The Best Buffy ever! (a continuing project)

The Zeppo: The episode where Xander learns about cool. This funniest of storylines has an Apocalyptic cult attempting to open the Hell-mouth (again) and bring forth demons to overrun the earth. The gang decides Xander will only get hurt in the fight and never let him know what's going on. He in turn must save the school from some rambunctious zombies-risen-from-the-dead who want to blow up the school. A hilarious soundtrack accompanies Xander's escapades which include losing his cherry to Faith, while super-serious music lampoons the impending doom occurring in the wings. Fantastic. - Lara

Hush: The most immediately remarkable aspect of this episode is its sustained stylistic tribute to Tim Burton. More fundamental is how the show's tone is maintained through a large section in which everyone in Sunnydale loses their voice. For some of us, it's the dialogue - a winning combination of rapier wit and clumsy neologism - that makes Buffy unmissable. Cutting the chat for half a show is a magnificently daring comic conceit and it's realized with bladder-voiding aplomb. Giles' slideshow and Anya's mimed pass at Xander are the particular highlights of note in this televisual masterclass. It also introduces a new witch, Tara, who’s very cute and shy and has a crush on Willow. - Sam

Welcome to the Hellmouth: Welcome to the Hellmouth may not be the best Buffy ever, but it is impressive for a series' first episode and neatly introduces the main characters. Xander steals the getting-to-school scene (which could be lifted straight from any number of John Hughes movies) as he zig-zags through the crowd, only to bite the pavement at Willow's feet - but not before he spots Buffy, looking lost and apprehensive as only you can on your first day at a new school. Xander's bumbling good intentions are made clear when his first words to hot new girl Buffy are "Can I have you?" instead of "Can I help you?" Buffy finds out about Cordelia's rich-chick snobbery (so well played she should be called Heather) and Willow's nerdiness in one go:
Cordelia: (sarcastically) "Nice dress, Willow."
Willow: My mom picked it out.
Cordelia: (even more sarcastically) "No wonder you're such a guy magnet."
And Buffy nails down Giles with the succinct "You're like a text book with arms." Buffy herself, is far more complex, as all the characters prove to be later in the series. --Liz

Earshot: This was the episode they didn’t want you to see, the episode too hot for tv! Actually this was the episode that concerned a mass murderer at Sunnydale High and was set to air just after an eerily similar real life event. I think Joss and co did right to pull the ep but I’m glad we had a chance to see it soon after. In Earshot Buffy kills some yucky scaly guys and gets some yucky scaly demon stuff on her hand. She then develops an ‘aspect of the demon’ which turns out to be the power to read minds. Sounds awesome at first and it results in my fave Buffy scene. She and the gang are conferencing on her new powers in the library. Cordelia’s thoughts, it turns out, are exactly what she says. And what’s on taciturn Oz’s mind? “I am my thoughts. If they exist in her, Buffy contains everything that is me and she becomes me. I cease to exist.” And “no one else exists either. Buffy becomes all of us. We think therefore she is.” Xander’s got problems too: “What am I going to do? I think about sex all the time!” And Giles and Buffy’s mom get caught for their Band Candy hanky panky. --Em