Best 5-or-so-minute stretches of Buffy

[whiporee]

I've been doing a rewatch along with the Buffering podcast, so I'm a little fresher than I used to be on the first five or so seasons. One thing that has stood out to me was just how good some relatively short segments are on the show, so i thought I'd throw some out and see what people thought:

1) last five minutes of Checkpoint is my favorite. it hits all the key elements of Buffy as she's grown up, from her realization montage in of her place in the world to her understanding of how people want to take it from her. And I'm not sure the show has ever had a better throwaway line than "Willow is a demon?!"

2) The end of Becoming Part 2. I mean, it's hard to argue with "me" under any circumstances. 

3) Faith and Buffy's "Want, take, have," in Bad Girls.

4) The Mayor's speech in the library where he talked about Edna Mae.

5) Giles coming home in Passion

6) Willow, Tara Xander and Anya in The Body.

7) The slideshow in "Hush."

That's off the top of my head. Anyone have other favorites? 

[Loandbehold]

One from each season:

1. Closing credits in The Puppet Show.

2. Xander's perp walk in B,B&B.

3. The ballet o'death in The Wish.

4. Opening credits to Superstar (they should have stopped the episode right there - the rest is a one-note joke and had so many other problems too numerous to mention).

5. Fight scene on the camper in Spiral.

6. Buffy the sales girl in Spiral.

7. Aud and Olaf's scene in Swedish in Selfless.

[lembergwatcher]

1. Almost any Xillow scene (except the ones in The Wish and Gone);
2. Any scene where they beat the shit out of Spike;
3. Buffy's cheerleading practice in Witch;
4. Willow/Malcolm breakup scene in IRYJ;
5. Xander/Angel scenes in Prophecy Girl and Killed by Death;
6. Frathouse fight in Reptile Boy;
7. Hooker!Willow scaring the shit out of Giles in Halloween;
8. Buffy/Ford interaction in the Act IV of Lie to Me;
9. Angel taunting Spike in What's My Line, Part 2;
10. A/W/X/J/B school hall scene in Innocence ("I am Angel. At last");
11. Oz searching for naked Buffy in BB&B;
12. Willow/Jonathan & Speedo!Xander in Go Fish!;
13. Buffy leaving Sunnydale in Becoming, Part 2;
14. Buffy/Angel dream scene at the beginning of Anne;
15. Buffy meets the Scoobies moment at the beginning of Dead Man's Party;
16. X/W vampiric alter egos sucking Cordy dry in The Wish;
17. Mayor becoming invincible in Bad Girls (Harry Groener doesn't suck at Latin);
18. Willow/Vamp!Willow & Vamp!Willow/Cordelia in Doppelgangland;
19. The airport scene in Choices (I like the music);
20. Willow mocking Oz & Veruca and then assuming Buffy had a group sex with the smart college boys + B/G/X scene in Beer Bad;
21. Willow telling Oz he's a jerk in Wild at Heart;
22. W/X/A poker game scene (except for the Anya part and the poker part) in The I in Team;
23. Morning at Xander's basement scene (Goodbye, Iowa);
24. The Scoobs' elevator shaft moment in Primeval;
25. Buffy/Dawn Magic Box scene at the end of Real Me;
26. Buffy seeing Merlin!Giles at the Magic Box + Buffy doing Cloutier spell in No Place Like Home;
27. Buffy in the desert (Intervention);
28. Willow asking Buffy not to hurt the horsies in Spiral;
29. Willow's "What a bitch" in As You Were;
30. First!Master calling Spike "a pathetic schmuck" in Lessons;
31. Buffy's attempt to kill Principal Wood in Him;
32. Dawn/Amanda interactions in Potential (they could've been the show's big gay couple #2. Or #3).

Edited February 27, 2020 by lembergwatcher

[Halting Hex]

Never in doubt.  Prophecy Girl, act II.

Quote

"And you had your whole life in front of you.  Must be nice."

"Buffy, on the TV.  Willow…"

"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay."/"I'm not okay."

"Buffy's not going to face the Master.  I am."

"I've waded about in these old books for so long I've forgotten what the real world is like.  It's time I found out."

"I'm older and wiser than you, so do what I say! For once?"

"When he wakes up…think of something cool.  Tell him I said it."

"You face the Master and you'll die."/"Maybe.  But maybe I'll take him with me."

"Buffy Makes Peace with Dying."  So, so beautiful.  Brings (several) tears to my eyes, just by thinking of it. (Which is why this silly cat is in my lap and I have to type around him.  Thank you for your concern, Ziggy, but honestly…)

Obviously, the climax to Act II of Innocence ("But, she's so cute!  And helpless.  Really a turn-on") is brilliance, too.  But nothing so much cuts to the heart of our Hero's Dilemma as this.

Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying

And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun

—John [Cougar] Mellencamp, "Authority Song"

(Ziggy just tried to nibble on my wrist.  Which may be blowing that whole "empathy" bit of his, I must say.)

Edited March 3, 2020 by Halting Hex

[Joe Hellandback]

On 2/24/2020 at 4:05 AM, whiporee said:

I've been doing a rewatch along with the Buffering podcast, so I'm a little fresher than I used to be on the first five or so seasons. One thing that has stood out to me was just how good some relatively short segments are on the show, so i thought I'd throw some out and see what people thought:

1) last five minutes of Checkpoint is my favorite. it hits all the key elements of Buffy as she's grown up, from her realization montage in of her place in the world to her understanding of how people want to take it from her. And I'm not sure the show has ever had a better throwaway line than "Willow is a demon?!"

2) The end of Becoming Part 2. I mean, it's hard to argue with "me" under any circumstances. 

3) Faith and Buffy's "Want, take, have," in Bad Girls.

4) The Mayor's speech in the library where he talked about Edna Mae.

5) Giles coming home in Passion

6) Willow, Tara Xander and Anya in The Body.

7) The slideshow in "Hush."

That's off the top of my head. Anyone have other favorites? 

For my money, BBB from where Jenny enters the library to when X/C arrive at the Summers' house, perfection. 

On 2/27/2020 at 9:32 AM, lembergwatcher said:

1. Almost any Xillow scene (except the ones in The Wish and Gone);
2. Any scene where they beat the shit out of Spike;
3. Buffy's cheerleading practice in Witch;
4. Willow/Malcolm breakup scene in IRYJ;
5. Xander/Angel scenes in Prophecy Girl and Killed by Death;
6. Frathouse fight in Reptile Boy;
7. Hooker!Willow scaring the shit out of Giles in Halloween;
8. Buffy/Ford interaction in the Act IV of Lie to Me;
9. Angel taunting Spike in What's My Line, Part 2;
10. A/W/X/J/B school hall scene in Innocence ("I am Angel. At last");
11. Oz searching for naked Buffy in BB&B;
12. Willow/Jonathan & Speedo!Xander in Go Fish!;
13. Buffy leaving Sunnydale in Becoming, Part 2;
14. Buffy/Angel dream scene at the beginning of Anne;
15. Buffy meets the Scoobies moment at the beginning of Dead Man's Party;
16. X/W vampiric alter egos sucking Cordy dry in The Wish;
17. Mayor becoming invincible in Bad Girls (Harry Groener doesn't suck at Latin);
18. Willow/Vamp!Willow & Vamp!Willow/Cordelia in Doppelgangland;
19. The airport scene in Choices (I like the music);
20. Willow mocking Oz & Veruca and then assuming Buffy had a group sex with the smart college boys + B/G/X scene in Beer Bad;
21. Willow telling Oz he's a jerk in Wild at Heart;
22. W/X/A poker game scene (except for the Anya part and the poker part) in The I in Team;
23. Morning at Xander's basement scene (Goodbye, Iowa);
24. The Scoobs' elevator shaft moment in Primeval;
25. Buffy/Dawn Magic Box scene at the end of Real Me;
26. Buffy seeing Merlin!Giles at the Magic Box + Buffy doing Cloutier spell in No Place Like Home;
27. Buffy in the desert (Intervention);
28. Willow asking Buffy not to hurt the horsies in Spiral;
29. Willow's "What a bitch" in As You Were;
30. First!Master calling Spike "a pathetic schmuck" in Lessons;
31. Buffy's attempt to kill Principal Wood in Him;
32. Dawn/Amanda interactions in Potential (they could've been the show's big gay couple #2. Or #3).

Boy, you've thought about this but kudos for Dawn/Amanda shippage.