DVD Review: Death Is Her Gift - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Published January 23, 2008
"Doppelgang"
I remember watching this and laughing my ass off. Buffy has a way of turning completely unrealistic situations into truly engrossing television. Willow has an alternate universe clone and she’s sadistic and evil. Oh yeah, she’s also kind of gay.
"The Prom"I pretend I don’t, but I really do love completely gushy moments. One thing I love about this show that shows like Smallville lack is plausibility to back up its outlandish stories. Buffy winning “class protector” at the prom from a group of high school students who through the last three years seemed ignorant of her identity is just one example of this.
"Graduation Day Part 2"
Like "Earshot" this episode was pushed back a few weeks due to the little moment where they basically destroy the high school. Regardless, this episode has a truly exhilarating reveal at graduation that just simply ROCKS.
Notable Mentions: "Lover’s Walk", "The Wish"
SEASON FOUR
"Hush"
"Hush" is quite possibly one of my favorite episodes of any series EVER. Really creepy ghastly things come to Sunnydale and steal the voices of the entire town so no one hears the hushed screams in the night. Most of this episode was silent except for music and the actors managed to make this episode one of the most exciting and hysterical of the season with just hand gestures and facial expressions. Buffy writers were experts at taking their actors and putting them in challenging situations. This is a big example of that. Character story lines were advanced without conversation or dramatic speeches.
"Restless"
I cannot even begin to explain how this episode became almost a road map of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's later seasons. The whole episode revolves around the main characters (Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles) and their dreams. These dreams are chilling and sometimes showcase a baffling course of events that not only perfectly analyzes the characters but prepares viewers for the much darker and tougher later seasons. I could write an entire article just on this episode alone. It’s important to note that it was also one of the most unconventional season finales I have ever seen.
Notable mentions: "Living Conditions", "Who Are You?"
SEASON FIVE
"The Body"
Pure TV perfection. Buffy finds her mother dead from an aneurysm on the living room couch. The episode has no music, only a terrific script, incredibly effective camera angles, and flawless direction. This is one of the episodes that made even the most reputable critics wonder, "Where are the Emmys for this show?" Anya’s exasperated emotional explosion as a reaction to death and its cold reality is nothing short of riveting.
- DVD Review: Death Is Her Gift - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Published: January 23, 2008
- Type: Review
- Section: Video
- Writer: Alvaro
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Comments on this articleComments
#1, I agree Buffy is quite the underdog.
That's the crazy thing about Buffy. One person's Beer Bad is another person's Passion. (In normal speak one person's bad episode is another person's gem.)
There are SO MANY episodes I had to leave out. I was going to do my favorite Buffy moments as well but found this Web site that has 100. They did it better than I ever could.
Great review! I agree with most of your picks (not that any of them are bad, but you skip a few of my personal favorites) This is my absolute favorite show ever! I'm glad others are realizing how good it is. Thanks for the article!
For anyone who wants a good book about Buffy, check out: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy" Edited by James B. South.
I've always wanted to list the most essential of Buffy episodes. Perhaps to introduce a neophyte to the 'verse, the best place to start is with an ep from season 7. Let me hear you say, "WHAT?".
Actually, just the large-arc exposition home-video done by our dear narrator Andrew in 'Storyteller'. It's SO much better than years-earlier versions that last were done by Giles. Queue-up yours & see it as the 'Masterpiece' it is. Next suggest where to continue the initiation. Eps. can be shuffled. Time is not of the essence. Character FEELINGS are
often understood without 'requisite' developments.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/73161)
Some excellent choices and most I agree with. I thought "The Body" was the best show of the series personally and "Becoming Part 2" the best season finale for any show I have ever seen. Some faves you didn't mention: Season 2's premiere "When She Was Bad," which Joss used to remind us that even when we win, sometimes what happens to us have consequences that resonate long afterwards. In season 4, "New Moon Rising," when Willow finds she must make a choice between an old passion and a new love. In season 5, "Family," which gives us Tara's family and the inclusion of Willow's pertner into the gang. Season 1, "The Puppet Show," gave us a wonderful twist on the ventriloquist dummy storyline and a great chaser over the credits when Buffy, Xander and Willow must perform in the annual "Talentless Show." Season Six's finale "Grave," when we get an unlikely savior to stop the season's big bad. Season Seven's "Storyteller," when Andrew videotapes Buffy and the Potentials as they about preparing to do battle. Season Seven also gave us the wonderful "Lies My Parents Told Me," when we see Spike square off with Robin Wood over an act of vengeance."
And of course, the two Halloween episodes, "Halloween," and "Fear,Itself" ("Who's the little fear monster?")
AS my wife and I both note, Buffy re-runs are *still* better than what passes for first run television most nights.