Out of these four… I like New Moon Rising the best. It firmly establishes Willow & Tara as a couple, which I loved. And bringing Oz back was a great way to show it wasn’t a fling.
If I were to make my own connection, I’d probably do…
Choices
In this episode, Willow shines in both her magic and her nerdiness, showcasing how much growth she has had in 3 seasons. I like that she finally stands up to Faith and makes the decision to continue fighting evil in Sunnydale post-graduation
Restless
This episode showcases all four of the core scoobies, especially Willow. I really like how her nightmare pays homage to her journey through the first half of the show. And it plays on her insecurities on her relationships with Oz and Tara.
Tough Love
This is a strong Willow episode, and using Tara to bring out the first aspects of Dark Willow was something I didn’t see coming upon first watch. It continues Willow’s arc of using magic for personal gain, which is felt even more in season 6.
Villains
I can’t really see any other episode following Tough Love in a collection. Having Willow continue those sparks of revenge in Tough Love really comments on her character arc. I know it’s kind of a dark way to end a Willow Collection, but it really does complete an arc between the 4 chosen episodes, and flips her decision from Choices on its head. Which is fun.
Of course these days we are doing Bluray releases, and 5 episodes easily fit on one Bluray soooo…
Same Time, Same Place
The only way we can complete the Willow collection is to show how even though she has evolved over 7 years, she is still the same insecure Willow and the power she has collected still leads to mishaps. This episode really deals with Willow’s uncertainties about returning to Sunnydale after the events of Villains, so it’s a perfect episode to follow. It also does a decent job of showcasing the strong friendship between Buffy and Willow, with the final scene mirroring the final scene of Choices. So it really bookends the arc my collection would show.
