This episode ranked 5th out of 11 WB shows for the week.

This episode scored a 2.8 in the fast nationals.

This episode was one of six Season 1 episodes released on VHS, prior to the full season DVD releases.

Giles: What do you want?
Owen: A book?
Giles: Oh!
Buffy: See, this is a school, and we have students, and they check out books, and then they learn things.
Giles: I was beginning to suspect that was a myth.

Owen: I lost my Emily. Dickinson. It's dumb, but I like her around. Kind of a security blanket.
Buffy: I have something like that. Well, it's an actual blanket. Uh, and I don't really carry it around anymore... So! Emily Dickens, huh? She's great!
Owen: Dickinson.
Buffy: She's good also.

Xander: (in public) So, Buffy, how did the slaying go last night?
Buffy: Xander!
Xander: I mean, how did the laying go? No, I don't mean that either.

Giles: Alright, I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show.
Buffy: Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm.

Giles: Well, you know what they say. 90% of the vampire slaying game is - is waiting.
Buffy: You couldn't have told me that 90% ago?

Giles: If your identity as the Slayer is revealed it could put you and all those around you in grave danger.
Buffy: Well, in that case I won't wear my button that says, "I'm the Slayer, ask me how!"

Xander: So you just went home?
Buffy: What was I supposed to do? Say to Owen, "Sorry I was late, I was sitting in a cemetery with the librarian waiting for a vampire to rise so I could prevent an evil prophecy from coming to pass"?
Xander: Or "flat tire"?

Buffy: If the apocalypse comes, beep me.

Giles: Uh, two more of the brethren came in here. They came after me. But I was more than a match for them.
Buffy: Meaning?
Giles: I hid.

Giles: Buffy, when I said you could slay vampires and have a social life, I didn't mean at the same time.

(After Buffy stakes a vampire, Giles finds a ring in its dust)
Buffy: Oh, that's great! I kill 'em, you fence their stuff.

Buffy: We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Buffy, and you're history!

Buffy: Do you have any more copies of Emily Dickinson? I need one.
Giles: Buffy, while the mere fact of you wanting to check out a book would be grounds for a national holiday, I think we should focus on the problem at hand.

Owen: Where were you last night?
Buffy: Oh. Well, um, my watch broke and we don't have any clocks in our house and so I didn't know what time it was or even what day it was...

Willow: So, where's he taking you?
Buffy: Oh, I don't know. Where do you suppose young kids go on dates these days?
Willow: Well, I read somewhere once that sometimes they go to movies.
Buffy: Movies! Interesting!
Willow: And I saw on TV once, a bunch of people our age went to a party.
Buffy: Wow, I never knew being a teenager was so full of possibilities.

Owen: (about Buffy) What, she doesn't like to dance?
Xander: Well, it's a little too late to do anything about that. Uh, you should probably know that Buffy doesn't like to be kissed. Actually she doesn't like to be touched.
Willow: Xander...
Xander: As a matter of fact, don't even look at her.

When the vampire rises and pulls the sheet over his head in the the funeral home, his reflection can be seen in the glass cabinet doors behind him.

When Buffy stakes the vampire, the ring he was wearing is left in his pile of dust. Normally when a vampire is staked, any clothing and jewelry it may have been wearing turns to dust as well.

Giles tells Buffy that there's no instruction manual to help in dealing with slayers. However, in a Season 2 episode, Kendra will mention the existence of the Slayer Handbook.

Owen: I was hoping we'd end up at Ben and Jerry's.

Ben and Jerry's a very popular ice-cream chain.

Buffy: Clark Kent has a job; I just want to go on a date.

This is a reference to Superman, where Clark Kent, despite having a secret identity, was able to lead a normal life.

Title: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date.

The episode title is a play on the old saying 'Never kiss a boy on the first date."