Buffy the Vampire Slayer Re-Watch: School Hard (Season 2 Episode 3)

From the first time Kramer busts into Jerry’s apartment to that first moment Jed Bartlet walks into the Oval Office, the most memorable characters in television history always know how to properly make an entrance.

On Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s, “School Hard,” Spike drives onto the scene by knocking over the “Welcome to Sunnydale” sign, and yet another fantastic and memorable entrance is made in the history of the small screen.

Spike isn’t like any vampire we’ve ever met. He’s vicious, quick-witted, and cruel. He easily knocks down every vampire in the Anointed One’s lair and proudly announces that he’s killed two Slayers in his time. Spike is a bit creepy, a bit unsettling…

That is, until Drusilla walks into the room, and everything we thought we understood about Spike based on first impressions falls away.

Every lesson we’ve learned about vampires has taught us that they are empty animals who feel nothing, at least not without a soul, like Angel.

Yet, we meet Spike, this big bad vamp whose face de-wrinkles on a dime, softening the very second that he lays eyes on his partner, this woman who he clearly loves, Drusilla.

Drusilla is also a vampire, but is weakened and sickly, and also a bit childlike. She takes solace in her glass dolls, and says things that make us question whether or not she is on drugs.

Drusilla loves Spike, just as much as he is enamored by her.

But vampires shouldn’t love…it goes against the grain. So we know, within ten minutes of meeting Spike and Drusilla, that they will be fascinating foes for Buffy in the coming weeks.

Spike: Nice work, love.
Buffy: Who are you?
Spike: You’ll find out Saturday.
Buffy: What happens on Saturday?
Spike: I kill you.

Spike isn’t Buffy’s only problem. It’s parent-teacher night, and Principal Snyder can’t wait to meet Joyce.

Principal Snyder is the thorn in Buffy’s side. If vampires don’t defeat her, he almost certainly will. He sets her up for failure at every turn, convinced that she’s nothing more than a juvenile delinquent who needs to be punished for crimes she hasn’t actually committed.

While at first Joyce is angered by his false assessment of Buffy, she quickly sees that he’s really just a jerk.

Did anyone else catch Snyder’s confident grin as he struts away after seeing an angry Joyce confront Buffy? A room with four other people, deep in conversation, and he just shuts off the lights, basically saying, “Eff you. Get out of here. I accomplished the only thing that matters tonight.”

Part of me desperately hoped that Spike would kill Snyder. But alas, he lives another day to torture Buffy.

We also learn based on Snyder’s conversation with the police chief that he understands that there is something odd going on, something much bigger than simple a gang on PCP. Is Snyder a part of a bigger cover up?

Much of the episode takes place in the school, as Spike and his vampire lackeys take over parent-teacher night in an attempt to kill the slayer. The tension rises with every scene, and I’m happy to say that it’s dark (both literal and figurative), tone holds up over nearly two decades later.

The first fight between Buffy and Spike is wonderfully choreographed, but not very well-edited. You can definitely notice when stunt doubles take over and the slaps and kicks can be heard slightly out of sync.

Really, though, who cares?

Theirs is a showdown that, while temporarily halted by Joyce hitting him over the head with an ax, we know will continue soon.

Another juicy bit that we learn from Spike’s appearance is that he and Angel used to be friends, traveling the world together. We also learn that Angel is Spike’s sire, a term that, I believe, is used here for the first time.

Angel turned Spike. It’s a fascinating discovery and one that I hope continues to bring out more revelations for Buffy as she learns more about Angel’s past as Angelus.

When the two meet again, once again, Spike’s feelings come to the forefront in an emotional turn that other vampires have never exhibited.

Spike is angry with Angel for tricking him, not in a vampire/vengeance way that we’ve seen in vamps like Luke or Darla, but in more of a little brother being let down by his big brother. Spike reveals how much he looked up to Angel, and how disappointed he is to see that Angel has gone soft.

But by far, my favorite moment of the episode is Spike picking up the Anointed One, shoving him in a cage, and dusting him in the sunlight. That kid always bugs me.

Pop Into Pop Culture:

• Spike calls Angel his, ‘Yoda,’ which is a Star Wars reference, for those living under a rock.
• Anne Rice wrote all of the Interview with the Vampire books.
• ‘Uncle Tom,’ is a direct reference to the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written all the way back in 1852.

Fashion Faux Pas:

• Xander’s HIDEOUS  blue shirt.
• The cartoons on Willow’s shirt…is that Shaggy from Scooby Doo?
• Willow’s ACTUAL Scooby Doo T-Shirt.
• Willow’s weird pants.
• Sheila’s incredibly short skirt.

Today’s Music Was Brought to You By:

• Nickel performs two of their songs, ‘1000 Nights,’ and ‘Stupid Thing,’ at the Bronze.

Cordeliaisms:

• Xander: “Does anybody remember when Saturday night was date night?”
  Cordelia: “YOU sure don’t.”
• “We’re still all rooting for you on Saturday. I’d be there for you myself if I didn’t have a leg wax.”
• “Even slaves get paid minimum wage!”
• “That is a woman who knows how to moisturize! [to Buffy] What, did it like, skip a generation?”
• “[praying] And if I make it out of this, I swear I’ll never be mean to anyone ever again, unless they really deserve it. Or if it’s that time of the month, in which case, I don’t think you or anyone else can hold me responsible…”

Dig deep into your own memory! What do you remember loving from, “School Hard”? Did you immediately fall in love with Spike, or were you immediately turned off by him?

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Re-Watch when we talk about the classic episode, “Inca Mummy Girl.”

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available for streaming on Netflix and Hulu.