Top 10 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes

In celebration of the 20^th Anniversary since Buffy The Vampire Slayer debuted. Here’s a list of my personal favourite episodes.

10. The Wish

We love our ‘what-if’ stories, this presents us with what Sunnydale would be like if Buffy had never moved there. Not good: the Master would’ve escaped the Hellmouth and ruled the town; Willow and Xander would become vampires; Angel would be chained up like a pet and Buffy without her friends would be a bitter person without a care. What makes this clever is how unpredictable it is, e.g. since Cordelia made that wish we follow her in the alternate reality we’re thinking she’s going to be the hero, won’t spoil what happens I’ll just say that’s not the case. The alternate reality is strong enough that it could’ve lasted several episodes, maybe the current graphic novels could do something with it.

9. Buffy vs. Dracula

The title says it all! The perfect way to start off what is arguably the most epic season. Full of countless nods to the Dracula story, like the shape shifting, the three brides, Giles’ role is similar to Jonathon Harker and Xander becomes Renfield. The purpose of Dracula’s appearance is for Buffy to start questioning her identity as a slayer which is explored throughout the season. Interesting fact: Rudolf Martin who plays Dracula in this episode also played the role in TV movie Dark Prince: The True Story Of Dracula that same year.

8. Grave

The season 6 finale and the conclusion to the epic Dark Willow saga. The main arc of the season is about the gang going on a dark path, there were villains but the true Big Bad was themselves, which was represented in Dark Willow. So how she is motivated to destroy the world from pain not just her own but other peoples pain is a reflection of someone who self-destructive. And she can't be defeated by violence or power, which just makes it worse, but by love and friendship.

7. The Body

If I were a professional critic I would put this at Number 1, not just on a Buffy list but a Best TV Episodes of All Time list. This is a realistic portrayal of grief, every bit of raw emotion is brilliantly portrayed. Uncomfortable atmospheres created from unusual camera angles, colour filters, everyday sounds either in focus or muted and an Emmy-worthy performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar. The only reason I don’t rank it as high, is that it’s too good at portraying grief that I find it very difficult to watch.

6. Normal Again

This is another alternate reality episode, one that makes us question what is real. Buffy keeps slipping into an alternate reality where she’s in a mental institution. She is now questioning what is her reality - is she really living in a world of monsters and superpowers or is she mentally ill and imagining it all? The way the supposed real world makes references to events in previous episodes is very well done and just adds to the question. Even the ending still leaves you hanging over which is the real world.

5. The Gift

The 100^th episode and the season 5 finale. It’s ironic how this celebrates Buffy since it’s not the happiest episode. But it is however the epic payoff that has been building up for a very long time. The gang have been fighting an unwinnable battle all season and in this finale you feel how much of a toll it has taken on them. Yet as a team they are still able to pull together with a pretty clever plan for the final showdown. In the end Buffy discovers her ‘gift’, which leads to pretty devastating conclusion, which in return proves what a true hero she is.

4. Hush

By far the most spine-tingling episode, with the creepy floating Gentlemen and that eerie soundtrack. The cast are required to play the roles mute for about 70% of the episode, the way they emote with their faces and body language is impressive. The various ways they communicate with each other is clever and hilarious.

3. Conversations With Dead People

The anthology episode where there are four stories that don’t intertwine. Each has a different writer, so they each have a different feeling and connect as loosely as possible. Buffy’s story was the most fun as fights as well as having a meaningful conversation with a vampire who used be an old classmate played the hilarious Jonathon Woodward.

2. Becoming

Part 1 is full of excellent flashbacks to Buffy and Angel’s origins. But it’s Part 2 that hits all the right cores. Spike aiding Buffy against Angelus was very clever without making him act out of character. Joyce finally discovering that Buffy is a slayer is incredibly realistic, a clear allegory to a parent realising their child is. The final fight with Buffy and Angel is hugely entertaining and emotional.

1. Once More With Feeling

I know this tops a lot of lists, sorry to be so predictable. However I don’t claim to be a fan of musicals, to me it’s the story that comes first not the songs. This could’ve easily been a throwaway episode with songs added just for viewership, but it’s not. It very much belongs in the story arc of the season, you see as the season starts the characters are heading on dark paths and this episode gets that ball rolling. As the main characters start to sing their truths are revealed, their secrets, fears, resentments and betrayals. And not all is resolved, the episode ends with them realising they can’t go back to normal and they don’t know where to go forward. The songs are well written, with multiple layers that help define the characters complex personalities and thoughts. Each song has a different feeling that they belong in different genres e.g. Spike’s “Rest in Peace” is rock, while Xander and Anya’s duet is 50s style theatre. All the cast deliver great in the songs, especially Amber Benson. The songs are so great I downloaded them from iTunes, I still enjoy listening to them.

To make it an even 20, here are 10 of my honourable mentions:

Earshot

Dead Things

Innocence

Restless

Chosen

Tabula Rasa

Graduation Day

Afterlife

Fool For Love
Passion