Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Helpless

"Helpless" is the twelfth episode of season three of the supernatural teen drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the forty-seventh episode of the series overall. It was directed by James A. Contner and written by David Fury. It first aired on the WB Network on Tuesday, January 19th, 1999. In this episode, Buffy Summers is gearing up to celebrate her 18th birthday with her dad, but for a Slayer, this time also marks the event of ritualistic testing as the Watchers Council comes to Sunnydale to monitor Buffy's progress.

Notes & Trivia

 * Production code number: 3ABB12.


 * This is the fourth episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer directed by James A. Contner. He previously directed "Revelations". His next episode is "Choices".


 * This is the second episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer written by David Fury. He previously wrote "Go Fish". His next episode is "Choices".


 * This episode aired on the same date, one year later, as the season two episode, "Surprise".


 * Buffy Summers turns eighteen-years-old in this episode, establishing the date as January 18th, which is Buffy's birthday.


 * First appearance of Quentin Travers. He appears next in "Checkpoint".


 * This is the first and only appearance of the Sunnydale Arms.

Allusions

 * Repeated references are made to Buffy's father, Hank Summers. In the original 1992 film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the character was referred to only as Buffy's dad, and was played by actor James Paradise. On the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, he was played by Dean Butler and first appeared in the season one episode, "Nightmares".

Home Video

 * This episode has been made available on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection and disc four of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Third Season DVD collections.

Quotes

 * Cordelia Chase: What's going on? Oh, God. Is the world ending? I have to research a paper on Bosnia for tomorrow, but if the world's ending, I'm not gonna bother.
 * Rupert Giles: You can't walk home alone, Buffy. It isn't safe.
 * Buffy Summers: I don't know you.
 * Cordelia Chase: Did something take her memory? He's Giles. Giiiiillles. He hangs out here a lot.
 * Buffy Summers: Cordelia, could you please drive me home?
 * Cordelia Chase: Of course. But if the world doesn't end, I'm gonna need a note.

....
 * Angel: It was a bright afternoon out in front of your school. You walked down the steps. And I loved you.
 * Buffy Summers: Why?
 * Angel: 'Cause I could see your heart. You held it before you for everyone to see. And I worried that it would be bruised or torn. And more than anything in my life I wanted to keep it safe, to warm it with my own.
 * Buffy Summers: That's beautiful... Or taken literally, incredibly gross.
 * Angel: I was just thinking that, too.

....
 * Xander Harris: An ice show. A show performed on ice. And how old are we again?
 * Willow Rosenberg: I went to Snoopy on Ice when I was little. My dad took me backstage, and I got so scared I threw up on Woodstock.
 * Buffy Summers: I know you guys think it's just a big, dumb, girlie thing, but it's not. I mean, a lot of those skaters are Olympic medal winners. And every year, my Dad buys me cotton candy and one of those souvenir programs that has all the pictures-- and okay, it's a big, dumb, girlie thing, but I love it.
 * Daniel Osbourne: It's not so girlie. Ice is cool. It's water, but it's not

Episode links