Ultimate Buffyverse Episode Ranking: #225 – #201

#225-
‘ What’s My Line, Part One ‘, Buffy Season Two, Episode 9

An average episode that is really more of a lead-in to the much better next part. The plot is fairly decent but focuses more on the Tarakan assassins than on Dru and Spike, who are the more interesting. The Assassins are very cliched and not at all interesting, even though the bug man is slightly strange. Kendra, the first Slayer we see who is not Buffy is introduced via a misdirection. It is nice to see some chick fights but on the whole, it’s just a lead-in to the second part.

#224-
‘ Sleep Tight ‘, Angel Season Three, Episode 16

This really is the big middle season climax. Like I said in the Forgiving section (see #227) I’m not a huge fan of the Wesley betrayal storyline. I appreciate how troubled he is which is why the episode is rated higher than Forgiving. I also like the drama created by Wesley’s betrayal but, because of my dislike for the storyline I just can’t enjoy this episode a lot.

#223-
‘ Quickening ‘, Angel Season Three, Episode 8

Another pretty average episode in which we follow the gang as they try to protect a pregnant Darla from both Wolfram & Hart and a vampire cult. There’s some positives to note, Darla is quite funny this episode and has a bit of charisma with the other characters, I also find Holtz and Sahjhan to be a fairly interesting couple of villains. The main letdown is some of the pacing and the lack of a strong plot as it is mainly a lead in to next episode.

#222-
‘ I Robot, You Jane ‘, Buffy Season Two, Episode 8

The first episode that properly focuses on Willow. Unfortunately, the episode is not as good as it could be. The plot flows largely around the use of the internet and how romance can be manipulated by the wrong people (or demon). It’s all very cheesy and cliched which is pretty disapointing because the characters are quite solid. Buffy & Xander’s caution about Willow’s obsession is a lot of fun and the introduction of Jenny is nice, especially her interactions with Giles. If not for the weak plot, it would have been a solid episode.

#221-
‘ Expecting ‘, Angel Season One, Episode 12

Very similar to the previous episode on my ranking. An episode with an awfully weak plot but solid characters. The plot involving demon impregnation is very stupid and not really entertaining. Luckily, Wes & Angel do a good job of keeping us happy throughout the 4o minutes.

#220-
‘ Reptile Boy ‘, Buffy Season Two, Episode 5

Right smack bang in the middle of season two’s monster-of-the-week episode run that appears for most of the first half of the season.  This episode isn’t too bad, it has some weak points involving a snake demon and a set of charming frat boys but some nice moments keep you interested. In the end, a fairly forgettable episode.

#219-
‘ Beer Bad ‘, Buffy Season Four, Episode 5

I’m ashamed to say I enjoyed Buffy’s cavegirl speak, yes, it’s stupid I know, but I find it funny which is why this episode trumps some others higher on the list. I also like seeing Parker get what he deserves too. The plot on the whole is really quite bad but I still find the episode slightly fun purely because Buffy’s cavegirl persona. I’m very sad, I know.

#218-
‘ Inside Out ‘, Angel Season Four, Episode 17

The climax to the evil Cordelia demon storyline, and thankfully it ended when it did because it was tainting the character of Cordelia. We all know it wasn’t her but seeing Charisma Carpenter act in such a way is tough, I’m happy they gave her one last episode so we can remember her the way she always was. But I’m getting off track. This episode focuses largely on Connor and his loyalty to Cordelia. For the most part, things are pretty average and really nothing stands out.

#217-
‘ The Killer In Me ‘, Buffy Season Three, Episode 13

An episode with too much Kennedy which immediately makes it less than it could be. Let’s make it be known right now, that as a Willow fan, I hated her relationship with Kennedy. It’s best to not dwell on it. I like that we finally get to properly deal with Willow’s guilt over killing Warren but I’m unsure about it’s execution. Kennedy just makes it worse. I also enjoyed the double acting by Alyson Hannigan and Adam Busch.

#216-
‘ Shiny Happy People ‘, Angel Season Four, Episode 18

The final phase of Angel’s season four storyline begins here. The godly woman who was born from Cordelia immediately manages to hypnotize the gang which makes for a fairly interesting storyline. Unfortunately, it also slows down the action considerably. The pacing and action get slowed down quite a lot, so much so that the whole episode gets dragged down. Thankfully, Fred manages to see the light via her blood mixing with the all-powerful Jasmine’s which gives us something to enjoy throughout the episode. Fred’s solitary fight against Jasmine, while nice, is much more interesting in the episode, The Magic Bullet.

#215-
‘ As You Were ‘. Buffy Season Six, Episode 15

The return of Riley to Sunnydale. I’ll be honest, I originally liked Riley, but I thought his character dropped off quite a bit later on. So, seeing him return is something I wasn’t looking forward to. In the end, it’s a decent episode, his new wife, Sam, is fairly nice and adds a dynamic to the episode. Plot-wise, things are a bit of a downer. Having Spike be this demon dealer is really quite stupid and seemed like it was a last minute addition. There is a lack of strong character interaction as well. Part of the lacklustre mid-point during season 6.

#214-
‘ Listening To Fear ‘, Buffy Season Five, Episode 9

A part of the very small slump that hits season 5 around the mid-point. This plot involves a Queller demon coming from space to kill the mental patients Glory has been creating with her ‘brain sucking’, which makes Joyce a prime target after her new tumor diagnosis. The Queller is really quite bad, and not all that interesting. What is interesting is Joyce’s condition and that’s what makes this episode decent.

#213-
‘ Inca Mummy Girl ‘, Buffy Season Two, Episode 4

A episode in a similar vein to Reptile Boy (see #220), a fairly lame plot tinged nicely with some decent character moments. This episode deals with a relationship between Xander and a pretty Incan princess, who also happens to be a mummy who needs life she sucks from victims to survive. It’s a decent plot but suffers from the early notion that Buffy can’t outmatch her opponent which is why Ampata manages to trap Buffy in her own tomb, which is just plain silly. In an unrelated tidbit, first appearance of Oz, one of my favourite characters.

#212-
‘ Sense & Sensitivity ‘, Angel Season One, Episode 6

A strange episode in Angel’s early history. I don’t mind this episode mainly because I find it slightly funny. The plot meanwhile doesn’t hold up quite the same. I like that Kate has a bit more involvement in the plot and she comes off as quite a strong cop. I also am sorry to say, was slightly humoured by the sensitivity whammy that Angel and Kate get hit with. There’s also a nice scene where Angel has to act all cheery to stall some mafia guys which I find hilarious. On the whole, a decent episode.

#211-
‘ Where The Wild Things Are ‘, Buffy Season Four, Episode 18

One of season four’s few fairly basic cheesy episodes. This episode focuses on a house which emits a paranormal sexual energy powered by a non-stop sex session that Buffy and Riley have throughout the episode. I think that’s the big problem with the episode, it lacks direction because Buffy has little screen time and the other characters split the rest, leaving no central character to focus on. The other big-let down is the plot which is pretty weak to be honest, mainly due to a lack of real villain. On a good note, Xander and Anya are brilliant and really provide the humour for this episode.

#210-
‘ Living Conditions ‘, Buffy Season Four, Episode 2

Another one of the few season four episodes that have a pretty terrible plot but is somewhat saved by nice character interactions and solid humour. For some reason, I find Buffy incredibly hilarious when she becomes slightly unstable like she does in this episode. Her manic ramblings and constant paranoia make her incredibly fun to watch. It also makes the other characters interactions with her quite fun. Unfortunately, the plot and ending is pretty poor which drags the episode down quite a lot. Also, much to much Cher for my taste.

#209-
‘ Ted ‘, Buffy Season Two, Episode 11

An interesting episode that was brought down by a disappointing ending. The first half of this episode is top grade stuff and if it carried on in a similar vein might have ended up in the top 50 but unfortunately that wasn’t meant to be. Basically, this episode revolves around a new man in Joyce’s life who seems to be the perfect guy which everyone loves, apart from Buffy. Her intuition turns out to be quite good as Ted, played by the late, great John Ritter, actually is a robot who collects wives. The brilliant part of this episode is when Buffy trully thinks she killed Ted by kicking him down her stairs. It’s the first time Buffy has had to deal with such an issue and it will have an affect throughout the rest of the series. It’s just sad that the ending involving robot Ted diminishes the possibe greatness the episode potentially had for us.

#208-
‘ The Freshman ‘, Buffy Season Four, Episode 1

Something of a cult episode to some people. Personally, I think it’s just average. My main issue with the episode is the villlains, Sunday and her crew. They are incredibly cliched and I still have a little trouble with Sunday being able to subdue Buffy so easily during the episode, if Angelus and Spike cannot why can she? Some positive notes include how nice it is too see Willow fitting in college while Buffy has a little trouble with it. I also find Xander to be very cool throughout the episode, especially when he gives Buffy some confidence in herself via a nice speech. Just an average starting to season four.

#207-
‘ Loyalty ‘, Angel Season Three, Episode 15

The beginnings of the Wesley betrayal storyline. I like this episode better than Sleep Tight (see #224) or Forgiving (see #227) because we can really feel for Wesley and his struggle to do what he thinks is right. Angel also is very humourous as he really gets into his fathering role with Connor. We also get some interesting relationship plotlines involving Fred and Gunn. On the whole though, this episode doesn’t stand out.

#206-
‘ The Price ‘, Angel Season Three, Episode 19

An episode with interesting ideas that is just a little let down by the plot. Much of the episode is about loss and what you will do to overcome or prevent such a loss. Angel is still dealing with losing his son to Holtz and decides to do everything he can to get him back which eventually puts others in danger, especially Fred. The concepts behind the episode are good and provide an extra layer of thinking for the episode but the slugs created as a price for Angel’s attempt at getting Connor back are just a little too lame to be taken seriously.

#205-
‘ Dead Man’s Party ‘, Buffy Season Three, Episode 2

Incredibly similar to the previous episode on this list, The Price, we have some nice moments that are somewhat lessened by a troublesome plot. The good stuff revolves around the return of Buffy and her having to try to connect with her friends and family after leaving them high and dry. It’s actually very satisfying to see Buffy have to explain her actions to everyone because in a way, she’s explaining herself to the audience. All this character interaction is very good and pretty emotional but as soon as the zombies and masks get involved things just go down hill which is very sad because this episode had some nice potential.

#204-
‘ Benediction ‘, Angel Season Three, Episode 21

Second last episode are always tough, they often have fairly strong plots but always act as a lead-in so more often than not you have fonder memories for the last episode than the second last. This is all too true with this episode. There are some positive things, Angel and Connor have some time to bond (or so we think), Wesley and Lilah some to come together & Holtz returns. All fairly decent things but it just doesn’t stick in the memory like other episodes, especially when compared to other season endings in other seasons.

#203-
‘ Peace Out ‘, Angel Season Four, Episode 21

Another pentultimate episode, this one is a bit different though because it effectively ends the season storyline. Much like Benediction, things just don’t stick in your mind like they should. Angel is sent to a demon world previously inhabited by Jasmine where he has the obligatory fight and ends up providing the ingredient that breaks Jasmine’s hold on LA. Her final defeat eventually comes from Connor punching his fist through her head. The most interesting part of this episode is the very end when we find Lilah sitting in the lobby of Hyperion Hotel. Not only does that lead into a brilliant last episode but makes you think about what is more important: free will or world peace which Jasmine provided, I know what I’d pick. (The former for those unknowing ones).

#202-
‘ Never Kill A Boy On The First Date ‘, Buffy Season One, Episode 5

A fairly average first season episode. I have a few complaints. Firstly, Owen is way to similar to Angel but I did find it interesting that he turned out to be a danger junkie considering his broody demeanor. Secondly, pacing is really quite slow and things don’t turn up until the end and even then it’s not frantic. Lastly, the villain involved, the psycho vamp is fairly pedestrian. On the positive side, we get some nice Buffy humour and Cordelia interaction as well as some decent appearances from Xander, Willow and Angel.

#201-
‘ Beauty & The Beasts ‘, Buffy Season Three, Episode 4

One of the few episodes that have an Oz-focus which makes me very sad because he is my favourite character. There is two sides to this story. The Pete side and the Oz side. Pete’s side is fairly average, a whole Jeckal & Hyde deal which is only slightly entertaining. Oz’s side however is much more interesting because his werewolf background isn’t explored in detail and having the possibility of him killing someone in wold form is quite dramatic, especially when you consider Oz’s calm and cool personality. Still, even with the Oz issue the episode ends up pretty average.