Lessons
- Episode aired Sep 24, 2002
- TV-PG
- 41m
Sunnydale High is re-opened, with a new designed campus and a new principal, Robin Wood. It is Dawn's first day at school there and Buffy accompanies her to class, only to discover evil spir... Read allSunnydale High is re-opened, with a new designed campus and a new principal, Robin Wood. It is Dawn's first day at school there and Buffy accompanies her to class, only to discover evil spirits lurking in the basement.Sunnydale High is re-opened, with a new designed campus and a new principal, Robin Wood. It is Dawn's first day at school there and Buffy accompanies her to class, only to discover evil spirits lurking in the basement.
- Anya
- (as a different name)
- Rupert Giles
- (as Anthony Stewart Head)
- Kit Holburn
- (as Alex Breckenridge)
- Principal Robin Wood
- (as DB Woodside)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe scenes that are marked as taking place in Westbury were actually shot at Anthony Head's house in Somerset, England. Filming was done on his private property to avoid complications associated with doing business in Britain. He owns the horse seen in the episode, and it is named Otto.
- GoofsWhen The First (masquerading as Drusilla) speaks to Spike, she touches his hair and cheek, but The First is unable to touch anything. However, since Spike is still mentally unstable after getting his soul back, it is possible that he's just imagining Drusilla is touching him.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Warren Meers: [as The First] Of course she won't understand, Sparky. I'm beyond her understanding. She's a girl with sugar and spice and everything useless, unless you're baking. I'm more than that. More than flesh...
[morphs into Glory]
Glory: [as The First] ... More than blood. I'm... You know, I honestly don't think there's a human word fabulous enough for me. Oh, my name will be on everyone's lips, assuming their lips haven't been torn off. But not just yet. That's alright, though...
[morphs into Adam]
Adam: [as The First] ... I can be patient. Everything is well within parameters... She's exactly where I want her to be... and so are you, Number 17. You're right where you belong...
[morphs into the Mayor]
Mayor Richard Wilkins: [as The First] ... So what'd ya think? You'd get your soul back and everything'd be Jim-Dandy? Soul's slipperier than a greased weasel. Why do you think I sold mine?
[chuckles]
Mayor Richard Wilkins: Well, you probably thought that you'd be your own man, and I respect that...
[morphs into Drusilla]
Drusilla: [as The First] ... But you never will. You'll always be mine. You'll always be in the dark with me... singing our little songs. You like our little songs, don't you? You've always liked them. Right from the beginning. And that's where we're going...
[morphs into the Master]
The Master: [as The First] ... Right back to the beginning. Not the Bang. Not the Word. The true beginning. The next few months are going to be quite a ride, and I think we're all going to learn something about ourselves in the process. You'll learn you're a pathetic schmuck, if it hasn't sunk in already. Look at you, trying to do what's right, just like her. You still don't get it. It's not about right. Not about wrong...
[morphs into Buffy]
Buffy Summers: [as The First] ... It's about power.
- ConnectionsReferences The Twilight Zone: To Serve Man (1962)
- SoundtracksSo High
Written by Ciaran Hope and James O'Connell and Karla Grefe
Performed by Ciaran Hope and Karla Grefe
Strange Radio appears courtesy of Pangea Music
Apart from that, I really dig "Lessons". I like the idea of Dawn forming her own Scooby squad and solving high school mysteries. I don't think it should have become the focus of the show, but as a consistent B-story, it would have been a fun return to form, amidst the unrelenting serialized bleakness with the First and all the surrounding business that follows. I missed Sunnydale High, dammit. I want to spend more time there. And I think Principal Wood--who I very much enjoy as a late introduction to the series--would have been better served in that capacity of generally benevolent/mysterious/knows-more-than-he-lets-on overseer, rather than joining the main gang and becoming a romantic interest.
Also...Buffy herself. These days she's so angst-ridden, so tormented. "Lessons" gives her a lot of fun and endearing moments, like worrying about mom-hair. We won't see lighthearted, resilient Buffy for a long time after this.
- nightwishouge
- May 5, 2021
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