Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 poster

Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season 1

Get home before dark.

199712 episodes7.5/10 (344 votes)

About this season

After moving to Sunnydale, California, Buffy Anne Summers just wants to be a normal teenager. Back in Los Angeles, her first Watcher had died; she inadvertently burned down the gymnasium at her old high school; and her parents got a divorce. The move to Sunnydale is supposed to give both her and her mother, Joyce, a clean slate. But then she meets the school librarian, Rupert Giles, and quickly learns there is no escaping her destiny. With Giles as her new Watcher, she reluctantly steps back into her role as the Slayer. But this time she is not fighting alone. She now has an inner circle of special friends-- Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and a mysterious young man named Angel-- ready to join the fight and drive in a stake or two if need be.

Episodes (12)

Welcome to the Hellmouth (1)
E1

1. Welcome to the Hellmouth (1)

7.3

Aired 10 March 1997 • 42 min

When teen vampire slayer Buffy tries to start a new life at Sunnydale High, she discovers that the school sits atop a demonic dimensional portal.

The Harvest (2)
E2

2. The Harvest (2)

7.4

Aired 10 March 1997 • 43 min

Buffy and her friends encounter a powerful vampire bent on opening a portal to a dimension inhabited by demons.

Witch
E3

3. Witch

7.6

Aired 17 March 1997 • 43 min

Buffy suspects she has a witch on her hands when the cheerleading squad falls victim to sudden blindness and spontaneous combustion.

Teacher's Pet
E4

4. Teacher's Pet

7.2

Aired 24 March 1997 • 43 min

Buffy's biology teacher is killed by a giant praying mantis that assumes the form of a beautiful substitute teacher.

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
E5

5. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

7.2

Aired 31 March 1997 • 43 min

With Buffy preoccupied by her date with Owen, Giles is trapped by a group of vampires seeking to raise a powerful leader.

The Pack
E6

6. The Pack

7.8

Aired 7 April 1997 • 43 min

Xander and several other students are possessed by the spirit of a demonic breed of hyenas that wreak havoc at the high school.

Angel
E7

7. Angel

7.7

Aired 14 April 1997 • 43 min

Buffy discovers Angel's dark secret and hesitates to do anything about it, which could spell danger for someone she loves.

I, Robot... You, Jane
E8

8. I, Robot... You, Jane

6.8

Aired 28 April 1997 • 43 min

Willow's new Internet chat buddy turns out to be a powerful demon electronically unleashed from a centuries-old, newly digitized book.

The Puppet Show
E9

9. The Puppet Show

7.5

Aired 5 May 1997 • 43 min

Buffy suspects that a ventriloquist's dummy may be harvesting organs from classmates performing in a talent show.

Nightmares
E10

10. Nightmares

8.0

Aired 12 May 1997 • 43 min

A series of strange occurrences lead Buffy and her friends to discover that their worst nightmares have literally become reality.

Out of Mind, Out of Sight
E11

11. Out of Mind, Out of Sight

7.4

Aired 19 May 1997 • 43 min

When an invisible menace starts attacking students and faculty at Sunnydale High, the Scooby Gang traces the problem back to Cordelia.

Prophecy Girl
E12

12. Prophecy Girl

8.1

Aired 2 June 1997 • 44 min

Buffy's life may hang in the balance as Giles uncovers an ancient book that foretells not only her death, but also the end of the world.

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