Instead to Geek News this week, I’m giving you an ode to Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Five by Five!
Happy Birthday Buffy
Twenty years ago, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer premiered on TV and gave us seven seasons of a witty, complex, fun, sad, supernatural stories about the chosen girl who could save the world. In the end, she liberated all the chosen girls.
Sunnydale High sat on the hell mouth, a perfect metaphor for high school as well as the angst and trials of the teenage years. The show was well written and the acting good, although a little dated now. Plus, it was often funny and sometimes heart wrenching. I loved it. I still re-watch all the seasons.
When the show began as a midseason replacement, my daughter was in high school, and we started watching it together. The strange thing was I fell in love with the show too.
The series was about more than killing monsters and saving the world. All the characters were deep and complex, well developed. The episodes addressed real issues high school students face. The ensemble of characters fit like a glove, even when characters came and went. New characters wormed their way into my heart, even the annoying ones. Plus, Buffy was a strong, take action female lead, and I wanted to cheer Joss Whedon for taking the lead in creating a modern female character. He did it right. He created the kind of characters I wish had been on TV when I was a teen.
5 by 5: the Funniest and the best
Okay, these are my picks: 5 of the funniest and 5 of the best. You probably have your favorites. Leave a comment and let me know yours. I’ll probably say, “Oh, yeah that’s a great one.”
And, feel free to argue with me. I admit I had a hard time picking my favorites. There are so many good ones, and I did a lot of debating with myself.
The Funniest Buffy Episodes
#5 “Tabula Rosa” — Season 6, Episode 8:
Halloween does make for some of the best episodes: the gang has lost their memory. They wake up not knowing who they are and try to piece the clues together.
#4 “Pangs”– Season 4 Episode 8
Thanksgiving and the angst of a holiday connected the genocide of Native Americans. Doesn’t sound funny, but it manages to make me laugh.
#3 “Zeppo” — Season 3 Episode 13
While everyone else is saving the world, yet again, Xander has his own hilarious adventure. This “Passion of the Nerd” video does a marvelous analysis.
#2 “Something Blue” — Season 4 Episode 9
Willow accidentally curses everyone. In this video, Buffy and Spike, who hate each other, think they are in love.
#1 “Band Candy” — Season 3 Episode 6
Okay, I love this episode, especially Giles and Joyce’s teenage regression. This is another “Passion of the Nerd” video analysis.
The Best Buffy Episodes
#5 “Hush” — Season 4 Episode 10
This episode, written by Joss Whedon, won an Emmy Award for outstanding writing. “After reading a critical response to the series in which the dialogue was praised as the most successful aspect of the show, Whedon set out to write an episode almost completely devoid of speech.” Wikipedia
Can’t forget Buffy humor:
#4 “Once More, with Feeling” — Season 6 Episode 7
This is the musical episode. Everyone sings about their hidden worries and unspoken critiques of others. This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award. I’m not a fan of musicals, but this is wonderful: a 1950’s musical with serious undertones.
#3 “Becoming” — Season 2 Episodes 22
This is another Whedon episode and another analysis of “Passion of the Nerd.” It’s part 2, the end of season 2.
#2 “The Gift” — Season 5 Episode 22
Buffy makes the ultimate sacrifice. At first, I thought this was the end of Buffy the series, and they just weren’t telling us.
#1 “The Body” — Season 4 Episode
Although this isn’t an episode you want to watch over and over, it’s excellent, heartbreaking, and deals with death in an honest way.
Some Extra’s For Die Hard Buffy Fans
“The Rise of Buffy Studies” by Katharine Schwab
“How Buffy the Vampire Slayer transformed pop culture” by Stephen Daisley
“Buffy The Vampire Slayer Turns 20: Why Joss Whedon-Created Series Is TV Gold” by Dominic Patten
“We Should Thank Buffy for ‘The Golden Age of TV'” by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
“Stories From the Hellmouth: Five Artists Share Memories of Their Buffy the Vampire Slayer Appearances” by Kyle McGovern
The Usual Reminders
If you’re a Buffy fan, what are your favorite episodes?
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