Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S4/E01 The Freshman

Buffy feels overwhelmed by college life. Her confidence further erodes when she is beaten by the female leader of a vampire gang.

Tropes
"Sunday: I must say, you've really got me now. I mean, it's a diabolical plan, throw yourself at my feet with a broken arm and no weapons of any kind. How'm I going to get out of this one? Buffy: You got a nice set-up here, but you made one mistake.
 * All According to Plan: Buffy falls through the skylight into the midst of the vampires with no weapons, no back-up, and a broken arm. She picks herself up and quips "just thought I'd drop in". Sunday lampshades this.

Sunday: Yeah? What was that?

Buffy: Well, I'm not actually positive, but statistically speaking people usually make at least... (Sunday makes Buffy Talk to the Fist)"

"Eddie: Of Human Bondage -- have you ever read it? Buffy: Oh, I'm not really into porn... I mean I'm just... I'm trying to cut way back."
 * Alone in a Crowd: Buffy is overwhelmed by the size and confusion of college.
 * Art Shift: From here to the end, the show was filmed in 16:9 widescreen. Joss didn't want the show put on DVD in this fashion, so the only places to see widescreen Buffy are Netflix and DVD's released in Europe, where Joss' request for 4:3 format was ignored. (Similarly, Angel, which debuted the same night as this episode, was filmed in widescreen but not broadcast that way until the third season. All episodes shown on Netflix are displayed in 16:9 format, as are episodes on DVD from the second season onward.)
 * Berserk Button: Sunday goes too far when she steps on Buffy's Class Protector award.
 * Book Dumb!Buffy

"Xander: You up for a little reconnaissance? Buffy: You mean where we all sculpt and paint and stuff? Xander: No, that was the Renaissance. Buffy: Oh. I've had a really long week."

"Willow: Is Buffy in danger? Xander: She's in a holding pattern, we've got some time. (Cut to Buffy getting beaten up by Sunday)"
 * California University: UC Sunnydale
 * The Cavalry Arrives Late: After blowing Buffy off earlier, a repentant Giles turns up with an armful of weapons to help...after the Scoobies have already defeated Sunday's gang.
 * Crash Into Hello: Buffy meets Riley Finn when she accidentally knocks a pile of heavy psychology textbooks onto his head. He takes it well.
 * Crossover: Buffy receives a phone call at her home, but hangs up when she doesn't hear anything. This episode aired the same night as the Angel series premiere, where it's revealed the call came from a despondent Angel.
 * Decoy Antagonist: Sunday -- credited as a special guest, and kicking Buffy's ass in their first fight, only to get dusted at the second one.
 * Dark Action Girl: Sunday is one of the few vampires that give Buffy a run for her money.
 * Description Cut

"Dav: Does this sweater make me look fat? Sunday: No, the fact that you're fat makes you look fat. That sweater just makes you look purple."
 * Does This Make Me Look Fat?

"Buffy: God, I was worried that something had happened to you... (Eddie turns to reveal his Game Face) ...and of course it has, 'cause you're a vampire."
 * Face Revealing Turn

"Laugh all you want, this time we play it my way. And the rules are just going to be a little bit... (skylight breaks under her)"
 * Failed Attempt At Drama: Buffy is glaring through the skylight at the vampires looting her stuff.

"Buffy: Is this guy ever gonna wake up?"
 * Famous Last Words: The Stoner vampire naturally says, "Woah!" after Willow stakes him.
 * Foreshadowing: Buffy is reassured after defeating the vampire gang that college will be just like high school after all. "At least we know what to expect." Cue an escaping vampire mook being tasered by camouflaged men in balaclavas toting heavy firepower.
 * For the next episode -- Giles asks Buffy, "The evil is this way?" She replies, "My room is."
 * Friendship Moment: Xander and Buffy show the kind of affection that's been missing between them since the events of "Becoming".
 * Funny Aneurysm Moment: The Trope Namer -- Buffy is commenting on how her mother would react to the price of her text-books, stating flippantly, "I hope it's a funny aneurysm."
 * Game Face: Sunday doesn't even bother using hers...until Buffy starts to kick her ass.
 * Genre Savvy: The unidentified vampire fated to get dusted before the opening credits sneaks up behind Buffy and Willow, then sees the crossbow and various staking implements, considers this carefully and concludes "Screw This, I'm Outta Here."
 * Genre Savvy: The unidentified vampire fated to get dusted before the opening credits sneaks up behind Buffy and Willow, then sees the crossbow and various staking implements, considers this carefully and concludes "Screw This, I'm Outta Here."

"I'm Professor Walsh. Those of you who fall under my good graces will come to know me as Maggie. Those of you who don't will come to know me by the name my TA's use and think I don't know about, 'The Evil Bitch Monster of Death.'"
 * Gun Twirling: Buffy does this with Mr. Pointy, followed by an Offhand Backhand staking of Sunday. She's back!
 * Heroic Second Wind
 * Hypocritical Humor: Loads of this from Buffy -- e.g. saying "I've gotta stay sharp" while missing a vampire sneaking up behind her, and reprimanding Giles for having an affair with a younger woman -- Giles politely avoids bringing up Angel.
 * Improvised Weapon: Buffy swats one vampire with a tennis racket -- the blow breaks off the handle, forming a perfect stake.
 * Ironic Echo: "Lose your way?"
 * Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Xander paying for his new car by working as a male stripper. He refuses to provide details.
 * Major Injury Underreaction: Sunday's response to being staked is to indignantly put her hands on her hips before dusting.
 * Make It Look Like an Accident: Sunday's gang attack freshman loners, steal everything from their dorm room and leave a note claiming they've taken off because they can't handle the stress.
 * Man Hug: After glomping Willow and even Buffy's roommate whom he's never met before, Xander confirms with Oz that as manly men they don't need to hug.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast

"Xander: Buffy, I've gone through some fairly dark times in my life, faced some scary things, among them the kitchen at 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club.' Let me tell you something, when it's dark and I'm all alone and I'm scared or freaked out or whatever, I always think, 'What would Buffy do?' You're my hero. Ok, sometimes when it's dark and I'm all alone I think, 'What is Buffy wearing?'
 * Metaphorgotten: Xander talks to Buffy about overcoming her fear, then stops when he realises he's quoting from The Phantom Menace and Scarface.
 * Mooks: Dav, Rookie, Tom and Jerry.
 * Not So Dire: Buffy prowling in the cemetery, asks, "Anything?" as if asking Willow if she's seen any vampires. Turns out she's asking about what college courses are available.
 * New Old Flame: Olivia for Giles.
 * Red Shirt: Eddie
 * Rousing Speech: Buffy is feeling down after losing her first fight to Sunday, but fortunately runs into her Xander-shaped friend.

Buffy: Can that be one of those things you never, ever, tell me about?"

"Willow: How can you be so calm? Oz: Long, arduous hours of practice."
 * Security Blanket: Buffy doesn't really have one, unless you count Mr. Pointy. Eddie has his copy of Of Human Bondage -- the fact that Sunday's gang leave it behind when stripping his room tips Buffy that Eddie hasn't just taken off.
 * Schmuck Bait: Sunday criticises Buffy's fashion sense, then punches her in the face when Buffy looks down at her clothes.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tom and Dav. Tom doesn't get far.
 * Slip Into Something More Comfortable: Inverted; Buffy shows up unexpectedly at Giles' apartment and Olivia answers the door wearing only his shirt. Olivia subsequently leaves the scene saying, "Let me slip into something a little... less comfortable."
 * The Stoic: Guess who...

"Xander: Prank? Oh, the room. Well some friends of Buffy's played a funny joke, and they took her stuff. And now she wants us to help get it back from her friends who sleep all day and have no tans. Willow: Oh! Those friends!"
 * The Stoner: Rookie
 * Surrounded by Idiots: Sunday's attitude towards her minions.
 * Talk About That Thing

"Willow: It's just, in high school, knowledge was pretty much frowned upon. You really had to work to learn anything. But here, the energy, the collective intelligence... It's like this force, this penetrating force, and I can just feel my mind opening up, you know, and letting this place just thrust into and- and spurt knowledge into... That sentence ended up in a different place than it started out in."
 * That Came Out Wrong

"Sunday: What about breaking your arm? (grabs Buffy's other arm) How'd that feel? Buffy: Let me answer that with a head butt. (She does and sends Sunday staggering.)"
 * That One Boss: In-universe, Sunday initially this for Buffy.
 * Throwing Off the Disability: Thanks to Buffy's Healing Factor, her arm isn't broken in the final showdown with Sunday, it's just sore.
 * Too Happy to Live: Just when Buffy finally finds a new friend that's as confused as she, Eddie gets vamped.
 * Use Your Head

"Buffy: Oh! That's my skirt! You're never going to fit in it with those hips! We have to kill them!"
 * What Could Have Been: Sunday was originally supposed to be a Slayer turned vampire.
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?: The vampire gang raids the rooms of their victims. Spying on them through the skylight, Buffy remarks:

"Sunday: I'm Sunday, I'll be killing you here in a minute or so. Buffy: You know that threat gets more frightening every time I hear it. Stoner Vamp: Uhh... are we gonna fight? Or is there just gonna be a monster sarcasm rally?"
 * Your Door Was Open: The door to Giles' home -- the beginning of a Running Gag for this season.
 * You Fight Like a Cow: Sunday's skills are a match for Buffy's.


 * You Remind Me of X: Buffy momentarily thinks she sees Angel in the Bronze.