| "Buffy vs. Dracula" | |
|---|---|
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
 Buffy faces off against Dracula | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | David Solomon |
| Written by | Marti Noxon |
| Production code | 5ABB01 |
| Original air date | September 26, 2000 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
| |
"Buffy vs. Dracula" is the fifth-season premiere of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy faces the infamous Count Dracula, who has come to Sunnydale to make her one of his concubines. In the process, he turns Xander into a Renfield of sorts, and Giles becomes enthralled with the three sisters, much like Jonathan Harker in the novel. However, after a brief spell during which Buffy is mesmerized by the Count, she regains her usual composure and defeats him.
Synopsis[]
Buffy gets restless for a fight.
Unable to sleep, Buffy goes out to patrol the cemetery and after staking a vampire, she returns to bed with Riley. The next day, Buffy and Riley play catch at the beach with the others watching, until Buffy "slays" the football (in Riley’s words). Xander tries to ignite the barbecue but fails. Willow magically ignites the barbecue, but immediately a sudden storm forces them all to seek shelter from the rain. Meanwhile, two men deliver a large crate filled with dirt to a residence, but when they drop it, a clawed hand breaks through the wood and attacks one of the men.
Dracula and Buffy meet.
Giles has Willow begin scanning books so that they can be resources for the gang to use. He then announces that he’s going back to England because it seems he’s no longer needed by Buffy nor the Scoobies. Buffy has dinner with her mother but ends the meal quickly by announcing she is going out to patrol. Joyce remarks that she will have to get used to the house being empty and quiet again. While patrolling, Buffy is confronted by a vampire who condenses from a mist and introduces himself as Count Dracula. She is flattered when he tells her she is known throughout the world, but discomforted when he says her power is rooted in darkness. When she tries to stake the legendary vampire, he disappears. Xander and Willow arrive to see Dracula before he turns into a bat and flies away. The women discuss how amazing Dracula is, and Riley and Xander both express their jealousy towards the infamous "Dark Prince." Willow makes a lame attempt to attract attention to Giles and his usefulness, but the gang seems oblivious.
As Xander is walking home alone, he encounters Dracula. Using his mysterious hypnotic charms and promises of immortality, the vampire persuades Xander to be his emissary and lure the Slayer to him. Riley interrogates Spike about Dracula, but the former commando is warned that although Dracula is mostly show and tricks, he is too dangerous for Riley to take on alone. Buffy awakens to find Dracula in her bedroom. She is helpless against his powers and unable to stop him from biting and drinking from her. Upon waking the next morning, Buffy looks in the mirror and sees the puncture marks on her neck. She hides them with a scarf.
While munching on donuts, the gang discusses their plan of attack. Buffy seems distracted and after hearing about the truths of Dracula, she leaves abruptly. Riley follows her and forces her to take off the scarf to show the puncture marks on her neck. Everyone is shocked to see that she has been under the control of Dracula. Since Xander is also under Dracula’s power, he has a strange hunger for spiders and attempts to defend the powerful vampire to his friends. Xander volunteers to have Buffy stay safely at his place. Willow and Tara use magic to protect the Summers’ home, and Giles and Riley go after Dracula.
Dracula bites Buffy.
Anya complains about not going after Dracula herself until Xander locks her in the closet. Xander takes the willing Slayer to his "Master" in hopes of getting immortality in return. After being left alone with Dracula, Buffy tries to take control and stake him, but he is easily able to make her put the stake down. Riley and Giles discover Dracula’s castle, remarking how they’ve never noticed it before, and enter carefully. Dracula talks to Buffy of all the things he will do for her while she struggles to regain control of herself.
Buffy stakes Dracula.
Xander tries to stop Riley from going after Dracula, but Riley quickly knocks him out. Giles finds himself victim to the Three Sisters, who effectively keep him distracted. Dracula offers his blood to Buffy, and she hesitantly takes a drink.
A flash of memories allows Buffy to break his control over her. Riley rescues Giles from the sister vampires, and they go to save Buffy. Buffy and Dracula fight in a vicious battle, and finally, Buffy stakes him. After they leave, Dracula comes back from the dust. Buffy is there and stakes him again, knowing he would come back. Dracula attempts to re-form again but is reminded by Buffy that she is "standing right here". He slips away in his mist form.
Giles calls Buffy, preparing to tell her about his plans to leave however she says she wants to talk to him as well. Letting her go ahead, Buffy tells Giles that since her encounter with the spirit of the First Slayer she’s been wondering about where her power comes from and what it means to her inside as she feels that if she knows then she can become stronger as a result. She asks Giles to be her Watcher again, to train and teach her about what her power truly means. Giles is pleased and decides to stay in Sunnydale.
Buffy comes home and announces to her mom that she’s going out with Riley. As she enters her room, she finds a girl there going through her stuff. Joyce tells Buffy that she should take her sister with her if she goes out. Buffy and Dawn turn and, in annoyance, call out: "Mom!"
Continuity[]
- Dracula appears for the first time, to eventually become a reluctant ally of the Scooby Gang, mainly due to the connection he forms with Xander in this episode.
- Dracula is the third vampire to drink from Buffy. She was previously bitten by the two well-known vampires the Master in "Prophecy Girl", and Angel in "Graduation Day, Part Two".
- Spike drinks from Buffy next, in Desperate Times. Willow comments she knew Buffy was bitten once again from the moment she saw the scarf, in reference to Buffy’s behavior in this episode.
- This is the first time we ever see Giles bitten by a vampire on the show, although, in "Into the Woods", he refers to having experience of vampire brothels, so it may not be his first time.
- Joyce appears to be unaware that Tara and Willow are a couple, remarking to them that she feels like "giving up on men altogether". In the next episode, Joyce appears to know about their relationship.
- Riley states that he has lived in Sunnydale for a couple of years implying the Initiative was active in the town from at least season 3.
- Riley maintains the scar he got in "Primeval" after removing his chip from his chest.
- Xander refers to getting "funny syphilis", which occurred in "Pangs".
- Giles prepares to leave Sunnydale, but changes his mind, due to Buffy asking him to be her Watcher once again. In season 6, he actually does leave for England until returning at the end of the season.
- Dracula’s revelation of the inherent darkness of the nature of the Slayer is foreshadowing the demonic origin of the Slayer lineage revealed in Season 7.
- The rivalry between Spike and Riley begins in this episode.
- Riley’s asserts in that the Initiative have been active on Sunnydale for several years prior to the Scoobies first confront ("Wild at Heart").
- This is the first episode in which Buffy turns to Giles to really dig into her calling’s past.
- This marks the first appearance of Dawn, Buffy’s younger sister, who would continue to be featured in every remaining episode and would be a very important arc to the show.
- Dawn’s real nature is revealed in episode "No Place Like Home".
- Xander says "Blood is life" when talking about Dracula. This could be foreshadowing season 5 finale "The Gift" when Spike tells Xander "Blood is life." in regards to the key to stopping Glory.
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Dracula (1st Appearance)
- Riley Finn
- Rupert Giles
- Alexander Harris
- Anya Jenkins
- Tara Maclay
- Willow Rosenberg
- Sineya (Only in flashbacks)
- Spike
- Buffy Summers
- Dawn Summers (1st Appearance)
- Joyce Summers
Organizations and Titles[]
- Scooby Gang
- The Initiative (Only mentioned)
- The Key (1st Appearance)
- Three Sisters (1st Appearance)
- Slayer
- Watcher
- Witch
Species[]
Locations[]
- Sunnydale
- 1630 Revello Drive
- Dracula's mansion
- Maple Court
- Espresso Pump
- Rupert Giles's apartment
- Sunnydale Beach
- Sunnydale Cemetery
Weapons and Objects[]
- Stake
Rituals and Spells[]
- Revoke Invitation Ritual
- Willow's Fire Spell
Death Count[]
- Two unidentified vampires, staked by Buffy Summers.
- Two movers, killed by Dracula.
- Dracula, staked by Buffy Summers twice.
Behind the Scenes[]
Production[]
- Originally Buffy should have "defeated" Dracula this way:
- Buffy arms herself with a lit torch, when Giles and Riley burst into the room.
- Dracula: (sends Buffy one final look full of pain and fury) "What a shame. You could have been great, you know." (He jumps out of the window, changes himself into a wolf and lopes into the dark woods).
- The vampire who was going to show Buffy a darker side of herself was originally envisioned as "just another vampire who rode a horse and was all cool", says writer Marti Noxon. "I kept saying, ’Like Dracula’" - until Joss Whedon said, "Why not Dracula? He’s public domain."
- Noxon says the scene in which Dracula implies that Buffy would "make an amazing vampire" thematically resonates with the questions of identity with which Buffy struggles throughout Season 5.
- Emma Caulfield is added to the opening credits beginning with this episode.
- Amber Benson is now credited with "as Tara" under her name.
- This episode marks Michelle Trachtenberg’s first appearance as Dawn, Buffy’s sister. She appeared very briefly in the ending when Joyce indirectly refers to her as Buffy’s sister, and her character is properly introduced in Real Me.
- Michele Waitman replaces Sophia Crawford as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s stunt double.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar’s husband Freddie Prinze Jr was originally going to play Dracula.
Broadcast[]
- In Australia, this episode was shown as the season 4 finale cliffhanger. Viewers had to wait three months to find out who the new sister was.
Deleted Scenes[]
- Dracula was trying to convince Buffy in this exchange cut due to length:
- Dracula: "I know intimately what it is to be different. Human, but not quite... Of the world but still an outsider... You see? We understand each other. Both of us are born of darkness, masters in the art of death-"
- Buffy: "No. Hold it. Enough with the darkness. I’m born of Joyce, pal."
Music[]
- Vertical Horizon — "Finding Me"
- Thomas Wanker — ''Dracula's Power / Opening / Buffy Fights Dracula / Dracula Bites Buffy''
- Thomas Wanker — original score
International titles[]
- French: "Buffy Contre Dracula" (Buffy Against Dracula)
- German: "Buffy vs. Dracula"
- Portuguese (Brazil): "Buffy Versus Drácula" (Buffy Versus Dracula)
- Spanish (Latin America): "Buffy Versus Drácula" (Buffy Versus Dracula)
- Spanish (Spain): "Buffy Contra Drácula" (Buffy Against Dracula)
Goofs, Bloopers & Continuity Errors[]
- After Buffy is bitten by Dracula, it cuts to day outside of Buffy’s house and the actual address of 1313 can be seen instead of Buffy’s actual address 1630 which has been pointed out/seen in several episodes.
- When Buffy is in bed with Riley, in the close up shot of Buffy’s head you can see Riley’s elbow sticking near the upper left corner. But when it changes to a medium close up shot with both Buffy and Riley you can see Riley’s arm is bent with his elbow under Buffy’s arm.
- A water bottle is visible on the mantel in Dracula’s mansion, adjacent to more Dracula-appropriate urns and candles.
- Giles yet again says that Buffy has no need of him, although it is extremely rare for an episode not to include him as a crucial element in the defeat of the little bad.
Other[]
- Rudolf Martin played Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character’s love interest Anton on All My Children.
- Rudolf Martin later played Vlad the Impaler (the supposed inspiration for Dracula) in a TV miniseries, Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula, released in the same year.
- Excerpts from this episode appear on a television screen in the Russian vampire film Night Watch.
- Prior to Buffy, one of Michelle Tractenberg’s most famous roles was as "Harriet the Spy". When we first see her on Buffy, she is snooping around her sister’s bedroom.
Gallery[]
Promotional Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Advertisement[]
Quotes[]
| Willow - "Game over?" |
| Riley - (holds up the now punctured football) "Uh, Buffy slayed the football." |
| Buffy - (Xander is still trying to light the fire) "Where’s my burger?" |
| Riley - "Yeah, man, I’m starving. Cow me." (He and Buffy sit) |
| Xander - "The, uh, fire’s not cooperating. It’s comforting to know that I lack the culinary finesse of a caveman." |
| Willow - (gestures at fire) "Ignis incende." (The logs burst into flame. Xander falls backward onto his butt in the sand.) |
| Buffy - "Willow, check you out! Witch-fu." |
| Buffy - "So let me get this straight. You’re... (imitates his accent a little) ‘Dracula’. The guy. The count." |
| Dracula - "I am." (His answer reveals his fangs) |
| Buffy - "And you’re sure this isn’t just some fan boy thing? ‘Cause I’ve fought more than a couple pimply overweight vamps that called themselves ‘Lestat’." |
| Giles - "Oh, good show, Giles. Uhh... at least you didn’t get knocked out for a change." |
| Xander - "Please. He was no big whoop." |
| Willow - "No big whoop? What about that thing where he turned himself into a bat? That was awesome!" |
| Giles - "It must have been, yes. I must admit, I’m sorry I missed that." |
| Willow - "Me, too! The whole time I was thinking ‘Gosh, I wish Giles were here. He’d know what to do!’" |
| Willow - "I think we have Dracula factoids." |
| Xander - "Like any of that’s enough to fight the dark Master... bater." |
| Xander - "I wouldn’t jump to conclusions about the Unholy Prince... bater." |
| Xander - "I’m exhausted just lookin’ at those two. All the splashing and jumping and running. Shouldn’t relaxing involve less exertion?" |
| Anya - "Absolutely. Exertion can lead to sweatiness." |
| Tara - "Oh, which can cause the, um, pain and heartbreak of stinkiness. Better to just stay put." |
| Willow - "I think we’ve just put our finger on why we’re the sidekicks." |
| Dracula - "You are strange and off-putting. Go now." |
| Xander - "As of this moment, it’s over. I’m finished being everybody’s butt-monkey." |
| Buffy - "Check. No more butt-monkey." |
| Riley - "What can you tell me about Dracula?" |
| Spike - "Dracula? Poncy bugger owes me £11, for one thing." |
| Buffy - (to Dracula in his mist form) "You think I don’t watch your movies? You always come back." |
See also[]
References[]
External links[]
Template:Wikiquotepar
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | "Welcome to the Hellmouth" • "The Harvest" • "Witch" • "Teacher's Pet" • "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" • "The Pack" • "Angel" • "I, Robot... You, Jane" • "The Puppet Show" • "Nightmares" • "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" • "Prophecy Girl" | |
| Season 2 | "When She Was Bad" • "Some Assembly Required" • "School Hard" • "Inca Mummy Girl" • "Reptile Boy" • "Halloween" • "Lie to Me" • "The Dark Age" • "What's My Line, Parts One and Two" • "Ted" • "Bad Eggs" • "Surprise" • "Innocence" • "Phases" • "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" • "Passion" • "Killed by Death" • "I Only Have Eyes for You" • "Go Fish" • "Becoming, Parts One and Two" | |
| Season 3 | "Anne" • "Dead Man's Party" • "Faith, Hope & Trick" • "Beauty and the Beasts" • "Homecoming" • "Band Candy" • "Revelations" • "Lovers Walk" • "The Wish" • "Amends" • "Gingerbread" • "Helpless" • "The Zeppo" • "Bad Girls" • "Consequences" • "Doppelgangland" • "Enemies" • "Earshot" • "Choices" • "The Prom" • "Graduation Day, Parts One and Two" | |
| Season 4 | "The Freshman" • "Living Conditions" • "The Harsh Light of Day" • "Fear, Itself" • "Beer Bad" • "Wild at Heart" • "The Initiative" • "Pangs" • "Something Blue" • "Hush" • "Doomed" • "A New Man" • "The I in Team" • "Goodbye Iowa" • "This Year's Girl" • "Who Are You" • "Superstar" • "Where the Wild Things Are" • "New Moon Rising" • "The Yoko Factor" • "Primeval" • "Restless" | |
| Season 5 | "Buffy vs. Dracula" • "Real Me" • "The Replacement" • "Out of My Mind" • "No Place Like Home" • "Family" • "Fool for Love" • "Shadow" • "Listening to Fear" • "Into the Woods" • "Triangle" • "Checkpoint" • "Blood Ties" • "Crush" • "I Was Made to Love You" • "The Body" • "Forever" • "Intervention" • "Tough Love" • "Spiral" • "The Weight of the World" • "The Gift" | |
| Season 6 | "Bargaining, Parts One and Two" • "After Life" • "Flooded" • "Life Serial" • "All the Way" • "Once More, with Feeling" • "Tabula Rasa" • "Smashed" • "Wrecked" • "Gone" • "Doublemeat Palace" • "Dead Things" • "Older and Far Away" • "As You Were" • "Hell's Bells" • "Normal Again" • "Entropy" • "Seeing Red" • "Villains" • "Two to Go" • "Grave" | |
| Season 7 | "Lessons" • "Beneath You" • "Same Time, Same Place" • "Help" • "Selfless" • "Him" • "Conversations with Dead People" • "Sleeper" • "Never Leave Me" • "Bring on the Night" • "Showtime" • "Potential" • "The Killer in Me" • "First Date" • "Get It Done" • "Storyteller" • "Lies My Parents Told Me" • "Dirty Girls" • "Empty Places" • "Touched" • "End of Days" • "Chosen" | |
| Bram Stoker's Dracula | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Original novel | Count Dracula • Abraham Van Helsing • Jonathan Harker • Mina Harker • Lucy Westenra • Arthur Holmwood • Dr. John Seward • Quincey Morris •
Renfield • Brides |
| Other works | Adri Nital • Alucard • Count Alucard • Count Orlok • Count von Count • Dracula (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) • Doctor Sun • Eva • Hamilton Slade • Janus • Postmortem • Turac | |
| Historical | Vlad Călugărul • Vlad the Impaler • Vlad II Dracul | |
| Films | Universal series |
Dracula (1931 English-language) • Drácula (1931 Spanish-language) • Dracula's Daughter (1936) • Son of Dracula (1943) • House of Frankenstein (1944) • House of Dracula (1945) • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) |
| Hammer series |
Dracula (1958) • The Brides of Dracula (1960) • Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) • Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) • Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) • Scars of Dracula (1970) • Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) • The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) • The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) | |
| Dracula 2000 |
Dracula 2000 (2000) • Dracula II: Ascension (2003) • Dracula III: Legacy (2005) | |
| Parodies | Mad Monster Party? (1967) • Batman Fights Dracula (1967) • Blacula (1972) • Mad Mad Mad Monsters (1972) • Blood for Dracula (1974) • Vampira (1974) • Son of Dracula (1974) • Dracula in the Provinces (1975) • Dracula and Son (1976) • Love at First Bite (1979) • The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979) • Fracchia contro Dracula (1985) • The Monster Squad (1987) • Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988) • Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) • Monster Mash (1995) • Monster Mash (2000) • Zora the Vampire (2000) • Hotel Transylvania (2012) • Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) | |
| Other | Dracula's Death (1921) • Nosferatu (1922) • The Return of the Vampire (1943) • Drakula İstanbul'da (1953) • Blood of Dracula (1957) • The Return of Dracula (1958) • Batman Dracula (1964) • Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966) • Dracula (1968) • Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969) • Count Dracula (1970) • Los Monstruos del Terror (1970) • Cuadecuc, vampir (1971) • Vampyros Lesbos (1971) • Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1973) • Count Dracula's Great Love (1974) • Count Dracula (1977) • Dracula's Dog (1978) • Doctor Dracula (1978) • Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) • Dracula (1979) • Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula (1979) • Dracula's Widow (1988) • To Die For (1989) • Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) • Nadja (1994) • Shadow of the Vampire (2000) • Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula (2000) • Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary (2002) • Dracula (2002) •
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) • Van Helsing (2004) • Van Helsing: The London Assignment (2004) • Dracula 3000 (2004) • The Vulture's Eye (2004) • Blade: Trinity (2004) • The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) • Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse (2006) • Dracula (2006) • Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest (2008) • The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) • House of the Wolf Man (2009) • Young Dracula (2011) • Dracula Reborn (2012) • Dracula 3D (2012) • Saint Dracula 3D (2012) • Dracula 2012 (2013) • Dracula: The Dark Prince (2013) • Dracula Untold (2014) | |
| Television | Series | Draculas ring (1978) • Cliffhangers (1979) • Drak Pack (1980) • Count Duckula (1988–1993) • Dracula: The Series (1990–1991) • Little Dracula (1991–1999) • Ace Kilroy (2011–2012) • Young Dracula (2006–2014) (characters • episodes) • Dracula (2013–2014) • Penny Dreadful (2014–2016) |
| Episodes | "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993) • "Treehouse of Horror XXI" (2010) • "Buffy vs. Dracula" (2000) • "The Crypt of Dracula" ((smaller|2017}} | |
| Other novels |
The Dracula Tape and sequels (1975–2002) • Anno Dracula series (1992–present) (Anno Dracula • The Bloody Red Baron • Dracula Cha Cha Cha) • Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories (1914) • The Revenge of Dracula (1978) • Little Dracula (1986) • Dracula the Undead (1997) • The Historian (2005) • The Book of Renfield (2005) • Bloodline (2005) • Young Dracula and Young Monsters (2006) • Fangland (2007) • Dracula the Un-dead (2009) | |
| Plays | Dracula (1924) • Dracula (1995) • Dracula (1996) | |
| Musicals | Dracula (Czech musical) (1995) • Dracula: A Chamber Musical (1997) • Dracula, the Musical (2004) • Dracula – Entre l'amour et la mort (2006) • Dracula: the Musical (2010) • Dracula – L'amour plus fort que la mort (2011) | |
| Comics | The Tomb of Dracula • Dracula (Marvel Comics) • Dracula (Dell Comics) • Dracula Lives • Hellsing • The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen • Sword of Dracula • Batman & Dracula: Red Rain • Victorian Undead • Wolves at the Gate • X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula • Purgatori | |
| Video games |
The Count (1981) • Ghost Manor (1983) • Castlevania series (1986–present • Dracula) • Dracula (1986) • Dracula the Undead (1991) • Dracula Hakushaku (1992) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (handheld) (1993) • Dracula Unleashed (1993) • Dracula: Resurrection (2000) • Dracula 2: The Last Sanctuary (2000) • Van Helsing (2004) • Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon (2008) • Dracula: Origin (2008) • Vampire Season Monster Defense (2012) • Dracula 4: The Shadow of the Dragon (2013) • Dracula 5: The Blood Legacy (2013) • The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (2013) • Drac's Night Out (unreleased) | |
| Pinball | Dracula (1979) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) • Monster Bash (1998) | |
| Other games | The Fury of Dracula | |
| Castles | Castle Dracula • Bran Castle • Poenari Castle • Corvin Castle | |
| Albums | Dracula • Dracula 2000 • Iubilaeum Anno Dracula 2001 • Perfect Selection: Dracula Battle • Transylvania • Van Helsing | |
| Songs | "Love Song for a Vampire" | |
| Audio dramas | Legend of the Cybermen | |
| Related topics | Dracula in popular culture • Don Dracula • Transylvanian Society of Dracula • Dracula Society • Dracula tourism • Lugosi v. Universal Pictures • "Dracula/The Rose" | |