Friday Favorites: Top 5 Buffy Episodes
Buffy the Vampire Slayer recently made #1 on Entertainment Weekly's Top 25 Cult TV Shows and for good reason. The show was bursting with interesting characters, fascinating backstories and complicated mythology, not to mention some of (what will no doubt be) the most classic and enduring love stories ever. Certainly Buffy had its fair share of silliness but these five episodes went above and beyond to prove it was a show worth sticking around for.
- Lover’s Walk (Season 3) - Spike's less-than-triumphant return to Sunnydale resulted in not only the dissolution of two relationships (three, if you count the affair that destroyed the first two) but a fascinating look inside the leather-clad softie's head. This episode really set up Spike's character for the rest of the series and gave us a great return to Drusilla's ever-creepy abandoned residence.
- Passion (Season 2) - Perhaps no image is more iconic of Buffy than Angelus snapping Jenny's neck in front of the window at Sunnydale High. For years, the credits included the image of Giles smiling over the red rose Angelus had left for him, just moments before finding his girlfriend's body morbidly arranged on his bed. This episode made all of Angelus' previous crimes look like misdemeanors and really separated him from Angel in the viewers' heads.
- Crush (Season 5) - Drusilla's return after the chaos she left behind on Angel was really a throwback to the days of the Fanged Four Three in Season 2 and did it brilliantly. The scene of Spike pressing a stake to Drusilla's chest and Buffy blowing him off (even while chained up underneath a cemetery - classic Buffy) was absolutely heartbreaking. After all, there he was with both women he loved more than anything and neither really wants him. "Crush" made Spike more sympathetic and slightly more terrifying, definitely a good combination.
- What’s My Line pt. 2 (Season 2) - Kendra's entrance was great fun but it was the ritual scenes in the church, including of course, Spike's injury beneath the organ, that really made this one fantastic. Spike and Drusilla have honestly never been creepier.
- Enemies (Season 3) - This episode really established the idea that Angelus is always right there, lurking beneath the surface and how hard Angel has to fight to keep him at bay, even with a soul. Faith and Angel made the connection that would serve them well later on Angel, even as she remained a tragic, lost cause sort of character. Plus, this episode resulted in some seriously memorable lines ("Well while you're up there, I mostly want you to wiggle!") and an awesome double-cross from Giles.
- The Wish (Season 3)
- Doppelgangland (Season 3)
- Normal Again (Season 6)
- Once More, With Feeling (Season 6)