Hoya Saxa's Favorite Buffy Episodes:

10. "Grave" -- The Catholic in me loved the Sarah McLaughlin song at the end of the maligned S6. I also liked the basic themes of redemption here, especially when it came to Willow. Seeing Spike get his soul back at the end was a nice touch. As much as S6 gets criticized, the Scoobies had to walk down the lonely path where even darkness hides. Excellent summation to the Despair! Buffy arc.

9. "Hush" -- In a show that is famous (infamous?) for its sharp and witty dialogue, the execution of the Hush episode was both a swashbuckling joy ride and a technical achievement. The facial expressions were some of the funniest I've ever seen in any show.

8. "The Gift" -- S5's finale could have fit just as well as a series finale. Buffy's great sacrifice to save Dawn (and the world) was fitting, a fate that illuminated the foreboding message of the First Slayer.

7. "Amends" -- A bit hokey in some respects, again the Catholic in me likes this S3 episode because it deals with Angel fighting and overcoming temptation. Plus, we got a first glimpse of the FE.

6. "Prophecy Girl" -- The S1 finale was great, and as I like to repeat endlessly, provided us with the Crisis of the Slayer Succession that resulted inevitably to the rise and death of Kendra and the ascension of Dark Slayer (presently seeking redemption) Faith. I too have fruit punch mouth.

5. "Surprise/Innocence" -- The decisive, bold and daring beginning to the Angelus arc of S2 will stand as one of the best television episodes in history. Whedon set Buffy apart from the pack with this wonderfully tragic twist of fate.

4. "Passion" -- I think this is one of the most visceral episodes in the series. The searing malevolence of Angelus when he mercilessly killed Jenny Calender was matched by the unspoken anger manifested by Giles. The flaming baseball bat scene is still one of my all-time favorites.

3. "Graduation Day 1 and 2" -- S3's climactic showdown doesn't quite measure up to the masterpiece of S2's finale, but it was a worthy entry in the Buffy mythos. I too began to count down from 7-3-0 in this rambunctious showdown. As doors closed on Sunnydale High, new paths opened for our protagonists. We see Cordelia slay, Wesley opting to stand with Angel in battle, and Buffy skilfully defeating the Mayor.

2. "Once More, With Feeling" -- I was in Heaven... Again, as with Hush, a tremendous technical achievement based on a fresh premise. No other dramatic show can carry off a musical with the same credibility as Whedon did. Solid A+ performance.

1. "Becoming, Pts. 1 and 2" -- "Kick his ass.." The series finale is going to have to work hard to outdo the best Buffy episodes. Ever. Everything Buffy stands for -- everything she is -- is tested in her showdown with Angelus. She makes the "right" choice by sending him to Hell, but it her despair is sincere. Seeing Spike get up from his wheelchair to disable Drusilla was goose-bumpy stuff. Plus, this episode laid a quiet, subtle seed of doubt that would come back in S7. Remember Xander's infamous line about Willow's supposed message to Buffy? I love how that came up again this season.

That's my take. Feel free to discuss! :)

WE stands for Women's Entertainment (I think) and I also think it's a channel owned by Lifetime or started by Lifetime--some kind of movie channel but I'm not sure.

I have a bad feeling (based on nothing but Joss being big with the pain) that many beloved characters will die in the finale. Which, I can accept on an artistic level, but if I'm right is going to be very allergy inducing (quite apart from the Last Buffy Ever thing).

I like HoyaSaxa's way of listing, because I don't split up the double episodes; they're one. You can't make me choose between Becoming parts, dammit! *shaky fist*

(edited because although the episodes I don't split, the commas, I do splice)

I want what Steph wants, mostly. Except that I think a Slayer will have to die to redress the balance of Good and Evil.

Might as well be Buffy, since it doesn't sound like SMG wants to come back for guest appearances or sequels.

And then a suddenly serene and beautiful Amanda picks up the sword dropped by the painfully and thoroughly dead Kennedy...nah, I ask too much there.

I especially like the idea of the Scoobies (and Giles, since he's back to himself) forming a more egalitarian Council, although since we know that in the Frayverse they've degenerated into babbling idiots who have made a religion/fetish out of their duties in only two centuries when the original lasted 5000 years, maybe that's not such a great thing after all.

I especially like the idea of the Scoobies (and Giles, since he's back to himself) forming a more egalitarian Council

And one where they all wear squeaky shoes.

Puppet Show.

The Weight of the World.

Into the Woods.

As You Were.

Each of these episodes have redeeming points in my mind that will let me view them over and over again and still enjoy them. I think "WotW" is my favorite of that list followed by the classic "Puppet Show". Im not gonna argue the "AYW" because if I were to make a list of every episodes it would probably be at the bottom.

Seems like I am the only one in the world that like "WotW", ill defend it if need be. But it should be pointed out that I believe that Scott Weiland doesn't do drugs anymore so I have therefore been labeled dilusional by some.

I know Allyson will deathmatch you over As You Were (or at least, liked it a lot).

AYW did two important things for me: It featured the fantastic image of Buffy LEAPING over the counter to fight, and it was camp-tongue-in cheek send-up of squeaky clean annoying comic book heroes of yore.

I howl with laughter at the helicopter scene. It's so ridiculous, and it's meant to be.

I was also in this place:

Buffy is my favorite character. She was ripped out of heaven, came home to find two of her friends fucking in her dead mother's bed, the house falling apart, she was expected to be grateful and had to go get a shit job to support the fuckers who sat on their asses and wondered why she wasn't licking their toes in gratitude, and was a sickened, depressed, self-loathing lump fucking around with a scumbag who reveled in her self-denigration because it meant he could fuck her and tell her she was as worthless as he.

And I felt beaten with that, and I missed my girl, and then for twenty seconds she was Buffy, again. And Willow said, "I'm prepared to hate this woman...I'll hate her for both of us, then." And there was the friendship I missed, and the stupid monster of the week that I missed, and Buffy feeling like Buffy again for a brief minute. And that's all I had all season. A minute of my girl. And then she was back to Monotonous Mable, and not Bodacious Buffy. It went on too long, and there were too few moments to remind me that at the core, these were heroes, despite the pain they were feeling.

I really miss Buffy who at 16, beaten down by a different asswipe who tortured her friends, sword drawn and ready to kill her, when he taunted, "What's left?" she said, "Me." I miss her.

(Crap, Allyson may have just made me like AYW, or at least hate it less.)

CURSE YOU WEE ALLYSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dammit Craiggers, I loved you and then you had to go and mispronnounce "The Order of Taraka".

Although through his ignorance of the shows he seems to be hyping the Series Finale of Buffy.