The series picks up basically where the movie left off.  Buffy moves to Sunnydale and starts a new school.  In the opening episode we meet fellow students Xander Harris (a scruffy, loser-type guy who is immediately smitten with Buffy), Willow Rosenberg (a nice but shy computer geek), and Cordelia (right on target, even in this, the first episode).  We are also introduced to Angel (a dark, mysterious [and gorgeous] stranger) and Giles (Buffy's new Watcher and school librarian. Even though the biggest thing on Buffy's mind is fitting into her new school and leaving her Slayer personna behind, Giles starts in right away about there being a reason for her presence in Sunnydale at this time.  Xander overhears their conversation, and finds out that she's a Vampire Slayer.  Going to the Bronze (the local teen hangout) that night Buffy meets Angel, who warns her cryptically about "the Harvest".  He also tells her that she's standing at the mouth of Hell.  At the Bronze, Buffy tells Giles about the stranger's warning, and Willow (unwittingly) leaves with a vampire.  He takes her to a masoleum in the cemetary, where another vampire named Darla has brought Jessie (a friend of Xander's).  Buffy shows up and a fight ensues, but the vamps make off with Jessie.  The next day at school, Giles tells Buffy, Xander, and Willow about the Hellmouth...it turns out that Sunnydale is sitting right smack dab on top of a mystical convergys, a place that supernatural things gravitate to.  He also tells them about The Master (the most evil bad guy in all of Buffyverse), who is trapped in a Lair under the school.  He will rise by way of a ritual called "The Harvest" Flaws:  This isn't exactly fair, but it IS a continuity problem.  When Buffy meets Angel for the first time in the alley, he looks at her and says "The truth is, I thought you'd be taller.  Bigger muscles and all that."  We infer from this statement that he's heard of her, but never actually seen her.  At the time the episode was aired, this was a fine assumption.  But in the episodes "Becoming" parts 1 and 2, we find out that Angel had seen her almost a full year before they met in the alley that night.  Not only had he already seen her, but he'd fallen in love with her.  Therefore he shouldn't have been surprised at her lack of height or musculature.  Cheap shot, I know.  But if i wanted to get really picky, I'd point out the fact that Buffy comes to Sunnydale as a sophmore, even though in the movie she was a senior. Thoughts on the episode:    For a first episode the actors don't do a bad job at grabbing their roles from the getgo.   Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia does the best job here.  ASH as Giles is extremely British in this ep, but tones down a little as he fleshes out his role.  I'd have to say that Nicholas Brendan is the most uncomfortable in his part as Xander Harris.  All the quips are there, laying the groundwork for the Xan-man we come to know and love...but his jovialty and jokes seem to be a bit forced and thought-up in this ep. Best line:  When Buffy almost slays Cordelia.  Cordelia's immediate retort  "What is your childhood trauma?!"

"Welcome to the Hellmouth"