#ilovebuffy

1. The “sexy dance” scene

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From When She Was Bad (2.01)

One of the greatest WTF moments in the show, when Buffy steps into the Bronze and proceeds to do a sexy dance with Xander in order to make Angel jealous.

2. Buffy and Angel have sex, ft. wet clothes

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From Surprise (2.13)

That “Finally!” moment on behalf of the fans when Buffy and Angel consummate their relationship. The calm before the storm when everything is as it should be, made even more poignant by the episode that follows it. Also featuring wet clothes, always so conducive to sexual intercourse.

3. Angelus kills Jenny

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From Passion (2.17)

The great thing about this scene is how shocking it is. Joss Whedon himself said that with this scene he intended to make it clear to fans that no character was safe. The killing also makes Angelus Buffy’s enemy, whom she must now kill.

4. Buffy sends Angel to hell

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From Becoming, Part 2 (2.22)

A very sad ending to season 2, made even more tragic by the fact that Angelus becomes Angel minutes before his untimely “end”. Buffy was ready to kill Angelus, but having to “kill” Angel instead takes guts, and yet she goes through with it. Poor Buffy.

5. Buffy vs Faith

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From Graduation Day, Part 1 (3.21)

The epic Buffy vs Faith scene, a great end to the overarching theme of the season: Faith’s ‘Want, take, have’ motto and Buffy’s conflict between giving in to it, or maintaining her moral standards.

6. Veruca’s mesmerising singing

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From Wild at Heart (4.06)

I just love Wild at Heart, and particularly this scene which brings out the best of that wondrous atmosphere of the Bronze’s. The soundtrack is just great, and the guys’ reaction as they become mesmerised by Veruca’s out-of-this-world singing really strikes a chord. I also love the overarching theme between Oz’s emotional feelings towards Willow and his sexual instincts towards Veruca.

7. Buffy finds her mother’s dead body

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From The Body (5.16)

The scene that had all Buffy fans grabbing their boxes of tissues and trying hard not to cry in front of their hip friends (who were also trying not to cry). Buffy’s shock is exquisitely crafted (kudos to Sarah Michelle Geller) and her fantasy of her mother waking up as if nothing had happened shattered us to the core. Sniff.

8. Buffy sacrifises herself to save Dawn

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From The Gift (5.22)

Those who watched this episode when it first came out on TV, I feel for you. Not knowing whether Buffy would be coming back must have been tough. Those of us who binge-watched Buffy on Netflix, we knew what was coming, but that didn’t stop this from being a very emotional scene, and yet so beautiful. All the loose ends become tied up as Buffy sacrifises herself for Dawn and, well, for the world (business as usual there). What a wonderful gift.

9. That Spuffy scene

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From Smashed (6.09)

Spuffies rejoice. The scene that no one will ever forget (particularly those partial to it). In a way it’s quite a conventional scene (who didn’t see it coming?) and yet it is just so damn cool. Even the whole building-collapsing-around-them thing would normally come across as stereotypical or corny, but we don’t give a damn because this is Buffy and Spike making out at last.

10. Xander saves Willow from herself

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From Grave (6.22)

One of the most heartbreaking moments in the whole series is when Willow finally comes to terms with Tara’s death and accepts it. Fortunately for everyone this happens before, and not after, she goes off and destroys the world, but this doesn’t stop us from feeling terribly sorry for Willow.

But the best thing about this scene is that it’s XANDER who stops Willow. Always-in-the-shadow-of-everyone-else Xander, stepping up and saving the world like a badass. What’s even more remarkable is how far this particular story arc of Xander’s has come, which just proves that Joss Whedon and the Buffy writers are basically geniuses.