Before all of you Buffy fanatics come jumping down my throat for even having the nerve to suggest that there are bad episodes of Buffy, know that I did do a list last year of my favorite five episodes of the show. I am a huge fan of this series no matter how much I might bitch and whine about an episode or two (well, in this case five). I'm always watching the seasons over and over again, so much so that I think my DVDs are wearing out.So, while there are many more good episodes than bad, Buffy -- like any other show on TV -- does have its bad days.
5. Where The Wild Things Are (S04E18) -- There really wasn't much point to this episode. Buffy and Riley spent the bulk of the episode in a frat house bedroom having sex while the rest of the scoobs are left to battle some ornery ghosts who are none too happy. Maybe I just hate that we had to endure the knowing that some guy was banging Buffy for hours on end. No, actually, the episode was just pointless and not all that good.
4. The Pack (S01E06) -- I mentioned my distaste for this episode when I reviewed it during Retro Squad. The whole plot within the zoo and Xander hanging around with bullies, possessed with the spirit of some demon hyenas. And then we're supposed to believe Xander can take down Buffy in any capacity? Please.
3. Inca Mummy Girl (S02E04) -- This episode has a familiar feeling to it, one that took me back to 'The Pack'. And it makes sense, as it was written by the same duo. Maybe it's a problem with the silly field trips the kids are taking in High School that makes for a bad episode. This was another of the few episodes that made me wish it'd be over already.
2. Go Fish (S02E20) -- I feel bad for Nick Brendon. Out of the very few Xander-centric episodes, I'm naming three of them in my worst-of list. Thankfully there's 'The Zeppo', which I really liked but I think there are those who didn't. Actually this one's not all Xander, so that's good for him. I think what I hated the most about this episode was the horrible costumes used on the, um, fish men. The scene at the end of the episode, with the group of them flopping around in the ocean is pain inducing and laughable at the same time.
1. Doublemeat Palace (S06E12) -- Where do I begin? This just had to be a joke amongst the writers to see how laughable they could get an episode past the fans of the show. I'm not sure there is anyone I know who, when I mention this episode, doesn't react with a smarting sound and "ooooo.... yeah that was bad." What were they thinking?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-31-2006 @ 11:00AM
HcNelson said...
I liked the Doublemeat Palace episode. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be more funny and weird than scary. The other ones were bad, though.
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10-31-2006 @ 11:15AM
Stephen Giles said...
Two Words: Beer Bad! Awful, cheesy and just plan idiotic. How could you leave this one out of the list?!
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10-31-2006 @ 11:36AM
Tim said...
Ooh. Beer Bad. Horrible. How come Kal Penn keeps showing up as different characters? Personally, I think there were other bad eps, but most are pretty decent, and I really don't remember the worst ones. Just tiny points where I was tempted to turn it off. Season 8 in March '07...so far away.
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10-31-2006 @ 11:37AM
Karen said...
Um, Season 7?
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10-31-2006 @ 12:31PM
Gordy said...
Season 7, especially 'Chosen', was wonderful. However, the Season 4/Riley Finn/Initiative storyline was weak. Season 4 was just awful--though, no episode was as bad as the 'Dark Willow' season finale. What was that 6? That was bad TV.
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10-31-2006 @ 1:57PM
roadkillbuddha said...
The only one of your picks I can agree with is "Doublemeat Palace." Not sure why you're picking on episodes from seasons 1-4 when 6 & 7 were crammed full of the worst offenders. Plus, the ones you picked all have great moments, like the dodgeball game in "The Pack," Willow's Eskimo costume and the introduction of Jonathan, Oz, and Dingos Ate My Baby in "Inca Mummy Girl," and the Scooby Gang seeing Xander in his swimsuit for the first time in "Go Fish," just to name a few.
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10-31-2006 @ 2:02PM
roadkillbuddha said...
Oh, and I forgot to mention: the worst story element in the entire series? Crack Whore Willow.
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7-24-2008 @ 2:12PM
kelsey said...
omg willow is the hottest one of them all and so it tara
10-31-2006 @ 2:34PM
Scott H said...
Yank out "The Pack" (which I liked a lot) and insert "Beer Bad", and maybe 3/4 of season 7 (especially all those shows with Nathan Fillion (sp?) as an eeevil preacher beating the tar out of Buffy every week), and I'm in complete agreement.
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10-31-2006 @ 3:19PM
roadkillbuddha said...
Wow, a lot of hate for "Beer Bad" today. Personally, I think Sarah Michelle Gellar's delivery of the line "Beer Foamy!" (after Xander asks her what she's learned about it) is one of the highlights of the series.
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10-31-2006 @ 3:50PM
Patrick Wynne said...
1. Where the Wild Things Are: Stupid and pointless.
2. Once More, With Feeling: Stupid and pointless and gimmicky.
3. [random S7 episode]: Because it's too hard to choose just one.
4. [random S6 episode]: Ditto.
5. Bad Eggs: Horrid "kids have fake babies" TV cliched storyline married to cheesy effects.
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10-31-2006 @ 6:50PM
Jake said...
I have to object that "Stan," or whatever it was called--the one where John Ritter was a robot--isn't on the list. Gawdawful.
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11-01-2006 @ 12:09AM
Joey Geraci said...
Can't believe no one has smacked you down for your lack of knowledge about The Pack? Can I try? Don't mind if I do!!
He was possesed by the preternatural spirit of that freaky hyena species, and it was specifically mentioned in the episode that those possessed have preturnatural strength. Kinda like Buffy.
Beer Bad was great, don't know what people are talking about. And nobody can seriously knock "Once More, with Feeling", if they have an ounce of sense in there heads.
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11-02-2006 @ 1:16AM
Tess Capra said...
"Where the Wild Things Are" (#3) is on my list, too, despite its Giles-as-coffeehouse-musician scene. So is "Doublemeat Palace" (#1) for more reasons than I could list. But rounding out the bottom at #2 is "Dead Man's Party." Even Giles's sarcastic monologue in his car can't save fertility masks, dead cats, zombies, and non-stop bickering.
"Go Fish" is, in my opinion, now saved because of its early Wentworth Miller performance; "Bad Eggs" because I'll admit I like the Lurch boys.
But where's the hate for "Teacher's Pet" and "I Robot, You Jane"?
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11-03-2006 @ 3:29PM
Jonathan Dobres said...
I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of "Beer Bad!" For my money, it is without a doubt the worst episode of the entire series. With Mummy Girl and The Pack, you could at least argue that it was the first season and the show was still finding its voice. "Beer Bad," though, is one of the early episodes of Season 4 (and therefore closely on the heels of the stellar Season 3), and is inexcusably terrible.
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11-03-2006 @ 11:13PM
Liz said...
That is a solid list but I cant help but add a few...
6. The Puppet Show
7. Anne
8. Gingerbread
9. The Freshman
But hey only 9 stinkers out of 150 aint that bad!!!
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11-04-2006 @ 3:24PM
Buffybabe02 said...
Okay. Wow! Each of the episodes had a certain highlight to it. My personal top five worst are:
5. Phases: I realize that this is where we found out Oz was a werewolf, but the costume was weird looking and the pacing just felt too drawn out to me. Not one of my favs.
4. Older and far away: The gang getting stick in the house and basiclaly just standing around talking was lame.
3. Where the wild things are: Gross. Riley and Buffy and all that just ick.
2. Gone: Come on, I realize that Buffy didn't want dawn taken away, but she ruined that woman's professional life. That's not very heroic!
1. Help: The gang crying over Cassie Newton when she wasn't even on their radar an episode ago is bogus. Plus the "poems" where enough to gag me and yeah it's sad, but come on they don't cry like that over every vicim!
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11-05-2006 @ 6:33AM
Rickard Johansson said...
Don't forget the special magic moment in "Where the Wild Things Are" where the Scoobies find Giles at the Espresso pump performing "Behind Blue Eyes". Xander's line "Could we go back to the haunted house, because this is creeping me out?" cracks me up every time. Also, Anthony singing is really enjoyable.
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11-05-2006 @ 2:28PM
daxwhaxd said...
wow.
i'm usually at odds with lists of these kind, as it seems many of the posters above are, but i've gotta say, that's a pretty smart list. whether or not there may be another i'd have like to seen on it, i can't disagree with any of the choices.
of course, let's all keep in mind that even the worst of buffy was always better than most of the other tv offerings at the time.
(but why all the season 7 haters? along with having some of the best buffy eps ever, it did something i've never seen another television show do, ever...it stretched a series finale into 22 episodes, artfully bringing the series full circle with references from the very first season and all in between. so refreshingly far from the clunky attempts at closure most series bring to the final few episodes of a long running series. when the final episode concluded, i turned off my television and thought, "thanks joss, i'm full now. thanks for a delicious seven years."
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11-05-2006 @ 3:55PM
Les said...
Buffy wasn't "getting banged" she was having sex. for someone who so enjoys a show with a feminist consciousness you certainly don't have one.
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