Remembering Buffy the Vampire Slayer: What Are Your Favorite Moments From the Series?
Twelve years ago today Buffy Summers and the Scooby Gang closed the Hellmouth for good (but there's another one in Cleveland!). Although they destroyed Sunnydale in the process, it still lives on in our memories and on DVD and Netflix. In honor of this monumental day in television history—which I'm currently petitioning to be made into a national holiday under the She Saved the World a Lot argument—I thought it would be nice to celebrate Buffy's place in popular culture by revisiting some of the series' best episodes and the moments that stick out to me as personal favorites.
It's universally acknowledged that "Hush" is one of the greatest episodes of all time, everyone loves singing along to "Once More With Feeling," and we all know the words to Whistler's speech from "Becoming, Part One," but not everyone feels the same way about Spike and Buffy or Xander's speech about Crayon-Breaky Willow or even Dawn's entire existence (just kidding, we're all in agreement Dawn was the worst, right?). We all remember different quotes and moments and stories from the show, so I'll start us off with a few of my personal favorites and then you jump in with your own in the comments!
This Line By Spike in "Chosen"
Spike's arc over the entire series is one of the greatest redemption stories in television history, and his love for Buffy was a driving force in that. I know a lot of fans would probably choose Spike's sacrifice at the end of "Chosen" or his speech to Buffy from "Touched"—you know, the one in which he told her he loved her but it wasn't because he wanted her or couldn't have her, but rather because he was in awe of everything she did and how she tried (so maybe I have that one memorized, too)—but to me, these four words sum up, not just Spike and his journey, but so much about the series itself. Spike was introduced as a villain and antagonist, and by the end he'd retrieved his soul, fallen in love, and changed for the better without drastically changing what made him Spike. He was a hero and he "died" a hero.
All of "Tabula Rasa"
I've rewatched Season 6's "Tabula Rasa" more than any other episode except maybe "Hush," "Fear Itself," and the aforementioned "Once More With Feeling," and I have to tell you, it really holds up to repeat viewings. A prime example of the series' trademark humor, it's fun watching everyone forget who they are, but still remain the same as they fall back into their natural roles within the group. It was a great hour in a season that is largely considered to be the worst of the show's entire run.
"You'll never be friends."
William the Bloody may have been a terrible poet, but Spike definitely had a way with words.
Everything Xander Has Ever Done or Said
Xander Harris was not the brightest of the Scoobies, but he was the heart and soul of their ragtag group of heroes. He was the first TV character I ever personally identified with thanks to his sarcasm and sense of humor and when he lost an eye in Season 7, I lost my shit.
Buffy Summers, Class Protector
She really did save the world a lot.
I could go on for days ("Restless" "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," everything Anya ever did, Cordelia!, Andrew in "Storyteller") but what are YOUR favorite episodes and moments from the series?
