Credit: 20th Century StudiosBuffy the Vampire Slayer is being brought back for a new generation. Just as fans thought the franchise would never see the light of day again, Deadline recently announced that a new series is underway, with Sarah Michelle Gellar reprising her role as Buffy Summers.
The cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons and consists of 145 episodes. But while there are many great episodes throughout the show, we’ve decided to pick five absolute must-watches, some of which were even nominated for awards.
And, given the recent tragic passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s sister, Dawn Summers, in the show, four of these episodes also feature her best performances.
“Hush” — Season 4
Season 4’s “Hush” is among the most terrifying episodes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and its antagonists, ‘The Gentleman’, who glide along as they pursue their victims, feel like something out of Tim Burton’s worst nightmare. This is the point where Joss Whedon really starts to get creative with the show, as there’s not a great deal of dialogue in the episode.
Upon arriving in Sunnydale, the evil fairy-tale creatures, who are always grinning and dressed entirely in black, remove everyone’s ability to speak. While this, of course, allows for some truly tense moments as victims are unable to scream for help, there are just as many hilarious ones as our heroes often fail to understand one another.
“Hush” was nominated for an Emmy Award, and rightly so. This expertly crafted episode blends horror, humor, and suspense incredibly well, and its nightmarish villains and the unique predicament the characters find themselves in are better than most horror movies.
Related: ‘Wednesday’ Actress Could Play New Vampire Slayer in ‘Buffy’ Reboot
“The Body” — Season 5
Not every episode on this list is designed to frighten you, and “The Body” is a disarming and moving episode that brings Buffy down to earth with a bang. Once again, Joss Whedon writes and directs with precision, as Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) discovers her mother Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) dead on the couch, the result of an aneurysm.
This is yet another experimental episode as there’s no music whatsoever, which makes the experience all the more sobering as we go through the motions with Buffy. It’s simply gut-wrenching to watch her try to navigate the minutes and hours that follow, and to see others react to the news, especially (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan).
“The Body” is one of the most critically-acclaimed television episodes of all time, and despite its horrifyingly realistic execution of losing a loved one, remains a fan-favorite in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.
Related: All 7 Seasons of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Ranked Worst To Best
“The Gift” — Season 5
There are always moments in any long-running show where it could quite easily end, and Season 5’s “The Gift” is definitely one of those episodes. When evil god Glory (Clare Kramer) finally acquires the “Key” — Dawn — she sets her plans in motion to rip a hole in the barriers between all dimensions so that she can return to her own realm, having been banished long ago.
It’s surprising to see Glory realize that goal — to some degree, at least — with hellish beasts appearing in Sunnydale as dimensions “pour into one another.” But what really makes this episode great is Buffy’s sacrifice to save her sister and the world. We’re not suggesting that we wanted the Slayer to stay dead, but this feels like a natural ending for the show.
“The Gift” remains one of the strongest finales in the entire Buffy series, and Season 5 itself also happens to be one of the best. After being brought to life, Buffy faces many more threats, but it’s fair to say the “stakes” are never quite as high as they are in “The Gift.”
Related: ‘Buffy’ Reboot Confirmed: Sarah Michelle Gellar Joins in New Role as Series Shifts Canon
“Once More, With Feeling” — Season 6
We think the title alone here speaks for itself, but on the other hand, we have so much to say about Season 6’s ground-breaking musical episode, which was written entirely by the show’s creator Joss Whedon, songs and all.
When a demon who wields the power to make people burst into song and dance arrives in Sunnydale, well, you can probably figure out what happens next.
Not only are fans treated to a collection of brilliantly written and beautifully performed songs, Whedon also ingeniously weaves a number of subplots into the songs, including Willow’s growing addiction to magic and Buffy’s resentment towards her friends for bringing her back.
Call outs? “Under Your Spell” by Tara (Amber Benson) and “Walk Through the Fire” by the main cast. Michelle Trachtenberg’s “What You Feel” is also highly infectious.
“Once More, With Feeling” is perhaps the biggest risk Buffy the Vampire Slayer ever took, but it paid off. Unsurprisingly, the episode was nominated for a number of awards, and is generally considered one of the greatest episodes in a TV series of all time.
Related: ‘Buffy’ TV Series Reimagining Brings Back Several Iconic Villains
“Chosen” — Season 7
We’re always thrilled when a finale makes it onto our list, because there’s nothing worse than a season-topper that leaves you feeling unsatisfied (although we don’t think Buffy has ever let us down in that regard). But “Chosen” isn’t just the end of the season — it’s the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (at least in television as there are several comic books).
Buffy leads Xander (Nicholas Brendon), Anya (Emma Caulfield), Spike (James Marsters), Principal Wood (DB Woodside), Faith (Eliza Dushku), Andrew (Tom Lenk), and several Potential Slayers into all-out war against The First Evil, deep beneath Sunnydale High. It’s pretty epic stuff, with an equally-epic score to boot.
“Chosen” might have some real competition in “The Gift”, but the latter never really had the challenge of wrapping up an entire series. As such, we think “Chosen” is the best finale Buffy the Vampire Slayer ever gave us.
Where Can I Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now streaming on Disney+.
Buffy stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Seth Green (Oz), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Eliza Dushku (Faith), and James Marsters (Spike).
Michelle Trachtenberg 1985 – 2025
On February 27, it was reported that Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Michelle Trachtenberg had tragically lost her life at the age of 39.
The Harriet the Spy (1996) star played Buffy’s sister, Dawn Summers, who first appeared in the Season 5 episode “Buffy vs. Dracula” and became a regular character until the show’s season-seven finale “Chosen” in 2003.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Michelle Trachtenberg.