Episode Discussion The Ultimate Best Episode Debate

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Alright guys! It's that time again. With so many new members having just joined the board, I say it's time for another one of our Favorite Episode debates. I know we have had debates before about Top Ten, but this time you can only choose ONE episode. Hard, right? Rock and roll.

Discuss and argue your hearts out!

Remember to choose your favorite - not necessarily the 'best.' And please remember to say why you think it's your all-time best and favorite episode of Buffy, ever!

I'm curious to see where we all differ (or agree!).

 

[bigmoneygrip]

I'm going to go against conventional wisdom and say "Family". This has to be one of my all time favorite scenes:

BUFFY: You wanna take Tara out of here against her will? You gotta come through me.
DAWN: And me!
MR. MACLAY: Is this a joke? (steps down one of the stairs) I'm not gonna be threatened by two little girls.
DAWN: You don't wanna mess with us.
BUFFY: She's a hair-puller.
GILES: And ... (puts on his glasses) you're not just dealing with, uh, two little girls.
XANDER: You're dealing with all of us.
SPIKE: 'Cept me.
XANDER: 'Cept Spike.
SPIKE: I don't care what happens.
MR. MACLAY: This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. *We* ... are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?
Shot of Giles, Dawn, Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya all standing together in a group, with Spike in the background.
BUFFY: We're family.

There's a scene in one of the Buffy eps where Spike says that Buffy is so powerful because she has "her Mum, the Scoobies, her brat kid sister", with the idea being that is her family that makes her so strong and unbeatable. "Family" embodies that idea perfectly, that this is a group of people that have their differences, have their arguments, but always, always, always love each other as a family, and together they will always win. It's like that line from OMWF, "what can't we defeat if we're together".

 

[Silum]

I dont think there is a single episode I look forward to seeing (when watching the series as a whole) more than Doppelgangland so I'm going to have to say that.

Why?

Tons of foreshadowing. Absolute hilarity (Xander saying 'back demon! get back!" only to shake his cross to see if its working, that had me in fits of laughter!). I think every single actor did tremendously. I think probably the combination of The Wish and Doppelgangland is the perfect episode (ok, thats cheating, so.)

Giles- "Well, uh, something... something very strange is happening."
Xander- "Can you believe the Watcher's Council let this guy go?"

 

[xaphania]

I'm going to say Fool for Love. I love nearly everything about this episode - and even the Riley scenes are made bearable by the rest of the Scoobies (with the "choo choo!").

I love the insight into Spike's past, and being able to see his evolution from lovesick poet, to ruthless killer then finally at the end - the vampire in love with the slayer.

The back porch scene at the end - ahh, love it.

This is the episode I can watch again and again.

 

[white avenger]

There are a lot of episodes that stand out for me, and one of them will probably get me cussed and abused to no end, because that episode is "Seeing Red." It's not Spike's attempt to rape Buffy, certainly, but the fact that Spike's attempt to do so, and his realization of what he had just done, marked one of the major turning points in Spike's existence. At the end of Season 5, Spike told Buffy that he knew that he was a monster, but I don't think that, in all of the time that he had ever been a vampire, he had ever really realized what being a monster really was.

 

[Flannen]

Ok. So I decided to dismiss the two parters I like, cos it's kind of cheating!

So, the single episode that always jumps to my mind is: Enemies. I just love it.

I love the Buffy/Angel cuteness (leave me ALONE! 😛), Faith and the fact we can see her heading towards a downfall, a little bit of Angelus in there, acting or not, it was awesome. I love how it shows glimpses into the sides we don't always get to see; Faith's vulnerability and Buffy's insecurity.

And that face at 'second best' - priceless!

I've said a lot of the reasons as to why I love this episode in the thread for it, which I can go find if you want! 😛

I will never tire of watching it.

 

[Crazy Flakes]

So we're talking about favorite episodes, and not the best? If so, then I'm gonna go with "Restless". Like "Once More, With Feeling," the fans' feelings about it don't have much middle ground...everyone either loves it and considers it one of the best of the series (like myself) or hates it with a passion because it doesn't fit in with the main arc of the season. I just think it's such an incredible, in-depth study of the characters, and, since the character development was pretty much the main reason why Buffy was such a great show, it really epitomized the show's strengths. Plus, it was absolutely hilarious at times.

Still, even if it was my favorite as well as a very well-written, layered episode, I'd say it's the second best. The best is probably "The Body," since it not only acted as a great character study, but also offered one of the best interpretations of death I've seen in any type of media, be it TV, movies, or books.

 

[Fake Shemp]

Welcome to the Hellmouth

Cause otherwise I wouldn't have continued to watch.

(I'm nicer on shows now and give them a few episodes, but I was younger and believe it or not even more impatient than I am now)

 

[Willow-Tree]

"Once More, With Feeling."

It has everything a fantastic episode needs: Humor, heart, angst, suspense, and more!

 

[Sunnydale Siren]

Hush.

For me, that episode was flawless.



The Body was a very close 2nd, but the replay value is lower for me.

Because it's so damn sad.

 

[The Ferg]

I gotta say OMWF. I know, it's "the obvious choice", but still, it's just so brilliant, and amazing, and friggin awesome. lol, I don't even think I need to tell everyone why I like it so much. But also, I REALLY love CwDP. It's kind of a "dark horse" in my mind. Like I knew it was there, but it never really stuck out in my mind. And now that I've watched it again, I gotta say, everytime I don't have anything to watch and I see my Whedon collection, the first epy that comes to mind is CwDP.

But if you were asking me what my favorite episode is, besides the obvious, amazing epys (ie: Hush, Body, Gift, OMWF, CwDP), I'd say The Pack. I liked Buffy before I saw this, but once I did, I absolutely loved the show. (btw, I saw random epys, then S6 fully, then S1) In this episode you really get to see how tight the trio's bond is, and not to mention, it's scary as crap.

EDIT: Just btw, the BEST episode imo is The Body. Hush comes in at a close second.

 

[wickedtiger86]

Tabula Rasa.
I always get so excited when I'm about to watch this episode. Plus that cat line, I use that on my husband all the time. He'll be like "I'll inflate the tires tomorrow. There's still time." and then I'll say "Time! . . . Time . . . is what turns kittens! . . . into cats!" And then he fumes at me.

But, I mean Giles leaves and I still love it! That's big coming from me. 🙂

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Well, it looks like it's my turn to weigh in. And it looks like Wickedtiger and I agree! (awesome)

First off, I'd like to say that this was a VERY HARD CHOICE (But that's the fun of it, eh?) between 'Pangs', 'Passion', and 'Tabula Rasa'. After much thought, I've chosen the later.

Why?

Not a popular choice, I know. Some fans think the humor is overrated, and I'll have to disagree.

I never, never get sick of this episode. The irony is just rich. I love how all the character's forget their memories and are forced to figure out who they are based on the current situation and who they are surrounded by. This episode is also ripe with foreshadowing. The episode explores the characters not as they are, but as they could be. Dawn and Buffy's connection is almost immediately apparent, demonstrating their love for each other. Spike and Buffy automatically trust each other, even though they've never "met." Whether Spike's proclamation about his "soul" is a foreshadow at his eventual destiny or an ironic comment on Angel is unclear, but it's BRILLIANT. This episode is classic Joss. Giles and Anya think they're married. It's classic, really. Comic genius. A welcome distraction from the dark rest of season 6. Despite having lost their memories, Tara and Willow are still into each other.

And man, who can beat this line?

Buffy: (To "Randy"/Spike) A vampire with a soul? How lame is that?

Gotta go to work. More on this later. Thanks for replying, guys!

 

[Crashing Doors]

So many choices, and I never keep the same one for more than a week. At first I was going to go with "Once More, With Feeling" due to the fact that I can sing along (accurately) to about 95% of the episode.

Anyway, after thinking it over a bit, I'm going to go with "Restless" because it's just so out there for a Buffy episode. Being able to see some of the characters dreams offers some great insight into who they are--the sides that we don't normally get to see. Plus, the song Giles sings cracks me up ("try not to bleed on my couch I just had it steam cleaned"); Joyce living in the wall; Xander's tunnel of weirdness, etc. Plus I think it helps set up who the characters will be for the next couple years (referring of course to the aforementioned "insight").

Plus, we see the First Slayer for the first time which will play quite a role in some key episodes in the last seasons.

 

[caitaintdead]

For me I'm torn. It's between The Dark Age and Restless.

The Dark Age is up there for me because I really enjoyed seeing such a different side of Giles. Not only did it give us insight and depth to Giles, but also made me aware of just how great all the characters were going to be, and how much would be explored.

Restless is fantastic, I enjoy watching it every single time. It's entertaining, funny, serious, insightful. Everything.

Okay, final answer cait? Restless. My final answer is Restless.

 

[Wanabee-slayer]

Once More With Feeling definitely has to be the best episode of the show! It was Joss' dream episode and it is still a joy to watch! I don't think anything can beat it and I don't they should be allowed to either. OMWF! Nuff said!

 

[Friendly Lurker]

Gotta agree with my granddaughter! There are a lot of episodes I love but Once More With Feeling is just speshul. I can't stop listening to the songs and it's great how they progress the story instead of being random chants.