Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Who is/what happened to Dalton/the bookworm vampire?

Dalton (played by Eric Saiet) was the cool bookworm vampire henchman of Spike and Dru who wore glasses. He stole the cross of Du Lac in What's My Line, part 1, and was seen transporting a part of the Judge in Surprise. He was unfortunately killed in Surprise by the Judge since he was "full of feeling" because "he reads". Sucked to be him.

Doesn't anyone else know what's going on? Like Buffy's Mom?

Joyce (Buffy's Mom) would freak, OK? Buffy hides her slayer-ness from her Mom because she fears her Mom wouldn't understand and it's gotten her in enough trouble already (cf. burning down her old school's gym, WTTH). In Becoming, part 2, Joyce sees Buffy dust a vampire, right on their front porch, but is too shocked to believe it. Later, when trying to explain things to her Mom, Buffy is kicked out of the house.

Principal Snyder and the (apparent) Police Chief of Sunnydale seem to know that something fishy is going on. In School Hard they cover up the vampire attack, calling it a "gang on PCP." In a later episode, the Police Chief threatens Principal Snyder with "the Mayor," saying Snyder isn't doing the job he was hired for (obvious something other than school principal).

In the third season, Joyce seems to have a half-hearted acceptance of Buffy's role ("I've tried to march in the Slayer pride parade," Dead Man's Party). However, she has a difficult time with this, but whether that's due to the blame she places on Giles, for this life she knows nothing about, or due to the upheaval of her world view that accepting the supernatural requires, we don't know. In Gingerbread, while Buffy is out on patrol, Joyce brings her some snacks, obviously trying her best to accept the whole weird situation.

Buffy's old friend Ford knew what was going on, but he's dead (LTM).

Amy, a teenage witch (The Witch, BB&B, The Zeppo), as well as at least one other of Willow's "coven" of witch-friends also seem to know.

The Mayor appaently knows all about the weird supernatural happenings in Sunnydale, and he has even apparently even sold his soul to more than a few demons in order to gain his present political position. He's got something nasty up his sleeve, but we haven't seen enough of him yet to know or guess what that might be.

The normal citizens of Sunnydale don't seem to notice the large body count, or realize that they're surrounded by vampires. Giles chalked it up to people being in denial of a sort, for example, explaining the vampire attacks away as gang activity (The Harvest, School Hard).

Who is Ethan?

Ethan and Giles used to be part of a circle of friends that allowed the demon Eyghon to possess them for orgies, back in Giles' days of youthful rebellion against his fate of being a Watcher. He may have skipped town, after nearly getting lots of people killed with a malicious spell (Halloween), and nearly getting killed himself by the demon (TDA). In Band Candy, Ethan was the person who Mr. Trick (a vampire) got to make the special chocolate bars which turned any adult who ate it into mental teenagers.

Who is "Ripper"?

It's a nickname Ethan used for Giles; probably a play on "Rupert". No, he's not Jack the Ripper.

Who is the Scooby gang? The Slayerettes?

Both of these refer to Buffy's support group, led by Xander/Willow/Giles, but which has grown to include Cordelia (who later left the group in Lovers Walk), Oz and formerly Ms. Calendar. Willow in The Witch: "Yeah, you're the Slayer. We're, like, the Slayerettes." Xander calls them the Scooby gang in WML, referring to the cartoon Scooby Doo which had a gang of crime-solving kids. The parallels are pretty obvious, Willow as Velma, Xander as Freddy, and Oz is apparently Scooby now and has a van to boot.

Why aren't the assassins still after Buffy?

Spike hired the Order of Taraka to assassinate Buffy, or at least keep her busy while the vamps researched the ceremony to restore Drusilla (WML pt.1). They captured Buffy and brought her to Spike, stating that they thought were to deliver her dead or alive. Spike told them they were mistaken, but between that technicality, and Buffy and pals killing the rest of the assassins, and Spike and Drusilla being assumed dead (WML pt.2), the contract is likely no longer in force (so say "Angel's sources" in Ted).

What's up with Ms. Calendar?

It turns out that Jenny Calendar, Sunnydale High's resident techno-pagan, is actually Janna, of the Calderash clan of the Romany, or Gypsies (Surprise). She was sent to make sure Angel suffered under his curse, but didn't know enough to prevent Buffy from breaking the curse (Innocence).

Jenny had been on the track of a spell to restore Angel's soul to him in Passion. Unfortunately, Angelus found out, decided he wanted to stay evil, and killed Jenny before she could tell anyone (Passion).

What's the deal with Oz? How come he wasn't in this episode?

Oz is a guitarist for a high school band who's currently semi-going-out with Willow. He found out he's a werewolf after getting bitten by his cousin Jordy (Phases).

Apparently, the Screen Actor's Guild restricts actors to ten episodes per season or less unless they appear in the opening credits. Since TPTB underestimated Oz's appeal and had not signed him as a regular this season, his appearances are limited, and they are probably saving him for episodes where he gets used extensively. Seth Green has been signed as main character for the third season, but many fans feel that he hasn't appeared enough and is way under-utilised.

Who is Jonathan?

Jonathan (played by Danny Strong) apparently is the designated student extra for BtVS. In the second season, I think we saw him 5 times: he was the student Ampata was sucking dry in IMG before Xander broke in, he was Cordelia's underclassman boyfriend at the end of Reptile Boy, he got taken hostage by the police lady assassin in WML, he got taken over by the Bezor in the hallway outside the library in Bad Eggs, and, of course, walked in on the Scooby Gang in the library in Passion. In Dead Man's Party, he was the guy with the dip, in Homecoming Buffy tries to buy him off with cupcakes, and in the Wish he is the guy that Harmony wants to set Cordelia up with.

What's with gangs on PCP and gas leaks?

At the end of School Hard, Principal Snyder conferred with the cop on the scene to come up with a story to tell the town, and they agree on the "usual" story, a gang on PCP. In Bad Eggs, it was a gas leak that was blamed. Hence, these are being used in the newsgroup as references to fairly unbelievable occurrences, or, alternatively, as excuses for most anything, e.g. the Judge in Innocence being described as a big blue gang member on PCP who wasn't seen too clearly because of the gas leak in the mall.

How the heck many things are under Sunnydale High?

Well, so far we've seen an a completely buried church (WTTH), the Hellmouth (PG), and a Mama Bezor (Bad Eggs). Methinks this plot device is getting a wee bit old.

What all is in Sunnydale?

For a town of 30,000 (School Hard), and being a "one Starbucks town" (WTTH), Sunnydale seems to have a lot of facilities: a National Guard (army?) base (Innocence), a mall (Innocence), a miniature golf course (Ted (or not, in WSWB)), 43 churches (WML pt. 2), 2 costume shops (Halloween), an ice cream parlor (WTTH), ice skating rink (WML), Slick Willy's bar (WML), an art gallery (Buffy's mom's), a history museum (IMG), a huge cemetery (various), docks (Surprise), a bus station (IMG), a big hospital (Nightmares, KBD), and, I'm sure, more that I'm forgetting.

Omigod, is ? going to hook up with?

I shudder to include this, but it gets asked a lot.

OK, Willow's had a crush on Xander since kindergarten, but fears rejection, and with good reason, because Xander (if you don't count bugs and mummies) only had eyes for Buffy (The Pack), who only grooved on Angel (Angel), so she rejected Xander (PG).

At the end of the summer, Xander almost kissed Willow (WSWB), but didn't, and Buffy and Angel started bickering (SAR), but not quite dating (RB), but then this guy Oz, who's the guitarist for Cordy's boyfriend's band, was severely smitten by Eskimo-Princess-Willow (IMG).

Buffy and Angel started to work it out, and Cordy and Xander actually KISSED due to being trapped in Buffy's basement by Grub Man, and out of nowhere Oz took a bullet for Willow (WML pt.2)!

So Cordy and Xander kept slipping off to broom closets to make out, and Buffy, Angel, big smootchie, and Oz and Willow decided to make a date out of Buffy's birthday party (Surprise). When Buffy and Angel slept together (yes, they did the wacky), Angel's soul was taken away, and now Buffy is undergoing the worst conceivable break-up of all time. Willow noticed Xander and Cordy kissing, and was extremely upset, but Oz seemed to comfort her by professing his daydreams of Willow-kissage (Innocence). Willow took charge in Phases, and shared a sweet kiss with Oz despite him being a werewolf.

Xander and Cordy established themselves as a couple in BBB after Cordy dissed her friends rather than submit to their scorn of her loser boyfriend. Oz decked Xander for making Willow miserable in BBB, so they seem to be solid as a couple for now as well.

In the third season, Buffy made some half-hearted attempts to get over Angel and go out with Scott Hope, a fellow Sunnydale High student, who was making it known that he liked her. With Buffy initially running hot and cold, she and Scott eventually seemed to be hitting it off, moving towards a relationship. But then Angel returned, so who knows what's in store now. Many people suggested that Scott's role was similar to Jenny Calendar's last season - that he was here for us to grow to like him, and then get killed off part way part way through, for dramatic reasons. Except he Scott dumped Buffy in Homecoming, and we haven't seen him since. Buffy and Angel also seem to be back together as of The Zeppo.

In Lovers Walk, Oz and Cordelia catch Xander and Willow making out. Cordelia ran away on seeing that and fell through and old stairway, ending up in the hospital. Xander has grovelled for forgiveness many times since then, but she now apparently hates his guts and misses no chance to viciously bring him down a peg, especially in public. Oz and Willow went through a tense while, Oz just wanted to be left alone, but they seem to have mended fences and are a solid couple once again.

About the cast and crew:

Who plays ?

This list covers most of the characters who've showed up more than once, or were pretty important the time they did show up.

Well, then how could Angel have possibly been a good vampire?

In the episode Angel, Angel says: "I fed on a girl your [Buffy's] age. Beautiful. Dumb as a post." She was a gypsy girl. "The elders conjured up the perfect punishment for me: they restored my soul."

For the last 80 (100?) years, Angel hadn't killed a human. He had a conscience, and remorse for the truly horrendous things he had done for a century. From LTM, "A hundred years, just hanging out, feeling guilty. Really honed my brooding skills." Sucked to be him.

All that changed in Innocence. Angel became as bad as vampires get. He went back to his accustomed habit of picking out a female victim and killing all of her relatives/friends before finishing her off (cf. his discussion of Drusilla in LTM). He then had his soul re-restored in Becoming, part 2, by Willow, just before being sent to Hell by Buffy in order to save the world. He has since returned from Hell, soul intact, and apparently even more tortured by what he did as Angelus.

Was Dru the gypsy girl in question?

This keeps on coming up in the newsgroup, but, from what we know, this does not seem to be the case. Dru, Spike and Angel appear to have hung out together for a number of years as evil vamps. That couldn't have happened if Dru was the gypsy girl Angel was cursed for turning. Also, even more convincing, we saw Angelus killing the gypsy girl and getting cursed in Becoming, part 2.

How do you slay a vampire?

Buffyverse vampires commonly explode into a cloud of ashes and dust when they are slain. Remember the clutter of bodies in the movie? No more! Sunlight also makes a vampire burst into flame.

Stake through the heart, direct sunlight, beheading, and fire all kill vampires very quickly (various episodes). They fear crosses and are burned by them (Nightmares, various). Holy water burns, but does not scar or kill them (The Harvest, WML pt.2), unless they swallow it (Helpless).

How can Xander/Willow/Giles slay a vampire - I thought only the slayer could?

Anybody can slay a vampire. As Buffy says in WTTH, "Stake through the heart, a little sunlight...it's like falling off a log!" And we've seen all of the Slayerettes (except Cordelia) slay a vampire at this point. Buffy is just extraordinarily qualified to do so, due to her supernatural strength and skills. Buffy's certainly the only one who can survive the attack of two or more vampires at once - all the cases where a Slayerette has killed a vamp (Xander in The Harvest, Willow/Giles in WML pt. 2, Giles/Jenny in Ted) has involved at least a 2 on 1 advantage on the vampire and was still a struggle.

How does one become a vampire?

In WTTH, Buffy says: "To make you a vampire, they have to suck your blood, then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing." Giles confirms that the last demon to walk the earth fed upon a human, and turned him into a vampire. This demonic force is transmitted to a person who has been drained by the vampire and then drinks their blood in return. See "The Hunger" for an interesting comparison.

What's a sire?

Your sire is the vamp that made you a vamp. Joss has implied that your sire could refer to the vamp that made the vamp that made you a vamp as well.

Darla made Angel a vampire, and is thus his sire (siress?). Angel made Drusilla a vampire, and thus is her sire. Angel is also Spike's sire we think (from SH, "You were my sire, man! You were my...Yoda!"), although it's possible Angel is the grandsire via Drusilla.

Being a vampire's sire has nothing to do with being the person's father (and why would vampires care about that anyway?). Given Spike's Yoda comment, it's also possible that the sire is responsible for teaching the new vampire a few things.

How does a vampire enter someone's house/the school?

The vampire has to be invited in (cf. Darla in episode Angel, and Angel/Willow in LTM). The invitation can be revoked with a ceremony involving Latin chanting, and appropriate props (crosses/garlic) (Passion). Public places are considered an open invitation to all to enter (mortuary in NKABOTFD, school in School Hard, the Bronze).

What about the vampire in Halloween? or Angel in Reptile Boy?

The vampire in Halloween was a high school chaperone. In one of the trick-or-treating scenes, you can see him leading his group around. Thus, it's possible that he had been invited into Buffy's house previously for a study session or similar and that the invitation carried over. This is the current best guess by the newsgroup.

As far as Angel in RB, either a fraternity house is considered a public place, or he was considered part of the group that was invited in when Xander was let in.

What about Angel's quote in Passion about the school?

When Jenny asks Angel what he's doing in the school in Passion, he replies with the Latin quote (apparently over the school doors), "Enter all ye who seek knowledge". As far as we can tell, he was just being facetious - the sign was not necessary for him to gain entrance.

If vampires don't have breath, how do they talk/smoke/whistle?

Angel tells Xander in Prophecy Girl that he can't perform mouth-to-mouth on Buffy because he has no breath, igniting a great little feud on the newsgroup.

The consensus seems to be that sure they can talk, or smoke (School Hard), or whistle (or not, c.f. Drusilla in WML pt.1), but they don't have the kind of breath that a living being does. Maybe they do all those things in a way that doesn't involve moving air, or maybe Angel simply meant that his breath couldn't bring someone back to life (it is coming from an old dead body, after all).

If vampires have no reflection, how can they be videotaped?

In Halloween, Spike had a crony videotape a fight between Buffy and a vampire. Angel had no reflection in glass (IG), and mirrors certainly don't reflect vampire images (Bad Eggs). Light entering a video camera lense falls upon a CCD (charge coupled device) which outputs an encoded electrical signal to the tape recording part and miniature TV view-finder. A vampire probably cannot be seen through the viewfinder of an SLR camera, as a small mirror is used to direct light until the shutter is snapped. It has been implied that vampires cannot see their own reflections (Willow: "Angel, how do you shave?")

Do only Christian relics work on vampires?

Do crosses and holy water work on vampires because they're religious objects or specifically because they're Christian? Would a Jewish symbol, for instance, work as well in the hands of Willow? According to one Joss quote, "I don't think vampires are affected by other religious symbols. It is not simple religiosity that offends them -- I think there is old, bad blood between vampires and Christianity. This is partly because I don't want to confuse the issue on the show." We've seen no evidence that anything but Christian relics work so far.

Other Frequently Asked Questions:

Did you know BtVS is filmed at the same high school as Beverly Hills 90210?

Yes. In fact, we did know.

Where can I find nude pictures of SMG?

To our knowledge, no genuine such pictures exist. Several fakes are floating around with her head on other bodies - SMG's reaction according to a TV Guide interview:

"I know it upsets some people, but what can you do?" she reasons. "I just hope they're giving me a good body. In fact, in that busy brain of hers, Gellar is already cutting-and-pasting herself to cyber-perfect proportions. "Pamela Anderson Lee" she whoops, "here I come!"

Dude, what is this about monkey pants?

While flirting with Willow, Oz explained that monkeys are the only animal crackers that have pants, and it makes the others, for example, the hippo, very jealous.

Oz: [French accent] "I taunt you with my monkey pants."
Willow: "The monkey is French?"
Oz: "ALL monkeys are French."

In Buffy's dream (Surprise), Willow has a pantless monkey on her table at the Bronze, and says, "L'hippo a pique ses pantalons." This means, "The hippo stole his pants."

What the heck is the PETW?

What are/who wrote the Buffy books?

1. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by Richie Tankersley Cusick (This is a novelization of the movie I believe.)
2. "The Harvest" by Richie Tankersley Cusick (The Harvest is a novelization of the first 2-hour episode.)
3. "Halloween Rain" by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
4. "Coyote Moon" by John Vornholt
5. "Night of the Living Re-run" by Arthur Byron Cover