"I, ROBOT." BtVS Intertext/Allusion.
The
title of the first season episode "I
Robot, You Jane" cleverly alludes to both a Tarzan movie cliché
("Me Tarzan. You Jane") and I, Robot, the seminal collection of science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov
published in 1940 that explores the theme of the moral interaction between
humans and robots. In these stories, Asimov laid down for
the first time, his three Laws of Robotics.
1. A robot may not harm a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by the human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Four robots have been portrayed on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The first, Moloch the Corrupter (“I Robot, You Jane") is a demon housed in a robotic body, and uses other humans to carry out his task of corrupting minds, and having those who oppose him killed.
Ted (“Ted”) was designed by the original human Ted, to be a controlling male who needs to have others under his sway. He harms humans to fulfill his aim of marrying Joyce Summers when he drugs cookies he bakes and physically abuses Buffy.
April (“I Was Made to Love You”), who was constructed by Warren, one of the evil Troika for the purpose of loving him, almost kills Katrina, her perceived rival for Warren’s love.
The Buffybot (“Intervention,” “The Gift,” “Bargaining," Part 1, “Bargaining," Part 2) also constructed by Warren as a fantasy object for Spike, is the only one of the four robots that might be said to fulfill all three of Asimov’s Laws of Robotics. She first fulfills her primary purpose of pleasing Spike and then plays a vital role alongside the Scoobies in the fight against Glory. After Buffy’s death, the Buffybot takes the place of the Slayer and is finally destroyed protecting Sunnydale from demons.
Images from barnesandnoble.com.