Episode Trivia
2001: A Space Odyssey
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
The episode 1.08 I Robot, You Jane has a couple of similarities to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The voice of the demon Moloch, when he’s still trapped in the computer, is similar to the voice of the murderous computer Hal in the movie. Additionally, the main student with whom Moloch communicates is called Dave, which is the name of the astronaut Hal talks to in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Ashley Gable
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Ashley gable co-wrote 1.08 I Robot, You Jane and 1.11 Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight with Thomas A. Swyden. Ashley has written for Clubhouse, The Division, The Invisible Man, Family Law and Xena: Warrior Princess.
Books vs. computers
details | add a comment | suggested by Meghann
According to Giles, knowledge is best gained through books, not computers. He explains his preference to Jenny in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane:
Ms. Calendar: “Well, it was your book that started all the trouble, not a computer. Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?”
Giles: “The smell.”
Ms. Calendar: “Computer’s don’t smell, Rupert.”
Giles: “I know! Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a, a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences… long forgotten. Books smell. Musty and, and, and, and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer, is, uh, it… it has no, no texture, no, no context. It’s, it’s there and then it’s gone. If it’s to last, then, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um… smelly.”
And in 7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me:
Giles: “Knowledge comes from crafted bindings and pages, Buffy, not ones and zeros.”
Chad Lindberg
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Chad played Dave in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. Chad was in The X-Files episode ‘Schizogyny’ as Bobby Rich. He has also been in the movies The Fast and the Furious, The Last Samurai and The Rookie.
Circle of Kayless
details | add a comment | suggested by Mullsen
In the Italian town of Cortona in 1418, Moloch the Corrupter was bound to a book using a binding spell and the The Circle of Kayless (in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane). Giles and Jenny formed a virtual Circle of Kayless to create the same spell when Moloch was unleashed on the internet. The people who answered their call were in Hawaii, Vancouver, Denver and Mexico City.
Coven
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
A coven is a group of witches. Jenny Calendar belonged to an online coven of Technopagans. In season seven we learn that Willow has been reintegrated back into society by an unnamed coven, a group of powerful British witches. They were the ones who helped Giles to combat Evil Willow in 6.22 Grave.
CRD
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
CRD (Cadillax Research and Development) was a computer research lab that used to be the third largest employer in Sunnydale. It was shut down and Moloch the Corrupter then used it as a base from which to build himself a new body in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. Xander’s uncle worked there as a janitor.
D.J. Joss
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Giles listens to the radio in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. The announcer’s voice on the radio was that of Joss Whedon.
Dave
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Dave was a quiet student at Sunnydale High, and member of the computer club. He became a reluctant agent of demon Moloch the Corrupter and warned Buffy not to interfere with Willow’s new relationship with the demon. Moloch asked Dave to kill Buffy but he refused, so Fritz killed him, pretending it is suicide (1.08 I Robot, You Jane).
Demon magnet
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Xander’s relationship with the praying mantis in 1.04 Teacher’s Pet is joked about in several later episodes, such as 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, 2.04 Inca Mummy Girl, 3.01 Anne (in which Cordelia says of Xander, “He’s always been attracted to monsters” and later mentions Ampata from 2.04 Inca Mummy Girl, calling her “some hot little Inca mummy girl”), 2.10 What’s My Line? (Part Two) and 4.09 Something Blue, when Willow says,
“Let’s look at your bio: Insect Lady, Mummy Girl, Anya… you’re a demon magnet.”
In 7.14 First Date, Xander says, “Another demon woman was attracted to me” after his date Lyssa turned out to be evil.
Edith Fields
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Edith Fields, who played the school nurse in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, has also been in A Host of Daffodils, Motherly Love, The Bachelor, 3 Men and a Little Lady, Dad, No Way Out, Micki + Maude, Kiss Me Goodbye, Six Feet Under, Judging Amy, Walker, Texas Ranger, 7th Heaven, Picket Fences, Seinfeld, Brooklyn Bridge, Murphy Brown, Moonlighting, Cagney & Lacey, Falcon Crest, Family Ties.
Fritz
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Fritz was an intense computer nerd, even before he became corrupted by the demon Moloch. He helped his new Master, by killing Dave, electrocuting Buffy and kidnapping Willow. Fritz was eventually killed by Moloch himself in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane.
I Robot and You Jane
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
The title of the episode 1.08 I Robot, You Jane comes from both a line from the Tarzan movie (”Me Tarzan. You Jane”) and I, Robot, which was a collection of sci-fi short stories written by Isaac Asimov, published in 1940. The theme of I, Robot is of moral interaction between humans and robots. Alan Tudyk, who played Wash in Joss Whedon’s Firefly, played Sonny the robot in the 2004 movie version of I, Robot, alongside Will Smith.
Jamison Ryan
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Jamison played the creepy Fritz in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. He played Bob in Murder Live! and Jerry in The Last Don.
Looking to the future
details | 1 comment | suggested by Jess
Buffy and Xander comfort Willow at the end of 1.08 I Robot, You Jane over her choice of boyfriend by pointing out their failures in previous episodes. Buffy fancies Angel, a vampire, and Xander’s love turned out to be a giant praying mantis. They have no luck in the future either - both Angel and Riley leave Buffy and she ends up sleeping with Spike; Xander leaves Anya at the alter and she ends up sleeping with Spike; and Willow dates Oz, who leaves her, before becoming involved with Tara who is killed. Yep, they’re doomed.
Mark Deakins
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Mark voiced the demon Moloch in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. He has also played two parts in Star Trek: Voyager and been in Fallout, The Devil’s Advocate and Star Trek: Insurrection.
Moloch the Corrupter
details | 5 comments | suggested by Jess
Moloch the Corrupter was a controlling and powerful demon who was banished into a book by monks in the 15th century. The demon could only be freed if the words were read aloud, and just to make sure, the monks sealed the book in a box. The book was accidentally scanned into the school’s computer system, which unleashed Moloch on the internet. He could create any destruction he liked - destroy records, unleash nuclear weapons etc. He pretended to be Malcolm and became Willow’s online boyfriend. He also had a new robot body made for himself, which was electrocuted and destroyed by Buffy (1.08 I Robot, You Jane).
Nazis
details | 4 comments | suggested by Nuke67
Nazis have been referenced a few times in Buffy:
- In 1.03 The Witch, Buffy says Amy’s mother is, “Nazi-like”.
- In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, a student’s essay has been changed by Moloch the Corrupter, “This isn’t my report! Nazi Germany was a model of a well ordered society’? I didn’t write that! Who’s been in my files?”
- In 1.10 Nightmares, Xander says, “I’m sorry, I’m unruffled by spiders. Now, if a bunch of Nazis crawled all over my face…” He laster walks past swastika graffitis, just before he sees the evil clown.
- In 2.21 Becoming (Part One), Cordelia says of Principal Snyder, “How about because you’re a tiny impotent Nazi with a bug up his butt the size of an emu?”
- In 3.11 Gingerbread, Xander says, “Aw, man it’s Nazi Germany and I’ve got Playboys in my locker!”
- In 4.01 The Freshman, Buffy mentions the Nuremberg rallies, where the Nazi’s held their anti-Semitic rallies from the early 1920s to 1938.
- In the episode 4.07 The Initiative, Spike is in his containment cell talking to another vampire about who could have captured him, Spike says, “And they are? The government? Nazis? A major cosmetics company?”
- In the Angel episode 5.13 Why We Fight, we see in a flashback that Spike was captured by Nazis in 1943, who were experimenting on vampires as a means of controlling them for their war effort.
Nicki
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
The character of Jenny Calendar was originally to be called Nicki but was changed to Jenny to avoid confusion on set as Nicholas Brendon is generally called Nicky by his co-stars.
Nicky’s age
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
Nicholas Brendon was 25 years old when he was first cast as the 16 year old Xander Harris. He was only a year younger than Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar) who played his teacher.
Pierrino Mascarino
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Pierrino played the monk Thelonius in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. His long career has included roles in Uncle Nino, Tears of the Sun, The 4th Tenor, General Hospital (as Drago), Warm Hearts, Cold Feet, Summer Rental, True Confessions, Alias, Everybody Loves Raymond, ER, The Drew Carey Show, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Mad About You, Seinfeld, Dynasty, Cagney & Lacey, Benson, Taxi, Starsky and Hutch and Dark Shadows.
Robia’s audition
details | 2 comments | suggested by Abby M.
When Robia LaMorte first read through her audition scene for 1.08 I Robot, You Jane she thought that the character of Giles was one of her teenage students. Robia met with Joss Whedon and the producers and was surprised when a distinguished looking man, whom she thought was one of the producers, stood up to read the scene with her. The fact that “Giles” was not a teenager but an adult love interest definitely changed the dymamic of the scene. Robia didn’t realize until later that the man she auditioned with was actually Anthony Stewart Head. The chemistry and playful banter between Robia and Tony was evident from the first moment, and producers quickly decided that “Jenny Calendar” would become a recurring character.
Special Projects
details | add a comment | suggested by Abby M.
In the episode 2.17 Passion, when Giles questions why Jenny is in the computer lab so late, she replies that she is “working on a special project.” In the episode 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, Fritz says to Jenny that he is working on a “special project” on the computer. Ironically, when Jenny asks if she will like Fritz’s ’special project’, he replies that she’ll die.
Spider-Man
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Spider-Man is a popular Marvel comic starring Peter Parker, who leads a double life as superhero Spider-Man. Made into two successful movies starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. There are many similarities between Peter and Buffy, as she too is trying to lead a normal life, and (occasionally) make a living, whilst saving the world. Spider-Man has been mentioned in numerous Buffy and Angel episodes, including:
- 1.07 Angel - The Master says, “With power comes responsibility”, which is the motto of the Spider-Man comics and movie.
- 1.08 I Robot, You Jane - Buffy says, “My spider-sense is tingling”.
- 4.12 A New Man - Riley says to Buffy, “You’re strong. Like Spider-Man strong”.
- 5.05 No Place Like Home - Ben suggests Buffy’s strength comes from a “Radioactive spider bite”.
- 6.04 Flooded - Anya and Dawn argue over if Spider-Man charges for helping people - Xander reminds them that “Action is his reward”.
- 6.21 Two To Go - Andrew says, “Lex Luthor had a false epidermis escape kit in Superman Versus the Amazing Spider-Man Treasury edition”
- 7.05 Selfless - Xander says, “This isn’t springy high-flying fun!”
- 7.10 Bring On The Night - Andrew says “My spider-sense is tingling”.
- 4.17 Inside Out - Cordy says “That’s it? I get away with bringing the world down around you and two eensy words tingle your spider sense?”
- Additionally, Buffy stuntman Erik Betts was director Sam Raimi’s choice for doubling actor Tobey Maquire for the movie Spider-Man, but was told by the costume designer that his shoulders were too large. Nicholas Brendon auditioned for the role of Spider-Man in the movie.
Stephen Posey
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Stephen directed 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. Stephen began his career as a cinematographer and director of horror movies. One such film, Slumber Party Massacre, was shocking enough to be banned in Germany, where even David Hasselhof isn’t banned. Stephen has also directed episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5 and Xena: Warrior Princess.
Technopagan
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, Jenny Calendar revealed herself to be a technopagan - a modern witch who uses the internet (and other technology) to cast spells and to communicate with other witches.
The Beatles
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, Xander refers to the Beatles song “With a Little Help from My Friends” when Buffy says that Dave’s death looked like suicide. The song is from the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s 1.02 Lonely Hearts Club Band Band.
In 1.11 Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight, most of Marcie’s text book at her new school is not actually about ‘Infiltration and Assassination’, as the chapter suggests. Most of it is either nonsense or devoted to the Beatles’ “Happiness is a Warm Gun”.
In 2.10 What’s My Line? (Part Two), Xander says:
“I am the bug man, goo goo g’joob.”
This is a reference to The Beatles’ psychedelic song “I Am The Walrus” (1967) which contains the line, “I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob.”
The episode 4.20 The Yoko Factor is named after John Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono, who was widely believed to have been the catalyst for breaking up The Beatles. In that episode, Spike explains this to Adam, who replies, “I like Helter Skelter” (a Beatles song).
Thelonius
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Thelonius was the leader of the group of monks who banished Moloch the Corrupter into a book in Cortona, Italy, 1418 (1.08 I Robot, You Jane). The character of Thelonious is named after the famous jazz artist Thelonius Monk.
Thomas A. Swyden
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Thomas co-wrote 1.08 I Robot, You Jane and 1.11 Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight with Ashley Gable. Thomas has also written for Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
Who knows?
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, Buffy’s assertion that Xander is jealous of Willow’s new “boyfriend” (”Yeah, but you got used to being the belle of the ball”) implies that Xander is aware of Willow’s unrequited crush on him, and that his awareness is common knowledge among his friends. Yet in the previous episode (1.07 Angel), Buffy urged Willow to tell Xander about her feelings for him.
Willow’s crush
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, we see that Willow has a picture of herself and Giles pinned to the inside of her locker. It can also be seen in the episode 1.10 Nightmares. Willow confirms that she used to have a crush on Giles in 4.18 Where The Wild Things Are, after she sees him singing.
[Goof] Blind Buffy
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
It would be impossible for Buffy not to see Dave’s hanging body as she entered the lab in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane.
[Goof] Buffy’s birthday
details | 13 comments | suggested by Jess
Moloch sends Fritz details of Buffy via the school’s computer system in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. We see two different versions of her school record on the computer. In the second one, her status changes from ’sophomore’ to ’senior’. Her date of birth also changes from 24 October 1980 to 6 May 1979. In 1.10 Nightmares, Buffy’s date of birth on her gravestone reads 1981-1997, and in 5.22 The Gift, it says 1981-2001.
[Goof] Buffy’s frizzy hair
details | 1 comment | suggested by Kathleen
In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, Buffy makes a big deal out of how her hair looks after she was electrocuted. She then goes to the computer lab and discovers Dave’s body, but when she comes back, her hair’s back to normal. Surely she didn’t stop to brush it in the midst of all that was happening?
[Goof] Dave’s death
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Fritz appears suddenly behind Dave to kill him, when Dave tells Moloch he can’t hurt Buffy in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. Moloch then writes on the computer screen to make it look like a suicide… but where did Fritz come from?
[Goof] Extra extra
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
When Buffy and Xander discuss who Willow’s internet boyfriend could be in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, there is a blonde girl behind them in a pink shirt, who can then be see both walking and running behind the two in different shots and in different directions. Look for her at 10.03, 10.20, 10.27 and 11.22 - she seems to have no idea where she’s going!
[Goof] Magic computer
details | 1 comment | suggested by Jess
When Buffy goes to turn on the computer to delete Willow’s files in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane she never touches the monitor ‘on’ button. She touches the area above the button, yet the screen pops on.
[Goof] Sprinter
details | 4 comments | suggested by Jess
In 1.08 I Robot, You Jane. how does Buffy manage to follow Dave to the CRD building so easily when he’s driving and she isn’t? I know she has super powers but she’s not that fast!
[Goof] Where’s Giles
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
When Giles leaves the library after discovering the blank book in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, why don’t we see him in the window of the room he goes into?
[Goof] You’ve got mail
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
Just before Willow is captured by Fritz at her house in 1.08 I Robot, You Jane, the computer’s screen goes black to announce new mail. She doesn’t touch it, but when Buffy and Xander get to her room the computer is displaying the e-mail.