It really is. I remember watching that bathroom scene for the first time and being completely creeped out. Not to mention Sarah didn't just have to play Faith, but also Buffy from Faith's POV while having played the real Buffy the whole show. As if playing a single character isn't hard enough already lmao.
I am wayyyyy over 60 years old but I was, I am and I will always be a Buffy’s fan. The scenarios and the actors were funny, intelligent and «realistic». Most of the caracteres were appealing and likable. Giles, Angel, Xander and Spike were sooooooo handsome and lovable! The creators of Buffy The Vampire Slayer were geniuses!
Tara was a phenomenal character. Her death was very hard to take. Anya was always one of my favorites. I agree that her character was underdeveloped for far too long.
Tara was great but I really loved Anya, the actress who played her has terrific comic timing (there were so many times Anya would say something hilarious and perfectly delivered) and she stood out as a great actor among a cast of strong actors.
Fool For Love is probably one of the most well-shot episodes. The cuts are solid and the action scenes aren't frenetic. The scene in slow motion as the vampires walk toward the camera is interesting. If you look at Angel and Darla their behavior and clothing is composed. Even Drusilla has a stately air. But Spike is raw. They have an obstacle in the road and go around it, he however quite literally goes over it. It speaks to an extra level in the character. In his past as a human he was kept from what he wants, as a vampire he can conquer with impunity. Then we are brought back to reality at the end of episode when, first he is humbled again, and second realizes that maybe sometimes conquering obstacles isn't all there is to life(or unlife).
Spike was always the character that spoke to me and his episode made it more so. Being a vampire didn't change him, it heighten everything he was. And I sincerely believe that he fell in love with buffy at first sight, and if he didn't, she would have been his third slayer kill. But that's just my pov, I could be wrong 😁.
Spike was a truly interesting character - I was glad that they let his character stay and developed it (his character was only meant to be in s2 for a few episodes and then killed off). His redemption in s7 was an amazing part of the show.
The most poignant part of "Who Are You?" for me is when Faith in Buffy is beating Buffy in Faith and insulting her. "You're nothing! You're disgusting!" She isn't talking to Buffy.
I think Anya's bonding with Andrew of all people in the final episodes of the show was a good finalisation of Anya's character. She didn't get much characterisation (though what she got was of good quality) but she at least ended her life not running away, with a friend, and ready to face the floppy, hoppy rabbits.
7:06 The bit I always remember about that episode is when Spike deliberately sets his chip off by hitting Tara to prove to her family she's not a demon.
She literally goes from "what the hell is wrong with you Spike imma kill you" ; to "omg thanks God for that chip imma buy you tons of fresh blood" lmao
I think "Helpless" in S3 is a great Buffy centric ep. it shows she's still strong even without her slayer strength and its the love and support she has for/from her friends/family that sets her apart from all the other slayers that have gone before. (the reason she's died and been brought back twice). plus The way her real dad is absent as per but its Giles who is her surrogate father is so moving.
I liked the episode Innocence S2. I lost my virginity but it was taken by force. 😢 I don't want to say this on here but it still eats away at me and I feel I need to talk about it and help people and sympathize with anyone who has gone through it. I wanted sex when I WAS READY!!!! NOT BY SOMEONE SO MEANINGLESS AND EVIL WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD JUST TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME BY FORCE. Buffy may have consented to angel before the sexual act when he was good but when he turned evil it made it feel like it was sexual assault after the act. If anyone has gone through this, reach out if you want? I'm not a professional counselor or anything but just lending a supporting ear. I only hope I can help and give some kind of clarity?
Is it just me or is it crazy how well SMG played Faith while in Buffy's body? She sold exactly how I expected Faith to act if given the opportunity to start over in her rival's form. She gave such a nuanced performance that I think is underappreciated and underrated. Her Faith rivaled Eliza's that originated it. Never felt like a parody like most "Freaky Friday-Esque" episodes of shows typically feel.
honestly, i think the vice versa; Eliza played an amazing Buffy, easily as well as SMG, but SMG's Faith in my honest opinon did get a bit campy and stretched my disbelief a bit. I wish Both had gone on to star in more though
@@ThePurpleCosmos I don't think Eliza has the comedic timing or range to say she did "better" at Buffy. Faith was trying to be campy in Buffys body that's the point. She thinks she's lame and corny so that's how she embodies her. That being said they both did wonderful jobs!
@@ThePurpleCosmos I actually found Sarah Michelle Gellars faith more believable than Eliza Dushkus " Buffy" she acted too " innocent " not edgy enough to be Buffy.
@@ThePurpleCosmos As someone before said, Faith's interpretation of Buffy is that she's campy (bc Faith is a sociopath) so it's valid. I don't think SMG was over the top I actually was surprised she could portray that sort of scariness, cause I was just used to her being Buffy. I think Eliza did the best she could with Buffy because she's a much harder character to imitate than Faith who has more schticks. I also think the body switch was written better for the real Faith than for the real Buffy it that makes sense.
I would’ve also included the “the body” that was one of the best most raw and real episodes. Acting was so good. And the episode was written beautifully
@@emptycarousels3950It isn’t focused on a singular character like the ones on this list but it was kind of character-centric I. How each person grieved Joyce revealed something about them. I loved Anya’s breakdown when people got upset at her for processing the death in a neurodivergent way and Spike leaving the flowers because Joyce was always nice to him even when he was still very much a dangerous vampire.
Don't know why this was only recommended to me over a year after it uploaded, but I'm glad it was. I always liked the Season 3 opening episode "Anne" as a Buffy centric episode. It shows her desire to stop being a slayer and having left everything after killing Angel to once again picking up the Hero mantra and willingly going towards danger to save those in need. She then embraces her Slayer again and heads back home.
Ok it is nice to see a different kind of top 10 list for Buffy. Everyone pretty much knows which episodes are considered the best by the Buffy Fandom in general but to see a list like this is new! Keep up the good work! Best, Marvin 😀
wow i saw this in my subs and didnt check the uploader so i was like "damn those msmojo lists got really smart and deep"... then i realized it was you LMAOOO. love this video, it's so well thought out and brings up good points
The Zeppo is a brilliant episode in my opinion. While laying out Xander's desire to feel important at the beginning and struggling with not necessarily having a role in the Scooby gang he develops his own sense of self by the end. He stopped something that no one else was even aware of because he was on the periphery. There are a few more episodes that demonstrate how Xander is actually fine not being the one with the power because he knows that it's a burden. When Dawn finds out she's not a potential then Xander is the main one cheering her up. He is always on the periphery just watching and the way that he encourages her is just brilliant. Like Xander acts like a sex crazed adolescent through a good portion of the show and he's always making a joke to lighten the mood but let's not forget that he also saved the world. When Willow went dark he was the only one who knew that in order to deal with the pain that Willow was feeling (because that's what it all boiled down to: Pain) he had to love her unconditionally the way that he always has.
You were SPOT ON with every episode! As a kid, I recorded every episode of Buffy on vhs...I know every episode inside and out. Becoming pts 1&2 and my favorite as well 🤩
Which would explain why they didn't include Restless, as that's centered on all 4 of the main Scoobies, not just one. Too bad. It's probably the absolute best character episode of the entire show.
I need more Buffy videos from you!!! I know the show's been over for 20 years, but it's still my favorite show, and I firmly believe it's one of the BEST shows that's ever been aired!!! PLEASE 🙏
As a straight white man who is an old fashioned dude that watches sports, plays sports, and plays video games. I would watch TV shows like Lost, Spartacus, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Wire, Dexter, Ray Donavan, Better Call Saul, Walking Dead and The Boys. I told myself that I would never get into a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but one day my wife put it on from Season 1 and she told me to just give it a chance, I rolled my eyes and said ok fine. This was in the early years of my wife and I’s relationship and well before we decided to get married, she had the whole Buffy TV show collection and she definitely wanted me to get into it. I laughed all throughout Season 1 because I found the show hilarious and kinda campy at first, but by the Season 1 finale episode Prophecy Girl, I really was getting into the show and cared about the characters. My wife then said, if I thought Season 1 was pretty good, Season 2 was going to be even better and she wasn’t wrong, I totally got hooked on the series while watching Season 2, it was a damn good season. After my wife got me not the show, I started getting into other shows that she loved like Sex and the City for example lol 😆. I then got her into TV shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad.
Good list and episode recaps, here is my order of the eps you mentioned: 10. Storyteller 9. A New Man 8. Family 7. Selfless 6. Doppelgangland 5. Fool for Love 4. Who Are You 3. Prophecy Girl 2. The Zeppo 1. Becoming I would have included Anne and Angel.
Really surprised The Weight of the World didn't make the list, considering it's basically all about Buffy coping with the crushing responsibility she's faced as a slayer, what happens when she fails.
Anya was always sad ad mis treatedby the Scoobies. Her own episode made a good point on the powerful nature of identity. Also Xander was the only awesome candaid human character ever.
Great list! I followed you from tumblr and didn’t know you did these kinds of videos. I just rewatched A New Man last week and I love the metaphor of Giles feeling like an outcast and then literally being cast out as a demon.
Yeah, color grading is bad and it wasnt made for widescreen. But so is the blurry mess that is the DVD-version. I have to watch it in FULLHD to enjoy it today. Hope they make a proper remaster.
You did a great work in honoring and giving a deep analysis of the best tv show ever made. Brava Rachel! I've other videos of yours and your job is brilliant.
I've been watching Buffy and Angel this year. First time Buffy viewer and second time for Angel, but I have been very impressed. I put off Buffy for so many years because I figured it was the cheesier silly version of Angel. It's amazing. I wish I would have watched both while they were airing. I probably shouldn't be watching this when I still have a couple seasons left, however spoiled anyway thanks to the spouse. Nice video!!
What a terrific list and video. Agreed on all of your choices. Although if there could be an extension to this list I'd add Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, Sleeper, and the multi-centric character study 'Restless', as a pure exploration of our core four's subconscious emotions and perceptions.
12:05 you forgot to mention the amazing acting skills of Eliza Dushku , she nailed it. She was so fucking amazing as Faith and Echo , her best parts and so compelling, remarkable and terrific. Great top 10 , although I never really liked the episodes centered in characters like Giles, Tara or Xander
Not going to lie, if Snyder didn’t die on Graduation day, my favourite episode would definitely be Becoming. Here are my reasons: 1. Angel is the best villain in the series 2. The final fight is just *perfect* 3. It starts spike’s redemption arc 4. The last song is SO FRICKING DEPRESSING (also incredibly picked for the scene) 5. Buffy’s death threat to Whistler is honestly hilarious 6. It starts introducing willow to being a witch 7. Despite my earlier comment about Angel being the best villain, he is also one of the best good guys (honestly, if he was a little less creepy - I’ve said before that he has the best character base but he’s so creepy that it’s impossible to make him your favourite character - and Giles was a little less awesome, he would make my favourite character) so it’s nice to see him again.
The Gifted, u missed that episode. It was so mature of Buffy to accept death so she can save the world and her sister. Please keep doing Buffy's analysis.
Always was a fan of BTVS and this reminded me of just how much I loved TV back in the day when tv viewing was at its best with this series!! Nothing competes with this show today or since. Great job on this expose of characterization!!! 😁👍
IF counting Angel (the series) I think Cordelia has the best character arc of all. Willow is a solid second, I love the season 6 ending when Jonathan is remembering how sweet and timid she was in the beginning. Right before she plows in the them with a truck..."just Willow".
Great Video - Only problem is I now need to creep around my mate to borrow his entire Buffy Collection - DAMN I miss this show! I was already getting old when I first saw it - but DAMN it was SO GOOD!!! (I say old... I was Mid 20's...)... Still love it even now...
The most character-centric Faith episode was on Angel, "Five by Five". I love that episode but it still upsets me that Buffy wasn't really there for it. Buffy and Faith's relationship was so complex and compelling.
Great video! Buffy is one af the greatest series of all time. One of my favoritte episodes is the one where she is in an asylum and must choose between reality and fiction. Very strong episode. And very emotional when the parents see her choose her inner fictional life (or was it fictional.....da na na naaaaa).
Not like I need any reminders that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest TV show ever, but can I just say Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest TV show ever?
Amends is also a great example of Angel, and his past, as well as how he feels being a monster, not a "Righteous Man", yet a kind of Amends to all the characters, what they've gone through, and us viewers by having a look at something as simple, and heartwarming as a silent snowfall over the town, as everyone watches it like a beacon of light, on a road that's only going to get harder. To take in the peace of the moment, just watching the snow fall, letting it be enough hope for them in that moment. ;) (As far as all emotional scenes, and episodes, I cannot watch 'The Gift', it uses a sledgehammer on my heart WAAAAAY too close to home, but without a doubt, What Buffy said was true "The Hardest thing in the world, is to live in it. Be brave, live, for me." even just hearing Chistophe Beck's "Sacrifice" During Buffy's realization as what her Gift is that instumental will bring me to tears w/o fail.)
I thought SMG should have won an Emmy for that speech at the end of Amends. How gut-wrenching when she was trying to convince Angel to live. How raw her pain and desperation and vulnerability was. That scene, and her Power speech were the highlights of the show for me. Two ends of her emotional spectrum - spanning from helplessness to steel control.
_Dopplegangland_ is great whether you've seen through S6 or not. While I also believe Jonathon should have been The Trio member addition to the Scoobies, he had already had character centric episodes. The biggest issue was the risk Andrew had of not being Tucker, who they initially wanted to be in The Trio. Developing somebody new alongside people we knew was risky. And it paid off once they put him in the forefront during _Storyteller._ _Family_ was a great episode overall. I agree that _A New Man_ didn't really resolve Giles's feeling on the jealousy and being left behind. Buffy saying she thought she had told him when he gave her a phone seemed like a backtrack to the apology that was supposedly solving the problem. _Prophecy Girl_ was a game changer for the series, but I still always found it down there on my personal list. Any episode centering around Faith was great, as the nature of her character was always interesting. _Selfless_ coming so late in the series actually makes sense considering Anya didn't realize she was pulling an unintentional Bella Swan to Xander's Edward, for use of a better phrase. _The Zeppo_ is also Xander POV of things in the scenes he is in and when it isn't his POV he feels overlooked, so the episode feeling overlooked is almost a good thing in an ironic way. _Fool for Love_ doesn't just show the heart of Spike's character, but the transformation. I would switch the order of #2 and #1 and then put _Becoming_ lower on the list and trade it with _Family_ or _Dopplegangland._
Though the first two-thirds I just kept thinking “The Zeppo” better be top three or I’m out...lol, and there it was just under the wire. Great job. I think I agree with just about all of your picks.
I loved the vid but how in the hell would “the gift” not be considered Buffy’s greatest character moment? Coming to terms with what it means to be the slayer, finally realizing what the gift actually was and meant, and ultimately sacrificing herself for the world.... come on now. Lol
To be fair, the video is titled "Best Character-Centric Episodes" not "Greatest Character Moments". The GIft is a great episode and definitely contains some solid characterisation for Buffy but it's not exactly a character-centric episode.
idk. i see where youre coming from but then again i still think that the gift can still be considered a character centric episode. its basically buffys coming of age episode. it has a lot of elements to it but it still ultimately centers around buffys ultimate decision to sacrifice herself. i get what youre saying. i just think it wouldve been interesting to analyze the episode from that perspective.
@@jaydubbs8277 Except Buffy's character development towards self-sacrifice was first begun in Prophecy Girl and nothing that happens in The Gift strays too far from that except that the eventual death is more cinematic and semi-permanent.
I said the same thing! It's such a shame, it really is. I get so mad when I think about how a team can come to get together just to waste precious money on this joke of an HD transfer. Hulu also has the original version, if you didn't know. Very convenient especially if you've grown tired of going through overly long dvd menu screens like me! Haha. 😊
Oh God this dredged up an old memory I'd forgotten so long ago. The way Angelus holds the sword in Becoming, with two finger wrapped above the hilt annoys me to no end. Also, it has to be said, Once More, With Feeling is the greatest character episode in the series. It does the hardest thing in the world with an ensemble cast, one episode where it's a character episode for everyone all at once.
Sarah Michelle Gellar's acting in "Who are you?" is amazing.
Yeah definitely. But i sort of feel eliza does a slightly better job of mimicking buffy
"You can't do that. It's wrong." Faith mocking Buffy's heroic speeches was funny.
that episode really showed Sarah as a faaaar better actress than Eliza for me.
It really is.
I remember watching that bathroom scene for the first time and being completely creeped out. Not to mention Sarah didn't just have to play Faith, but also Buffy from Faith's POV while having played the real Buffy the whole show. As if playing a single character isn't hard enough already lmao.
She deserved an Emmy for that performance, sincerely.
Your characterisation of s1 Buffy and her unwillingness to die because she's happy makes me so sad for s5 Buffy :(
Even sadder for season 6 Buffy
I am wayyyyy over 60 years old but I was, I am and I will always be a Buffy’s fan. The scenarios and the actors were funny, intelligent and «realistic». Most of the caracteres were appealing and likable. Giles, Angel, Xander and Spike were sooooooo handsome and lovable! The creators of Buffy The Vampire Slayer were geniuses!
i agree!!! =
Согласен мне тоже за 60 и много раз пересматривал Бафи и Ангела
The Zeppo being often overlooked is, in itself, ironic.
All the Xander episodes were amazing but the Zeppo was truly a masterpiece. So so funny.
Every time I rewatch the series I'm shocked by how good The Zeppo is and I'm like "How did I forget about this episode"
I think it's the best written episode in the series
It was a great look into Xander but it was an okay episode.
@@tomahilaire3921 fair, it probably did present challenges to people who can't form sentences.
Tara was a phenomenal character. Her death was very hard to take. Anya was always one of my favorites. I agree that her character was underdeveloped for far too long.
For years, I refused to watch the episode in which Tara died, or anything after. She was my favorite character.
I agree
For me Tara’s death was the most violent. Because it was based on the real and not fantasy.
Rip Tara
Rip Anya
😔
Tara was great but I really loved Anya, the actress who played her has terrific comic timing (there were so many times Anya would say something hilarious and perfectly delivered) and she stood out as a great actor among a cast of strong actors.
Fool For Love is probably one of the most well-shot episodes. The cuts are solid and the action scenes aren't frenetic. The scene in slow motion as the vampires walk toward the camera is interesting. If you look at Angel and Darla their behavior and clothing is composed. Even Drusilla has a stately air. But Spike is raw. They have an obstacle in the road and go around it, he however quite literally goes over it. It speaks to an extra level in the character. In his past as a human he was kept from what he wants, as a vampire he can conquer with impunity. Then we are brought back to reality at the end of episode when, first he is humbled again, and second realizes that maybe sometimes conquering obstacles isn't all there is to life(or unlife).
Spike was always the character that spoke to me and his episode made it more so. Being a vampire didn't change him, it heighten everything he was. And I sincerely believe that he fell in love with buffy at first sight, and if he didn't, she would have been his third slayer kill. But that's just my pov, I could be wrong 😁.
Spike was a truly interesting character - I was glad that they let his character stay and developed it (his character was only meant to be in s2 for a few episodes and then killed off). His redemption in s7 was an amazing part of the show.
The most poignant part of "Who Are You?" for me is when Faith in Buffy is beating Buffy in Faith and insulting her. "You're nothing! You're disgusting!" She isn't talking to Buffy.
That was pretty obvious
I think Anya's bonding with Andrew of all people in the final episodes of the show was a good finalisation of Anya's character. She didn't get much characterisation (though what she got was of good quality) but she at least ended her life not running away, with a friend, and ready to face the floppy, hoppy rabbits.
7:06 The bit I always remember about that episode is when Spike deliberately sets his chip off by hitting Tara to prove to her family she's not a demon.
And how Willow gets very angry at him before realizing why he did it and being relieved!
@@cynthiadasilva3854 She's like "Why'd you just hit my girlfriend Spike" and then "Oh you did it to prove she's not a demon."
She literally goes from "what the hell is wrong with you Spike imma kill you" ; to "omg thanks God for that chip imma buy you tons of fresh blood" lmao
I forgot how good Fool for Love was. I’m gonna have to rewatch that. The subway fight scene is amazing.
I think "Helpless" in S3 is a great Buffy centric ep. it shows she's still strong even without her slayer strength and its the love and support she has for/from her friends/family that sets her apart from all the other slayers that have gone before. (the reason she's died and been brought back twice). plus The way her real dad is absent as per but its Giles who is her surrogate father is so moving.
Buffy AND Giles-centric. I love it too.
I was disappointed that episode and Passion didn't make the list. Both were amazing
Buffy is quite smart and truly resourceful! It’s what makes her such a great slayer!
I liked the episode Innocence S2. I lost my virginity but it was taken by force. 😢 I don't want to say this on here but it still eats away at me and I feel I need to talk about it and help people and sympathize with anyone who has gone through it. I wanted sex when I WAS READY!!!! NOT BY SOMEONE SO MEANINGLESS AND EVIL WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD JUST TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME BY FORCE. Buffy may have consented to angel before the sexual act when he was good but when he turned evil it made it feel like it was sexual assault after the act. If anyone has gone through this, reach out if you want? I'm not a professional counselor or anything but just lending a supporting ear. I only hope I can help and give some kind of clarity?
Kind of off topic, but damn Sarah Michelle Gellar is beautiful af.
Is it just me or is it crazy how well SMG played Faith while in Buffy's body? She sold exactly how I expected Faith to act if given the opportunity to start over in her rival's form.
She gave such a nuanced performance that I think is underappreciated and underrated. Her Faith rivaled Eliza's that originated it. Never felt like a parody like most "Freaky Friday-Esque" episodes of shows typically feel.
jaymesEo6 - Best acting of the whole show, those two playing each other!!
honestly, i think the vice versa; Eliza played an amazing Buffy, easily as well as SMG, but SMG's Faith in my honest opinon did get a bit campy and stretched my disbelief a bit. I wish Both had gone on to star in more though
@@ThePurpleCosmos I don't think Eliza has the comedic timing or range to say she did "better" at Buffy. Faith was trying to be campy in Buffys body that's the point. She thinks she's lame and corny so that's how she embodies her.
That being said they both did wonderful jobs!
@@ThePurpleCosmos I actually found Sarah Michelle Gellars faith more believable than Eliza Dushkus " Buffy" she acted too " innocent " not edgy enough to be Buffy.
@@ThePurpleCosmos As someone before said, Faith's interpretation of Buffy is that she's campy (bc Faith is a sociopath) so it's valid. I don't think SMG was over the top I actually was surprised she could portray that sort of scariness, cause I was just used to her being Buffy. I think Eliza did the best she could with Buffy because she's a much harder character to imitate than Faith who has more schticks. I also think the body switch was written better for the real Faith than for the real Buffy it that makes sense.
Rachel: “number eight. Family.”
Me: *starts crying*
Same
I would’ve also included the “the body” that was one of the best most raw and real episodes. Acting was so good. And the episode was written beautifully
Which episode was the body? What was that about
@@kristinas5714 it was the episode where the gang deals with Joyce's death
But ‘The Body’ isn’t a character centric episode, which is what this list is about.
@@emptycarousels3950It isn’t focused on a singular character like the ones on this list but it was kind of character-centric I. How each person grieved Joyce revealed something about them. I loved Anya’s breakdown when people got upset at her for processing the death in a neurodivergent way and Spike leaving the flowers because Joyce was always nice to him even when he was still very much a dangerous vampire.
Even through the voices over, I can still here Sarah's "You cant do that! Its wrong". Epic.
Don't know why this was only recommended to me over a year after it uploaded, but I'm glad it was.
I always liked the Season 3 opening episode "Anne" as a Buffy centric episode. It shows her desire to stop being a slayer and having left everything after killing Angel to once again picking up the Hero mantra and willingly going towards danger to save those in need. She then embraces her Slayer again and heads back home.
Me too. Anne is my favorite episode
Ok it is nice to see a different kind of top 10 list for Buffy. Everyone pretty much knows which episodes are considered the best by the Buffy Fandom in general but to see a list like this is new! Keep up the good work! Best, Marvin 😀
wow i saw this in my subs and didnt check the uploader so i was like "damn those msmojo lists got really smart and deep"... then i realized it was you LMAOOO. love this video, it's so well thought out and brings up good points
Lol MsMojo wishes they could make content like this
The Zeppo is a brilliant episode in my opinion. While laying out Xander's desire to feel important at the beginning and struggling with not necessarily having a role in the Scooby gang he develops his own sense of self by the end. He stopped something that no one else was even aware of because he was on the periphery. There are a few more episodes that demonstrate how Xander is actually fine not being the one with the power because he knows that it's a burden. When Dawn finds out she's not a potential then Xander is the main one cheering her up. He is always on the periphery just watching and the way that he encourages her is just brilliant. Like Xander acts like a sex crazed adolescent through a good portion of the show and he's always making a joke to lighten the mood but let's not forget that he also saved the world. When Willow went dark he was the only one who knew that in order to deal with the pain that Willow was feeling (because that's what it all boiled down to: Pain) he had to love her unconditionally the way that he always has.
You were SPOT ON with every episode! As a kid, I recorded every episode of Buffy on vhs...I know every episode inside and out. Becoming pts 1&2 and my favorite as well 🤩
Giles insecurity over his position in Buffy's life makes an unfortunate comeback in s7
I didn't really like that episode "A New Man".
Fantastic list. I would included Once more with feeling, since the musical has a lot of emotional development for all the characters...
I thought of Once More, and The Body, but realized this is 1 Character centered.
Which would explain why they didn't include Restless, as that's centered on all 4 of the main Scoobies, not just one. Too bad. It's probably the absolute best character episode of the entire show.
But it's not a character centric episode
If you keep making Buffy essays I’m so here!
I'm so glad you included Zeppo. One off the best. Xander was amazing in it. I love all of your choices, too. Great editing!
I need more Buffy videos from you!!! I know the show's been over for 20 years, but it's still my favorite show, and I firmly believe it's one of the BEST shows that's ever been aired!!! PLEASE 🙏
This video is better than what I initially begged to see. Thank you for another amazing video!
That's so cute how she says that I think I'm kind of gay laughing my ass off I love Willow
She says it again when she loses her memory in Tabula Rasa 😂
As a straight white man who is an old fashioned dude that watches sports, plays sports, and plays video games.
I would watch TV shows like Lost, Spartacus, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Wire, Dexter, Ray Donavan, Better Call Saul, Walking Dead and The Boys.
I told myself that I would never get into a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but one day my wife put it on from Season 1 and she told me to just give it a chance, I rolled my eyes and said ok fine.
This was in the early years of my wife and I’s relationship and well before we decided to get married, she had the whole Buffy TV show collection and she definitely wanted me to get into it.
I laughed all throughout Season 1 because I found the show hilarious and kinda campy at first, but by the Season 1 finale episode Prophecy Girl, I really was getting into the show and cared about the characters.
My wife then said, if I thought Season 1 was pretty good, Season 2 was going to be even better and she wasn’t wrong, I totally got hooked on the series while watching Season 2, it was a damn good season.
After my wife got me not the show, I started getting into other shows that she loved like Sex and the City for example lol 😆.
I then got her into TV shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad.
So many channels always show the same clips and high light the same episodes. Thanks for doing something new it was refreshing.
Good list and episode recaps, here is my order of the eps you mentioned:
10. Storyteller
9. A New Man
8. Family
7. Selfless
6. Doppelgangland
5. Fool for Love
4. Who Are You
3. Prophecy Girl
2. The Zeppo
1. Becoming
I would have included Anne
and Angel.
This is a solid and well-defended list! I really enjoyed watching! Looking forward to the AtS version.
This series had so many wonderful characters. A series I truly miss, but revisit often. Great video!!!
Ah! BTVS had some amazing characters and truly was one of the best TV shows ever.
You're Welcome should have been on the list
Really surprised The Weight of the World didn't make the list, considering it's basically all about Buffy coping with the crushing responsibility she's faced as a slayer, what happens when she fails.
Damn this (great) video... Now I have the urge to watch the entire Buffy and Angel series all over again.
Anya was always sad ad mis treatedby the Scoobies. Her own episode made a good point on the powerful nature of identity. Also Xander was the only awesome candaid human character ever.
Great list! I followed you from tumblr and didn’t know you did these kinds of videos. I just rewatched A New Man last week and I love the metaphor of Giles feeling like an outcast and then literally being cast out as a demon.
Buffy was my 1st 'cult' type series following .....loved it + still do!
Me too. I was 16 when this show came out and I didn't think that I would like it. I watched it once and I was " hooked ".
My favorite series. That said, "Storyteller" might be the funniest episode for me. I love it.
Buffy "remastered" looks just awful. Better off going with an old dusty VHS then that version!
Yeah, color grading is bad and it wasnt made for widescreen. But so is the blurry mess that is the DVD-version. I have to watch it in FULLHD to enjoy it today. Hope they make a proper remaster.
yeah i'm so happy that i still got the old dvds...
Thank God hulu is the original and not the remastered sit.
@@liamdahvis3153 hulu is not available everywhere
Hahaha patetic. Remastered version is very better than vhs (horrible look) old.
You did a great work in honoring and giving a deep analysis of the best tv show ever made. Brava Rachel! I've other videos of yours and your job is brilliant.
I really love how deeply you look at these characters, love your vids keep up the good work👌👍👍👍
I've been watching Buffy and Angel this year. First time Buffy viewer and second time for Angel, but I have been very impressed. I put off Buffy for so many years because I figured it was the cheesier silly version of Angel. It's amazing. I wish I would have watched both while they were airing. I probably shouldn't be watching this when I still have a couple seasons left, however spoiled anyway thanks to the spouse.
Nice video!!
What a terrific list and video. Agreed on all of your choices. Although if there could be an extension to this list I'd add Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, Sleeper, and the multi-centric character study 'Restless', as a pure exploration of our core four's subconscious emotions and perceptions.
Omg I love restless. It's my number one episode of all
12:05 you forgot to mention the amazing acting skills of Eliza Dushku , she nailed it. She was so fucking amazing as Faith and Echo , her best parts and so compelling, remarkable and terrific.
Great top 10 , although I never really liked the episodes centered in characters like Giles, Tara or Xander
Even as a young guy, I loved Spike. Looked up to him in a way. Great character. Great actor.
Good job girl... you had me here for 26 minutes... really good video... love from Colombia
Not going to lie, if Snyder didn’t die on Graduation day, my favourite episode would definitely be Becoming. Here are my reasons:
1. Angel is the best villain in the series
2. The final fight is just *perfect*
3. It starts spike’s redemption arc
4. The last song is SO FRICKING DEPRESSING (also incredibly picked for the scene)
5. Buffy’s death threat to Whistler is honestly hilarious
6. It starts introducing willow to being a witch
7. Despite my earlier comment about Angel being the best villain, he is also one of the best good guys (honestly, if he was a little less creepy - I’ve said before that he has the best character base but he’s so creepy that it’s impossible to make him your favourite character - and Giles was a little less awesome, he would make my favourite character) so it’s nice to see him again.
Angel is one of my favorite characters but I’m confused on how Angel is considered creepy
The Buffy centric episodes are my favorite:
Prophecy girl
Becoming
Anne
Helpless
The prom
The gift
The Gifted, u missed that episode.
It was so mature of Buffy to accept death so she can save the world and her sister.
Please keep doing Buffy's analysis.
Always was a fan of BTVS and this reminded me of just how much I loved TV back in the day when tv viewing was at its best with this series!! Nothing competes with this show today or since. Great job on this expose of characterization!!! 😁👍
IF counting Angel (the series) I think Cordelia has the best character arc of all. Willow is a solid second, I love the season 6 ending when Jonathan is remembering how sweet and timid she was in the beginning. Right before she plows in the them with a truck..."just Willow".
Only if we pretend season 4 of Angel never happened....
@@rachelrasmussen1101 True.
Great Video - Only problem is I now need to creep around my mate to borrow his entire Buffy Collection - DAMN I miss this show! I was already getting old when I first saw it - but DAMN it was SO GOOD!!! (I say old... I was Mid 20's...)... Still love it even now...
I would have liked more of Eliza's Faith (not Sarah's), but this was a terrific list. Well done.
The most character-centric Faith episode was on Angel, "Five by Five". I love that episode but it still upsets me that Buffy wasn't really there for it. Buffy and Faith's relationship was so complex and compelling.
@dawggirl Exactly! "Who Are You" was Faith's story and Eliza should've played it. The way it played out was SMG playing naughty Buffy.
your videos are so well written and educational. I'm a film student And I think all your content is amazingly interesting!
Outstanding analysis.
I'm a hardcore Bangel fan but Spike was absolutely a phenomenal character
Great video! Buffy is one af the greatest series of all time. One of my favoritte episodes is the one where she is in an asylum and must choose between reality and fiction. Very strong episode. And very emotional when the parents see her choose her inner fictional life (or was it fictional.....da na na naaaaa).
goddamn that faith dissection hits too close to home :(
The show never had enough Faith
I would've added S1E7 Angel. That was an incredible first look at the Buffyverse's most interesting character IMO
Great work and great use of clips!
I watched all Buffy's seasons 10 times and I never got the "Bored Now" from Willow ! Thanks !
Not like I need any reminders that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest TV show ever, but can I just say Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest TV show ever?
Spot on. Thank you, Rachel, for big enjoyment.
I love Andrew, but I’m still mad about Jonathan’s death.
Amazing video!!! Keeping Buffyverse alive 🤘
Buffy, Faith, Willow, Drusilla, Darla, Angel, Angelus, Spike, Oz, Rupert, And Wesley have the best stories
i’m sad you didn’t mention cordy, her character development from s1 of buffy to later seasons of angel was insane.
Poor Wesley. They really put that poor sod through the ringer.
Fantastic job, Rach!
Amends is also a great example of Angel, and his past, as well as how he feels being a monster, not a "Righteous Man", yet a kind of Amends to all the characters, what they've gone through, and us viewers by having a look at something as simple, and heartwarming as a silent snowfall over the town, as everyone watches it like a beacon of light, on a road that's only going to get harder. To take in the peace of the moment, just watching the snow fall, letting it be enough hope for them in that moment. ;) (As far as all emotional scenes, and episodes, I cannot watch 'The Gift', it uses a sledgehammer on my heart WAAAAAY too close to home, but without a doubt, What Buffy said was true "The Hardest thing in the world, is to live in it. Be brave, live, for me." even just hearing Chistophe Beck's "Sacrifice" During Buffy's realization as what her Gift is that instumental will bring me to tears w/o fail.)
I thought SMG should have won an Emmy for that speech at the end of Amends. How gut-wrenching when she was trying to convince Angel to live. How raw her pain and desperation and vulnerability was. That scene, and her Power speech were the highlights of the show for me. Two ends of her emotional spectrum - spanning from helplessness to steel control.
*Im so glad I ran into your channel! I saw the hair video as well! I subscribed. Amazing 💯*
Awesome, thanks for making this.
I love your videos. I hope you keep making them. Videos like this, Buffy videos, are so awesome, and you speak about them so intelligently.
Great work. I really enjoyed the dissection of these episodes and the essay was well presented.
_Dopplegangland_ is great whether you've seen through S6 or not.
While I also believe Jonathon should have been The Trio member addition to the Scoobies, he had already had character centric episodes. The biggest issue was the risk Andrew had of not being Tucker, who they initially wanted to be in The Trio. Developing somebody new alongside people we knew was risky. And it paid off once they put him in the forefront during _Storyteller._
_Family_ was a great episode overall.
I agree that _A New Man_ didn't really resolve Giles's feeling on the jealousy and being left behind. Buffy saying she thought she had told him when he gave her a phone seemed like a backtrack to the apology that was supposedly solving the problem.
_Prophecy Girl_ was a game changer for the series, but I still always found it down there on my personal list.
Any episode centering around Faith was great, as the nature of her character was always interesting.
_Selfless_ coming so late in the series actually makes sense considering Anya didn't realize she was pulling an unintentional Bella Swan to Xander's Edward, for use of a better phrase.
_The Zeppo_ is also Xander POV of things in the scenes he is in and when it isn't his POV he feels overlooked, so the episode feeling overlooked is almost a good thing in an ironic way.
_Fool for Love_ doesn't just show the heart of Spike's character, but the transformation.
I would switch the order of #2 and #1 and then put _Becoming_ lower on the list and trade it with _Family_ or _Dopplegangland._
Whistler only was around in those two episodes of Season 2 then he just kind of vanished. I guess Doyle took the place of his character on Angel
Fantastic video! It was put together with such insight and care too. Thank you so, so much for making it!
Smart analysis. Love it!
Really loved your video. Great break downs
Though the first two-thirds I just kept thinking “The Zeppo” better be top three or I’m out...lol, and there it was just under the wire. Great job. I think I agree with just about all of your picks.
Great analysis, and L-cut.
love this channel!
Awesome video. Are you going to be doing one of these for Angel since I know you love it more than BtVS?
Yes, an AtS one is in the works!
I could watch this show a million times, and be like, let's make it a million and one!
I loved the vid but how in the hell would “the gift” not be considered Buffy’s greatest character moment? Coming to terms with what it means to be the slayer, finally realizing what the gift actually was and meant, and ultimately sacrificing herself for the world.... come on now. Lol
To be fair, the video is titled "Best Character-Centric Episodes" not "Greatest Character Moments". The GIft is a great episode and definitely contains some solid characterisation for Buffy but it's not exactly a character-centric episode.
idk. i see where youre coming from but then again i still think that the gift can still be considered a character centric episode. its basically buffys coming of age episode. it has a lot of elements to it but it still ultimately centers around buffys ultimate decision to sacrifice herself. i get what youre saying. i just think it wouldve been interesting to analyze the episode from that perspective.
@@jaydubbs8277 Except Buffy's character development towards self-sacrifice was first begun in Prophecy Girl and nothing that happens in The Gift strays too far from that except that the eventual death is more cinematic and semi-permanent.
Since the first episode i saw as a child in the 90s, I loved the show, hasn’t changed since then.
all these clips using the horrible digital remaster of my favorite show. cringe dvd for life
I said the same thing! It's such a shame, it really is. I get so mad when I think about how a team can come to get together just to waste precious money on this joke of an HD transfer. Hulu also has the original version, if you didn't know. Very convenient especially if you've grown tired of going through overly long dvd menu screens like me! Haha. 😊
Love Buffy. My favorite show.
Oh God this dredged up an old memory I'd forgotten so long ago. The way Angelus holds the sword in Becoming, with two finger wrapped above the hilt annoys me to no end. Also, it has to be said, Once More, With Feeling is the greatest character episode in the series. It does the hardest thing in the world with an ensemble cast, one episode where it's a character episode for everyone all at once.
Excellent analysis. Just excellent.
Storyteller!!! Thank you for shining light on how good this episode truly is!!
I love how they include character centered episodes as opposed to having it all revolve around the entire cast.
The line in Who Are You, "because its wrong" is very haunting.
Excellent video. Thank you!
thanks for this video, it was great!
kendras death gets me every time.
Potential is a really good episode for Dawn, who is often sidelines by the fandom
Great video well put together thanks so much
you have the perfect voice for asmr!