Blog 5: Buffy the Vampire Slayer "The Harvest"

In this episode, Buffy tells the librarian that she won't accept not going to save Jesse despite the fact that she barely knows him.  Why does Buffy feel obligated to do this?

Buffy feels obligated to save Jesse because she is beginning to accept her role as the slayer.  In the first episode Buffy seemed very keen on abandoning her role as vampire slayer, however, in this episode she has had a complete turnaround now that she sees the danger that faces the town (the harvest).  Buffy also wants to  attempt to save Jesse despite the fact that she hardly knows him because she is the hero in the show.  This means that she wants to do the right thing, and in this case that would be saving Jesse.

When Xander is threatening to stab vampire Jesse, somebody runs by and bumps the spike Xander is holding into Jesse.  Had this person not forced Xander to stab Jesse by bumping into him, would Xander have been able to go through with killing his friend?

Xander and Jesse were best friends and Xander seemed to be struggling very heavily with the decision of whether or not to kill Jesse.  Had that person not forced his hand by bumping into him Xander probably wouldn't have been able to do it.  First off, because Jesse was his friend and nobody is going to find it easy to just do away with your friend like that.  Secondly, Xander may not have been able to kill anyone, regardless of whether or not it was his friend.  This is because Xander is a normal person.  He has never killed a person before and most likely wouldn't have been able to find the courage to do it here, especially to his best friend.