Top 10 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes
Ten Must-Watch Episodes From Joss Whedon's Classic Show
Mar 23, 2009
10. Hell's Bells
Hell's Bells is a difficult watch for any long-time fan of the series. With fans hoping for a moment of joy amongst the rough sex, ugly death and harsh reality that characterised the rest of the season, Buffy creator Joss Whedon cruelly yet artfully tears down the series' most cherished relationship in an episode filled with heart-breaking moments, poignant insights, and dark humour.
9. Earshot
A teenage high school student brings a gun to school, while Buffy and friends race to find the culprit in time to stop him from committing mass murder. However, an already markedly controversial and distressing episode is made all the more poignant when it is discovered that the assumed culprit is planning not to kill either his classmates, or his pursuers, but himself. One of many episodes in which the supernatural element - in this case, Buffy's inheritance of temporary telepathic abilities - is very much secondary to the personal story at hand.
8. Hush
A first in the history of television. From shortly after its beginning to shortly before its end, this episode contains no dialogue whatsoever, as Buffy and the inhabitants of Sunnydale have their voices stolen by a mysterious race of demons, the terrifying Gentlemen. Roughly 35 minutes of near-silent television is no mean feat, and Joss Whedon accomplishes it with style.
7. Chosen
Ending a seven-year show with a legion of fans is never easy. Joss Whedon has admitted to agonising over how to terminate his most precious creation, but it can safely be said that the conclusion the show eventually arrives at with this final episode is a satisfying one. With a rare appearance from Angel, an heroic death for a beloved Buffy character, and a climactic finale featuring thousands of CGI 'uber-vampires', the episode ticks all the necessary narrative boxes.
6. Surprise and Innocence
This two-part episode represented a turning point for the show. The hints and foreshadowing stopped, and twenty-four episodes into the series, Angel finally turned evil. After sleeping with Buffy on the night of her 17th birthday, his true, terrifying self is released. Brilliantly actualised by David Boreanaz, his transformation sets a darker tone for the latter part of Season Two, and marks a key moment in the lives of all of Buffy's protagonists.
5. Once More, With Feeling
Another exercise in creative genius from the show's writers. Two years on from the 'silent episode' that was Hush, this 'musical episode' was another landmark. While some of the cast were reluctant to sing on-screen, notably Alyson Hannigan, others such as Anthony Stewart Head and James Marsters launched themselves into their particular songs with relish. The songs themselves are wittily written, while the plot is not neglected, as Buffy admits her inner torment following her resurrection from the dead. An impressive episode made with a great sense of fun.
4. The Gift
The show's 100th episode, and originally scheduled as its last, until it was brought back on the UPN network in 2001. As an intended finale to the show, it features - for the second time - the death of Buffy herself, this time in an effort to save the life of her sister, Dawn. Full of heart-wrenching monologues and painful visuals, such as the lovestruck Spike breaking down into tears on seeing Buffy's broken body, the episode would have provided a fitting finale for the show if necessary.
3. Becoming, Parts One and Two
The culmination of a season full of character growth and lengthy arcs. Buffy's relationship with Angel comes full circle - having awakened his evil self, Angelus, in sleeping with him, Buffy then succeeds in restoring Angel to his former nature with help from her friends. Their efforts are too late, however, and Buffy is forced to kill him in order to save the world from being sucked into Hell. Fans weep as the two say a tearful goodbye, before the Slayer rams a broadsword through her lover's chest. Buffy then flees her life in Sunnydale on a bus, full of loneliness and despair.
2. Passion
A masterpiece, purely and simply. A fascinating exploration of loss, guilt and revenge, featuring the brutal death of Giles' love interest, Jenny Calendar, at the hands of Angelus. Giles' discovery of her lifeless body, elaborately laid out on his bed, covered in roses, is a moment of intense power; the scene that follows it, where Angelus watches through a window with glee as Buffy and Willow hear of their friend's death over the telephone, is a display of pure malevolent villainy more commonly seen in some of the horror genre's greatest works.
1. The Body
For everything that Passion says about the human capacity for evil, The Body says something about human vulnerability in the face of the one truly inconquerable evil we all face - death itself. When Buffy's mother, Joyce, dies - not at the hands of a demon, but from a brain tumour - she and her friends are left with no monsters to fight, no evil to vanquish. They are merely left shocked and horrified by life's cruelty. Every character's reaction to the loss is different, in a starkly real episode that will resonate with anyone who has ever lost a loved one.
Buffy's Legacy Lives On
No matter which of its 144 episodes you prefer, any fan of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer can appreciated the mark it has left on the landscape of television. No teen drama show before or since has confronted such real issues as love, sex, death, drugs, bullying, murder, and even rape, in such creative and emotionally challenging ways. Every show to arrive in its wake has been influenced by Joss Whedon's creation, and in the hearts and minds of fans, its legacy will never die. If you weren't a fan during its original run, then rush out today and buy it on DVD. It really is a must-see.
If you're a fan of the Buffy and Angel universe, then be sure to check out the Top 10 Angel Episodes.
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