Draft:School Hard
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| Submission declined on 16 April 2025 by AllCatsAreGrey (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of films). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. Declined by AllCatsAreGrey 4 months ago. | |
Comment: Multiple critical reviews needed. RangersRus (talk) 18:48, 3 September 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: See WP:NTVEP – AllCatsAreGrey (talk) 20:12, 16 April 2025 (UTC)
| "School Hard" | |
|---|---|
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | John T. Kretchmer |
| Written by | David Greenwalt Joss Whedon |
| Production code | 5V03 |
| Original air date | September 29, 1997 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"School Hard" is the third episode of the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the fifteenth episode in the series. Written by Joss Whedon with David Greenwalt, and directed by John T. Kretchmer, it was originally broadcast on September 29, 1997 on The WB.
When parent-teacher night is interrupted by uninvited guests, Buffy must protect her fellow students, the principal and her mother while keeping her secret. Meanwhile, Angel's old friends, Spike and Drusilla visit Sunnydale for The Night of Saint Vigeous — the holy night of attack.[1]
Plot
[edit]Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sheila (Alexandra Johnes) meet with Principal Snyder (Armin Shimerman) in his office. He assigns them the task of preparing the school lounge for parent-teacher night, stating that whoever does the better job will avoid expulsion. Sheila's lack of concern only adds to Buffy's stress, as she's already struggling to balance her Slayer duties with her social life. Later that evening, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) tells Buffy that if Snyder gives her a bad report, she won't be allowed to hang out with her friends.
That evening, a vampire named Spike (James Marsters) drives into Sunnydale, knocking down the city's welcome sign. Meanwhile, the Anointed One summons the remaining members of the Order of Aurelius to an abandoned factory. With the Master dead, they discuss who will serve alongside him. With the Night of Saint Vigeous approaching — when vampires are at the height of their power — they agree that whoever kills the Slayer will take the Master's place. As a vampire (Gregory Scott Cummins) brags about his strength, Spike saunters in and effortlessly puts him in his place. He then offers to kill Buffy, revealing that he has already killed two Slayers. Moments later, Drusilla (Juliet Landau) — Spike's eerie companion with psychic abilities — appears and cryptically speaks of Buffy, urging Spike to kill her. Intrigued, the Anointed One agrees to give Spike the chance.
As the Scoobies make a banner for parent-teacher night, Giles (Anthony Head) and Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte) arrive to warn Buffy that Saturday will be the Night of Saint Vigeous. However, Buffy is unimpressed. Later that evening, she attempts to study French at the Bronze with Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan). Spike watches her from a dark corner and sends a vampire outside to attack a girl. Buffy quickly responds, slaying the vampire while Spike observes from the shadows. Applauding her performance, he steps out to compliment her fighting skills and warns that he intends to kill her on Saturday. Later that night, Spike encounters Sheila, who is charmed by his dangerous demeanor and follows him eagerly.
Back at the library, Giles does not recognize Spike based on Buffy's description. Suddenly, Angel (David Boreanaz) arrives and warns them that Spike is notoriously dangerous and will not stop until everything in his path is destroyed. He then leaves abruptly without saying goodbye. Later, Giles discovers that Spike's real name is William the Bloody and that he has already killed two Slayers. His nickname, "Spike," comes from his reputation for torturing victims with railroad spikes.
Spike and Drusilla settle into a room at the factory, where Drusilla unpacks her collection of dolls. Still recovering from an attack by a mob in Prague, she remains physically weakened. Spike hopes that being near the Hellmouth will restore her strength and urges her to feed on Sheila, who is bound and gagged in the corner. Drusilla cryptically warns Spike that the Anointed One and his followers do not trust him, then sends Spike away while she feeds.
Despite her efforts to prevent her mother from speaking with any teachers, Buffy is unable to stop Joyce from encountering Principal Snyder during parent-teacher night. After a tense conversation, a frustrated Joyce orders Buffy to the car — just as Spike and a group of vampires crash through the school windows. Spike tells Buffy he couldn't wait, making it clear he's eager to fight her before the Night of Saint Vigeous.
As chaos erupts, Buffy leads the adults to safety in the science classroom, while Xander, Giles, and Ms. Calendar barricade themselves in the library. Willow and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) hide in a utility closet, and Xander is sent to find Angel. Buffy tells the adults to stay put and climbs into the ceiling ducts to reach the library and retrieve her weapons.
Xander returns to the school with Angel, who pretends to be his former evil self. Although Spike initially greets Angel as an old friend, he soon sees through the deception, forcing Xander and Angel to flee. Outside, Xander criticizes Angel for not fully thinking the plan through, pointing out that Spike could have easily killed him. He then questions Angel about Spike calling him his sire.
Buffy and Spike finally confront each other in the hallway. Though Buffy is nearly defeated, Joyce arrives just in time and strikes Spike over the head with the flat side of a fire axe. Frustrated, Spike escapes through a nearby window. Joyce tells Buffy she's proud to have a daughter who can take care of herself and others during a crisis, disregarding any negative comments from Principal Snyder. Meanwhile, Snyder instructs the police chief to attribute the attack to a gang under the influence of PCP.
Back at the factory, Spike tells Drusilla he has never fought a Slayer with friends and family but vows to kill Buffy. When the Anointed One demands penance for Spike's recklessness, Spike pretends to submit — only to suddenly grab him, knock out a vampire who intervenes, and trap the Anointed One in a cage. He raises the cage into the sunlight pouring through the factory's shutters, incinerating him. As the other vampires watch in shock, Spike declares there will be "less ritual and more fun" in Sunnydale, and he and Drusilla return to their room to watch television.
Cultural references
[edit]Spike mentions having attended the musical festival Woodstock.
Willow wears a Scooby-Doo shirt.
Giles comments that the name Spike is "a little unorthodox" for a vampire, to which Buffy replies, "Maybe he's Reform," a wordplay on branches of Judaism.
Spike calls Angel an "Uncle Tom," a derogatory term that describes a subservient person who betrays their own group by participating in its oppression.
Spike compares Angel's role with that of the Star Wars character Yoda.
Reception
[edit]Vox ranked it at #40 on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list (to mark the 20th anniversary of the show), calling Spike a "swaggering new villain" who makes it easy to understand why the show wanted to keep him around.[2]
Rolling Stone ranked "School Hard" at #31 on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list, calling the interaction between Buffy and Spike "a wonderful game of cat and mouse," adding that it's "no shock that James Marsters earned a larger role moving forward for his performance here — viewers were left enthralled by the rock ’n’ roll vampire for years to come."[3]
"School Hard" was ranked at #29 on Paste Magazine's "Every Episode Ranked" list[4] and #18 on BuzzFeed's "Ranking Every Episode" list.[5]
References
[edit]
- ^ "The Mortuary." Buffy.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2001. Retrieved on September 17, 2024.
- ^ Grady, Constance (March 10, 2017). "In honor of Buffy's 20th anniversary, we ranked it from worst to best episode". Vox. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Francis, Jack (May 20, 2023). "'Buffy the Vampire Slayer': Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Rabinowitz, Mark (May 19, 2023). "The Best Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes: Every Episode Ranked". Paste Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Peitzman, Louis (November 14, 2013). "Ranking Every Episode Of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". BuzzFeed. Retrieved September 17, 2024.