Y'know, I thought it would be a cool idea and all to let you in on what I think are the top five episodes of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, seeing as it's almost Halloween and all (and yes, I know, baddies find the day to be
boorish and cliché). But can I really sum up seven seasons of episodes within a measly list of five? Well, I'll
do my best, and I'm sure no matter how I order them or list them, someone's going to disagree. Big time. So, without
further ado...First, I need to have some honorable mentions here, because I just don't feel right at all not having them in the list. If I could, I'd have listed 'The Wish' (3.9) and 'Tabula Rasa' (6.8) among my favorites, but this is 'The Five', after all. I know many will tell me I should have added 'The Body' (5.16) to the list, but sorry, it's not one of my favorites.
5) The Zeppo (3.13) -- This episode is better known to me as "The Xander Episode". Finally the guy with no special powers gets his day in the sun, except nobody's around to witness it. Xander takes down a high school bully zombie gang, saving the school and the rest of the Scoobs in the process. Not only that, but the man loses his virginity to Faith. Faith! A nice touch was how much the writers downplayed the battle that Buffy and gang were calling the possible "end of the world," as we barely caught a glimpse of what was going on during brief scenes when Xander was in the high school. Cap it all off with the look he gives Cordelia. Perfect.
4) Fear, Itself (4.4) -- I just loved Oz. I hated that he later left the show, and I always dreamed up scenarios in later seasons when he'd return for good. He plays a great part in this episode, where a "fear demon" takes hold of a fraternity house during a Halloween bash, turning everyone's worst fears upon themselves. Oz's worst fear was, of course, turning into a werewolf outside of a full moon and then hurting Willow. And then there's Anya's idea of a scary costume: a rabbit. In a classic ending, the gang finally comes face-to-face with the fear demon, and we learn that the heading next to its picture in Giles' book translates to "actual size".
3) A New Man (4.12) -- This had some great interaction between Giles and Spike, something we hadn't really gotten to see in the past. I also love the Ethan Rayne character, who in this episode changes Giles into one of the very things he fights: a demon (I always thought that the BBC's Ripper series should start out with Giles meeting Ethan, so we could learn more about their sordid past, but I digress). Since Spike is the only one who can understand the Fyarl demon language, Giles relies on his help. I didn't really care for season four all that much, mainly due to the featured big-bad being a bit disappointing. Thankfully this (and one other) episode brightly outshines what was a rather lackluster season.
2) Once More, With Feeling (6.7) -- The famed musical episode had me a little nervous. Could these cats actually sing? And could Joss put together a story that made sense in a musical setting? Oh, why oh why did I doubt the Whedonmeister. It's evident that a lot of time and planning was put into making sure this episode worked and worked very well. Not only were the songs well done, but the lyrics made complete sense with the story and the characters. Some of the songs were sung very well, too. Everything's explained in a very Buffyverse-believable sort of way, and we even get a huge plot point for the series thrown in there for good measure: Buffy and Spike's first kiss. No list of Buffy favorites is complete without this episode. None, I say!
1) Hush (4.10) -- No brainer. If someone who had never seen Buffy (blasphemy!) asked me to show them just one episode of the show to get them hooked, this would be it. Joss and company pull off one hell of a stunt by making an almost completely speech-free episode, and damn does it work. Also, this is one scary-ass episode. Holy creepy on those 'Gentlemen' and the gimps that hurried after their floating bodies. And those plastered on grins. Parents, do not show this episode to your young kids; they will have nightmares for months following watching this. And once again, we get a huge piece of the Buffy story added in the mix, as Riley finally finds out that Buffy is a little bit "special".
Celebrate the 4th by watching television!
Stargate Atlantis season five - An early look
Saving Grace season two: An early look
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
10-24-2005 @ 9:19AM
w.virtue said...
Coming late to the series and losing interest during Evil Willow times my exposure was short. But of the episodes that I could pick as the best were the musical and speechless were by far my favs.
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10-24-2005 @ 10:07AM
Ryan j Budke said...
Unfortunately, my only exposure to the Buffyverse is the last two seasons of Buffy and the last of Angel. Buffy was good, but I heard the good times were before my time. I still hold that that season of Angel was one of the finest in TV. I've always meant to spend some time and buy/rent all the seasons and watch them. I do think it's funny how you mentioned that you thought season 4 was the weakest yet you named 3 episodes from it.....
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10-24-2005 @ 10:16AM
Amy said...
Most people's favorite episodes DO fall under season 4, interestingly enough, even though it's also a season hated by so many. The problem lies in that the strongest Stand Alone episodes were likely the best of all the seasons, however, the story arc for season 4 was weak at best. For die hard fans, the show became way too SciFi when it had been based--up until that point--in magick fantasy land. That and Buffy's boyfriend was no longer hot David Boreonez. LOL.
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10-24-2005 @ 10:26AM
Alec said...
The Body is one of my favorite episodes but I can understand people not adding it. It was something completely different from any episode ever and has somewhat of a special place outside of the normal buffy episodes. My favorite of all time though was the season five finale, The Gift. Action packed, emotional and shocking. Before I discovered internet spoilers having Buffy die was a great way to end the series run on WB.
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10-24-2005 @ 10:43AM
Keith McDuffee said...
HAH! I guess I didn't want to believe Season 7 existed. Thanks for catching that. Not sure what I was thinking.
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10-24-2005 @ 11:14AM
Trivia Mastah said...
"The Wish" was episode 3.9 not 4.13.
Nice list! But I think best episode was and still is, 4.22 Restless.
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10-24-2005 @ 11:18AM
Keith McDuffee said...
Thanks for catching that, Trivia. You are indeed, the Mastah.
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10-24-2005 @ 11:24AM
Keith McDuffee said...
Actually, it's funny you mention 'Restless', because I almost put that in my honorable mention. It was a great episode to get us geared up for the next season. The previous episode to this one, 'Primeval', felt more like a season ender, so many were left guessing what the real finale would be like. Very dream-like in how disjointed everything is in one's dream world, and the strange cheese man who happened to be in them all. Joss (or some other writer) later said that the cheese man was never meant to be significant, only to highlight how weird dreams are in the first place. Good pick!
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10-24-2005 @ 11:30AM
Jennifer said...
Hmm what are my five faves.. this is a toughy. Well, in no order...
The Body
Once More, With Feeling
Hush
The Wish
Chosen
All very popular favorites - I liked Chosen a lot because it really did sum up the series and not too many shows actually end on an episode that makes sense and was done well.
Honorable mentions:
S7- Beneath You: Not so much for the worm story, but the last part when Buffy finds out Spike has a soul, loooved the entire church scene.
The last four episodes of S6 (Tara is murdered, Willow gets her evil-on), I could watch those over and over again.
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10-24-2005 @ 12:06PM
Steven Rubio said...
I taught a course on Buffy a few years ago. When I planned the course, I thought long and hard before choosing six episodes that we would watch during the semester. I can't remember what they were now ... they were all from the first three seasons, I decided that was the easiest way to condense the material.
Anyway, by the time the semester was over, we'd watched 18 episodes. There was always one more that I felt we "had to watch."
And most of them were from the first three seasons.
Having said that, whenever someone wants to watch one episode to see what all the fuss was about, I show them "Hush." It works as a standalone, it's supremely creepy, and it has just enough goofy camraderie to give a feel for that aspect of the show. And if I'm showing one episode in a class to demonstrate the show's greatness, I show "The Body," which is the best single episode I've ever seen on television about dealing with death. (The death of Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue is the equal of "The Body," but that took five episodes.)
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10-24-2005 @ 1:18PM
Scott said...
It's interesting to rewatch Hush and see how long it takes before they all get silent. It's not the whole episode, at all.
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10-24-2005 @ 1:25PM
Keith McDuffee said...
Yes, keep in mind these are the episodes I find to be the "best," but my definition of "best" may be different than yours. Yes, there is no doubt that 'Becomming II' and 'The Body' are superb episodes, but I jut did not enjoy them as much as the ones I listed. Most likely many of you will disagree with my addition of 'Fear, Itself', but I just really enjoyed that episode and rank it up there in my top five.
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10-24-2005 @ 1:42PM
Daniel said...
I have to say that my favourite episodes usually do fall post-Angel, but maybe that's because I haven't seen anything before Season 4 in many years. 'The Gift' to me was the greatest, um, present to television watchers in history. I have never been so fractured in all my life (except after the Six Feet Under finale in August), and though I knew that one of my friends was dead, in the war that we all knew she had to participate in, she won, and we won. I will always remember the looks on everyone's faces, especially Willow's, as Buffy lay peacefully. Those tears was real in my mind.
I would have to say my second-favourite episode, mostly because of the great writing, was Season seven's 'Conversations With Dead People.' The dynamic between Buffy and the vamp was amazing, as was Willow's encounter with the Big Bad. I enjoyed Dawn's sequence as well, though I could never get over her as a character, because for three seasons, she was just plain frustrating and annoying.
Other favourites: 'Hush', of course; 'Once More, With Feeling'; I to this day know the entire episode to heart; the series finale was excellent, as well, and was noticeably a throwback to previous seasons. We all know how bad season 7 was, so it was nice to have something memorable within it.
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10-24-2005 @ 2:03PM
Andrew said...
I don't find much to disagree with in these 5 episodes-- yet only one comes from Season3 and none are from Season 2, and those are by a considerable margin the two best whole seasons of the show. Seasons 4,5,6 had some excellent single episodes that stand out, but the larger series arc was weaker in those seasons.
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10-24-2005 @ 2:06PM
Dana5140 said...
Are these supposed to be your favorites or are they supposed to be "the best?" I think there is a difference here, and an ep like A New Man is not really on anyone's list of "best" Buffy eps- for that, you have:
The Gift
The Body
Hush
Once More with Feeling
The Wish
Dopplegangland
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
Becoming Part 2
My fave? New Moon Rising. The best? The Body- never ever have I been so moved by a television program. I consider this the finest hour of TV ever broadcast.
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10-24-2005 @ 2:33PM
Sugar said...
It is sooooooooo hard to make a list of only five for me...of course I love all the episodes mentioned.
Still, no one has listed Pangs (4:8) which isn't really one of the best, but is one of funniest. I laughed so, freaking hard at Spike tied up in the chair freaking out as he was being shot at with arrows. His lines were wonderful in that episode:
Spike (on his implant): "I'm saying that Spike had a little trip to the vet, and now he doesn't chase the other puppies anymore."
and
Spike: "A bear! You made a bear!"
Buffy: "I didn't mean to!"
Spike: "Undo it! Undo it!
I love Spike. I think a Buffy weekend is soon in order, I have only seen them all like three times, another time around sounds good.
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10-24-2005 @ 3:12PM
Pattie said...
I like your list, those are all brilliant episodes but I'd have added "The Body" to it. I agree with Steven that it is one of the best single episodes of television that deal with death. The lack of background soundtrack music is subtle but really makes the episode stand out. I'm torn between The Body and Hush being my favorite episode of all time. Both are so well done.
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10-24-2005 @ 3:51PM
Patrick Wynne said...
My Top 5, in no particular order...
"Restless" -- Best dream episode of any show, ever. Completely surreal, yet totally on point about who these characters are. Sets up some stuff for later, satisfying the continuity geek in me. Plus, the First Slayer is just cool.
"Hush" -- Creepiest Buffy episode. One of the creepiest episodes I've ever of any show. And yet funny, too.
"Becoming, Part II" -- Perfect balance of emotion and action. Acathla's kinda goofy, but the interplay between Buffy and Angel and the flashbacks is excellent. Spike is sorta heroic here without needing that stupid chip.
"Passion" -- Giles in action. Angel is EVIL. Buffy is pretty much useless. This one is all about the Giles.
"Graduation, Part II" -- Encompassed so much of what this show was about. Gut-wrenching action, heartbreak at Angel leaving, joy at having survived not just another monster but highs school as well. A nice ending to the early years of the show. Plus, Snyder gets eaten by a giant snake!
Honorable mentions include: "The Body", "Doppelgangland", "The Zeppo" and "Superstar".
And I have never for the life of me been able to fathom the love that "Once More, With Feeling" gets in fan circles. To me, it's a crappy gimmick episode that doesn't advance the plot, doesn't give us any new insights into the characters, doesn't have any good action, doesn't have any emotional resonance. The whole reason behind the singing gimmick is never adequately explained, people act out of character, and the jokes aren't funny. It exists solely to fulfill Whedon's masturbatory desire for a musical episode. It's an average episode in a subpar season of a show that should have been put out of our misery already.
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10-24-2005 @ 11:42PM
DJDoc said...
I like some of those lists, afraid I didn't like the TV Squad list very much. I don't think FEAR ITSELF or A NEW MAN are even "above average". ZEPPO I thought was above average but not top 5. But hey it's all persnoal taste, right?
My list in no particular order:
1) PROPHECY GIRL - SMG's first great speech as Buffy (brings a little wetness to my eyes just thinking about it. Great dialog, great acting):
*Buffy, laughing: "So thats it, huh? I remember the drill. One slayer dies, next one's called. Wonder who she is? Will you train her, or will they send someone else?"
*Giles: "Buffy, I-"
*Buffy: "They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?"
*Buffy: "Dont touch me! Were you even gonna tell me?"
*Giles: "I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was some way around it."
*Buffy: "I've got a way around it. I quit."
*Angel: "It's not that simple."
*Buffy: "I'm making it that simple. I quit. I resign. I'm fired. You can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over."
*Giles: "I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the signs indicate-"
*Buffy,crying and throwing books: "The signs? Read me the signs! Tell me my fortune! You're so useful sitting here with all of your books! You're really a lot of help!"
*Giles: "No, I don't suppose I am."
*Angel: "I know this is hard.
*Buffy: "What do you know about this? You're never gonna die."
*Angel: "You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way."
*Buffy: "I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!"
*Giles: "Buffy, if the Master rises-"
*Buffy, rippping off her cross: "I dont care! I don't care. Giles I'm 16 years old. I don't wanna die."
2) PASSION - (Death of Jenny Calendar at the top of the stairs... Buffy resolves to finally kill Angel... Buffy and Giles in tears as Buffy stops him from suicide attack on Angel)
"Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace... but we would be hollow... Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we'd be truly dead."
3) HUSH - the whole scene with Giles lecturing silently to Camille Saint-Saens’ ‘Danse Macabre’ was brilliant through and through... Willow with her smiling and clowning, Anya loving the gore... Buffy taking offense to the stick figure drawing of herself that was too wide... Giles Giles Giles... so much good stuff in this episode.
4) ONCE MORE WITH FEELING - loved so much about this episode, all been said before.
5) BECOMING PART II - It built and built and built... Sarah McLachlan "full of grace" Little, tiny Buffy leaving on a bus... wow it felt like the end...
*Angelus: You almost made it, Buff.
*BUFFY: It's not over yet.
*Angelus: My boy Acathla here is about to wake up. You're going to Hell.
*BUFFY: Save me a seat.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (season 2 was unbelievable):]
SEASON 1: The Pack
SEASON 2: School Hard, Bewitched/B/B, Innocence, Lie to Me...
SEASON 3: The Wish, the Zeppo, Doppelgangland, Graduation Day part I
SEASON 4: This Year's Girl/Who are you, Superstar, Hush, Restless
SEASON 5: They Body, The Gift (weak season overall)
SEASON 6: Villains?
SEASON 7: Selfless, Conversations with Dead People, Storyteller, Chosen
DOPPELGANGLAND, THE WISH, SUPERSTAR, BEWITCHED/B/B, INNOCENCE, GRADUATION DAY 1 & 2, THE PROM, STORYTELLER, SOMETHING BLUE,
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10-25-2005 @ 10:15AM
Wendy Young said...
While I agree with Hush and the Zeppo, personally I liked "The Wish," "Smashed," "Wrecked," "Grave" and "Chosen."
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