The Harvest (#1.02)

"A Slayer hunts vampires; Buffy is the Slayer; don't tell anyone.

I think that's all the vampire information you need."

The regulars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, and Anthony Stewart Head.
Guest stars: Mark Metcalf as The Master; Brian Thompson as Luke; David Boreanaz as Angel; Ken Lerner as Principal Flutie; Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers; Julie Benz as Darla; and Eric Balfour as Jesse.
Written by: Joss Whedon
Directed by: John Kertchmer

The one where... 'The Harvest' has to be stopped and Jesse dies.

Resident evil: The Master, Luke, Darla + a bunch of other vampires.

The rewatch: "The Harvest" is a great conclusion to "Welcome to the Hellmouth". The Master remains one of my favorite villians. No matter how many times I rewatch this ep, I cannot grow tired of him. I can't say the same thing about David Boreanaz's acting in this ep. Yikes.

Still bummed they killed off Jesse. There's no such thing as having enough Eric Balfour on the show.

Extra tidbits: According to the pilot commentary, The Master's real name is Heinrich Joseph Nest.

Jesse/Eric Balfour was rumored to appear in "Conversations with Dead People". Unfortunately for me, that didn't happen. I would've rather seen him with Xander, than Cassie with Willow (or Joyce/Dawn).

Harmony's first appearance. YAY!

Rating: Great conclusion to "Welcome to the Hellmouth."

Welcome to the Hellmouth (#1.01)

"God! What is your childhood trauma?"

The regulars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Stewart Head
Guest stars: Mark Metcalf as The Master; Brian Thompson as Luke; David Boreanaz as Angel; Ken Lerner as Principal Flutie; Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers; Julie Benz as Darla; J. Patrick Lawlor as Thomas; Carmine Giovinazzo as Boy; and Eric Balfour as Jesse.
Written by: Joss Whedon
Directed by: Charles Martin Smith

The one where.. Buffy Summers moves to Sunnydale and meets the gang.

Resident evil: The Master, Luke, Darla, Thomas + a bunch of other vamps.

The rewatch: It doesn't matter how many times I watch this episode, it never gets old (unlike "The Puppet Show"). I love the teaser, it's brilliant. Cute little Julie Benz turns out to be the vampire. It really sets the tone for the show. You never know what to expect, because it avoids the clichés. Overall, the pilot is well written and the character introductions are nicely done. The only thing that bugged me is the excessive use of slang. I'm glad they toned that down in later episodes.

The entire cast, with the exception of David Boreanaz, is fun and fresh. At the risk of getting spammed by Boreanaz lovers, I thought he was pretty awful here. It took him a while to grow into his role and I'm actually surprised he managed to carry his own shows (Angel, Bones) later on.

Extra tidbits: Darla's first victim is portrayed by Carmine Giovinazzo, who's now enjoying success as a series regular on CSI: NY. I personally prefer him as the lead of the sitcom Shasta McNasty, alongside Jake Busey.

Brian Thompson will return in season 2 as The Judge in "Surprise" (#2.13) and "Innocence" (#2.14).

Julie Benz is a good excuse to watch Saw V.

Eric Balfour had recurring roles on critically acclaimed shows Six Feet Under and 24. He will appear later this year in The Horsemen with Dennis Quaid, and in The Spirit with Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes. Also, he is hot.

Rating: Great pilot!