Over twenty years after the hit TV showBuffy The Vampire Slayerstopped airing, the series has lost none of its popularity or potency. However, this doesn’t mean that Hulu’s upcoming revival will be able to do justice to the original show. Though the revival is still in its infancy,it’s clear that the series must distinguish itself and not try to copy the magic of the iconic 1997 show.Sarah Michelle Gellar, the star ofBuffy, has spoken about her belief that this potential reboot could be the revival audiences have been waiting for (viaThe Hollywood Reporter).
Since theBuffy The Vampire Slayerrevivalis gaining momentum, it’s the perfect time to look back at the episodes ofBuffythat made the show what it was. Trying to outdo or replicate any of these installments would make it seem like the revival is looking to capitalize on nostalgia. Hopefully, this isn’t the case, asthe series is rumored to be about the next generation of slayers as a continuation rather than a true reboot.These episodes will be a benchmark for this series, as they define the writing style and emotional realism that made the show successful.
10Innocence
Season 2, Episode 14
Buffyseason 2 was when the series came into its own,and the writers began reflecting on what the show is ultimately trying to communicate. The fallout of Buffy’s romance with Angel (David Boreanaz) is a huge part of her loss of innocence. No episode better demonstrates this than “Innocence,” which takes place immediately after Buffy loses her virginity to Angel, and he loses his soul, becoming Angelus. It’s an extreme example of the heartbreak that can accompany first love, made all the more costly by Buffy’s position as the chosen one.
This is a transformative episode for Buffy and ultimately impacts every romantic relationship she has in the series.
This is a transformative episode for Buffy and ultimately impacts every romantic relationship she has in the series. Gellar does an excellent job communicating the depth of the despair and loss Buffy feels after being rejected by the now soulless Angel and the grim reality that the man she loved has now become an enemy she has to defeat. Though each character goes through their own transformation in this episode, Buffy’s is the most intense and the most important for her development as a character.
9.2/10
9Chosen
Season 7, Episode 22
The series finale ofBuffy, “Chosen,” isn’t the best episode of the series, butit’s a fitting end for the story and gives Buffy the happy ending she deserves.While there’s plenty of loss and sacrifice, and Buffy doesn’t come out of the final showdown with The First unscathed, it’s touching to see Buffy win her most challenging battle and begin to consider the prospect that she might get to have a more normal life. Though the comics continue Buffy’s story after this, it will be interesting to see if the reboot takes this into consideration.
9.3/10
8Tabula Rasa
Season 6, Episode 8
Buffy The Vampire Slayerseason 6 was so darkfor many reasons, but “Tabula Rasa” was a nice break in the tension of an emotional season. However, the episode isn’t just memorable because it provided some much-needed comic relief. In the wake of the revelations in “Once More With Feeling,“Buffyfollowed that iconic episode with another one of the strongest episodes of the season and the show.“Tabula Rasa” lets the characters express their true feelings and impulseswithout the weight of everything that’s happened between them.
“Tabula Rasa” moves the plot forward while taking the viewer out of the dark narrative the season constructs.
Of course, the spell is lifted, and everyone remembers who they are. This is when the crushing realization of the lies and betrayals that define season 6 comes crashing down. This episode demonstrates why season 6 is such an underrated season ofBuffy, as it balances so much light and darkness simultaneously. “Tabula Rasa” moves the plot forward while taking the viewer out of the dark narrative the season constructs. These types of special episodes and unique ideas will be impossible to replicate in the revival.
9.1/10
7Graduation Day Parts 1 & 2
Season 3, Episodes 21 & 22
ThoughBuffyis considered one of thebest supernatural teen drama TV shows, the series successfully made the transition from high school to adulthood after the explosive season 3 finale. However,Buffytook its time saying farewell to high school andgave Sunnydale High a properBuffygoodbye by literally blowing up the building.OnlyBuffycould pull off the tonal balance of experiencing one of the most emotionally significant rites of passage of adolescence and then showing a comical explosion of a giant snake.
Before this classicBuffyending, “Graduation Day: Part 1” saw the tragic end of Buffy and Faith’s (Eliza Dushku) love-hate relationship and rivalry.TheBuffyseason 3 was the end of an era for the series,as it marked a serious departure in the style and structure of the show so far. If theBuffyrevival has the chance to evolve as much as the original series does, it shouldn’t copy the finale of season 3, but it can certainly learn a lot from it.
8.9/10
6The Wish
Season 3, Episode 9
Any episode ofBuffythat isn’t as Buffy-centric is always a risk,but “The Wish” is a fantastic example of the alternate universe episode. Anya (Emma Caulfield) is introduced as the demon Anyanka, who grants Cordelia’s (Charisma Carpenter) wish for Buffy to have never come to Sunnydale. Though the audience is already well aware of how much Buffy has done to make Sunnydale a better place, this version of reality is a stark reminder of the impact the slayer has had on the world.
“The Wish” doesn’t pull any punches, as the world is plunged into pure chaos, and evil comes very close to triumphing in the end.
Seeing Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendan) as soulless vampires and witnessing the cold version of Buffy, who never met Giles (Anthony Head) and her friends, is devastating. “The Wish” doesn’t pull any punches, as the world is plunged into pure chaos, and evil comes very close to triumphing in the end. Though the characters don’t remember who they were in the other reality, besides Cordelia, they still commit brutally meaningful acts of violence and revenge against each other, only for the world to reset and make the viewer the only person who remembers what might’ve been.
5Becoming Parts 1 & 2
Season 2, Episodes 21 & 22
The showdown between Buffy and Angelus in theBuffyseason 2 finale makes for one of the most iconic finales of the series. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Buffy loses almost everything in “Becoming,” as just when she’s come to terms with the fact that Angel is gone and she has to kill Angelus,Willow restores his soul, but Buffy has to kill him anyway.The fact that this happens on the heels of being kicked out of school, being rejected by her mother, and Kendra’s (Bianca Lawson) death is too much for the teenage slayer.
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While both parts are vital to the end of season 2, “Becoming: Part 2” is a near-perfect episode of television. It’s here that the series makes good on the promise that Buffy can’t have a normal life and be the slayer. Throughout the season, everyone has questioned Buffy’s ability to balance her duties and personal life. In “Becoming: Part 2,“she faces the consequences of trying to have both and pays by having to sacrifice everything. She gives up Angel and her family willingly because she knows she’s the only one who can save the world.
9/10
9.5/10
4Hush
Season 4, Episode 10
One of the scariest episodes ofBuffyis “Hush.” When Buffy and her friends wake up one day without the ability to speak, the rest of the story unfolds similarly to an old-fashioned silent movie, with the characters forced to communicate in different ways. However, not being able to speak is far from the scariest part of the episode, as the central villains, The Gentlemen, are the real terrors. With horrifying character design and a penchant for ripping out people’s hearts,The Gentlemen are the source of nightmares.
As always, the writers ofBuffycreate obstacles for themselves and the characters that result in the show’s most creative storylines and conceits.
As always, the writers ofBuffycreate obstacles for themselves and the characters that result in the show’s most creative storylines and conceits. Without the ability to speak and therefore conceal their true feelings, the characters inBuffyinadvertently show each other more truthful sides of themselves. Balancing such a terrifying narrative with the development of the relationships between Willow and Tara (Amber Benson) and Buffy and Riley (Marc Blucas) is something onlyBuffycould pull off.
9.7/10
3Once More, With Feeling
Season 6, Episode 7
Since “Once More, With Feeling” premiered,many shows have done their own versions of a musical episode, butBuffy’s remains the definitive example.As a supernatural show,Buffyhad already set a precedent for using new and expected formats and storylines for very special episodes. Though “Once More, With Feeling” was unlike anything the show had done before, audiences were willing to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the escapism of the musical installment of the series.
However, no episode ofBuffyis truly escapist, as “Once More, With Feeling” subverts viewer expectations by using musical numbers to force the characters to express the feelings they’ve been hiding from each other.Buffy is holding onto the biggest secret, as she’s been lying about being in heaven in the afterlifeand finding the real world her own version of hell. Since “Once More, With Feeling” is the blueprint for musical episodes, the reboot should stay away from this concept.
2The Gift
Season 5, Episode 22
TheBuffyseason 5 finale was initially intended to end the seriesbefore the show was saved, moving networks for seasons 6 and 7. While “The Gift” would’ve been a devastating ending toBuffy, it also would have been a full-circle moment for the show and fit with the themes of the series up to that point. After Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) was introduced at the beginning of season 5, Buffy’s role shifted. She was no longer the protector of the world but also of her sister, which was a much more personal mission.
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Additionally,season 5 follows Buffy’s struggle to find her higher purpose as the slayer,as being surrounded by death has taken its toll. In the final moments of season 5, Buffy realizes that when the oracle tells her that death is her gift, it doesn’t describe her ability to end life but her selfless sacrifice of her own. To Buffy, there is no cause more worthy and no act more fulfilling than saving the world and her sister. Giving her life in “The Gift” is one of the most heroic acts in the entirety of the show.
1The Body
Season 5, Episode 16
One of the most talked about episodes ofBuffyis season 5’s “The Body.” A huge turning point in Buffy’s development as an independent adult and the loss of her supportive system, “The Body,” isn’t only notable because of its emotional impact.The series made many distinct and effective stylistic choices,like the acclaimed decision not to include any music in the entire episode. Additionally, the editing style and individual moments when each character must come to terms with Joyce’s (Kristine Sutherland) death make “The Body” one of the best representations of grief on television.
“The Body” is truly a unique piece of television and is one of the parts ofBuffythat elevates the series beyond genre limitations. Though the show struggled tonally in season 5, this episode is reason enough to stick withBuffythrough the season. The next installment of theBuffyuniverse will doubtlessly grapple with death, grief, and loss and should take its cues from “The Body.” However, only the originalBuffy The Vampire Slayercould give this episode the gravity it deserves.
