind so much will come at the end of this episode, in Buffy and Giles' first true heart-to-heart. See 5XX.
5B) "It should simply be 'plunge' and move on..." (00:00:40) SLAYAGE TECHNIQUES: This "plunge and move on" philosophy is one that Buffy will try to follow in the future (but will not always succeed in). Until the latter part of the fourth season, Buffy does not truly start to explore the darker, primal forces that make her the Slayer. She, consequently, also tries to distance herself from the violence, by not prolonging it. The first person who will confront her with the fact that having a long, violent, gory fight can be incredibly appealing, both physically and mentally, even to an almost erotic level, is Faith, who revels in long, drawn-out fights that hurt the vamp as much as possible before the final kill. In many cases, Faith's complete immersion into the violence of the moment will put herself, and Buffy, in danger.
5C) "Hello..." (00:00:44) BUFFYVERSE MYTHOLOGY: One of the great, unanswered Buffyverse questions is why, if everything a vampire is wearing dissolves along with the rest of it when it is dusted (see 1ZZ), does this ring remain? One of the only logical explanations is that this ring is either made out of a material that cannot be destroyed by a traditional dusting, or has some sort of spell on it. Another possibility is that the vamp deliberately dropped the ring shortly before, or as he was getting dusted. And the reason behind the ring having a spell on it, or being purposely dropped by the vamp? Perhaps so that the ring would be left as a warning that the Order of Aurelius is in town.
5D) "And from their ashes, the Anointed shall rise." (00:01:49) IRONIC TWISTAGE: "As Christ is the christened, or anointed, in Christian tradition, the Anointed in Buffy is clearly set up in parallel, perhaps as an anti-Christ. It's interesting that people are expecting 'A warrior' (Giles) and 'a powerful ally' (The Master), when what they get...[at the end]...is a little child."--Vickie, Sun, 06/02/02 at 13:13:07
5*2) "The Brethren of Aurelius..." (00:01:53) BUFFYVERSE MYTHOLOGY: "Aurelius was a prophetic vampire from the 12th century, and was founder of The Order of Aurelius, an old and venerated sect of vampires that the Master now leads."--Masquerade, "Never Kill A Boy On The First Date" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com
Act One
5E) "Owen...Hi." (00:04:25) FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "[Owen]...is good-natured, bookish. It's entirely possible he has no idea how handsome he is."--"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, available from Pocket Books, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 1
DECEIVING APPEARANCES: Two major themes of this episode are the issues of form vs. substance and someone's outward appearance vs the truth about that person. Owen, for example...[looks like a normal guy, but turns out to be fascinated by death...[which will be manifested both in his desire for danger, voiced at the end of the episode, and in his obsession with Emily Dickinson.] Ironically, even the first non-Scooby student who turns up in the library happily goes to the funeral home...[later in the episode]. Death and art (Emily Dickinson) are paired."--Rahael, Fri, 06/14/02 at 09:39:36 See 5X for more on form vs. substance, and 5Z for more on the deceiving nature of outward appearances.
5F) "What do you want?" (00:04:29) WHITHER LIBRARY?: This line begins an on-running joke on the show that very few people ever come into the library besides the Scooby Gang and Giles, who use it as their Batcave-of-sorts. Therefore, sometimes they forget that it actually is a school library. Here, for example, Giles cannot even comprehend for a moment why this boy would be in the library, and what he might possibly want! See 29Q.
5G) "I lost my Emily. Dickinson." (00:04:41) LITERARY REFERENCES: Emily Dickinson is now a world-famous American poet, but, upon the time of her death, at the age of 55, in 1866, only about a dozen of her poems had been published. Dickinson was known as an "eccentric recluse" who rarely left her house. There are stories of her lowering sweets from her second-story window to local children outside, via a basket, tied to a rope. "Usually, they would only glimpse her hands and arms, as she was careful not to show her face." She spent most of her life in solitude, and only one photograph of her, taken when she was seventeen, is known to exist. After her death, her collection of over 1700 poems that she had written, that were discovered in her house, was published. Her poems contain recurring themes of morbidity, the fragileness of life, and the inescapibility of death.--Information taken from The Neurotic Poets Website
5H) "Kind of like my security blanket." (00:04:46) POP CULTURE TIME: The idea of a security blanket, a tangible item that a child, or even someone older, keeps to make him or her feel comfortable and safe, came from Charles Schultz's famous comic strip, Peanuts, in which a young boy, Linus, never lets his blanket leave his side. When it does, he becomes lost and agitated.
5I) "So, Emily Dickens, huh?" (00:04:45) BUFFY NOT BOOK SMART: Another reminder here of why most of Buffy's teachers, besides Dr. Gregory (see 4D), do not appreciate her. She may be incredibly smart, but has a great deal of trouble with schoolwork and "book-knowledge." She does not know names of famous poets, or how to do science, etc. That, however, does not detract from her brains. Many people have this problem in high school--they are incredibly smart but have no interest in studying or doing their schoolwork. Many teachers, because of this, assume that that is because the person is not smart. In a great deal of cases, the exact opposite is true: their high intellect makes it hard for them to concentrate or care about school, because it is below their level.
5J) "For an American." (00:05:57) TWISTED: This joke here is a great example of Buffy twisting the viewer's expectations. Like Buffy, everybody assumes that Giles is behaving male-chauvinistically, and implying that Emily Dickinson is only good for a woman, but, no! He's not biased against women...Only Americans! See 36QQQ.
5K) "He can brood for forty minutes straight." (00:06:51) SOUNDS LIKE...: Buffy obviously is attracted to the same type of men, time after time. Willow here talks about clocking in Owen's brooding time, something which can also be said about Angel. He could probably, in fact, beat Owen's forty minute record! Although Angel might not be "poet," per se, he could be seen as having the soul of one. And, of course, another vampire Buffy will fall for (albeit, despite herself) is Spike, who remains very poetic to this day, and, in his former life, was William, a poet, very much like Owen, who kept to himself and seemd to be the type to enjoy the solace of a quiet evening and a good book. William's metamorphosis into Spike is foreshadowed by Owen's desire, voiced at the end of the episode, to break free from his shy and sequestered existence, and live a life of danger and action, like Buffy (see 5T and 5UU).--Shadowkat, Sat, 06/01/02 at 08:16:17, paraphrased by Rob See 5T, 5GG, and 5HH for more on what Buffy is attracted to in a man
5L) "I think it's kale." (00:07:14) DICTIONARY DEFINITION: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language describes "kale" as "an edible plant...in the mustard family, having spreading crinkled leaves that do not form a compact head..."--Information taken from http://www.dictionary.com
5M) "At least now you don't have to eat your Soylent Green." (00:08:05) POP CULTURE TIME: "Soylent Green is the title of the 1973 Charlton Heston sci-fi film about a world so overcrowded that agriculture has failed completely. Artificial concoctions are the only workable form of nutrition. One of them, Soylent Green, turns out to be made from human beings. The film was based on the novel by Harry Harrison, Make Room! Make Room!"--Cactus Watcher, Sat, 06/01/02 at 07:38:06
5N) "You mean besides me?" (00:08:15) FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: Cordelia is described as "genuinely confused" here, in the original shooting script, implying that she is so self-absorbed that the mere thought that she might not be the center of attention, or wanted by Owen, is completely alien to her.----"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, available from Pocket Books, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 1
5O) "I've read the back of the box." (00:10:44) POP CULTURE TIME: Buffy, here, refers to the fact that cereals' nutritional information and ingredients, or a piece of equipment's information, is usually printed on the back of the box.
5P) "...it could put you and those around you in grave danger." (00:10:50) CINEMATIC LINKAGE: The idea that Buffy should not reveal her Slayerly identity to anybody, at the risk of putting herself and her friends in danger, was first mentioned in the original movie version of Buffy. Further, that aspect of her duty was stressed much more greatly in the film. Although it is mentioned on the show, over the course of the years, most people in Sunnydale High have become aware either that Buffy is the Slayer, or that she is some sort of "protector," as evidenced by she being given the "Class Protector" Award at her senior prom in the third season's The Prom. Consequently, many vampires know her real name, as well.
5Q) "You will be judged!" (00:11:38) FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "[Andrew Borba is a]...mean-looking, tattooed guy, who looks like he just stepped off the cover of 'Militia Monthly' magazine."----"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, available from Pocket Books, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 1
TATTOOS EVIL: See 20W, 32O, and 35R.
5R) Buffy sees Owen dancing with Cordelia. (00:12:15) FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: This is how Buffy's reaction to seeing Cordelia and Owen dancing is described in the original shooting script--"ANGLE: BUFFY...Standing there. If she had a cake, this would take it."--"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, available from Pocket Books, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 1
Act Two
5S) "Or...flat tire." (00:14:38) BUFFY BAD LIAR: "Throughout this episode, there is a direct comparison of Buffy's inability to come up with a plausible excuse and Willow and Xander's ability to do so." For example, here Buffy goes on about how she couldn't tell Owen about her waiting in a cemetary to slay a vampire, and Xander comes up with the simple "flat tire" excuse. Throughout the series, in fact, we will see Buffy be extremely skillful at figuring things out, solving mysteries, planning attacks, thinking on her feet, etc, but be incapable of making a simple, plausible lie on the spot. Perhaps the most classic example is her lie to Anya about where Xander is, in the sixth season's Hells Bells. This little detail is another personality trait that makes her very human. She is not perfect in everything, and this is one of those areas. Although perhaps having trouble being dishonest isn't such a bad thing. Whenever Buffy does lie about something (Angel's return in Season Three, for example), it eats her up inside.--Vickie, Sun, 06/02/02 at 13:13:07, with additions by Rob See 5W.
5T) "He has a certain Owenosity." (00:15:00) THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING OWEN: "Owenosity: The characteristic of being like, or just being, Owen. Although it can involve being book-wormy in a sexy kind of way (brooding is essential as well), it also means having a naive enjoyment of thrill-seeking that might quickly lead to death or injury if one hangs out with Buffy Summers. Buffy tends to like men who possess a certain amount of Owenosity...[For example]...Angel...Riley...[and]...Spike..."--Masquerade, "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" Analysis at http://www.atpobtvs.com. See 5K, 5GG, and 5HH for more on what Buffy is attracted to in a man
5U) "I can read." (00:15:05) XANDER: The implications behind Xander's little "I can read" line go typically unnoticed by Buffy, and are reminiscent of Willow's understated "I don't want you getting hurt" from The Harvest (see 2R).
5V) "And Xander. That'd be me." (00:15:17) XANDER LOVES BUFFY: Xander's awkwardness here at trying to get a sentence, while seeing Buffy falling for another guy, hearkens nicely back to their first meeting in Welcome to the Hellmouth (see 1K), and the now-famous "Xander...Is me."
5W) "Oh, I, uh, my watch broke..." (00:15:24) BUFFY BAD LIAR: Here is one of Buffy's more egregious baaad lies. "Compare...[a] lameo...[like this]...to Willow and Xander's pulling Owen aside...[later]...to give him advice so Giles and Buffy can talk slayer stuff, the double-date excuse for crashing at the Bronze, and later...[when Willow explains Buffy's running off to Owen as]...'she just wants to make sure there are no guards.'"--Vickie, Sun, 06/02/02 at 13:13:07, with additions by Rob See 5S.
5X) Xander looks at his Tweety wristwatch. (00:15:45) POP CULTURE TIME: "Xander's watch depicts Tweetie Bird, the Warner Brothers cartoon character, whose original voice was the great Mel Blanc...[Symbolically,]...Tweetie Bird is almost a prototype of Buffy. Despite looking small and utterly helpless, Tweetie Bird always manages to thrash his larger and more menacing foe. Like Spike, Tweetie Bird's nemesis, Sylvester the Cat, is so thoroughly outmatched, that despite his consistent 'evil,' you feel sorry for him. The fact that Xander has a picture...[of]...Tweetie Bird on his arm is almost like having a picture of Buffy there."--Cactus Watcher, Mon, 06/03/02 at 08:55:35 See 32P.
"Buffy is Tweetie and Xander wears his heart on his sleeve...er, wrist."--Redcat, 06/03/02 at 12:45:23
FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: In the original shooting script, Xander had a Scooby-Doo watch, instead of a Tweetie watch. While this could have been some nifty foreshadowing of the group referring to themselves as the "Scooby Gang," the Tweetie watch has far more metaphorical possibilities.
FORM VS. SUBSTANCE: Owen's classy watch and Xander's Tweetie watch "...show the same time (five of ten). This is an image of form vs. substance. The two guys appear very different, but they are substantially similar. (Like Xander says, 'I read.') In the next scene, we clearly see Giles's more middle-of-the-road watch, a simple face and leather band...[It]...says ten o'clock, implying both that Buffy came right away to talk to him and that his watch also keeps the same time--the substance is similar." Later, that same similarity is drawn between Owen and Angel: different form; same substance (see 5HH)--Vickie, Sun, 06/02/02 at 13:13:07 See 5E and 5Z for more on the deceiving nature of outward appearances, and form vs substance
5Y) "She is the strangest girl..." (00:17:10) BUFFY STRANGE?: Gile's exasperation at Buffy's unconventional ways of being a Slayer leads him to voice this expression, which, interestingly, is the same reaction Owen has later, and Angel agrees with. All three of these men like her (although not all in the same way, of course), but they have trouble understanding her. See 5MM.
5Z) "Do I want to appear shy, coy, and naive, or..." (00: 18:10) CONTINUITY CHECK: This scene, where Buffy, tries to choose an outfit, by figuring out what each outfit would imply about herself, hearkens back to Welcome to the Hellmouth, when Buffy does the same thing, but by herself, deciding one outfit made her look like a slut, another like a Jehovah's Witness. See 1BB and 1CC.--Vickie, Sun, 06/02/02 at 13:13:07, paraphrased by Rob
COULD I BE SOMEBODY ELSE?: In this episode, we see Buffy "'trying' out different sides of herself...[The n]ormal girl...[shy, coy, and naive, and the] Slayer...[This] links up to the theme of appearance...[and form vs. substance. By changing her outward appearance,]...can Buffy really change who she is, what she must do?"--Rahael, Fri, 06/14/02 at 09:39:36 See 5E for more on the deceiving nature of outward appearances, and 5X for more on form vs. substance.
5AA) "You're not bothering me." (00:18:51) FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Willow turns Xander around as Buffy changes into her outfit. As Willow and Buffy talk, Xander tries to get a glimpse of Buffy's reflection in the doorknob."--"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, available from Pocket Books, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season One, Volume 1
5BB) "Among the dead was Andrew Borba." (00:19:47) COINCIDENCE OR NOT?: There is a real-life Andrew Borba, "a stage and film actor now wanted for questioning in two murders." Whether this was a dig at the real person, or just a coincidence, is unclear. If this reference was deliberate, it would be upholding a tradition begun by the classic horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft, in the early 1900s. "H.P. Lovecraft and a bunch of literary friends (Clarke Ashton Smith, August Derleth, a number of others) had a little competition...They would put each other into their stories (anagrams of names, etc.), and then kill them off in the most horrible ways imaginable. The best death took the honors." Perhaps the Buffy creators were "killing off" Andrew Borba in this episode in a similar fashion.--Vickie, Sun, 06/02/02, at 17:40:00, with some additions by Rob
5CC) "...maintaining a normal social life when you're a Slayer is problematic at best." (00:20:47) MAIN THEME FROM "NEVER KILL A BOY ON THE FIRST DATE": This line pretty neatly sums up the theme of this episode: the fact that Buffy's desire to have the life of a "normal girl" will usually conflict with her Slayerly duties. Giles' position is that, when a conflict occurs, the slayage should always come first, while Buffy is of the opposite opinion. The last time they butted heads over the issue, it had to do with Buffy's desire to pursue the extracurricular activity of cheerleading (see 3C). The next time an episode will focus on this conflict is the second season's Reptile Boy. In this episode, Buffy comes to the conclusion that being a Slayer sometimes means sacrificing her own happiness. See for more on this episode's resolution to Buffy's perdicament. See 5UU.
5DD) "Clark Kent has a job." (00:20:54) POP CULTURE TIME: Clark Kent, is, of course, the secret identity of Superman, the classic comic-book superhero who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, run faster than a train, etc etc. Even though he should be spending his time saving the world, Superman still makes time for a job as a reporter for the fictional newspaper, The Daily Planet. Buffy refers to that fact here. If every other superhero can have a real life, separate from their heroic doings, why can't she?
5EE) "Everyone forgets, Willow, that knowledge is the ultimate weapon." (00:21:48) KNOWLEDGE=POWER: One of the aspects of Buffy that makes it so unique (and so well-liked by educators, in general) is its insistence of the importance of knowledge-as-power rather than violence or physical-strength-as-power. Yes, Buffy will beat the bad guy into a bloody pulp, but not before the subject is carefully researched (excepting the case of random vamps on the prowl, of course). In fact, more so than any other show, the Buffy characters rely on the knowledge found in books in order to further their goals. And when the gang says they are gonig to do "research," this is no easy task. It means literally hours and hours reading through book after book in order to find the right information. Many times, they don't even know exactly what they are looking for, or are using books too old to have indexes. The Scooby Gang's use of books in order to succeed in life, rather than to do school assignments or projects, is a very positive message about how knowledge from books can be used in the "real world" and not just to graduate from high school and college.
5FF) "You are so good, helping the needy." (00:24:07) ISN'T IT IRONIC?: Cordelia's line here is especially amusing, since, in the original shooting script, in a line cut from the show, Owen earlier revealed that he had danced with Cordelia, because he had felt sorry for her! So, in a way, Cordelia is unintentionally referring to why Owen had danced with her in the first place, not the reason he is with Buffy!