A vampire named Darla, a member of the Order of Aurelius and a servant of The Master, murders a student and stuffs him in a locker. Buffy arrives in Sunnydale hoping to have a fresh start, free of her Slayer responsibilities. Popular yet vapid cheerleader Cordelia attempts to befriend Buffy, but Buffy is repulsed by Cordelia's dismissive treatment of outcasts Xander, Willow, and Jesse. Buffy meets her new Watcher, Sunnydale High's librarian Giles, who warns Buffy that an increase in supernatural
After fending off Luke, Buffy regroups with Giles, Xander, and Willow. Following up on Angel's cryptic clue, Giles and Willow investigate the Harvest in books of demon mythology while Buffy and Xander venture into the sewers in search of Jesse. To their horror, they discover that Jesse has been sired into a vampire and only narrowly escape him. Giles and Willow have discovered that Sunnydale is built on a Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions, and that the Harvest is an event where a "vessel"
At tryouts for Sunnydale High's cheerleading squad, a girl spontaneously catches fire. Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles investigate. Another hopeful, Amy, stumbles during practice, knocking over Cordelia, and does not make the team. Soon after, Cordelia becomes disoriented and loses her sight. Buffy narrowly saves her from being run over. Buffy suspects that Amy may be a witch, causing these and other incidents in an attempt to make the cheerleading squad. Buffy spills a potion on Amy, and it tu
Shortly after encouraging Buffy, Sunnydale High's science teacher Dr. Gregory is attacked and goes missing. At a party, Angel appears and warns Buffy that somebody is coming. Miss French, a substitute teacher, has taken over Dr. Gregory's class, and the male students are immediately smitten. Buffy notices that Dr. Gregory's glasses have been left abandoned in his classroom. Later, Cordelia stumbles upon his headless corpse. Buffy investigates the death of a homeless man, suspecting it may be con
After slaying a vampire, Buffy and Giles find a ring that they link with a prophecy of the Anointed One, who can free the Master from his prison. Buffy arranges a date with a student named Owen, but Giles believes that the prophecy will be fulfilled that evening. The two wait at the cemetery but see nothing. That evening, a bus crashes and five people die after vampires attack it. Giles connects the crash to the prophecy, but Buffy decides to leave with Owen. Giles visits the funeral home and is
On a school field trip at the zoo, four students sneak into a closed hyena exhibit. When Xander goes after them, all five are possessed by the hyenas' spirits. They form a pack and roam around town, acting increasingly strange. Xander refuses to study with Willow before insulting her. A piglet mascot for the school acts panicked around Xander, and he and the others later eat it. Buffy suspects that something has horribly affected Xander, but Giles blames his behavior on teenage hormones. After X
The Master sends three warrior vampires after Buffy. With Angel's help, she escapes, but he is injured during the fight. They retreat to Buffy's house, and Angel explains that he fights vampires because his family was killed by them. Angel spends the night in Buffy's room, sleeping on the floor beside her bed. The Master has Darla kill the three warriors in front of the Anointed One. The next day, Buffy returns to her room, where she has hidden Angel. After he confesses his attraction to her, th
In Cortona, Italy 1418, priests trap the demon Moloch inside a book. In the present day, Willow scans that book into the computer, and the text in the book disappears. The following week, Willow tells Buffy that she has developed an online relationship with a boy named "Malcolm". Moloch, who has passed into the computer, instructs a student named Fritz to watch Buffy. Wanting to learn more about "Malcolm", Buffy talks to another student, Dave. He warns Buffy to leave Willow alone. Willow asks to
Shortly after a rehearsal for Sunnydale High's talent show, a girl is killed and her heart removed. Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Xander investigate and are led to Morgan, a ventriloquist with a dummy named Sid. After she catches Sid in her bedroom one night, Buffy suspects the dummy is somehow alive. In class, the teacher confiscates Sid, and Xander steals him so Buffy can talk with Morgan alone. When Sid remains inanimate, Xander mocks Buffy's suspicions. While Giles, Xander, and Willow are resear
A student, Wendell, opens his book during class to reveal several spiders. Suddenly, Buffy sees a little boy outside the classroom. Wendell tells Willow and Xander that he regularly has nightmares about spiders. Several other students also experience their nightmares coming true. Another student, Laura, is attacked by a demon, and Buffy and Giles visit her in the hospital. Buffy is surprised to see the little boy from earlier, Billy, in a coma with similar injuries. Buffy's dad, Hank, visits her
In the locker room, a student hears laughing but sees nothing before being beaten with a floating baseball bat. Later, Harmony is pushed down the stairs by an invisible force and injures her leg. Buffy deduces that Marcie, a missing student, is behind the incidents. Angel tells Giles that he can find an ancient book vital to Giles's research about The Master. Giles suggests that Marcie has become invisible as a result of being ignored by everyone at school. Cordelia asks Buffy for help and confe
Reading the book that Angel gave him, Giles discovers a prophecy that the Slayer shall die in battle against The Master. An earthquake shakes Sunnydale, indicating that the prophecy is imminent. Xander asks Buffy to the upcoming prom, but she declines, not wanting to ruin their friendship. Buffy overhears Angel and Giles discussing the prophecy and her impending death. Devastated, she quits slaying in an attempt to avoid her fate. Willow and Cordelia come across a room full of students killed by