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By Kat Giantis
MSN Entertainment
Beautiful, petite, fashion-conscious blondes don't normally strike fear into the heart of bad guys. But Buffy Summers has never been an ordinary girl. Beneath her endless supply of stylish yet affordable leather jackets beats the heart of a warrior -- a Chosen One, the one girl in the world who will stand against the vampires, demons and forces of darkness. She is the Slayer, and for seven TV seasons she has kicked major undead ass.
But after May 20, she will slay no more, ending an epic hero's journey that has run the gamut from action-packed fisticuffs to pun-loving comedy, bone-chilling terror and heartbreaking drama.
In the Buffyverse created by Joss Whedon, Buffy and the Scooby Gang -- computer-nerd-turned-powerful wicca Willow, everyman Xander, tell-it-like-it-is Cordelia, lycanthropic Oz, witchy Tara, former vengeance demon Anya, and librarian-cum-Watcher Giles -- fight demons of both the horned, scaly variety and the more pesky psychological kind. A monster is rarely just a monster, and in the blink of an eye, friends can become enemies, loved ones can die, and the world can nearly end -- a lot.
We're not just projecting (OK, maybe a little) when we say Buffy fans have a deep emotional connection to the series. Why? Because while the Slayer and her friends have faced off against all sorts of uber-evils, they've also coped with the pain, pleasure, passions and responsibilities of real life.
And now it's over. So in honor of a series that has meant so much to us, we've selected our 10 favorite Buffy moments. It wasn't easy; this could have been our 184 favorite moments, but time is short, and our Buffy DVD box set calls. So cuddle up with Mr. Pointy, hug Mr. Gordo, and sink your teeth into our picks for the best Buffy moments ever:
10. Buffy and Angel Kiss for the First
Time
Episode: "Angel" (Season 1, originally aired April 14,
1997)
What's the What: Buffy locks lips with the mysterious Angel (whom she describes as "dark [and] gorgeous, in an annoying sort of way"), only to discover that her hottie honey is a 240-year-old vampire. Too bad she's already invited him into her house. The Buffster vows to take the bloodsucker down after she mistakenly believes he made a meal out of her mom.
The Defining Moment: To save Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Angel (David Boreanaz) dusts Darla (Julie Benz), his sire (that's the vamp who made him) and ex-girlfriend of a couple hundred centuries. After coming clean about his murderous past and the gypsy curse that gave him back his soul, Angel broods to Buffy, "This can't ever be anything," and insists he needs to "walk away." They share a passionate goodbye kiss, and as Buffy turns to go, we see that her silver cross, her first gift from Angel, has seared a mark into his chest.
Killer Dialogue:
ANGEL: For a hundred
years I offered an ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my
heart.
Why It's Great: A Slayer and a vampire in love. Talk about your dramatic irony. And nothing mirrors the pain and pining that will define Buffy and Angel's star-crossed love affair better than that cross burn so close to his heart.
9. Angel Kills Miss
Calendar
Episode: "Passion" (Season 2, originally aired Feb.
24, 1998)
What's the What: Angelus (that's the evil, soul-free version
of Angel, identified by his love of leather pants and heavy black eyeliner)
continues his campaign of torment against Buffy and the Scooby Gang with the
shocking slaying of technopagan teacher Jenny Calendar, who was trying to make
amends for her part in Angelus' return by restoring his soul.
The Defining Moment: Hours before her death,
Jenny (Robia La Morte) confessed her love to Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), who was giving her the silent
treatment over the whole Angel-becoming-an-evil-killer thing. Giles returns home
and is happily surprised to find an elaborate seduction scene: wine, opera, rose
petals -- and Jenny dead in his bed. Angelus, hidden outside Buffy's house,
savors the painful aftermath of his evening's work, watching as Buffy and Willow
(Alyson Hannigan) break down when they hear the news. In
short, their overwhelming grief gives Angelus a happy.
Killer Dialogue:
BUFFY (to Giles): I'm sorry
I couldn't kill him for you ... for her ... when I had the chance. But I think
I'm finally ready ... because I know now that there's nothing that's ever going
to change him back to the Angel I fell in love with.
Why It's Great: No one is safe in Whedon's world, and the death of Miss Calendar foreshadowed other shocking losses, from Buffy's mom (Kristin Sutherland) to Willow's girlfriend, Tara (Amber Benson). And Angelus' transformation into the Big Bad isn't limited to his homicidal tendencies: he reveals to Buffy's mom the crypt-shaking night of passion he shared with the Slayer, prompting the dreaded mother-daughter sex talk. Talk about evil.
8. Buffy's Mom Dies
Episode: "The
Body" (Season 5, originally aired Feb. 27, 2001)
What's the What: When Joyce Summers, Buffy's mom and the stabilizing force in her freaky life, dies suddenly from a brain aneurysm, the Scooby Gang rallies around the grief-stricken Slayer and her sister, Dawn.
The Defining Moment: Giles, summoned to the house by Buffy, arrives to find Joyce on the ground. He races to her, unaware that the paramedics have declared her dead. Buffy hysterically screams, "We're not supposed to move the body!" Suddenly her face crumbles, registering horror and confusion over having called her mom "the body," and forcing the full realization that her mother is truly gone.
Killer Dialogue:
ANYA: I don't understand
how this all happens, how we go through this,I mean I knew her and then she's,
there's just a body, I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and
not be dead, it's stupid, it's mortal and stupid, Xander's crying and not
talking and I was having fruit punch and I thought that Joyce would never have
any more fruit punch and she'd never have eggs, or yawn, or brush her hair, not
ever and no one will explain...
Why It's Great: Death and "natural causes" don't usually go hand in hand in Buffy's world, which is why this unblinking examination of Joyce's passing and its immediate aftermath is so agonizing. Hauntingly quiet and surreal, it marks some of Whedon's finest work as a writer-director, and sparked a viewer campaign to garner the show an Emmy (it didn't work). And while Gellar's emoting rends hearts, it's the subtle performances of the supporting players that deserve major props, including Tara urging Willow to be strong "like an Amazon" as they share a tender kiss, and 1000-year-old Anya's (Emma Caulfield) aching attempt to understand mortality.
7. Willow x 2
Episode:
"Doppelgängland" (Season 3, originally aired Feb. 23, 1999)
What's the What: Anya, unhappy as a teen-aged mortal (she's flunking math), tricks Willow into helping her cast a spell to get her powers back (see "The Wish"). But the spell goes awry, and instead brings forth a leather-clad, cleavage-baring, sexually liberated vampire version of Willow.
The Defining Moment: After crossing paths with vamp Willow, Buffy and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) retreat to the library, where, with Giles, they hold an impromptu memorial for their beloved friend. "She was ... truly the finest of all of us," says Giles. "Way better than me," says Xander. "Much, much better," Giles agrees sadly. When Human Willow walks in on the mope-fest, Xander holds up a cross and screams, "Get back, demon!" When it has no effect, he gives it a little shake to recharge it and tries again. A touching group hug follows. Awwww.
Killer Dialogue:
WILLOW: It's horrible.
That's me as a vampire? I mean, I'm so evil, and skanky, [softly, to Buffy] and
I think I'm kind of gay.
Why It's Great: "Reliable dog geyser person" Willow realizes that being a good girl isn't such a bad thing once she sees the wake of destruction left by her evil counterpart. A seminal episode in the Willow mythology, it first illuminated her magic control issues and lesbian leanings (her doppelgänger bad-touches her before heading back to her own reality).
6. The Gentlemen Come to
Town
Episode: "Hush" (Season 4, originally aired Dec. 15,
1999)
What's the What: There's a communication breakdown in Sunnydale when the fairytale frightmeisters The Gentlemen arrive looking to steal hearts (yes, literally). But first they seize everyone's voices so their victims "Can't call to mom. Can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard."
The Defining Moment: Whedon packs equal parts horror and humor into 27 brilliant dialogue-free minutes, which peak as the Gentlemen first float out into silent Sunnydale, creepily accompanied by their strait-jacketed minions. Try not to gasp as Giles' girlfriend Olivia comes face-to-dentally-challenged-face with a Gentleman as she looks out the window. And try not to laugh as the oh-so-polite Gentlemen clap courteously as their leader shows off a victim's heart.
Killer Dialogue:
WILLOW: Buncha
wanna-blessed-be's. It's just a fad. Nowadays every girl with a henna tattoo and
a spice rack think she's a sister to the dark ones.
--on why her Wicca
group was a bust
Why It's Great: Sure, the
Gentlemen bear a wee bit of a resemblance to the baddies in "Dark City," but
that doesn't make them any less terrifying. And even in silence, Whedon
never loses sight of his characters or their motivation. Among the ep's
indelible moments: Willow and Tara's first witchcraft-filled steps of Sapphic
self-discovery; Giles' inspired use of an overhead projector; Xander's misguided
defense of Anya at Spike's (James
Marsters) expense; and Buffy and Riley's (Marc
Blucas) first kiss. This episode leaves us (you know it's coming)
speechless.
