(Whedonverse) Your Guilty Pleasure Episode(s)?

vellavu

vellavu

Scooby
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Black Thorn
What are the episodes that you know they are not so well done and would not rate it very high but still choose to rewatch more often than you think you should?

Mine:
Bad Eggs
Anne
Real Me
Pylea Stuff
Shindig
 
The episodes that I enjoy more than I know I should:

The Puppet Show: Mainly because I like the idea of Sid more than the execution- which is terrible. The puppetry is quite bad but I really dig the character. Grizzled, monster-hunting puppet is genius imo.

Enemies: A lot of it makes no sense, at all, but I don't care. Faith is so gorgeous and evil. Her outfit is great, her hair is fantastic. Evil looks good on her. Angel being Angelus is fun, the twist (which is utterly illogical) is brilliantly played.
I love the episode more than the execution warrents. So much so that in the past I've made excuses for Faith's behaviour and still feel sorry for her at the end of the episode even after what she tried to do. I suppose the fact that Buffy was in no real danger helps with that but still, this episode is whistling with plot-holes.
Also that first Faith/Angelus kiss is really hot, even though I know that Faith/Angel is easily one of the best non-romantic partnerships in the Buffyverse.

Happy Aniversary: Slightly dull episode but I really like the Lorne/Angel buddy-cop pairing. I like the fact that Angel (almost) single-handedly saves the world and never gets any credit for it, hell- he even forgets it himself. I also like that, even at his lowest he does try to sympathize with the nerdy scientist guy. 'Love...well, its like a fire.'
Plus, end of the world through physics was refreshingly off-beat.

Thin Dead Line: I don't rate most of it that highly but... Evil Zombie cops! Wesley gets shot! I also like that Wes/Gunn/Cordy and Kate/Angel work the same case from separate angles.

Billy: Vile, misandrist clap-trap. I find the premise that, deep down, all guys have a natural, deep-seated violence towards women that can be 'brought out' utterly offensive.
On the other hand I did like Wesley's sinister, creepy performance and that a terrified Fred uses her brain to beat him. I also felt heartbroken for Wesley at the end of the episode- his apology to Fred is gut-wrenching. Makes me appreciate the episode perhaps more than I should.
Plus Lilah shoots the smug bad-guy dead. Yay for her.

Doublemeat Palace: I've worked in fast-food and find this episode captures the boredom well. Too well for some.
But that ending! Buffy desperately stabbing the penis-monster with a plastic knife? C'mon, that's high camp comedy-horror. Especially after it squirted her in the fact with the paralysis-inducing liquid. Then the heroic lesbian comes to the rescue and throws the evil penis-monster into the mincer and saves the day. Season 6 is full of this sort of symbolism.

As You Were: Nonsensical plot and awful actress who guest stars as Riley's wife. But I actually like Riley a lot here. he gets most of the best lines, is utterly non-judgemental at Buffy's circumstances/choice of bed partner and gives her the lift she needs so she can make vital progress in her own arc. A nice bonus is an end to all that depressing Spuffy sex.

Every episode in S7 that has Faith in: I think they're better than they are just because she's there. I have huge problems with a lot of 'Empty Places' and 'Touched' ('Dirty Girls' is actually very well done) but overall I make excuses and like those more than 'better' episodes earlier on because Faith seems to bring some sanity/perspective to things as soon as she shows up.
If there's a problem she sees then she proactively tries to fix it. She might not succeed, she might makes things a bit worse, but she tries. Which is more than anyone else does.

End Of Days/Chosen: It's not better than 'The Gift' by any means, but at the same time it really is because of all the call-backs and nice character moments/scenes. The more I watch 'The Gift' its like the utterly despairng Buffy can see her death approaching. The more I watch 'End Of Days/Chosen' its like Buffy realizes that she might get a happy ending for once.

You're Welcome: Of course its great, its near-perfect, the skillful culmination of the first (disjointed) half of season 5. But it also makes me briefly forget that Cordelia hasn't been there, and that she got screwed over the season before. I wanted more than I got.

Smile Time: The puppetry is better at least! I genuinely think Puppet-Angel should make some sort of return, no matter how contrived, in the comics. I want to see everybody's reaction.
 
I seem to enjoy the episodes people hate a lot because of the awesome Scooby interactions in them. My list contains:

Where The Wild Things Are
Bad Eggs
Go Fish
Beer Bad
Teacher's Pet
 
Definitely Chosen. I f***ing love that episode, but I know the deus ex machina trope is dumb.

Most other episode are funny episode, like Tabula Rasa.
 
I definitely wouldn't consider 'Anne' to be an unpopular or guilty pleasure ep. Or even one that had low ratings. Does 'Anne' really rate low in the faves category? That's reall surprising to me, I definitely consider 'Anne' to be one of my fave eps and the best season opener of the show.

I've decided that I don't have 'guilty pleasures' anymore, because I've decided that I shouldn't feel guilty about liking anything. Why is that something anyone should feel guilty about? That boggles my mind.

Any, in answer to the OP, I do love 'Beer Bad' and I make no bones about it. I love BBB and OMWF. 'Pangs' is another great ep that's one of my faves.
 
The only one that I can think of that I know isn't generally well regarded is 'Gingerbread'.
 
I still think they are not as bad as others think they are, but I do enjoy them.
Go Fish-While the fish-monster thing might not be good, I do like the rest of the stuff. Buffy trying to move on and talk to other guys, Willow interogatting Jonathan, and Cordelia's speech to the fish monster in the pool thinking it's Xander. Plus, Xander in a Speedo!
Doublemeat Palace-I like seeing Buffy in a new environment, it's really creepy at the restaurant. I also like seeing non Magic Willow doing science, and even Xander feels more like old Xander. It just feels like a classic MoTW investigation episode to me. Could have done with out the Spuffy alley sex, but that's the only bad thing.

I also agree with Topher about Enemies and pretty much any episode Faith is in. She's my favorite for a reason.
 
Fuffy Baith said:
I still think they are not as bad as others think they are, but I do enjoy them.
Go Fish-While the fish-monster thing might not be good, I do like the rest of the stuff. Buffy trying to move on and talk to other guys, Willow interogatting Jonathan, and Cordelia's speech to the fish monster in the pool thinking it's Xander. Plus, Xander in a Speedo!
Doublemeat Palace-I like seeing Buffy in a new environment, it's really creepy at the restaurant. I also like seeing non Magic Willow doing science, and even Xander feels more like old Xander. It just feels like a classic MoTW investigation episode to me. Could have done with out the Spuffy alley sex, but that's the only bad thing.

I also agree with Topher about Enemies and pretty much any episode Faith is in. She's my favorite for a reason.
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But I don't find that storyline credible, I don't buy that Buffy at that point would be interested in a jork, the comedy value of Xander in the speedo is the only good thing I think, well maybe Willow interogatting Jonathan but then these are small moments of comic relief. The whole Fish Rape sits uneasy with me too.
 
@GwenRaiden Well maybe when she was more superfincial It girl pre-Sunnydale?
 
GwenRaiden
GwenRaiden
When was Buffy interested in a jork?
Mr Trick said:
But I don't find that storyline credible, I don't buy that Buffy at that point would be interested in a jork, the comedy value of Xander in the speedo is the only good thing I think, well maybe Willow interogatting Jonathan but then these are small moments of comic relief. The whole Fish Rape sits uneasy with me too.
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Well she wasn't interested in the jork (jock/jerk? I'm assuming). She was interested on the beach when he was trying to impress her, but then when he turns into a jerk she hits his head on the steering wheel. I just always like when Buffy gets these little moments that make her feel like a real teenage girl. Idk why but the insinuated fish rape this doesn't bother me at all. I think her line was suppose to be a joke, which is how I take it. If they actually tried to rape her then that's different.
 
Fuffy Baith said:
Well she wasn't interested in the jork (jock/jerk? I'm assuming). She was interested on the beach when he was trying to impress her, but then when he turns into a jerk she hits his head on the steering wheel. I just always like when Buffy gets these little moments that make her feel like a real teenage girl. Idk why but the insinuated fish rape this doesn't bother me at all. I think her line was suppose to be a joke, which is how I take it. If they actually tried to rape her then that's different.
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Well actually I don't know if she was ever interested, think she just saw him as a friend, but point is I didn't buy that she would be taken in by him. There just wasn't enough to disgurise his true personality. I find it insulting to the Buffy character.

But they clearly were trying to rape her, I don't see much of a question mark in that. Also, I didn't really find the joke funny, it was just Buffy demeaning herself.
 
Mr Trick said:
Well actually I don't know if she was ever interested, think she just saw him as a friend, but point is I didn't buy that she would be taken in by him. There just wasn't enough to disgurise his true personality. I find it insulting to the Buffy character.

But they clearly were trying to rape her, I don't see much of a question mark in that. Also, I didn't really find the joke funny, it was just Buffy demeaning herself.
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I think you might be giving Buffy too much credit here. You've never been a teenage girl liking boys. I think once she found out he was boring talking about swimming all the time, she gave up on any kind of dating thing, and then he was a jerk. But at first she sees a cute guy talking to her about the ocean and being deep. She was at least interested in him enough to let him drive her to school in the morning.

I don't think we ever saw them trying to rape her, it was all underwater, you could just as well say they were trying to eat her. the coach is the one that makes it sounds like rape, but I don't think he knows a lot about fish-monster needs and anatomy, so I never saw it as a viable idea that they were going to actually rape her. This is getting off topic though.

Back to guilty pleasure episodes I do remember liking Teacher's Pet more than I should. Idk why.
 
Fuffy Baith said:
I think you might be giving Buffy too much credit here. You've never been a teenage girl liking boys. I think once she found out he was boring talking about swimming all the time, she gave up on any kind of dating thing, and then he was a jerk. But at first she sees a cute guy talking to her about the ocean and being deep. She was at least interested in him enough to let him drive her to school in the morning.

I don't think we ever saw them trying to rape her, it was all underwater, you could just as well say they were trying to eat her. the coach is the one that makes it sounds like rape, but I don't think he knows a lot about fish-monster needs and anatomy, so I never saw it as a viable idea that they were going to actually rape her. This is getting off topic though.

Back to guilty pleasure episodes I do remember liking Teacher's Pet more than I should. Idk why.
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But I think even at this stage Buffy has matured a great deal from where she was say a year before this episode or even early in S2. And on yes talking about the ocean is so deep isn't it?😀 What he was saying was just cheesy😱

We're not getting off topic, we were discussing the merits of the episode, and I disagree with you because I don't think it has much merit😉

Yeah I don't know why you like Teacher's Pet either😛
 
Fuffy Baith
Fuffy Baith
Idk, I have to watch it again I guess. lol
The Pack: Nicholas Brendon did a great job as Possessed!Xander, and the death of poor Principal Flutie ranks among the series' most tense moments.
The Puppet Show: Nice twist-y episode where the puppet turns out to be the good guy. Also, Cordelia butchering "The Greatest Love of All", Giles running the talent show, and Buffy, Willow, and Xander being forced to partake in a heinous production of Oedipus Rex.
Inca Mummy Girl: While by no means a good episode, I liked the Xander-focus as well as Willow starting to move on by encouraging him to move on.
Ted: Criminally underrated. John Ritter was just too good for words, plus Buffy faces a moral dilemma after she believes she's killed a man (a little precursor to the Faith drama in Season 3).
Phases: Great character development episode for Willow.
Anne: Awesome season opener, loved Buffy's badassery (especially her line about Gandhi).
Gingerbread: Another fun episode, especially the scenes with Willow and her mother. I honestly don't get all the hate.
Enemies: Some of the writing was a bit over the place, but this is the episode where you know the gloves are off with the whole Buffy/Faith rivalry.
Older and Far Away: Nothing ever goes right on Buffy's birthday... Oh, and Tara standing up to Anya for Willow, brilliant.
Dirty Girls: If it counts. Just amazing, with Nathan Fillion mesmerizingly creepy as the sinister Caleb, and Faith and Spike's basement conversation one of the best exchanges in any season of the show.
The Pylean episodes: A whole lot of fun, with standout moments from Cordy and Lorne.
Most of Angel Season 4: the Connor/Cordy thing was gross, and I got tired of hearing the characters say Jasmine's name over and over again (Shiny Happy People is one long episode devoted to this), but the writers did an efficient job of tiptoeing around Charisma's pregnancy to still produce a good story.
 
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Samuel Reyes said:
The Pack: Nicholas Brendon did a great job as Possessed!Xander, and the death of poor Principal Flutie ranks among the series' most tense moments.
The Puppet Show: Nice twist-y episode where the puppet turns out to be the good guy. Also, Cordelia butchering "The Greatest Love of All", Giles running the talent show, and Buffy, Willow, and Xander being forced to partake in a heinous production of Oedipus Rex.
Inca Mummy Girl: While by no means a good episode, I liked the Xander-focus as well as Willow starting to move on by encouraging him to move on.
Ted: Criminally underrated. John Ritter was just too good for words, plus Buffy faces a moral dilemma after she believes she's killed a man (a little precursor to the Faith drama in Season 3).
Phases: Great character development episode for Willow.
Anne: Awesome season opener, loved Buffy's badassery (especially her line about Gandhi).
Gingerbread: Another fun episode, especially the scenes with Willow and her mother. I honestly don't get all the hate.
Enemies: Some of the writing was a bit over the place, but this is the episode where you know the gloves are off with the whole Buffy/Faith rivalry.
Older and Far Away: Nothing ever goes right on Buffy's birthday... Oh, and Tara standing up to Anya for Willow, brilliant.
Dirty Girls: If it counts. Just amazing, with Nathan Fillion mesmerizingly creepy as the sinister Caleb, and Faith and Spike's basement conversation one of the best exchanges in any season of the show.
The Pylean episodes: A whole lot of fun, with standout moments from Cordy and Lorne.
Most of Angel Season 4: the Connor/Cordy thing was gross, and I got tired of hearing the characters say Jasmine's name over and over again (Shiny Happy People is one long episode devoted to this), but the writers did an efficient job of tiptoeing around Charisma's pregnancy to still produce a good story.
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Spot on! And for those in the know TPS is one of the 20 greatest ever Buffy episodes😉
 
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