Heh. I'm reading SFX's Complete Buffy Episode Guide which actually does something I consider impossible and ranks ALL of the episodes in order (though there's not a list of them in ranking order, unfortunately. Maybe I'll make one, just for kicks.) What's funny is how predictable the Top Five Buffy Episodes list is in pretty much all the lists I've ever found.
Nearly all lists contain "Hush," "Once More with Feeling," and "The Body." Any list by a professional critic or an artsy group, will contain "Restless," while any list by BuffyNAngle4Ever!!!!!1!! types will put Restless down as ver' ver' bad. Really good bets for the other top spots are "Innocence," "Becoming, Part Two," and "Doppelgangland," and, honestly, I'm surprised when I see a list with a member of the Top Five that doesn't come from the list. Though I have seen "The Zeppo" in there, at least once.
My personal top five is
- OMWF
- Restless
- The Body
- Hush
- Becoming, Part Two
Joss's is
- Innocence
- OMWF
- Hush
- The Body
- Doppelgangland
SFX's is
- Hush
- OMWF
- Restless
- The Body
- Innocence