Buffy episodes

[Turnipgirl]

There have been many episodes where Buffy has made a big memorable speech.

Which one was the best and why?

Mine would be the last speech in "Chosen"

[KingofCretins]

That's funny, I was thinking of a similar thread topic a few days back.

I think the best speech overall is a toss-up for me -- Buffy's speech in "Bring on the Night"...

BUFFY
(solemn) You're right. We don't know how to fight it. We don't know when it'll come. We can't run, can't hide, can't pretend it's not the end, 'cause it is. Something's always been there to try and destroy the world. We've beaten them back, but we're not dealing with them anymore. We're dealing with the reason they exist. Evil. The strongest. The First.

GILES
Buffy, I-I-I know you're tired.

BUFFY
(resolute) I'm beyond tired. I'm beyond scared. I'm standing on the mouth of hell, and it is gonna swallow me whole. And it'll choke on me. We're not ready? They're not ready. They think we're gonna wait for the end to come, like we always do. I'm done waiting. They want an apocalypse? Oh, we'll give 'em one. Anyone else who wants to run, do it now. 'Cause we just became an army. We just declared war. From now on, we won't just face our worst fears, we will seek them out. We will find them, and cut out their hearts one by one, until The First shows itself for what it really is. And I'll kill it myself. There is only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil, and that's us. Any questions?

Now, unfortunately, most of that speech didn't materialize in the following 12 episodes, and there were too many speeches after it that season, but this is definitely the best speech she gave. I still get goosebumps at the... the *defiance* Sarah gives it when she says the hellmouth will choke on her. It's as if Buffy is conceding that they'll all die, but die well, which is just... wow.

And, on the more personal character note, the best speech comes from Xander, a couple episodes later, in "Potential".

XANDER
(walks into the room) Aw, I'm just thinking about the girls. It's a harsh gig, being a potential. Just being picked out of a crowd, danger, destiny, (grins) plus if you act now, death.

DAWN
They can handle it.

XANDER
Yeah. (sits in a chair in front of the desk) They're special, no doubt. The amazing thing is, not one of them will ever know, not even Buffy.

DAWN
Know what?

XANDER
How much harder it is for the rest of us.

DAWN
No way. They've got-

XANDER
Seven years, Dawn. Working with the slayer. Seeing my friends get more and more powerful. A witch. A demon. Hell, I could fit Oz in my shaving kit, but come a full moon, he had a wolfy mojo not to be messed with. Powerful. All of them. And I'm the guy who fixes the windows.

DAWN
Well, you had that sexy army training for a while, and-and the windows really did need fixing.

XANDER
I saw what you did last night.

DAWN
Yeah, I- (shakes her head embarrassed) I guess I kinda lost my head when I thought I was the slayer.

XANDER
You thought you were all special. Miss Sunnydale 2003. And the minute you found out you weren't, you handed the crown to Amanda without a moment's pause. You gave her your power.

DAWN
(shrugs) The power wasn't mine.

XANDER
They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary. (stands, kisses her forehead, stands to walk out of the room)

DAWN
(tears welling in her eyes, calls after him) Maybe that's your power.

XANDER
(pauses at the door) What?

DAWN
Seeing. Knowing.

XANDER
Maybe it is. Maybe I should get a cape.

DAWN
Cape is good.

XANDER
Yeah. (leaves the room)

That makes me sniffle just reading it. Nicest thing anyone ever told Dawn, even more than Buffy's talk at the end of "Grave". And, really sums up everything Xander has brought to the group and continues to bring.

[Nina]

I'm not really a fan of speeches. The speeches are the most of the time a little cheesy and ... well ... lame. In season 7 all Buffy's speeches were bad speeches IMO, because they didn't gave hope ... not really. Altough the one KoC posted of BotN was okay I guess.

But I loved Xander's speech in 'Potential' to Dawn. The one KoC posted before me. Because that speech was one I believed and liked. You don't have to be superwoman to be special.

And like I said, I think that much of the speeches were cheesy, in Amends the speech was really cheesy but it fitted so I was okay with it. I loved the idea behind the speech and the snow made it a perfect combination.

Angel: Look, I'm weak. I've never been anything else. It's not the
demon in me that needs killing, Buffy. It's the man.

Buffy: You're weak. Everybody is. Everybody fails. Maybe this evil did
bring you back, but if it did, it's because it needs you. And that means
that you can hurt it.

Buffy: (pleadingly) Angel, you have the power to do real good, to make
amends. (raises her voice) But if you die now, then all that you ever
were was a monster.

Buffy: (begging frantically) Angel, please, the sun is coming up!

Angel: Just go.

Buffy: I won't!

Angel: What, do you think this is simple? You think there's an easy
answer? You can never understand what I've done! Now go!

Buffy: You are not staying here. (grabs his arm) I won't let you!

Angel: I said LEAVE!

Angel: (quietly to himself) Oh, my God...

Buffy: No! No!

Angel: Am I a thing worth saving, huh? (shakes her) Am I a righteous
man? (shakes her) The world wants me gone!

Buffy: (tearfully) What about me? I love you so much... And I tried to
make you go away... I killed you and it didn't help.

Buffy: (crying) And I hate it! I hate that it's *so* hard... and that
you can hurt me *so* much. (sobs, then harshly) I know everything that
you did, because you did it to me. Oh, God! I wish that I wished you
dead. I don't. (whispers) I can't.


Angel: Buffy, please. Just this once... let me be strong.

Buffy: Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every
day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together.
(resolvedly) But if you're too much of a coward for that, then
burn. If I can't convince you that you belong in this world, then I
don't know what can. But do *not* expect me to watch. And *don't* expect
me to mourn for you, because...

My biggest love is for the voice-over in Passion. Is that a speech? Not really I guess.

[Pandora's_Box]

Mine would be the one in Grave, if you can call that a speech:

WILLOW: You can't stop this.
XANDER: Yeah, I get that. It's just, where else am I gonna go? You've been my best friend my whole life. World gonna end ... where else would I want to be?
WILLOW: (scornfully) Is this the master plan? You're going to stop me by telling me you love me?
XANDER: Well, I was going to walk you off a cliff and hand you an anvil, but ... it seemed kinda cartoony.
WILLOW: Still making jokes.
XANDER: I'm not joking. I know you're in pain. I can't imagine the pain you're in. And I know you're about to do something apocalyptically (glancing back at the statue) evil and stupid, and hey. (spreading out his arms) I still want to hang. You're Willow.
WILLOW: (angry) Don't call me that.
XANDER: First day of kindergarten. You cried because you broke the yellow crayon, and you were too afraid to tell anyone. You've come pretty far, ending the world, not a terrific notion. But the thing is? Yeah. I love you. I loved crayon-breaky Willow and I love ... scary veiny Willow. So if I'm going out, it's here. If you wanna kill the world? Well, then start with me. I've earned that.
WILLOW: (upset) You think I won't?
XANDER: It doesn't matter. I'll still love you.
WILLOW: (angry) Shut up.

XANDER: I love you.

XANDER: (panting) I ... love y-
WILLOW: Shut up!!

XANDER: I love you, Willow.
WILLOW: Stop!

XANDER: I love you.
WILLOW: Stop.

XANDER: I love you.

[Nostalgia]

Mine would be Xander's speech in Dirty Girls:

7.18 Dirty Girls
XANDER
I've been through more battles with Buffy than you all can ever imagine. She's stopped everything that's ever come up against her. (Buffy and Faith walk through the front door and overhear Xander's speech) She's laid down her life - literally - to protect the people around her. This girl has died two times, and she's still standing. You're scared? That's smart. You got questions? You should. But you doubt her motives, you think Buffy's all about the kill, then you take the little bus to battle. (Buffy tears up) I've seen her heart, and this time - not literally. And I'm telling you, right now, she cares more about your lives than you will ever know. You gotta trust her. She's earned it.

Sadly, everything completely goes backwards in the next episode.

[KingofCretins]

Gonna go to Season 8 for a great speech. Technically not actually spoken, but think of it as a voice-over. It's the thoughts of an unnamed Slayer whose job was to impersonate Buffy when fighting demons. It's a pretty strong reflection on her life, on Buffy's name, and on a lot of things. It was written by Joss

Spoiler:

UNNAMED SLAYER: But that's not the point. There's always a name. Lincoln. Hitler. Gandhi. The name can inspire terror, awe? Sometimes great things. But there's millions of people go into making a name. People facing things they couldn't imagine they would.

In the moments that matter, even our own names are just sounds people make to tell us apart. What we are isn't that. The real questions run deeper. Can I fight? Did I help? Did I do for my sisters? My comrades, children, slimy slug-clan? There is a chain, between each and every one of us. And like the man said, you either feel its tug or you ignore it.

I tried to feel it. I tried to face the darkness like a woman and I don't need any more than that. You don't have to remember me. You don't even know who I am. But I do.

[Nostalgia]

Gonna go to Season 8 for a great speech. Technically not actually spoken, but think of it as a voice-over. It's the thoughts of an unnamed Slayer whose job was to impersonate Buffy when fighting demons. It's a pretty strong reflection on her life, on Buffy's name, and on a lot of things. It was written by Joss

Oh that's a wonderful speech! I almost cried after reading the final part.. I read the issue last night and I realized how great of an episode it is.. it truly shows Joss' heart in it.

[Weredog]

My favourite speech has always been "Bring on the Night." It gives me chills.
Duncan, once again, aces the music. Like Buffy's speech, it begins with a sense of discouragement then faces a volta-like turn: resolutes to hope.
It was great. If I had to pick its best line: "There is only one thing stronger than evil, and that's us."

[buffyholic]

I can?t choose because I have alot of great moments but these are some of my favourites speeches:
I love Buffy?s speech in Amends, Chosen, Bring on the Night. Xander?s speech in Potential, Dirty Girls and Spike?s speech in After Life "Every Night I save you". Amazing, all of them.

[spuffbeste]

My favourite one is from The Gift. In my opinion, it was such a logical, meaningful and sad speech. It almost made me cry....

[selenspuffy]

Mine would be umm..well, I love plenty of speeches made by Buffy, actually.
Amends Buffy&Angel dialogue in the end..
Gift Buffy's speech for Dawn, while Sacrifice is the background music..
"..Giles I'm sixteen years old, I don't wanna die.." Prophecy Girl
And, Prom dialogue (Buffy-Angel):

..Angel: I've been thinking... about our future. And the more I do, the more I feel like us, you and me being together, is unfair to you.
Buffy: Is this about what the Mayor said? Because he was just trying to shake us up.
Angel: He was right.
Buffy: No. No, he wasn't. He's the bad guy.
Angel: You deserve more. You deserve something outside of demons and darkness. You should be with someone who can take you into the light. Someone who can make love to you.
Buffy: I don't care about that.
Angel: You will. And children.
Buffy: Children? Can you say jumping the gun? I kill my goldfish.
Angel: Today. But you have no idea how fast it goes, Buffy. Before you know it, you'll want it all, a normal life.
Buffy: I'll never have a normal life.
Angel: Right, you'll always be a Slayer. But that's all the more reason why you should have a real relationship instead of this, this freak show. (Buffy is stunned.) I didn't mean that.
Buffy: I'm gonna go.
Angel: (grabs her arm) I'm sorry. Buffy, you know how much I love you. It kills me to say this.
Buffy: Then don't. Who are you to tell me what's right for me? You think I haven't thought about this?
Angel: Have you, rationally?
Buffy: No. No, of course not. I'm just some swoony little schoolgirl, right?
Angel: I'm trying to do what's right here, okay? I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart.
Buffy: Heart? You have a heart? It isn't even beating!
Angel: Don't.
Buffy: Don't what? Don't love you? I'm sorry. You know what? I didn't know that I got a choice in that. I'm never gonna change. I can't change. I want my life to be with you.
Angel: I don't.
Buffy: You don't want to be with me? I can't believe you're breaking up with me.
Angel: It doesn't mean that I don't ...
Buffy: How am I supposed to stay away from you?
Angel: I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go.
Buffy: Where?
Angel: I don't know.
Buffy: Is this really happening?
..

[jdt1986]

Not sure if this is a speech, but...

I always liked watching the last 10 mins of 'Forever' (S5 E17) when Buffy really breaks down and loses it while talking to Dawn about the loss of their mother... I think it marked the first time in the whole series where Buffy seriously looked afraid of something (life and responsibility without her mothers love, support and guidance, in this instance), and it always gives me shivers... Makes me think about how I would react if I were in that situation seeing as I would be in charge of my younger brother and sister and a household...

So yeah, don't know if this is classed as a speech, but still one of my favorite dialogues in the entire series...

Jamie

[Spuffy4l87]

Mine is hands down Spike's speech in Touched I cried. It was so powerful.

I loved so many others but I can still recite that one word for word after watching it twice. If only a guy could say something like that to every girl....

[modifiedblind]

I really liked Mayor Wilkins speech at the end of Graduation Day: part 2, I always had a soft spot for the Mayor I loved seeing the sadness in his speech about Faith and then at the end about civic duty, haha

Mayor Wilkins: Well. What a day this is. A special day. Today our centennial-- the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale and I know what that means to all you kids. Not a darn thing. Because to something much more important happens. Today, you all graduate from high school. Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over. Now, whats 100 years of history compared to that? But you know what kids? Maybe the beginning is the end. Maybe you have a place in Sunnydale's history whether you like it or not. Its been a long road getting here, for you, for Sunnydale. Theres been achievement, joy, good times. And theres been grief, theres been loss. Some people who should be here today...aren't. But we are. Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just a distance traveled? Time spent? No. It's what happens on the way. Its the things that shape you. At the end of the journey, you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change. It means you do. You ascend to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing. And so, as we look back on- On the event that have brought us to this day. We must all-- It has begun, my destiny. Its alittle sooner than I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride.

[modifiedblind]

I really liked Mayor Wilkins speech at the end of Graduation Day: part 2, I always had a soft spot for the Mayor I loved seeing the sadness in his speech about Faith and then at the end about civic duty, haha

Mayor Wilkins: Well. What a day this is. A special day. Today our centennial-- the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale and I know what that means to all you kids. Not a darn thing. Because to something much more important happens. Today, you all graduate from high school. Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over. Now, whats 100 years of history compared to that? But you know what kids? Maybe the beginning is the end. Maybe you have a place in Sunnydale's history whether you like it or not. Its been a long road getting here, for you, for Sunnydale. Theres been achievement, joy, good times. And theres been grief, theres been loss. Some people who should be here today...aren't. But we are. Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just a distance traveled? Time spent? No. It's what happens on the way. Its the things that shape you. At the end of the journey, you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change. It means you do. You ascend to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing. And so, as we look back on- On the event that have brought us to this day. We must all-- It has begun, my destiny. Its alittle sooner than I expected. I had this whole section on civic pride.

[spacecase827]

i'm not a huge fan of buffy's speeches. i think that's why my favorite episode is 'hush'... ;]

[ykickamoocow]

Buffy's speeches in S7 are painful to listen too. I hate them all.

[spacecase827]

Buffy's speeches in S7 are painful to listen too. I hate them all.

i absolutely agree. 100%