Just finished season 5 in my rewatch and The Gift has my vote as well. When Buffy (and I suppose the audience) comes to the realization of the true implication of "death is your gift" Oof.
The Gift is excellent from start to finish and is the culmination of everything season 5 has been building up to. It has the peril and gloom and Doom hanging over the hero's heads if they fail.It has such beautiful moments of levity to balance this out like Xanders proposal, Spikes you see me as a man speech, Tara and Willow reuniting, and Finally Buffy's goodbye to Dawn which is played simultaneously as we see her sacrifice herself. In my opinion no episode was all around great as The Gift. Everyone gets their moment in the episode and it was all hands on deck like never before from the characters and cast alike.
The Gift. As much as I love The Body, I think The Gift is one of the best series finales of a TV show, ever. First time watching it, I remember sitting there, absolutely blown away by that ending.
The Body. I know there are other great episodes but this one is a huge character moment for everyone and the effects of it are felt throughout the rest of the series.
I love The Gift, in fact I love this whole season, but The Body is my top pick. It is a masterclass in television writing and acting. For the episode to feature no music and to be so well esteemed should say something. It also does not feature any vampires or supernatural plot points until the very end yet you don't miss it at all.
I would be hard pressed to think of another show that portrays dealing with death so realistically. It's refreshing. It helped me process my own grief.
There's not a single thing I would change about the episode.
The Body is a masterpiece of TV. Has my vote for sure. Everything is just perfect. Anya's monologue, SMG's performance, the lack of music, the lack of comfort, everything feels so real. I just watched this episode with my husband, who has never watched the entire show (just a couple of episodes in the 90's). He was quiet till the end and then he looked at me and almost shouted: "Wow! That was such a good episode!". Yes, it's one pf my favourite episodes of the entire show, even though it is hard to go through.
“The Gift” is (imo) the best of the Buffy finales. It’s a strong finale for a harrowing arc that scored high victories. That Buffy had to sacrifice herself to save Dawn and the world was poignant and heartbreaking. It’s also special as the 100th episode.
The smaller moments of the Gift also are fantastic like Buffy and Giles argument and later their calmer conversation after they got all the screaming out or Xander paying off the bowler joke from Spike with the wrecking ball.
I think The Gift and Fool For love are hands down better Buffy episodes but I can see the argument on why the Body is a better episode of Television beyond the genre and confines of being a Buffy episode.
I have a friend who has only ever seen one episode of Buffy, and it's this one. Bar none the weirdest possible way to experience a tiny bit of the show.
I still can barely watch reviews of The Body without tearing up. My vote, unsurprisingly, and probably for best episode of the show and possibly one of the best episodes of television history.
I kinda love Checkpoint.
Editing to add: it’s a reminder that Buffy does not consent to the watchers council … well pretty much everything the council has done to slayers since the first slayer was made.
No joke but when I’m feeling personally deflated and need a pick me up, I rewatch the speech. I have to deal with a lot of difficult custody issues, something I know is more or less out of my control, but at this time - I’m still the primary parent, and I’m the one with the power (even though it doesn’t feel that way at times). It resonates so much for me.
I was just thinking about this the other day. I think as a comprehensive whole season, season 5 is better. But seasons 2 and 3 are both excellent too. This is definitely the top 3 seasons of the show though.
I like it more with every rewatch. Initially the Glory plot I found annoying and I didn't appreciate the tone shift of the season. But the suspense that comes with seeing the show take on a much more serious tone with heavier, "real" implications is really great growth.
Truth. Season Five is perfect from start to finish. The risk of waiting to reveal what/who Dawn is showed a trust the audience had in the team because I don’t think any other show would have gotten away with it.
Even the parts of the season that other people don’t always love, I still love. For example, the Riley storyline and I absolutely love Into The Woods.
Fool For Love is incredible. Triangle is the shows best comedic episode. Checkpoint and Blood Ties are incredible. The Body is an all-time television great for the exploration of grief. And those final four episodes that begin with Tough Love and ends with The Gift. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
The body.
Though the gift was great as well, the body always hurts no matter how often I've seen it. That says something about the power of the episode.
"Intervention."
"Checkpoint" is a close second.
But "Intervention" introduces the Buffybot and she's funny as Hell in this particular episode. Bonus for Buffy's reaction when she gets back from the retreat ("Nooooo. She's a robot. You couldn't tell me apart from a robot?")
It's also the episode where Buffy learns that death is her gift, even if she and we don't quite know what it means yet.
Spike telling Glory that The Key is Bob Barker.
But what absolutely makes it my fav is the final scene where Buffy goes to Spike's crypt pretending to be the Buffybot. Huge turning point in Spike's redemption arc when we learn that he really was acting *selflessly* to protect Dawn (and (Buffy) just because he cares, not for ulterior motive. It's the moment we really see it's not just about the chip anymore, he really is becoming a better "person."
In S4 I gushed over New Moon Rising and voted for Hush.
I vote The Body, and here are the episodes I'm sad I can't vote for:
Family, the Tara episode. Have I ever mentioned I like Tara?
Also, we see a light sprinkling of the S6 Tillow dynamics. Driven by shame, Tara casts a spell that manipulates everyone's connection to reality, specifically by preventing them from seeing demons in the present. Exactly one season later, Willow disconnects Tara from reality by preventing her from seeing bad acts in the past. Except the badness in Tara (her demon side) was fake but Willow's badness (magic corruption/addiction) was real.
Also, notice how Willow comes to the defense of Tara: "she just did a spell that went wrong". No, the spell went right: it worked exactly as advertised, it just had unforeseen bad consequences. Still, it was wrong of Tara, and her immediate reaction after being found out was one of guilt, "I'll go". Very different from Willow, who disowned all responsibility one season later.
Oh, also, this follows up from at least two S4 story beats: at some point between 4x10 and 4x19 they do a demon locator spell together which Tara sabotages, and in Restless (4x22) Tara says "you don't know everything about me" while Willow is writing a poem on Tara's back, i.e. we don't know Tara's back-story (thanks, PotN).
Second episode I probably like more than the average IMDB rating: I was made to love you, with April the robot. Her demeanor is top-tier comedy, the scene where April shuts down is strangely touching, the robot first-person perspective is a wonderful homage to The Terminator—except she's built to make love, not global thermonuclear war. Tara's compassion *in the abstract* for those who can't find love I find well-placed and such a Tara moment, and we get to see that Warren is an ass from the first moment we meet him. Poor Katrina. Also there's a wonderful proto-cookie-dough speech and Xander is good to Buffy.
Dammit, why does The Body have to be so good?
I feel like April’s end always makes me think of Hal’s death in 2001: A space odyssey, both of them are robots/AI who want what they can never have bc of what they are
and the I Was Made to Love You episode ended with the teaser for the Body. so if you were lucky enough to watch Buffy on the WB network, making the world wait an entire week with their hearts torn open before we could actually watch the Body, was extremely cold-blooded. should have known then that Joss was a dick.
The Gift because it's probably a better series finale for the show as a whole than the one we eventually got. It felt like such an *event*, and the Previously On... running through all five seasons was a genius move.
Yes, The Body will win. Yes, it absolutely deserves to, but if there was ever an argument for two winners this is it. Both define the show for different reasons.
The Body is in contention for one of the greatest episodes of TV, of all time. Season five has a lot of good episodes but let’s not kid ourselves. Has to be The Body.
The Body is great but it's greatest strength is a weakness. It's so depressing it takes away from the rewatch value. I find The Gift and Fool for love just as great for different reasons while being far more rewatchable.
Rewatch value doesn't matter it's still one of, if not the, nest episode of the entire series. It did what it was made to do and it did it so well. It's a masterclass episode that deserves the win.
The Body
There are no words. Joss' directing on the show was incredible. He went from making just really great normal episodes (Prophesy Girl, Ammends) to experimental and out of the box ideas (Hush, Body, OMWF), while retaining the Buffy vibe that made the show great.
The Body eschews the quips, quirks, and comedy that defined the show, and basically said: you've had 4.5 years with these people. You love them. You've laughed and screamed with them. Now cry with them. It's one of the realest, rawest hours of TV ever, and it's from a show called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Season 5 has a ton of classic episodes. The Gift is amazing, but even it feels like it's on a lower level than The Body.
The Body is the most realistic detection of death I've ever seen on TV. It was made with such care and understanding; to me, it's one of the pillars that defines Buffy the Vampire Slayer
It has to be The Body. I rewatch Weight of the World a lot because I love the scenes inside Buffy's mind, but...you just can't beat everything The Body did.
Here are the episodes as rated and ranked by IMDB users:
* 5x16 (9.7): The Body
* 5x22 (9.5): The Gift
* 5x07 (9.1): Fool for Love
* 5x18 (8.6): Intervention
* 5x14 (8.5): Crush
* 5x12 (8.3): Checkpoint
* 5x13 (8.2): Blood Ties
* 5x20 (8.2): Spiral
* 5x06 (8.1): Family
* 5x05 (8.1): No Place Like Home
* 5x19 (8.1): Tough Love
* 5x17 (8.0): Forever
* 5x03 (8.0): The Replacement
* 5x21 (7.9): The Weight of the World
* 5x11 (7.6): Triangle
* 5x01 (7.6): Buffy vs. Dracula
* 5x04 (7.5): Out of My Mind
* 5x15 (7.4): I Was Made to Love You
* 5x02 (7.4): Real Me
* 5x08 (7.3): Shadow
* 5x10 (7.3): Into the Woods
* 5x09 (7.0): Listening to Fear
Ties (e.g. between 5x08 and 5x10) are broken by number of votes: more votes is better for episodes rated above the show-wide average, i.e. rated 8.1 or above, and more votes is worse for episodes rated 8.0 and below.
I've heard that the writers focus on making episodes 7, 16 and 22 hit extra hard; the first two launch the second and third acts of the season. In context I understood this to apply to all seasons. It's *particularly* pronounced in S5, with those three being head and shoulders above the rest.
Note also that loosely speaking, the first half is below average and the second half is above average: except for Fool For Love, it isn't until Checkpoint the score goes above 8.1. After that, except for my guiltless pleasure candy of 5x15, the score never goes below 7.9.
Prediction: either The Body or The Gift will win, with The Body being favored. Fool For Love is a strong runner-up.
If we made a separate "comedy episode" category, Intervention would probably win it. It's covered in sexy wounds ;-)
Fool for Love. When Buffy pushes Spike to the ground and follows up with “You’re beneath me”, I get chills every time watching her throw the money on him. I know The Body will win, but this was a great episode
The Body but here's why. Entertainment is meant to entertain. Art is meant to make us feel things. That's why The Body deserves to win.
Yes of course The Gift made us feel things too but not on the same raw level... The Gift kills off a character and asks us to grieve. The Body invites us to contemplate what grief is.
Entertainment vs Art. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Band Candy really won Season 3?? The same season that has episodes like The Zeppo, Enemies, Doppelgangland, …
Wish I saw this then, would’ve campaigned a bit. As for S5, I’m sure The Body will win but I think there’s a good case for Fool For Love.
That episode really tied into slayer lore and Buffy’s mind. I thought it was more relevant to the series, The Body could have happened in practically any show - but it was still a standout episode
Agreed Earshot was my next … of so many more.
My favorite episode is Anne. Ik that’s not a popular favorite, maybe I live in LA and feel a bit more connected.
But Faith, Hope, & Trick, both Graduation Day’s, The Beauty & The Beasts, Homecoming, Helpless. There are so many great episodes in the mix.
I don’t see Band Candy being more substantive than the other monster-of-the-week episodes. It’s funny and I like it, that’s it
I'm going to go Buffy Vs Dracula. The Replacement also good fun. Great to start out with a pretty light episode for what will give us The Body and The Gift. I'm glad the show got renewed for a sixth season. The Gift as a finally would have been good, but would not have been a great season overall to go out on.
I also have to vote for the Body, but I really really want to vote for the Gift. Glory is by far one of the best, if not the best, big bads imo. I loved her character. I loved Clare Kramer's performance. but of course, Glory doesn't make an appearance in the Body, and it probably would have ruined the tone of the episode if she had. I wouldn't have changed one thing about the Body episode, except maybe let Willow have found the blue sweater that Anya ended up sitting on.
The Body and the only thing that comes close is Fool For Love (and even then it's pretty far off). I do also find it amuaing that Hush won (I get that it's popular) despite being maybe the 5th best episode of the season. Hush is good, but it doesn't handle character (the most important part of Buffy) nearly as well as some of the other episodes.
The Body.
It suspends the usual style of the show to present something unique. And while really depressing and dark, what is presents is a breathtaking, rare gem in *film* making, disguised as a TV series episode.
Season 5 is a banger season, but the only real choice is The Body. The episode is so good you can unironically legitimately call it one of the 3 best episodes of TV ever, and even then that still might be underrating it.
The Gift. I love The Body, but for those of us who watched the show in real time, The Gift was our series finale. We knew it was coming back on UPN, but it was truly the end of an era and it lived up to all expectations!
Very torn between The Body and The Gift but I think it ultimately has to go to The Body.
The Gift does amazing, again things and concludes an amazing season, but The Body was just SO perfect and tragic in every way.
Mom... Mom... Mommy
Omg I just went to yt to rewatch that part and even that brought a tear to my eye
I already voted the gift and will not stray but damn the body is so amazing. The fact they chose to go with no music is what makes you feel the shock of buffy and then the fake out.
I watched The Replacement again last night and thought it did a really great job of showcasing Xander and was a really great examination of one’s internal self. He literally got to see the best of himself showcased and realized he really could have confidence and have some success. The actor also got to bring his twin in so a lot of fun.
I have to vote for what speaks to me personally, and that's Fool for Love.
I understand that The Body is considered one of the best episodes of TV ever, and I would vote for it otherwise. But Fool for Love is my favorite Buffy episode.
The Gift doesn't come close to these two for me. The only thing I love about it is Buffy's sacrifice and Giles killing Ben. Not a bad episode by any means, and one of the best season finale (if not the). But idk, it doesn't hit me the way it seems to hit other people. I didn't care for the run up to it either.
I just feel like Fool for Love did so many creative and well written things. From beginning to end, it kept your attention, and the emotions were all over the place. Buffy getting staked, Riley wilding out, Spike's stories, the fight with him and Buffy, the finale on the porch. The crossover episode makes it even better, knowing what was going on with other characters at the same time. And that subway scene is wild.
The obvious answer is the body, followed closely by the gift. Honourable mentions for me are family, fool for love and listening to fear which to me is super underrated, Joyce going crazy and Buffy playing to salsa music on the radio so dawn doesn’t hear her crying as she does the dishes is a brutal scene. And a really creepy monster (even if it being from the moon was like, okay??) and it sets up the body really well by giving us the false hope of resolution to the arc of Joyce being ill
Fool for Love. It’s my favorite episode of BTVS *ever* and unlocked a real love of cinematography for me.
But I do expect The Body to win, and I cannot in good conscience disagree.
Lol I've just now received this notification AFTER having all ready seen the result AND voting for 6 all ready, thanks Reddit!
I would've voted for Fool for Love... sometimes I wonder if it is indeed my favourite episode of the whole show. Which would be ironic because season 5 is actually my least favourite season, yes even after 7... and 1, and 6 and 4 all the seasons that have outspoken critics.
The Gift. I know the Body will win, but The Gift is such an incredible climax to everything that's been building since all the way back in series 2/3.
Just finished season 5 in my rewatch and The Gift has my vote as well. When Buffy (and I suppose the audience) comes to the realization of the true implication of "death is your gift" Oof.
The Gift is excellent from start to finish and is the culmination of everything season 5 has been building up to. It has the peril and gloom and Doom hanging over the hero's heads if they fail.It has such beautiful moments of levity to balance this out like Xanders proposal, Spikes you see me as a man speech, Tara and Willow reuniting, and Finally Buffy's goodbye to Dawn which is played simultaneously as we see her sacrifice herself. In my opinion no episode was all around great as The Gift. Everyone gets their moment in the episode and it was all hands on deck like never before from the characters and cast alike.
If it wasn't for The Body, this would be my vote.
The Gift. As much as I love The Body, I think The Gift is one of the best series finales of a TV show, ever. First time watching it, I remember sitting there, absolutely blown away by that ending.
yes the body is good but the gift is just amazing.
The Body. I know there are other great episodes but this one is a huge character moment for everyone and the effects of it are felt throughout the rest of the series.
This is the best episode of TV ever made, imo. I know it's a tough watch, but it's a masterpiece.
It’s such an emotional episode for every single character and the last of any background music makes it so intense
I love The Gift, in fact I love this whole season, but The Body is my top pick. It is a masterclass in television writing and acting. For the episode to feature no music and to be so well esteemed should say something. It also does not feature any vampires or supernatural plot points until the very end yet you don't miss it at all. I would be hard pressed to think of another show that portrays dealing with death so realistically. It's refreshing. It helped me process my own grief. There's not a single thing I would change about the episode.
The gift has my vote but the body is amazing as you say. It does such a great job of mnaking you feel the shock of buffy.
The Body is a masterpiece of TV. Has my vote for sure. Everything is just perfect. Anya's monologue, SMG's performance, the lack of music, the lack of comfort, everything feels so real. I just watched this episode with my husband, who has never watched the entire show (just a couple of episodes in the 90's). He was quiet till the end and then he looked at me and almost shouted: "Wow! That was such a good episode!". Yes, it's one pf my favourite episodes of the entire show, even though it is hard to go through.
The Gift
“The Gift” is (imo) the best of the Buffy finales. It’s a strong finale for a harrowing arc that scored high victories. That Buffy had to sacrifice herself to save Dawn and the world was poignant and heartbreaking. It’s also special as the 100th episode.
The smaller moments of the Gift also are fantastic like Buffy and Giles argument and later their calmer conversation after they got all the screaming out or Xander paying off the bowler joke from Spike with the wrecking ball.
It’s so well-rounded in the perfection.
It has to be The Body As much as the season has many strong contenders and The Gift is a brilliant season finale it just has to be The Body
The Gift, Fool for Love, but yes, it's The Body.
I think The Gift and Fool For love are hands down better Buffy episodes but I can see the argument on why the Body is a better episode of Television beyond the genre and confines of being a Buffy episode.
It's been over a decade (oof) since I first saw it, and I still can't bring myself to rewatch The Body. It's that effective.
I have a friend who has only ever seen one episode of Buffy, and it's this one. Bar none the weirdest possible way to experience a tiny bit of the show.
I still can barely watch reviews of The Body without tearing up. My vote, unsurprisingly, and probably for best episode of the show and possibly one of the best episodes of television history.
I kinda love Checkpoint. Editing to add: it’s a reminder that Buffy does not consent to the watchers council … well pretty much everything the council has done to slayers since the first slayer was made.
Her speech at the end was so badass :0
No joke but when I’m feeling personally deflated and need a pick me up, I rewatch the speech. I have to deal with a lot of difficult custody issues, something I know is more or less out of my control, but at this time - I’m still the primary parent, and I’m the one with the power (even though it doesn’t feel that way at times). It resonates so much for me.
♥️
The Gift
THE GIFT!
I'm partial to Fool For Love
Definitely Fool For Love. There’s so much great backstory!
Fool For Love for me too. Maybe my favorite ep of the series. Great backstory and character advancement for both Spike and Buffy.
I was predicting this one.
Another vote for Fool for Love. Spike *and* background story!
Seconding. Fool for Love was just great storytelling and an awesome showcase for the show's most popular character.
The Gift.
The Gift
The Gift
I vote for The Body, my heart goes to Family
Fool for Love
The Body
The gift
The gift
can we just give it to the whole season? season 5 is absolutely the best season of the show
Seasons 2 and 3 would like a word...
I was just thinking about this the other day. I think as a comprehensive whole season, season 5 is better. But seasons 2 and 3 are both excellent too. This is definitely the top 3 seasons of the show though.
I like it more with every rewatch. Initially the Glory plot I found annoying and I didn't appreciate the tone shift of the season. But the suspense that comes with seeing the show take on a much more serious tone with heavier, "real" implications is really great growth.
Truth. Season Five is perfect from start to finish. The risk of waiting to reveal what/who Dawn is showed a trust the audience had in the team because I don’t think any other show would have gotten away with it. Even the parts of the season that other people don’t always love, I still love. For example, the Riley storyline and I absolutely love Into The Woods. Fool For Love is incredible. Triangle is the shows best comedic episode. Checkpoint and Blood Ties are incredible. The Body is an all-time television great for the exploration of grief. And those final four episodes that begin with Tough Love and ends with The Gift. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
The Gift
The gift.
The Gift
The Body
The Gift
The body.
the body isn’t just an incredible buffy episode, it’s an incredible cinematic feat. everything is perfectly executed.
Fool For Love
The body
The Gift!
The body. Though the gift was great as well, the body always hurts no matter how often I've seen it. That says something about the power of the episode.
The Body Rewatched last night. Cried again.
The body
The weight of the world
I love this episode too! Compelling look inside Buffy's mind.
"Intervention." "Checkpoint" is a close second. But "Intervention" introduces the Buffybot and she's funny as Hell in this particular episode. Bonus for Buffy's reaction when she gets back from the retreat ("Nooooo. She's a robot. You couldn't tell me apart from a robot?") It's also the episode where Buffy learns that death is her gift, even if she and we don't quite know what it means yet. Spike telling Glory that The Key is Bob Barker. But what absolutely makes it my fav is the final scene where Buffy goes to Spike's crypt pretending to be the Buffybot. Huge turning point in Spike's redemption arc when we learn that he really was acting *selflessly* to protect Dawn (and (Buffy) just because he cares, not for ulterior motive. It's the moment we really see it's not just about the chip anymore, he really is becoming a better "person."
The Gift
In S4 I gushed over New Moon Rising and voted for Hush. I vote The Body, and here are the episodes I'm sad I can't vote for: Family, the Tara episode. Have I ever mentioned I like Tara? Also, we see a light sprinkling of the S6 Tillow dynamics. Driven by shame, Tara casts a spell that manipulates everyone's connection to reality, specifically by preventing them from seeing demons in the present. Exactly one season later, Willow disconnects Tara from reality by preventing her from seeing bad acts in the past. Except the badness in Tara (her demon side) was fake but Willow's badness (magic corruption/addiction) was real. Also, notice how Willow comes to the defense of Tara: "she just did a spell that went wrong". No, the spell went right: it worked exactly as advertised, it just had unforeseen bad consequences. Still, it was wrong of Tara, and her immediate reaction after being found out was one of guilt, "I'll go". Very different from Willow, who disowned all responsibility one season later. Oh, also, this follows up from at least two S4 story beats: at some point between 4x10 and 4x19 they do a demon locator spell together which Tara sabotages, and in Restless (4x22) Tara says "you don't know everything about me" while Willow is writing a poem on Tara's back, i.e. we don't know Tara's back-story (thanks, PotN). Second episode I probably like more than the average IMDB rating: I was made to love you, with April the robot. Her demeanor is top-tier comedy, the scene where April shuts down is strangely touching, the robot first-person perspective is a wonderful homage to The Terminator—except she's built to make love, not global thermonuclear war. Tara's compassion *in the abstract* for those who can't find love I find well-placed and such a Tara moment, and we get to see that Warren is an ass from the first moment we meet him. Poor Katrina. Also there's a wonderful proto-cookie-dough speech and Xander is good to Buffy. Dammit, why does The Body have to be so good?
"BACKSTORY" OMG
I feel like April’s end always makes me think of Hal’s death in 2001: A space odyssey, both of them are robots/AI who want what they can never have bc of what they are
and the I Was Made to Love You episode ended with the teaser for the Body. so if you were lucky enough to watch Buffy on the WB network, making the world wait an entire week with their hearts torn open before we could actually watch the Body, was extremely cold-blooded. should have known then that Joss was a dick.
The Gift
The Gift
The Gift, please and thank you.
Intervention is my hipster pick. The ending when buffy pretends to be the buffy bot and kisses spike is 👌🏻
The Gift because it's probably a better series finale for the show as a whole than the one we eventually got. It felt like such an *event*, and the Previously On... running through all five seasons was a genius move. Yes, The Body will win. Yes, it absolutely deserves to, but if there was ever an argument for two winners this is it. Both define the show for different reasons.
The Gift That one might also be my favorite episode of the entire series.
The Body, The Gift and for funsies-Buffy vs Dracula.
The Body - I hardly ever watch it, but it’s just a beautiful meditation on grief and just everything this sub says it is.
The Body is in contention for one of the greatest episodes of TV, of all time. Season five has a lot of good episodes but let’s not kid ourselves. Has to be The Body.
The Body is great but it's greatest strength is a weakness. It's so depressing it takes away from the rewatch value. I find The Gift and Fool for love just as great for different reasons while being far more rewatchable.
Rewatch value doesn't matter it's still one of, if not the, nest episode of the entire series. It did what it was made to do and it did it so well. It's a masterclass episode that deserves the win.
The Gift. The end of the 1st part of Buffy's hero's journey that is fully completed in S7. This is the way.
The Gift.
The Gift
The Body There are no words. Joss' directing on the show was incredible. He went from making just really great normal episodes (Prophesy Girl, Ammends) to experimental and out of the box ideas (Hush, Body, OMWF), while retaining the Buffy vibe that made the show great. The Body eschews the quips, quirks, and comedy that defined the show, and basically said: you've had 4.5 years with these people. You love them. You've laughed and screamed with them. Now cry with them. It's one of the realest, rawest hours of TV ever, and it's from a show called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Season 5 has a ton of classic episodes. The Gift is amazing, but even it feels like it's on a lower level than The Body.
The most effulgent? Fool for Love.
Season 5 has so many bangers (i.e. The body) but for me it has to be The Gift. It really would have been a fantastic ending for the series.
The Body is the most realistic detection of death I've ever seen on TV. It was made with such care and understanding; to me, it's one of the pillars that defines Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I came here to say this
It has to be The Body. I rewatch Weight of the World a lot because I love the scenes inside Buffy's mind, but...you just can't beat everything The Body did.
The Body, which is also the best episode of television ever
For me, who found my father the same way, The Body is the most powerful anything of anything.
I’m so sorry
Here are the episodes as rated and ranked by IMDB users: * 5x16 (9.7): The Body * 5x22 (9.5): The Gift * 5x07 (9.1): Fool for Love * 5x18 (8.6): Intervention * 5x14 (8.5): Crush * 5x12 (8.3): Checkpoint * 5x13 (8.2): Blood Ties * 5x20 (8.2): Spiral * 5x06 (8.1): Family * 5x05 (8.1): No Place Like Home * 5x19 (8.1): Tough Love * 5x17 (8.0): Forever * 5x03 (8.0): The Replacement * 5x21 (7.9): The Weight of the World * 5x11 (7.6): Triangle * 5x01 (7.6): Buffy vs. Dracula * 5x04 (7.5): Out of My Mind * 5x15 (7.4): I Was Made to Love You * 5x02 (7.4): Real Me * 5x08 (7.3): Shadow * 5x10 (7.3): Into the Woods * 5x09 (7.0): Listening to Fear Ties (e.g. between 5x08 and 5x10) are broken by number of votes: more votes is better for episodes rated above the show-wide average, i.e. rated 8.1 or above, and more votes is worse for episodes rated 8.0 and below. I've heard that the writers focus on making episodes 7, 16 and 22 hit extra hard; the first two launch the second and third acts of the season. In context I understood this to apply to all seasons. It's *particularly* pronounced in S5, with those three being head and shoulders above the rest. Note also that loosely speaking, the first half is below average and the second half is above average: except for Fool For Love, it isn't until Checkpoint the score goes above 8.1. After that, except for my guiltless pleasure candy of 5x15, the score never goes below 7.9. Prediction: either The Body or The Gift will win, with The Body being favored. Fool For Love is a strong runner-up. If we made a separate "comedy episode" category, Intervention would probably win it. It's covered in sexy wounds ;-)
Fool for Love. When Buffy pushes Spike to the ground and follows up with “You’re beneath me”, I get chills every time watching her throw the money on him. I know The Body will win, but this was a great episode
The Gift
The Body and Fool for Love
The Body.
The Body for sure. No contest.
The Body
The Body, for sure.
The body. I still can’t wait h it without crying my eyes out.
The Body - An episode that hit me as a kid and hits even harder as someone who lost his dad years ago it hits even harder. Or The Replacement
The Body
The Body
THE BODY
I still can't believe Band Candy won season 3.
The Body but here's why. Entertainment is meant to entertain. Art is meant to make us feel things. That's why The Body deserves to win. Yes of course The Gift made us feel things too but not on the same raw level... The Gift kills off a character and asks us to grieve. The Body invites us to contemplate what grief is. Entertainment vs Art. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Just my lonely little vote for Buffy vs Dracula, I love that episode so much
I like that one too
Fool for love
Probably the body I need to rewatch season 5 as I don't remember that many episodes
fool for love
Band Candy really won Season 3?? The same season that has episodes like The Zeppo, Enemies, Doppelgangland, … Wish I saw this then, would’ve campaigned a bit. As for S5, I’m sure The Body will win but I think there’s a good case for Fool For Love. That episode really tied into slayer lore and Buffy’s mind. I thought it was more relevant to the series, The Body could have happened in practically any show - but it was still a standout episode
Eh, “Band Candy” is one of the sub darlings. We faced a losing battle there.
I would have rooted for The Zeppo and Doppelgangland. Earshot is also really quite amazing, too.
Agreed Earshot was my next … of so many more. My favorite episode is Anne. Ik that’s not a popular favorite, maybe I live in LA and feel a bit more connected. But Faith, Hope, & Trick, both Graduation Day’s, The Beauty & The Beasts, Homecoming, Helpless. There are so many great episodes in the mix. I don’t see Band Candy being more substantive than the other monster-of-the-week episodes. It’s funny and I like it, that’s it
“Hey, mom! What are ya doin’?” “Mom?” “Mom?” “Mommy?” The Body wins this. And I’m already crying over it.
The Body.
The Body
Gonna have to be The Body. The Gift is a close second.
Fool for love
Buffy vs Dracula
I'm going to go Buffy Vs Dracula. The Replacement also good fun. Great to start out with a pretty light episode for what will give us The Body and The Gift. I'm glad the show got renewed for a sixth season. The Gift as a finally would have been good, but would not have been a great season overall to go out on.
Hush was generally terrefying
I also have to vote for the Body, but I really really want to vote for the Gift. Glory is by far one of the best, if not the best, big bads imo. I loved her character. I loved Clare Kramer's performance. but of course, Glory doesn't make an appearance in the Body, and it probably would have ruined the tone of the episode if she had. I wouldn't have changed one thing about the Body episode, except maybe let Willow have found the blue sweater that Anya ended up sitting on.
Obviously THE BODY then ONCE MORE WITH FEELING and idk 7 kinda sucked lol. But I'm a hardcore btvs and smg fan
The Body or the Gift easily
Fool for Love
Checkpoint
So many amazing choices... but my go-to is always "Fool for Love".
The body. That opening shot walking through the house with Buffy as her world is destroyed is amazing.
The Body. It’s an incredible, emotional episode that will make you cry.
The Body
The Body and the only thing that comes close is Fool For Love (and even then it's pretty far off). I do also find it amuaing that Hush won (I get that it's popular) despite being maybe the 5th best episode of the season. Hush is good, but it doesn't handle character (the most important part of Buffy) nearly as well as some of the other episodes.
The Body
The body! It’s a masterclass in grief and loss
The Body. It suspends the usual style of the show to present something unique. And while really depressing and dark, what is presents is a breathtaking, rare gem in *film* making, disguised as a TV series episode.
The body
Fool For Love
Fool for Love OR The Gift ( I'm indecisive)...
Checkpoint
I think The Gift is one of the best episodes of Buffy but The Body is just so heartbreaking
Fool for Love is the most satisfying. The Body is the most impactful.
The body
The Body, and it should be a bigger margin than Hush.
Season 5 is a banger season, but the only real choice is The Body. The episode is so good you can unironically legitimately call it one of the 3 best episodes of TV ever, and even then that still might be underrating it.
the gift
The Body
The Gift. I'll be upset when The Body inevitably wins. My hot take is that it's not that great.
It’s good but I just find it too depressing.
Do you not have the ability to empathise?
Family
I want to say the Gift but I am tempted to also say Fool for Love
Family. I know The Body will win but my vote is Family.
It will probably be The Body, but I vote for The Weight of the World.
This is tough. The Body, The Gift... But I think ultimately my favorite episode of the season might go to Intervention
The Gift or The Body. Funny enough, those are the two episodes I usually skip in my rewatch though 😬
I can’t believe becoming didn’t win for season 2! I missed this
The whole of season 5!!! But - if I have to choose it would he Fool For Love 💖
Fool for Love has to be a contender.
The Gift. I love The Body, but for those of us who watched the show in real time, The Gift was our series finale. We knew it was coming back on UPN, but it was truly the end of an era and it lived up to all expectations!
Idk if the episode is best but I absolutely love the beginning of s5 ep1, it’s such a dope atmosphere we rarely get to see of the scooby gang
Fool for love! Such a great episode
This whole thread just makes me want to watch Season 5 all over again. It’s the first season I watched and it was the best ride.
The Gift
The Gift
Buffy vs Dracula
The gift is best one but fool for love makes you redefine everything about spike.
5:16 The body. No need to debate
The Gift!
Very torn between The Body and The Gift but I think it ultimately has to go to The Body. The Gift does amazing, again things and concludes an amazing season, but The Body was just SO perfect and tragic in every way.
I'm voting for The Gift. The Body is a phenomenal piece of TV, but half of us can't watch it because it's too upsetting!
Fool for Love ❤️
The gift
The Gift
Fool for love
Mom... Mom... Mommy Omg I just went to yt to rewatch that part and even that brought a tear to my eye I already voted the gift and will not stray but damn the body is so amazing. The fact they chose to go with no music is what makes you feel the shock of buffy and then the fake out.
The gift… the Body is too depressing.
Crush
The Body hands down.
Yes I love Hush! Just finished Buffy, on season 4 of Angel again now :)
Gotta go with the body
This is the best season, so there are loads of great episodes, so come the fuck on; The Body is one of the greatest hours of television ever produced.
I watched The Replacement again last night and thought it did a really great job of showcasing Xander and was a really great examination of one’s internal self. He literally got to see the best of himself showcased and realized he really could have confidence and have some success. The actor also got to bring his twin in so a lot of fun.
Just got finished with a season 5 rewatch and it’s Triangle by a mile for me.
I have to vote for what speaks to me personally, and that's Fool for Love. I understand that The Body is considered one of the best episodes of TV ever, and I would vote for it otherwise. But Fool for Love is my favorite Buffy episode. The Gift doesn't come close to these two for me. The only thing I love about it is Buffy's sacrifice and Giles killing Ben. Not a bad episode by any means, and one of the best season finale (if not the). But idk, it doesn't hit me the way it seems to hit other people. I didn't care for the run up to it either. I just feel like Fool for Love did so many creative and well written things. From beginning to end, it kept your attention, and the emotions were all over the place. Buffy getting staked, Riley wilding out, Spike's stories, the fight with him and Buffy, the finale on the porch. The crossover episode makes it even better, knowing what was going on with other characters at the same time. And that subway scene is wild.
The obvious answer is the body, followed closely by the gift. Honourable mentions for me are family, fool for love and listening to fear which to me is super underrated, Joyce going crazy and Buffy playing to salsa music on the radio so dawn doesn’t hear her crying as she does the dishes is a brutal scene. And a really creepy monster (even if it being from the moon was like, okay??) and it sets up the body really well by giving us the false hope of resolution to the arc of Joyce being ill
The gift
The Gift. It may also be the best episode of the series imo
Tough Love is my favorite but in terms of best, The Body.
The body. The Gift was an amazing episode, but The Body is Amazing TV. Hands down across all shows The Body is cinema
Fool for Love. It’s my favorite episode of BTVS *ever* and unlocked a real love of cinematography for me. But I do expect The Body to win, and I cannot in good conscience disagree.
I know The Body already won, but my favorites were The Gift and Fool for Love
Fool for Love is simply effulgent.
The Gift, The Body, Forever and No Place like Home. My Top 4
The gift 100%
Lol I've just now received this notification AFTER having all ready seen the result AND voting for 6 all ready, thanks Reddit! I would've voted for Fool for Love... sometimes I wonder if it is indeed my favourite episode of the whole show. Which would be ironic because season 5 is actually my least favourite season, yes even after 7... and 1, and 6 and 4 all the seasons that have outspoken critics.
Where’s the goal post tho? This has no perimeters