Lessons (Buffy episode)
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
| "Lessons"{{#if:{{{Image|}}}|<tr><td style="text-align: center;" colspan="2">Image:Buffyep123.jpg | |
| Episode No. | Season 7 Episode 1 |
|---|---|
| Guest star(s) | Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles) Alex Breckenridge (Kit) D.B. Woodside (Principal Robin Wood) Kali Rocha (Halfrek) |
| Writer(s) | Joss Whedon |
| Director | David Solomon |
| Production No. | 7ABB01 |
| Airdate | 24 September 2002 |
| {{{Episode list|Episode chronology}}} | |
| Previous episode | "Grave" |
| Next episode | "Beneath You" |
"Lessons" is the first episode of the seventh and final season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Contents |
Plot synopsis
Summary
A new improved Sunnydale High School is back, but Buffy is nervous about Dawn going there, due to her own bad experiences in the old school. Willow is in England with Giles, learning to control the magic which is now a part of her. Buffy encounters vengeful spirits of people she failed to save at the school. When they attack Dawn and two of her classmates, Kit and Carlos, Buffy fights them off, until Xander discovers the talisman used to summon them and destroys it, which destroys the spirits. Spike is now borderline insane, he has returned. The principal of the new Sunnydale High hires Buffy to work part-time as a counsellor. Spike is tormented by something which shape-shifts into the various enemies of Buffy, and the Slayer herself.
Expanded overview
Istanbul: A number of unidentified men in dark robes hunt and stab to death a young girl.
Buffy is in Sunnydale training her sister on how to fight vampires. She instructs Dawn that fighting (and slaying) are about power. They discuss the fact that Sunnydale High has just reopened. Meanwhile, Willow is studying with Giles in Westbury, England. She studies magic and meditation with a coven of wicca that Giles knows. She is learning control, but feels frightened and distraught because she "killed people".
Xander is working construction at the new high school which Dawn is to attend. He notes that the principal's office is right over the Hellmouth. Buffy follows Dawn into the school where she meets Principal Robin Wood. She wanders into a bathroom, where she finds a mysterious talisman. Upon seeing the talisman, she sees a dead girl who threatens her. She says she was killed by a werewolf and Buffy was unable to protect her, and that she will not be able to protect Dawn either.
Anya is still in the vengeance business, and is drinking coffee with her fellow vengeance demon Halfrek. "Hallie" tells Anya that the other demons are noticing a lack of quality in her work, and that "something big is coming".
Buffy tries to warn Dawn, but winds up only embarrassing her. Dawn then sees a similar dead student. She hurries to the bathroom where she meets Kit Holbum, who has also been seeing things. They are about to leave the bathroom when the floor caves in and they wind up in the high school basement. Willow, back in England, has had a vision. She saw "the earth's teeth" -- the Hellmouth. She tells Giles, who has taught her that everything is connected, that not everything that is connected to the earth is good.
Dawn and Kit run into another student in the basement, Carlos Trejo, who says he saw a dead janitor. They are soon confronted by the three dead people. The dead people tell them that everyone dies at Sunnydale, and they will be no different. Dawn calls Buffy on her new cell phone. Buffy descends into the basement to help Dawn, but cannot find her. Instead, she finds Spike holed up in a small room.
He has scratches around his heart which he explains as attempts to "cut it out". He is rambling incoherently, but tells Buffy that the dead students are not zombies or ghosts, but "manifest spirits" raised by a talisman. Buffy calls Xander, telling him to find and destroy the talisman. She then hears Dawn screaming, and runs to her rescue. She fights the spirits off as Xander wrestles with one to destroy the talisman. Xander breaks the talisman and the spirits disappear.
Buffy then sends Dawn, Kit, and Carlos off to class. Principal Wood is impressed that Buffy was able to convince Carlos to socialize and go to class. He offers her a job working as a counselor at the school, and she gladly accepts. She wants to be able to keep an eye on her sister, the school, the Hellmouth, and the new principal.
Spike is now huddled in a corner in his basement room. He says that he had a speech to Buffy prepared, but she would not understand. Warren Mears is seen pacing around him. He begins to give a speech about how great he is. He turns into Glory, Adam, Mayor Wilkins, Drusilla, and then The Master. These each speak to Spike about a plan to go "back to the beginning". The Master then transforms into Buffy, and telling Spike: "It's not about good or evil. It's about power."
Writing and acting
During the previous season, Willow's problems with magic were shown along the lines of drug or alcohol addiction. This changes with the beginning of season seven, where we are told that Willow will never be able to live without magic, but must learn to control it. Until the very last episode, she will be struggling for that control in the face of increasing pressure from those around her to use her powers.
Warren: "She's a girl! With sugar, and spice, and everything... useless, unless you're baking." Buffy will jump on that film in the final episode.
Production details
- The scenes that are marked as taking place in Westbury were actually shot at Anthony Stewart Head's house in Somerset, England. He owns the horse seen in the episode, and it is named "Otto".
- Kali Rocha filmed all of her scenes for this season in one day, including those in "Selfless".
Music
- Douglas Romayne Stevens - "In Westbury Field"
- Douglas Romayne Stevens - "Istanbul"
- Douglas Romayne Stevens - "Just In Time"
- Douglas Romayne Stevens - "Lesson One"
- Strange Radio - "So High". The duo perform the song at The Espresso Pump.
Quotes and trivia
- When Dawn sees Xander in his suit, she calls him "Double-O-Xander". In the season four episode "Fear Itself", Xander dressed in a tux -- he wanted to be a secret agent if they turned into what their costumes depicted.
- When the dead student says he wants Dawn to be his girlfriend, Buffy replies, "Wrong sister. I'm the one that dates dead guys." Buffy has had two relationships with vampires -- one with Angel (seasons one through three) and one with Spike (season six). However, Dawn did (unknowingly) kiss a vampire in the season six episode "All the Way".
- This episode marks Dawn's first day at Sunnydale High. The First remarks to Spike, "We're going back to the beginning." The first episode of Buffy depicted Buffy's first day at the old Sunnydale High. (This is just one of many references to the old days of Sunnydale High.)
- Season seven is the first and only season to have no character changes in the opening credits. (That is, the list of main characters in the opening credits is exactly the same as in season six.) All other seasons saw the addition or removal at least one main character.
- Willow's mentor in England, Ms. Harkness, is named after the Marvel character, Agatha Harkness, who is also a witch.
Continuity
Arc significance
This is the first of multiple episodes to begin with the killing of a potential slayer. The Bringers have been seen before trying to open the Hellmouth.
Willow is undergoing therapy and training after her rampage last season from "Villains" through "Grave." She first became addicted to magic in the episode "Smashed". Her struggle with magical control will last throughout this season.
Buffy is now employed at Sunnydale High. Previously she was working at the Doublemeat Palace. The character of Principal Wood is introduced, and will later be revealed to be Nikki Wood's son.
Spike has returned to Sunnydale with his newly regained soul, but no one there knows it. Buffy and Spike had a violent and sexual relationship last season. She is struggling with her opinion of Spike and will to continue to do so after she learns he has a soul in "Beneath You".
The six villains seen by Spike are the Big Bads of each previous season of Buffy. An attentive viewer could discern that the entity impersonating them is The First Evil, first seen in season three's "Amends" confronting Angel. It is certainly significant that The First, upon its return, is confronting the other vampire with a soul. (Note: The First is able to assume the form of Buffy because she died in the season one finale and the season five episode The Gift. Likewise, vampires, such as Drusilla are also technically "dead".)
Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse: