First broadcast on the WB network in 1997, Buffy The Vampire Slayer first reached the airwaves to little fanfare. Based on the flop 1992 feature film of the same name, no one had high hopes for this low-budget series, starring a cast of unknowns, and headed by an untested showrunner by the name of Joss Whedon.
But within the span of a few episodes, people began to take notice of the show’s infectious energy, stylized dialogue, and catchy visuals.
Creator/showrunner Joss Whedon had created something unique: a fantasy/horror TV show aimed at, and starring, young adults, which didn’t insult their intelligence, and which took the genres it tackled seriously, while having fun with it.
The first season established the main concept, which is cleverly summarized in the opening narration: “In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”
Season One:
And it only got better.
By the end of the first season, with the darker-toned season finale, “Prophesy Girl”, written and directed by Joss Whedon, it was apparent that this was something special. A show that had heart, brains, and style.
And the best was yet to come.
A quick review of the episodes of the first season:
1. Welcome to The Hellmouth (Part 1): The show hits the ground running, with a visually stylish and fast-paced pilot that introduces the show’s core four characters (Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles), and one of the series’ most memorable villains, the terrifying vampire known as The Master.
2. The Harvest (Part 2): The second part is even better: a tense, atmospheric, and surprisingly assured episode. Pure entertainment.
3. The Witch: One of the first season’s highlights. A visually stylish, smartly written episode about a witch wreaking havoc in Sunnydale High, one of the main settings for the entire run of the series.
4. Teacher’s Pet: A below average episode about a bug monster posing as a sexy high-school teacher. Forgettable.
5. Never Kill A Boy on The First Date: Entertaining and moody episode, but the tone and pacing are uneven. Important to the season’s arc.
6. The Pack: Strangely enough, one of Whedon’s favorites, this is a weak episode, with subpar performances and a clunky script. Has its fans, nonetheless.
7. Angel: Another of the season’s highlights. It adds depth to one of the series’ most important characters: Angel, the brooding do-gooder vampire with a soul, who’s charismatically brought to life (or unlife) by David Boreanaz. It’s a well-directed episode, with a solid script, marred only by an off-key climax.
8. I, Robot. You Jane: Willow falls for a boy online, only to discover that he’s actually an evil demon haunting the web. One of the season’s weaker episodes, but has its moments. The introduction of Jenny Calendar, the mysterious teacher, who would later become Giles’ girlfriend.
9. The Puppet Show: One of the season’s, and the series’, most memorable and stylish episodes, about a seemingly possessed puppet that is killing the participants of the high-school talent show. Creepy, funny, and haunting.
10. Nightmares: The nightmares of everyone in Sunnydale start to bleed into the real world, in this near-perfect episode that does wonders with its limited budget. Scary, imaginative, and fun.
11. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: One of the series’ few forays into sci-fi territory (that is, until the sci-fi-themed fourth season), is memorable for its unique theme and powerful climax.
12. Prophecy Girl: The season finale, and the first episode directed by Joss Whedon, is a strong, visually confident episode, which introduces what would later become a staple of the series: a strong mix of pathos and existential darkness. A good ending to the season, although the climax feels a bit rushed.
Season Two:
The first half of the season deals with Buffy coming to terms with the devastating effects of the Hellmouth opening in the previous season’s finale, including her brush with death at the hands of The Master. The second half focuses on Angel losing his soul, and turning into one of the most vicious villains of the series’ run.
It’s in this season that audiences are introduced to Spike, a cool/punky vampire from Angel’s past; and his partner Drusilla, the psychotic clairvoyant vampire; a hellish team that would provide plenty of complications in the lives of Buffy and her friends, for seasons to come.
And it’s here that Whedon and his team truly realize the potential of the series, with an original and addictive mixture of horror, humor, pathos, and bombast, making this season an uncontested fan and critics’ favorite.
A quick review of the episodes of the second season:
1. When She Was Bad: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this episode has its moments, and features a beguiling performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, but it’s an underwhelming episode that is surprisingly lacking in energy. Definitely not a taste of what was to come.
2. Some Assembly Required: The series’ first attempt at a “Frankenstein” episode. Fun and visually appealing, but lacks punch, and is instantly forgettable.
3. School Hard: The season’s first real winner, introduces Spike and Drusilla, and features a fast-paced and riveting story about Spike holding the teachers, and students and their parents captives in Sunnydale High during a PTA meeting. A sly homage to the movie Die Hard.
4. Reptile Boy: The first episode to be written and directed by David Greenwalt, one of the most important creative forces involved with the series, and the co-creator of the future spin-off, Angel. It’s a good, well-written episode, with a truly terrifying monster, but lacks originality.
6. Halloween: A season highlight, about a curse placed on the town of Sunnydale, which transforms people into the costumes they are wearing for Halloween. Well-directed and featuring a witty, quick-moving script. Has narrative repercussions that will last till the end of the series’ run.
7. Lie to Me: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is an affecting if overly downbeat episode that feels somewhat forced and out of place in the season, revolving around a friend from Buffy’s past life in L.A, who suddenly arrives in Sunnydale. Some of the plotlines and characters will resurface in later seasons.
8. The Dark Age: A darker episode about Giles’ troubled past. Has its moments, but doesn’t really fulfill the story’s potential.
9 and 10. What’s My Line? (Parts 1 and 2): These two episodes feature one of the most entertaining storylines of the season, introducing the concept of The Slayers’ Line, and deepening the mythology of the series. Action-packed, riveting, and, above all, fun.
11. Ted: Co-written by Whedon and Greenwalt, this episode was a turning point for the series. Its off-kilter storyline, even by the show’s standards – Buffy’s mom dates a seemingly perfect man, who turns out to be, well, something not entirely human – and its deft handling of the over-the-top concept, make this the best episode of the season thus far, with a top-notch performance by guest star John Ritter, and plenty of twists and turns. This is the episode where all involved finally got the recipe right.
12. Bad Eggs: The series’ first true attempt at stretching the types of villains it tackled. It’s a deliberately gross and silly episode that doesn’t entirely work, but is watchable nonetheless.
13. Surprise (Part 1): The true beginning of the final arc of the season, which features some of the best episodes of the entire series’ run, this one included. It’s a tense, compelling story, handled with energy and style, and which brings some of the show’s best characters (Spike, Dru, and Angel) together as a real threat for the very first time.
14. Innocence (Part 2): Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is Whedon’s first attempt at a blockbuster episode that pulls out all the stops, visually, emotionally, and narratively. A success on almost every level, and reveals, arguably for the first time, that Whedon had grand ambitions for what the show could be, for better or worse, as the ensuing seasons would reveal.
15. Phases: Oz, a love interest for Willow, is finally introduced as a main character. The character has many fans, but is unquestionably polarizing, and may be considered the show’s first real misstep. The episode itself is just average.
16. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered: A delightful, witty episode about a spell gone wrong, turning all the female population of Sunnydales into love fools for Xander, with terrible consequences. Another highlight of the season. Very well-directed by James A. Contner, who would go on to become one of the best, and most important helmers right up to the end of the show’s run.
17. Passion: Considered by many, including Whedon himself, to be one of the best episodes of the series. And for good reason, this is the best episode of the show up to this point, and the one that drove home the point that Angel without a soul is an evil psychopath. Gripping, horrifying, and heartbreaking. An auspicious directorial debut for series cinematographer Michael Gershman.
18. Killed by Death: A stylish, creepy episode about a supernatural killer targeting sick children in a hospital ward. Derivative in many ways, but very well done.
19. I Only Have Eyes for You: Another fan favorite, and considered by Whedon himself to be one of the show’s best episodes. This is a clever, visually stylish, and haunting episode, about two angry souls wreaking havoc in Sunnydale High. Showcases all involved at their best.
20. Go Fish: One of the season’s weakest episodes, about the members of the school’s swim team suddenly turning into sea monsters. Forgettable to say the least.
21 and 22. Becoming (Parts 1 and 2): Whedon again pulls out all the stops in an attempt to create something close to a Buffy feature film, complete with high stakes, plenty of action, and a slam-bang climax. He mostly succeeds, but this two-part season finale bites off more than it can chew, and it shows. Still, this is a moving, kinetic couple of episodes, that serve as a fitting ending to what is arguably the show’s best season, and the one that showcased the show’s essence at its purest.
Season 3
Season three is where the show went big, with better effects, better cinematography, and plenty of action.
But it is also the season where a few cracks started to show. Like Joss Whedon’s problematic pacing, an issue that all ensuing seasons would suffer from, with parts of the season feeling inconsequential and borderline boring, while other parts coming across as too quickly paced and frenetic. Also, Whedon and his writing team’s ultra-progressive worldview started to rear its head, with some of the writing taking a ham-fisted, somewhat shallow approach to sociopolitical issues, another problem that would tarnish the series from here on out.
But probably the biggest issue with the season is the introduction of Faith, a character that, while giving a kinetic jolt to the stories, is also abrasive, and seems to come out of nowhere with no clear background, and whose actions are never really believable, especially when she starts turning into a villain.
That said, season three is still one of the show’s best seasons, with everything being turned up a notch, from the production values, to the quality of the acting by the core cast, to the rousing season finale. It also has some of the best stand-alone episodes of the entire run of the series.
But it was here that Buffy The Vampire Slayer turned into a franchise, with tie-in books, comic books, and the inevitable spin-offs, with the show Angel, airing the following year. And the strain of managing all those moving pieces took its toll creatively on Whedon, as would become clear the following season.
Quick reviews of season three’s episodes:
1. Anne: An adequate if dour season opener that doesn’t really fulfill the potential of the plotlines that were set off in the previous season’s finale. It’s ambitious, and is well-directed by Whedon, but it’s a misguidedly downbeat start to the season.
2. Dead Man’s Party: The show finally tackles zombies, with this fun, well-written, and fast-paced episode. Would have made a better season opener than “Anne”.
3. Faith, Hope, and Trick: Faith is introduced, as well as the character of Trick, a suave vampire that would eventually be written out with little fanfare. It’s an action-packed, entertaining episode with plenty to offer.
4. Beauty and The Beasts: An atmospheric, intense episode with nary a dull moment. It finally delivers on the Oz arc, and ends with a jolt of a twist.
5. Homecoming: Written and directed by David Greenwalt, this is one of the season’s best episodes, pairing Buffy and Cordelia against a bunch of hunters. Funny, fast, and memorable.
6. Band Candy: A cursed batch of candy makes Sunnydale’s adults revert to their teen personas. Some great moments, and the cast is obviously having a blast.
7. Revelations: One of the season’s best episodes, about a new watcher arriving in Sunnydale to work with Faith. Great performances, a good script, and a terrific climax.
8. Lovers Walk: Spike returns to Sunnydale, and all hell breaks loose. Great episode, with all involved having a blast. It is here that it becomes obvious that Spike is a character that has plenty to offer, and Whedon takes notice, as, from here on, he would give Spike plenty to do.
9. The Wish: Great premise – a wish demon comes to Sunnydale, maneuvering Cordelia to make a wish that turns Sunnydale into a hellhole with no slayer – underwhelming execution. First appearance of Vampire Willow, an evil doppelganger dressed all in red leather. The introduction of Anya, the wish demon, who will later become a series regular.
10. Amends: The show’s first Christmas episode, written and directed by Joss Whedon, about Angel being haunted by the ghosts of his past. Ambitious and sentimental, but surprisingly forgettable.
11. Gingerbread: The show’s first all-out sociopolitical allegory, about a pair of demons turning the adults of Sunnydale into witch-hunting fanatics. Entertaining enough, but overdone and off-key.
12. Helpless: One of the show’s best episodes, about Buffy being trapped in an old house with a psychotic vampire, as part of her training by the Watchers’ Council. Terrific episode, confidently written and directed, with great performances, especially from guest stars Jeff Kober and Harris Yulin.
13. The Zeppo: The show’s first attempt at deconstruction, poking fun at itself, and trying to look at the characters from the outside in. Great fun, and clever, but is too pleased with itself to be a complete success.
14. Bad Girls (Part 1): The first half of a two-parter about Faith acting as a bad influence on Buffy, with tragic consequences. Well-written and intense, but the pacing is uneven, and Faith’s actions never really make sense.
15. Consequences (Part 2): Plenty of pathos, and Gellar gives a moving performance. But it is here that the season starts to derail, abruptly turning Faith into a villain, a creative choice that would have plenty of ripple effects over the remainder of the season, many of them negative.
16. Doppelgangland: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is Whedon at his most self-indulgent, with an episode whose main purpose is resurrecting the Evil Vampire Willow character, from the episode “The Wish”. The character doesn’t really deserve the spotlight, and the episode is only passable.
17. Enemies: Twists and turns in this riveting, polished episode, pitting Faith against Buffy and Angel, as she conspires with the mayor to make Angel lose his soul again. One of the season’s best.
18. Earshot: The show at its smartest and most effective, as Buffy accidentally acquires the ability to hear other people’s thoughts, with devastating consequences. Clever and haunting.
19. Choices: The beginning of the season’s final arc, with the mayor, with Faith by his side, confronting Buffy and the gang for the first time. The episode mainly serves as a cog in the plot machine, but it works well, and moves fast.
20. The Prom: Fun and moving episode, about Buffy having to juggle her responsibilities as the Slayer with her preparations for attending the prom. The ending is particularly touching.
21 and 22. Graduation Day (Parts 1 and 2): Written and directed by Joss Whedon. The closest thing the series ever got to a slam-bang feature film, this two-part season finale is arguably the best season finale in the history of the series, with Whedon pulling out all the stops, filling the episode with action, twists, and plenty of emotional punches. A terrific ending to one of the best seasons of the show, and the last season to showcase the series with its focus and purpose mostly intact.
Season Four
Uneven and at times near unwatchable, season four is considered by many to be the show’s worst.
The main focus of the season, at least at the start, is Buffy and the gang’s transition from high-school to college life, with all the challenges that transition brings with it, and the season opener, “The Freshman”, starts the season with a bang, with a well-written and stylishly directed episode, which sets the scene and introduces the show’s new look and feel wonderfully.
But things go awry from there with a silly and unpolished second episode, “Living Conditions”. The show never really finds its footing after that, with the focus later shifting from the terrors of college life, both literal and metaphorical, to a half-baked storyline about a secret military organization called “The Initiative”, which serves as Whedon’s ham-fisted metaphor for the evils of the US military-industrial complex, a concept that is jarringly out of place in such a show as Buffy, to say the least.
Still, the season has several highlights, and partially redeems itself with the original and eerie season finale, “Restless”.
Quick reviews of season four’s episodes:
1. The Freshman: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is one of the show’s best season openers, establishing the show’s new college setting effectively, and featuring a compelling story and intriguing villains. The introduction of Riley, Buffy’s love interest for the season.
2. Living Conditions: Lame and silly episode about Buffy’s college roommate, who has secrets of her own.
3. The Harsh Light of Day: One of the season’s best, about Spike’s return to Sunnydale, and an ancient talisman that makes vampires impervious to sunlight. The story continues in the following episode of the spin-off Angel.
4. Fear, Itself: All hell breaks loose during a Halloween party, as Buffy and the gang are trapped inside a cursed house that turns everyone’s fears into reality. Fun, scary, and well-directed.
5. Beer Bad: Hands down, the worst episode in the history of the show, revolving around a batch of cursed beer(!?) that turns citizens of Sunnydale into neanderthals. Mind-bogglingly bad.
6. Wild At Heart: Lackluster episode about Oz being seduced by a violent werewolf girl, forcing him to face the darkness within him. Poorly written and with an endlessly annoying villain.
7. The Initiative: The subterranean military complex is finally revealed, leading to a showdown between Buffy and Riley, who, unbeknownst to Buffy, is a member of the clandestine organization. Passable episode, with an action-packed climax.
8. Pangs: One of Joss Whedon’s favorites, this is another heavy-handed episode with something to say on the sociopolitical front. This time around, it’s about the vengeful spirit of a native American warrior who is out to kill the descendants of those who perpetrated horrors upon his people. Shallow, preachy, and poorly realized, this episode continues the season’s streak of mediocrity.
9. Something Blue: Fun episode about a spell gone wrong, which causes Buffy and Spike to fall in love, among other disasters.
10. Hush: Written and directed by Joss Whedon. A stylish, creepy episode, about a bunch of demons that come out at night, steal everyone’s voices, and tear their hearts out. Heavy on stylistic visuals, and with the gimmick of having no dialogue for most of its running time. But the crass humor, and the self-pleased tone bring it down a notch. The introduction of Tara, Willow’s new love interest.
11. Doomed: An entertaining but forgettable episode about Buffy and Riley having to come clean about their secret lives, while a group of demons try to open the Hellmouth.
12. A New Man: One of the season’s highlights, about Giles turning into a demon who only speaks in the demon’s tongue, forcing him to seek help from Spike to try to reverse the spell. Funny, and with a break-neck pace. Directed by Michael Gershman.
13. The I in Team: Another passable but forgettable episode about Buffy finally getting clearance to become a member of The Initiative. The season’s villain, a being similar to Frankenstein’s monster, called Adam, is finally revealed.
14. Goodbye Iowa: Buffy and Riley deal with the consequences of the death of The Initiative’s leader, Professor Walsh. Watchable, but like most of the season, pretty bland.
15. This Year’s Girl (Part 1): One of the highlights of the season, and the first half of a two-parter about Faith awakening from her coma, hellbent on revenge.
16. Who Are You? (Part 2): Buffy and Faith switch bodies, leading to Buffy being jailed, while Faith, possessing Buffy’s body, begins her plan for revenge. But things don’t go as planned. Co-written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is one of the season’s most fascinating and compelling episodes, dealing with faith, the nature of evil, and the complexity of identity. It also reveals that Riley is a church-going man, a creative decision which Whedon, a staunch atheist, described as “the most radical thing” he ever did on the show, considering his hostility towards religion in general, and Christianity in particular.
17. Superstar: Amusing if smug episode, about a bullied student who casts a spell that makes everyone in Sunnydale perceive him to be a superhero. Another one of the season’s many misguided episodes.
18. Where The Wild Things Are: One of the season’s worst episodes, about Buffy and Riley's passionate lovemaking awakening angry spirits inside a frat house.
19. New Moon Rising: Oz returns to Sunnydale, and reveals that he has conquered the beast inside. That is, until he discovers that Willow is in love with Tara. The episode cementing the lamentable decision of Willow being revealed as a lesbian, despite her character being portrayed for over three years as being tortured by her unfulfilled love for Xander, and, later, for her passionate love for Oz. A bizarre and poorly conceived creative choice, and one which will have regrettable consequences lasting till the end of the series.
20. The Yoko Factor: Intense, fast-paced episode, about Spike teaming up with Adam, and Angel returning to Sunnydale and confronting Riley.
21. Primeval: All hell breaks loose when Adam finally executes his plan, and releases all the demonic prisoners held in the dungeons of The Initiative, forcing Buffy and the gang to take drastic measures. Big, loud, and action-packed episode, which thankfully brings The Initiative storyline to a close, and not a moment too soon.
22. Restless: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is the season’s best episode, centering on the consequences of the spell that Buffy and the gang cast to empower Buffy in her battle against Adam. Thought-provoking, eerie, and haunting. It also foreshadows the events of the next season, with Giles mentioning “the blood of the lamb”, hinting at Buffy’s coming sacrifice; while Faith mentions Buffy soon having a sister, which will be season five’s main arc.
Season Five
The fifth season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, designed from the get-go to be the last, is obviously Joss Whedon’ attempt to redeem the show after the disastrous fourth season.
Season five is focused, energetic, and features some of the show’s best writing. But it is also the season where the show irrevocably changed its tone and its philosophy.
It is here that Whedon, a self-described atheist and existentialist of the Sartre school, steers the show and its characters towards a dark, harsh, spiritually troubled view of life, removing much of the warmth that made the show unique and loved by millions of fans around the world.
It is also here that the show’s mythology becomes murky to the point of incoherence, with the story centering on a group of monks being able to create a human being out of thin air, and rewriting reality to suit their purposes. It is never explained who these monks are, exactly, and how they attained such god-like powers. Meanwhile, evil forces are shown to be near omnipotent, existing in an infinite number of dimensions, and exerting tremendous influence upon the world. Yet, an opposing force for good, namely God, is almost never mentioned, portraying the universe as some kind of directionless, chaotic system, with no rhyme or reason or hope.
This shift in worldview and mythology is jarring at best, and schizophrenic at worst, as the entire concept of the show from the start revolved around the Slayer, destined to fight evil, chosen by the powers of good, and imbued with supernatural abilities by those powers. And since the first three seasons of the show were moralistic and mainly dependent on traditional vampire lore to build their mythology, like holy water and crucifixes repelling the forces of evil, it is logical to assume that the powers granted to the slayer must come, at least in part, from the traditional/Judaeo-Christian God. Suddenly reversing this logic to forward a specific worldview antithetical to traditional spirituality is jarring and confusing, and makes the mythology of the show wobbly from here on out.
Still, season five is the last solid season of the series before its downward spiral, and has some of the most powerful episodes in the show’s entire run. And the unforgettable season finale, “The Gift”, is, arguably, where the show should have ended, as Whedon originally intended.
A quick review of season five’s episodes:
1. Buffy vs. Dracula: Fun take on the Dracula legend, and a clever way to ease viewers into the season’s jarring main plotline, about Buffy suddenly having a younger sister called Dawn, a fact which everyone seems to accept without question.
2. Real Me: Light episode re-introducing the character of Harmony, now partnered with Spike, and who will become one of the season’s most entertaining characters.
3. The Replacement: Nifty episode about Xander’s life being taken over by a doppelganger. Smart and funny, with actor Nicholas Brendon’s twin brother playing the doppelganger in most of the scenes instead of using special effects.
4. Out of My Mind: Riley falls ill, and needs the help of The Initiative’s medics to help figure out what’s wrong with him. Meanwhile, Spike comes up with a scheme to use the situation to his advantage. Good episode.
5. No Place Like Home: Buffy meets Glory, a seemingly omnipotent and psychotic being in the guise of a beautiful young woman, and who is in Sunnydale searching for “The Key”. Effective episode, revealing Dawn’s true nature and purpose, and setting the season’s main arc in motion. But the concept behind Dawn’s origins and the nature of the villain, never really make any sense.
6. Family: Lame, heavy-handed episode about Tara’s malicious, ultra-religious parents. The episode aims to flesh out Tara’s character, but doesn’t really succeed, mainly due to the overwrought writing and self-righteous tone. But the episode’s monsters, a repulsive breed of invisible demons, are terrifying. Written and directed by Joss Whedon.
7. Fool For Love: One of the best episodes of the season, revolving around Spike telling Buffy how he killed two slayers in his lifetime. Smart, thought-provoking, and haunting. The story is fleshed out in the Angel spin-off episode “Darla”.
8. Shadow: Glory unleashes a hideous snake-demon to search for “The Key”/Dawn. A riveting, intense episode, with a truly terrifying monster. Unrelentingly dark, though.
9. Listening to Fear: Strong, disturbing episode, about a repulsive demon that targets the mentally disturbed. Buffy’s mom becomes a target for the demon when her grip on reality loosens due to a brain tumor. Tough, claustrophobic story, almost oppressive in its bleakness, but a compelling, haunting one nonetheless.
10. Into The Woods: Effective and emotional episode about Buffy finally finding out about Riley’s addiction to being willingly fed upon by vampires.
11. Triangle: Amusing episode about Willow accidentally conjuring a giant troll, who also happens to be one of Anya’s former lovers. Pure fluff, but a welcome reprieve from the bleakness.
12. Checkpoint: Fast-paced, plot-heavy episode, features the welcome return of The Watcher’s council, headed by Quentin Travers (wonderfully portrayed by Harris Yulin), as they arrive in Sunnydale to help Buffy deal with Glory, for a price. Introduces The Knights of Byzantium, a group akin to The Knights Templar, who, predictably enough, are portrayed as bloodthirsty religious fanatics without much brains.
13. Blood Ties: Good episode about Dawn freaking out and running away when she realizes what she really is. The episode mainly serves to push the season’s plot forward, but is done well enough.
14. Crush: Spike finally confesses his love to Buffy, who is appalled by his affections, driving Spike to question his allegiances. Meanwhile, Drusilla comes to town to seduce Spike back to the dark side. Effective episode, but Drusilla’s return is surprisingly underwhelming.
15. I Was Made to Love You: One of the season’s weakest episodes, about a powerful love robot built by a disturbed high-school student. Contrived, and mainly written to provide a nonsensical twist in the season’s final episode.
16. The Body: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, this is a strong episode about Buffy and the gang dealing with the death of Joyce Summers. The first half is perfection, but the second half loses some of the momentum. A fan and critical favorite.
17. Forever: Great episode about Dawn attempting to bring her mother back to life. Dark and atmospheric, this variation on “The Monkey’s Paw” is one of the season’s best episodes.
18. Intervention: Spike forces the geek from episode 15 to build him a Buffy lovebot, leading to many unforeseen consequences. Good episode, despite introducing the contrived and ludicrous idea of the Buffy lookalike robot, who will play an important part in the episodes to come.
19. Tough Love: Glory ups her attacks on Buffy and the gang, leading to one of them being grievously harmed. Passable episode, serves as the beginning of the final arc for the season, for better or worse.
20. Spiral: Buffy and the gang are on the run from Glory and the Knights of Byzantium. Good, action-packed episode, even if it heavily features one of the most misguided concepts in the history of the series, The Knights of Byzantium, who come across as buffoonish and annoying.
21. The Weight of The World: After the final battle with The Knights of Byzantium, Buffy goes catatonic, succumbing to the psychological and physical fatigue she has endured so far. A moving and well-written episode, serves as a fitting prelude to the season finale.
22. The Gift: Written and directed by Joss Whedon, and initially designed to be the series’ finale prior to the series being picked up for two more seasons by the UPN network. This is one of Whedon’s best directorial efforts, and features all of his trademarks: grand set-pieces, apocalyptic imagery, and heartbreaking sacrifices. Would have made a perfect ending to the series. Also features one of the best opening montages ever put on TV, flashing through highlights from the entire run of the show.
Season Six
The most problematic season of the show’s run, season six of Buffy The Vampire Slayer is where the show completely lost its way.
It wasn’t as poorly constructed or written as season four was, but the tonal shift, combined with some of the most misguided creative decisions ever made on the show by Whedon and his team, make the season the most controversial and least loved among fans.
Part of the problem stems from the story having no real place to go after the season five finale, which served as a fitting and satisfactory ending to the show.
So the writers had few options to pursue, namely, do more of the same, or go in a different direction. And go in a different direction they did, for better or worse.
Whedon and his team’s direction of choice was to go darker and bleaker. And considering how dark the show had already become by season five, that’s saying something.
The main crux of the season focuses on the Scooby Gang resurrecting Buffy, and Buffy having to deal with her new life, with all its everyday problems (making a living, raising a family, and fulfilling her responsibilities as a slayer), while fighting off her sense of loss after finding peace in the afterlife.
The feature-length season premiere, “Bargaining”, begins the season well enough, with a tense, action-packed episode that launches the season’s main storyline confidently and clearly. But it’s apparent from the beginning that something is off, as the tone of the episode, both narratively and stylistically, lacks Whedon’s voice, and the atmosphere is cold and somewhat off-putting.
But the season gets better in the next batch of episodes, focusing on Buffy’s struggles with the demands of everyday life, and dealing with her sense of hopelessness.
The downward spiral, though, soon starts, when the show hones in on two parallel, and equally misguided storylines: Buffy’s sexual affair with Spike; and Willow becoming addicted to the practice of magic.
Both stories are dealt with in heavy-handed and distasteful manners, and by the end of the season, almost all of the show’s characters have either become unrecognizable or unlikable.
The season finale tries to save the show’s dignity as much as possible, and it partly succeeds. But the show would never completely regain its soul again.
The blame for this season mostly falls on the shoulders of co-showrunner Marti Noxon, one of the most prolific writers on the show since the third season, and who Joss Whedon chose to handle most of the work on season six while he was frantically trying to keep his two other shows, Angel and Firefly, afloat.
Noxon wasn’t really up to the task, and years later, admitted that she bungled the writing mainly due to her shoehorning her own personal struggles dealing with addiction into the show’s story. The result was a season that was uneven at best, with some of the best standalone episodes in the history of the show, while also featuring what is probably some of the most jarring and poorly realized overall arcs in the show’s run.
A quick review of season six’s episodes:
1 and 2. Bargaining (Parts 1 and 2): A feature-length episode focusing on Xander and Willow’s attempt at resurrecting Buffy, while Sunnydale is attacked by a gang of biker demons intent on taking advantage of the slayer’s death and ruling the town. Entertaining episode, effectively setting up the season’s arc, but it is clear that something is missing, with the visual style and the tone of the writing coming off as off-key.
3. After Life: Buffy accidentally brings back an evil being with her from the afterlife, and it wreaks havoc on the Scooby Gang’s life. Scary, intense episode, works on all levels, and is one of the most terrifying episodes ever aired on the show.
4. Flooded: Good, well-written episode, ushering in another of the season’s arc: Buffy dealing with the demands of everyday life, now that her mother is gone and she’s the family’s sole adult.
5. Life Serial: Fun episode, introducing “The Trio”, the worst villains in the history of the show and one of the biggest problems with the season. The plot: “The Trio”, three maladjusted nerds with deadly skills, plan to destroy Buffy and take over Sunnydale. Still, the episode has plenty of energy, and is endlessly entertaining.
6. All The Way: Dawn sneaks out to a secret date with older teens, developing a crush on a boy who turns out to be a vampire. The closest thing the season comes to fulfilling its potential and capturing the original essence of the show. Too bad none of the other episodes manage to be this charming and bittersweet.
7. Once More, With Feeling: Joss Whedon’s sole directorial effort of the season, is a smug, self-indulgent musical, about a demon that has his eyes on Dawn, while forcing the entire population of Sunnydale to express themselves in song and dance. Has moments of brilliance, and some of the songs are good, but, overall, signals the season’s, and the show’s, loss of identity and direction.
8. Tabula Rasa: Another spell by Willow goes wrong, causing everyone to forget who they are. A fun, smart episode that gives the cast a lot of opportunity to stretch their muscles and enjoy themselves. The subplot about Spike thinking he’s Giles’ son is especially funny.
9. Smashed: The beginning of the end for the season, launching the regrettable decision of having Buffy and Spike engage in a perverse sexual relationship. The concept of Buffy and Spike having a relationship is not, in itself, far-fetched by this point in the show, but Noxon and the writing team choose what is arguably the worst approach to go about it. At this point, the show sheds its skin, with dire consequences.
10. Wrecked: Willow loses control of her addiction to magic, endangering Dawn. The downward spiral continues, with a poorly written episode about the horrors of addiction. Alyson Hannigan does what she can with a subpar script, while guest star Jeff Kober steals the show with his turn as Rack, the creepy black market magic dealer.
11. Gone: “The Trio” makes Buffy invisible, to her delight. But the affliction can become permanent if the Scooby Gang can’t find a remedy soon. Smart, energetic episode, well-written and fast on its feet, even managing to overcome the intense silliness of “The Trio”.
12. Doublemeat Palace: One of the best episodes of the season, centering on Buffy having to work in a fast-food place to pay the bills, and later discovering that there’s a monster feeding on the employees. Clever, surprisingly touching and darkly funny episode, fires on all cylinders, and is one of the most original episodes to come out of the show.
13. Dead Things: Warren, the leader of “The Trio”, and the most devious member of the team, casts a spell that tricks Buffy into believing that she has killed an innocent woman. Entertaining episode, with a great concept weakened by so-so writing.
14. Older and Far Away: Dawn accidentally casts a spell trapping everyone inside the house with a combative demon. Cleverly put together episode, has a smart script and plenty of energy. Directed by the ever dependable Michael Gershman, the show’s former director of photography.
15. As You Were: Riley, now married to a fellow soldier, returns to Sunnydale, and asks Buffy for help in tracking down a dangerous demon. Good, heartfelt episode, brings the Riley saga to a satisfying close, and also kicks off the show’s attempt to save itself before it’s too late.
16. Hell’s Bells: One of the season’s weakest episodes, a Twilight Zone homage, revolving around Xander and Anya’s wedding day, where everything goes wrong after a mysterious man from the future warns Xander against marrying Anya. Unevenly written and ludicrous in many ways, and is symptomatic of all that is wrong with the season: contrived stories, poor detail, and lots and lots of misery-mongering.
17. Normal Again: Buffy is accidentally poisoned while fighting a demon, leading her mind to waver between two realities: the current one, and a parallel one where she’s trapped in a mental asylum, and where everything that has happened so far being the mere hallucinations of her disturbed mind. Intriguing concept, handled well, and confidently directed by feature film director Rick Rosenthal (Halloween II). But the final scene, where the whole truth of the series is questioned, is pretentious and unnecessary.
18. Entropy: Anya, who is now a Wish Demon again, is confused and angry after Xander leaves her at the altar, so she gets together with Spike. Diverting episode, but bland and lightweight.
19. Seeing Red: The season more or less collapses in on itself, with this overwrought episode about Warren finally losing control, attacking Buffy at her home with a gun, leading to Buffy being grievously wounded, and Tara’s death.
20. Villains: Heavily influenced by “The Dark Phoenix” storyline from the X-men comics, this episode features the unleashing of Dark Willow - a crazed, near omnipotent version of Willow, possessing devastating magical powers – who hunts down “The Trio”, while Buffy and Xander try to stop her before it’s too late. Intense and immensely entertaining episode, but the writing is weak, and the whole arc about Dark Willow, and Tara’s death, is just misguided and poorly realized on almost every level.
21. Two To Go: After Willow kills Warren, Buffy confronts her, leading to a fight that Buffy can’t win on her own. Fast, compelling episode, moving the story forward, and with a welcome surprise appearance at the end.
22. Grave: Sentimental and weakly written finale, where the “Dark Willow” storyline finally comes to an end, and which ends the season on a hopeful note. Still, this is probably the weakest season finale in the history of the show, which isn’t surprising, considering the overall quality of the season.
Season Seven
After the steep decline in quality in season six, the direction the show would take next was up in the air. But Joss Whedon, ever the storyteller, tries his best to repair the damage and return the show back to its roots.
And, to some degree, it works. Season seven is probably the warmest and most cohesive season since season three, and it’s obvious from the very beginning that Whedon is back at the helm and ready to go.
That’s not to say that it’s all smooth sailing from here on out. This season still suffers from many of the problems that troubled the show since its fourth season: contrived storylines, bouts of misery-mongering, a cynical/pagan/existential worldview, and characters acting off-key.
But it has some of the strongest storytelling momentum since the third season; a great villain in The First; and a satisfying series finale.
A quick review of season seven’s episodes:
1. Lessons: The show goes back to basics, with this lively, charming episode about the reopening of Sunnydale High, where ghosts and ghouls are roaming the halls. Meanwhile, Buffy keeps an eye on Dawn, who is now in high-school, while Spike lives in the school basement, trying to hold on to his sanity after recapturing his soul. The final scene featuring every major villain in the history of the show, is a great touch and a welcome gift to the fans.
2. Beneath You: Buffy tries to help Spike as he struggles with his wavering sanity, while a subterranean monster wreaks havoc on Sunnydale. Good episode, solidifying the season’s likable tone and its return to what it does best.
3. Same Time, Same Place: Willow returns to Sunnydale after months of recuperating in England under Giles’ guidance. But a vicious, flesh-eating demon has its eyes on her. Good episode, with a terrifying monster, but doesn’t pack the emotional punch it should, considering the stakes.
4. Help: Buffy starts her job as a school counselor at Sunnydale High, and tries to prevent the death of a student who believes her death is predetermined. Interesting episode with a thought-provoking concept, but the ending is a let-down.
5. Selfless: Buffy has to decide whether to kill Anya or not, after learning that Anya is now a Wish Demon again and responsible for massacring an entire fraternity. Weak episode, revolving around Anya, a character who has outstayed her welcome.
6. Him: Another old-school episode, mostly succeeding in recapturing the charm of the show’s early seasons. Buffy and Dawn both fall for a high-school student, who, for some reason, they find irresistible.
7. Conversations with Dead People: Cleverly produced episode, which, according to Whedon, came out of necessity, when scheduling conflicts for several cast members prevented them from appearing together in the same scenes. And so, the writers came up with an episode made up of separate but parallel stories. The result is an eerie episode, drenched in existential dread, which is riveting to watch, but is too dark and downbeat for its own good.
8. Sleeper: Spike is manipulated by The First into killing humans again, and Buffy has to deal with the consequences. Good episode, but the premise deserved a stronger script, with higher emotional stakes.
9. Never Leave Me: Buffy tries to learn more about The First from Spike, while the Scooby gang tries to force Andrew, the now reformed former member of “The Trio”, to reveal everything he knows about The First. A filler episode, whose main purpose is to move the plot forward, but ends with a bang, literally.
10. Bring On The Night: Strong, fast-paced episode, about Giles arriving in Sunnydale with a number of potential slayers who are being hunted by The First. Introduces the terrifying Turok-Han breed of vampire, which seems to be too strong for Buffy to kill.
11. Showtime: Great, rousing episode, about Buffy’s plan to win back everyone’s trust by trying, one more time, to kill the Turok-Han vampire. One of the best episodes of the season.
12. Potential: Good episode about a spell that reveals that Dawn may be the next potential slayer. The rewriting of Dawn’s character into a wiser, more graceful character is a bit contrived, though, even if it is emotionally effective.
13. The Killer in Me: One of the weaker episodes of the season, establishing a new and annoying character named Kennedy, as Willow’s new love interest. Weakly written and overwrought.
14. First Date: Another weak episode, mainly of interest because it reveals that Principal Wood is the son of a slayer.
15. Get It Done: Adequate episode about Buffy entering a portal to seek the advice of the original witch-doctors who created the first slayer. Meanwhile, Spike, feeling weak and defanged since he got his soul back, tries to reconnect with his darker side to help Buffy and the gang win the fight against The First. The episode features the lamentable revelation that the first slayer was created in Africa by a group of corrupt men, by forcing a demon entity upon an innocent girl; an unsavory concept that further pollutes the show’s mythology, and adds an unpleasant aura to the show’s core concept, mainly as a form of sociopolitical posturing on Whedon’s part, who apparently settled on this idea and created the upcoming villain Caleb, as a rallying cry against “the patriarchy”. While the show always featured an admirable streak of female empowerment in its stories, the way it was handled this season was misguided, to say the least.
16. Storyteller: Amusing but ultimately disappointing episode centering on Andrew, the reformed member of “The Trio”, coming to terms with his past crimes.
17. Lies My Parents Told Me: One of the best episodes of the season. Woods and Giles hatch up a plan to distract Buffy, while Woods traps Spike and attempts to kill him to avenge his mother, a slayer whom Spike killed thirty years ago. Dark, well-written, and deftly handled by co-writer/director David Fury.
18. Dirty Girls: The introduction of Caleb, a psychotic false preacher (charismatically played by Nathan Fillion), who is recruited by The First to help destroy Buffy and the gang. And Faith returns to Sunnydale to join the battle. Effective episode, heavy on plot and exposition. Well-written, and kicks into motion the season’s final arc.
19. Empty Places: The gang and the potential Slayers rebel against Buffy, after a disastrous encounter with Caleb and The First. Tense episode, packs an emotional wallop, but the actions of some of the characters, especially Giles, Willow, and Xander, are off-key and unconvincing.
20. Touched: Low-key, moving episode about Buffy seeking solace from Spike, as the final battle with The First and its army looms closer.
21. End of Days: Buffy outsmarts Caleb and The First, and retrieves an ancient weapon that may be a key factor in winning the battle to come. Highly enjoyable, exciting episode, which shakes off some of the doom and gloom that plagued the last batch of episodes, and features the welcome return of Angel for a final goodbye before the end of the series.
22. Chosen: The series finale. Buffy and the gang go to war with The First and its army of Turok-Han vampires, and despite plenty of casualties and devastation, come out victorious. Ambitious and stirring episode that, despite its somewhat pretentious tone, ends the series on a high note.
