Buffy the Vampire Slayer REACTION | Season 7, Episode 14: First Date

[@johnblackmore430]

In Fool for Love, it was explicitly stated that the New York slayer was killed in 1977. This episode aired in 2003 (28 years later). Four year old Robin would have been born in 1973, and D.B. Woodside was born in 1969. He was a mere four years older than his character was supposed to be when this aired.

[@rfresa]

I think Wood buried Jonathan just because he didn't want to deal with the complications of a body being found in the school.

[@debbielough7754]

The subway scene was the 70s. If Wood was 4 in the mid 70s, that put him as older than me, and I was about 27 when this first aired.

[@VeroniWatch]

The subtle "Ménage à trois...." you snuck in there...😂🤫

[@luckyrobinshomestead]

There's a very important line here that you are missing, which is okay, because almost everybody does. Buffy says, "Why does everyone think I am still in love with Spike?" Still in love, meaning she was in love with him. She's admitting that here for the first time even though she couldn't admit it then. It's my opinion that if she hadn't been in love with him, she would have worded that differently. She would have said something like why did they all think she was still into Spike or had the hots for Spike. I think that Buffy is struggling with her former feelings and that she did love Spike before everything went to hell last season. She hated herself for it, but she did, and look where it got her. He attacked her. But Spike with a soul has been a different experience and she is letting her guard back down, learning to trust him, and letting him in again. She's not ready for him to not be there because she isn't over him and thinks there is a possibility of building something real now. She's just not ready for it yet or still scared of it. PTSD doesn't go away overnight, no matter what your heart is telling you. Hence the principal. That is what I see in this episode, but then I am a Spuffy shipper and I feel they belong together, so I am going to see things through that lens and that was where I was at this point when I watched it originally. These thoughts have nothing to do with what is to come. I am very careful not to spoil.

[@jaypeakay5864]

OMG. You're right! I so didn't notice she'd said 'still.' That's fantastic. I only wish I'd noticed it now. ☹

[@kimandreasheroy]

22:24 I never notice until now. Principal Wood looked at Spike in the mirror, but you can't see a vampire's reflection. Either a mistake when shooting or really well written.

[@rfresa]

He looked but didn't see.

[@pixy-onewing]

❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

[@killianlpc]

First Date, I think this wasn't a particularly great episode, but entertaining nevertheless. As we have been led to believe we know there is more to Principal Wood, and of course he has an arsenal of knives and swords in a cupboard in the school as you would. When Buffy does go on the date with Wood, we see him in Jackie Chan/Jet Li mode as a martial arts master! We know as well that Xander seemed to get the date too easy with what Anya called the 'hardware whore', both Spike and Anya experiencing jealousy here. When Wood does come clean to Buffy he mentions his mother was a Slayer, and his mother's Watcher raised him. The part Ashanti played was written specially for her as she was a huge fan of the show, and as with Xander's previous experience with women we know that eventually she will be some sort of demon, as Willow said back in Something in S4 Blue to Xander 'you're a real demon magnet'. The First trying to work through Jonathan to Andrew is interesting, however as foolish and cowardly as he is, he seems to be doing the right thing this time. Funny when Willow gets the coded text from Xander trying to decode it. Spike appearing at the restaurant is funny playing gooseberry, but then we see Xander getting stabbed by Lissa/Ashanti. When they turn up to free Xander after the fight and Lissa is defeated, we see Buffy go to Spike, and we see Wood's face. Giles getting fed up of all the comedy is telling, and very telling scene when Buffy says to Spike she wants him to stay. Great final scene with Wood and his mother as The First Evil and telling him Spike killed her. A really good reveal here, that of course we always suspected leading to some great following episodes on that particular theme.

[@jaypeakay5864]

@@killianlpc The Robin and Spike storyline is one of my favourites of the whole show. Wait, Ashanti was already famous by this point? When I was told it was her, I'd assumed it was before her music career.

[@Buffy8Fan]

Its your reaction. Going back is your decision, whether your viewers like it or not. Giles is throwing a lot of _you should be doing things the way I would_ attitude at Buffy after telling her she's the general of this group's army, and after walking away when saying, "I've taught you all you need to know." If he doesn't like Buffy's decisions, perhaps walking away while Buffy was in the middle of depression with only a soulless Spike, a too young to talk to sister, and the people who brought her back from heaven wasn't a good idea. Despite that, I agree with Giles telling off the group for the casual-ness of dating in a time of war (different from apocalyses). He should understand, though, he has had 40+ years at being an adult. Technically this is the Scoobies first year at it, with two to three prior years of them straddling the line between childhood and adulthood. In all fairness to Buffy, she was undercover trying to find out if the principal was evil or not, which she did learn. She officially recruited another soldier against The First. We'll see whether or not Wood is willing to let bygons be bygones with Spike or play into The First's plan of trying to kill Spike and deplete the army's numbers, for why else would The First, as Wood's mom, be so willing to share that information. Spike is getting harder for The First to use under Buffy's protection. And technically, it was a good thing Buffy and Principal Wood's date wasn't official, because he's her boss. That creates a bad power dynamic of a dating life Buffy would have or should have learned from in terms of her underage-ness dating Angel. Very slight _Conversations with Dead People_ reference with Buffy (and Anya) thinking Dawn's pizza sauce is blood, as she knew Buffy would think. The Normies are the only reaction viewers I've ever seen recognize Ashanti. It was a big deal when she was on at the time, but people don't seem to know her any more. I personally never listened to her music, and only recognize her based on how big of said deal advertising made it. The lady with the dog couldn't handle the mystical world and therefore was only a guest star for the second episode of the season. Xander stated he knew she wouldn't call as she ran away.

[@jaypeakay5864]

@@Buffy8Fan OMG, you're so right about them only just becoming adults. They've been through so much that it's easy to forget that. 😲 I actually do remember Ashanti. I didn't recognize her. 🤦 FWIW, I can't skip back because of the way I do full reactions. I've explained it fully in another reply. It sucks TBH, but it was a choice between having the ability to pause or having the ability to offer full reactions; as frustrating as it is, I choose the full reactions.

[@dantesummers4048]

Well you gotta start watching more reactors! I remember at least 5 or 6 more reactors that also recognized Ashanti.

[@Buffy8Fan]

@@dantesummers4048 I really want to put the laughing emoji down at I need to watch more reaction. There are days I watch up to twenty new reactions just for The Buffyverse. Missing, forgetting, or not seeing some doesn't mean they weren't there or I didn't see them. The comment was about the _in the moment of writing it_ of whether or not I could remember. Especially as I watch so many reaction videos.

[@ernesthakey3396]

​​@@dantesummers4048 LOL Buffy8Fan is one of a handful of reactors I have seen pop up on just about every Buffy reactor I watch...

[@ernesthakey3396]

​@@Buffy8Fan hey, have you spotted a fairly new reactor, Mia Davies? She's only got like 48 subscribers, just started watching Buffy. 😁

[@anthonyainsworth142]

Bro if you need to skip back juat do it m8.... most of us wouldn't actually mind m8!!

[@jaypeakay5864]

@@anthonyainsworth142 I can't pause or skip back because the full reactions are 'watch along' reactions where people line up their copy of the episode with the reaction. If I don't let it play continuously, the two videos will lose synchronicity. Reactors who offer full reactions and are pausing the episode, are likely ignoring copyright law, or else they're not offering full reactions. It was frustrating me so much that I actually asked people if they'd rather there weren't full reactions, so I could skip back when I needed to - pretty much everyone wanted me to continue to provide the full reaction. I'll miss stuff that way, but it is what it is. 🤷‍♂️