If you’re celebrating today, I hope you have a great Halloween!
I kind of wish we celebrated it more in the UK. I mean there are still parties and stuff, because y’know any excuse to get drunk, but it’s nowhere near as widely celebrated as it is in the US.
I’m celebrating by having a get-together on Saturday to watch Horror films, eat a lot of badness and drink a lot of witches brew. So that leaves tonight free, and what am I going to do I hear you cry…I’m going to watch my favourite Halloween Episodes of Buffy of course!
And here they are:
Hush (1999, S4E10)
This isn’t an official ‘Halloween’ episode but it has to be the scariest, right?
In “Hush”, a group of fairy tale ghouls named “The Gentlemen” come to town and steal everyone’s voices, leaving them unable to scream when The Gentlemen cut out their hearts. Buffy and her friends must communicate with one another silently as they try to discover why no one can speak and find whoever is murdering the townspeople. They must also find ways to express their feelings about each other and keep some semblance of control as the town descends into chaos.
The Scary: The Gentlemen are seriously freaky, floating around the streets of Sunnydale with permanent grins on their freaky faces looking for hearts to tear out. Not to mention the eerie silence…
The Funny: The ‘Giles’ Slides’ scene as I like to call it has me in tears of laughter every time without fail. How is this whole scene not on you tube? Ack. Here is the gist:
[no one can speak; all written or mimed]
Giles: Who are the Gentlemen? They are fairy tale monsters. What do they want?
[Willow points at her chest]
Xander: [cups hands at his chest and mouths] Boobies?
Giles: Hearts. They come to a town. They steal all the voices so no one can scream. Then…
[Giles shows drawings of Gentlemen ripping out the heart from a person in bed]
Giles: They need seven, they have at least two.
Xander: How do we kill them?
[Buffy mimes stabbing, but looks more like masturbating; Giles, Willow and Xander look at Buffy with disturbed faces; Buffy mimes again with a stake; they all look relieved]
Giles: In the tales no sword can kill them.
The Best: The fact that there is no dialogue at all for 3/4 of the episode but it is still one of the funniest (and scariest) episodes proves just how much of a genius Joss Whedon is. It was the first Buffy episode to be highly praised, earning various Emmy nominations.
Fear Itself (1999, S4E04)
This has to be the best episode for costumes!
Gachnar, a fear demon with the ability to materialize terror, is accidentally conjured and wreaks havoc on a Frat Halloween party.
The Scary: A fear demon sounds pretty terrifying to me….
The Funny:…unless he’s only a few inches tall
The Best:
Giles: Oh, bloody hell. The inscription.
Buffy: What’s the matter?
Giles: I should’ve translated the Gaelic inscription under the illustration of Gachnar.
Buffy: What’s it say?
Giles: Actual size.
Halloween (1997, S2E06)
The first Buffy Halloween special!
On Halloween, Buffy and her friends patronize an unusual costume shop where customers turn into whatever costume they are wearing.
The Scary: It’s kind of freaky to imagine that all the things you could dress up as has Halloween could come to live, plus, there’re little kids inside those demons so you can’t even kill them!
The Funny: SMG’s Victorian noble woman accent is pretty hilarious.
The Best:
Tabula Rasa (2001, S6E08)
Again, this isn’t an actual Halloween episode but it might be my favourite ever.
Willow tries to solve too many problems with magic, accidentally making herself and the others forget who they are just as a demon loan shark and his boys come looking to collect a debt from Spike.
The Scary: There’s nothing too scary in this episode I don’t think, it’s just hilarious
The Funny: Due to Willow’s spell fail, the gang don’t know who they are and so hilarity ensues. I think my favourite is Spike assuming that he’s Giles’ son.
The Best: I can’t choose! UMAD!
Spike: *Randy* Giles? Why not just call me Horny Giles or Desperate-For-A-Shag Giles? I knew there was a reason I hated you.
Dawn: So, you don’t have a name?
Buffy: Of course I do. I-I just don’t happen to know it.
Dawn: You want me to name you?
Buffy: Oh, that’s sweet, but I think I can name myself. I’ll name me… Joan.
Dawn: Ugh.
Buffy: What? Did you just ‘ugh’ my name?
Dawn: No. I just – I mean it’s so ‘blah.’ Joan?
Buffy: I like it. I feel like a Joan.
All the Way (2001, S6E06)
This episode isn’t all that great because it was back when Dawn was really annoying, but it’s still a good Halloween watch. “Mist, cemetery, Halloween… This should end well.”
Dawn lies to Buffy and goes out with a boy on Halloween, but when the boy turns out to be a vampire ignoring the Halloween-no-killing rule, Buffy and the guys must save her…again.
The Scary: The beginning is pretty freaky with the creepy old man with his big knife, who we’re clearly supposed to think is the baddie, but then Dawn’s new boything gets fangy. Poor old man.
The Funny: Buffy – “Did you know about this?”
Giles – “No. Unless I blocked it from my memory, much as I will Xander’s vigorous use of his tongue.” [takes off his glasses and starts wiping them]
Buffy – “Is that why you’re always cleaning your glasses? So you don’t have to see what we’re doing?”
Giles – “Tell no one.”
The Best:
Xander’s pirate costume, which shows us things to come in the next series when Xander loses an eye. 😦
Nightmares (1997, S1E10)
Parts of this episode still really CREEP ME OUT.
The students at Sunnydale High beginning to experience aspects of their worst nightmares while awake, leading to the Scooby Gang’s investigation to a young boy with a secret. However, before they can get to the bottom of things, they must face their own nightmares, which are rapidly taking over reality.
The Scary: CLOWN
The Funny: Willow’s operatic debut!
The Best (WORSE):
Have a great time everyone!
Sources: Wikipedia & IMDB