Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

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Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Season 1, Episode 5. Air date: March 31, 1997. Written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali; directed by David Semel.

Plot
Buffy tries to keep a normal teen life by going on a date with Owen, a classmate she likes. But Giles is convinced a dark prophecy about an “Anointed One” could mean trouble for Sunnydale tonight. While Buffy and Giles pursue clues, the Master’s plan to use the Anointed One to defeat Buffy moves forward.

In Sunnydale, a bus is attacked by vampires after a preacher on board quotes prophecies. A man named Andrew Borba dies in the crash, and Giles suspects he might be the Anointed One, though Buffy and Giles soon learn Borba is not the one they’re waiting for. Buffy goes on her date with Owen, but Angel warns that danger is coming.

Back at the funeral home, Borba rises as a vampire and attacks, knocking Owen unconscious. Buffy fights Borba and finally kills him by pushing him into a burning furnace. The next day, Owen is impressed by the near-death experience and wants to stay with Buffy, but she decides she can’t date someone while she’s a Slayer.

Meanwhile, the Master welcomes the real Anointed One—the young boy who was on the bus. Buffy ends the date, realizing her life as a Slayer makes normal romance impossible for now. The episode ends with Buffy facing the ongoing threat and Giles reflecting on his own fate as a Watcher.

Cast highlights
Buffy Summers — Sarah Michelle Gellar
Giles — Anthony Stewart Head
Owen — Christopher Wiehl
Cordelia — Charisma Carpenter
Willow — Alyson Hannigan
Xander — Nicholas Brendon
Angel — David Boreanaz (guest)
The Master — Mark Metcalf
Borba (the vampire) — various actors; the real Anointed One is the bus boy Collin

Reception
The episode drew modest viewership and received mixed reviews. Critics noted its blend of teen life and supernatural drama, with some praising the growing relationship dynamics and Buffy’s balancing act, while others felt the plot was weaker than later episodes.