Welcome to the Hellmouth
Reviewed by Christophe | Rating: 1/10

Welcome to the Hellmouth

“In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer…” chirps the trying-too-hard-to-be-creepy guy, giving us our first few seconds of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
For a series pilot, “Welcome to the Hellmouth” doesn’t do too badly. All characters are introduced, rules and regulations of the supernatural side of things are explained, and a basic story structure is set in place for season 1.

In WTTH, Buffy Anne Summers(Sarah Michelle Gellar) has her first day at Sunnydale high, after moving there from LA. The show is quick to fill us in on Buffys rocky past - she was kicked from her last school, after burning down the gymnasium. However, Buffy is the chosen one, as mentioned above. She is the girl with super-strength, fighting moves, weapons and attitude. Buffys mother, Joyce, is unaware of her daughter’s responsibility as a slayer, and is trying her best to nurture her child with the help of books – no joke! Buffy has decided to hang up the stakes upon moving to Sunnydale, and vouch for a more regular lifestyle – being non-slayer gal. However, she is forced to give up her dreams of a slayer-free life when vampires rear their ugly faces.

Buffy’s first day at Sunnydale High introduces us to her new buds. There’s Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon), the below average student, but nice guy who gets all the best lines. He’s chummy with Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), the A+ student, who’s kind, caring, and always willing to help. Willow is seen wearing dorky clothes, and cowering below the intimidating members of the cool high school cliques. One of these clique members is Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter), the typical school bitch, complete with flying insults, lots of makeup and air for brains. These guys form the basis of the future “scooby gang” that most BTVS fans have grown to love. In WTTH we are also introduced to Jesse, although he sees his demise in the next episode.

Giles (Anthony Steward Head), is the school librarian and “watcher” to Buffy. Giles is quick to explain a slayer’s duties to the audience and to Buffy. A slayer is a girl chosen, once every generation, to spend her days fighting against the forces of darkness (refer to trying-too-hard-to-be-creepy-guy). The forces of darkness, not only include vampires and demons, but also as Mr Giles put it “Incubi, Succubae, zombies, werewolves, everything you’ve ever dreaded and told yourself couldn’t be by the light of day….” Ah…that sets the scene for our main character, she must kill all that stuff, but currently she’s not up for it! Well, after the death of a student, Buffy realises that shirking her slayer duties isn’t an option. In a heated discussion between Buffy and Giles, we are informed of the basics on how to kill vampires. A stake to the heart will do the trick, and also sunlight. But the real vamp killing info is introduced in the next episode – “The Harvest.” As Buffy’s watcher, Giles is to guide her, to train her and to oversee that she is being the best slayer she can be. He also gets down with the books a lot, researching when there are signs of demon activity.

The final addition to the “good guys” character list would be a dark, brooding character, who remains unnamed in this episode. He is later to become known as Angel, who is not quite what he seems. In WTTH he helps Buffy by giving her a crucifix to wear round her neck (a vampire repellant) and provides her with much needed information – Buffy must be ready for the Harvest, when “the mouth of hell will open.” Ah! Another twist! Sunnydale high turns out to be no ordinary high school. It happens to be on a “Hellmouth”(yes, that’s the one we are currently being welcomed to). A hellmouth is “a portal between this reality and the next.” In short, the gate to hell, where demons and vamps lurk in hordes. Even though the hellmouth is closed, Giles explains that Sunnydale is still the site of mystical convergence, which attracts vampires and those other unsavory types to town. As you can see, there is real need for a slayer with all the right moves.

In WTTH the master rises, and is introduced to us as “the big bad” of season 1. He is this scary snarly vampire in desperate need of a tan. However he is trapped below the ground, and is too weak to rise. Working with the Master is Darla, a fiesty blonde vamp, who is actually the first vampire to be shown in the series. Vampires look like ordinary people at most hours, but when aggravated or at feeding time, they show their true demonic visage. Their true demonic visage? Well, that’s really just another way of saying “makeup much!” Basically, fangs sprout, and their forehead looks more like Alf’s nose. But makeup and special effects improve in seasons to come, as you all well know.

Soon after the master rises, he feels he desperately needs to sink his fangs into the living. So he sends his minions to bring him back “something young.” Unfortunately for the master and his crew, Willow and Jesse, have been chosen to be sacrificed to their master, but Buffy is hot on their trail. Darla and another vampire, Owen, take Jesse and Willow to a mausoleum. Buffy who is desperately searching for our beloved Willow runs into Xander and asks where she could be found. Turns out, Xander had overheard Buffy’s conversation with Giles and now knows her true identity. So, Xander and Buffy somehow find their friends in the Mausoleum. It isn’t explained exactly HOW they knew which mausoleum their friends were in, in a decidedly large cemetery, but the story flows on. Buffy hastily stakes Owen, shocking Darla. This is when we catch our first glimpse of the Buffster in action. However I was quite disappointed with the Darla/Buffy fight scene. It seemed too slow, and Darla’s lines seemed really lame – ala “He was young and stupid.” Buffy does get some nice little snappy lines and puns there while she fights, but still, for her first piece of action on the show, it could have been a little better. I even would have preferred Buffys first fight scene from the original un-aired pilot to this corny plight. Luke, a huge beefy looking vampire who also works for the master, intervenes the all-girl melee, and poses a strong threat to Buffy, knocking her down. While doing this, he explains how hell will walk on earth making the stars hide from the sky blah blah blah…
The episode ends with Buffy trapped in a coffin, and Luke leering over her. “To Be Continued” are the inevitable words displayed, and we are compelled to stay glued to our seat, to sit out the next 2 hours of Buffy’s premiere.

Not bad for a pilot, especially on the budget that the show was on. There were some funny lines, action, structures for future plots, and even structures for characters. We learn about vampire lore which will be referred to throughout the whole series – how to kill em how not to kill em. We learn about the slayer, about her past and her new found friends. With hip and cool dialogue, and your inevitable “To Be Continued” how can you not stay tuned for the conclusion?

7/10

Memorable Quotes:

“The new kid? She seems kind of weird to me…what kind of a name is Buffy?”
“Hey Aphrodesia!”
“Oh HEY!” – 2 Sunnydale high students.

“Will there be boys there?”
“No Mum, it’s a nun club” – Buffy and her mother Joyce conversing before Buffy goes to the Bronze.

“From now on, I’m only going to hang out with the living…I mean, the lively…” – Buffy on her decision not to hang with the vampires.

“God! What is your childhood trauma?!” – Cordelia after Buffy pulls a stake on her.

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