I know what you’re going to say. Aren’t we a little early to be promoting Buffy the Vampire Slayer when the new series has yet to even confirm production? If you’ve read any of my recent pieces on the show’s potential revival then you’ll know that, perhaps, I’m just a little over excited…
Today I’m going to walk you through five very key episodes of the original series which I are the perfect way to introduce new viewers to the show. But because I’m so good to you lovely Super Friends I’m going to throw in a very fun comic book which is also a must-read. To be clear these are not necessarily my favourite episodes of the show. There’ll be a list of those coming in the future. These are episodes I think could best introduce somebody new to the show, its complex mythos and its characters.
It comes as no surprise that when thinking of quintessential Buffy episodes my list ended up whittled down to ones written (and often directed) by series creator Joss Whedon. I and this website don’t condone the actions of Whedon in any way. There is just no escaping his fingerprints in making Buffy the cultural phenomenon that it was.
So without further ado let’s dive in…
Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest
Buffy Summers, a high school sophomore, faces her destiny as a slayer of the undead.
Don’t say I’ve never kind to you because we’re starting with a two-for-one freebie. Technically two episodes, “Welcome to the Hellmouth” and “The Harvest” act as a two-part pilot episode of the series. Both written by series creator Joss Whedon, these two episodes don’t fully retcon the disastrous Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. Instead what Whedon cleverly does is give new context those events, rewriting them in a style which is much more indicative of the direction of the show.
It introduces all of the core characters: Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendan), Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and Buffy’s mum Joyce (Kristine Sutherland). We’re also introduced to Buffy’s long-time love interest Angel (David Boreanaz), the overarching villain of season one, The Master (Mark Metcalf). There’s even a moment to introduce Darla (Julie Benz) who will go on to be a recurring character across both Buffy and Angel.
It’s the quintessential blueprint for a 90’s and 00’s sci-fi/fantasy series. Deftly mixing high school drama with elements of horror and comedy making it easily accessible to a wide range of audience members. These two episodes encapsulate the series’ ability to balance heavily serialised arcs against monster-of-the-week storytelling. Though The X-Files may have introduced the idea, it’s Buffy which runs with it and introduces the idea to a much broader audience.
Innocence
Buffy and her friends battle the Judge and face an unexpected danger from Angel, who has lost his soul after experiencing a moment of true happiness.
Jumping in to the second season there are plenty of episodes which could easily make this list. “Innocence” marked a huge turning point in the series. Written and directed by Whedon, this episode is indicative of how Buffy is able to pick flex its tone to deal with more challenging subject matters. In this case the gypsy curse which gave Angel back his soul is broken after he sleeps with Buffy, giving him a moment of true happiness. Without a soul he reverts back to his truly evil alter-ego Angelus.
On the monster front, Angelus re-teams with his old pals Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and begins a campaign to wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. The group resurrects an ancient evil called The Judge (Brian Thompson) an ancient evil “no weapon forged” can destroy. That is until he meets Buffy and her trusty rocket launcher.
This episode makes the list because it shows that when Buffy goes big, it goes BIG. The emotional stakes are high. Buffy is dealing with a lot in the fallout of her night with Angel. The analogy of a relationship turning toxic is played incredibly well throughout the remainder of season 2. But the writing in “Innocence” is key to shaping the series’ dramatic storytelling moving forwards. Likewise the scale with which Buffy takes on The Judge is one of the series most memorable moments.
Graduation Day
In an effort to distract Buffy from Ascension, the mayor instructs Faith to poison Angel. On Ascension Day, Buffy and her friends prepare for the ultimate battle as they face off against the mayor and a hoard of vampires.
Speaking of memorable moments, nobody should come in to the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer without watching the two-part finale of season 3, “Graduation Day”. The episodes, once again written and directed by Whedon, are the culmination of the entire series to-date. Ending the teens time at Sunnydale High School in quite explosive fashion. It’s also the moment David Boreanaz exits Buffy to star in his own spin-off series, Angel, alongside the exit of Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia.
Season 3 introduces Harry Groener as Sunnydale Mayor, Richard Wilkins III. All season it seems that Wilkins has been hiding something supernatural. As the season reaches its conclusion we learn he’s planning to ascend and become some kind of demon. We also learn this is going to happen on the day of the Sunnydale High graduation ceremony. The end of high school can be a traumatising experience for many. It’s the end of a lifetime of education with some of life’s biggest choices lying ahead. Try dealing with making those choices when a giant snake attacks and tries to eat you and all your friends…
After her death in season 1 Buffy was joined by a second slayer, Kendra in season 2. But after death season 3 the series introduces Eliza Dushku as Faith. Her role in season 3 becomes pivotal to ramping up the storyline of the Mayor and Faith would go on to become a recurring character across the franchise moving forwards. This episode beautifully shows off what Dushku was able to accomplish in the role, portraying the lost soul as someone just searching for a meaningful connection.
Whedon packs the script for “Graduation Day” with plenty of twists and emotional turns as the teens all take huge steps towards adulthood. Once again the series shows a spellbinding ability to use supernatural metaphor for everyday trials and tribulations.
The Body
Buffy, Dawn and their friends deal with the aftermath of Joyce’s death.
Over the course of seven seasons and 144 episodes Buffy had plenty of tearjerking moments to prove it packed an emotional punch. But none hit home quite as hard as season 5 episode “The Body”. In the cliffhanger of the previous episode Buffy had arrive home to find her mother lying motionless on the sofa. Earlier in the season Joyce had been diagnosed with a brain tumour which had been successfully operated on. With Joyce now in recovery it seemed that all was well for the Summers’ women.
Once again written and directed by Whedon, “The Body” plays with the series format giving it one of its most experimental episodes to-date. Gone are the emotive score and, for the most part, the vampires. Instead the episode hones in on Buffy and her friends as each manages the grief of losing Joyce. Whedon challenges how the characters deal with death as, for once, this one is through natural causes and not something supernatural. There is no monster to fight. There is only the grief of losing a loved one.
If you thought the cast was only capable of melodramatic high school drama then “The Body” is the episode to prove otherwise. Sarah Michelle Gellar carries the early scenes with incredible power. Whilst Hannigan, Brendan and newer cast members Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg and Emma Caulfield play excellent supporting roles.
Since the passing of my own mum this is an episode I’ve tended to revisit less. That should tell you more than enough about how beautifully “The Body” is able to capture real world grief in the midst of a series dealing with so many fantastical elements.
Chosen
After being struck by an ingenious idea, Buffy and the Potential Slayers launch an all-out war on Caleb, the First, and the army of Ubervamps amassing beneath the high school.
We started at the very beginning. So it makes sense the we end our quick rundown of key episodes with the series’ finale, “Chosen”. It’s hard to believe this episode is now over twenty years old having first aired in May 2003. It brilliantly brings Whedon’s vision for the show to an electrifying climax. It also sets up plot elements which may become important to the work Chloe Zhao and Sarah Michelle Gellar as doing on the potential continuation series.
“Chosen” arrives at the end of a victory lap year for the show. Having circled back to Sunnydale High School through Dawn (Trachtenberg) the show brings back one-off season 3 villain The First to terrorise Buffy and the gang one last time. The First wants to wipe out the slayer line and so Buffy needs to bring together all her closes allies, rogue slayer Faith and every girl who could be a Slayer in the future should Faith die.
The seventh season scrimped on budget in order to bring a finale which was cinematic in scope. Whilst its visual effects perhaps don’t necessarily live up to the standards of today they were impressive for a television show in 2003. This episode is exemplary in showing what the series could have done if the technology we have so readily available now was available then.
But more importantly “Chosen” has an underlying message of female empowerment which, at the time, was so rarely seen on the small screen. It transcended studio norms and really went above and beyond, particularly in this episode, to share the positive message about women standing together, sharing their power in order to overcome the evils of the world. That message may be far more common place nowadays but that is because Buffy broke down the doors for storytellers the world over and for that we should always be thankful.
A Glimpse in to the Future?
After years with Dark Horse, the license for Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics moved to the brilliant BOOM! Studios. A company who has shown a knack for taking huge IP licenses to create a dynamic universe of comics with rich storytelling.
In 2021 the publisher launched Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer with writer Casey Gilly. The story is made up of a four-issue miniseries, a special and a second, five-issue, miniseries. The through line being that in an alternate timeline where a magical disaster has blotted out the sun and vampires openly walk the Earth, a Buffy now in her 50’s is still working to maintain the balance between good and evil.
This Buffy is a little older than Sarah Michelle Gellar who is 47 as I write this. But the concept of a world which has fallen prey to the demons and vampires in the year’s following the show makes for an enticing read. Could this story be in-part the inspiration for the continuation series? Only time will tell…
Do you agree with our picks? What episodes would you choose to introduce someone new to Buffy? Let us know in the comments below. Stay tuned for much more Buffy news as the potential new series develops…
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream now on Disney+ in the UK. Episodes are also available to purchase digitally on all major platforms. The series is also available on DVD.
