The Freshman
- Episode aired Oct 5, 1999
- TV-PG
- 44m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
Buffy feels like a fish out of water in her first year at college, but the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student puts her back in her element.Buffy feels like a fish out of water in her first year at college, but the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student puts her back in her element.Buffy feels like a fish out of water in her first year at college, but the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student puts her back in her element.
Anthony Head
- Rupert Giles
- (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Pedro Pascal
- Eddie
- (as Pedro Balmaceda)
Denice Sealy
- Student Volunteer
- (as Denice J. Sealy)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn 2023, Sarah Michelle Gellar posted on Instagram a photo of her scene with Pedro Pascal, who played Eddie in this episode (credited as Pedro Balmaceda). Pascal learned about this post during a red-carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight (1981)'s Ash Crossan; though Crossan just mentioned it in passing and was clearly interested in moving on to other questions, Pascal kept bringing the conversation back to the post. Pascal was clearly surprised and moved that Gellar even remembered him from their brief scenes together, so Crossan asked what he remembered from his experience working on the episode. He responded, "Everything! Absolutely everything. I remember she had ice cream in her trailer, and she gave me some. She went back to her trailer, she got me some ice cream and she shared--'cause it was a night shoot, it was in the middle of the night, and we were on the UCLA campus. They hadn't built their college sets yet. I actually had to--I was doing a play in Long Beach, and I had to miss opening night because we had to shoot this very, very short moment. I remember everything. I could go on and on and on. I could give you step by step, every detail. I had to have lunch in the vamp mask--in the vamp face. And she was incredibly kind. She taught me how to use a sandbag to hit my mark. She was the best." Later, on the same red carpet, Access Hollywood asked Pascal about the same post, and he said, "What I just found out - which I am very excited about, and I can't wait to get my phone back so that I can look it up myself - is that Sarah Michelle Gellar remembers me. I remember every moment of shooting that episode, as brief as it was, she was such a kind scene partner and we had the best time." The interviewer showed him some stills from the episode, and he enthusiastically discussed them: "this is Eddie and the episode is 'The Freshman.' It's the season 4 premiere. It was a super big deal. I hang out with her for a little bit and, as soon as she says goodbye to me..."
- GoofsAt about 28 min As Joyce greets Buffy she says "Honey, how are you?" but her mouth doesn't move.
- Quotes
Buffy Summers: When you look back at this, in the three seconds it'll take you to turn to dust, I think you'll find the mistake was touching my stuff.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Gift (2001)
Featured review
A difficult start to college life for Buffy
Buffy may not be worried about the various creatures of the night but starting college is intimidating. Willow takes to college life as this is where she has always been waiting to be and Oz seems to know everybody thanks to his band. Her other friends have left Sunnydale. Buffy feels out of her depth; unsure what courses to take, not knowing where to go and being generally awkward. One night she meets a boy and has a brief chat but he promptly vanishes. A note suggests he just left but Buffy fears it is vampires. She seeks help but it looks as if she will have to deals with things on her own; till an old friend returns.
This was a good start to the fourth season and more importantly to the next stage in Buffy's life. After a humorous prologue most of the episode is about Buffy's introduction to college life; this impressively captures the shock for most new students who are suddenly strangers in a large new world after years of the familiar world of school. The vampires she faces are quite funny but still present a genuine threat. The story plays out well and ends with hints of things that are likely to be important in later episodes. The cast does a solid job; particularly Sarah Michelle Gellar who really impresses as Buffy, making us really feel for her characters sense of not belonging and abandonment. Guest star Katharine Towne was a lot of fun as Sunday, head of the local vampire gang. While there are downbeat aspects to this episode there is also a good amount of humour, solid action and a feel good ending. Overall a welcome return for Buffy and friends.
This was a good start to the fourth season and more importantly to the next stage in Buffy's life. After a humorous prologue most of the episode is about Buffy's introduction to college life; this impressively captures the shock for most new students who are suddenly strangers in a large new world after years of the familiar world of school. The vampires she faces are quite funny but still present a genuine threat. The story plays out well and ends with hints of things that are likely to be important in later episodes. The cast does a solid job; particularly Sarah Michelle Gellar who really impresses as Buffy, making us really feel for her characters sense of not belonging and abandonment. Guest star Katharine Towne was a lot of fun as Sunday, head of the local vampire gang. While there are downbeat aspects to this episode there is also a good amount of humour, solid action and a feel good ending. Overall a welcome return for Buffy and friends.
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- Tweekums
- Mar 5, 2019
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