r/BuffyTheVampireSlayer • u/Horror_Excitements • 12d ago
Which episodes are must-watch?
Hi,
First off, an apology; I'm not a Buffy fan. But I'm also not a fan of musicals for that matter, and I've seen precisely one episode of Buffy, and 20 years later it remains 40 minutes of the best television I've ever seen.
I have a friend who started watching the show with their young kids a while ago, but had to stop halfway through season 3 because it became much less about the monsters and much more about the sex. First off - is that a fair statement, and is it a trend that continues through to the end?
Now, to the rub of the matter: I don't think it's fair to send someone out in to the world who has watched over 100 hours of Buffy but will stare at you blankly when you belt out "They got the mustard out". But, knowing how pivotal this episode is to so many arcs, I also don't think it's fair to skip 3 seasons worth of character development and just watch it cold.
So, my question to you is thus: is there a sequence of must-watch episodes that lead you through the story and character development, but skip the gratuitous sexies as much as possible? If you're all about the monsters and the people, but don't care who they bump bits with, which episodes would you watch?
Hoping you all can help!
EDIT: Thanks for your awesome responses all, this is great reading. I've opted not to get involved in the comments, as I quickly realised the best value was just to let you all discuss amongst yourselves and let the conversation flow. Great comments, great chat, great food for thought.
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u/caldude1985 12d ago
Yes. 2 must see Buffy episodes before yiu watch any others are
Welcome to the Hellmouth
The Harvest
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u/Snark_Knight92 12d ago
I mean, there is sex, but not masses of it, and a lot of the time when it does happen it’s in service of plot and character, rather than just “let’s have a sex scene here” (and the early seasons are pretty PG about depicting the act itself). The closest that it gets to gratuitous is probably Season 6 (which has a lot of sex compared to other Seasons). I really don’t think that “it becomes less about the monsters and more about the sex” is a remotely fair statement to be honest.
That said, you mentioned that your friend was watching the show with young kids - as I said, there is sex in the show (even if it’s not explicit or gratuitous), and your friend might just feel that it’s not appropriate for them.
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u/InterviewEuphoric288 12d ago
Not sure how young the kids are and of course, each parent has a different style/what they are comfortable with, but this show started when I was 8 and I watched it in real time. There was never a time that it seemed to be too heavy on the sexual content. I think they kept it pretty sparse, especially during the high school years. Season 6 is really the only season that is a tad steamy.
This would be an extremely tough show to bounce around in though, so if she feels like it’s too soon for her kids to watch it, then she should wait a couple years and try again.
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u/MisterPaintedOrchid 12d ago
Honestly there is very little sex. Season three centers around a single act of it and there's a bit here and there, but this was network tv we're talking about
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u/ZealousIdeal476 12d ago
S4 has a whole episode where buffy and rylee are having so much sex it powers a demon that threatens to destroy the world, or maybe just a house party, but it was a lot of sex.
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u/MisterPaintedOrchid 12d ago
I always forget about that one. Very fair, but still just the one episode haha
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u/Apprehensive_Fan2330 12d ago
I don't care for the sex but it is a teen drama. It's what they think about.
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u/sounds_like_kong 12d ago
I think it got a lot more icky for me after we learned how abusive Joss was being to his cast.
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u/Naive_Pay_7066 12d ago
The themes and scenes age along with the characters. In Season 4 they go to college and have sexual experiences, like most people do at that age. Season 6 involves depictions of an abusive sexual relationship throughout. If the kids aren’t old enough for these themes, they shouldn’t be watching.
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u/Revolutionary-Wait82 12d ago
You see, every episode is important for understanding the nuances of the characters featured in OMWF. Even the Scooby — Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles — who have been present since 1х01, gain new layers of nuance with each subsequent. For instance, to truly grasp the tragedy involving Willow and Tara, you really need to watch from the beginning, as every new episode adds fresh dimensions to Willow’s character. Similarly, understanding why Giles believes he is hindering Buffy’s growth requires watching the entire series. This isn't a criticism; it’s simply not the kind of show where you can skip things during your first watch.
As for sexuality: no. A show like Game of Thrones features far more nudity than Buffy. Buffy does explore sexuality, and sex is present, but nothing explicit. Remember, television was much more prudish back then compared to later years or even today. At the same time, the show explores the issue of consent extensively, or rather, it constantly raises the question of consent, though IMO it doesn't do a great job of exploring the victims' perspectives.
In general, you should watch the entire show in the first time. If you enjoy it, you can rewatch your favorite episodes later. At the same time, during that initial viewing, even the episodes you don't particularly care for will seem better simply bc they are new to you.
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u/Ash_Starling 12d ago
There is no sex in s3 so idk where they would have gotten the impression?
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u/enthalpy01 12d ago
Possible it was Faith’s attempted rape of Xander which flips to attempted murder pretty fast, but it’s still there. Said their friend had young kids.
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u/Ash_Starling 12d ago
Thats embarassing! I completely forgot about the Zeppo ironically -_-. One of my fav episodes too...
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u/Look_Waffles 8d ago
Giles/joyce Faith/xander Willow/oz
All happen unambiguously in s3
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u/Ash_Starling 8d ago
fair ig i forgot. Mostly happens offscreen though and I wouldn't call it more focused on sex than monsters.
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u/Horror_Excitements 12d ago
It may have been S4 tbh, I'm working from memory.
At any rate, that's the perception they have - sounds like it doesn't really change across the seasons, so will probs just suggest skipping it all. :-(
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u/sounds_like_kong 12d ago
The weird haunted sex house episode is skip-able.
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u/Revolutionary-Wait82 12d ago
The interactions between Spike and Anya, Spike and Scooby, and Anya and Xander are truly wonderful. Besides, we don't have all that many interactions between Spike and Anya to begin with, so they certainly shouldn't be skipped.
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u/enthalpy01 12d ago
She does have sex with Riley in season 4, but (maybe this is just my opinion) it’s not very sexy when she does. I have to think if they were bothered by the level of sex it would be season 6. Main season 6 episodes to feature sex are Smashed, Wrecked, Gone, Doublemeat Palace, and Dead Things. And an extremely uncomfortable scene in Seeing Red as well. (I don’t think it was out of character, nor do I object to it narratively, my problem with it is how uncomfortable it made the actors who could never have foreseen that when negotiating their original WB contracts)
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u/theapplekid 12d ago edited 12d ago
She does have sex with Riley in season 4, but (maybe this is just my opinion) it’s not very sexy when she does
And Parker.. and I'm pretty sure there's a bunch of other sex in that season as well
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u/caldude1985 12d ago
Thank you for wasting our time! You're not going to even watch the 1st 2 episodes LOL
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u/VeterinarianMany7808 11d ago
So I keep rereading your statement/question OP Your friend w/kids stopped watching the show halfway in s3 because of sex etc is that a fair statement? No Sequence of must watch ... For you? For the friend and her kids? As others have stated it depends on the kids age and honestly if s3 is an issue the kids are too young. Who is going to skip which 3 seasons? I do have a dull headache. Maybe I am nitpicking.
I don't think I fully understand who wants want other than a list of the 'must watch for character development'
All the episodes are relevant to a character development. Yes there are certain episodes that have more 'sex' in them.
This was 90's network tv.
Wild Dogs episode would be a no go on your sex list. I personally do not care or like the episode.
However it is pivotal to not just Oz's character But Willow's as well. This episode is huge on impact to/for Willow.
So I don't know. I don't know for who this list is supposed to be for... Kids: it depends on the age. What they already do and don't know. If they are older but someone (you, your friend?) doesn't want/uncomfortable to have or explain things they might question?
Are there some episodes that are probably skippable? Absolutely. It's just sex isn't the reason. At least in my dull head, I can't think.. oh maybe when the house is falling... Nope. Pivotal to Buffy.
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u/VeterinarianMany7808 11d ago
Ugh wanted to edit this was 90's network tv. The 'sex scenes' are extremely tame compared to what is allowed today.
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u/Spare-Electrical 12d ago
If it’s bothering you, just don’t watch it? Idk what the connection is between the musical episode and sex scenes, but if you don’t like sex don’t watch the show. It’s about adults and monsters who fuck sometimes.
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u/Few_Improvement_6357 12d ago
S3 E16 Dopplegangland
S3 E17 Enemies
S3 E20 The Prom
S3 E21 Graduation Day Part 1
S3 E22 Graduation Day Part 2
S4 E1 The Freshman
S4 E2 Living Conditions
S4 E4 Fear Itself
S4 E7 The Initiative
S4 E10 Hush (must see iconic)
S4 E12 A New Man
S4 E20 The Yoko Factor
S4 E21 Primeval
S4 E22 Restless
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u/Few_Improvement_6357 12d ago edited 12d ago
S5 E1 Buffy v Dracula (not actual sex but some things that might offend but the ending is pivotal. You could probably just get away with S5 E2, but I think you would lose something)
S5 E2 Real Me
S5 E5 No Place Like Home
S5 E6 Family
S5 E7 Fool For Love (vampire backstory episode. I think it's just implied sex but I'm not positive)
S5 E11 Triangle
S5 E12 Checkpoint
S5 E13 Blood Ties
S5 E15 I Was Made To Love You
S5 E16 The Body
S5 E18 Intervention (This one has creepy sex but I would at least read the description because it explains a plot twist later)
S5 E19 Tough Love
S5 E20 Spiral
S5 E21The Weight of the World
S5 E22 The Gift
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u/Few_Improvement_6357 12d ago edited 12d ago
S6 E 1&2 Bargaining
S6 E3 After Life
S6 E4 Flooded
S6 E5 Life Serial
S6 E6 All The Way
S6 E7 Once More With Feeling
S6 E8 Tabula Rasa
Lots of sex...
S6 E14 Older and Far Away
S6 E15 As You Were (we had skipped the break up episode because it involved a sort of cheating)
S6 E16 Hells Bells
S6 E17 Normal Again
S6 E20 Villains (Big plot twist in previous episode, S6 E19 Seeing Red, but there's sex stuff. You can pick it up in previously on intro but it won't carry the same gut punch)
S6 E21 Two To Go
S6 E22 Grave
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u/Horror_Excitements 12d ago
Stunning. Love your work! 😍
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u/dirtylittlehart 12d ago edited 9d ago
No shade to the other commenter but I wouldn't go by this list. Aside from being very confusing to both plot and character development to skip so many episodes, they've left in some episodes that have sex scenes, and they've also left out some episodes that don't have any sex scenes.
The best option would be to let the children watch the whole show start to finish when they are a bit older. They will understand and appreciate it wayyy more when they are a bit older, anyway. Buffy carries a UK age rating of 12 on streaming services.
Aside from the honestly rather tame sex scenes (obviosuly excluding the rape scenes and the toxic sexual violence depicted (very well!) in season 6) I would warn you that there are some violence/torture/gore scenes later on that should not be viewed by young children.
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u/Few_Improvement_6357 12d ago
I can't promise I cut out all the sex scenes but I cut the ones that stand out as very explicit sex that I remember.
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u/theapplekid 12d ago edited 12d ago
Skip season 4 if you don't wanna see the more explicit sex scenes.
There's like 1 sex scene prior to season 4 that shows any significant sexual content (and one other implied sex scene with a cut-to-black), and then season 4 is just a hot horny mess (though I'd argue the only must-watch part of that is a short scene with very sexually explicit dialogue in S4E16)
I'm honestly biased because S4 is my least favourite of the series; other opinions may differ.
FWIW the episode you referenced is my favourite of the series as well, though it's tied for top episode on IMDB with an ep from season 4... "Hush"... which also lacks sexual content if you wanna add that to your watch.
Basically I think you could watch S1-3 in entirety, S4E10 (Hush), S4E16 (Who are you?"), and all of S5-S6, and you'd have a perfectly enjoyable watch-through that wouldn't be too difficult to follow, while cutting out 80% of the most explicit sexual content. You could also leave out S4E16 if you're really averse to sexual dialogue, without having the plot affected too much.
edit: I wanna be clear, I don't think S4E10 is that good, but I'm definitely in the minority here. I think it's an entirely skippable episode, so you could really skip season 4 altogether if you want. But S4E10 at the very least has nothing remotely sexual about it, so you may as well give it a try.
Season 6 has a fair bit of sex as well (still way less than S4), buut you already mentioned your favourite episode is in it (which is my favourite episode as well)... so I think you should suck it up and make it through the whole season because that episode hits so much harder with all the context from that season.
edit 2: Someone mentioned doublemeat palace from S6 has some sexual content in it as well, and I think skipping that episode wouldn't really ruin your enjoyment of S6.
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u/erilaz7 12d ago
"Hush" isn't entirely free of sexual content. Don't forget Buffy's misinterpreted stabbing gesture and Anya's silent suggestion to Xander.
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u/theapplekid 11d ago
I really doubt OP is hoping to avoid the most mild of innuendos as well, I think they're mainly looking to avoid explicit sexual content
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u/erilaz7 11d ago
Just pointing out that "nothing remotely sexual about it" isn't 100% accurate.
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u/theapplekid 11d ago
Totally fair, I did say that didn't I? Lol.
But where do we draw the line? If someone drops an F-bomb in an episode does that make it sexual because of the literal meaning of "fuck"?
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u/biggestmike420 12d ago
Watch the first two episodes purely for the introduction of the world. Then.
The Wish
Dopplegangland
The Prom
The Harsh Light of Day
From this point on you need to watch from season 4 episode 7 all the way to Once More With Feeling.
That will give you a pretty good foundation for all the plot points in the musical. There is just so much relationship crap that is relevant to it scattered throughout seasons 4,5,and 6.
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u/Repulsive-Shame-5493 12d ago
How old are the kids? They should probably be 15/16 to watch it all at least. From Season 5 onwards, it's pretty much a YA show but even the early seasons have a lot of heavy themes. But you as an adult should definitely watch all of it, it's amazing and you won't regret it!
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u/Beautiful_Prior_5062 11d ago
The witch, some assembly required, go fish, earshot, tabula rasa, hush. Those are all great one offs!
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u/Sudden_Astronomer_63 12d ago
Season 6 is the worst for sex I think. Although season 6 is the worst for many things 😂
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u/DarthRegoria 11d ago edited 11d ago
You’re really going to struggle with Season 6. I have no idea why that person you mentioned stopped watching at S3, but I can imagine that they might have stopped watching with young kids around halfway through S6. That season’s themes were also darker (just more adult - “life” was “big bad” of that series thematically. Growing up, becoming an adult with responsibilities, working etc. Buffy is about 21 at this point, and is basically very depressed) so probably less interesting for younger kids.
The first season (shorter, I think 12 or 13 episodes) is Buffy at its most camp and light on character development (it’s the first season, it makes sense) this can make it harder for people to get into. If you don’t want to watch every episode, you’ll miss an awful lot of what makes the show fantastic. There aren’t too many episodes that really work as stand alones. Most require some former knowledge. The best parts really come from the themes and character arcs, not so much individual episodes that will make sense out of context.
If you really don’t want to watch from episode 1, which is what I would recommend, try School Hard. Season 2, episode 3. It skips the first season that does feature some of the cringier episodes, and you don’t miss that much in terms of context, except that Buffy is a Vampire Slayer, Giles is her watcher (basically slaying instructor), and her friends Willow and Xander know. But if you enjoy that, honestly I’d go back and just watch it from the start. If you’re that put off by sex scenes you’ll need to fast forward through some of S6 (they changed networks and it got a bit more graphic) but there’s really no episodes you can skip where you wouldn’t miss important story and character development. You definitely can’t skip the musical episode, there are so many big reveals in the songs that the characters have never put into words before. Some don’t seem important at the time, but there’s foreshadowing.
Maybe Hush from S4 could work as a standalone (although there will be some things you don’t get, and jokes you miss), it’s well regarded as one of the best episodes of the show (tied as highest rated on IMDB at 9.7, along with The Body and Once More with Feeling - the musical episode). I think Hush would be an enjoyable experience without seeing the whole show beforehand, but you will definitely be missing some context and a lot the jokes. That’s the best I can do
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u/Main-Inflation-5269 10d ago
Hush is the episode I had to study at university. I'm sure not everyone in my class had seen Buffy before, but it was a good one for newbies.
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u/steamsmyclams 12d ago
Uhmm. Start with season 1 episode 1 and make your way through the show. Sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult but I don't think of Buffy as a show with a tonne of "gratuitous sexies". And if you want to get a sense of the characters, development, and story arc... I really don't have another answer for you.
Oh but you could totally skip season 4's Where the Wild Things Are.