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"The Pack," season 1
In my eyes, this is really the episode that establishes
the bond between Xander, Willow, and Buffy. This is the
first real time their friendship is tested, and they
manage to come through the trial with a stronger bond
than ever. I also like the idea of possession as it
plays out in this episode (the thought that something
else could take over my body and do whatever it wanted
while other people thought it was me was always a
terrifying concept to me). I like how "un-Xander"
Xander is in this episode, how cool and suave he is even
while also being evil. Normally Xander is bumbling to a
fault, and it's kind of annoying sometimes, so I liked
seeing him step out of that for this episode and play
against type for awhile. All of these factors help this
episode edge above my other favorites from the first
season.
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"Lie
to Me," season 2
This might be my favorite episode of the show, period.
That's a huge statement coming from me, because there
are very few episodes from the show that I don't like,
but something about this one makes it stand out among
the others. I like the description of vampirism here
(when you become a vampire, a demon takes up residence
in your body and it's no longer you) plus I love the
thought that there are some fates worse than death. I
happen to have a strong fear of death. Sometimes it
keeps me up at nights, wondering what will happen when I
die. Religion can explain that all away for me, but
those answers never settle the deep-seeded question of
what's going to happen to me when I shuffle off this
mortal coil (I suspect it's the same for most people,
whether they admit it or not) so I empathize with the
idea that living forever can be an idea so intoxicating
that people are willing to do horrible things, even sell
their own souls, to attain eternal life. I also love
how Buffy is growing up in this episode; learning some
hard truths that she'd rather not know. Her
conversation with Giles in he cemetery at the end of
this episode might be my favorite conversation in the
history of the series. That scene alone is worth the
price of the season 2 DVD set.
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"Anne," season 3
This episode has a lot to say about identity and the
ways it can complicate your life even while it makes
your life worth living. Buffy tries to run away from
her life and her obligations only to find that she can't
escape evil...it's everywhere, and like it or not, she
has been chosen to fight it, no matter what the cost.
Near the end of the episode, seeing other people give in
to the power of evil and deny their identities gives
Buffy the courage to stand up and claim her destiny as a
vampire slayer, and that scene is so moving that it
elicits a cheer from me every time I see it.
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"Earshot," season 3
I've said it many times and I'll repeat it now: I would
never want to have the ability to read people's minds.
I know I'd hear them thinking things I wouldn't like,
and I'm often glad that no one can read my thoughts,
because I'm often thinking things other people would
find reprehensible for one reason or another. In this
episode, Buffy gains the ability to read people's minds,
and at first she thinks it's cool and fun, but soon she
starts hearing things she'd rather not know, and
eventually she can't stop the constant drone of voices
in her head and it begins to take its toll (but not
before she hears someone plotting an act of evil that
she needs to stop...if only she knew where the thought
came from).
While
Buffy is bedridden with voices swirling in her head, her
friends take over the task of trying to weed out the
evildoer, which leads to much humor, but it is the
climactic scene where Buffy confronts someone at school
that is the most powerful scene for me (and that scene
is the reason why this episode is on this list).
Hearing Buffy say "Every single person down there is
ignoring your pain because they're too busy with their
own" is an eye-opener for me (and it's something I'd do
well to remember more often). This is the kind of scene
I point to when people disparage this show. I don't
expect everyone to like it, but to say there's no talent
or intelligence behind the show is incorrect (and unfair
on many levels). The show may have its campy moments
and it's certainly not for everyone, but when it's good,
it's great, and for that, I can watch it over and over
again.
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"Hush," season 4
This is the episode that won the show an Emmy, and it's
well-deserved. It's a creepy little episode with
floating storybook demon/ghost creatures known as "The
Gentlemen" lurking around town taking people's voices so
they can't scream when they're being killed. That's a
creepy enough premise on its own, but it's used in this
episode to illustrate the importance of communication
(people are driven to depression and desperation when
they find they can't speak). The only way to stop The
Gentlemen is with a human scream; the one ability they
take away from the townspeople before they begin their
killing spree. Forced to resort to writing on a white
board in order to communicate, Buffy asks a very
important question: "How do I get my voice back?"
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Here, it's not only about her being able to use her
voice to stop the evil creatures, it's also about
how important communication is in her life. If she
can't communicate, if she can't use her voice, she's
going to die (and boy do I ever know that feeling).
The conclusion of this episode is also excellent, as
Buffy regains the ability to speak but finds she
doesn't know what to say (yep, I know that feeling
too). Thus this episode resonates in more ways than
one: the need to speak, to communicates, the
devastation of not being able to say what you need
to say, and the frustration of being able to speak
but not knowing how to say what you need to say (I'm
looking at YOU, John Mayer). Plus it's a cool,
creepy story with some evil, freaky monsters. Who
could ask for anything more? |
Part Two of "The Best
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Episodes" >>
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