Teacher's Pet (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)
Encyclopedia
"Teacher's Pet" is the fourth episode of season 1 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode originally aired on March 24, 1997, attracting 2.0 million viewers. The episode was written by co-executive producer David Greenwalt
and directed by Bruce Seth Green
. The narrative follows the Scooby Gang following a cryptic warning from Angel (David Boreanaz
) and the death of the biology teacher Doctor Gregory (William Monaghan).
(Nicholas Brendon
) fantasises about saving Buffy
(Sarah Michelle Gellar
) from a vampire and then kissing her. After class, Dr. Gregory takes Buffy aside and urges her to apply herself to her studies more rather than becoming discouraged by other teachers' low opinions of her. She is warmed by his kindness, but moments after she leaves he is killed by an unseen monster. Later, Angel shows up at the Bronze while Buffy and her friends are there. Noticing she is cold he gives her his jacket, and she see his gashed arm. She infers the cut was made by someone with a giant fork, and he warns that somebody may attack her.
The next day, Buffy is alarmed by news of Dr. Gregory's disappearance, but the boys in her class are more interested in the beautiful substitute teacher Natalie French (Musetta Vander
), who seems to have a fixation for insects and especially the praying mantis, becoming hostile when Buffy calls it ugly. Miss French suggests making model egg sacs for the upcoming science fair and asks for the boys' help. They are all eager to assist, and she selects Blayne (a handsome jock whose constant boasts about his sexual activities make Xander feel inadequate) as her lab partner for that day, to be followed by Xander the next day.
Cordelia
(Charisma Carpenter
) finds the headless body of Dr. Gregory, leading the Scoobies to wonder whether Master is involved or whether this is the work of a second monster. That night Buffy goes into the park and confronts a vampire who has a large claw in place of its right hand. The fight is interrupted by the police, causing the vampire to flee and come upon Miss French while she is walking home with groceries. Buffy watches as the vampire approaches the substitute teacher and then flees in terror from her, indicating that Miss French is not human.
The next day Buffy is late for her Biology class. She stands at the door about to enter the classroom, and is horrified to watch as Miss French seems to sense somebody at the door and then turns her head fully 180 degrees like an insect to see who it is. After the class, Miss French claims to have left supplies at home and so asks Xander to come over to her house that evening and work on the egg-sac project there instead. After Xander leaves the classroom, she consumes a meal of cricket
s on bread.
Back in the library, Buffy realises that Blayne never returned home from helping Miss French. She suspects that Miss French must be a praying mantis, and convinces the others. Giles recalls an old friend of his in England who investigated a spate of grisly murders, all the victims of which were teenage boys. The friend claimed the murders were being carried out by a creature known as the "She-Mantis", or the "Virgin Thief", which preys on virgin males to fertilise its young. Buffy unsuccessfully tries to warn Xander, but he brushes her off, saying that she is simply jealous of his attraction to a woman other than her. That night, Xander arrives at Miss French's house to find her wearing a tight dress and acting in a sexually suggestive manner. She offers him a drink, which he takes and then collapses from because it was obviously drugged. She turns into her mantis form and takes his body to a cage in the basement, where he wakes up next to Blayne.
Meanwhile, Willow calls Xander's mother and finds out that he isn't home. Buffy asks Giles
to record bat sonar, because she knows from her homework that this will shock the nervous system of a praying mantis and drive it into a fit. The Scoobies then go to the house where Miss French supposedly lives according to school records, but find a retired teacher there whose name the mantis has stolen. Desperate to find the real house before it's too late, Buffy tracks the one-handed vampire and forces him to locate the correct house, which he can tell because he is so instinctively afraid of the mantis. After killing the vampire when he turns on her, Buffy breaks through the window just as Miss French (now in mantis form) is about to mate with Xander. She burns the monster with insect repellent
while Willow frees Xander and Blayne. Giles and Buffy then slay the giant insect, using the bat sonar to weaken it so Buffy can hack it to death with a machete.
Buffy and Angel later meet at The Bronze
. She still has his jacket, but he tells her to keep it. Buffy is obviously attracted to him. The next day, Buffy sadly puts Dr. Gregory's glasses back in his closet, not noticing that a sac of she-mantis eggs is attached to the bottom of a shelf and seemingly about to hatch.
David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt is an American screenwriter, director and producer.He was the co-executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-creator of its spinoff, Angel. He is also co-creator of the short-lived cult television show Profit...
and directed by Bruce Seth Green
Bruce Seth Green
Bruce Seth Green is an American television director.His credits include Knight Rider, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Angel, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, Law & Order, Diagnosis Murder, Baywatch and other series.His last directorial credit...
. The narrative follows the Scooby Gang following a cryptic warning from Angel (David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
) and the death of the biology teacher Doctor Gregory (William Monaghan).
Plot
During a Biology lesson, XanderXander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
(Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon , is an actor best known for his character Xander Harris in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Early life:...
) fantasises about saving Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
(Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
) from a vampire and then kissing her. After class, Dr. Gregory takes Buffy aside and urges her to apply herself to her studies more rather than becoming discouraged by other teachers' low opinions of her. She is warmed by his kindness, but moments after she leaves he is killed by an unseen monster. Later, Angel shows up at the Bronze while Buffy and her friends are there. Noticing she is cold he gives her his jacket, and she see his gashed arm. She infers the cut was made by someone with a giant fork, and he warns that somebody may attack her.
The next day, Buffy is alarmed by news of Dr. Gregory's disappearance, but the boys in her class are more interested in the beautiful substitute teacher Natalie French (Musetta Vander
Musetta Vander
Musetta Vander is a South African actress and model who is best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy films.-Early life:...
), who seems to have a fixation for insects and especially the praying mantis, becoming hostile when Buffy calls it ugly. Miss French suggests making model egg sacs for the upcoming science fair and asks for the boys' help. They are all eager to assist, and she selects Blayne (a handsome jock whose constant boasts about his sexual activities make Xander feel inadequate) as her lab partner for that day, to be followed by Xander the next day.
Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
(Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Lee Carpenter is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cordelia Chase in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. In her most recent film she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason...
) finds the headless body of Dr. Gregory, leading the Scoobies to wonder whether Master is involved or whether this is the work of a second monster. That night Buffy goes into the park and confronts a vampire who has a large claw in place of its right hand. The fight is interrupted by the police, causing the vampire to flee and come upon Miss French while she is walking home with groceries. Buffy watches as the vampire approaches the substitute teacher and then flees in terror from her, indicating that Miss French is not human.
The next day Buffy is late for her Biology class. She stands at the door about to enter the classroom, and is horrified to watch as Miss French seems to sense somebody at the door and then turns her head fully 180 degrees like an insect to see who it is. After the class, Miss French claims to have left supplies at home and so asks Xander to come over to her house that evening and work on the egg-sac project there instead. After Xander leaves the classroom, she consumes a meal of cricket
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
s on bread.
Back in the library, Buffy realises that Blayne never returned home from helping Miss French. She suspects that Miss French must be a praying mantis, and convinces the others. Giles recalls an old friend of his in England who investigated a spate of grisly murders, all the victims of which were teenage boys. The friend claimed the murders were being carried out by a creature known as the "She-Mantis", or the "Virgin Thief", which preys on virgin males to fertilise its young. Buffy unsuccessfully tries to warn Xander, but he brushes her off, saying that she is simply jealous of his attraction to a woman other than her. That night, Xander arrives at Miss French's house to find her wearing a tight dress and acting in a sexually suggestive manner. She offers him a drink, which he takes and then collapses from because it was obviously drugged. She turns into her mantis form and takes his body to a cage in the basement, where he wakes up next to Blayne.
Meanwhile, Willow calls Xander's mother and finds out that he isn't home. Buffy asks Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
to record bat sonar, because she knows from her homework that this will shock the nervous system of a praying mantis and drive it into a fit. The Scoobies then go to the house where Miss French supposedly lives according to school records, but find a retired teacher there whose name the mantis has stolen. Desperate to find the real house before it's too late, Buffy tracks the one-handed vampire and forces him to locate the correct house, which he can tell because he is so instinctively afraid of the mantis. After killing the vampire when he turns on her, Buffy breaks through the window just as Miss French (now in mantis form) is about to mate with Xander. She burns the monster with insect repellent
Insect repellent
An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects from landing or climbing on that surface. There are also insect repellent products available based on sound production, particularly ultrasound...
while Willow frees Xander and Blayne. Giles and Buffy then slay the giant insect, using the bat sonar to weaken it so Buffy can hack it to death with a machete.
Buffy and Angel later meet at The Bronze
The Bronze
The Bronze is a fictional nightclub in Sunnydale, the fictional setting for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Of 144 episodes of the series, 66 have at least one scene at the Bronze, not including its appearance in the unaired pilot....
. She still has his jacket, but he tells her to keep it. Buffy is obviously attracted to him. The next day, Buffy sadly puts Dr. Gregory's glasses back in his closet, not noticing that a sac of she-mantis eggs is attached to the bottom of a shelf and seemingly about to hatch.