Prophecy Girl
Reviewed by Christophe | Rating: 10/10

Prophecy Girl
Written by Joss Whedon
Directed by Joss Whedon

This is it! The season finale, the conclusion, the climax, the most thrilling, and the most exciting! “Prophecy Girl” lives up to all a season finale should be, closing season 1 with a bang, and ensuring that you tune in to watch the slayer bash-the-baddies, in seasons to come. Joss Whedon (creator of BTVS) pens the episode, so of course it’s sure to be a beaut.

The episode’s supernatural and evil focus centres on the Master rising which will open the hellmouth. This of course, would mean the world’s end. The hellmouth opens, demons come out. Wait, let me rephrase. The hellmouth opens, lots of big demons come out – the world ends. It’s as simple as that really. The slayer of course, is the one who must stop this. But we are alerted early on, that there is a catch. Giles the book-man, reads up on the latest ancient prophecies, handed to him by Angel. What he finds…is bad news for Buffy. The master will rise, and the slayer will die! And that pretty much forms the basis of our highly gripping season finale!
Spring Fling, the school’s dance, is coming up and the students are getting pretty excited. Xander decides it’s time to reveal his true feelings to Buffy. So, he sits down with her, asks her to the dance and tells her he wants more than just friendship. He actually does this really well, considering how nervous he must have been. Our slayer however, doesn’t feel the same way, and tells Xander she doesn’t want to spoil their friendship. You’ve gotta feel for the poor guy in this scene, as he explains he doesn’t take rejection well, and hurriedly leaves. After school, he goes home to listen to country music – “the music of pain,” as he explains it Willow.
“Prophecy Girl” also sees the return of Jenny Calendar. She comes to Giles and informs him of what her research has found. Strange happenings that point to the apocalypse (that’s the fancy of way of saying “end of the world”). She also tells him about receiving strange emails from a monk, saying something about this anointed one. Giles pricks his ears up like a dog when he hears this – as he believed that Buffy had already killed the anointed one in “Never Kill a boy on the First Date!” He tells Jenny to try to find out more. Giles himself, has found the prophecy stating that the slayer will die, when the Master rises. He calls Angel to the library, and explains to him what he has found. But who should come and overhear their conversation, but Buffy herself! Upon finding out that she will die, Buffy retorts, saying that she is turning her back on her slayer duties. Understandably, she cries and is unable to think rationally, at the thought of her life ending at such a young age. She throws her crucifix down, and leaves.

Buffy must cope with the strong possibility of her dying on the next night, when the Master will rise. She spends her time looking over photos, feeling that she no longer has the rest of her life in front of her. Meanwhile, Giles and Jenny have found more information about the anointed one. He is a child, and will lead the slayer into hell…or so it is prophecised! The next day, could very well be, the day to end all days!

So, the next day comes! Willow and Cordelia find Cordelia’s boyfriend and his friends, murdered by the annointed one and his vampires. Willow is completely overwhelmed with grief and fear. She goes to Buffy for comfort.
Giles decides he cannot let Buffy die, and proclaims he will face the Master instead of the slayer. But before Giles can act on this, Buffy stops him. Decked out in her Spring Fling dress bought for her by her mother Joyce, Buffy knocks Giles out, confident in facing her fate and destiny of standing against the Master alone. She finds the anointed one, and he leads her to the Master’s underground lair. Armed with only her crossbow, and an ancient prophecy working against her, the outcome does not look good for the slayer. The Master appears to Buffy, and the two converse, Buffy trying to sound confident and strong. But the Master, disappears, forcing Buffy to seek him out. Cautiously walking amongst the candles in the dark cavern, she cannot find the Master. He eventually reveals himself from behind, causing Buffy to run like a trapped animal. But she cannot go far, when he reaches out and uses his hypnotic force to draw her back to him. He explains to her, that if she is the key to him leaving. If she hadn’t come, he couldn’t go!
With that, he sinks his fangs into Buffy’s neck, and leaves her face first in a large puddle. The Master is then able to free himself, and walk above ground!

Meanwhile, the hellmouth has opened!!! And where should the entrance to the hellmouth be? Try the Sunnydale High’s school library! Giles, Willow, Cordelia, and Jenny struggle to keep the library doors closed to many snarling vampires, while inside the library, a giant hellmouth demon begins to make it’s way into the world. The hellmouth demon in a monstrosity! With these huge slimy tentacles, and countless heads bearing huge teeth, the gang is far from safe!

Back underground, Xander and Angel have found Buffy. Upon finding that she is not breathing, Xander proceeds to give her CPR. Will she or won’t she? Big suspense! This is Sunnydale, of course Buffy is revived! But somehow, things have changed. She is filled with optimism, confidence, and a strength boost stronger than Gatorade! She makes her way above ground, in search of that sneaky Master, the inspiration BTVS theme song slams in the background!
Buffy finds the fang-bearing foe on top of the library. She manages to snap out of his “hypno-crap” (as she calls it), and begins to get physical with the kicking. Below them, Giles, Jenny, Cordelia and Willow are still fighting for their lives, as the hellmouth demon pulls itself further and further into this world.

This scene ends kinda quickly. Buffy dishes out a few kicks and punches, and then throws the Master, through the glass roof of the library, causing him to land on a sharp upturned piece of wood. When he lands, you get some very cool special effects. The Master doesn’t turn to dust, his skin rips itself from his bones and then disappears, leaving his fleshless skeleton behind! It looks excellent, and very impressive for the budget the show was on. But my problem was that it happened too quickly. Buffy fought the Master, and then he died. It was like, bam bam bam, throw onto spike, the end! The episode did climax, but it just happened a little too quickly for me.
Once the Master was killed, the hellmouth was closed again, and our worn out heroes, depart from the smashed up library.

And that was the conclusion to season one! A very effective episode! Definitely my favourite episode of the season. Sure, I mentioned my little climax problem above, but still, everything else was cooked to perfection! All the characters had good strong roles in “Prophecy Girl.” There was action, laughs, revelations, shocks, and many more surprises! “Prophecy Girl” achieves what it was created to achieve – to suck viewers into re-tuning into BTVS, for season two. It isn’t a “must watch to find out what happens” kind of closing. It ties up the loose ends, but in a thrilling and exciting way. It also does this, in a way that sets new ground for future story arcs.
It took a season to kill him, but Buffy finally managed to thwart the Master. “Prophecy Girl” is where she does this, and it is the BEST episode of BTVS so far!

10/10

Memorable Quotes:

Willow (about Biology class): “Even I was bored and I’m a science nerd!”
Buffy: “Don’t say that!”
Willow: “I’m not ashamed, it’s the computer age – nerds are in!…they’re still in right?”

“I’m just gonna go home, lye down, and listen to country music – the music of pain”
- Xander after Buffy’s rejection.

Xander: “You’re looking at my neck.”
Angel: “What?!”
Xander: “You were checking out my neck, I saw that!”
Angel: “No I wasn’t.”
Xander: “Just keep your distance pal!”
Angel: “I wasn’t checking out your neck!”
Xander: “Told you to eat before we left.”

“By the way, I like your dress”
- The Master after sucking Buffy’s blood.


The Master: “You’re dead!”
Buffy: “I may be dead, but I’m still pretty…which is more than I can say for you.”
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