This is a hard one, because I actually watched the first 3 seasons of AtS first. Then I needed all that backstory, so I went back to watch BtVS. I honestly can't remember my first impressions of s1, except that it seemed a bit unpolished in comparison to AtS, but I was able to rationalize that as part of the mechanics of TV series. Also, I'd caught glimpses of a few eps on tv when it was being aired. Enough to know it existed, and to recognize the look of the show, but not enough to really be savvy to the series.
School Hard was a watershed ep for me, less because Spike shows up and more because a character like Spike shows up (along with Dru). Does that make sense? It seems to hail the beginning of the story arcs and multi-faceted characters that become the hallmark of the entire 'verse (a few exceptions notwithstanding *cough*Andrew*cough*). But I'm not sure that School Hard is the defining moment for me. Maybe Prophecy Girl, which I thought was still pretty campy, but the theme lended a gravitas that was at odds with the humor and made me sit up and really take notice.
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School Hard was a watershed ep for me, less because Spike shows up and more because a character like Spike shows up (along with Dru). Does that make sense? It seems to hail the beginning of the story arcs and multi-faceted characters that become the hallmark of the entire 'verse (a few exceptions notwithstanding *cough*Andrew*cough*). But I'm not sure that School Hard is the defining moment for me. Maybe Prophecy Girl, which I thought was still pretty campy, but the theme lended a gravitas that was at odds with the humor and made me sit up and really take notice.