Buffy the Vampire Slayer Re-Watch: I Robot, You Jane (Season 1 Episode 8)

Believe it or not, there was once a time when the Internet was a fairly new invention. I myself can remember sitting in front of the modem listening to that familiar buzz that told me that I was connected to the World Wide Web, followed by the classic voice that told me, “You’ve got mail!”

Back in 1997, the dangers of the Internet were just beginning to surface and Buffy the Vampire Slayer wasted no time in tackling a current topic with real warnings mixed with their own brand of demon storytelling.

In, “I Robot, You Jane,” Willow, who’s easily the most naive young lady to ever grace television screens at this time, falls for a mysterious guy on the Internet named Malcolm.

Remember chat room stranger danger? Logging into some sort of AIM room with the phrase,”A/S/L?” (That’s age, sex, and location for you young people who never had the pleasure of experiencing chat rooms!) and finding yourself locked in awkward on-line conversations with people from all over the internet?

No one is there to warn Willow that Malcolm is not what he seems…at least not until the Slayer starts questioning her BFF about her new suitor.

What does he looks like? How old is he? Does he have back hair? These are the questions that, as a teenage girl getting attention from a boy for the first time, Willow hasn’t bothered to care about.

Luckily for Willow, Buffy cares enough for everyone else and sets out to get to the bottom of the problem with dating a stranger on-line. It should also be noted that Xander is the teensiest bit jealous that he’s no longer the object of Willow’s affection.

This episode also starts a dialogue about the changing landscape of research and communication. Giles starts to show his fear for the future of technology and what it will mean to mankind .

Up until this point, the library has been the Scooby sanctuary, with Giles at the helm creating a dialogue with the teens about demons as he parades them through the aisles of books.

Giles: I’ll be back in the Middle Ages.
Jenny: Did you ever leave?

There’s never been a need for any further technology for the teens.

Until we meet Jenny Calendar, Sunnydale High’s hot tech teacher who basically get Giles’ engine revving immediately. He’s never met someone who is both his intellectual equal as well as someone he’s attracted to.

And of course he’s attracted to her. Jenny Calendar is a babe.

Side Note: The actress who plays Jenny Calendar, Robia LaMorte, is one of the sweetest human beings that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. She’s a life changer, folks. If you ever have the chance to chat with her at a Buffy Con, take it!

Jenny surprises everyone by knowing all about demons, witchcraft, and what the Slayer is really up against.

Willow’s in love with a demon, Moloch, who is trapped in the internet and using it to take over the world, one high school kid at a time. Jenny helps save the day, with Giles’ help, by casting a spell on-line.

Jenny is going to be a great adversary for the group moving forward, that much is obvious. But how exactly did she know to show up in Sunnydale? Is there more to her than meets the eye?

Embodying on-line stranger danger in a demon on-line and then literally embodying that demon as a robot works for this story. While at face value, it seems pretty cut and dry and could easily be lumped in with hyenas bullying kids or witches taking over the cheerleading squad, something about this story just fires on all cylinders…similar to the one that Willow hits Moloch with.

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Christine Laskodi

Christine is guilty of watching Hart of Dixie more times than the average human will in their lifetime. She's the host of Long Live the Hart: A Hart of Dixie Podcast (available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!) as well as co-host on The Shipping Room, a podcast devoted to television's greatest relationships. You can find some of her older television reviews at TV Fanatic and IGN. Christine eagerly anticipates every cheesy holiday movie that networks can throw at her, and current favorite shows include The Good Place, The Resident, Shark Tank, and All Rise.