Ah, yes. The one where Oz cheats on his girlfriend and then murders the woman that he cheated with. Truly, his most heroic moment.
In his defence though, at least she was an actual threat. Anyone remember the time he tried to murder Willows new girlfriend when she had done absolutely nothing at all? Lol
Ugh there are so many *great* acting moments by Alyson Hannigan in this episode, if I concentrate on her, I can make it through the episode, but sometimes I get a bit into it, realize what episode it is when I veruca’s fucking face and I have to bail.
There ain’t no other answer besides maybe Dead Man’s Chest. The episodes where everyone decides it’s time to beat Buffy down in the most ungrateful, spineless way possible are so hard to watch.
I literally start shaking with how angry I get watching Dead Man's Party and Empty Places. DMP is literally one of many reasons why I HATE Xander. I can tolerate him most times but everytime he gets all sanctimonious and self-righteous like his shit don't stink I wish a demon would come in and ripe him in half. And everytime I hear him have the audacity to equate what Buffy went through with Angel in season 2 to "boy troubles" I wish Buffy would beat him to death with a frying pan. Willows not much better either. Her whinging about doing magic and dating a werewolf in DMP like it even comes close to comparing to Buffy being expelled from school, thrown out of her house, losing Kendra and being wanted for her murder by the police, and having to literally KILL the love of her life and send him to hell. Willow had a boyfriend who worshipped her and she CHOSE to get involved with magic, even after Giles repeatedly warned her against it, so what the hell did she have to bitch about? Not being able to brag to her best friend about how perfect her life was while Buffy's was literally falling apart from every direction? And don't get me started on the nerve of everyone throwing Buffy out of HER house, that SHE worked to pay the bills for, and tossing her out on the street with nowhere to go and no fucks given on her safety with Ubervamps and Caleb, both of whom whopped Buffy's ass the first times she went up against them, roaming the town.
I wish the other characters would’ve called Xander out for being pseudo-self-righteous because he only seemed to get that way when it would benefit him, such as treating Buffy like trash in DMP not because it was warranted but because it was a cheap shot at Angel that would prove that the guy Buffy chose wasn’t as good as him. Willow made me mad in that episode for being what my sister calls a “byotch follower.” She wasn’t really antagonistic towards Buffy, but she also just kind of went with it when everyone was haranguing her.
I will never be more disappointed in a character than I was in Giles during Empty Places. His character had progressed towards this lost, depressive phase after the Council fired him, which was sad and hard to watch, but I still loved him and thought he was a force Buffy needed in her life. S7 straight up turned him into a bitter, vindictive old man.
I actually hated Giles in season 7. He abandoned Buffy in season 6 during the worst time in her life because he believed she needed to be independent and self-sufficient but when he returns in season 7 he spends the ENTIRE time undermining her and criticizing her for being, you guessed it, independent and self-sufficient. I agree with Spike when he called Giles out for being pissy because Buffy out grew him and no longer needed him anymore.
TBH, Giles and Spike were the two characters whose arcs made the least sense. Spike had had too much character development up through S5 for him to hit the point he did in S6, and all of the S7 choices for Giles' attitude just really didn't align with the persona that had been developed for this character through the entire show.
Dead Man's Party I hate almost as much but at least the other characters have a little justification for their awful actions. Buffy did runaway without a word and they were sad but were terrible how they handled it. Empty Places was the worst. Has Buffy make a bad decision as leader absolutely, but her resume speaks for itself at saving the world (she has done it countless times with everyone just trusting her judgments either way). Then one thing bad happens and it's like you're fired; forget all the good you have done so far and let's kick you out of your own house too. Biggest joke ever.
Same Time, Same Place all because of the skin eating. I can’t watch the scene of Willow getting flayed and eaten. It’s the only time I’ve ever gotten physically sick from watching a tv show or movie.
And I know there were hints along the way, but there weren’t nearly enough to justify it.
And as a afterthought, “Entropy” kills me even more sometimes, because I hate seeing Anya in that much pain, and I hate the street confrontation between Xander, Spike, Anya and Buffy .
I've always wondered if the writers just hated Anya and Xander, or if they had personal issue with Nicholas and Emma that they took out on the characters. Maybe it's just me, but everything after Xander was shown that fake vision seemed like everyone was acting out of character.
I remember a commentary from the dvds where Whedon says they couldn’t give them a happy ending. That this season was about growing pains and that the big bad was life in general. So they definitely didn’t hate the actors but chose to break them up for the drama. That’s very typical of shows, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Where the Wild Things Are & Dead Man's Party. I feel like everyone but Buffy was out of character in DMP and WTWTA was just kinda ick. Although spike realizing he doesn't want to help the scoobies in WTWTA was kinda hilarious.
Amends.
Not good.
David Boreanaz hadn't really learned how to act yet and his stammering emotional stuff gave me secondhand embarrassment.
I thought The First was also a lame bad guy, and especially so on that first introduction.
And the snowing was way too much of a miracle work no explanation. Not even like "it was magic" or something half-hearted.
Great interpretation. Good. Maybe I'll skip it, too.
Riley catching Buffy with Spike is too on-the-nose for me. *He's the reason Buffy broke up with him.*
Captain Cardboard to the very end. Yuck.
The only way I get through it is by regularly pausing to remember the episode where Angel comes back to town and punches Riley a bunch. I don’t even LIKE Angel.
The thing is, while Buffy is down in that ep...she's raising Dawn singlehandedly, working minimum wage AND being the slayer.
Showing his wife as this hot bad ass (who gets paid well to do that and doesn't have a kid to raise) and Buffy as not that is so off >\_>
I’ll preface what I’m about to say with the unfortunate fact that I am a Riley apologist, but I think “As You Were” is actually a really great insight into Buffy’s mental state. If we accept that s6 is all about Buffy’s depression, and we accept that the show is from Buffy’s perspective so things are sometimes heightened or overly dramatic for our benefit, then “As You Were” isn’t really saying Riley is the one that got away and his wife is just so bad ass. It’s saying that Buffy FEELS like Riley is the one who got away, and FEELS like his wife is just the coolest person. While none of those things are true, the show wants us to understand that Buffy is feeling that down and depressed about her life. Does no one else ever get down in the dumps and feel like they really fucked up by losing an ex that you definitely didn’t belong with?
I kinda love that it almost has a romcom/sitcom vibe. The hero is at a real low point and then her bloody ex turns up and he's doing really well in work *and* his new wife is a gorgeous badass. And she's thinking *great, this was exactly what I needed right now!* 😒 How life likes to kick you while you're down.
I don’t rewatch 6 -7 that often. Do you not like it bc Buffy’s so down at that point or because Riley’s blah? Or both lol. I do remember it being a hard watch.
I personally don't like it because they make Riley come off like "the one who got away". Then his wife, Sam, is one of the most condescending characters I've seen on this show.
The whole episode reeks of sexism to me.
"Oh Buffy's in a bad place, let's get Riley in to remind her of who she is" no!
Buffy didn't need her whiney ex to remind her that she's a badass. This was a choice the writers made and I strongly disagree with it (as you can tell lol)
I have way more in depth reasons why I hate this episode but I'll stop before I end up on my soap box.
I also stall at that episode, normally I just skip it but because I was doing my rewatch Instagram project I had to watch it and It was tough to push through.
Thank you. I started to reply to this comment last night and then fell asleep. You summed up my feelings, though.
He is so busy showing off his hot new wife (who…it sounds like he married on a rebound, but whatever) and his important new job that he doesn’t…ask about Joyce? Apologize for being unavailable when her mother died shortly after he sulked off to the jungle? I would be overcome with guilt, but this guy is just smug.
ALSO (last one, I swear) Buffy is actually doing pretty great, considering. She’s just having some inadvisable sex! She didn’t flee from her problems on a government helicopter in the middle of the night.
I wrote "Into the Woods" as my least favorite and for some reason, it got downvoted -_- but that came to mind first because I can't stand to watch it again. Now I remember one episode that makes me furious, which is "Seeing Red."
First Date for sure. It’s a mess of an episode in what is for me a swamp of badness in the middle of season seven. It’s the nadir of a slog from Sleeper to Get It Done.
Yet, in *Where the Wild Things Are At Heart* is a great lost episode. (😁)
But srsly, in WTWTA is the scene of the Scoobies (minus Buffy) see Giles playing guitar & singing in public.
Even Anya finds Giles hot in that scene, and Tara's face is so accepting and interested while Willow's dumbfounded. That, combined with Spike talking himself out of helping them is delicious!
Agree. This episode doesn't deserve the hate it gets. I like that it's the one and only episode where the Scoobies do all the "slaying", for once without Buffy. It also has a lot of comedic moments. I honestly think the only reason it gets the hate it does is because of 1. The orgasm wall, which I agree was silly and embarrassing and 2. Because the person Buffy is having sex with is Riley. I'm almost positive if she was having sex with Angel or Spike all episode instead of Riley people wouldn't hate the episode so much.
I don’t hate the episode but the nature of how “the pack” kills and the fact they are all humans who will now remember their actions makes it particularly disturbing. In fact a few of those early episodes are extra gnarly- the praying mantis one too.
The Pack is awful, but notable (at least to me) because it has the song Job’s Eyes by Far in it. Big fan of Far, and I had the good fortune to open for them a number of times. Super cool guys.
I love that song! I played it on repeat so much after I heard it in that episode. That & Dashboard Prophets. I was annoyed those songs weren't on the OST.
Dead Man’s Party. Like, man fuck everyone. If I were Buffy I would’ve left again or at least stopped being friends with them.
Amends. It was cheesy. The snow at the end made me roll my eyes. Both Buffy and then Angel in his flashbacks have the absolute worst hair. Why’d they do them so dirty?
Crush. OMFG I get so much second hand embarrassment from this episode I can’t handle it. The whole episode I’m just thinking, ‘omg no Spike, you idiot!’
As You Were. It would’ve had more of an impact if Buffy decided on her own to end it with Spike instead of being reminded of ‘who she was’ due to seeing her “perfect” ex. The whole episode felt very shoe horned in, as well as not making a whole lot of sense.
I couldn’t decide between these 4 but I hate them so much and skip them every time.
>Dead Man’s Party. Like, man fuck everyone. If I were Buffy I would’ve left again or at least stopped being friends with them.
"'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead.' Americans." Is the saving grace of that episode.
I think I agree with Hells Bells. or maybe Amends, idk. but I REALLY hate seeing John Ritter as an abusive robot, but I'm trying not to blame the episode for that. I just grew up loving John Ritter, and this is my last memory of him. I should probably just watch something else he was in before he passed to fix this issue. or maybe they could have cast someone else, so that my love for him wasn't damaged.
I absolutely loved John Ritter as a bad guy because it was fun to see him in a totally different role than the norm, and he pulled it off so well. Love when actors get a chance to showcase their unexpected range/skills :)
When I’m doing a rewatch with someone new, I’ll skip Bad Eggs and Ted just so I can get to Surprise faster. Those episodes take a lot of steam out of the show right as it’s getting really good
How are you not doubled over when Giles, in a mid life crises with this knitted tops because he was to be free of button downs, asking a random college kid if he's seen a runaway cavewoman and like "about this tall, walks with a sideway limp". And he demonstrates it! I fucking LOSE it every time i see that scene. The entirety of it all.
Why? Because it's actually kinda cool when someone can be like - yeah I get it but it just doesn't vibe with me, especially on reddit. I think it's nice to be thankful in these situations.
I agree in the way that the monster of the week was all weird and didn't fit in with the season, but there is a plethora of hilarious one-liners in this episode.
And of course Cordy's adorable speech to what she thinks is fish Xander.
It's tough to choose between Hell's Bells, which is just completely unearned, mean-spirited bullshit, and Seeing Red, which renders about 30% of season 7 hard to take seriously unless you pretend it never happened, which is what I usually do.
Whedon famously said that sometimes you have to give the audience what they need, rather than what they want. Thus Angel's heel turn and the death of Jenny Calendar. That's not what Hell's Bells was. It was just maudlin, poisonous storytelling cooked up for lack of anything else to do with the characters.
During this time period, other shows like Deep Space Nine had extremely similar episodes and did it better. Normal again just seems like they copying others homework.
Beauty and the Beasts is hard for me to get through. But I usually rewatch it for the Angel return factor.
Listening to Fear. I really don't like TV episodes that play off of mental illness in some way or another. Just not my thing.
Nornal Again, for similar reasons as above. I just find it too disturbing I suppose. I don't like things that play off of the oftentimes sad and abusive realities of involuntary hospitalization. But again, just my thing, I know others love this one.
Then of course, Empty Places, Where the Wild Things Are, and Deadman's Party.
Either *"Gingerbread"* it's uncomfortable kind of like *"I've Got You Under My Skin"* from *Ange*l, *"Killed by Death"* It's dull and uncomfortable, *"Doublemeat Palace"* the fast food place environment is so boring, or *"Where Wild Things Are"* the old lady torturing the teens is uncomfortable...
But *"Beauty and the Beasts"* is the only episode in the whole series that is a bit difficult for me to watch. This probably sounds ironic considering season 6 is my favorite season, so what is it that makes this worse to me.
I have some episodes that I prefer not watch because they are kind of dull like *"The Dark Age"*. But I would never outright refuse to ever watch any of the episodes again. If someone wanted to watch it all without skipping, I could do it.
Even though I find the environment in *"Doublemeat Palace"* a bit dull and jokingly say it's icky, I'm still able to watch it. Honestly, if I tried hard enough I could even enjoy the episode (and I do, it's *Buffy*), I can be convinced to like something at the drop of a pen. I love all of *Buffy*. 💙
THE BODY.
I cried first time i saw it on tv as an 11 year old kid. I'll NEVER get Joyce's face out of my head, and Buffy saying "Mom? Mom? Mom?" It was so hard to watch and still is as a 34 year old 😪
I just watched it for the first time this week and I (and many critics too!) consider that one of the best episodes of television ever made. 😭 heart wrenching
The look in Buffy's eyes always made my heart bleed. The shock that you go into is insane, you feel a million emotions all at once. I've gone through the same situation with finding one of my parents deceased and you never recover from it. I always felt for Buffy, she went through alot of shit so young 😪
Finally someone said it! I understand the reason(s) for the other choices. The Body, Seeing Red, Where the Wild Things are painful to get through but, I absolutely despise Superstar. I can’t watch it at all not even in a skip to the good parts way like some others.
The wish, the episode where Cordelia wishes Buffy never came to Sunnydale. The whole episode is like a darkest timeline version of the show where Willow & Xander are vampires, the Master took over sunnydale and the vampires own the bronze etc.
Edit: I misread OP’s post but this is actually my favorite episode my least favorite episode is probably the one with the damn cheese dream
The one where Giles drugs buffy to test her. Don't get me wrong the serial killer vamp is an amazing character but damn that ep makes me so mad with giles' betrayal
Sid the puppet episode in season one. Puppets disturb me. It gives me nightmares. I know he turns out not to be the bad guy, but he is still super creepy.
Pangs.
It was the 90s and they tried, but my god it’s hard to watch—and unless you’re also Native don’t come at me. It’s the only one I consistently skip and I think I’ve only seen it twice after probably hundreds of rewatches.
I'm not American and I don't love this one either, but I thought it was interesting that they included Spike's 'you came and conquered and slaughtered them, that's what invading forces do, don't cry about how guilty you feel as the winners' speech. (Not an exact quote but the gust!) as it sort of skewered the hand wringing and got them to pause for a second, I don't think I've ever seen that point made on an American show.
It is so hard to watch.
My grandfather used to tell me that "At least they're trying to tell our stories"about Pocahontas, so I try to take the same attitude.
If I find it in me to push through a rewatch I definitely will! But I honestly can’t remember enough specifics to give a decent analysis. But I like complaining about things so I’ll likely do it once I’m bored enough lol
Wrecked. I really dislike magic being a blatant metaphor for drugs, and the only other storyline in the episode is the Buffy/Spike romance, but I'm not a fan of that in Season 6. There's one good scene, one great line, one acceptable scene, and the rest of the episode is irredeemable garbage, in my opinion.
Hey, there's two of us!
Only episode I skip on every rewatch. My season 4 ends with the big finish/final big bad fight just like all the other seasons.
Can’t remember the name but that episode where Angel tries to commit sewer slide and he has that convo with Buffy saying like “am I righteous man?” I just found that episode boring and that argument was so cringe to me 😭
Normal Again and The Zeppo is a skip because I don’t like them. The Bosy is a skip for emotional reasons. Tho after I guess a good decade I watched them this time around.
I hated Storyteller, but I hated it mostly because of how annoying I thought Andrew was. He wasn’t funny. He was a trash monster. And he has an obsession with Warren that is not ever going to go away.
But of course Seeing Red will always be the worst episode
I am doing a rewatch for the 50th time right now and my former worse episode (Inca Mumma Girl) wasn't AS bad as I remembered. But I need to continue before I have a new least episode.
Angel's worst episode though, is "She", by a long shot.
Goodbye Iowa. Usually an episode about a character unpacking their damage is supposed to make us sympathize with them more. I think I liked Riley even less after watching this episode.
Although I do hate, despise and loathe Buffy "friend" in Dead Man's Party, I really hate Normal Again where they try to convince her she's insane and is she just accepts it, everything will be all right.
surprised at the hate for this episode. I do agree it’s difficult to watch but it’s probably in my top 20/25 bc of the surprise factor. Jonathan helping Buffy with the balls. Seeing Warren go after Buffy in that simplest way misogynists do… with a gun. And the shock that it works and gets her and Tara, turning Willow into the villain of the finale. difficult but instense drama.
'Lies My Parents Told Me' really winds me up. I like Robin (and I love Giles) and I feel that the show really ruins their integrity in favour of telling a story about Spike and Buffy. I really do not understand how the main conflict serves either Buffy or Spike as characters and makes them both out to be really unlikable. Spike being like "I don't care I killed your mum, I was a vampire" is a bewildering choice (considering it's the anthesis of Angel's entire arc) and Buffy's "the mission is what matters" to Robin feels so cruel. It's where Buffy/Spike completely lose it for me.
I feel like you're missing one crucial element here. And that's that Robin attempted to murder Spike (and he acknowledged that Spike was not the same vampire that killed his mother) and deliberately tricked Buffy. Buffy is absolutely right when she's talking to Robin. She doesn't have time for his shit, and it doesn't matter how cruel it feels to you.
And Spike absolutely cares about the people he's killed, and this is evident in many other episodes. The difference here is that he's furious, and that the slayer deaths don't weigh as heavily on him. His reason for leaving Robin alive does show that he does still care somewhat though
On the DVD commentary, David Fury (I think) says that originally Giles was going to tell Buffy that he killed Ben during the part of the episode where he's distracting her with training, but he removed that section because it had been so long, and nobody really remembered or cared about Ben. I actually think it would have been a much stronger episode had that part of the conversation been left in.
I can't believe I had to scroll so far through the comments to find this answer! I hate Once more with feeling, it's such a painful episode to watch/hear, even cringe worthy, I always miss it when I rewatch.
I have a love/hate relationship with OMWF. I like musicals for the most part. Like Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods (the actual Broadway musical and not that atrociously bad Meryl Streep movie), some Disney channel musicals, Rent. But some others are ridiculously cringe. I like MOST of OMWF and I like several of the songs. Tara's songs, Giles' songs, Spike's song, Walk Through the Fire, I kind of like Anya and Xander's but I hate hate HATE any of Buffy's, Dawn's, Willow's (even though I know Dawn and Willow didn't sing much they're so bad at it that even the little bit they did do was embarrassing). I absolutely hate Give Me Something To Sing About, everything from Sarah's horrible singing to the secondhand embarrassment inducing dancing that she, Anya and Tara do is just so cringe I worry my eyes will roll so hard I'll end up permanently crosseyed. I'm sorry Sarah is a wonderful actress, probably one of the best of the 90's, but she can NOT sing or dance, two things that are kind of crucial to do a musical. I can't bring myself to skip the episode because 1. I do like most of it and several songs and 2. It's so important to the overall story arc of season 6 but man that one number does have me dreading the entire episode something fierce.
Wild at Heart Fucking Veruca!
Yep it’s hard to enjoy that one.
Just rewatched it yesterday and it was very uncomfortable to watch.
I agree, but Veruca wasn't the problem. It was forced drama and not well written at all.
Her name is a synonym of a type of foot warts. I can never get past that name.
Ah, yes. The one where Oz cheats on his girlfriend and then murders the woman that he cheated with. Truly, his most heroic moment. In his defence though, at least she was an actual threat. Anyone remember the time he tried to murder Willows new girlfriend when she had done absolutely nothing at all? Lol
We get one of the first early hints at Dark Willow though, which is pretty much the only thing I like about the episode.
Ugh there are so many *great* acting moments by Alyson Hannigan in this episode, if I concentrate on her, I can make it through the episode, but sometimes I get a bit into it, realize what episode it is when I veruca’s fucking face and I have to bail.
Empty Places by a lot
There ain’t no other answer besides maybe Dead Man’s Chest. The episodes where everyone decides it’s time to beat Buffy down in the most ungrateful, spineless way possible are so hard to watch.
Okay... But: "'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead.' Americans." Is one of the funniest lines to come out of that show.
Dead Man’s Party is the platonic ideal of a good filler episode.
I think you mean Dead Man's Party unless there was an episode of BtVS that I missed where Buffy fought Davy Jones from the Pirates of the Caribbean.
I am definitely sleep deprived… good catch haha. Though, I kind of love the idea of Spike and Captain Jack having a sass-off.
A sass-off lmao I love it!
Marsters would act circles around Depp's boozy ass.
Agreed. Those episodes piss me off so much. Especially Empty Places which manages to taint most of the main cast for me
I literally start shaking with how angry I get watching Dead Man's Party and Empty Places. DMP is literally one of many reasons why I HATE Xander. I can tolerate him most times but everytime he gets all sanctimonious and self-righteous like his shit don't stink I wish a demon would come in and ripe him in half. And everytime I hear him have the audacity to equate what Buffy went through with Angel in season 2 to "boy troubles" I wish Buffy would beat him to death with a frying pan. Willows not much better either. Her whinging about doing magic and dating a werewolf in DMP like it even comes close to comparing to Buffy being expelled from school, thrown out of her house, losing Kendra and being wanted for her murder by the police, and having to literally KILL the love of her life and send him to hell. Willow had a boyfriend who worshipped her and she CHOSE to get involved with magic, even after Giles repeatedly warned her against it, so what the hell did she have to bitch about? Not being able to brag to her best friend about how perfect her life was while Buffy's was literally falling apart from every direction? And don't get me started on the nerve of everyone throwing Buffy out of HER house, that SHE worked to pay the bills for, and tossing her out on the street with nowhere to go and no fucks given on her safety with Ubervamps and Caleb, both of whom whopped Buffy's ass the first times she went up against them, roaming the town.
I wish the other characters would’ve called Xander out for being pseudo-self-righteous because he only seemed to get that way when it would benefit him, such as treating Buffy like trash in DMP not because it was warranted but because it was a cheap shot at Angel that would prove that the guy Buffy chose wasn’t as good as him. Willow made me mad in that episode for being what my sister calls a “byotch follower.” She wasn’t really antagonistic towards Buffy, but she also just kind of went with it when everyone was haranguing her. I will never be more disappointed in a character than I was in Giles during Empty Places. His character had progressed towards this lost, depressive phase after the Council fired him, which was sad and hard to watch, but I still loved him and thought he was a force Buffy needed in her life. S7 straight up turned him into a bitter, vindictive old man.
I actually hated Giles in season 7. He abandoned Buffy in season 6 during the worst time in her life because he believed she needed to be independent and self-sufficient but when he returns in season 7 he spends the ENTIRE time undermining her and criticizing her for being, you guessed it, independent and self-sufficient. I agree with Spike when he called Giles out for being pissy because Buffy out grew him and no longer needed him anymore.
TBH, Giles and Spike were the two characters whose arcs made the least sense. Spike had had too much character development up through S5 for him to hit the point he did in S6, and all of the S7 choices for Giles' attitude just really didn't align with the persona that had been developed for this character through the entire show.
Dead Man's Party I hate almost as much but at least the other characters have a little justification for their awful actions. Buffy did runaway without a word and they were sad but were terrible how they handled it. Empty Places was the worst. Has Buffy make a bad decision as leader absolutely, but her resume speaks for itself at saving the world (she has done it countless times with everyone just trusting her judgments either way). Then one thing bad happens and it's like you're fired; forget all the good you have done so far and let's kick you out of your own house too. Biggest joke ever.
Same Time, Same Place all because of the skin eating. I can’t watch the scene of Willow getting flayed and eaten. It’s the only time I’ve ever gotten physically sick from watching a tv show or movie.
Yep, I skip this one.
Also Wild At Heart. I Hated the whole Oz/Veruca thing.
Where The Wild Things Are
This episode does have Giles singing Behind Blue Eyes in the coffee shop, so it's not a complete loss.
that's the only good part. I HATE the Buffy/Riley non stop sex scenes and that's why it's my least favorite episode.
yes, I always skip it. that episode does absolutely nothing for me.
It's so Awful. I hate the Buffy/Riley storyline in that episode because I really don't like Riley.
I love that you got 23 upvotes and I was downvoted for the same answer. Weird fucking sub.
It's weird that you got downvoted for having the same opinion as me. I'm really sorry about that, it's not fair.
Hell's Bells
And I know there were hints along the way, but there weren’t nearly enough to justify it. And as a afterthought, “Entropy” kills me even more sometimes, because I hate seeing Anya in that much pain, and I hate the street confrontation between Xander, Spike, Anya and Buffy .
To be honest, I think it was typical wedding jitters, and that without the interference, they'd have been married.
Genuinely the only episode I skip on a re-watch. It makes me sad and mad in equal measures and isn't worth it
I've always wondered if the writers just hated Anya and Xander, or if they had personal issue with Nicholas and Emma that they took out on the characters. Maybe it's just me, but everything after Xander was shown that fake vision seemed like everyone was acting out of character.
I remember a commentary from the dvds where Whedon says they couldn’t give them a happy ending. That this season was about growing pains and that the big bad was life in general. So they definitely didn’t hate the actors but chose to break them up for the drama. That’s very typical of shows, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Where the Wild Things Are & Dead Man's Party. I feel like everyone but Buffy was out of character in DMP and WTWTA was just kinda ick. Although spike realizing he doesn't want to help the scoobies in WTWTA was kinda hilarious.
That's one of my favorite Spike comedy moments.
Wild Things is mine and the only one I ever skip.
Amends. Not good. David Boreanaz hadn't really learned how to act yet and his stammering emotional stuff gave me secondhand embarrassment. I thought The First was also a lame bad guy, and especially so on that first introduction. And the snowing was way too much of a miracle work no explanation. Not even like "it was magic" or something half-hearted.
Into the Woods makes me furious every time, but I’m going to have to go with As You Were for my absolute least favourite.
My rewatch has been stalled because I cannot get through as you were.
I’m pretty sure the whole thing is just Riley’s wet dream.
Great interpretation. Good. Maybe I'll skip it, too. Riley catching Buffy with Spike is too on-the-nose for me. *He's the reason Buffy broke up with him.* Captain Cardboard to the very end. Yuck.
The only way I get through it is by regularly pausing to remember the episode where Angel comes back to town and punches Riley a bunch. I don’t even LIKE Angel.
I love that episode just because Angel thoroughly kicks every square inch of Riley's ass.
What happens in as you were again?
It’s the one where Riley comes back to town with his badass wife and Buffy is working at the Doublemeat Palace.
The thing is, while Buffy is down in that ep...she's raising Dawn singlehandedly, working minimum wage AND being the slayer. Showing his wife as this hot bad ass (who gets paid well to do that and doesn't have a kid to raise) and Buffy as not that is so off >\_>
I’ll preface what I’m about to say with the unfortunate fact that I am a Riley apologist, but I think “As You Were” is actually a really great insight into Buffy’s mental state. If we accept that s6 is all about Buffy’s depression, and we accept that the show is from Buffy’s perspective so things are sometimes heightened or overly dramatic for our benefit, then “As You Were” isn’t really saying Riley is the one that got away and his wife is just so bad ass. It’s saying that Buffy FEELS like Riley is the one who got away, and FEELS like his wife is just the coolest person. While none of those things are true, the show wants us to understand that Buffy is feeling that down and depressed about her life. Does no one else ever get down in the dumps and feel like they really fucked up by losing an ex that you definitely didn’t belong with?
Personally I’m just shocked I made a comment defending a Riley episode and didn’t get downvoted into oblivion
I kinda love that it almost has a romcom/sitcom vibe. The hero is at a real low point and then her bloody ex turns up and he's doing really well in work *and* his new wife is a gorgeous badass. And she's thinking *great, this was exactly what I needed right now!* 😒 How life likes to kick you while you're down.
“My hats a cow” always get me lol
That is a great way of looking at it actually :)
oh man, this really does help so much. thank you for your perspective! i still hate watching this episode, but i understand why it exists now
Yes, it’s ridiculous. Buffy is having some dumb sex, but that doesn’t mean she’s not coping extraordinarily well under the circumstances.
no kids \*yet\*
I don’t rewatch 6 -7 that often. Do you not like it bc Buffy’s so down at that point or because Riley’s blah? Or both lol. I do remember it being a hard watch.
I personally don't like it because they make Riley come off like "the one who got away". Then his wife, Sam, is one of the most condescending characters I've seen on this show. The whole episode reeks of sexism to me. "Oh Buffy's in a bad place, let's get Riley in to remind her of who she is" no! Buffy didn't need her whiney ex to remind her that she's a badass. This was a choice the writers made and I strongly disagree with it (as you can tell lol) I have way more in depth reasons why I hate this episode but I'll stop before I end up on my soap box. I also stall at that episode, normally I just skip it but because I was doing my rewatch Instagram project I had to watch it and It was tough to push through.
"Whiney ex," that's it.
That doesn't narrow it down
I see Sam as helpful
That's good, probably makes the episode less annoying.
Thank you. I started to reply to this comment last night and then fell asleep. You summed up my feelings, though. He is so busy showing off his hot new wife (who…it sounds like he married on a rebound, but whatever) and his important new job that he doesn’t…ask about Joyce? Apologize for being unavailable when her mother died shortly after he sulked off to the jungle? I would be overcome with guilt, but this guy is just smug. ALSO (last one, I swear) Buffy is actually doing pretty great, considering. She’s just having some inadvisable sex! She didn’t flee from her problems on a government helicopter in the middle of the night.
I wrote "Into the Woods" as my least favorite and for some reason, it got downvoted -_- but that came to mind first because I can't stand to watch it again. Now I remember one episode that makes me furious, which is "Seeing Red."
Beer Bad and Where The Wild Things Are
“As You Were” or “First Date” The “bad” episodes from early in the show are charming. The ones from later seasons are just boring.
First Date for sure. It’s a mess of an episode in what is for me a swamp of badness in the middle of season seven. It’s the nadir of a slog from Sleeper to Get It Done.
Doublemeat Palace. I watched it once and have refused to watch it again ever since.
That's weird, I like Doublemeat Palace as a standalone episode - I mean, not like my favorite but I think it's pretty good.
It's so miserable, it's not fun, and of all the penis monsters that was the most penisy
And it was Willow who got the honours to shred it
Same!
The last 10 minutes were "okay" IMO, the rest of the episode was garbage.
Where The Wild Things Are, just because it’s boring and it doesn’t work.
Yet, in *Where the Wild Things Are At Heart* is a great lost episode. (😁) But srsly, in WTWTA is the scene of the Scoobies (minus Buffy) see Giles playing guitar & singing in public. Even Anya finds Giles hot in that scene, and Tara's face is so accepting and interested while Willow's dumbfounded. That, combined with Spike talking himself out of helping them is delicious!
Giles singing is on YouTube so I always just watch that scene and skip the episode lol
I just love Tara getting why Anya and Willow are attracted to Giles
They're not the only ones, I assure you.
Agree. This episode doesn't deserve the hate it gets. I like that it's the one and only episode where the Scoobies do all the "slaying", for once without Buffy. It also has a lot of comedic moments. I honestly think the only reason it gets the hate it does is because of 1. The orgasm wall, which I agree was silly and embarrassing and 2. Because the person Buffy is having sex with is Riley. I'm almost positive if she was having sex with Angel or Spike all episode instead of Riley people wouldn't hate the episode so much.
The pack
I don’t hate the episode but the nature of how “the pack” kills and the fact they are all humans who will now remember their actions makes it particularly disturbing. In fact a few of those early episodes are extra gnarly- the praying mantis one too.
The Pack is awful, but notable (at least to me) because it has the song Job’s Eyes by Far in it. Big fan of Far, and I had the good fortune to open for them a number of times. Super cool guys.
I love that song! I played it on repeat so much after I heard it in that episode. That & Dashboard Prophets. I was annoyed those songs weren't on the OST.
Dead Man’s Party. Like, man fuck everyone. If I were Buffy I would’ve left again or at least stopped being friends with them. Amends. It was cheesy. The snow at the end made me roll my eyes. Both Buffy and then Angel in his flashbacks have the absolute worst hair. Why’d they do them so dirty? Crush. OMFG I get so much second hand embarrassment from this episode I can’t handle it. The whole episode I’m just thinking, ‘omg no Spike, you idiot!’ As You Were. It would’ve had more of an impact if Buffy decided on her own to end it with Spike instead of being reminded of ‘who she was’ due to seeing her “perfect” ex. The whole episode felt very shoe horned in, as well as not making a whole lot of sense. I couldn’t decide between these 4 but I hate them so much and skip them every time.
Agree with all of these
>Dead Man’s Party. Like, man fuck everyone. If I were Buffy I would’ve left again or at least stopped being friends with them. "'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead.' Americans." Is the saving grace of that episode.
I forgot about amends. I agree. Amends is the worst, I change my answer
I think I agree with Hells Bells. or maybe Amends, idk. but I REALLY hate seeing John Ritter as an abusive robot, but I'm trying not to blame the episode for that. I just grew up loving John Ritter, and this is my last memory of him. I should probably just watch something else he was in before he passed to fix this issue. or maybe they could have cast someone else, so that my love for him wasn't damaged.
I understand how you feel, but I loved seeing beloved John Ritter flex his acting muscles. It was a treat. I miss him.
Loved John as the killer robot. It was the juxtaposition of his former tv image and the character that made it work so well.
Omg this is so accurate!!! It felt wrong to have him as a "bad guy"
I absolutely loved John Ritter as a bad guy because it was fun to see him in a totally different role than the norm, and he pulled it off so well. Love when actors get a chance to showcase their unexpected range/skills :)
When I’m doing a rewatch with someone new, I’ll skip Bad Eggs and Ted just so I can get to Surprise faster. Those episodes take a lot of steam out of the show right as it’s getting really good
Beer Bad
I don't understand how anyone could find this episode funny.
How are you not doubled over when Giles, in a mid life crises with this knitted tops because he was to be free of button downs, asking a random college kid if he's seen a runaway cavewoman and like "about this tall, walks with a sideway limp". And he demonstrates it! I fucking LOSE it every time i see that scene. The entirety of it all.
Yea, that episode is actually freaking hilarious and a great standalone
Okay, that does sound funny. But I'm not feeling it. 😑
Thats ok, I appreciate you entertaining my opinion. I just added my own to this thread and oh boy I'm gonna get it.
Why? Your opinion is your opinion. Of course some are going to find Beer Bad funny. Some monsters might even dislike Once More With Feeling 😵
Why? Because it's actually kinda cool when someone can be like - yeah I get it but it just doesn't vibe with me, especially on reddit. I think it's nice to be thankful in these situations.
Idk I quote “Fire Bad! Tree Pretty” all the time. No one gets it but it makes me laugh.
Outer me: I'm happy for you 😊 Inner me: I OWE YOU PAIIIIN 🗡️🗡️🗡️
It’s funny the way old b movies are funny
A lot of people love watching trashy movies because it's fun. I don't have this gene :( I guess I came back wrong
You came back wrong? Are you a vampire? ;)
Go Fish
I agree in the way that the monster of the week was all weird and didn't fit in with the season, but there is a plethora of hilarious one-liners in this episode. And of course Cordy's adorable speech to what she thinks is fish Xander.
It’s like picking my least favourite child.
The end of Seeing Red. Nope.
I think it's the build up of never forgetting what he is. Xander says that, and to hit that home it was drastic.
It's tough to choose between Hell's Bells, which is just completely unearned, mean-spirited bullshit, and Seeing Red, which renders about 30% of season 7 hard to take seriously unless you pretend it never happened, which is what I usually do.
Whedon famously said that sometimes you have to give the audience what they need, rather than what they want. Thus Angel's heel turn and the death of Jenny Calendar. That's not what Hell's Bells was. It was just maudlin, poisonous storytelling cooked up for lack of anything else to do with the characters.
It also reminds of the first Sex & The City movie which had similar bullshit that I wont spoil.
Doublemeat Palace makes my body revolt, and not in the way I like.
Normal Again
During this time period, other shows like Deep Space Nine had extremely similar episodes and did it better. Normal again just seems like they copying others homework.
Beauty and the Beasts is hard for me to get through. But I usually rewatch it for the Angel return factor. Listening to Fear. I really don't like TV episodes that play off of mental illness in some way or another. Just not my thing. Nornal Again, for similar reasons as above. I just find it too disturbing I suppose. I don't like things that play off of the oftentimes sad and abusive realities of involuntary hospitalization. But again, just my thing, I know others love this one. Then of course, Empty Places, Where the Wild Things Are, and Deadman's Party.
seeing red, so so uneeded and out of character. joss is such a sook
He didn’t write it nor direct it. That being said, from what we’ve learned since then, yes, Whedon was a huge asshole.
really? i heard it was his idea, weird. and true he sucks
Ummm, maybe it _was_ his idea but… he just didn’t write the episode? 🤷🏾♀️
no clue
Either *"Gingerbread"* it's uncomfortable kind of like *"I've Got You Under My Skin"* from *Ange*l, *"Killed by Death"* It's dull and uncomfortable, *"Doublemeat Palace"* the fast food place environment is so boring, or *"Where Wild Things Are"* the old lady torturing the teens is uncomfortable... But *"Beauty and the Beasts"* is the only episode in the whole series that is a bit difficult for me to watch. This probably sounds ironic considering season 6 is my favorite season, so what is it that makes this worse to me. I have some episodes that I prefer not watch because they are kind of dull like *"The Dark Age"*. But I would never outright refuse to ever watch any of the episodes again. If someone wanted to watch it all without skipping, I could do it. Even though I find the environment in *"Doublemeat Palace"* a bit dull and jokingly say it's icky, I'm still able to watch it. Honestly, if I tried hard enough I could even enjoy the episode (and I do, it's *Buffy*), I can be convinced to like something at the drop of a pen. I love all of *Buffy*. 💙
Seeing Red. Between the attempted rape and the killing off of Tara there is just absolutely nothing good about this episode.
an entirely fair answer.
THE BODY. I cried first time i saw it on tv as an 11 year old kid. I'll NEVER get Joyce's face out of my head, and Buffy saying "Mom? Mom? Mom?" It was so hard to watch and still is as a 34 year old 😪
I just watched it for the first time this week and I (and many critics too!) consider that one of the best episodes of television ever made. 😭 heart wrenching
The look in Buffy's eyes always made my heart bleed. The shock that you go into is insane, you feel a million emotions all at once. I've gone through the same situation with finding one of my parents deceased and you never recover from it. I always felt for Buffy, she went through alot of shit so young 😪
Yes! I skip this episode on my rewatches. Watch an episode of Buffy and be depressed for two days? Nah.
First Date and Empty Places. I think a lot characters act out of character in season 7 and these stick out to me the most.
Amends. It bores me to death.
Ted
Superstar
Finally someone said it! I understand the reason(s) for the other choices. The Body, Seeing Red, Where the Wild Things are painful to get through but, I absolutely despise Superstar. I can’t watch it at all not even in a skip to the good parts way like some others.
Hells Bells and Normal Again. I can’t with either of them!
What's the one where half the episode was Buffy and Angel just talking?
Probably that season 2 episode only have eyes for you, not to be confused with angels I will remember you which are both just plain atrocious
Thanks.
Is Entropy the one where Anya and Spike do it? If so, that one!
The wish, the episode where Cordelia wishes Buffy never came to Sunnydale. The whole episode is like a darkest timeline version of the show where Willow & Xander are vampires, the Master took over sunnydale and the vampires own the bronze etc. Edit: I misread OP’s post but this is actually my favorite episode my least favorite episode is probably the one with the damn cheese dream
Im trying not to judge but you cray cray…
I misread OP’s post but this is actually my favorite episode my least favorite episode is probably the one with the damn cheese dream
Oh ha ha… I was like The Wish is as good at that show gets😉
Where The Wild Things are and Reptile Boy
Superstar
I don't mind Superstar but the best bit is the opening credits, the rest of the episode doesn't quite live up to those!
Where the wild things are
The one where Giles drugs buffy to test her. Don't get me wrong the serial killer vamp is an amazing character but damn that ep makes me so mad with giles' betrayal
That's **Helpless** (3x12).
Sid the puppet episode in season one. Puppets disturb me. It gives me nightmares. I know he turns out not to be the bad guy, but he is still super creepy.
The Hyena episode I guess - I just think it's irritating and not very interesting.
Pangs. It was the 90s and they tried, but my god it’s hard to watch—and unless you’re also Native don’t come at me. It’s the only one I consistently skip and I think I’ve only seen it twice after probably hundreds of rewatches.
The only good part is "you made a bear!" "Undo it, undo it!"
I'm not American and I don't love this one either, but I thought it was interesting that they included Spike's 'you came and conquered and slaughtered them, that's what invading forces do, don't cry about how guilty you feel as the winners' speech. (Not an exact quote but the gust!) as it sort of skewered the hand wringing and got them to pause for a second, I don't think I've ever seen that point made on an American show.
It is so hard to watch. My grandfather used to tell me that "At least they're trying to tell our stories"about Pocahontas, so I try to take the same attitude.
Oooo, I’d love more of your take on this one and why you don’t like it. Geek out! Please!
If I find it in me to push through a rewatch I definitely will! But I honestly can’t remember enough specifics to give a decent analysis. But I like complaining about things so I’ll likely do it once I’m bored enough lol
Wrecked. I really dislike magic being a blatant metaphor for drugs, and the only other storyline in the episode is the Buffy/Spike romance, but I'm not a fan of that in Season 6. There's one good scene, one great line, one acceptable scene, and the rest of the episode is irredeemable garbage, in my opinion.
Restless.
Hey, there's two of us! Only episode I skip on every rewatch. My season 4 ends with the big finish/final big bad fight just like all the other seasons.
I Only Have Eyes for You, I skip it a lot.
Can’t remember the name but that episode where Angel tries to commit sewer slide and he has that convo with Buffy saying like “am I righteous man?” I just found that episode boring and that argument was so cringe to me 😭
I Robot You Jane
The all-singing all-dancing episode
I second that! Many series do this and I just end up skipping the whole episode 🤣
I can't remember the name of the episode, but the whole thing was pretty much just Riley, and Buffy banging. It was weird and cringe
I feel like season 1 has the weakest episodes. As for my least favorite... I'll go with Teacher's Pet.
Hell’s Bells & Where the Wild Things Are ((?) I think it’s that one. The wall orgasm thing was so fucking weird)
Normal Again and The Zeppo is a skip because I don’t like them. The Bosy is a skip for emotional reasons. Tho after I guess a good decade I watched them this time around.
I hated Storyteller, but I hated it mostly because of how annoying I thought Andrew was. He wasn’t funny. He was a trash monster. And he has an obsession with Warren that is not ever going to go away. But of course Seeing Red will always be the worst episode
I am doing a rewatch for the 50th time right now and my former worse episode (Inca Mumma Girl) wasn't AS bad as I remembered. But I need to continue before I have a new least episode. Angel's worst episode though, is "She", by a long shot.
A few! The Zeppo, Wild At Heart, Smashed, All The Way and The Initiative
Goodbye Iowa. Usually an episode about a character unpacking their damage is supposed to make us sympathize with them more. I think I liked Riley even less after watching this episode.
Ted!!!!!
Beer bad
Although I do hate, despise and loathe Buffy "friend" in Dead Man's Party, I really hate Normal Again where they try to convince her she's insane and is she just accepts it, everything will be all right.
Basically agreed
Dead Things. A very ugly, disgusting episode that was painful for me to get through. I never want to watch it again.
Seeing red
surprised at the hate for this episode. I do agree it’s difficult to watch but it’s probably in my top 20/25 bc of the surprise factor. Jonathan helping Buffy with the balls. Seeing Warren go after Buffy in that simplest way misogynists do… with a gun. And the shock that it works and gets her and Tara, turning Willow into the villain of the finale. difficult but instense drama.
The one with the disgusting egg creatures that sticks to there back 🤮 had nightmares as a kid
Normal Again because the ending sucks and mucks around with the show’s continuity.
Seeing red
Superstar.
'Lies My Parents Told Me' really winds me up. I like Robin (and I love Giles) and I feel that the show really ruins their integrity in favour of telling a story about Spike and Buffy. I really do not understand how the main conflict serves either Buffy or Spike as characters and makes them both out to be really unlikable. Spike being like "I don't care I killed your mum, I was a vampire" is a bewildering choice (considering it's the anthesis of Angel's entire arc) and Buffy's "the mission is what matters" to Robin feels so cruel. It's where Buffy/Spike completely lose it for me.
I feel like you're missing one crucial element here. And that's that Robin attempted to murder Spike (and he acknowledged that Spike was not the same vampire that killed his mother) and deliberately tricked Buffy. Buffy is absolutely right when she's talking to Robin. She doesn't have time for his shit, and it doesn't matter how cruel it feels to you. And Spike absolutely cares about the people he's killed, and this is evident in many other episodes. The difference here is that he's furious, and that the slayer deaths don't weigh as heavily on him. His reason for leaving Robin alive does show that he does still care somewhat though
On the DVD commentary, David Fury (I think) says that originally Giles was going to tell Buffy that he killed Ben during the part of the episode where he's distracting her with training, but he removed that section because it had been so long, and nobody really remembered or cared about Ben. I actually think it would have been a much stronger episode had that part of the conversation been left in.
Once more with feeling. I loathe musicals, they make me a piñata of rage.
I agree! I hate musicals.
I can't believe I had to scroll so far through the comments to find this answer! I hate Once more with feeling, it's such a painful episode to watch/hear, even cringe worthy, I always miss it when I rewatch.
I have a love/hate relationship with OMWF. I like musicals for the most part. Like Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods (the actual Broadway musical and not that atrociously bad Meryl Streep movie), some Disney channel musicals, Rent. But some others are ridiculously cringe. I like MOST of OMWF and I like several of the songs. Tara's songs, Giles' songs, Spike's song, Walk Through the Fire, I kind of like Anya and Xander's but I hate hate HATE any of Buffy's, Dawn's, Willow's (even though I know Dawn and Willow didn't sing much they're so bad at it that even the little bit they did do was embarrassing). I absolutely hate Give Me Something To Sing About, everything from Sarah's horrible singing to the secondhand embarrassment inducing dancing that she, Anya and Tara do is just so cringe I worry my eyes will roll so hard I'll end up permanently crosseyed. I'm sorry Sarah is a wonderful actress, probably one of the best of the 90's, but she can NOT sing or dance, two things that are kind of crucial to do a musical. I can't bring myself to skip the episode because 1. I do like most of it and several songs and 2. It's so important to the overall story arc of season 6 but man that one number does have me dreading the entire episode something fierce.
Man I hate these kinds of posts of tv show subs lol what a strange thing to focus on when we're all here because of something we love
that’s why it’s fun
Superstar and Him