By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Part of what made Buffy the Vampire Slayer such a fun show was its countless pop culture references. It soon became clear that these characters were just as nerdy as the show’s audience, and that made Scoobies like Xander and Willow that much more endearing. Nonetheless, one of the show’s best pop culture references came in the form of an entire episode-long tribute to the greatest action movie ever made. The Buffy episode “School Hard” was loosely created as a tribute to Die Hard, with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s titular Slayer emulating the iconic John McClane character played by Bruce Willis.
Buffy Turns Die Hard Into School Hard
Even for seasoned Buffy fans, it’s easy to miss that “School Hard” is an homage to Die Hard…like, sure, the name makes it seem obvious, but later episode titles like “Beer Bad” imply that “school hard” is just an ironic observation by one of our characters. Nonetheless, the similarities to that seminal 80s action movie are quite apparent: this is an episode where vampires have taken over a school, similar to Alan Rickman’s terrorist leader taking over Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard. And Buffy must become a one-woman action hero a la John McClane, right down to using the school’s vents to dodge her would-be attackers.
To really appreciate how much this Buffy episode channels Die Hard, you may need a quick recap of the plot. This episode introduces future Big Bad (and future Scooby) Spike, a vampire who makes a splashy entrance by going after the Slayer during a parent/teacher night at Sunnydale High School. This creates a sticky situation for Buffy, who must quickly take charge and protect the assorted parents, including her own mother who does not yet know that her daughter is basically a superhero.
Part of why it’s hard to realize this Buffy episode is a Die Hard homage upon first viewing is the intentional misdirection. At the time, vampires openly attacking large groups of people at the high school rather than isolated targets was virtually unheard of, so the school plot seemed like this was going to be more about Buffy keeping her mother away from Principal Snyder than anything else. Spike’s brazen attack on the gathered teens and adults is appropriately surprising, and as with John McClane, it’s rewarding watching our capable hero on the back foot and scrambling to take out the bad guys, one by one.
Aside from the premise and similarities like Buffy crawling through the air vents to evade her attackers, the similarities to Die Hard are relatively subtle. For example, Spike’s accent and bold planning are reminiscent of Alan Rickman’s memorable cinematic villain, but this vampire isn’t in it for the money…instead, he came to Sunnydale High specifically to kill Buffy, boasting to the Anointed One about how he previously killed two Slayers. Plus, unlike Rickman’s Hans Gruber character, Spike doesn’t die at the end, but it’s not for lack of trying; if he weren’t a vampire, a strong axe swing from Buffy’s mom would have instantly killed him.
Even if you’re a Buffy fan who doesn’t love Die Hard (and first of all, how dare you!), it’s worth rewatching “School Hard” for the introduction of Spike and the added lore about this new vamp’s relationship with Angel. Plus, it’s a real thrill seeing Buffy show off her skills as both a leader and a fighter in front of adults like her mother who are normally in the dark about their children living in spook central. Finally, the episode ends (spoilers, sweetie) with Spike killing the Anointed One, which feels remarkably cathartic for anyone who, like us, thought this Season 1 character was beyond annoying.
