Top 25 Episodes: MikeJer's Best/Favorites
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Last Updated on June 15, 2008
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#25.....6x20 - Villains
This is currently my favorite of the Dark Willow episodes. With Buffy badly wounded from a bullet and Tara dead, Willow, with dark magic fueling her pure rage, goes on a downright scary vengeance trip after Warren. Highlights include her icy cold detatchment to the world around her (including her friends) and the brutal flaying of Warren Mears.
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#24.....3x18 - Earshot
"Earshot" does a great job at juggling meaningful commentary on school shootings, depression, and suicide while remaining extremely fun. Buffy gets telepathy and it's not all fun and games (although there's plenty of that too). The scene in the tower is powerful and moving, and represents the point: loneliness is something inside all of us.
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#23.....4x08 - Pangs
An episode with a notably hokey plot, but also stuffed (pun intended) with hilarious dialogue! This is the funniest episode in the entire series for me. Anya's frankness, Buffy's cooking obsession, Willow's over-reaction, Xander the butt-monkey, and Spike showing up laughably lonely but offering up some common sense and amusement. Simply put: rofl.
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#22.....2x19 - I Only Have Eyes for You
A powerful episode about the difficulty and importance of forgiveness. Beautifully constructed, it has one the the most awe-inspiring scenes in the series when Buffy gets possessed by the spirit of a man who killed his older lover, while Angel gets possessed by the victim, which perfectly parallels Buffy's guilt over accidentally setting Angelus loose.
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#21.....3x09 - The Wish
An extremely well done look at what Sunnydale would be like if Buffy had never arrived. This episode is dripping in darkness which leads to a downright chilling conclusion with all the main characters killing each other while the Master snaps Buffy's neck. Brave new world indeed.
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#20.....3x16 - Doppelgangland
Willow's self-confidence is the focus and it manages to be hilarious, witty, fun, exciting, and fascinating. There's significant character development and foreshadowing going on and the entertaining Vampire Willow is the reason why it all gets forced out. Plot threads from the season are also seamlessly woven into the story. This is simply wonderful.
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#19.....7x17 - Lies My Parents Told Me
An episode almost entirely about Spike! The flashbacks are very effective here and instead of Spike teaching Buffy a lesson about her nature, he learns something profound about his own nature. Also, Buffy finally surpasses the need for Giles as a mentor.
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#18.....6x03 - After Life
This is a highly underrated episode. It is dark, creepy, ominous, and is oozing in atmosphere. Buffy's confession to Spike that they didn't tear her out of a hell dimension, but actually out of heaven, is devastating to hear. I find this episode thought provoking and haunting.
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#17.....5x05 - No Place Like Home
A personal favorite of mine which combines action, comedy, and drama and is what I consider to be an unsung masterpiece in intelligent writing, misleads, introductions, and foreboding atmosphere. After finding out that Dawn more closely resembles an adopted daughter than a sister, Buffy comes to accept the daunting responsibility forced upon her.
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#16.....4x16 - Who Are You?
An entire episode about identity from Faith's perspective while in Buffy's body. The actresses handled each others' parts perfectly. Faith got a taste of what Buffy's life is like and her conclusion after all is said and done seems to be even more confusion.
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#15.....6x17 - Normal Again
This is a fantastic episode not because of the question of whether or not Sunnydale is real, but solely because of Buffy's insanely difficult deep emotional struggle and pitch-perfect acting by the wonderful Sarah Michelle Gellar. Tears all around. Takes a common genre plot and twists it into something incredibly unique.
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#14.....7x22 - Chosen
From a metaphorical standpoint this episode is not only flawless but the perfect note for the series to end on. Buffy finally being freed from this obligation forced onto her is beautiful, especially after everything she's been though and lost. A very poignant end for the series.
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#13.....7x07 - Conversations With Dead People
A character tour de force. The only people left out are Xander and Anya. Nevertheless, the creepiness and foreshadowing of Willow's and Dawn's segments are top notch. The insights into Buffy's character, though, are beyond measure. This episode adopts a unique structure which really separates it from the standard episode.
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#12.....3x22 - Graduation Day Pt. 2
Buffy forces Angel to drink her blood, nearly killing her, to save his life. The Mayor tries to choke Buffy while unconcious in a hospital bed. Vampires get killed by flaming arrows. Principal Snyder gets eaten. The high school gets blown up. Angel heads off to L.A. and, oh yeah, "counting down from 7-3-0." Enough said.
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#11.....7x05 - Selfless
A wonderfully textured episode that focuses almost entirely on Anya. We find out that Anya has always 'been' whatever she grabbed onto, whether that was being a vengeance demon or being Xander's Mrs. She finally realizes she must find out who 'she' is. The juxtaposition of Anya singing about Xander and the abrupt cut to the sword in her chest is jarring.
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Top 10: Chronologically Ordered |
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2x14 - Innocence
"Innocence" defined the direction the series was to take. This is the first time that emotions exploded out into the open. Angelus tears Buffy apart emotionally by abusing his position as her first lover. While all this is happening, Willow discovers Xander's relationship with Cordelia and gains a ton of respect for Oz. To top it all off, Buffy uses a rocket launcher!
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2x17 - Passion
An episode that left me literally numb afterwards. Angelus is brutal and sick here. His voiceovers are meaningful but are coming from a guy who just did unspeakable things and is gleeful about it. He gets pure pleasure from seeing Buffy and Willow sobbing in sorrow and fright. The way he sets up Jenny Calendar's body for Giles is shocking and perverted.
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4x10 - Hush
This episode's reputation for being creepy is well earned as this is arguably the creepiest of Buffy in its entire run. The metaphor is simply communication; how sometimes words can get in the way more than they can help. There are also some genuinely funny moments like the classroom overhead scene. This is a fantastic stand-alone episode for the uninitiated.
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4x22 - Restless
Entirely character driven and cryptically composed of foreshadowing. Everyone discovers something about themselves: Willow's in 'costume,' Xander doesn't know where he's going, Giles needs to remember that he's a watcher, and Buffy gets the message, "You think you know what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun." Intelligent and complex.
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5x07 - Fool for Love
"Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp. That look of peace. Part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? Every Slayer has a death wish. Even you." Also fascinating is seeing the layers of Spike being put on a piece at a time: the name, the scar, the hair, then the coat.
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5x16 - The Body
Quite possibly the best episode in the entire series, but not my favorite. Its greatest strength is also its only weakness. This episode is simply too painful to watch and is easily the most realistic depiction of the aftermath of a sudden death I've ever seen put to screen. It channels simply pure pain and raw emotion.
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5x22 - The Gift
The countdown from 7-3-0 is over. Buffy's sacrifice brought me to tears, and that's an extremely impressive feat. Season 5 was built from the ground up for this. The action is great and Glory's demise is very satisfying. Whedon said that this was almost the series finale. If that had happened, this would have been a beautifully tragic end.
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6x07 - Once More, with Feeling
The musical episode where everyone sings away their deepest secrets. The actors get it done here; it sounds wonderful and there is a ton of character development camoflauged in song. Most of the songs sound happy and upbeat but there's a disturbing subtext underneath it all. Also, Buffy's painful secret is exposed to her closest friends.
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6x13 - Dead Things
An incredibly ambitious episode that ends on an admission of undiluted guilt, but thankfully offers absolutely no reprieve, easy solutions, or light at the end of the tunnel. It's true to the troubles of real life in a way few TV shows are capable of providing. Represents quite possibly Buffy's finest example of intensely complex psychological development.
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Rank #1: My Favorite Episode |
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2x22 - Becoming Pt. 2
So why is this my favorite episode of Buffy? Because it is the most perfectly balanced episode of the series. It's got massive laughs, kick-ass action, and heart-breaking, gut-wrenching drama. Most of the other episodes on this list succeed mostly in one of those categories; this one succeeds in all three, perfectly. For me, this is television at its finest.
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