Episode 101

Welcome to the Hellmouth

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We begin at the beginning with “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot episode. We meet the titular character, Buffy, and a slew of others who become the main characters for the coming seasons. Having just been kicked out of school in Los Angeles, Buffy is determined to have a fresh start in Sunnydale and leave her calling as the Slayer behind her. Buffy quickly learns that Sunnydale will not be as fresh a start as it seems, as her new friends are quickly put in danger, and she learns of an ancient vampire who may soon rise and bring about the apocalypse.

In addition to discussing this iconic pilot, Allie and Nick introduce themselves, share how their decades-long friendship started, and bask in their mutual love for 90s fashion.


Credits:

Transcript
Intro Music:

[Intro Music]

Allie & Nick:

Welcome to Tabula Rasa, B!tches!

Intro Music:

[Intro Music]

Allie Press:

Alright!

Allie Press:

Hello, hello!

Nick Mercer:

Hello!

Allie Press:

My name is Allie.

Nick Mercer:

And I'm Nick and I'm so excited!

Allie Press:

And welcome to the premiere episode of Tabula Rasa, B!tches!

Allie Press:

We are so, so glad you are here.

Nick Mercer:

We are.

Nick Mercer:

In Tabula Rasa, B!tches, you'll listen as two decades-long friends jump back into

Nick Mercer:

the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and relive the show that brought them

Nick Mercer:

close together and taught them so many of the values they still cherish today.

Allie Press:

Each episode of Tabula Rasa, B!tches - and we do have to say it that

Allie Press:

way every single time - we'll dive into an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and

Allie Press:

discuss the lessons that can be learned from our favorite Sunnydale warriors

Allie Press:

and the supernatural creatures they use their talents and friendship to overcome.

Allie Press:

And today we'll be discussing season one, episode one, "Welcome to the Hellmouth."

Allie Press:

And just settle in for a girthy, nice, long episode today, as we tell you

Allie Press:

about ourselves, you know, and just kind of get into the rhythm of everything.

Nick Mercer:

Not quite a good enough of a reason to use the

Nick Mercer:

word girthy, but I'll allow it.

Nick Mercer:

We are going to be so excited to jump into our first ever

Nick Mercer:

episode summary here in a second.

Nick Mercer:

But first, Allie, the light of my life, amazing, wonderful

Nick Mercer:

human who I'm so glad to know.

Nick Mercer:

Let's let's talk about this, Tabula Rasa, B!tches.

Nick Mercer:

That's such a strange title.

Nick Mercer:

Can you unpack it for what's going to be our vast audience?

Allie Press:

I absolutely can do that.

Allie Press:

So we were kind of struggling talking about what the title of

Allie Press:

our show should be once we decided that we should indeed have a show.

Allie Press:

And I feel like a title is an important thing, and we both knew that.

Allie Press:

So I reached out to my good friend, Lianna Haupt, cause she is also a

Allie Press:

big Buffy fan, and I thought, you know, maybe she'd have some ideas.

Allie Press:

She's also a writer.

Allie Press:

She's somebody I think of as a very creative person.

Allie Press:

So I was like, Hey, we're starting a rewatch podcast.

Allie Press:

We would like it to be, you know, something, something - A

Allie Press:

Buffy Rewatch Podcast.

Allie Press:

And she came almost immediately right back with "Tabula Rasa" because it is the

Allie Press:

title of an episode in season six, comes on the heels of a very landmark episode,

Allie Press:

uh, trying not to give too many spoilers.

Allie Press:

Um, and it's her favorite episode.

Allie Press:

And I do think it's an - it's not my favorite, but it's an excellent episode.

Allie Press:

And as soon as she said that, I definitely, I was like, oh, clean slate,

Allie Press:

which is what "tabula rasa" means.

Allie Press:

And that's kind of us, we're, we're approaching this show with fresh eyes.

Allie Press:

Like, obviously this is not our first time watching it.

Allie Press:

This is a rewatch show for us.

Allie Press:

But I do think that we're in a very different portion of our

Allie Press:

lives than we were certainly when we first started seeing this.

Allie Press:

So I think it's nice to kind of come with a clean slate, fresh

Allie Press:

eyes, new perspective, to see what new things that we notice and learn

Allie Press:

from this show that we both love.

Nick Mercer:

And isn't that one of the most amazing things about Buffy, speaks

Nick Mercer:

to how timeless it is that you really can come back to it during different

Nick Mercer:

phases, different times, challenges that you're going through in life and kind of

Nick Mercer:

take, take away something new each time.

Nick Mercer:

Look at something a little different each time.

Allie Press:

A hundred percent.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Like any good book or movie or whatever, it's constantly

Allie Press:

evolving what it means to you.

Allie Press:

Oh.

Allie Press:

And, uh, the "bitches" part comes from, we didn't want to sound too hoity-toity with

Allie Press:

"Tabula Rasa" so we added bitches just so you know that we're still here to have.

Allie Press:

We're here to like

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: We're a couple of bitches!

Allie Press:

We are!

Allie Press:

Yeah!

Allie Press:

Yeah, we're here to have fun.

Nick Mercer:

I mean, you're a bitch.

Nick Mercer:

I'm perfect.

Allie Press:

Yes, exactly.

Allie Press:

Exactly.

Allie Press:

You know, we can't both be the same.

Allie Press:

Um, but yeah, like we're here to analyze and to pick apart and stuff, but for fun.

Allie Press:

But for fun.

Nick Mercer:

Just for fun, just for fun two, two, two old besties.

Nick Mercer:

Um, I would like to share with, share with folks, uh, just a little

Nick Mercer:

bit about ourselves and how I became to be so incredibly obsessed

Nick Mercer:

with you, Allie, if that's okay.

Allie Press:

Talking about me?

Allie Press:

That's always okay.

Nick Mercer:

So my older sister, uh, during - Allie and I, uh,

Nick Mercer:

went to elementary, middle, high school, college together.

Nick Mercer:

We've known each other forever.

Nick Mercer:

But we got to be especially close when my older sister, uh, babysat

Nick Mercer:

Allie and her older brother, Ben, over a summer in high school.

Nick Mercer:

And thank goodness she did this, brought me along to hangout with you.

Nick Mercer:

So yeah.

Allie Press:

Yeah, I want to say it was actually like at least two,

Allie Press:

if not three summers in a row.

Nick Mercer:

It was, it was a thing.

Nick Mercer:

It was a routine we had.

Nick Mercer:

During the summers we hung out.

Allie Press:

Yeah, it was elementary school and my parents both worked and Ben

Allie Press:

and I were, you know, minors and stuff.

Allie Press:

So they, so Melissa would come over and sometimes bring Nick and, Nick and

Allie Press:

his older brother, Ryan, or sometimes just Nick and we would have vicious

Allie Press:

pillow fights and go to Six Flags.

Nick Mercer:

Do you remember your unfinished basement at the time?

Nick Mercer:

Now it's the most gorgeous basement ever, but oh my god, so many good memories.

Allie Press:

So I so do.

Allie Press:

Half of it had carpet on it and it was freezing and it didn't have a bathroom

Allie Press:

down there and yeah, it was just like creepy with lots of dark shadows.

Allie Press:

And we still had sleepovers and stuff down there.

Allie Press:

And it was great!

Nick Mercer:

It was so great.

Nick Mercer:

Oh, so many - I could reminisce forever, Allie.

Allie Press:

I have so many fond memories of going over to your

Allie Press:

dad's house and hugging Buddy-

Nick Mercer:

Aww Buddy

Nick Mercer:

- Allie Press: And the hot tub

Nick Mercer:

- Nick Mercer: He was such

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Oh!

Allie Press:

And for, and for context, so I think and flavor, which I think is very important

Allie Press:

to our friendship, our very special bond of friendship is that in third grade

Allie Press:

I was obsessed and in love with you.

Nick Mercer:

And how the roles have reversed because I am now obsessed

Nick Mercer:

with and in love with you, but you've-

Allie Press:

No, now it's just mutual.

Nick Mercer:

You've decided - true.

Nick Mercer:

Okay, well, I've asked you to marry me and you say you have a partner or

Nick Mercer:

something, but I like Hayden so it's fine.

Allie Press:

Well, you also have a fiance, so...

Nick Mercer:

I guess I'm also engaged so.

Allie Press:

I also, I also don't have a penis, which I think would

Allie Press:

hinder your attraction to me.

Nick Mercer:

I do prefer penises.

Nick Mercer:

Man, I am about to put this out there and I just spoke this sentence out loud.

Nick Mercer:

Okay, cool.

Nick Mercer:

That's fine.

Nick Mercer:

We're going to go with it.

Allie Press:

I mean, you are going to marry a man.

Nick Mercer:

That's true.

Nick Mercer:

If he keeps me around, you never know.

Nick Mercer:

Who knows, I'm pretty crazy.

Allie Press:

Well, if he does, if he does something, if he does something

Allie Press:

crazy, I will come to South Carolina and do something equally or more crazy.

Nick Mercer:

Paul, you heard it here first.

Nick Mercer:

Watch yourself.

Nick Mercer:

Sleep with one eye open.

Nick Mercer:

Allie, tell people where you live, what you do, tell, uh, walk us through

Nick Mercer:

the amazingness that is Allie Press.

Allie Press:

Awww, well, thank you.

Allie Press:

So I am currently in Baltimore, Maryland.

Allie Press:

I live with my adorable mut...

Allie Press:

Hayden Muller, and our - [Laughter] Haaa, sorry, I couldn't resist.

Allie Press:

You know I love you, baby.

Nick Mercer:

[More laughter] That was good, that was good.

Allie Press:

Um, no, he is, he is the love of my life.

Allie Press:

Um, he makes my world so, so bright and shiny, and we also co-parent a dog,

Allie Press:

an actual like dog, dog named Hazel.

Allie Press:

And she is terrific.

Allie Press:

And I honestly can't believe how I lived so long without a dog.

Allie Press:

Uh, currently as we record this, I am in Los Angeles for the

Allie Press:

month and I miss my dog so much.

Allie Press:

It is so weird coming into a house without a dog, but I digress.

Allie Press:

So professionally, I am an actor.

Allie Press:

I work as many film gigs as I can get.

Allie Press:

I'm working on getting an agent and doing more film stuff.

Allie Press:

And then I also, to actually pay the bills, I work for Simpler

Allie Press:

Media, which is a podcast production company, run by Evo Terra.

Allie Press:

He is my wonderful boss and I do production assistant-y things.

Allie Press:

So I schedule episodes.

Allie Press:

I edit videos.

Allie Press:

I do transcription.

Allie Press:

I do some audio editing.

Allie Press:

I'm really just any hat that Evo throws at me, I add it to the hat rack.

Allie Press:

So yeah, so that's me.

Nick Mercer:

What a hat rack it is.

Allie Press:

Thank you!

Nick Mercer:

And I live in Myrtle beach, South Carolina, which was never

Nick Mercer:

a sentence I thought I would say, but here we are, with my incredible

Nick Mercer:

fiance, Paul, who is a doctor.

Nick Mercer:

And I

Nick Mercer:

- Allie Press: OwOW!

Nick Mercer:

OwOW!

Nick Mercer:

And, um, I work in a fundraising role for a social justice organization.

Nick Mercer:

And my real job in life is the, the, uh, proud dad/husband to my pug beagle

Nick Mercer:

mix, Prince Joseph Edward Mercer IV.

Nick Mercer:

He's stunning.

Nick Mercer:

His friends can call him Joey.

Nick Mercer:

So all of you can too.

Nick Mercer:

And I would be remiss if I did not also, I cannot say enough amazing things

Nick Mercer:

about our other amazing, incredible, perfect dog in our life, uh, Samantha.

Nick Mercer:

Samantha is Paul's dog and he did not allow me to give her four names like

Nick Mercer:

I have given Joey, but that does not indicate I'm any less obsessed with her.

Nick Mercer:

So they are my callings in life.

Nick Mercer:

And I guess this podcast now, too.

Nick Mercer:

This podcast is...

Allie Press:

Awww, it does feel, this does feel right.

Allie Press:

It feels so right.

Allie Press:

We should have always had a podcast.

Nick Mercer:

That's right.

Nick Mercer:

We should have.

Allie Press:

Although, if we had done it any sooner, like my previous venture at

Allie Press:

having a podcast, um, I would have not known what I was doing and now I have

Allie Press:

five years of podcast experience under me.

Allie Press:

So, well, no promises, but I know more than, than I did last

Allie Press:

time I was hosting a podcast.

Allie Press:

So there we go.

Nick Mercer:

I'm grateful, I really am grateful for your expertise.

Nick Mercer:

And, um, I'm, I'm gonna jump into this episode summary

Nick Mercer:

right here in a second, Allie.

Nick Mercer:

But, um, I kind of just want to, uh, Allie and I both wanted to

Nick Mercer:

solidify one thing before we start.

Nick Mercer:

And that is just to recognize the context around Buffy, the complicated feelings

Nick Mercer:

that many people, including us, have about what we've learned over the years

Nick Mercer:

about Buffy's creator, Josh Whedon.

Nick Mercer:

We always have, and we always will cherish Buffy for the values and lessons it's

Nick Mercer:

taught us, but we want to be clear that we believe the people who've shared their

Nick Mercer:

experiences of abuse working with Joss.

Nick Mercer:

And we are in solidarity with the brave folks who put their careers

Nick Mercer:

and reputations on the line to call out his abhorrent behavior.

Nick Mercer:

Um, we also know that Buffy, the character, would speak out

Nick Mercer:

against Joss's abuse as well.

Nick Mercer:

We believe strongly that Buffy's legacy is more than one abusive man.

Nick Mercer:

And Allie, I am grateful, and I know that you are grateful too, for the opportunity

Nick Mercer:

to celebrate the show and the impact it's had on us with everybody else.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

I'm so excited.

Allie Press:

And yeah, I just want to add, it takes so many people, until you're

Allie Press:

on a film set you have no idea how many people go into the creation

Allie Press:

of even just one single episode.

Allie Press:

It is so much bigger than one insignificant, horrible man.

Allie Press:

It's as simple as that.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, fuck that dude, right?

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Okay.

Allie Press:

Shall we get into this episode summary?

Nick Mercer:

Yes, let's dive right in.

Nick Mercer:

You start us off, Allie.

Allie Press:

I will.

Allie Press:

All right.

Allie Press:

In "Welcome to the Hellmouth," the first episode of Buffy the Vampire

Allie Press:

Slayer, we meet young Buffy Summers, a sophomore entering Sunnydale High

Allie Press:

School after getting kicked out from her last school in Los Angeles.

Allie Press:

Buffy's mom, Joyce, is determined to make this a fresh start.

Allie Press:

Buffy is...

Allie Press:

trying to be optimistic.

Allie Press:

On her first day, we encounter the friends that will be the main

Allie Press:

characters for the seasons to come, including Willow, Xander, Cordelia,

Allie Press:

Jesse, and the school librarian, Giles.

Allie Press:

As every teenager does, Buffy struggles to fit in while hiding

Allie Press:

her secret extracurricular activities, being a Slayer.

Allie Press:

You know, like every teenager.

Allie Press:

Buffy quickly finds out that not everything will be a fresh

Allie Press:

start in Sunnydale as it seems.

Allie Press:

Despite her best efforts, she cannot escape her Slayer calling.

Nick Mercer:

We also meet who will surely be the Big Bad of the season, The Master.

Nick Mercer:

And another figure whose motivations remain unknown, introduces themselves

Nick Mercer:

to Buffy as simply "a friend."

Nick Mercer:

This mysterious friend brings tidings of the harvest and, in a bold opening

Nick Mercer:

move, gifts her a big-ass cross.

Allie Press:

[Giggle] It is a bold opening move.

Allie Press:

The first episode ends with a cliffhanger.

Allie Press:

Jesse, Willow, and Xander are fleeing and are met by a pack of vampires

Allie Press:

while Buffy is sure to have met her match in a fight with The Master's

Allie Press:

key servant, a vampire named Luke.

Nick Mercer:

Man, oh man.

Nick Mercer:

Ahhh!

Nick Mercer:

This first episode of the series!

Nick Mercer:

Ahh!

Nick Mercer:

This is so exciting, Allie!

Allie Press:

I know!

Allie Press:

So, for those of you watching along with us, uh, I am currently

Allie Press:

watching this on Amazon.

Allie Press:

Amazon has both Buffy and Angel for free on Amazon Prime.

Allie Press:

And come on, I know all of you are get that, getting that

Allie Press:

Prime free two-day shipping.

Allie Press:

So you can do it, too.

Allie Press:

And I love that Amazon includes the little intro that played on the box sets.

Allie Press:

The "In each generation, a Slayer is born.

Allie Press:

She alone will stand up against the vampires..."

Allie Press:

And I was like, Ooh!

Allie Press:

And, of course, I was three when this came out, I was watching it live, but I was

Allie Press:

three, so I don't remember everything.

Allie Press:

So I don't remember if that aired with it, but I don't know.

Allie Press:

Maybe it did.

Allie Press:

Um...

Nick Mercer:

It's just that nostalgia of that it hits me every time.

Nick Mercer:

It brings me right back.

Nick Mercer:

Ugh, so good.

Nick Mercer:

I'm instantly - Ugh!

Nick Mercer:

I love Buffy so much.

Allie Press:

I know, so many, so many marathons in my basement.

Allie Press:

Oh my god, the school girl pleated skirt look is back and I am here for it.

Allie Press:

You're going to hear me talk a lot about my deep affection for 90s style.

Nick Mercer:

Buffy is styling...

Nick Mercer:

so many of them.

Nick Mercer:

I mean, I mean, Buffy the show is styling.

Nick Mercer:

Like Buffy, like Buffy the character is styling, Cordelia is a style

Nick Mercer:

icon, Xander, he looks good.

Allie Press:

Yeah, as I shop on places like Dolls Kill and even Forever

Allie Press:

21 these days, what I'm realizing is that what I am trying to do is

Allie Press:

to dress like the mean girls in the shows that I grew up watching.

Allie Press:

I have no idea what that says about me, uh, tall knee-high

Allie Press:

boots, short skirts, sweater sets.

Nick Mercer:

I love how this starts out.

Nick Mercer:

And I think this is, this just, I love that they set the tone so early with this

Nick Mercer:

first scene has us second-guessing thing.

Nick Mercer:

This, this first scene, the who we learn a vampire, who we learn is named

Nick Mercer:

Darla is going through uh, Sunnydale High with this other guy, and we're

Nick Mercer:

led to believe that they're being either followed by something or there's

Nick Mercer:

somebody something creepy happening.

Nick Mercer:

But then it turns out that she's actually a vampire and kills him.

Allie Press:

Ha!

Allie Press:

Gotcha!

Nick Mercer:

And they got us, the viewers!

Nick Mercer:

Man, didn't see that one coming.

Allie Press:

I do love a quick turn.

Allie Press:

I do.

Allie Press:

I love reversal of expectations.

Allie Press:

Juxtaposition.

Allie Press:

I love all of that because yeah, it's like, it's her that's the vampire not him.

Allie Press:

I think there's a lot of stuff that now I've just come to like take

Allie Press:

for granted with Buffy, but it's actually like a pretty big deal.

Allie Press:

Like a lot of, a lot of the feminist stuff in here is pretty dope.

Allie Press:

Um, I never broke into any places when I was young.

Allie Press:

Did you?

Nick Mercer:

Sure did not.

Nick Mercer:

Sure did not.

Nick Mercer:

Are we...

Nick Mercer:

lame?

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

In terms of our - [Laughter] Like in terms of our extracurriculars?

Allie Press:

Yeah!

Allie Press:

Yeah, I mean like Anna and Emily, I think, ended up breaking into like

Allie Press:

the women's asylum, the old abandoned women's asylum, like in college maybe?

Allie Press:

Um, or they were going to, and then they like got into an accident or something

Allie Press:

like that, or they were worried that they were going to ruin her sister's car.

Allie Press:

And that was just not an okay thing because you don't piss off Lauren.

Allie Press:

Uh, so yeah, so basically like my friend group was just, we were not adventurous.

Allie Press:

We liked my basement, pizza, and romcoms.

Nick Mercer:

Movie nights.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

We were all - movie nights were the move.

Nick Mercer:

Oh yeah.

Nick Mercer:

We had a good time, too.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

I mean, I certainly wasn't pining away, like, wishing someone

Allie Press:

would invite me to a party.

Allie Press:

Like, I was happy.

Allie Press:

It's just by other people's standards, yes, we were lame.

Nick Mercer:

Well, what can we do.

Allie Press:

Yeah, what can you do?

Allie Press:

Um, decades later and this theme still slaps.

Nick Mercer:

[Weird silence] Oh, the theme of Buffy.

Allie Press:

The theme song!

Allie Press:

[Laughter] The theme of the show.

Nick Mercer:

Ohhh oh oh.

Allie Press:

I was like do you disagree?

Allie Press:

[More laughter] Diving back into the show.

Allie Press:

Uh, this theme song still kicks ass.

Nick Mercer:

Oh, that's so funny.

Nick Mercer:

Yes, it does.

Nick Mercer:

Cannot, cannot agree enough.

Nick Mercer:

That's gonna, I won't note that every episode, but yeah,

Nick Mercer:

just an iconic theme song.

Allie Press:

But I will be thinking it in my head every single time.

Nick Mercer:

Absolutely.

Nick Mercer:

Um, I like that, um, we're already seeing, we're already getting a glimpse

Nick Mercer:

into The Master's lair in her nightmare.

Nick Mercer:

It's creepy as hell.

Nick Mercer:

It's creepy.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

And that ends up being kind of a big thing of her not being able to escape

Allie Press:

her calling when she moves to Sunnydale.

Allie Press:

Like, well, she's still clearly being called.

Allie Press:

She's still being given these, uh, these nightmares.

Allie Press:

And that's actually something that ties into the movie, which is sort

Allie Press:

of a prequel, which I still love.

Allie Press:

And maybe we'll do that as like a bonus episode at some point?

Allie Press:

Cause I, I do love the groundwork that the movie laid, even though there are some

Allie Press:

differences as far as like what's canon.

Allie Press:

Um, but that the dreams is a big thing.

Allie Press:

Before, like when she's getting, when she is being called and before

Allie Press:

she like meets Merrick, her first Watcher or whatever, she gets these

Allie Press:

dreams that she cannot explain.

Nick Mercer:

Can't run away from who you are, Buffy.

Nick Mercer:

You can't do it.

Nick Mercer:

So sorry.

Allie Press:

Nope.

Allie Press:

You can try.

Allie Press:

Um, everyone on this show can get it.

Allie Press:

I mean, everyone.

Nick Mercer:

Yes.

Nick Mercer:

Who is that, who are you thinking specifically of when you wrote that?

Allie Press:

Buffy, Xander, Giles, Cordelia, Jesse, Willow.

Allie Press:

Yeah, pretty much everybody.

Nick Mercer:

So what I was thinking, I wrote a similar note, what I was thinking

Nick Mercer:

of is even the first time we see Xander on his skateboard and being all cute.

Nick Mercer:

I, yeah, everybody on this show can get it.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah Jesse's super hot.

Allie Press:

Yup.

Allie Press:

Yup.

Allie Press:

Well, and I just, I...

Allie Press:

The guy best friend kind of like 90s role, that was absolutely who

Allie Press:

I would had a crush on in school.

Nick Mercer:

It is, yeah.

Allie Press:

Like it wasn't who everybody would have said, like it

Allie Press:

wasn't the captain of the football team, like that kind of guy.

Allie Press:

Like, it was the geekier guy who would've been in like probably

Allie Press:

the same clubs as me or in band.

Allie Press:

And like, I would've been all over Xander Harris.

Nick Mercer:

Got some Teddy bear vibes to 'im.

Allie Press:

Mhmm.

Allie Press:

And that like middle part, 90s boy hair, all about it.

Nick Mercer:

The middle part is back.

Allie Press:

Yeah, that's true.

Allie Press:

That's true.

Allie Press:

Some of us are not meant to rock a middle part and that's our cross to bear.

Allie Press:

Um, but it is definitely, definitely back.

Allie Press:

Um, yeah, you'll notice a lot of 90s girl fashion is back,

Allie Press:

but not the guys' baggy pants.

Allie Press:

Uh, that is staying in the 90s where it belongs.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, I love, I love, um, I love the boys, uh, uh, upper wear,

Nick Mercer:

but the baggy pants have got to go.

Nick Mercer:

I don't love them.

Nick Mercer:

Somebody who can stay forever, and I wish did stay forever, is Principal Flutie

Nick Mercer:

because he's, I find him just a gem.

Allie Press:

Speaking of Teddy bears.

Allie Press:

Aww, Principal Flutie.

Nick Mercer:

Teddy bears, how he offers Buffy that clean slate, rips up

Nick Mercer:

the permanent record, and then tapes it back together when he realizes

Nick Mercer:

why she was - the thought was there.

Nick Mercer:

The thought was there.

Allie Press:

Yeah, the intention is absolutely there.

Allie Press:

And he just definitely strikes you as that person who is genuinely in

Allie Press:

education for the right reasons, which we don't get a lot of.

Allie Press:

Um, interesting that Buffy is so in denial of being the Slayer but

Allie Press:

she still packed a stake to school.

Nick Mercer:

Can never be too prepared.

Allie Press:

Yeah, no, no.

Allie Press:

And I do think that maybe speaks to her, like, still her gut instincts of

Allie Press:

like, it's just that second nature.

Allie Press:

And once you, once you know about these things that go bump in

Allie Press:

the night, you can't un-know it.

Nick Mercer:

And we see this, we see this later in this episode, too,

Nick Mercer:

this, um, she does, um, uh, uh, a student's dead body turns up and

Nick Mercer:

she could choose to whatever she's

Nick Mercer:

- Allie Press: Right.

Nick Mercer:

That's not her job.

Nick Mercer:

She's not a cop.

Nick Mercer:

She can't do it though.

Nick Mercer:

She has to go.

Nick Mercer:

Maybe the stake is a similar, I got it.

Nick Mercer:

Like, how can I - can't run away from who you are.

Allie Press:

Right.

Allie Press:

I think so.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

There's definitely that, um, right.

Allie Press:

Like you said, she can't, she can't not know, you know?

Allie Press:

She may go in and find that it was, whatever, he had a

Allie Press:

heart attack or whatever.

Allie Press:

But, of course, he didn't cause this is Sunnydale.

Allie Press:

Um, you never, this was an observation I had watching this, I'm watching her sit

Allie Press:

down next, next to Cordelia in class.

Allie Press:

You never stay friends with the first friends you make.

Nick Mercer:

That's so true.

Allie Press:

I just, that's something I learned after years

Allie Press:

of going to summer camp of like...

Allie Press:

cause on that first day, you're really just going with

Allie Press:

like I need to not be alone.

Allie Press:

So I'm going to sit next to you and we're gonna be friends and

Allie Press:

cause I need somebody to talk to.

Allie Press:

But that's not who you actually end up bonding with and who you're

Allie Press:

still writing to after camp.

Allie Press:

Or same thing happened in college with like the friends I made freshman year.

Allie Press:

I could tell that they were not my forever friends.

Allie Press:

And it's just, it's interesting the way that that works out.

Nick Mercer:

I don't know if you've ever had this experience, Allie, but I remember

Nick Mercer:

especially very vividly when I went to college, it was that same, very strange

Nick Mercer:

for me being at college because I had had, so my, my, our friend group, we had

Nick Mercer:

been friends since elementary school.

Nick Mercer:

Elementary through, through high school.

Nick Mercer:

So being in college, already strange, but then maybe even stranger cause I

Nick Mercer:

hadn't had to make friends in a long time and I remember this vivid experience

Nick Mercer:

I had just finished up a conversation.

Nick Mercer:

It was, it was like one of those we all like sat and ate together or something.

Nick Mercer:

It was like a don't eat alone kind of thing.

Nick Mercer:

And I remember they walked away and I was like, are they going to be my

Nick Mercer:

friends for the next four - oh god, this is going to be a long four years.

Allie Press:

I had a very similar moment when we were sitting

Allie Press:

in our freshman common room.

Allie Press:

I think we all had our laptops out like doing work and stuff.

Allie Press:

And they were chitchatting about whatever.

Allie Press:

And I remember looking around and going, yeah, this isn't it.

Allie Press:

These aren't them.

Nick Mercer:

These aren't them.

Allie Press:

Uh, yeah, there, it was just nothing in common.

Allie Press:

They were very much

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: Really trying to force it.

Allie Press:

Really trying to force it, and it was - as far as

Allie Press:

freshman year went, it was fine.

Allie Press:

We had a great time.

Allie Press:

Took a hard turn sophomore year.

Nick Mercer:

You lived in Residence Hall?

Allie Press:

Yes, freshman year?

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, right?

Allie Press:

Res Tower?

Nick Mercer:

Res Tower!

Nick Mercer:

Res Tower, Res Tower.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, that was, I remember.

Allie Press:

Res Tower, which got a facelift.

Allie Press:

Lucky it.

Allie Press:

It doesn't look so sad and prison-like anymore.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Did give prison vibes.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Well, to anybody listening who's going through a transition right

Nick Mercer:

now, you'll end up with the friends you're supposed to end up with.

Nick Mercer:

Both Allie and I made friends in college.

Nick Mercer:

It'll be fine.

Nick Mercer:

You got this.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

And you do have to take some, take some chances.

Allie Press:

You have to, you do have to get out there, because friends will

Allie Press:

not just knock on your dorm room.

Allie Press:

Just saying.

Allie Press:

Uh, okay.

Allie Press:

Back to the show.

Allie Press:

Giles's face when he pulls out the Vampyr book, he's just like so excited.

Allie Press:

He's like a puppy, like his eyes light up.

Allie Press:

And he's like, oh, uh, oh, well, I guess, guess not.

Allie Press:

Guess I was mistaken.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nick Mercer:

That, Buffy books it as soon as, books it after she sees the book - haaa,

Nick Mercer:

I didn't even mean to do that.

Nick Mercer:

Buffy departs quickly when she's confronted with more evidence of

Nick Mercer:

the fact that she's the Slayer.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

And I think she's just so thrown off guard.

Allie Press:

Cause she's just going to get her...

Allie Press:

bio 101 textbook or whatever and that's what's thrown, what's thrown in her face.

Allie Press:

I can, I can imagine being a little thrown off.

Allie Press:

Um, that brings us to a great Willow quote when Buffy goes

Allie Press:

up to talk to her and she goes

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: [Gasp] I was

Allie Press:

We're on the same wavelength.

Allie Press:

Yeah!

Allie Press:

"Why?

Allie Press:

I mean, hi."

Allie Press:

Such a mood.

Nick Mercer:

I, I love, um, "Aren't you hanging out with Cordelia?"

Nick Mercer:

"Can't I do both?"

Nick Mercer:

"Not legally."

Allie Press:

I love, I love 90s speak.

Allie Press:

as Cordelia comes in and Buffy asks about the body in the locker

Allie Press:

room, she goes, "Morbid much.

Allie Press:

I didn't ask."

Nick Mercer:

[Laughing] Oh god, Cordelia has so many.

Allie Press:

And then we get it - yeah, she is just the queen of quotes.

Allie Press:

She's so quotable.

Allie Press:

Um, then we get a really nice moment of show, don't tell of Buffy's Slayer

Allie Press:

strength when she's going into the gym and the gym door's locked and she

Allie Press:

just gives it a little extra oomph and like breaks off the whole handle.

Allie Press:

And we're like, oh, okay, cool.

Allie Press:

Super strength.

Allie Press:

Like we didn't need some big expository thing.

Allie Press:

Um, this is one of the things that confirms my like Buffy is an

Allie Press:

amazing show knowledge of like, okay, yeah, it's excellent writing.

Allie Press:

They do a lot of show, don't tell.

Allie Press:

Um, that's a really great introduction to all of these characters, like I

Allie Press:

said, without doing some big info dump.

Nick Mercer:

And I feel like, too, the way they showed it not, but by, by

Nick Mercer:

telling the audience would have gotten the full context of everything, maybe.

Nick Mercer:

But by showing, we just get a little taste.

Nick Mercer:

And oh man, if you thought that show of strength was impressive,

Nick Mercer:

just wait till you see it.

Nick Mercer:

It leaves us wanting more.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Nick Mercer:

Which is interesting.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

And it shows us where...

Allie Press:

gives us room to grow.

Allie Press:

Okay, yeah, right now she can snap off handles and stuff like that.

Allie Press:

And you know, we see her do far more impressive feats later on.

Allie Press:

Um, another great quote from, from Buffy.

Allie Press:

"Gee, can you vague that up for me?"

Nick Mercer:

Oh, she's so sassy.

Nick Mercer:

It's so good.

Nick Mercer:

Um, what, what do we think of this moment where she's just, uh,

Nick Mercer:

flipped out at Giles, I don't want to do this, whatever, walks away.

Nick Mercer:

Turns out, Xander's heard the whole thing.

Allie Press:

So cool.

Allie Press:

Uh, yeah, and such a really important thing because I don't know if he would

Allie Press:

have gotten involved with the whole events that happen after The Bronze.

Allie Press:

Like, I don't know if he would have even been out at The Bronze that night.

Allie Press:

Cause he went to go - Well, I mean, maybe he would have.

Allie Press:

Maybe he would've.

Allie Press:

But like it's clear he like went to go find Buffy to ask her about this.

Nick Mercer:

And, um, and when he's going to The Bronze, like he

Nick Mercer:

happens to, well, we'll get into it.

Nick Mercer:

I don't think that if he, I think you're right, though.

Nick Mercer:

We'll get, I don't think, I don't think he would've continued to be

Nick Mercer:

involved if he hadn't overheard that.

Nick Mercer:

I haven't thought about that until now, Allie!

Nick Mercer:

You're right!

Allie Press:

Well, because he also, he opens the door because Buffy

Allie Press:

never would have told him on her own.

Allie Press:

She's like, well, he already suspects and I have to go save Willow from

Allie Press:

a vampire right now anyway, so I guess like, yeah, it's true.

Allie Press:

But she wouldn't have told him if he didn't already know.

Allie Press:

And she would, and Willow meets actual vampires, which is why she believes

Allie Press:

Buffy when she says that she's a Slayer.

Allie Press:

Because they now have tangible proof, but she didn't have to go

Allie Press:

through that part of like, do I tell my best friend if I'm the Slayer?

Allie Press:

It's like, well, she didn't have a choice.

Nick Mercer:

Right, right.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

He found out.

Nick Mercer:

Um, do, uh, so on the way to The Bronze we meet the sexy, mysterious, a

Nick Mercer:

stranger whose name we don't know yet.

Allie Press:

Played by the gorgeous David Boreanaz.

Allie Press:

I know.

Allie Press:

I feel like there's a whole section of people who grew up knowing him

Allie Press:

as Booth from Bones and I'm like ha!

Allie Press:

Booth.

Allie Press:

Yeah, nah, that's Angel.

Allie Press:

Although he is, he is also smoking hot as Booth as well.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, he's really good on that show too.

Nick Mercer:

Um, shout out to David Boreanaz for helping me figure out my sexuality.

Nick Mercer:

Really appreciate it.

Nick Mercer:

Really appreciate it.

Allie Press:

Yes, agreed.

Allie Press:

We both Thank you for that.

Allie Press:

Um, oh, before we got to Angel, who the fuck is the old

Allie Press:

beardy guy lurking behind Luke?

Nick Mercer:

He's not in vamp mode, is he?!

Allie Press:

Yeah, there's like this one random guy in the lair

Allie Press:

of The Master who's behind Luke in this shot and he's just this weird

Allie Press:

beardy dude, just, I don't know.

Nick Mercer:

And I, I swear it is either in that scene or

Nick Mercer:

in a later scene in the lair.

Nick Mercer:

I can't, maybe I have to go back and confirm, but I swear that I saw

Nick Mercer:

another vampire walk in also in - well, presumably vampire - in human face,

Nick Mercer:

too, and it just felt sacriligious.

Nick Mercer:

It was like, you are around, you are in the lair.

Nick Mercer:

You gotta be in vamp mode here.

Nick Mercer:

Come on, man.

Nick Mercer:

What are you doing?

Allie Press:

Right.

Allie Press:

So odd.

Allie Press:

It was just something that it's like the epitome of like noticing

Allie Press:

something you never noticed before.

Allie Press:

Like I've seen this episode a million times.

Allie Press:

I had never noticed weird beardy dude behind Luke.

Nick Mercer:

What a creepy lair though, right?

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Oh, epic, epic.

Allie Press:

So cool.

Allie Press:

All the candles.

Allie Press:

You would need a whole cadre of vampire minions just to

Allie Press:

keep all those candles lit.

Nick Mercer:

That's a treacherous job for vampire, too.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

Um, so moving back to Angel, I have, I have a note, "Angel,

Allie Press:

why are you like this?"

Allie Press:

Like, in modern context, it is definitely weirder having him

Allie Press:

come up, be super vague, and...

Nick Mercer:

Super cryptic.

Allie Press:

Super cryptic, and, but also like kind of weird when she's like, whoa.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

What do I want?

Allie Press:

He's like, "To hill 'em.

Allie Press:

To kill 'em all."

Allie Press:

And you're like, what?

Allie Press:

Who, who raised you?

Allie Press:

Why are, like, why don't you come here, like, first of all,

Allie Press:

surprising a young woman in an alley?

Allie Press:

What is wrong with you?

Allie Press:

After following her, following her first.

Nick Mercer:

He's crept up on a young woman in an alley.

Allie Press:

Although, I love the pole move she does where she's doing

Allie Press:

a handstand on the pole and then swings down and kicks him in the back.

Allie Press:

Bad.

Allie Press:

Ass.

Allie Press:

Love that moment.

Nick Mercer:

Homegirl's a gymnast on top of everything else.

Allie Press:

Hell yeah.

Allie Press:

So, super cool.

Allie Press:

Love that.

Allie Press:

But yeah, it was just like, it's definitely diff - cause I was like three

Allie Press:

when I was first watching this show.

Allie Press:

So I was just like stars in my eyes at this brooding, bad boy kind of thing.

Allie Press:

I was totally all over that.

Allie Press:

But definitely now, now knowing and having dated, and I'm just

Allie Press:

like, that's, that's weird.

Allie Press:

It's a weird choice, dude.

Allie Press:

And you're not young.

Nick Mercer:

That, that question that you posed at the beginning, "why

Nick Mercer:

are you like this" is a good one.

Nick Mercer:

It really is.

Nick Mercer:

Um, isn't that just, I, I feel like, I feel like that's such a, I don't know

Nick Mercer:

if it's still a trope in TV, certainly in the 90s, where it'll be like so much

Nick Mercer:

of this could have been, uh, so, so much of what these characters go through, if

Nick Mercer:

they had just talked a little more, if they just communicated a little better.

Allie Press:

Right, I think we're starting, very slowly,

Allie Press:

starting to get away from that.

Allie Press:

There are newer shows where people actually like communicate, um, or they

Allie Press:

eventually fess up to their thing.

Allie Press:

And I think that's so much better writing.

Allie Press:

Um, cause it's just, after a while I get that there's not, some people who

Allie Press:

don't tell the truth or they, like, they don't tell all their secrets or whatever.

Allie Press:

But like most people do.

Allie Press:

Most people communicate.

Allie Press:

And I think it's, at the end of the day, it ends up being lazy writing.

Allie Press:

I think it works for Angel because it slowly gives us like who he

Allie Press:

is and he is meant to be this brooding, mysterious, hunky guy.

Allie Press:

Like that's his role.

Allie Press:

Um, and Buffy doesn't do a ton of that, like, secret identity stuff.

Allie Press:

There's not, there's not a ton of it.

Allie Press:

It's not obnoxious.

Nick Mercer:

No, they use that tool sparingly and I appreciate that.

Allie Press:

They don't Clark and Lana it.

Allie Press:

A li'l Smallville reference for, for the rest of the, uh, hot 90s guys fans.

Nick Mercer:

Hot 90s guy indeed.

Nick Mercer:

I'm going to my next note.

Nick Mercer:

Allie, you go.

Allie Press:

Okay.

Allie Press:

Uh, well I have just a quick, oh my god, going to a club alone.

Allie Press:

I, she's brave.

Allie Press:

Like, beyond Slayer bravery, just going to a club alone.

Nick Mercer:

Have you not had that experience where you walk in and you

Nick Mercer:

wave to somebody or somebody waves to you and you wave back and it turns out

Nick Mercer:

that they actually weren't waving at you?

Allie Press:

Of course I have.

Allie Press:

I, I am a human who has lived on this planet for more than ten years.

Allie Press:

Yes.

Allie Press:

I've had that experience.

Allie Press:

It's the worst.

Nick Mercer:

It's awful.

Nick Mercer:

Sometimes I think about times I've done that right as I'm falling asleep.

Nick Mercer:

Do you have that?

Nick Mercer:

Do you think about embarrassing things you've done right before you fall asleep?

Allie Press:

Course I do!

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Or, or, or I'm just like, while I'm driving or it's not, it's not usually

Allie Press:

like before I'm falling asleep, but it's at random points in my day.

Allie Press:

And you want to just like, shake your head like an Etch-a-Sketch cause you're

Allie Press:

like, why would I think about that?

Allie Press:

There's nothing I can do about it.

Nick Mercer:

I have to swerve off the road now.

Nick Mercer:

This is how it ends.

Nick Mercer:

This is how it has to end.

Nick Mercer:

I can't do it.

Allie Press:

I have to stab my eyes so that I can think about something else.

Nick Mercer:

Oh, "stab my eye," that's a good reference to an episode of Angel,

Nick Mercer:

which maybe we'll discuss at some point.

Allie Press:

Um, so this does bring us to one of my all-time favorite

Allie Press:

quotes, "Seize the moment, because tomorrow you might be dead."

Nick Mercer:

Ah, that's so good.

Nick Mercer:

She's giving advice to Willow.

Nick Mercer:

Come on Willow.

Nick Mercer:

Just talk to the talk, talk to boys, talk to a boy.

Nick Mercer:

You can do it.

Nick Mercer:

Seize the moment, you might be dead.

Allie Press:

Yeah, but then she does seize the moment and it ends up being a vampire.

Allie Press:

So...

Nick Mercer:

And then it ends up being a vampire.

Allie Press:

So that's what we get for being, for being brave.

Allie Press:

That's what we get.

Allie Press:

So stay at home, eat pizza, watch movies, and you won't end up in a mausoleum.

Nick Mercer:

I think it's so funny and I wonder, this is a question for you.

Allie Press:

Okay.

Nick Mercer:

Buffy...

Nick Mercer:

Giles, who is also at The Bronze implores Buffy to use her senses,

Nick Mercer:

detect a vampire, and she's like, boom, got 'em, right there.

Nick Mercer:

It's the clothes.

Nick Mercer:

It's gotta be the clothes.

Allie Press:

I love that moment.

Allie Press:

"You look like DeBarge."

Nick Mercer:

I think, I think she is using Slayer powers, though.

Nick Mercer:

I think that, I think there's, um, his clothes do give it away, but

Nick Mercer:

I think she's also being humble.

Allie Press:

I think it's a bit of both.

Allie Press:

I think, or a bit of all of it.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

I see her being like kind of flippant.

Allie Press:

Um, cause again, just this kind of like, who are you to tell me what to do?

Allie Press:

You don't know anything about me.

Allie Press:

Um, he may know about her last Watcher died, but he may not.

Allie Press:

I think that is a lot of why she's reluctant.

Allie Press:

I think, because I'm choosing to keep that as canon from the

Allie Press:

movie of her first Watcher dying.

Allie Press:

Um, so yeah, but I do think she probably has kind of a Slayer

Allie Press:

sense, Spidey Sense type thing.

Allie Press:

But I do think it is part of her unique power as what makes her

Allie Press:

particular version of a Slayer is her noticing his fashion choice.

Allie Press:

Like that's maybe her Buffy Summers brand of Slayer power because

Allie Press:

that's her deductive reasoning.

Allie Press:

She's smart.

Nick Mercer:

It's a Slayer ability in and of itself, isn't it?

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Like her intelligence level and her particular, um, attention to detail and

Allie Press:

that kind of thing, I can see that as, just as, as being a power, because I think

Allie Press:

maybe a lot of people would have maybe not like think of it as the height of fashion,

Allie Press:

but noticing just how out of date it is.

Allie Press:

"It's carbon dated."

Nick Mercer:

"It's carbon dated."

Nick Mercer:

That's good.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

And we do see time and time again, examples, and we'll talk about this

Allie Press:

in later episodes, but we see examples lots of times just how smart Buffy is.

Allie Press:

Not to be underestimated.

Nick Mercer:

Um, this next mini scene.

Nick Mercer:

So, so vampire is escorting Willow out and Buffy

Nick Mercer:

- Allie Press: Oh wait, right before that,

Nick Mercer:

cause she thinks he's a friend of Giles'.

Nick Mercer:

She says, "Gorgeous...

Nick Mercer:

in an annoying sort of way."

Nick Mercer:

I love that.

Nick Mercer:

Cause there are some people who are just so gorgeous

Nick Mercer:

you're like now I'm pissed off.

Nick Mercer:

Like you're, you're so pretty now I'm angry.

Nick Mercer:

And, uh, I, this, this feeling that she's getting at this

Nick Mercer:

like forbidden kind of love thing is going to be a theme that comes up.

Allie Press:

Mhmmm.

Allie Press:

Yup.

Allie Press:

Recurring theme.

Nick Mercer:

Um, this, this scene with Cordelia is iconic.

Allie Press:

"I mean, nobody cool has Epstein-Barr anymore."

Allie Press:

As if there were cool and not cool diseases, I'm talking about

Allie Press:

what her mom has or doesn't have.

Allie Press:

"At least chronic fatigue syndrome."

Nick Mercer:

Um, I love when, um, when Buffy's looking for Willow and

Nick Mercer:

she like low-key assaults Cordelia.

Nick Mercer:

"What is your emotional trauma?!"

Allie Press:

"Your childhood trauma."

Allie Press:

Oh, amazing.

Allie Press:

And then, of course, the follow-up to that, "Excuse me.

Allie Press:

I have to call everyone I've ever met right now."

Nick Mercer:

I say that now.

Nick Mercer:

That is a phrase from Buffy, and there's a lot of phrases from Buffy that I have

Nick Mercer:

stolen and use in my everyday language.

Nick Mercer:

This is one of them.

Nick Mercer:

"Excuse me.

Nick Mercer:

I have to call everyone I've ever met right now."

Nick Mercer:

I used it this week.

Nick Mercer:

I used it this week.

Nick Mercer:

Somebody sent me a funny video through text message and I responded back to him.

Nick Mercer:

I said, "Hang on.

Nick Mercer:

I have to forward this to every person in my phone."

Allie Press:

I love that.

Allie Press:

Buffy has woven her way into our lives in so many, so many ways that I probably

Allie Press:

don't even notice on a daily basis.

Nick Mercer:

And we are blessed for it, aren't we?

Allie Press:

For sure.

Allie Press:

I mean, I wrote a college, my, one of my college essays

Allie Press:

on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Allie Press:

So.

Nick Mercer:

That's incredible.

Nick Mercer:

I didn't know that.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

I also, um, my final, my history final senior year of high school.

Allie Press:

Um, I had done all of the math, the grade math to know like what

Allie Press:

I needed to get on my final.

Allie Press:

And it was like I could fart and pass.

Allie Press:

So I decided, rather than writing about Vietnam, which we'd only had like a

Allie Press:

week of classes on, I decided I would write about The Battle of Sunnydale.

Allie Press:

Uh, which I will talk about, I guess, in more depth in three seasons.

Allie Press:

But yeah, so that's, uh, if you want to know just an example of what a nerd I am.

Allie Press:

I, and I think I got a C on it.

Nick Mercer:

I was going to ask, what grade did you end up getting?

Nick Mercer:

Did they give you any, any kind of gimme points or whatever?

Nick Mercer:

You had to have.

Nick Mercer:

That's impressive.

Allie Press:

I think I got a C, which is impressive because I didn't

Allie Press:

write on the topic at all, which means it should have been an F.

Allie Press:

I should have gotten a zero.

Allie Press:

If I got a C, that means I got points.

Allie Press:

So that means he gave

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: You made a compelling case.

Allie Press:

I must have.

Allie Press:

Um, it was well-written, as well.

Nick Mercer:

So what class, tell me about this essay in college.

Nick Mercer:

This sounds interesting.

Allie Press:

Um, so it was about the influence of Buffy

Allie Press:

as a role model on my choices.

Nick Mercer:

Wow.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

So in season four, she has a quote, " Fortune favors the brave."

Allie Press:

I know some people say bold.

Allie Press:

She says brave, which means that's what's correct.

Allie Press:

Uh, and that became a motto for my life.

Allie Press:

Um, taking, taking chances and being, being brave, being bold, uh,

Allie Press:

and despite of, you know, nerves or not being sure if I was good enough

Allie Press:

or, and those kinds of things.

Nick Mercer:

Allie, you're being brave right now.

Nick Mercer:

You're in, you're in Los Angeles.

Allie Press:

Yes, I am!

Allie Press:

By myself!

Nick Mercer:

For a month.

Allie Press:

For a whole month.

Nick Mercer:

That was brave.

Allie Press:

Thank you!

Allie Press:

I, I forget that sometimes, and sometimes I need to be reminded.

Nick Mercer:

Well, I'm here, Buffy's here to remind you.

Allie Press:

I love you.

Nick Mercer:

Fortune favors the brave.

Nick Mercer:

I love you, too.

Nick Mercer:

Goddammit.

Nick Mercer:

Anyways.

Allie Press:

Anyways.

Allie Press:

So I, just, another shout out to The Master as an excellent villain.

Allie Press:

Scary, not ridiculous.

Allie Press:

Just like subtle.

Allie Press:

And yeah, I just, and he looks great.

Allie Press:

Like for practical, non CGI, old school effects, he looks fantastic.

Nick Mercer:

He's suave, too.

Nick Mercer:

He's a suave kinda, which makes him scarier in a lot of ways.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

Also, what's scarier is how much blood you have to drink to

Allie Press:

permanently stain your mouth.

Nick Mercer:

I, for sure, as a child watching this, I thought

Nick Mercer:

his lips were just chapped.

Nick Mercer:

[Laughing]

Nick Mercer:

Dude's drank a lot of blood in his time, didn't he?

Allie Press:

Yeah, I think so.

Allie Press:

I think it was the blood.

Allie Press:

I think that is

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: Do you

Allie Press:

I think we're meant to interpret it as such.

Nick Mercer:

Come on, it could be dry down there.

Nick Mercer:

You don't know.

Allie Press:

Uh, it could be both.

Allie Press:

Sure.

Allie Press:

I don't know, I love, I love the picture of like Luke pulling out some

Allie Press:

CarMex or like some Vaseline for him.

Nick Mercer:

Do you need some Burt's Bees?

Allie Press:

Actually no cause he emerges out of that, like pool of blood.

Allie Press:

He's, he's hella hydrated.

Nick Mercer:

That's a very, yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Blood is, I guess, very hydrating.

Allie Press:

It is very hydrating.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, maybe, maybe it's the blood.

Nick Mercer:

Maybe you're right, Allie.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

I can't remember who said this, but...

Allie Press:

oh!

Allie Press:

Oh, oh, oh.

Allie Press:

So the guy who looks like DeBarge who's with Willow, the vampire who

Allie Press:

takes Willow and they're walking through the cemetery, he says,

Allie Press:

"Come on, what are you afraid of?"

Allie Press:

And my thought was, "Uuuuhhh, you?

Allie Press:

The white male?"

Nick Mercer:

[Laughter] Yeah the, yeah the white dude who, good idea,

Nick Mercer:

that, walking me through a cemetery.

Allie Press:

Yeah, it's a shortcut.

Nick Mercer:

What are you - Don't Gaslight me.

Nick Mercer:

"What am I afraid of?"

Nick Mercer:

There's tons to be afraid of here!

Allie Press:

When he wants to go, okay, I can see cutting

Allie Press:

through the cemetery, whatever.

Allie Press:

Maybe it's a shortcut.

Allie Press:

But then like sidetracking into the mausoleum?

Allie Press:

No, I mean, neither of us would do that as we've already established.

Allie Press:

We did not do crazy things and felonies or anything like breaking in places.

Allie Press:

Absolutely not.

Allie Press:

No, thank you.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Hard pass.

Nick Mercer:

Um, I like when Willow establishes some boundaries here.

Nick Mercer:

I love a good boundary.

Nick Mercer:

She says, "That wasn't funny."

Nick Mercer:

It wasn't funny.

Allie Press:

Yup, call him out.

Nick Mercer:

Call him out.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

And she, she says she wants to go home.

Allie Press:

She's like I don't like this.

Allie Press:

I want to go home.

Allie Press:

Atta girl.

Nick Mercer:

We love to see it, Willow.

Allie Press:

Love to see it.

Allie Press:

Yes, leading by example.

Allie Press:

Um, love the quip once Buffy comes in and is, and is fighting the vampires.

Allie Press:

I love the quips.

Allie Press:

Love a quip and it's something that the show ends up being famous

Allie Press:

for her, her quips while fighting.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, the, the little, the Slayer vibes.

Nick Mercer:

That's one of my favorite quotes from this episode.

Nick Mercer:

"Well, this is nice.

Nick Mercer:

It's a little bare, but a dash of paint, a few throat pillows, call it a home."

Allie Press:

And that's sort of foreshadowing to someone who does

Allie Press:

end up putting some throw pillows and a sound system and living out of a

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: Fridge.

Allie Press:

Yeah, fridge.

Allie Press:

Yup.

Nick Mercer:

Recliner.

Allie Press:

Clearly found, he must have lots of extension cords, but yeah!

Allie Press:

A recliner.

Allie Press:

Yup.

Allie Press:

Yup yup yup.

Nick Mercer:

I wonder who that utility bill goes to.

Nick Mercer:

Whatever.

Nick Mercer:

I won't think about it.

Allie Press:

He doesn't care.

Allie Press:

Oh, well it goes to the city or whoever, whatever's in control of, because

Allie Press:

I assume it's the cemetery's power.

Allie Press:

So whether it's a government, a city-funded, uh, or a private cemetery.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

That's true.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

I guess the cemetery owners are just like...

Nick Mercer:

okay, boom question answered.

Allie Press:

Where is all of this electricity going?

Allie Press:

How is...

Allie Press:

these dead people...

Allie Press:

I dunno...what's going on...

Nick Mercer:

Um, another Slayer vibe from this episode that I love,

Nick Mercer:

um, she's baiting the vampires.

Nick Mercer:

And she goes, she's like, are you sure you want to fight?

Nick Mercer:

"Now, this is not going to be pretty.

Nick Mercer:

We're talking about violence, strong language, adult content."

Nick Mercer:

She stakes somebody and goes, "See what happens when you rough house?"

Nick Mercer:

Man, don't pick a fight with somebody who's making fun of you while

Nick Mercer:

you're thinking about fighting them.

Nick Mercer:

It's not gonna go well.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

Cause it does speak to, like, their confidence.

Allie Press:

You're like, how are they this confident that they're able, like they're not

Allie Press:

expending enough energy fighting me.

Allie Press:

They also have energy to quip.

Allie Press:

So it's like, yeah, that's how you know you're outmatched.

Nick Mercer:

I'm so little of a threat to this person that they are sassing me

Nick Mercer:

while I'm getting ready to fight them.

Nick Mercer:

Like yikes.

Nick Mercer:

That's humbling.

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

The last note that I have for this episode is Buffy starts at, oh, such a really

Allie Press:

great place of like clearly capable, clearly strong, but, as we'll see when

Allie Press:

Luke comes in, lots of room to grow.

Allie Press:

Like, we can still see her newness.

Allie Press:

Whereas, you know, she has been slaying for probably, I don't know, six months?

Allie Press:

A year?

Allie Press:

Um, about that if she was called towards the beginning of freshman year.

Allie Press:

But she still has a ways to go and has a lot to learn, which is pretty cool.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Nick Mercer:

It, they do a really good job of, um, setting kind of the bounds

Nick Mercer:

of her power right at first.

Nick Mercer:

It leaves us wanting more.

Nick Mercer:

And, and, uh, she's not the only character who we're going to see

Nick Mercer:

substantially grow in their power.

Allie Press:

Absolutely true.

Allie Press:

And unexpected, too.

Allie Press:

I, definitely not something I would have called.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, for sure not.

Nick Mercer:

Um, okay.

Nick Mercer:

Each episode, we're going to talk about some sort of moral, some sort of themes,

Nick Mercer:

some sort of, you know, what have you.

Nick Mercer:

Um, I would, I would submit for this one, this idea that we talked about already,

Nick Mercer:

that you can't run away from who you are.

Nick Mercer:

In a couple of different senses, right?

Allie Press:

Absolutely.

Nick Mercer:

Buffy can't, Buffy, the dreams are going to keep coming to

Nick Mercer:

Buffy whether she wants them or not.

Nick Mercer:

The vampire, mystical forces are going to keep finding her.

Nick Mercer:

But also she, she has an inner drive to, she goes to look at the dead student

Nick Mercer:

to see if her fears were confirmed.

Nick Mercer:

And she puts herself in great danger to go rescue her new friend.

Nick Mercer:

Um, can't run away from who you are, can you?

Allie Press:

Yeah!

Allie Press:

And I also think there's sort of, yeah, she can't run away from who she is as

Allie Press:

much as she is trying, as much as she is really trying to get back to where

Allie Press:

she was pre-Slaying in her old school, where she was one of the popular girls.

Allie Press:

She was a cheerleader.

Allie Press:

So she wants to be friends with Cordelia off the bat cause she's cool.

Allie Press:

She wants to be fashionable.

Allie Press:

You know, she struggles over her outfit for the first day

Allie Press:

and for The Bronze and stuff.

Allie Press:

So you can see her trying to go back to that like popular girl life.

Allie Press:

But then you see her face when Cordelia is a bitch to Willow.

Allie Press:

Where, you can just see that, like the dust has been rubbed out of her eyes.

Allie Press:

You know?

Allie Press:

And she cannot go back to that ignorance of, you know, popular girl mentality.

Allie Press:

Things are deeper than that.

Allie Press:

She, she knows that there are bigger things to do than your

Allie Press:

hair on a Saturday night.

Allie Press:

So as much as she wants to, she can't deny what she now

Allie Press:

knows, this new aspect of her.

Nick Mercer:

Oh, that reminds me of that musical Children of Eden.

Nick Mercer:

Have you ever listened to it, Allie?

Allie Press:

I saw a show with you...

Allie Press:

at Glenelg Country.

Nick Mercer:

We did see that together!

Nick Mercer:

Oh, that was one of my favorite productions of it, too.

Nick Mercer:

One of the, one of the characters in it, Eve, it follows kind of

Nick Mercer:

loosely the story of Adam and Eve, and Eve eats the apple or whatever.

Nick Mercer:

And also the Garden of Eden is misogynistic as fuck.

Nick Mercer:

Why are you putting all the blame on the - whatever.

Nick Mercer:

It's fine.

Nick Mercer:

Anyways.

Nick Mercer:

Um, oh God in the, um, musical asks Eve, "If you could take it back, would you?"

Nick Mercer:

And she says, I don't want to feel this pain, but no, I wouldn't go back.

Nick Mercer:

And it's kind of like, I'm hearing kind of a similar thing there with Buffy.

Nick Mercer:

It's like she is, what, what do you do?

Nick Mercer:

Like, like you say, she knows what goes bump in the night now.

Nick Mercer:

She can't turn back and it's both in her slaying life, but also just her

Nick Mercer:

as a person who cares about people.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

She, she grew whether she wanted to or not.

Nick Mercer:

Hmm.

Nick Mercer:

Hmm.

Nick Mercer:

Um, what are your final thoughts about this episode, Allie?

Allie Press:

I think it is an excellent pilot episode.

Allie Press:

I think it gives us such a great first introduction into all of these characters.

Allie Press:

And I, again, I can't say it enough, all of the, the show, don't tell.

Allie Press:

You know, just by the way that people talk to each other, you know, we can

Allie Press:

tell that Jesse, Xander, and Willow have been friends for a very, very long time.

Allie Press:

Probably since elementary school.

Allie Press:

Like us.

Allie Press:

Um, and they didn't have to say that.

Allie Press:

You know, they didn't have to say like, oh, we've been lifelong friends.

Allie Press:

Like, no, we, we get that.

Allie Press:

And even in just little things, like we know that Giles is new because when

Allie Press:

Buffy talks about the librarian to Willow and she's like, oh yeah, he's new.

Allie Press:

He seems so cool.

Allie Press:

And she's like, oh, he's new?

Allie Press:

And it's just like a little, they drop little bits of information,

Allie Press:

um, that I think has created just such a great foundation.

Nick Mercer:

I think it's cool, too, how the characters are so

Nick Mercer:

established in their little quirks and everything right from the start.

Nick Mercer:

Like, it really feels like the characters that we see, like by the end of the

Nick Mercer:

second season, for example, they've grown, but Cordelia is still a bitch.

Allie Press:

Right, they're still them.

Allie Press:

They go, they, they do shift and change with the things that happen to them.

Allie Press:

Um, but it's not in the same way that like, like if you look at the

Allie Press:

beginning of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the first couple episodes, Rosa is not the

Allie Press:

same as she is in the fifth, sixth, seventh episodes of the first season.

Allie Press:

You can tell that they were still figuring out that character and

Allie Press:

they were still making changes and stuff, and there wasn't quite what

Allie Press:

she was going to be the whole time.

Allie Press:

No, these are the characters.

Allie Press:

They're fully fledged.

Allie Press:

They are three-dimensional.

Nick Mercer:

Did, um, do you know, was, were these the

Nick Mercer:

breakout roles for these actors?

Nick Mercer:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

Um, yeah, I'm pretty pretty sure.

Nick Mercer:

Man, they got a couple of winners.

Nick Mercer:

Oh, I love this show so much.

Allie Press:

Yeah.

Allie Press:

And it's interesting, Charisma Carpenter who played Cordelia actually

Allie Press:

initially auditioned for Buffy.

Nick Mercer:

I think I did know that.

Nick Mercer:

I think you told me that before.

Nick Mercer:

That's so interesting.

Allie Press:

I probably did.

Allie Press:

I used to come back from conventions with all sorts of information.

Nick Mercer:

Do you think...

Nick Mercer:

yeah, what if, no, no.

Nick Mercer:

It's gotta be Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Nick Mercer:

Gotta be Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Nick Mercer:

There's no, I can't see those characters as - Can you imagine,

Nick Mercer:

can you imagine a Willow-type Buffy?

Allie Press:

No, of course not.

Nick Mercer:

Can't do it.

Allie Press:

No.

Nick Mercer:

Can you, it's gotta be Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Allie Press:

Yeah, absolutely.

Allie Press:

Yeah, I can't, I really can't imagine anybody else as - I mean, and also

Allie Press:

seeing her seven seasons and comic books and all that, it's very hard to

Allie Press:

see anybody else playing Buffy Summers.

Allie Press:

I could see other Slayers, but anyone else as Buffy Summers?

Allie Press:

Just can't.

Nick Mercer:

Can't do it.

Nick Mercer:

Gotta be Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Nick Mercer:

Do wanna close us out, Allie?

Allie Press:

I will.

Allie Press:

I think that about does it for this episode.

Allie Press:

Thank you so much for joining us and we hope you'll join us again for our

Allie Press:

next episode when we'll discuss season one, episode two, "The Harvest."

Nick Mercer:

And if you are just too excited to wait until our

Nick Mercer:

next episode to chat, send us an email at tabularasabpod@gmail.com.

Nick Mercer:

And you can also say hello to us on Twitter, Instagram, or

Nick Mercer:

Facebook at @tabularasabpod.

Nick Mercer:

Allie.

Allie Press:

Yes.

Nick Mercer:

You, I do not have a social media presence.

Nick Mercer:

You do.

Nick Mercer:

Where can people find you on social media?

Allie Press:

Well, Nick, you can find me on Instagram and Twitter

Allie Press:

@Daughterpick, DAU-GHT-ER-PICK.

Allie Press:

And @futureblackcat on TikTok.

Allie Press:

That's spelled how it sounds.

Allie Press:

And then if you would like to support my journey as a young artist, you can head

Allie Press:

over to BuyMeACoffee.com/AlliePress, A-L-L-I-E P-R-E-S-S.

Allie Press:

That would be much appreciated.

Nick Mercer:

Yeah, great content from it, too.

Nick Mercer:

You're a great writer, Allie.

Allie Press:

Awww, thank you!

Nick Mercer:

And I get some weekly, Not-So-Weekly Updates

Nick Mercer:

from you that I love reading.

Allie Press:

I appreciate that.

Allie Press:

I do.

Allie Press:

I share, on the Buy Me A Coffee you also get Not-So-Weekly Updates, which are

Allie Press:

what they sound like, update on, you know, auditions and gigs and life stuff.

Allie Press:

And if you're into that kind of thing, head on over there.

Nick Mercer:

How bout that.

Allie Press:

How about that.

Nick Mercer:

Well, Allie, our friends, all of these social media handles

Nick Mercer:

are going to be in the description.

Nick Mercer:

Hit us up.

Nick Mercer:

And Allie, I can't wait to talk with you again very, very soon.

Allie Press:

Me too.

Allie Press:

I love you.

Allie Press:

Until then

Allie Press:

- Nick Mercer: Love yooouuu.

Allie Press:

Make good choices!

Nick Mercer:

Bye!

Nick Mercer:

[Outro Music begins fading in]

Allie Press:

Byeee!

Nick Mercer:

Tabula Rasa, B!tches!

Nick Mercer:

is hosted by Allie Press and Nick Mercer with music by InflatonCult,

Nick Mercer:

artwork by Charlotte Fleming Design, and consultation by Evo Terra.

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About the Podcast

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Tabula Rasa, B!tches!: A Buffy Rewatch Show

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About your hosts

Profile picture for Nick Mercer

Nick Mercer

Nick Mercer (he/him) works as a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization. He was introduced to Buffy by his illustrious co-host when they became fast friends over the summers in elementary school. Nick credits Buffy for his early passion for social justice.

When not cheering on our favorite Sunnydale warriors in their fights against the supernatural, Nick enjoys cooking and engaging in political advocacy in his local community. Nick's favorite quote from Buffy is, "You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave."

Nick lives in South Carolina with his perfect puggle, Joseph.
Profile picture for Allie Press

Allie Press

Allie Press (she/her) is a Maryland-born actor with aspirations for all kinds of film. Her goal is to play Felicia Hardy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Allie earned her BFA in Acting from Towson University in 2016.

Allie began watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer during its original airing at just three years old. She's taken many of Buffy's lessons to heart - perhaps none more so than Buffy's reflection that "fortune favors the brave." When not rewatching Buffy or exchanging notes with her dear co-host, you can find Allie with one of her many other hats - maybe as a costume designer, nanny, stage manager, or podcast production assistant with Simpler Media.

Allie currently lives in Atlanta with her partner and puppy. Connect with Allie on Instagram at @daughterpick or TikTok at @futureblackcat, and support her work as an artist at buymeacoffee.com/alliepress.