Episode Battles. Explanation Style. Buffy Edition.

[Jenni Lou]

So this thread is much like the one in the game section where you take two episodes and the poster below you chooses which they like better.

However, the catch in this thread is that you must give at least a few sentences explaining why you feel the way you do. Posts do go toward your post count in here so there's no reason to spam. I think it will be a fun way to see how fellow members feel about certain kinds of eps.

For example: A New Man vs. Tabula Rasa.

While both sway toward the comedic, I prefer Tabula Rasa because it is bookended in drama and the lots of funny is stuffed between. I also like how it explores abandoment themes with Giles and Tara, respectively. A New Man is filled with funny and even has its own abandoment theme but I just don't feel it's quite on par with Tabula. Although, I can admit I need to give it another viewing as it has been awhile. I find it funny that I randomly chose two eps that I now realize both have funny Giles/Spike interaction...and that's always of the good, if you ask me! :roll:

Make sense? I'll start then. :)

When She Was Bad vs. Bad Girls

[LRae12]

Great thread idea! :hug:

I'm going with When She Was Bad. It was the first episode I ever saw, and I think I get a bit nostalgic over that. But, I actually like this episode, too. I think it was well written, and some of my favorite quotes are in this episode...(especially the scene in the alley between Cordy & Buffy)

In Bad Girls, I don't know why I've never really cared for this episode as much as some people. It must be the incredibly cheesy villain, Balthazaar, and I remember the first time seeing it thinking 'well, Charmed's Balthazaar was a hell of a lot better looking!' Plus, I didn't buy Buffy's lame attempt at criminal life...it was just way too OOC for me.

Ok, so do I need to pit something against WSWB? Or do I pick 2 new eps?

I think I'll pick 2 new eps until you tell me otherwise....;)

Doomed vs. Crush (2 very underrated episodes IMO)

[Jenni Lou]

Ok, so do I need to pit something against WSWB? Or do I pick 2 new eps?

I think I'll pick 2 new eps until you tell me otherwise....;)

Doomed vs. Crush (2 very underrated episodes IMO)

Yeah! That's the way it works.


Two TOUGH eps to choose between. Both so good. I've actually always had a big spot of love for Doomed though. I actually ran the fanlisting for it for a long time. I called it Apocalypse Againish... :lol: Oh, I think I am so clever. :p I'm not sure why I like it so much, to be honest. It's vey hokey in many ways. One thing I really enjoy about it is the Willow and Xander and Spike scenes. Very funny! I know a lot of fans don't care for Riley, but I liked him. :) "Paintball." :roll:

Crush is equally good but for some reason I hold Doomed so close. I love the whole idea of Drusilla returning and luring Spike and then Spike surrounded by all the ladies, looking like a crazy bafoon. He truly is a Fool For Love. If there was ever a consistency in his character, that would be it!


The Body vs. The Gift

[redrevo]

The Gift, easy one for me. I really enjoyed the culmination of Buffy's identity issues from the start of the season on through, and defying the First Slayer by jumping for her sister and the world. We close a bunch of arcs (Glory/Ben, Dawn, Tara's insanity) and open others (Xander and Anya's engagement, the Scoobies' fate while Buffy is dead). Doc's appearance was unexpected for me, and the Buffy/Buffybot/Glory fight was one of the best I've ever seen, with some great lines from Buffy and the robot. The ending was just epic; I cry or tear up every time I see it. The score was the second best of the entire series, only surpassed by Chosen, and while The Body was down to earth with no music, what we got here fit the scene entirely.

The Body may have been very well shot, very realistic, but The Gift has a wider scope of events and gets the nod from me.

Grave vs. Graduation Day Part 2

[LRae12]

oh, it's great to find a kindred spirit with the Doomed & Crush love! :hug:

Ok, I'm going to have to go with The Body. First of all, I think all of the actors out-shined themselves in this episode. SMG, wow, hands down. MT's performance really stands out to me as well...especially her breakdown in the hallway when you can't really understand what's being said between her and Buffy...plus, I'm a total sucker for episodes that make me cry, and having seen this episode at least 20 times, I have never once remained dry-eyed.

The Gift - What can I say? It's an Icon in the buffyverse, but for me it's not the be-all end-all to Buffydome. In fact, I don't even rank it in my top 20. Was it a good ep? Sure, but there are sooo many that out-do it.

Ok...how about Something Blue vs. Tabula Rasa

[Jenni Lou]

Yikes! You guys posted minutes apart! Okay.

Grave vs. Graduation Day Part 2. Hmmm. Tough. Season six is my fave season but I think I am going to have to go with Grad Day. It's such an iconic episode. No more high school. GIant snake. The principal!! :roll: The way the class rallies together. Ohh, and Harmony gets bit!!! Yeah, I'm going with Grad Day. hehe, Grad Day...more like RAD day. :D

Something Blue vs. Tabula Rasa. Something Blue. Okay, I LOVE both eps. But SBlue is in my top five eps of the whole series. It is too totally hysterical. I love everything about it. I have not watched in years and it's going to be so super wonderful when I do again. Tabula is awesome too, don't get me wrong. And it's funny, but it just doesn't come close to SBlue. Season four over all is highly under rated. It's my second fave season. :)


Lie To Me vs. The Replacement

[bishopcruz]

Lie to Me vs The Replacement

Very different episode types. I like the replacement for the end of the whoe Xander=Incompetent Doof thing, and it was the episode that actually started making Riley an interesting character in my mind (took them long enough). However, I think Lie to Me was just a great episode overall. I loved the feeling of S2 so much, and I think Lie to Me really nailed it. I especially loved the final dialogue between Giles and Buffy so I'm gonna go with LtM.

Next:

Lies My Parents Told Me vs. Fool For Love

[LRae12]

oooh, while I really like both epsiodes, I'm going with the obvious Fool for Love. This episode is so well written. I like the flashbacks, as we get to see our first real glimpse as to who Spike is and why he is the way he is. I especially liked the alley scene when Buffy shoves him to the ground and tells him he's Beneath her, and the sweet, sad look on his face...then later at her house the love/hate turmoil in Spike when he's there to kill her and instead ends of comforting her is just too good not to vote for this eppy. :)

Triangle vs. Life Serial

[Jenni Lou]

Oh, geez. Again...two funny eps. I don't even know which way to go. Hmmmm...

Well, I think I will go with Triangle because it's one of those rare opportunities to get some bitch-happy Willow/Anya angst. I just love how they can't stand each other sometimes. Life Serial is a fantastic ep, as well, and there's so many funny--and poignant--moments, but Triangle just has the awesome Willow/Anya dynamic. Man, I hardly remember it now. I so need to rewatch my Buffy dvs. :(


Goodbye Iowa vs. Sleeper

[LRae12]

Well, that's not even a contest - definitely Sleeper. I loved that episode. From the Spike's sweet 'it's all about you' speech to Buffy to Anya's hilarious sexcapades with Spike..."soulless Spike would have had me upside down and halfway to happyland by now"...:roll: so, so great. Plus we finally find out what's been toying with Spike. Great eppy! :)


Angel vs. Prophecy Girl

[redrevo]

Prophecy Girl, definitely. We get to deal with some Slayer identity issues and of course the biggest decision of all - you vs. the world. I really enjoy how they took the foreboding horror-typical prophecy and turned it on its head - "I flunked the written." Although I acknowledge a pretty successful twist in Angel - Darla with the guns - Prophecy Girl added more to the plot and had a few different things going on, while Angel pretty much just fit the title.

The I in Team vs. Real Me

[Jenni Lou]

I'm gonna go with The I in Team. It's a power shift episode. I love the end how Buffy just looks into the camera and tells Walsh she has no idea what a slayer is. Plus drunk Spike is of the funny.

I don't have anything against Real Me. What I remember most the first time I watched it was thinking "Buffy has a sister?" I thought I had missed an episode somewhere along the way. :p I was so confused. :D

Choices vs. Entropy

[LRae12]

What I remember most the first time I watched it was thinking "Buffy has a sister?" I thought I had missed an episode somewhere along the way. :p I was so confused. :D



Me too! I didn't watch the series when it was on air, I watched it much later, and I remember thinking I must have missed a DVD in between somewhere...everybody was acting like - oh, yeah, it's Dawn, who's always been there, and I kept looking up episode orders on the internet! :roll: So confusing! :lol:


Ok, Choices vs. Entropy...this is a good match up, because I think this is a fairly even match. On the one hand Choices has Willow finally standing up for herself, and against Faith, no less. We see Oz get to be all protective...awww, and the showdown with the mayor and faith losing her present...so good!

But on the other hand Entropy, Spike and Anya consoling each other - and the whole world watching. Spuffy's finally brought to light, and Anya and Xander finally have some of the hostilities out. Plus, Anya once again as a vengence demon trying to trick everybody into wishing something horrid on Xander...my favorite quote..."what kind of lesbians are you? If you love men so much, go love men!" :lol:

Ok, so decision time....eenie, meenie, mineee, Entropy, I guess...:p


No Place Like Home vs. The Initiative

[Jenni Lou]

I watched the series much later too. I watched it on tv repeats and thought they had skipped an episode or something. :p

Okay. First, I love the Willow & Riley interaction in the The Initiative. Riley is such a dope. I am a Riley fan though. :D Never knew why he was so hated. I figured it must have been because he wasn't Angel, :rolleyes: So, whatevs. Yes, I am articulate too. :D "I like cheese." And that expression Buffy gives him...ha! The Initiative storyline kind of sucks overall but this ep does a good job of setting it up.

No Place Like Home. Finally, an explanation for Dawn! And yet another Buffy dreamy sequence thing. And Buffy "5 words or less" and Spike's "Out. For. A. Walk....Bitch." Priceless!

Gosh. A toss up really. But the latter, No Place Like Home, wins it by a smidge, I think. :)

School Hard vs. Afterlife.

[LRae12]

oooh, another toughie.

On the one hand, School Hard has the great intro scene of Spike smashing the Sunnydale sign, and he and Dru introducing themselves to the Annoying One. Plus, the crashing of the school party, and pretty much everything Spike does.

After Life - Spike finds out Buffy is alive - the sweet, oh so touching look on his face, him taking care of her hands. Plus, the 'every night I save you' line melts my heart.

I think After Life beats out School Hard for me by a smidge...;)


Lie to Me vs. Helpless

[redrevo]

I think Helpless wins this one - don't think I'll say "by a long shot" because part of it is probably that I don't remember Lie to Me that much. It was too much fun (in a plot way, not a "yay she's weak" way) to watch weakened!Buffy try to figure out what was going on, and another bit of classic horror with the crazy vampire. I never really enjoyed the plotlines of Lie to Me except at the end, and when Buffy tells Angel she can't trust him. Overall I thought the episode was pretty bad, its only redemption being the end, of course, and Willow's room and the exchange about it ("Ours is a forbidden love.").

Doppelgangland vs Seeing Red

[LRae12]

Well, this one is a no-brainer for me. Seeing Red has never been a particular favorite of mine. Dopplegangland, on the other hand is my favorite of S3, and probably in my top 20 of all time. I love Vamp!Willow - and everyone mourning Willow being dead...Willow's "hey, you all didn't go and do a bunch of drugs, did ya?" quote is hysterical, and we get to see Willow and Anya's first disagreement..."did you look inside the sofa - in HELL?" :lol: So, I'd have to say Dopplegangland gets my vote, for sure.

Faith Hope & Trick vs. Living Conditions

[Jenni Lou]

Yeah, I know we first meet Faith in Faith Hope & Trick but it's just not the best ep, imo. Although the Bronze scene is fantastic! I just love how the guys are ogling over Faith.

Living Conditions is full of funny. It's not another great ep but I did chuckle a number of times. I love how Buffy goes all psycho over Kathy.

I'm tired and didn't have much to say about those two. :p

Nightmares vs. Normal Again

[Alucard]

I'm not so sure about this one, Both are very good episodes. With Nightmares I thought it was interesting to see everyones nightmares become reality and how it dealt with Buffy's fears of death and Giles fears of not being able to protect her.

But thinking about it now Normal Again wins it for me for many reasons, The perspective of Sunnydale being the figment of a girls imagination in a mental asylum was very good, The transition between both realities was great as it got you to question both and seeing Buffy struggle with the decision of which one to choose to be a part of made this episode brilliant. It was interesting to see that both realities had things which tried to keep her there.

Let me think..

The Weight of the World VS Dead Things

[redrevo]

Weight of the World, both were rather dark, but I really didn't enjoy Dead Things because of how Buffy's character was ripped apart. Weight of the World explored aspects of humanity that would come out in The Gift - natural empathy in Glory/Ben, guilt and despair over a seemingly impassable obstacle in Buffy, and how Willow took charge while Buffy was not around, which led to the "Boss of Us" exchange in Bargaining. I thought WotW was an excellent lead-up to The Gift, while Dead Things was the low point of the season for Buffy and hurt a bit too much to watch.

Him vs Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

[LRae12]

Both of these episodes had a similar theme - girls going gaga over a dork because of a spell. But I think I prefer Him. I found it to be more comical and entertaining, plus Joyce going after Xander in BBB made me gag...:p

Becoming Part 2 vs. Graduation Day Part 2

[bishopcruz]

Him over BBB? Wow.

Anyway, as much as I love Graduation Day Part 2, I don't think Buffy ever produced a better episode than Becoming Part 2, as the culmination of the arcs of the season, the loss for the gang, the incredible characterizations of Buffy, Xander, Giles and Willow, the Spike and Buffy team-up. And of course the go for your gut ending. It was impossible to top.

Now two awful eps:

Where the Wild Things Are vs. First Date

[Jenni Lou]

Where the Wild things Are. Which is completely saved by the awesome Spike/Anya Bronze scene which I love so much! The rest...um, yeah. Even though I am oe of the few who like Riley! :D First Date is so lame I can only recall bits of it. :rolleyes:

I Was Made to Love You vs. The Killer in Me

[LRae12]

Now, see, I don't find WTWTA awful at all (except for the Ruffy sex-athon...uck!) We had a great look at Anya and Spike - some very funny scenes. We had Anya's great quote "that's all I do now, is not have sex!" :roll: Plus we had Xanya's teamwork to save their pals. I actually really liked this ep.

First Date, on the other hand, was a bust, except for the brief Spuffy scene where Buffy tells Spike she's not ready for him not to be there.

So my vote goes to Where the Wild Things Are

OK, now for some TRULY awful eps:

Ted vs. Bad Eggs

[KingofCretins]

I would have said "Ted" except that it kind of copped out by making him a robot. In the case of "Bad Eggs", the overall plot was silly, but there was some very funny scoobiness and I always love to see Buffy and Xander working together. Seeing the "punch first" characters having to do all the research, and looking very confused, was awesome. Despite an extra cheesey Buffy/Angel kiss, it wins.

How about people acting suspiciously and setting up the main arc? "No Place Like Home" vs. "Never Leave Me"? Decent set-up episodes.

[LRae12]

I'm going to have to go with No Place Like Home for me...we get Giles fresh in the Magic shop, finally finding out about Dawn, the realization that Joyce may truly be sick, the cool spells, and hello? GLORY! Who was amazing as a big-bad.

Never Leave Me...honestly, though I've watched it dozens of times, I can barely remember it, so it must not have been too great to stand out in my mind.


Sorry, Jenni Lou, we must have posted our responses before at the same time...:hug: So I'll answer Jenni Lou's match-up as well.

I will definitely go with I Was Made to Love You...though it was only a so-so episode for me, I HATED The Killer in Me...it's like in my bottom 5 of all time. I don't know what was grosser, seeing Willow kiss Kennedy or Warren...ICK! But IWMTLY had some good points as well...I liked seeing Spike get thrown out of the window...Joyce having some girly-fun...Buffy sitting with April as she was winding down and their talk...and of course the gut-wrenching surprise ending of Buffy finding Joyce on the couch.


Gingerbread vs. The Zeppo

[bishopcruz]

Hey you forgot the Awesome Buffy/Xander interactions. :)

Gingerbread was fun, and had some great Oz moments, "You do know you're all crazy right." But I think I'l go with the Zeppo, even though I felt the beginning marginalized Xander more than he had ever been for no particular reason, the ep was funny as hell, and I also loved the scene at the end, with Jack. Not to mention who couldn't love that scene of Buffy and Angel angst played completely for laughs. Awesome.

Plus Xander bangs Faith (or should it be Faith bangs Xander?), either way lucky bastard.

Ok, season premieres:

Lessons vs Bargaining

[redrevo]

Ouch. I love both of these. But I'll have to go with Bargaining, simply because it sets up a lot more and there's somewhat of a gut-wrencher near the end with Buffy at the tower. Lessons was amazing with all the lines Dawn and Buffy got as well as the ending, but Bargaining wins by a bit - more happened and we carry more arcs in this one with Willow's magic, everyone dealing with Buffy's death, the MotW, and Buffy's depression after she gets taken back to earth. Plus we get to see Dawn in the football helmet and Buffybot goodness! A last-second field goal wins it for Bargaining.

Battle of the Halloween eps:
Fear, Itself vs All the Way

[KingofCretins]

Personally, "Fear, Itself" was much better. Not only do we have some legitimate scares, every Scooby got to work some issues and show some weakness. Plus, Buffy wore a little red riding hood outfit that was very, very short :)

Anya in a bunny suit, Giles with a chainsaw, Oz' nametag, thinking the Initiative are just in costume. Great episode. Do not taunt the fear demon.

"All the Way" was nice, but inconsistent about Spike and Halloween. I do wonder if Dawn was tempted to give in, though.

How about Dawn episodes? "Real Me" vs. "Potential".

[sherrilina]

Lol, I always leave a sentence or two in explanations anyway for most games! :lol: It got the most ridiculous during the Buffy vs. Angel rating game....

But still a nice idea!

Okay, definitely All the Way, I have never seen the appeal in Fear, Itself--I even rewatched it recently, trying to see why it was so popular, but failed. Yes, it has a few moments, like Bunny!Anya and Fiesta!Giles, and has a little bit of depth, but for the most part it wasn't that enjoyable for me--whereas All the Way was, in addition to having an equal number of hilarious moments, such as everyone helping out at the shop (and Anya being an Angel--of the Charlie variety! ;)), Spike helping Buffy in the basement find what she needed and inviting her to go hunting with him--as well as his classic, "Yeah, well, it's not like I don't have other plans--the Great Pumpkin's on in twenty!" (It's lines like these that make me love Spike so much! :heart: ), and the confrontation in the clearing between Buffy/Dawn and Spike/the young vamps. Plus it was cool how the old man turned out to be harmless and the two boys were the vamps....

Anne vs. Amends

[sherrilina]

Argh KoC, you beat me--but I'm going to let my first post stand just to get my opinion out there, since I find Fear, Itself to be such an overrated epp! :p

Okay then, as for yours definitely Real Me--Potential was okay, I liked Amanda, Buffy and Spike taking the Potentials to the bar together (not to mention the cute handhold at the beginning as she helped him up), and the Xander speech at the end (plus the end was a twist, I thought Dawn was the other Potential). But I think Dawn is much more likeable in Real Me, as well as funnier, and I loved her VOs and seeing the Scoobies from a different perspective!

I'll repeat, Anne vs. Amends

[Jenni Lou]

Uck, Anne. Don't care for it. The whole hell thing didn't do it for me. I have to go with Amends. Christmas time! And Buffy dreams. And wouldn't you know it...the introduction to the first. Plus, it was nice to see Jenny again. :) And Giles having to deal with Angel. It's always nice when Giles gets a good ep to play around in!

Beer Bad vs. Storyteller

[sherrilina]

Definitely Storyteller--not only b/c in itself it's absolutely hilarious ("We are GODS!", his version of the past, his making fun of the Buffy speeches, his perspective on all the characters, shooting Spike, being interested in a new window rather than two lesbians making out right below it, "Why don't you just masturbate like the rest of us?", etc), but also b/c Beer Bad is just so bad and boring and stupid--I don't like Buffy being reduced to a caveman or moping about stupid Parker, or the obnoxious guys in the bar, and the whole epp is just so lame! Plus Storyteller is one of the first full epps I ever saw, and so it has some sentimental value! :heart:

OMWF vs. Tabula Rasa

[Jenni Lou]

OMWF!!

It's my second fave ep ever. I laughed at the idea of a musical ep, but it was so amazing. Wonderful music and story. I love how it essentially took a truth by music spell to get Buffy to reveal she was in heaven. It's a perfect ep, imo. Only Hush beats it...and barely. In fact, I don't even know why it does. Maybe I do like OMWF better!

Primeval vs. Two to Go

[redrevo]

Gahh, tough one. I'd say Primeval, just because it was the de facto season finale. Two to Go was great, and the cliffhanger was awesome, but Primeval united the Scoobies - literally - and we had some funny Spike moments as well. It was nice to see the Scoobs get back together after the long year. Two to Go was much darker and had some great bits of action, but it had less closure - which it was supposed to - and so Primeval gets my nod.

Phases vs Superstar

[sherrilina]

Well I'd have to say Phases, though I'm not a huge fan of it (though it wasn't bad as I recalled upon a second viewing), b/c Superstar is just completely awful, stupid, annoying, and POINTLESS. Not to mention boring. And Phases has some cool moments as well, such as the Angelus bits (the Angelus bits were always good! The best part of each epp!)--yay for more f*cking with Buffy's mind!, Willoz, etc.

Jenni gave me an idea...

OMWF vs. Hush

[redrevo]

OMWF, without a doubt. We were dealing with more issues in this one. Hush had the creep factor, but that's not what I watch the show for. Both of them broke boundaries, but OMWF had more to watch for, more characterization. Don't get me wrong, Hush had its good moments (auditorium anyone?), and some of OMWF wasn't that great, but it definitely had some of the best writing, the best choreography, and more plot advancement. There were also consistency-with-reality issues with Hush - you don't use your vocal cords when you whisper so why didn't they do that? - although I do admit they mangled Xander's character with the ending. OMWF takes the cake, because it was just overall better written and dealt with real-life issues rather than mostly the supernatural baddies as Hush did.

Same Time, Same Place vs New Moon Rising

[Jenni Lou]

I loathe Same Time, Same Place. It's the only ep I actually ahve to look away from and squirm with the ick factor. Ew. So New Moon Rising it is! Not a bad ep. I always adored Oz but I didn't care for him in this ep. I feel like his character was a little off. Then again, maybe it should have been since he gone for awhile and went through a big change. Anyway...

As You Were vs. Into the Woods

[KingofCretins]

"Into the Woods" is stronger, because it has it's fingers in more different relationships. It was obviously Buffy/Riley, but it was also a lot about Buffy and Xander, and about Xander's friendship with Riley, and about Xander/Anya. Also had a much cooler moment with vicious Buffy taking out the blood brothel.

"As You Were" just doesn't match up -- really screwy plot with the demon eggs, just an obvious pretense to bring back Riley, as something of a Mary Sue.

How about Xander's rotten luck with demonish chicks? "Teacher's Pet" vs. "Inca Mummy Girl".

[LRae12]

Ick, both are equally campy...I guess I'll go with Inca Mummy Girl because of Willow's cute Eskimo costume and Oz checking her out. The only redeeming quality of either episode...:lol:

Welcome to the Hellmouth vs. The Harvest

[bishopcruz]

I'd say the harvest, mainly because hey, it had the fight, Xander's first save of Buffy, the scene with Jesse and Cordy, and stuff happens. Well, more stuff than WttH anyway.

The Pack vs. Beauty and the Beasts

[Jenni Lou]

The Pack. I love a good Xander-centric eppy. And although I don't like a lot of S1, I do enjoy this ep, more or less. Nick Was great playing a creep and I thought he and Buffy had great chemistry! :)

Gingerbread vs. Restless

[Cinderela]

No brainer here for me - Gingerbread. I just can't stand Restless and the Cheese Man - lame, boring and stupid, IMHO.

Gingerbread had some fab Willow & Mom action and the classic Buffy line "Did I get it? Did I get it?" - also some very funny Cordy lines at the witch burning.


Something Blue vs Older and Far Away

[Jenni Lou]

Something Blue! Too much funny. I think I actually chose this earlier in the thread. It's one of my top five fave eps of all time. From the Buffy/Spike funny to the Giles blindness...so much hilarity!! I REALLY need to pop this in the dvd player and give it another viewing. It's been too long!!

Dead Man's Party vs. Pangs

[LRae12]

oh, definitely Pangs! One of my top 5 of all time...you get all around funny in this ep (see my sig for a great quote :D) Xander's 'funny' syphyllis! Buffy wiggin over the thanksgiving, Spike's 'you know what else has blood in it? BLOOD!' The great sham, but with yams! It really was a pointless episode, but I so loved it, it had some great comedy...plus we get to see Angel, and it was oh so funny that everybody thought he was evil again!


Enemies vs. This Year's Girl

[sherrilina]

Definitely This Year's Girl, which is a pretty awesome epp in itself (and yay for the first epp in which I actually like Faith a lot), with Faith's escape from the hospital, finding out abotu all that's happened while she was asleep (and the dream in which she wakes up was so cool!), seeing the tape, and the amazing body-switch at the end. Still not as good as WAY?, but still excellent.

Whereas in contrast I am NOT a big fan of Enemies--I just thought the Angel becoming Angelus again (and then it wasn't even real!) was kind of lame this soon after Becoming....I was thinking "Hey Willow, do you still have your cursing circle set up from last time?" :rolleyes:

The Freshman vs. When She Was Bad

[redrevo]

Battle of the bad openers...

I'm thinking The Freshman, because it has the theme of the Scoobies reuniting and being each other's strength, and that college really isn't too different from high school. Sunday was great as a little bad who showed Buffy that she couldn't live without her friends, and there were some hilarious lines from Xander. The one bad thing was the tremendous IQ drop in Buffy - she knows about Dadaism but not the Renaissance...they could have got rid of the Dada reference and still had the "abstract" part, and it would have been just as funny. When She Was Bad, however, was...well...bad. Bringing the Master back was pretty much an attempt to extend the storyline farther than its natural ending, like how Dracula would always come back. It seemed like it was supposed to be the cause of Buffy's bad behavior, but we never get a specific explanation. The only good parts are Willow purposely putting ice cream on her nose and Cordy, the stereotypical Bitch of the Year, giving Buffy a little talk about what she's doing.

Spiral vs Villains

[LRae12]

eh...neither one of these jump out as stellar episodes to me, but they weren't bad episodes either...I think I'll go with Spiral just because I think I disliked Villains slightly more...it was too gross with the filleting and all. Spiral did have the funny-looking Spike with the goggles driving an RV, so I guess it wins....:lol:

I Only Have Eyes for You vs. The Prom

[sherrilina]

eh...neither one of these jump out as stellar episodes to me, but they weren't bad episodes either...I think I'll go with Spiral just because I think I disliked Villains slightly more...it was too gross with the filleting and all. Spiral did have the funny-looking Spike with the goggles driving an RV, so I guess it wins....:lol:

I Only Have Eyes for You vs. The Prom
I Only Have Eyes For You...such an incredible episode! So beautiful and heartbreaking! Just so well done in general, especially the Buffy/Angelus being posessed scene (or largely that scene alone even!). It's like a culmination of all that has come before it, with such great acting on both SMG and DB's parts (plus, made Joss come up with the idea of ATS...so must be revered no matter what! :p ).

The Prom is another great epp, very cute and touching, but it just doesn't compare....

Innocence vs. The Body (The Battle of Tears and Sadness)

[LRae12]

wow, this is a tough one...I think since I picked the Body in this thread against the Gift, I'll go with Innocence on this one.

Innocence was such a sad, sad, episode, and I don't know how you can say there weren't tears, because I balled like a baby in this episode - when Buffy went home and sobbed on her bed - I sobbed, too. When Willow told Xander that he'd rather be with someone he hates than be with her, I sobbed...very emotional episode. Poor Buffy, to have your first time be so beautiful and then have Angel treat you that way...ugh! So, yeah, I'll vote for Innocence! :)

Surprise vs. Smashed

[Jenni Lou]

Smashed. I just love the Troika/Spike action. I just find it all too funny. And the Buffy/Spike stuff is good too. I like the Magic Box scene when Xander's all "What did Captain Peroxide want?" But I do like this ep a lot, mostly for the funny Spike/Troika bits. And Andrew is always awesome! :D

Chosen vs. Becoming Pt. 2

[LRae12]

Going with Becoming Part 2. The touching I love you to Spike from Buffy aside, Chosen was too full of the potentials to even come close to touching the classic that is Becoming 2...Spike & Buffy teaming up...Spike sitting in Buffy's living room with Joyce! LOL! That scene was so funny...Willow calling for Oz from the hospital bed, the cursing of Angel...not to mention the sad, sad, tragedy of Buffy having Angel back only to have to run him through with a sword. A total masterpeice! :)

The Replacement vs. The Zeppo

[Jenni Lou]

The Zeppo. First, I love a great Xander-centric ep where he really gets to shine. I think the kinda-zombie-undead-whatever subplot was fantastic. And the Faith/Xander action was also of the good!! :2party: Too sexy. :p And then she just throws him out. Love it! The Replacment has it's good bits but it just does not compare at all!!!

Lovers Walk vs. Fool for Love

[bishopcruz]

Tough one, I THINK I'm going to go with FFL, because while I am not the biggest Spike fan, this episode was amazing. I especially liked the part at the en when he is fighting Nikki and it cuts between him and Buffy. It was REALLY good.

Hmmm...

Passion vs Conversations with Dead People

[Cinderela]

Passion by a mile! Evil Angelus! And did we ever get an explanation of the whole "Buffy won't choose you?" thing? CwDP, bad filler ep, IMHO.

[Jenni Lou]

Passion by a mile! Evil Angelus! And did we ever get an explanation of the whole "Buffy won't choose you?" thing? CwDP, bad filler ep, IMHO.

Don't forget to add a new episode battle for someone to answer! :)

[sherrilina]

Cinderela, you were supposed to give two more epps.....but I'll just go with the previous one.

Definitely Passion as well, such an amazing epp, I love Angelus, and so an entire epp dedicated to him was awesome--I think Joss sums it up when he says, "Death. La Boheme. Tony Head with a flaming baseball bat--come ON people!" (Or something like that).

CWDP is okay, but I msotly found it boring...it definitely doesn't compare to Passion!

Selfless vs. Surprise

[redrevo]

sherrilina - you got it correct to the word (I think)!

Definitely Selfless on this one, Surprise had too much angst with the ring scene and the only good thing I remember was Cordy jumping up and yelling "Surprise!" Selfless was pretty good and the flashbacks were absolutely hilarious, especially the one where Anya says that the USSR will succeed and "create a socialist paradise for the proletariat" or some such thing. The ending is good as well, with some foreshadowing from D'Hoffryn and not having Xander and Anya kiss with a rising overture at the end, like many cheesy movies would have. We also had an interesting little subplot with Willow's temporary descent into the scary-veiny.

After Life vs Bad Girls

[bishopcruz]

Bad Girls wins on the basis on Buffy and Faith dancing. I could watch Faith dance for an entire season. Hey, I'm shallow. Not to mention After Life just didn't relly grab me. Bad Girls was fun, plus introuction of Wesley.

The Wish vs Dopplegangland

[Jenni Lou]

The Wish was so wonderfully clever and fun! And hello, Anya! But I think I will go with Dopplegangland because I so enjoyed watching Willow try and pass herself off as evil. The scene in the Bronze is great. "He's been gone a long time; why don't you go and check on him." Stupid vampires! :lol:


Some Assembly Required vs. Villains

[redrevo]

Villains by a long shot. Evil Willow was amazing, and watching her torture Warren was painful, and sickeningly almost satisfying (!) to watch. The bus scene was great, and there was some great acting by AH there. Rack was kind of a surprise and his lines were excellent. I don't remember much from Some Assembly Required, which to me is a sign of suckage. Zombie football player wants girl, Cordelia's in danger (not the last time, either), and a really annoying Frankenstein ending.

The Initiative vs Buffy vs. Dracula

[Jenni Lou]

The Initiative. I picked this earlier in the thread and don't really want to explain all over again. So I will say why I didn't pick BvD. Um, stupid. I can't believe it was a season opener! The dopey servant Xander? The stupid intoxicated by Drac Buffy? No thanks, I can do without thank you very much. :)

Go Fish vs. Beer Bad

[KingofCretins]

"The Initiative" is better. Very humorous Doug Petrie episode. Harmony and Xander in the slow-motion fight. The wild scene in which Spike gets his rape metaphor going on Willow, followed by the AWESOME discussion about him being unable to bite her.

"Buffy vs. Dracula" is, by far, the most one-shot of one-shot episodes and it's fun, but it doesn't do anything other than show a sketch of what the Scoobies were like. It was clearly written as the end of the Dawnless era.

Answering the "Go Fish" vs. "Beer Bad" episode, too.

"Go Fish" is better -- shows more of the world outside the Scoobies. The swim team, the high school culture. Also, Buffy is all wet :) And, it advanced the overall season arc by giving us the information that Spike is healed.

"Beer Bad" had a lot of good points to it, but didn't have any major plot elements.

How about gratuitous sex? "Where the Wild Things Are" vs. "Touched".

[LRae12]

eh, I'll go with Where the Wild Things Are...I prefer comedy over sap any day...and though Spike's speech to Buffy is sweet, the rest of the episode was bang your head off the wall boring. In WTWTA, at least the rest of the episode was completely entertaining.


Tough Love vs. Gone

[Lady Manson]

This is an easy one for me. I prefer Tough Love by far. Tough Love was an incredibly strong episode in my opinion. The emotion factor was really high. I loved the whole range of emotions with Willow and Tara. When they had the fight and Willow got all upset when Giles said, "It's over then?" and how Willow both stood up for Tara against Glory and cared for her when she was no longer mentally sound. Plus, the whole twist of having Tara be the reason Dawn was named the key (why didn't she say she was the key any earlier???) was great.

When Gone began, I thought it was going to be a pretty good episode, but I didn't like how goofy it became when Buffy was invisible. The two seemed to me like completely different types of episodes, so I'm not sure if it's a fair fight. But I still like Tough Love better.

Faith, Hope, and a Trick vs. Primeval

[LRae12]

My vote goes to FH&T. I didn't care for the 'merging' storyline in Primeval, and I never liked the commandos and Adam (though, S4 is my fave - go figure).

In FH&T, though it's not a stand-out episode, we do get some entertaining factors...First of all, we get Trick, who as a vampire was pretty interesting. Faith is introduced, and steals Buffy's french fries...:lol: And, of course Angel comes back! I have to say, that this episode was the second I saw, but it was Angel coming out of that portal that intrigued me to watch the series and find out who that guy was...;)


Beauty & the Beasts vs. Wild at Heart

[Kirsten]

I'd have to go with Wild at Heart. I really liked the episode and although I found Angel very interesting in Beauty & The Beasts, it was just overall an OK episode to me. I just think it was a great exit for Oz (in Wild at Heart). I actually really liked Veruca and although it was pretty obvious what was going to happen between her & Oz in previous episodes, I really enjoyed their scenes. And even though I am a big Tillow fan, the last scene of the episode always brings some tears to my eyes. :(

No Place Like Home vs. Blood Ties

[sherrilina]

Wow, two excellent season 5 epps....very hard, they're about even in my mind, but I'll go with Blood Ties I think, b/c I loved the Dawn/Spike and Spike/Buffy interaction, as well as the sad Dawn scenes--poor girl! But NPLH is also amazing, esp. the Buffy trance scene.....

I Was Made To Love You vs. Intervention

[LRae12]

Oh, definitely Intervention - one of my favorite S5 episodes...Spike trying to be all valiant for Buffy, even though he knows she hates him, her kissing him at the end to say thanks, oh so sweet...plus, Spike & the Buffybot! What a hoot! I love the bot's quote: "Angel is bloody stupid and his hair goes straight up." :roll: Classic!

Storyteller vs. The Zeppo

[Jenni Lou]

Intervention by a long shot. The Buffybot scenes are funny but I think what wins it for me overall are the Glory/Spike scenes which I rather enjoyed. It was such an interesting thing to watch Spike defend Dawn. It was a big character moment for him, I think. Plus, it was fun to watch the Scoobies figure out they were duped by a bot. :p

Edit: we posted at the same time, yikes! I got for The Zeppo for reasons stated earlier in this thread. :D I love a good Xander-centric ep and the Faith/Xanderness was awesome!


What's My Line Pt. 1 vs. What's My Line Pt. 2 :D

[LRae12]

:lol: Jenni Lou, we answered the last one at the same time...and it appears great minds think alike! :hug:


Ok, I think I prefer WML2 better than 1...the first half was a bit slow and sappy (with the iceskating!kiss) but the second half had Spike slapping Angel around, and well, that can't be missed! :D Plus the creepy bug man and the beginning of Xandelia.

So now...

Storyteller vs. The Zeppo

[KingofCretins]

The Zeppo, without question. The farce aspects, the A and B plot, Xander is much cooler than Andrew. Both of them are graded down, though, because both required other characters to treat the featured character differently than they ever do to make the story work.

"Dead Man's Party" vs. "The Yoko Factor".

[Jenni Lou]

oh, The Yoko Factor! Hugely underrated, imo. It's been so long since I watched it so I don't remember specifics but I do know there was a great Xander/Riley scene where Xander accidentally spills the beans about Angel's curse. Plus it was fun to watch Spike split the Scoobies up only to be utterly daft and be busted out about it! Spike can be a bit stupid, can't he? :p

Him vs. All the Way

[redrevo]

Dang. Difficult one here. All the Way has Dawn and the whole engagement-announcement scene, while Him is just all-round comedy and some actual character development as well. I'm going with "Him", and wondering whether it's because I watched it most recently and therefore remember more, but I don't really like the old-man McGuffin (?) and the whole falling for a vampire thing is only good for the argument with Buffy at the end. Him has some unforgettable gem scenes like Willow doing her spell and the rocket launcher, plus of course the complicated scheme to take RJ's jacket. So, Him.

Potential arc (Kennedy!) and Buffy's first speech - hey, this one was actually good - vs Watcher's Council power dynamic and "Willow's a demon?!":
Bring On the Night vs Checkpoint

[Jenni Lou]

oooh, toughie. Although I think BOTN is one of the best eps of s7. I really like how it punched things up. I just love the Buffy speech at the Summers house. And it has some KILLER fight scenes with the Turok-Han. Buffy got her ass beat butt good in that ep.

Not that I have anything against Checkpoint. It's quite splendid in its own right, but...yeah.

Beneath You vs. Angel

[redrevo]

Side note: didja notice, they used the tune from the Chosen overture at the end when Buffy made her speech? I love that speech. It kind of summed up the show in a way.


Hmm, on this one I'm picking Angel, despite the well-shot ending of Beneath You, because Angel didn't have an MST worthy monster. Major brownie points for Darla with guns, and some great lines. However I still don't see the fascination with Angel's tattoo. It's weird. Overall though, this episode was pretty good what with the great Scooby scene and everything that happened in the Bronze - Angel explaining, everything. We also got some nice misleading stuff with Darla coming in. The dancing scene was rather cheesy however. Beneath You had a couple of good points, like Dawn with "command central" but overall it doesn't quite match up.

Enemies vs I Only Have Eyes For You

[Cinderela]

Enemies, by far. Gotta love the way they tricked Faith when she was all so arrogant - "Psych!" And Giles! "I introduced him to his wife!"

The acting in Eyes for You is amazing, but just a little too sappy for me. Bangel is OK for me, but a little too much in that ep.

**not making the same stupid error as my last post**

Band Candy vs Life Serial

[Jenni Lou]

Band Candy! I forgot about that ep until just now. Oh wow. I so need to watch that because it is freakin' hilarious!! So, obviously, I am going with Band Candy. Although I do like Life Serial quite a bit. It has excellent pacing and a number of funny lines/scenes but Band Candy, oh man. The Giles and the Joyce...I can hardly remember it but I know I love it!!!

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date vs. First Date

[sherrilina]

I'm actually one of the few people who likes FD, but I still have to go with the classic NKABOTFD on this one.....one of the best season 1 epps (which isn't saying much when compared with the best epps of other seasons, but still), with so many clasic moments and lines like Cordy's "Hello, Salty Goodness!" (and peopel say she's not attracted to Angel!) ;) :D , Giles hiding from the vamps in the drawer, "if the apocalypse comes, beep me!", etc. It was great seeing Buffy trying to juggle her social life with slayer duties, and had a great twist at the end.

Love Potion # 9:

Bewitched, Bewildered, and Bothered vs. Him

[bishopcruz]

BBB for sure. Yes I love them both but BBB is probably the first really laugh out loud episode of BTVS, that and the Buffy Xander shippiness at the end. Not to mention 'Got the Love'!

Dead Man's Party vs Revelations

[vampmogs]

Revelations without a doubt. We got to see Faith and Buffy's first duel, the gang confront Buffy about Angel and the start of Faith's dark side and her screw the world I'm out for myself kind of attitude. I never cared for Dead Man's Party it is the only s3 episode I don't like.

The Gift vs Becoming II

[redrevo]

The Gift. Absolutely. It just breaks me down every time I see the end, the score is perfect. As I said earlier in the thread, we open a few arcs and close a bunch, and it pretty much shows the theme of the season in Buffy shaking off the people who are trying to force her to fit into the "Slayer" archetype, the loner, the fighter - and instead being a protector, a sister, a friend. It fulfills a whole lot of things that were said during the season, but in a twisted sort of way - "Every Slayer has a death wish," "Death is your gift," etc. I admit Becoming 2 had its moments including Buffy's "me" bit, Willow in the hospital, and the very very end, but the "kiss me/close your eyes" was a tad heavy on the cheese. Definitely The Gift on this one.

Choices vs Seeing Red

[sherrilina]

Not to mention 'Got the Love'!

Lol, I thought in the song they were singing "DOCTOR Love!" That was a hilarious scene....:roll:


And ugh, what an awful pair of epps ot choose from...I guess I'll go with Seeing Red, as it does have some good moments, with the fall-out from the revelation of Buffy having slept with Spike, Willow and Tara back together, and Tara getting shot at the end (which isn't good but is still a powerful scene). But for the most part I don't like the epp much, I don't care for Warren's "macho" power trip, or of course the AR....but I dislike Choices a lot as well, I didn't care for the whole Mayor-eating-spiders-Willow-kidnapped scenario.....

Okay, battle of the season 4 Faith epps:

This Year's Girl vs. Who Are You?

[Alucard]

I'm gonna go with This Years Girl for this one, For a few reasons; First of all seeing the dream sequences was very interesting because it was Faiths perspective on Buffy and how she thought Buffy was the cause of her problems, I liked how it was shown with Faith waking up just after prevailing in her fight with Buffy in the grave, Mostly with this episode I just liked how things were tied up and the build up to certain moments. The revenge was one of the biggest aspects of this episode and I wanted to see what Faith would do when she go out of her coma and this is what we got in both these episodes.

Not that Who Are You? wasn't good it just didn't have the same feel to me, It was a more action filled episode which I was quite happy to see, I just felt This Years Girl focused more on Faiths character.

New Moon Rising VS As You Were

[KingofCretins]

I'm going with "New Moon Rising". Oz was a better character than Riley, and Willow/Oz was more engaging than Buffy/Riley. Plus, you have Willow coming out to Buffy, you've got Oz being able to control the wolf, and also the scene where he changes in front of Tara.

"As You Were" was a sort of Mary Sue version of Riley (and Sam), and it was kinda incoherent, story-wise. Buffy leaving Spike was cool, though.

How about... "The Replacement" vs. "Selfless".

[Jenni Lou]

Selfless. It's a really great ep to showcase Anya and we finally get to see some of her past. It took a long time but we finally got it. Nice flashbacks juxtaposed against a current storyline and to see Anya as a killer is....crazy.

Band Candy vs. Triangle

[sherrilina]

Plus, you have Willow coming out to Buffy, you've got Oz being able to control the wolf, and also the scene where he changes in front of Tara.

But I never understood that--what was the werewolf that attacked the Initiative while Oz was talking to Willow then? I always thought Oz controlling the wolf (except then it turns out, not really!) was weird and inconsistent, a stretch--I think that's a weakness of the epp.

But duh, Selfless!!! I mean, the Replacement is funny and good, but nothing compared to Selfless, which is the best of season 7 and a top 10 BTVS epp I'd say--b/t the flashbacks and everything...and they way we see her singing about Xander, then the harsh cut off showing her "dead" on the wall...wow, so beautifully done!

Whoops, we posted at the same time...I'd choose Triangle, definitely--so funny, great interaction b/t Willow and Anya, not to mention Spike and Xander at the bar (Lol Spike offering onion rings to the troll!), and I've always found Band Candy to be stupid and lame....

Bad Eggs vs. Killed By Death

[KingofCretins]

Refresh before submitting :)

"Band Candy" vs. "Triangle" -- "Band Candy" was a little better. Very funny, also had some plot relevant cool things, like Giles and Joyce, some major Mayor development, and Ethan. "Triangle" had two hot women fighting over Xander, which is always good, but also introduced the Hammer of Retcon.

"Bad Eggs" vs. "Killed By Death" -- "Bad Eggs" was cool to me because I love seeing Buffy and Xander team up, but "Killed By Death" had some Buffy/Xander touches, and also had Xander staring down Angelus and having me halfway convinced that he should go for it! Also a great moment with Cordy being vulnerable and honest.

How about "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" vs. "Homecoming".

[Jenni Lou]

Out of Mind, Out of Sight. Always loved this ep. And it's always great when Harmony get s a lot to do, especially with Spike. She's such a ditz. :p I also like the advancement--or maybe I should say, lack thereof, of the Buffy/Riley storyline. Homecomong....blah. Outside a few nice touches with Xander/Willow and Faith telling everyone about Scott's STD :D it doesn't have much else going for it, imo.

Hell's Bells vs. In the Harsh Light of Day

[LRae12]

Out of Mind, Out of Sight. Always loved this ep. And it's always great when Harmony get s a lot to do, especially with Spike. She's such a ditz. I also like the advancement--or maybe I should say, lack thereof, of the Buffy/Riley storyline.

:hug: Jenni Lou - the episode Out of Mind, Out of Sight was episode 1x11 when Cordelia gets targeted by Marci rhymes with Blinvisible...:lol: The episode you described was Out of My Mind in S4...:p


I'm going with The Harsh Light of Day. I've always been particularly fond of this episode...I love the Xanya scene with the juice box...classic! The episode had great music, and we got the return of Spike! What's not to love? Hells Bells was a good episode, but a bit on the cheesy side for me...;)


When She Was Bad vs. The Freshmen

[Jenni Lou]

:hug: Jenni Lou - the episode Out of Mind, Out of Sight was episode 1x11 when Cordelia gets targeted by Marci rhymes with Blinvisible...:lol: The episode you described was Out of My Mind in S4...:p
[/B]

motherf! Well, it's easy to see how I would get those confused. :D

I'm going to go with The Feshman only for the simple fact that the only thing I can remember about WSWB is the Xander/Willow ice scream scene and the Buffy dances to tease and make Angel jealous. I should really give the whole series another viewing. :rolleyes: But ti's such a huge undertaking!! :( Wait, The Freshamn is the ep with Sunday, right? Nevermind my vote is fo WSWB because Sunday did not do it for me. It was Sunday right? Not Tuesday? :p Aain, I am in desperate need of a rewatch. :D

Passion vs. Amends

[LRae12]

ooh, you should definitely rewatch...I'm doing it now, too (just finished Prophecy Girl) - we could be re-watch buddies! :hug:

I'm definitely going with Passion! Amends was so awful and cheesy, it doesn't even compare...Passion was a masterpeice with Jenny's death and Buffy yelling at Giles in the alley making me cry, and Angel's voiceovers...awesome, perfect episode!


Band Candy vs. Him

[Alucard]

I'm gonna go with Band Candy on this one, 'Him' to me was an average episode while it was funny to see what each of the female characters would do for RJ it just wasn't as funny as Band Candy, In Band Candy it was strange and very funny to see adults acting like teenagers, Particularly Joyce, Giles and that teacher Ms Barton, Also some of the dialogue in this episode is brilliant, From what I can remember this one made me laugh a lot.

Willow: They're acting like a bunch...

Buffy: They're acting like a bunch of us.

Its just occurred to me that its an episode I don't remember that much about, Have to re-watch it at some point.

Halloween Vs Fear Itself

[LRae12]

oooh, I really like both of these episodes.

Halloween was so comical to see Buffy acting all damsel and Xander all gung-ho...it was nice to see Willow break out of her nerdy persona for a while...I liked Spike in this episode, also very comical.

In Fear, Itself we get to see the gang's fears brought to light, like Willow's fear of her magic, Oz's fear of wolfing out, and Xander's fear of being invisible to his friends...I loved Anya in this - the bunny costume and going to Giles to rescue Xander - Giles & the chainsaw! Really great.

Now for the decision - both eps are about the same in greatness in my book, but for today, I think I'm going with Fear, Itself


The Dark Age vs. A New Man

[Jenni Lou]

A New Man! Utterly hilarious. It's a great Giles ep..very Giles heavy and he and Spike together are always good for the funny. I love how he's all demony and jumps out of the car to scare Prof. Walsh. :lol: I hardly remember The Dark Age but it was dark and serious and well, if I even forgot the ep existed before I started playing elimination games, then it could be all the great!

Flooded vs. Spiral

[LRae12]

oooh, going to go with Flooded I don't know why I liked this ep, but I did...Spiral - eh, not so much. In Flooded Giles is back and finds out Buffy is alive, and it almost felt to me like Buffy finally found her home...I know that she was 'home' before, but I don't think it was the same for her without having Giles there. It was nice to see some 'reality' come into play with the financial difficulties, and the copper re-pipe was funny. I also loved how Giles stepped in to help her figure out her bills...he was such a 'daddy' in this eppy, and I loved him for it.

Life Serial vs. The Replacement

[redrevo]

Life Serial - The Trio are great in this one, and although I like Xander centric eps, and Riley had a great line, Life Serial is too funny to pass up. We have the Bond argument, the demon, and of course Buffy's troubles adjusting to reality. We finally get to see that stupid bell destroyed...well, for a couple of seconds. I loved the Trio from the start, and we see they have teeth now - enough to at least harass depressed Buffy for a while. And of course Buffy's drinking-face...too much comedy mixed with real life there to take it down.

Real Me vs Lessons

[Nikki]

Lessons - as a season opener I enjoyed it, pity the rest of the season didn't quite live up to the excitment I got from that final scene with Spike and the First morphing into Dru/Mayor/Master etc. Also it had some really sweet Willow/Giles scenes :)

While Real Me introduced Dawn, I've never hated as much as I hated Dawn! And I found the whole Harmony thing a bit silly too, no way Buffy could be scared of her having access to her house, and why didn't she just stake her already?

Never Leave Me vs The Freshman

[LRae12]

Um, I think I'm going to go with The Freshmen. I liked the storyline of Buffy feeling out of place and insecure as so many college freshmen do. I liked the character of Sunday, and I thought that she could have been a cool longer-term bad. I liked Giles 'coming to the rescue' at the end. A pretty good start to a complete change in atmosphere from the previous 3 seasons.

Though I liked Never Leave Me at the time, right now I can't recall it very clearly (a lot of the middle S7 episodes seem to run together for me).

Doublemeat Palace vs. Superstar

[Jenni Lou]

grrr....neither are very stellar. Guess I will go with Superstar. I always did like Jonathan even if this episode was a bit contrived. I don't think DP would have been so bad if it weren't for that ridiculous MOTW. Also, I know Buffy needed money desperately but I just don't see her as a fast food employee. :rolleyes:

Enemies vs. Who Are You?

[LRae12]

ooh, tough one...I adored both...I think I'll go with Enemies, though because it seems to be an underdog...:lol:

Enemies was really great...I was actually SUPRISED that Angel was acting - I really thought it was real...I am a bit whacked in the head, though. So when he said 'second best' I was like - NO WAY! COOL! LOL. I liked the fact that Faith was finally revealed for who she was in this episode, too.

WAY? Was also very good...I loved SMG's portrayl of Faith...she really is a stellar actress. And her coming on to Spike was very hot. Good episode, but the Riley crap just ruined it a bit for me compared to Enemies, so Enemies wins...:)


Graduation Day 1 vs. Graduation Day 2

[sherrilina]

Definitely Graduation Day Part 2--I've never understood how any could pick the first part over the second! I mean, you have Angel drinking from Buffy (and the Mayor almost killing her in the hospital....maybe that's where Angel picked up that trick that he later used on Wes in Forgiving! :lol: ), the awesome way everyone came together--I loved seeing the students FIGHTING BACK! When they all take out their weapons it's such a great moment! Kind of a "hell yeah!" moment. And there's Wes going down after ten seconds, Harmony getting bitten, Buffy running from the snake and th school blowing up (kind of as exciting as when she runs fromt eh gaping collapsing hole in Chosen), Oz's line at the end about surviving, Angel leaving, Buffy's dream about Faith, the Mayor actually giving his speech beforehand ("Just ascend already!"), Snyder getting eaten....great stuff! Much more excitign and thrilling and interesting than the first part...glad I got to see it all on DVD and didn't have to wait to see it late on TV!

in a similar vein....

Becoming Part 1 vs. Becoming Part 2

[LRae12]

Again, most definitely Part 2! Becoming 1 doesn't even compare! I loved Spike and Buffy teaming up, the scene with Joyce and Spike in Buffy's living room...Buffy telling her mother to have another drink...lol...if she would have said that to me as my child she would have had a fossil of my hand on ther face! :lol: Plus of course the cry-fest that was Buffy killing Angel. All around perfect episode.


Nightmares vs. Restless

[Jenni Lou]

Restless. I know a lot of people love this episode, but I am not one of them. There are some neat parts..."Be back before Dawn" being one of them but overall, this ep kind of bored me. However it is a well executed ep; I'm just not big on dream sequences in general. But I don't like any season one eps very much, Nightmares included. But I did like seeing Buffy in vamp face. :D

Hush vs. Killed by Death

[redrevo]

Bah! Hush of course. Killed by Death has some well done parts but I for one didn't want to know about Buffy's childhood. Hush was very creepy, and it was fun to watch everyone communicate without their voices. That brings up some consistency issues with human biology but I'm willing to overlook that for a bit, what with the well executed storylines - Willow and Tara, Buffy and Riley finding out about each other, Anya's bluntness even without a voice, and of course the auditorium scene! "Danse Macabre" on the music player was a nice touch, and everyone's acting was gold throughout the episode. I thought Killed by Death was lacking in a meaningful villain, even though we got to see Buffy get herself sick to save people.

Shadow vs Some Assembly Required

[Pandora's_Box]

For Shadow I really like one part of the episode, the all medical thing with Joyce really mature and dark, but the part with the snake...well

I think Some assembly required is one of the weakest ep. of the season, though some good moments like the scene where Xander and Giles dig up the grave with Buff and Will talkin about boys, I also like the end when the big bro killed himself to be with his girl

So if I have to make a choice it's gonna be Shadow but closing my eyeseverytime he snake appears on screen...

Okay this is gonna be:
Grave vs Chosen

[Jenni Lou]

Chosen. I really love this episode. And I think the powerful score has a lot to do with it. It is such a fantastic ending to the series, imo. I felt closure with it and that says something. Grave is okay. Nicely done and all but doesn't hold up to Chosen. :)

End of Days vs. Weight of the World

[LRae12]

eh, I'll go with End of Days. Didn't really care for either especially, but my last signature quote was from End of Days...Anya: Let's go assemble the cannon fodder. Xander: That's not what we're actually calling them, sweetie. Anya: Not to there faces, what am I? Insensitive? :lol: Anya was about the only enjoyable aspect to that episode.


Living Conditons vs. Dead Man's Party

[sherrilina]

Eww, it's like the battle of Yuck....I'd never thought I'd choose DMP for anything, b/c it sucks so hard, lol, but I think I will go with Dead Man's Party in this case, since it did have a few decent scenes regarding dealing with Buffy running away--such as when Willow confronts her when she sees her packing, etc, and also Giles wwas hilarious...but what the Scoobies did to Buffy was just awful, so hard to watch, and the zombies were so lame....but then LC was just as lame and irritating!

How about spells:

Something Blue vs. Him

[Jenni Lou]

SOMETHING BLUE! Because it's full of awesomeness! The dialogue is hilarious! ANd the Buffy/Spikeness is also hilarious. And Xander's "May I be blind too?" is hilarious. Go figure that it takes a despondent Willow to bring on such funny! Hime ain't all bad and has some laughs, but come on! I love me some SB!! :2party:


Older & Far Away vs. Earshot

[Kirsten]

I'll go with Earshot. I do really like Older & Far Away though, Dawn was pretty annoying during season 6 but I can definitely understand why she was acting that way. And I just thought Earshot was great. I love the interrogation scenes- I love how each character asks people the questions for the 'survey'. And some of the thoughts that Buffy hears are just priceless- my favourites were Xander and Oz's. I love the ending too- Jonathan was great and I loved Buffy's speech.

Beer Bad vs. Triangle

[LRae12]

BEER BAD! I love this eppy! So funny! cavegirl!Buffy was such a riot, beer...foamy! :lol: Plus, I liked Xander and the cavemen at the bar, Willow sticking up for Buffy with Parker, and Buffy cracking Parker over the head...twice! Really funny episode!

Inca Mummy Girl vs. Teacher's Pet

[Jenni Lou]

Inca Mummy Girl. Most likely because I hat the lot of season one and find t almost utterly unwatchable. :D Although I bet it wouldn't be bad upon another viewing since it has been a few years. And did enjoy (in Inca) trying to woo a girl and being all dorkishly naive and sweet.

Man it is hard to type while drinking. :wine:

Family vs. Entropy

[LRae12]

Man it is hard to type while drinking. :wine:

Family vs. Entropy

yeah, doesn't that just suck...:p


I'm going with Entropy. It was funny to see Anya try and get everyone to 'wish' on Xander. Her conversation with Tillow was hysterical..."if you two love men so much...go love men!" :lol: Very funny. It was also nice to finally have the Spuffy ship out in the open.


Fool for Love vs. Hush

[Pandora's_Box]

Family, some good stuff but one of the weakest Joss Whedon's episode, I sure like the end, Buffy's speech, but Tara is really too shy and hoolow at this point

Entropy is a great one, one of the only "no bad guy" episode, and I really like the dialogues in it, Anya is awesome and the pre-sex scene is excellent...

So I defenitely go for Entropy

Storyteller or Halloween

[LRae12]

LOL...we posted at the same time...Um, ok...so I'm going with Halloween...because I hated Storyteller, it was an absolutely pointless episode. Plus Halloween was very comical, and I liked that Willow came out of her shell enough to look the part of the babe.

Again...

Fool for Love vs. Hush

[Jenni Lou]

HUSH HUSH HUSH. All time fave ep. I love how it able to accomplish so miuc through so little dialogie. And it had some great gumours nits too. I just think it is such a lovely episode with the dark Gentlemen and their general creepiness and Any'a funny explicit "gesturing" :D .

I've been drinkning and it's hard to type. :( Especially since I am also in the dark presently. :D

Smashed vs. Innocence

[LRae12]

HUSH HUSH HUSH. All time fave ep. I love how it able to accomplish so miuc through so little dialogie. And it had some great gumours nits too. I just think it is such a lovely episode with the dark Gentlemen and their general creepiness and Any'a funny explicit "gesturing" :D .

I've been drinkning and it's hard to type. :( Especially since I am also in the dark presently. :D

Smashed vs. Innocence

I see by your typing that the drinking is going well...:drinking: :comfort: :hug:


I'm going with Smashed because I picked Innocence a bit ago...plus, I really enjoyed Smashed. Spike with the trio was hysterical, his threatening Bobo Fett to get them to cooperate...:laughbounce: 'help me out here, spok, I don't speak loser' XD I love Spike. Plus the sex scene was hotter than hell. :heart:


Bad Girls vs. Revelations

[Pandora's_Box]

Not a big fan of season 3

Revelations is interesting at first with Gwendoline Post and Buffy/Faith relationship plus the Scooby intervention about Angel but the end isn't interesting with Buffy/Faith fight and death of Post

Bad Girls I do love Balthazar, really dark and cynic and Buffy going bad (well just a little) and Faithon the edge of good and bad, pretty interesting

So I'll go with Bad Girls

Two To Go vs. The Weight Of The World

[redrevo]

Weight of the World, Two to Go is great and Andrew is hilarious in the Magic Box but Weight of the World just seems a bit more serious, with Buffy blaming herself for Dawn's capture and Glory feeling a spark of humanity...plus we develop the rat-guy (Doc?) arc, which I really enjoyed. Two to Go is just a tad one-track, Willow looks for the remainder of the Trio. Don't get me wrong, I liked Dark Willow (and there were great special effects in Two to Go!), but Weight of the World deals with more story arcs so it just edges out over Two to Go.

The Initiative vs All the Way

[Pandora's_Box]

It's gonna be easy because The Initiative is in my 5 worst episodes, I didn't buy the all government secret agency and there's too much of Riley, All the way is the worst episode of season 6 but I like him which means how much I love season 6, I see it as a reminder of the early ages of Buffy, Dawn remindsme Buffy in Halloween before Costume spell and I like the triangle talk Buffy/Dawn/Zach. So I'll go with All the way

Homecoming vs. Him

[sherrilina]

Easily Him! I think Homecoming is one of the worst epps in Buffy history, definitely in my bottom 5--so annoying and pointless! Slayerfest was such a stupid and boring (yet irritating) storyline, and I didn't care for the whole Homecoming competition angst with Buffy. Plus Him is such a great epp in its own right, so funny...I think the scene in which we see Spike tacking Buffy for the bazooka and running away with it outside the window is one of the funniest in Buffy history.

Anne vs. When She Was Bad

[Ehlwyen]

When She Was Bad

I don't know if you can pair any episode against a season 2 episode and I chose the other season. :D I think this episode sets the tone and is later paralleled many times throughout the season.

Buffy as the bitca is great and I love the Cordy/Buffy scene outside the Bronze. As well as who doesn't love the Xander/Buffy mated with...err dancing! :heart:

I adore the Angel/Buffy seen when they go to the Bronze in search of Cordy. The entire dialogue is full of possibilities and the ending of her daring Angel to "Kick my ass," gives me shivers. As well as the Library getting ransacked in the same manner as in Becoming Pt 1 because of Buffy being too concerned with herself as the only important element because she is the slayer.

And a personal Cordelia line favorite, "You can dry clean to judgment day but those stains are never coming out." :heart:

Anne is a solid episode but the lack of interaction of the scooby gang definitely brings down the enjoyment.

Ted vs. I Was Made to Love You (Showdown of the Robots)

[LRae12]

I Was Made to Love You because Ted was the worst Buffy episode ever made. Plus, it did have some good points of its own, like Spike getting tossed out the window...:lol: And of course the surprise ending with Buffy finding Joyce :cutecry:

The Replacement vs. Out of My Mind

[Pandora's_Box]

So season 5 isn't one of my favorite and more of it (imo) Season 5 has probably the worst start of all seasons...
So The Replacement: could have been funny(ier) but we see too much of the "perfect Xander" which isn't interesting at all
Out of my mind: Spike's great and harmony excellent during the operation scene but the whole Riley part is boring especially with the "no i'm okay I don't need an operation and Dawn is really annoying in it"
Well I'll go with...lol...none of 'em

Bewitched, bothered and bewildered vs. Conversations with dead people
(longer titles)

[redrevo]

CWDP by a mile, as much as I like a good comedy episode CWDP was full of emotion and some old-fashioned horror. Willow's scene was the best written for audience pain IMO, you can really feel for her here and the acting was excellent. Dawn, with the invisible demon (First?) in the house, played the part of the strong yet soft and hopeful child. I admit the psych major thing was pretty bad, I was just waiting for Buffy to stake him once and for all and not let his mind games get the best of her. Sure, she had some issues about Spike, and it was good to hear about her inferiority complex about having a superiority complex, but do we really need a sophisticated evil grad student? All the new vampires we had seen before were mindless animals. How should this guy be any different, and why didn't Buffy see the First - perhaps appearing as Buffy herself to hit closer to home?

Even so I think this is a much better written episode than BB&B, although Joyce and Xander putting his head down on the table were very funny bits along with Willow and the axe.

Prophecy Girl vs Blood Ties

[LRae12]

I'm going to go with Prophecy Girl. Even though I found parts of it cheesy (Buffy's 'oh look a bad guy') it still was a good story. I found myself tearing up at Buffy's 'I don't want to die speech' and it was nice to see Angel & Xander working together. Blood Ties Dawn finds out about herself, but I didn't like S5 Dawn, and found her cutting herself up to be a bit annoying. :p

School Hard vs. Lover's Walk

[Pandora's_Box]

Two very Spike's episodes:
The first one's really funny "how much sugar did you put" and the Cordy prayer at the end, and some not so bad action
Lover's walk, after all is pretty boring, I never liked the Buffy/Angel/Spike triangle except (during Chosen) and most of all the Magic Box fight is boring and seems endless, but I like Cordy fall
Surprising myself I'll go with School Hard

Intervention vs. Smashed

[Cinderela]

Smashed by a hair. I do love Intervention - Spike mocking Glory had some pretty funny lines. And Buffy thanking Spike was very sweet.

But Smashed, with Amy back and Willow totally out of control with the magic and oh, the Spike & Buffy so passionate they literally pull the house down around them. That's one of the hottest scenes of the whole series.


Checkpoint VS Showtime

[KingofCretins]

"Checkpoint". Not only did "Checkpoint" actually bring up some great Scooby Gang stuff, and have good moments between Buffy and Giles, it had Buffy at about her coolest, telling the Watcher's Council that they work for her. "Showtime" part of the ever-less coherent Season 7 arc, had badly looped dialogue for Buffy recorded by someone who wasn't Sarah (as well as the dubious telepathic Scooby thing).

How about... "Graduation, Part I" vs. "End of Days". Battle of 21st episodes.

[Jenni Lou]

I am one of those fans who just love End of Days. I love Anya/Andrew interaction and all of Anya's funny lines ("canon fodder" :lol: ) ... I love the Buffy/Spike scene...I love the guardian of the scythe scene....lots of great stuff. So I have to go with that. The Andrew/Anya scenes alone win this ep for me. :D

Surprise vs. Witch

[Cinderela]

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise - One reason - Dru's party! Angel & Spike snark over Dru!

Never was that big of an Amy fan, but the twist at the end was cute.


Same Time, Same Place VS The Dark Age

[Alucard]

The Dark Age mainly because it was one of my favourite episodes of Season 2, It gave you a look into Giles life before he became a watcher also we got see a different side of him, I thought Mark of Eyghon was a interesting concept in how it jumped to the either nearest dead or unconscious person, I thought it was good that the writers chose to make it jump into Jenny Calender, Cordelias helpfulness was also a plus "To kill a demon cut off its head"

Lies My Parents Told Me vs Fool For Love

[Cinderela]

The Dark Age mainly because it was one of my favourite episodes of Season 2, It gave you a look into Giles life before he became a watcher also we got see a different side of him, I thought Mark of Eyghon was a interesting concept in how it jumped to the either nearest dead or unconscious person, I thought it was good that the writers chose to make it jump into Jenny Calender, Cordelias helpfulness was also a plus "To kill a demon cut off its head"

Lies My Parents Told Me vs Fool For Love

Fool For Love by a mile. I just loved that Buffy had to beg Spike for the details of how he killed he previous slayers. And the Spike/Nikki fight in NYC - and finding out where the leather coat came from! Love it!

Lies My Parents Told Me is not on my fav ep list - I just couldn't see Giles stabbing Buffy in the back by setting up Spike to be killed and then trying to justify it as necessary because she wouldn't make the necessary decisions. However, I did love the Buffy shutting the door in Giles face with the classic "You've taught me everything I need to know".

Family VS As You Were

[Pandora's_Box]

Okay, Family is one of the weakest Whedon direction, though the end with Buffy speech is good, but Tara isn't interesting enough at this point
As you were, the return of the agent Finn, I really didn't like Riley character, but this is season 6 and othing th same in season 6, Riley isn't annoying as he used to be, the couple thing is great and the spuffy in it is great especially with the "I'm sorry William"
So I'll go with As you were

Ted vs. Him
(shorter titles)

[Veverka]

Family all the way. I've always been a big fan of Tillow and I loved that we got a Tara back story, and the season 5 mission statement all summed up together. I like it also because out side of the show it's a big part of life that family can be what you make it, so nice that it's shown here.

As you were- not a huge fan because I've harboured a grudge against Riley ever since he left Buffy, and coming back with a wife didn't really make me feel anything like friendly towards him. On a 'family' note, he also left Dawn when she needed him, which when Tara and Willow split, Tara specifically didn't do. (Not that this is tara v. Riley!!)

Innocence v. Wrecked

[redrevo]

As much as I like Wrecked, Innocence wins this one because it's a classic. Rocket launcher, Angelus calling the Judge "spiffy," Oz's deep and philosophical nature coming to the surface, rocket launcher, and Angelus with the infamous morning-after conversation. Did I mention the rocket launcher? The Judge was perfect - "What's that do?" Wrecked had some good moments, especially Buffy and Willow at the end, but overall it was kind of overdone IMO. The demon was stupid and kind of ruined the whole "addiction vibe." They could have just had Willow crash the car without anything chasing her.

Doppelgangland vs Restless

[Jenni Lou]

Dopplegangland is full of awesome lines and I just love Willow trying to pull herself off has being bad. :lol: She's so sweet about it. :p Restless is a tad overrated, imo. It's not that I don't like it, I just like so many other eps more than it. It's an incredibly bizarre season finale.

Phases vs. Fear Itself

[Cinderela]

Doppelgangland by a long mile. Restless is on my list of least fav eps. Just can't stand that Cheeseman........

Evil!Willow - Good! Willow - humor galore! No contest in IMHO!

Helpless VS The Yoko Factor

[Pandora's_Box]

Helpless it's agreat episode because unique for Buffy character and I love Buffy / Giles relation especially at the end, I love the "Bite me"
The Yoko Factor is the weakest first part season finale (considering Restless outside), and Angel returns could have been more interesting...
So Helpless

Doublemeat Palace vs. Buffy vs. Dracula

[Cinderela]

Ewww - tough call because I'm not crazy about either of them.

I have to give the edge to Buffy VS Dracula just because of all the Xander and Giles humor. I wasn't crazy about the "thrall" of Dracula over Buffy. But, the end was a little amusing.

Choices VS Selfless

[Pandora's_Box]

No problem with that one, is gonna be Selfless, Anya is great in it, the flashbacks are neat and the end's beautiful
Choices is kinda boring in fact...

Passion vs. Grave

[Cinderela]

No problem with that one for me, the Willow Worshiper - Grave by a mile. Giles returns, Xander's "Yellow crayon - I love you" speech, Willow's grief.....one of my favorite eps.

Passion is on my fav list, tho. Giles losing Jenny is just heart breaking and makes me cry every time. But, it's just not up to Grave.

What's My Line, part 1 VS Lover's Walk

Is it just me or are match ups getting harder?

[Pandora's_Box]

I would have the exact same response than you for the Grave / Passion challenge...

Lover's and What's my...not two episodes I'm really fond of, Lover's pretty annoying and What's my line not really thrilling but a little funnier so I'll go with What's my line part I

Never Leave Me vs. Amends

[LRae12]

eh, I didn't care for either too much, but I remember Amends more, so I guess it wins...though it was sooo cheesy with the snow...:p


Out of My Mind vs. Out of Mind, Out of Sight

[vampmogs]

Out of My Mind. I hated Marcy and although it did have funny bits I think Out of My Mind is far funnier.

Restless Vs Hush

[Nikki]

Wow that's a hard one! I think I'm going to go for Hush. While I adore Restless and there is so much depth to it, I just enjoy watching Hush more. Joss is amazing to write such an episode with no speaking. Everything was fantastic, from Willow thinking she'd gone deaf, to Giles' presentation. So many little things put in, Riley and Buffy's first kiss. Tara and Willow working together, the connection sparking. Definitely an amazing episode :D

Him vs Ted :D

[Llywela]

I'd have to go with Him on that one. As annoying as a lot of season seven is, this is an entertaining episode that fits well with the mythology of the buffyverse. I always find Ted jarring, because the concept of a robot that's sophisticated enough to pass for human doesn't seem to jibe so well with that mythology.

Wild at Heart vs New Moon Rising

[vampmogs]

Most certainly Wild At Heart.

New Moon Rising dealt with a lot of issues and was a fairly good episode but I didn't like how Oz's character had grown. I was a fan of Woz so it was sad to see it end for me and I loved the whole storyline with Veruca and we saw the first traits of Willow getting all vengeful with her power; only with Oz she couldn't go through with it. I just found it a more enjoyable episode to watch whereas, New Moon Rising was a bit to sappy for me.

The Zeppo Vs The Replacement

[Pandora's_Box]

No problem here, I found the begining of season 5 very poor...The replacement isn't so bad but I expected it much funnier...On the other hand there's the zeppo, the writers didn't hesitate to throw an apocalypse in a comic episode...for Xander and this episode is full of surprises and jokes and the post-sex scene with Faith and I love the conclusion with Cordy. So it's The Zeppo for me.

Helpless vs. Selfless

[sherrilina]

Lol, definitely Selfless, without a doubt! I can't stand Helpless, I hate the whole "Crazy vamp" test storyline, her mom being kidnapped, etc--how stupid of the council! (Especially to put one of the things that kills vamps in the house, in plain sight--like, hello, FIRE?!?!--and call it a challenge--or Buffy is dumb for not having noticed it!). Just such a bleh storyline IMO....and in contrast Selfless is such an incredible epp! So beautiful and tragic--the flashbacks are ALL wonderful, and it's so well done--like showing Anya singing in joy about wedding Xander, only for it to suddenly and harshly cut to her beign "dead" stabbed on the ball, everything silent. Plus is was an important issue beign dealt with. I think it may be the best epp of season 7, and is certainly the best character-centered epp of the series....

The battle of dream-epps:

Restless vs. Nightmares

[redrevo]

Restless - this told a lot about each of the characters' goals, their thoughts, what keeps them from quitting altogether...and lots and lots of foreshadowing! I think Buffy's and Willow's dreams were the most foreshadow-y, but Xander's dream was excellent as well - it brought to light some major issues that needed to be dealt with both in the short term (The Replacement) and long term (Hell's Bells). Willow has another nightmare about theatre, and Tara talking to her ends up being different than what you think at first - it's about the magic, which again shows that Joss knows what he's doing a couple years in advance. I thought Giles' dream was a bit weak, although it did touch on how he felt useless and how he thought Buffy was doing dangerous things. And, of course, the first Slayer haunting Buffy, which I thought was sort of a microcosm of the whole season 5 - the first Slayer tells Buffy she has to be alone, friendless, a killer...then Buffy remembering her friends who give her strength and absolutely defying what the Slayer tells her. Restless may have got a little boring but it was all about the future, which I really loved. Nightmares? They couldn't have butchered Xander's character more. He's not the little kid who wants chocolate bars...and the little kid was a kind of stupid way to introduce everyone's nightmares, although the "blaming him for losing" thing was a nice touch.

I Was Made To Love You vs Flooded

[Jenni Lou]

Flooded. I didn't much care for IWMTLY. It has a few funny moments but it's all together blah. Flooded is okay. Nothing particularly special about it but it was a nice ep to find Buffy trying to make things work after what she has veeb through.

Spiral vs. The Pack

[LRae12]

Spiral. I just recently gave The Pack another chance, and well, it failed...:lol: Spiral was not my favorite episode, either, but at least it had Spike, who could pick up any TV screen...:heart: Plus, Anya's attempt at bringing along food (Spam! :roll:) was great.


Bad Eggs vs. Doublemeat Palace

[sherrilina]

Plus, Anya's attempt at bringing along food (Spam! :roll:) was great.
Bad Eggs vs.Doublemeat Palace
Speaking of SPAM....:roll:

But yeah, I think I'll go with Doublemeat Palace--actually like both, unlike many, but I think DP is a little funnier, I just keep picturing that video Buffy has to watch, as well as her funny hat! :lol: And the end was awesome--not only were no humans in the burgers, but nor was there any meat of any kind!

Wells boys trying to mess with Buffy:

The Prom vs. Life Serial

[Pandora's_Box]

Really tough because Life Serial is really funny with the loop and trio dialogues...ButI'll go with The Prom because I love the rolling Stones song by The Sundays and the award thing pretty cheesy but I loved it and the Angel surprise not a Bangel fan but this was pretty...

Tabula Rasa vs. Becoming part I

[vampmogs]

Oh easily Becoming Part I

Aside from how awesome the Angelus arc was, Kendra dying, Giles being kidnapped, Willow and Xander being seriously injured and intriguing flashbacks; IMO Tabula Rasa sucked.

I honestly don't get the love for that ep, I thought the acting was just awful, we had boring scenes like the vamp chasing the scoobs through the sewers, bad writing, stupid characterisation given what we know about our characters and a really bad plot; why would any spell Anya reads out create bunnies... "sigh."

The Freshman Vs When She Was Bad

[LRae12]

I'm going to go with When She Was Bad. I don't know why everyone hates this episode, but I really like it. I loved Buffy's new hair in this episode...very becoming. I think it was natural for her to be a bitca, especially after everything she'd been through, and frankly it was kinda fun to see her acting Cordeliaesque. I loved the scene where Cordy tries to tell her off in the alley. Plus, the Sugar Water dance - holy hotness! Poor Xander was probably taking a cold shower for a month. :lol:


The Harsh Light of Day vs. The I in Team

[Pandora's_Box]

I didn't eally liked WSWB, the first part is interesting, bu the factory's part i too long and boring and the end is so cheesy, when she comes into the class room. The Freshman have many defaults but Sunday is really great and I like the spirit of that ep with Buffy feeling alone...So it's The Freshman for me.

The Wish vs. Doppelgangled

[LRae12]

hmmm...good matchup...I'll go with Dopplegangland, though...it's my fave of S3. I loved seeing Willow & Vamp!Willow interactions. Everybody thinking Willow died...:cutecry: Willow's "hey, you all didn't go and do a bunch of drugs did ya?" was so funny. Plus we got our first taste of the Anya/Willow conflict.

So, since you skipped my last post, I'll repost my matchup...;)

The Harsh Light of Day vs. The I in Team

[Pandora's_Box]

Okay, not so much luck, it's never episodes I love...season four...well, between those two I'm gonna choose the one without Riley...sorry for him, but he's so boring and the all initiative guy in I in team is really upsetting. Only the cam thing with Walsh is neat.
Harsh light of day is pretty funny with Spike and Harmony and the failed love affair with Parker is interesting. So it's gonna be
The harsh light of day

Restless vs. Conversations With Dead People

[LRae12]

Going with Conversations With Dead People. I'm not a Restless fan, plus CWDP was fairly entertaining...Dawn's interaction with her spook was actually pretty scary, and Buffy's chat with the guy who helps kill Fred (did anybody else notice that? :p) was funny.

Halloween vs. Fear Itself

[sherrilina]

Okay, definitely Halloween, I have never seen the appeal in Fear, Itself--I even rewatched it recently, trying to see why it was so popular, but failed. Yes, it has a few moments, like Bunny!Anya and Fiesta!Giles, and has a little bit of depth, but for the most part it wasn't that enjoyable for me--whereas Halloween is a pretty good epp (not THAT amazing though-still don't get why some people love it so much...), with Spike (any season 2 epp was better with Spike! ;)), and Snyder, Ghost!Willow and Military!Xander (Buffy was uber-annoying though), and I LOVE the scene at the beginning between Cordy and Angel of course, when Cordy makes Angel laugh! (Seriously, how often did we ever see him laugh on BTVS? Not much...), as well as the confrontation b/t Buffy and Cordy in the bathroom about Angel, with Buffy telling Cordy he's a vampire ("Right, but he's a good vampire--like a Care Bear with fangs?" and "Listen Buffy, you may be hot stuff when it comes to demonology, or whatever, but when it comes to dating, I'M the Slayer!").

Amends vs. The Body (two Christmas scenes)

[Kirsten]

Definitely The Body. Amends was good, but I feel that it was just kinda overrated. And I love The Body, Joss did an amazing job. It was a very different episode when it came dealing with death, there really hasn't been anything like it on TV. It just felt so real and I loved the different ways that each character dealt with Joyce's passing. Plus, Tillow's first on-screen kiss! :D

Out of Mind, Out of Sight vs. Homecoming

[LRae12]

I'll go with Homecoming. OOMOOS was soo lame, and poorly acted (by Charisma). But she turned in a better performance in Homecoming, though both stories were pretty lame. I did like how Cordy pretended to be Faith and told the vampire off in the library.


The Initiative vs. No Place Like Home

[Pandora's_Box]

Damn !!! I don't have luck. Ialways have to choose between episodes from seasons 3, 4 and 5 which aren't my favorite and best of the best, two of the worst episdes of the seaons. But I'll go without an hesitation for No Place Like Home because I never liked Riley and the all governement thing didn't work for me, but don't get me wrong, except for Glory the episode was so boooooring especially with Dawn which is so annoying in the first of season 5...

Normal Again vs. The Wish (parralele universes and that's what I'm calling a choice:p )

[LRae12]

Normal Again I loved the Wish, but I thought the concept of Normal Again was awesome...that she really is just in an insane asylum. Think about it...she probably is! :lol: And I liked that Joss & Co. left it up in the air for the audience to speculate about at the end of this ep. Very cool.

Passion vs. Innocence

[redrevo]

Innocence - Rocket launcher, Buffy kicking Angel...I never really enjoyed Jenny as a character, and never really identified with Giles, although the flaming baseball bat was great. The ending of Passion was excellent, with Buffy and Willow, but it was reaching for emotion that wasn't there for me. And again...Judge, rocket launcher, Angelus talking to Buffy, "spiffy," Oz...a good few arcs and nice little bits. All I remember from Passion was Jenny's death.

Gingerbread vs Beer Bad

[Kirsten]

That's a toughie, as both are really amazing episodes, but I'm going to go with Passion. Angelus' voice overs in Passion are the best and I just loved Angelus in that episode. The scene where Giles finds Jenny's dead body and the scene where Buffy receives the phonecall about her death are both heartbreaking. :(

EDIT: I'll go with Gingerbread as I'm not a fan of Beer Bad- some moments are pretty funny it, but others are just pretty ridiculous. I did like Gingerbread and I liked the idea of that demon in the episode. Plus, that super cute Willow doodle line is in it! :D

Wrecked vs. Tough Love

[LRae12]

oooh, I think Tough Love. For Anya's un-American speech...it's priceless! :D


All the Way vs. Potential

[Cinderela]

All The Way, by a mile! Anya on roller skates, engagement announcement, Buffy lecturing Dawn about dating a vampire - another Halloween in Sunnydale.

Always hated the Potentials - so this choice was easy for me.

Same Time, Same Place VS Showtime

[Jenni Lou]

STSP is so digusting. I hate that ep. :mad: So SHowtime it is. And I do like that ep. The Turok-Han fight scenes are always good and they look cool. And Buffy's big speech to the Potnetials was also cool. :D

Anne vs. I Robot, You Jane :p

[LRae12]

Well, IRYJ is sooo bad, I even skip it when I watch the bad eps! :lol: So, Anne it is...though not a particular fave of mine - I found the guy at the shelter to be cheesy, it was at least entertaining to some extent...I liked Lily...;) Plus, Buffy does go home in the end, even without her tea cozy.


Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildred vs. Tabula Rasa

[Cinderela]

BBB it is for me. The Cordy/Xander scenes are just so darned funny! And Dru fighting for Xander is priceless! I thought the concept was very original, even though it isn't one of the best eps of the series, it is still very amusing.

And, being an extreme Willow lover, I can't love TR because it shows Willow darn near rock bottom with her behavior. I can hardly bear to watch the Tara/Willow scene at the end.

Both are good eps in their own ways, but I have to go with BBB.

Angel VS A New Man

[Jenni Lou]

I love A New Man. It's so very funny. I like most Giles/Spike interaction as they play very well off one another....This is a good ep for that, as is Tabula Rasa, Something Blue, The I in Team and Weight of the World.

Doomed vs. Blood Ties

[LRae12]

Doomed for me! :D I really loved this episode. Spike afraid of the commandos...trying to stake himself...finding out he can hit demons...the hilarious 'for puppies' speech at the end...what's not to like? :lol:

The Puppet Show vs. Superstar

[Pandora's_Box]

I really liked Superstar, Jonathan is really funny and the all gang under thespell...Giles with the swimsuit calendar and at the end "So who's starred in The Matrix ?". The Puppet Show is pretty cool too and the end is great his the "Oedipe scene". But I think I prefer Superstar.

Primeval vs. Spiral

[Alucard]

Hmm.. A fairly tough one for me, But I'm gonna say Spiral, Primeval had a lot of good things going on, I particularly liked the separation of the group beforehand and the coming together to take on Adam by using they're combined power and the power of the first slayer, The fights in this episode were great and special effects were very well done.

Spiral wins because it was constantly moving at a fast pace, With Buffy and the gang being pursued by a god as well as an army of Knights, It was good to see Buffy fleeing from her enemy for a change giving you the impression that she couldn't win, I really liked the action in this episode from start to finish, Glory chasing Buffy and Dawn through the college, Glory being hit by a truck, The fight on the road and on top of the Winnebago(sp?) and the siege scene, The ending was fantastic with Ben changing into Glory and taking Dawn, To see Buffy at the end of this episode was good and gave you some insight into how she felt about the situation, This