The ABCs of Sunnydale

Cordelia Chase:

Debut -- Welcome to the Hellmouth (Season 1)

In WTTH and The Harvest, Cordelia is showcased as a bitca. She at first befriends Buffy and warns her how to spot losers such as Willow, Xander, and Jesse. At the Bronze, Cordelia is seen surrounded by a group of girls, all of whom appear to be hanging on her every word. Later, when Buffy mistakes Cordy for a vampire and grabs her by the neck, Cordelia believes that Buffy is not as cool as she thought, and thus ends her friendship with Buffy. Cordy is now set up as Buffy's rival, competing for everything from a spot on the cheerleading squad to guys, etc. Cordelia constantly tries to make Buffy look bad and spreads rumors about her.

Most Ironic Line:
"What's her deal?"

Other 1st season appearances -- The Witch, Teacher's Pet, Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, Angel, The Puppet Show, Nightmares, Invisible Girl, Prophecy Girl

In The Witch, Cordelia appears as a wanna-be cheerleader who is apparently up against some stiff competition in the form of Amy Madison. In a locker-room confrontation with Amy, Cordelia is at her most bitca-esque, telling Amy that her dream is to be on the squad, admired by many, and she doesn't want Amy getting in the way. The next time we see Cordy, she is seemingly light-headed, and worse, she's behind the wheel of a car for Driver's Ed. Cordy all of a sudden is blinded -- she crashes the car and stumbles out on the road, into the path of an oncoming car. This marks the second time that Buffy saves Cordelia's life, as she pushes her out of the way just in time. When the camera pans on Cordy's face, her eyes look silvery and she claims she can't see. Her eyesight is restored and she apparently makes the squad, as we see her next cheerleading antics in season 2's Some Assembly Required.

In Teacher's Pet, Cordy finds the missing biology teacher, Dr. Gregory, in the cafeteria's refrigerator while she's going to get her "special" lunch. She's also seen later talking with a counselor -- this is a humorous scene in which we see just how Cordy views the world -- revolving around herself. She talks about how she's lost some weight due to the teacher's death, then quickly explains that she's not saying that teachers should die just so she can lose weight, she's just trying to find something positive about it.

In NKABOTFD, Cordy again is at odds with Buffy, this time competing for the attention of a brooding, good-looking student named Owen. She tries to make Buffy look clumsy and awkward first in the cafeteria and later on the dance floor at the Bronze. When Cordy realizes she's losing out to Buffy on the Owen front, she later tries to make a play for Angel, only to lose out to Buffy once again when Angel walks past her towards Buffy.

Cordy makes a brief appearance in Angel. She's shown trading insults with Xander when he knocks into her on the dance floor at the Bronze. This might be the first time that we see their distaste for one another. She's also shown denigrating someone's Todd Oldham dress, calling it a cheap copy, and saying that this is what happens when you sign those free trade agreements.

The Puppet Show marks another amusing turn by Cordelia. She's first seen trying to belt out the tune "The Greatest Love of All" during the talent show practice tryouts. Obviously, singing isn't one of her strong suits. What's interesting about this episode is that it nicely sets up Cordelia's fear of having bad hair. Giles effectively gets rid of Cordelia -- who's pestering him about when she should appear in the show -- by looking at her funny and mentioning her hair. She freaks out and runs off, leaving Giles to say, "Xander was right..it worked like a charm." Cordy continues to play antogonist to Buffy's protagonist by teasing her about having a dummy Sid, like her. And also we gain more insight as to the fact that Cordelia is wrapped up in herself. When she's speaking with Xander about Emily's death, she calls Emily by the wrong name and says, "All I can think is, it could've been me!"

Cordy's brief appearances in Nightmares further the notion that she is self-obsessed; we see her fixing her make-up in class and complaining that Wendell is in her light. She also trades another insult with Xander. Interestingly enough, she's not as all-out rude to Buffy as she's been in the past; she actually helps Buffy find a classroom when Buffy looks lost. We see 2 nightmares of Cordelia's realized in this episode -- the bad hair and being recruited by the chess team.

Invisible Girl is an episode in which Cordelia is heavily featured. The antagonist in this episode is an invisible girl by the name of Marcie Ross. The girl's been snubbed by many people, mostly by Cordelia though, and she begins to take revenge by terrorizing all of Cordy's friends. Cordy gets wise to this and actually seeks out Buffy's help. She doesn't know Buffy's secret yet, but has seen enough to know that if anyone can handle this situation, it's Buffy. And true to form, Buffy does indeed save Cordelia. Along the way, we learn that Cordy's not as superficial as she appears to be; it's her defense mechanism, a way to survive. She does complain that she thinks people are so busy really listening to her that they never really hear what she's saying. Ironically, this sentiment is expressed again, only in relation to herself as doing the listening/hearing thing, in season 2's Reptile Boy. Cordy and Buffy realize they have more in common than they thought as it's revealed that Buffy was one of the popular kids at her old school in LA. This is the first time we've seen some real character development on Cordelia's part, even though at the end of the episode, her superficial qualities come back when she snubs the Buffy gang in front of her peers.

Prophecy Girl seems to show a gentler Cordelia...she asks for Willow's help setting up a sound system for the spring dance, and the 2 girls are seen together looking for the equipment when they come across the bodies of some students they knew. Cordy is startled to find the body of Kevin, the boy she was dating. Later, Cordy swings by in her car in time to save Miss Calendar and Willow from a horde of vamps. This episode features the first time that Cordy helps the gang fight off the vamps, and her first introduction as to who Buffy really is.

SEASON 2 APPEARANCES

  When She Was Bad; Some Assembly Required; School Hard; Inca Mummy Girl; Reptile Boy; Halloween; Lie to Me; The Dark Age; What's My Line Parts I, II; Ted; Bad Eggs; Surprise; Innocence; Phases; Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered; Passion; Killed By Death; I Only Have Eyes For You, Go Fish, Becoming part I, II

When She Was Bad marks the first new episode of season 2, and with it, Cordelia's expanding role into the world of the Slayer and the Slayerettes. She actually speaks to the gang in the hallway, and later tries to tell Buffy to lose her attitude before she her geek-friends drop her. Cordy's ability to speak her mind is best realized here, and grows stronger as the season progresses.

Best Line:
"Whatever's causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it. Embrace your pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever. But get over it." -- to Buffy after witnessing her in total bitca-mode.

Cordy's role in Some Assembly Required is not only to play victim, but also to seek out Willow for help on a science project. This marks the second time on the show that Cordy goes to the library to seek out someone's help. (The first time was in Season 1's Invisible Girl.) We also learn that Cordy used to have a thing for Darryl. And also, there's continuity from The Witch in that Cordy's on the cheerleading team. This ep. also features Cordy and Angel talking together, quite possibly for the first time. (Shades of "Hello, salty goodness!"). Milestone: Xander's responsible for saving Cordy's life in this episode, and you can see that she starts to see him in a new light. But he blows it big-time when she goes to thank him for saving her life...

School Hardmarks the first time that Cordy shows real support for the Slayer -- she's actually helping to make stakes in preparation for the Eve of St. Vigius when Spike will attack. She also insults Xander in this episode, and ends up locked in a supply closet (got a thing for supply closets, eh, Cordy?) with Willow.

Most Telling Exchange:
Xander: "Does anybody remember when Saturday night meant Date Night?"
Cordy: "You sure don't."

Inca Mummy Girl introduces Cordy's latest flame, Devon, lead singer of a band called "Dingoes Ate My Baby" -- for all of you wondering where I came up with Dingo on the Prairie as this site's main title..now you know where it came from, sorta. now i guess i can tell you my longer handle at the pb -- hilary the dingo chick. Cordy's also busy trying to get her foreign exchange guest Sven to follow her commands. This episode introduces Cordy's coining of the word dogly.

Reptile Boy focuses on Cordelia's views of men. Basically, she likes them rich. And good-looking, too. She pesters Buffy to go with her to a frat party, because the guy she likes asked that Buffy come, too. Cordy had no idea that the guys were into snake-thing-worship, though. After their ordeal is over, Cordy decides to play it safe and go for younger, or at least more order-taking-subservient-type guys, like Jonathan. Also, Cordelia insults Xander a few times, and he insults her. I'd say Cordy wins the insult rounds.

Halloween features Cordy as Buffy's rival for Angel's attention once again. First she tries to move in on Angel at the Bronze when Buffy's late; she does the insult thing when Buffy arrives, too. At school the next day, she rubs Buffy's face in the fact that she hung out with Angel for a bit...what's amusing is that Cordy still doesn't know that Angel's a vampire! Buffy thought she knew, and when she and Willow try to tell her that Angel is indeed a vamp, Cordy thinks they're just saying that to scare her off. When the Halloween spell kicks in, Cordy's one of the only people who's not affected by it because she got her cat costume at Party Town. She notices Xander's fine physique in this episode, and looks somewhat intrigued by it. Also, when Buffy's in the throes of being a noblewoman and therefore afraid of Angel-the-vampire, Cordy is the one who assures her that Angel's good. Other than that, that's about it for her this time out.

A Good Line:
"Look, Buffy, you may be hot stuff when it comes to demonology or whatever, but when it comes to dating, I'm the Slayer! -- to Buffy and Willow, in the girls' room.

Cordy is featured briefly in LTM, and she basically gives one of her self-centered-type explanations about why Marie Antoinette wasn't such a bad person. Willow rolls her eyes, and Xander has a pained look on his face. Since she's barely visible in this ep., I'll throw in that exchange of hers.

Cordy's Only Lines:
Cordy: "I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette -- I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort. And I know the peasants were all depressed."
Xander: "I think you mean 'oppressed'."
Cordy: "Whatever. They were cranky. So they're like, 'Let's lose some heads!' Ungh, that's fair. And, uh..Marie Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake." -- Cordy in history class.

What's interesting is that Cordy's the only one who doesn't lie to Buffy in this episode..that's pretty much in character, since later in KBD she tells the gang that she'll pass on tact, since "tact is just not saying true stuff." Pretty good character consistency, eh?

TDA features Cordy as Slayerette again. At first, Buffy tells Cordy she can leave the library since they're about to do some work that'll help Giles with the Eyghon thing. And as a result, it's in this episode that Cordy admits to the gang that she wants to help Giles, too, because she likes him. So I'd say that this is pretty significant; Cordy signs on as Slayerette for good, even if it is a Saturday, which probably wouldn't have been convenient for her earlier in the season.

Also, Cordy is the one who provides some helpful information about something she witnessed in the library when she went to talk to Giles. On the Xander-front: Xander moves to protect Cordy in the library; they also engage in a shouting/insult match -- much like they do in the Eskimo culture, but I digress -- and Willow has to break them apart and keep them focused. Cordy gets some good lines in this episode, and she also finally sees Angel in demon/vamp mode. Guess she believes what the gals told her in Halloween now, eh?

Classic Cordy:
"I'm gonna be in therapy 'til I'm thirty!" -- Cordy, upon witnessing Philip turn into the Eyghon goop. (and hey, after living on the Hellmouth, she's probably right!)

WML I, II provide a big push in the Xander/Cordy romantic liaison storyline. In the beginning, there are insults. Later, Giles tells Xander to get a ride to Buffy's house from Cordy -- no one's heard from Buffy and The Order of Turaka is after her. Cordy and Xander do much of the insult thing at Buffy's, and then they're trapped by one of the assassins. Cordy, enticed by the offer of free make-up, unwittingly invites an assassin to come inside Buffy's house. Anyhoo, she and Xander hide down in Buffy's basement, tempers flare, and the smooch happens.

More insults in part II, and then Cordy is instrumental in helping Xander stamp out Bugly Assassin. Later they try to explain away the kiss, end up yelling, and another smooch happens.

In Ted, Cordy and Xander are awkward around each other...until they decide to "see" each other in the janitor's closet. That's not a scene we see, though. Later she's Slayerette, investigating Ted's place. She's the one who stumbles upon the entrance to his digs. Couple of good lines here'n'there, that's about it.

BE features a hormonally-driven Cordy. She and Xander are in a closet here and there, until she becomes possessed by one of the eggs. She whacks Buffy in the science lab and then later hits Xander. She does apologize for this, though, so..that's a step in the right direction. No huge character insights here, although we still see that Cordy's reluctant to be seen with Xander in public.

Surprise is interesting as far as Cordy's character is concerned. This episode shows her ever-deepening commitment to the Slayerettes' cause...I mean, after all, she's "chips and dips girl" for Buffy's surprise birthday party. Yet she also remains classic in her Cordy priorities -- after Buffy dusts a vamp and deals with the arm of The Judge, -- I think, gotta check to be sure -- , she asks who's gonna have cake. Hey, guess she's really not all that removed from Marie Antoinette after all.

Innocence is interesting in that we see her facial expression after Willow discovers her and Xander smooching in the stacks of the library. She looks upset, ashamed, and it seems that in that look, to me anyway, that she's upset about having hurt Willow. Cordy's instrumental in Xander's plan to steal the weapon that'll take out The Judge, too. She later (reluctantly) helps the gang pick up the Judge's pieces.

Phases is a fun Cordy outing. In this episode, she has to deal with Xander's ranting and raving about Willow's going out with Oz, as well as deal with his yammering on and on about Buffy. Cordy makes some inroads with Willow, too, as they commiserate about guys at the Bronze. It's in this episode that we definitely start to see that Cordy likes Xander more than she's willing to let on.

BBB is one of the biggest Cordy outings to date. In it, she rejects Xander on Valentine's Day after he gives her a present and suggests that maybe they have more than something of a hormonal nature. She does this under the pressure of being outcast by her "friends." Unbeknownst to her, Xander retaliates by having a spell cast that will make Cordy fall in love with him so he can dump her. She's unaffected by the spell, though, and when she learns about what Xander's done, she realizes that he truly does care for. This in part helps her to tell her friends off and decide to be seen with Xander in public. She's still concerned about her friends a little, but she's still willing to date a lame guy in front of them. Yay.

Passion shows the selfish/selfless sides of Cordy yet again. She freaks about getting the spell to uninvite Angel from her car, and while she's at Willow's house, she insults her and Buffy. Later though, she appears to drive Buffy and Willow over to Giles's house after they've learned of Jenny Calendar's death.

KBD is pretty amusing where Cordy's character is concerned. She talks about her distaste for tact, since "tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass," and she also confronts Xander about his obsession with Buffy when he says he'll stay in the hospital to protect the perimeter from Angel. She's still kind enough to bring him donuts, though! Also amusing is her attempt to cover the Slayerettes' discussion when Buffy's mom arrives. Cordy's in full Slayerette mode in this ep., whether she's cozying up to a security guard to gain information and cover for Xander, or helping Giles do the research thing.

IOHEFY once again features Cordy as sooth, I mean, truth-sayin' slayerette. When her face isn't being bitten by a snake or just looking disfigured, she's in the hallways with the gang, trying to perform a spell to cast a ghost out of the school. At Buffy's house, she's eating (dip, it looks like!) -- but it's been a while since I've seen it, so I might be wrong-- and after she hears Buffy go off on the "evil spirit" ghost and guilt, etc., she says, "Okay..over-identify much?" Also noteworthy is the fact that Cordy wants to boycott the Sadie Hawkins dance since she's not into anything where the girls ask the guys. I hear y'sister!

In GF, Cordy goes back and forth between making fun of Xander's "manliness" -- she teases him about running like a woman when something scary happens -- and going ga-ga over him once she glimpses him in his Speedos. Cordy pours her heart out during a scene in this episode, and while I didn't much get into that, it was nice to see that she really does have feelings for Xander. Especially of interest is the fact that Cordy must be some kind of artist...she provides a sketch of the creature to match Xander's description! So..she can draw?

Becoming part I shows Cordy at lunch with the gang...she and Xander flirt and she calls Snyder a choice name..behind his back, of course. She also tries to compliment Willow. Cordy later helps Willow and Giles perform the spell to cure Angel, but when the vamps attack, she takes off when Xander tells her to flee.

In Becoming part II, Cordy appears the hospital to lend moral support to Xander who's praying for Willow to come out of her coma. Later she helps Willow and Oz perform the Angel ritual. That's pretty much it as far as her character is concerned.

More Cordy! Season 3.

Story Arc: Xander & Cordelia


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This page last updated on November 7, 1998.

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