Unless you’ve been living under (or on) the Hellmouth, you’re probably aware that this week marks the 20th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This little TV show that could, born from an ill-received flop of a movie, reemerged as an expected to fail mid-season replacement. What followed, though, was seven seasons of some of the best storytelling that ever graced the small screen. And although not every season was equally beloved, each one still had more than a handful of standout episodes that, like Buffy herself, were destined to become legend.
Read on to find out what I think were the single best episodes from every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
7. Season Seven, Episode Sixteen – “Storyteller”
I mentioned before how one of Buffy’s strengths was giving each character a moment. Like “The Zeppo”, “Storyteller” uses humor to add incredible dimension to a supporting player, in this case, redemption-seeking supervillain nerd Andrew. Filled with great moments of self-reference and also very honest pathos, “Storyteller” was a welcome break in pace for the very dour and urgent final season. It was almost like a calm before the storm, and it made Andrew, already a fan-favorite, a truly tragic and flawed human permanently taking his place as a true member of the “Scooby Gang” family. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you may even cry.
