"You remember when you said I was like two different people? Well, one of them has to go. But the other one is having a really, really good time, and will come back. I promise." -Buffy

"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" is the initial exploration of Buffy's double life. It briefly touches upon her wants, needs, and the burden of sacrificing said wants and needs for others. This makes the episode one of the few in S1 that has notable lasting relevance to the series to come. While it's a decent outing for S1, it shouldn't be mistaken for a masterpiece. We get into all of that and more… after the break.

Giles points out that "maintaining a normal social life is problematic at best." This is what the episode then goes out to show us first hand and is the first lesson of many Buffy will learn surrounding the subject. One of the biggest things driving Buffy as a character in much of the high school years is her desire to have this "normal life." It's not really until "Helpless" (when she temporarily loses her powers) that she comes to accept – even embrace -- the reality of her life with a sense of finality.

The character of the week, Owen, plays into all of this about as well as he can (more on that later). Owen tells Buffy at the Bronze that "there are a lot more important things in life than dating." This initially causes Buffy a moment of sadness but is quickly followed by a glance at her pager to see if Giles needs her – 'fun and acceptance' versus 'sacrifice and isolation,' a duality that Owen detects in Buffy and finds quite fascinating (as he should!), albeit for all the wrong reasons. It's fun that the episode draws attention to this duality and begins to better define it.

Towards the end of the episode we see that Owen still thinks Buffy is cool, but mostly because he thinks she's a danger queen. Not only does he want to be around her for the wrong reasons, but Buffy comes to realize that nurturing this interest of his would only lead to getting him killed. Buffy realizes that Owen simply doesn't belong in her world and that she can't indulge her impulse to be with him. This is when Giles has a beautiful segue back to what the episode is really about: responsibility and sacrifice. Being chosen makes for a unique and difficult life, and this is one of the very first times Buffy comes to understand what that means for her, despite her many early-series attempts to fight it. This scene is a fabulous early bonding moment between the two of them, and I appreciate how it resonates particularly with the finale, "Prophecy Girl" [1x12]. Giles is just so understanding of Buffy, and it's wonderful to hear him share that with her.

An interesting aside is that, in the opening of the episode, Giles chastises Buffy for being a bit too colorful in how she slays. Buffy protests with a sarcastic response that alludes to the fact that, while colorful, she's getting the job done. This 'technique versus emotion' exchange is particularly interesting in light of Kendra ("What's My Line? Pt. 2" [2x10]) and Faith ("Faith, Hope, and Trick" [3x03]). In the end, balance between the two styles is ideal, although here in S1 we can see that Buffy has a ways to go in achieving that.

As much as I appreciated the little thematic touches, not all of "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" is as introspective and relevant. There are some basic problems here that really dragged on the episode. For one, I just don't buy Buffy's sudden interest in Owen, who seems naïve, quiet, and a bit book-wormy. There is the brooding factor and his looks, both of which he apparently shares with Angel, but I think it's more the sense of mystery that Buffy's attracted to rather than the raw brooding. It just doesn't strike me that Buffy would get all excited over him. Even worse, Cordelia suddenly also going after Owen right after Buffy's started talking to him was way, way too scripted and forced for me. Then, of course, in typical S1 fashion, there's the problem of the character that shows up just for one episode that is given way too much focus and drama considering you never see him again.

To top off my complaints, the entire sequence at the funeral home really didn't do anything for me, the vampires are completely lame, the action isn't all that exciting, and the fake-out death of Owen was done pretty poorly. I can't say I was thrilled with the bus sequence either, which rubbed off as far more silly and boring than scary.

While "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" is certainly rough in spots, it has the right intentions and is certainly better than most of what you get out of the season. In of itself it's not all that exciting, but taken within the context of the entire series its core theme actually does have some modest relevance. All in all this is an overall enjoyable step in the right direction for the series in these very early, formative stages.