The Freshman (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"The Freshman"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Buffy, now a college freshman, explores the campus feeling overwhelmed
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 1
Directed by	Joss Whedon
Written by	Joss Whedon
Production code	4ABB01
Original air date	October 5, 1999
Guest appearance(s)
Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers Marc Blucas as Riley Finn Dagney Kerr as Kathy Newman Pedro Pascal as Eddie Katharine Towne as Sunday Lindsay Crouse as Maggie Walsh Mike Rad as Rookie Shannon Hillary as Dav Mace Lombard as Tom Robert Catrini as Prof. Riegert Scott Rinker as R.A. Phina Oruche as Olivia Denice J. Sealy as Student Volunteer Evie Peck as Angry Girl Anil Raman as Earnest Fellow Jason Christopher as Nonserious Guy Jane Silvia as Conservative Woman Mark Silverberg as Passing Student Walt Borchert as New Vampire David Boreanaz as Angel's lookalike at the Bronze (uncredited)
Episode chronology
← Previous "Graduation Day" Next → "Living Conditions"
List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

"The Freshman" is the first episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon. The narrative follows Buffy Summers as she attempts to fit into her new college environment at UC-Sunnydale. She first encounters several problems and struggles with her feelings of isolation. Willow is blossoming with Oz in the new environment, Xander is away, and Rupert Giles, who is currently unemployed, has his friend Olivia visiting.

The episode starts off with Buffy and Willow waiting in a cemetery for a vampire to rise while they are reading and discussing possible college courses. As the two of them are sitting and talking, the vampire crawls his way out of the grave behind them and begins to approach them with a grin on his face, ready to attack. But when he sees the crossbow and other weapons on the ground, he reconsiders and wanders off unbeknownst to them.

Buffy, Willow and Oz begin attending the University of California at its fictional Sunnydale campus. Buffy (as novelist A.M. Dellamonica writes) "feels overwhelmed by the University of it all, while everyone else is apparently thriving." Willow is excited by the bigger library and the opportunities to advance her learning, while Oz seems typically unfazed. Meanwhile, Giles is a retired "gentleman of leisure" now that the Sunnydale High School library has been destroyed, and Xander is out of town on his much-anticipated cross-country road trip.

Buffy and Willow go to the campus bookstore for supplies, where Buffy accidentally knocks a pile of textbooks onto the head of Riley Finn, who introduces himself as a TA for Professor Walsh's "Intro to Psychology" class. Buffy, who is seemingly attracted to him and embarrassed at what she has done, fumbles the conversation, and Willow takes over by discussing Psychology topics with him, and she and Riley walk off together.