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watcherscouncil2025-07-13 09:49 am
wearing_tearing) wrote in watcherscouncil2025-07-13 09:49 am
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BtVS - 4.01: The Freshman
Original Air Date: October 5, 1999
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
For those with not-so-great memories, myself included, this is the episode with one of the most important people: Pedro Pascal :D
I remember being so nervous about how the show was going to feel with this season comeback, considering Buffy and the gang were now in COLLEGE. It was a relief to have the opening scene in the very familiar setting of the cemetery. Willow, with her new haircut, talking to Buffy about classes made me feel right at home.
It is very interesting to me, as someone who is not USAmerican, to watch this class course conversation. Here in Brazil you decide on your major at 17 so you can take the entrance exam and then it’s good luck to you! We have a handful of credits where we can pick whatever elective we want, no matter your major, but everything else is basically already decided for you as soon as you get in.
An intelligent vampire! That doesn’t attack the distracted Slayer and instead goes away so he can live his undead life! Way to go, Buffy, with your sharp Slayer senses.
Buffy being totally lost is also very ???? Don’t you get campus maps? You can’t make me believe Willow didn’t drag her to campus before classes started so they could take a look around and figure out where everything was.
Update on Giles: a slacker!
Update on Xander: no one’s heard from him.
The most relatable college experience so far, personally, is Willow entering the library. Very much my thoughts and expression when I saw my campus library for the first time.
Buffy feeling all overwhelmed and lost is not true to my personal experience, but I can imagine a lot of young people also get that sense of disconnect and out-of-placeness that Buffy does in these scenes. College isn’t for everybody and, while we should give ourselves time to get used to new places/dynamics/etc, sometimes things just aren’t for us.
RILEY MEET-CUTE!
Note that I also never had to buy a textbook for college? We got… alternatively acquired pdfs and xeroxed copies of everything… thank u, professors.
Dorms also aren’t a thing here, but from my understanding they really aren’t as spacious as Buffy’s! Kathy already making me narrow my eyes with her “I’m just making sure it’s what you wanted.” Sure, Jan.
The mouth smacking noises??? *vomits*
Buffy is really really not having a great college experience so far. What a dickhead of a professor. I do understand that the pace is very different from high school to uni, and that professors do not have time to hold anyone’s hand, but c’mooooon.
PEDRO! So young, so beardless, so alive for a few short moments. Of course Buffy’s first potential friend gets eaten.
I do really like the thought of a group of vampires who kill college freshmen and steal their stuff! It’s an easy way to get clothes and whatnot. Some good thinking on their part.
Ah, fatphobia.
A WOMAN. IN GILES’ KITCHEN. WEARING NO PANTS.
Buffy’s reaction to being confronted with her father figure having a “private life” is very much my reaction at the time lol now I’m just like: yeeeeaaahhh, get it!
Buffy’s Slayer senses are right once again! If only people listened :B
Also, maybe another cultural thing: I do not understand the thought that once your kid hits college, they’re in it by themselves or whatever. Buffy coming to Giles for help is not indicative of her not knowing how to take care of herself. It shows she needs her support system and wants help. That’s not a weakness.
Sunday telling Buffy she had misconceptions: dude, me too. Me too.
Buffy, are u out of practice? What sort of fighting is that?
I guess this goes to show that when you lose confidence in yourself in any sort of plane—in this case, Buffy in her intelligence and belonging at college—it really affects other aspects of your life. And Buffy didn’t even think to try and hide the cheek bruise with makeup…
Shoutout to this episode’s band: Splendid!
Xander! Not going to lie, I’d forgotten about him lmao But him having to sleep in the basement and pay rent?????????????? What is this.
Buffy questioning her own abilities etc like… College really does fuck up a person’s head and sense of self sometimes. Damn.
This scene with Xander giving her a pet talk is really sweet, though. There’s no implication that Xander is only doing this because of his feelings for Buffy and/or because he expects something from her. It’s just a friend trying to cheer Buffy up and remind her that she can do this.
NOT THE UMBRELLA!!!!!
I’m glad the rage at least moved Buffy back into the swing of things. Her realizing that college is a lot like high school is so, so true lol It’s good that she’s aware she can handle it just fine after all of the things she went through in the first 3 seasons.
But, of course, the show has to add something new… DUN DUN DUN DUUUUN.
Vampires Slayed: 4.
Series Total: 87.
Giles Taking Off/Putting On Glasses: 0.
Series Total: 86.
Episode Quote:
Sunday: I think you had a lot of misconceptions about college.
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
Trying to adjust to the rigors of college life proves to be harder than Buffy imagined. She moves into a dorm, must contend with a less-than-stable roommate and the complexities of dating college men. On campus, Willow is overly enthused about college life and her ongoing romance with Oz, and Xander unexpectedly returns from his self-discovery adventure. Elsewhere, Giles seems to be enjoying his life away from being a librarian and a Watcher.Welcome back to the Buffyverse!
For those with not-so-great memories, myself included, this is the episode with one of the most important people: Pedro Pascal :D
I remember being so nervous about how the show was going to feel with this season comeback, considering Buffy and the gang were now in COLLEGE. It was a relief to have the opening scene in the very familiar setting of the cemetery. Willow, with her new haircut, talking to Buffy about classes made me feel right at home.
It is very interesting to me, as someone who is not USAmerican, to watch this class course conversation. Here in Brazil you decide on your major at 17 so you can take the entrance exam and then it’s good luck to you! We have a handful of credits where we can pick whatever elective we want, no matter your major, but everything else is basically already decided for you as soon as you get in.
An intelligent vampire! That doesn’t attack the distracted Slayer and instead goes away so he can live his undead life! Way to go, Buffy, with your sharp Slayer senses.
Buffy being totally lost is also very ???? Don’t you get campus maps? You can’t make me believe Willow didn’t drag her to campus before classes started so they could take a look around and figure out where everything was.
Update on Giles: a slacker!
Update on Xander: no one’s heard from him.
The most relatable college experience so far, personally, is Willow entering the library. Very much my thoughts and expression when I saw my campus library for the first time.
Buffy feeling all overwhelmed and lost is not true to my personal experience, but I can imagine a lot of young people also get that sense of disconnect and out-of-placeness that Buffy does in these scenes. College isn’t for everybody and, while we should give ourselves time to get used to new places/dynamics/etc, sometimes things just aren’t for us.
RILEY MEET-CUTE!
Note that I also never had to buy a textbook for college? We got… alternatively acquired pdfs and xeroxed copies of everything… thank u, professors.
Dorms also aren’t a thing here, but from my understanding they really aren’t as spacious as Buffy’s! Kathy already making me narrow my eyes with her “I’m just making sure it’s what you wanted.” Sure, Jan.
The mouth smacking noises??? *vomits*
Buffy is really really not having a great college experience so far. What a dickhead of a professor. I do understand that the pace is very different from high school to uni, and that professors do not have time to hold anyone’s hand, but c’mooooon.
PEDRO! So young, so beardless, so alive for a few short moments. Of course Buffy’s first potential friend gets eaten.
I do really like the thought of a group of vampires who kill college freshmen and steal their stuff! It’s an easy way to get clothes and whatnot. Some good thinking on their part.
Ah, fatphobia.
A WOMAN. IN GILES’ KITCHEN. WEARING NO PANTS.
Buffy’s reaction to being confronted with her father figure having a “private life” is very much my reaction at the time lol now I’m just like: yeeeeaaahhh, get it!
Buffy’s Slayer senses are right once again! If only people listened :B
Also, maybe another cultural thing: I do not understand the thought that once your kid hits college, they’re in it by themselves or whatever. Buffy coming to Giles for help is not indicative of her not knowing how to take care of herself. It shows she needs her support system and wants help. That’s not a weakness.
Sunday telling Buffy she had misconceptions: dude, me too. Me too.
Buffy, are u out of practice? What sort of fighting is that?
I guess this goes to show that when you lose confidence in yourself in any sort of plane—in this case, Buffy in her intelligence and belonging at college—it really affects other aspects of your life. And Buffy didn’t even think to try and hide the cheek bruise with makeup…
Shoutout to this episode’s band: Splendid!
Xander! Not going to lie, I’d forgotten about him lmao But him having to sleep in the basement and pay rent?????????????? What is this.
Buffy questioning her own abilities etc like… College really does fuck up a person’s head and sense of self sometimes. Damn.
This scene with Xander giving her a pet talk is really sweet, though. There’s no implication that Xander is only doing this because of his feelings for Buffy and/or because he expects something from her. It’s just a friend trying to cheer Buffy up and remind her that she can do this.
NOT THE UMBRELLA!!!!!
I’m glad the rage at least moved Buffy back into the swing of things. Her realizing that college is a lot like high school is so, so true lol It’s good that she’s aware she can handle it just fine after all of the things she went through in the first 3 seasons.
But, of course, the show has to add something new… DUN DUN DUN DUUUUN.
Vampires Slayed: 4.
Series Total: 87.
Giles Taking Off/Putting On Glasses: 0.
Series Total: 86.
Episode Quote:
Sunday: I think you had a lot of misconceptions about college.
no subject
I feel like that was my experience my first semester or two as well (as a USAmerican). The random classes usually happen later on. Though it may still be a little different. We didn't pick our major while still in high school (though Buffy would normally have picked a Major by now, but not always), and half the time we changed them at least once. Can you change your majors, and do you ever get more electives as time goes on?
Buffy being totally lost is also very ???? Don’t you get campus maps?
I'm 90% sure I remember being given a campus map. I think that was just for teh dramaz, as they say.
Note that I also never had to buy a textbook for college? We got… alternatively acquired pdfs and xeroxed copies of everything… thank u, professors.
Oh, you are so lucky.
Also, maybe another cultural thing: I do not understand the thought that once your kid hits college, they’re in it by themselves or whatever. Buffy coming to Giles for help is not indicative of her not knowing how to take care of herself. It shows she needs her support system and wants help. That’s not a weakness.
No, even in the US I think that's a bit extreme. (Some parents DO pretty much go "you're eighteen, bye-bye", but those parents aren't exactly admired.) I think it might be Giles pre-emptively pushing the Scoobies away. I don't know, the Scoobies are off this season in general. Which becomes a major plot point later on, so at least the show knows it, but if this is the first sign, I don't like how it's handled.
Also, side tangent - you're never too old to seek advice from people.