Top Buffy Episodes

Alright,

I am a Buffy fan. Sometimes I don't want to admit it, because I have spent quite a bit of time on this pursuit, and it seems that there are potentially better ways to spend your time. However, the fact remains that I am a Buffy fan.

I mentioned to my friend Kristen that I had been obsessing about Buffy episodes and had put together a list of my favourites, and she told me to post the list. Being the geek that I am, I couldn't just list them... so I had to include a brief commentary and analysis of each episode, too.

So, these are my personal preferences. Thirty episodes are listed (thirty-two if you count two-parters as two). The first twenty are in order of preference, more-or-less. The last ten are in series order as Honourable Mentions. If you're interested in checking out the series, putting together a night with a few of these episodes would be a good idea.

If you also are a fan of the series, I'm interested to hear if you have any comments on my analysis of these episodes.

Blessings,
Murr

TOP 20

20 Lie To Me (Season 2, Episode 7)

An early great Spike episode, "Lie To Me" focuses on a grade-school flame of Buffy's who arrives in Sunnydale with shady motives. It also features the first appearance of Julia Lee as the character who would eventually be known as "Annie" on Angel.

19 Fool For Love (Season 5, Episode 7)

Another great Spike episode, originally titled "Love's Bitch." It's a semi-crossover with the Angel episode "Darla" and includes flashbacks of Spike's timeline. It also develops his unhealthy obsession with Buffy, and digs under his big-bad facade to reveal the poet/lover beneath. The original title comes from a line he utters in another episode, where he says, 'I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.'

18 The Harsh Light of Day (Season 4, Episode 3)

I first heard about this episode when a friend (LQ) described it as the "don't have sex" episode. Three different sexual encounters result in confusion and/or heartbreak for the women involved (Anya, Harmony, and Buffy). I'm a sucker for episodes that end in a tableau with a strong musical accompaniment. This one features Bif Naked.

17 Graduation Day (Season 3, Episodes 21 & 22)

The finale of Season 3. The death of Mayor Wilkins and Principal Snyder, not to mention Larry and Harmony, and the ultimate Slayer vs. Slayer showdown (guess who wins!). Willow loses something important, and Angel walks away at the end without looking back.

16 Passion (Season 2, Episode 17)

This episode is, I believe, the first in the Buffyverse to effectively use the voice-over framing sequence as David Boreanaz' chilling narration introduces the theme of "passion." We realize the seriousness of the situation, as Buffy's little problem apparently isn't going away anytime soon. We see the depth of Angelus' sadistic hatred when he kills someone from the Slayer's inner circle.

15 Villains (Season 6, Episode 20)

In this episode, our expectations are turned upside down as the chief "bad guy" of season 6 is dispatched before we even reach the finale. All of the grief and disharmony that has characterized season 6 reaches a head, and the question that has been building for almost four years is answered: does Willow have the maturity and integrity to handle her power responsibly?

14 The Body (Season 5, Episode 16)

An entire episode with no incidental music whatsoever. A relentless barrage of imagery and a cinematic surreality make this episode as captivating as it is emotionally difficult. The unfortunate need to include a fight with a vampire (was this the network's influence?) and thus disrupt the otherwise hyper-real episode with an intrusion of fantasy keeps this one off the top 10.

13 Restless (Season 4, Episode 22)

As the denouement of Season 4 (it's not really the 'finale' - more of a follow-up) this episode may seem like pure fun, except it sets up some important elements for Season 5. Namely, it helps to inspire Buffy to become more sincere and committed to her calling. A dangerous entity threatens the gang within their dreams. Too many brilliant moments to list.

12 Once More, With Feeling (Season 6, Episode 7)

The infamous musical episode. The music isn't anything special; it's as derivative and generic as you would expect from a musical theatre fan and television writer. However, it is decent, and the lyrics and rhymes are delightful. Joss makes sure that this episode is a key moment in the grand narrative of the series, because they are not only magically compelled to sing and dance, but also to reveal to one another what is really in their hearts.

11 The Pack (Season 1, Episode 6)

I have a weakness for evil Xander, and this is the first of two episodes where we see that side of him (the other is also on this list). It's a perfect example of the three-act teleplay, and shows a disciplined hand from Joss and his creative teams. It also plays perfectly into the central metaphor of BTVS, which is the world of demons and magic as a metaphor for the life of the young person. At one point Giles describes Xander's strange behaviour: dressing differently, picking on weaker students, hanging out with a new crowd, being rude and mean, and then says, "It appears he's transformed into a sixteen year-old boy."

TOP 10

10 Prophecy Girl (Season 1, Episode 12)

Buffy must accept her destiny before she can overcome it. So much of what is great about the series, the concept, and the character is embodied by this episode. She lives in between the world of demons and the world of high school, operating in both but belonging to neither. She transcends her 'roles' as both 'teenager' and 'Slayer' by integrating them together. In other words, she kicks ass and looks pretty doing it. The difference between Buffy and other Slayers is her refusal to sacrifice her 'life' (both in the literal and the figurative sense) for the sake of her calling. What makes her a great teenager is that when it counts, she also refuses to sacrifice her calling for the sake of her 'life.' Her relationships with her friends keep her grounded, balanced, and focused. Without them, she would burn bright and hot, and die young like all of the Slayers that preceded her. And without them, she wouldn't be nearly as effective at saving the world. And it's all in this episode, which is the finale of season 1.

9 The Prom (Season 3, Episode 20)

The quiet before the storm that is "Graduation Day," this episode is relatively low on action and high on emotion. The ending of the Cordelia/Xander feud, the break-up of Buffy and Angel, and the public recognition of Buffy's contribution to the students at Sunnydale High, (apparently they have the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history) make this a significant moment that prepares Angel and Cordy to depart for their spin-off series and prepares Buffy for the transition to college life. It also features Giles telling off Wesley in an extremely British way: "For God's sake, man, she's eighteen. And you have the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone. Just ask her to dance."

8 Conversations With Dead People (Season 7, Episode 7)

This is the episode that really gets things going in Season 7. Four separate stories featuring four separate conversations (with four separate dead people). Buffy, Dawn, and Willow each encounter people from their pasts who give them disturbing messages, and we see the return to Sunnydale of the Geek Trio, including the apparent ghost of Warren Meers.

7 Lies My Parents Told Me (Season 7, Episode 17)

Another great Spike episode. The First Evil has been taking advantage of Spike since his return; even though he has a soul, he still has "demons" to exorcise. One of them is the question of his mother's love for him. We see the poet/lover even more, and we learn that when Spike is in touch with his inner poet, he becomes even more dangerous.

6 The Gift (Season 5, Episode 22)

Some wonderful theological/christological implications here. Earlier in season 5, Buffy was given a message from the spirit world: Love will lead you to your gift; Death is your gift. She thinks it means killing, but her gift is something else...

5 Tabula Rasa (Season 6, Episode 8)

In the midst of the emotional turmoil and trauma of Season 6, we have this gem that mixes pure comedy with the harshest irony and, ultimately, tragic heartbreak as everyone loses their memories and things revert to a simpler, funnier dynamic. Then, once we're really into it, it all comes crashing back. This is another episode with a strong musical finish, this time with Michelle Branch's "Goodbye to You."

4 Hush (Season 4, Episode 10)

Widely regarded as the number one episode of the series, it's hard to disagree from any perspective other than personal preference. After three years of solid viewership, Whedon et al. were facing some harsh criticisms that their series was all style and no substance... "Nothing but clever dialogue..." So Joss decided to tell a story without any dialogue, and the middle two-thirds of this episode does exactly that, to great effect. One of the scariest episodes in the series, it also manages to include humour, romance, and action in an almost perfect balance. Not only does it tell its story without the benefit of dialogue, but in the opening scenes where the characters can talk, almost everything they say has something to do with speech, communication, or language. The final image of the episode has Buffy and her love interest, Riley Finn (once they have their voices restored) sitting across from each other, deciding that they "should talk..." and then sitting silently for several moments until the credits begin to roll. Tremendous unity of theme and expert execution make this a must-see episode.

3 The Wish (Season 3, Episode 9)

The events of this episode are not remembered by any of the characters (with one exception) but they echo through the rest of the series in undeniable ways. It takes place in an alternate dimension, in which Buffy never came to Sunnydale. She moved to the Midwest instead, the Master rose, Xander and Willow were killed and transformed into vampires, whose greatest opponents in town are Giles, Oz, and Larry who fight a losing battle with no Slayer in sight. Vampire Xander is a throwback to feral Xander from episode "The Pack," and Vampire Willow (who would return in episode "Doppelgangland") prefigures in many ways the Willow that we see at the end of season 6. Without her friends, Buffy is eerily similar to Faith, providing an argument that environment and experience are important contributors to character. This episode also introduces Anya to the Buffyverse, and the climactic scene in which we see Xander, Willow, Angel, and Buffy die one by one is highlighted by Anya's question, "How do you know that reality will be any better than this one?" and Giles' answer: "Because it has to be."

2 Selfless (Season 7, Episode 5)

Anya reaches a crisis point. After more than a millenium of existence, and twice being transformed into a demon, she no longer knows where she fits in. The theme of the episode is almost buried in the rich and powerful storytelling, but it shines through: she has spent her entire life giving herself away, and has nothing to show for it. Includes a "lost" scene from the musical episode, the sudden ending of which gives me goosebumps every time.

1 Becoming (Season 2, Episodes 21 & 22)

My number one episode is the closer of season 2... actually a two-parter, the first and second portions are quite distinct in their storytelling styles. However, because they share a title, I'm including them together as one episode. This episode prefigures what would become some of the storytelling conventions of the Angel spin-off series over a year later, including frequent flashbacks to Angel's past and a focus on character development, not to mention the sage-like demon who brings Angel his mission and purpose (here, a demon named Whistler, on Angel, it is Doyle). One by one the constants in Buffy's life disappear... her mother discovers her secret and banishes her from their home; her fellow-Slayer Kendra who, even at a distance, gave Buffy a sense that she was not alone in the world, dies, and Buffy is pursued as a suspect in her killing; she is expelled from school, and at the urging of her closest friends, is forced to send her lover to hell. Though she learns from Whistler that even when you strip everything else away, you are still left with your sense of self, she takes the lesson too far and decides to leave behind everything that has already been at least partially taken from her. Another episode that finishes with a moving tableau and music combination, this time it's Sarah McLachlan's "Full of Grace" and a sign saying, "You Are Now Leaving Sunnydale."

Honourable Mention

Band Candy (Season 3, Episode 6)

Adults acting like kids? Kids having to act like grown-ups? What's not to love? Armin Shimerman steals the show with his portrayal of a teenaged Snyder, and the third appearance of Ethan Rayne is more than welcome.

The Zeppo (Season 3, Episode 13)

Xander finds his cool as the gang fights against the end of the world. The humour of this might not be fully realized by non-fans, as the end of the world becomes the sub-plot to Xander's teen-movie adventures. The sharp cuts out of Xander's predicament and into the middle of a high-drama, high-romance Buffy/Angel scene, for instance, are just jarring enough to grab your attention, and the music, dialogue, and acting in the subplot are cliched and melodramatic. In the end, they save the world, he saves the day, and Oz eats a re-animated dead guy. Good fun, and great character study.

Doppelgangland (Season 3, Episode 16)

The quality of this episode rests on the dual performance of Aly Hannigan as both Willow and Vampire Willow, and on the strength of the two characters as opposite sides of one coin. Willow is transfigured in her own eyes and, to some extent, the eyes of her friends as they see what she is capable of in different circumstances. It's also the second appearance of Anya in the series.

Fear, Itself (Season 4, Episode 4)

This one is just good fun and some good frights; but it also gives us some insight into the characters as their greatest fears are revealed. The "horrifying" climax is so anticlimactic that it becomes hilarious, and the "one last scare" at the end accomplishes the same feat only moments later.

Who Are You? (Season 4, Episode 16)

Eliza Dushku plays Buffy and Sarah Gellar plays Faith, and they both do an absolutely stunning job of it. Eventually, the way they are perceived and treated by others begins to affect their behaviours, once again providing an argument that the differences between the two Slayers are more about environment and experience than anything else.

As You Were (Season 6, Episode 15)

The turning point of season 6, in this episode Buffy is forced to take herself seriously after an old friend suddenly reappears in Sunnydale. She regains a measure of self-esteem and starts to see her situation for what it is, helping her put an end to her masochistic and self-pitying behaviours.

Normal Again (Season 6, Episode 17)

The ending of this episode remains ambiguous: is Buffy a superhero with a nagging suspicion that she might just be a catatonic asylum inmate, or is she a schizophrenic mental patient who retreats into dreams of fighting evil? We may never know.

Entropy (Season 6, Episode 18)

The jilted Spike takes comfort in the arms of another rebounding Scooby gang member; Anya attempts to curse Xander for leaving her at the altar, and Willow and Tara reconcile at last.

Sleeper (Season 7, Episode 8)

Ensouled Spike has been killing innocent people but doesn't remember doing it. His "insane in the school basement" phase may have had more to it than just insanity... but when Buffy confronts him, he begs her to kill him, because he doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore.

Dirty Girls (Season 7, Episode 18)

There's a new bad guy in town, and he's pretty bad: a former serial-killing southern preacher who has become the apostle of the First Evil, and who hates everything female. Featuring the return of Faith after her transition to the good side over on Angel, this episode was initially supposed to include the death of Xander. Instead, he suffers a permanent injury that destroys the morale of Buffy's army, on the eve of their greatest battle.