Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Prophecy Girl on AllMovie

The last episode of season one begins with the pronunciation of Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) impending death -- talk about bad timing -- right before the class prom! The revelation comes courtesy of a prophecy discovered by Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), stating that the Master (Mark Metcalf) will rise and kill the Slayer. Giles attempts to hide the bad news from Buffy, but she overhears him speaking about it with Angel (David Boreanaz). Hearkening back to the pilot episode, Buffy is reticent to fight the Master. Meanwhile, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) discovers the corpses of some dead students in the audiovisual room, obviously killed by vampires. Wearing her prom dress (everyone, including the Master, comments on how good it looks), Buffy realizes she must fulfill her duties as the Slayer. Angel and Xander (Nicholas Brendon), worried about her safety, chase after her, only to find her barely alive after a drowning attempt by the Master. Xander revive Buffy with CPR, and the group runs back to Sunnydale High to find the Master opening the Hellmouth with the help of the Anointed One (Andrew J. Ferchland). A large, tentacle-flailing demon almost escapes from the Hellmouth, but Buffy slays the Master, closing it. It is to be noted that, unlike most vampires, the Master's bones remain intact after his death, leaving his story line open-ended. This episode was written and directed by the show's creator, Joss Whedon.