Hush
Season 4, Episode 10
Arguably the first 'gimmick' episode in the show, almost the entire running time of Hush is sans dialogue due to the conceit of voice-stealing demons. The cast shines with witty miming and misconceptions, but the show's theme—the frustration of miscommunication—is only revealed at the end. Having regained their voices, Buffy and Riley realise they need to have serious talk, but find themselves unable to find the words.
Superstar
Season 4, Episode 17
One of Buffy's greatest strengths was in its guest stars, who frequently moved up the ranks from extra to memorable character. Jonathan, the short and nerdy loner who made his first major appearance in Earshot attempting to commit suicide, here shows unexpected versatility in a comic role which paved the way for his Season 6 recurring role. In Superstar, Jonathan performs a reality-altering spell causing himself to become 'the star of the show'--right down to infiltrating the main credits.
Restless
Season 4, Episode 22
The final episode of Season 4 is not, as you might expect, the culmination of that season's story arc. Rather, it is a surreal swirl of prophecy and character study, illustrated through four consecutive dreams by the major characters. Eerily scored and shot with theatrical, morphing sets, the dreams cobble together real life, insecurities, foreshadowing and a gradually-revealed mystery—as well as shadows of 'Apocalypse Now' and the most creative interpretation of 'Death of a Salesman' ever filmed.
The Body
Season 5, Episode 16
It is perhaps ironic that in a show that dealt with death on a regular basis, it took five seasons for the subject to be explored in a truly hard-hitting fashion. The death of Buffy's mother Joyce—wisely, from a brain tumour rather than a supernatural occurrence—is handled with astonishing realism and sensitivity. Most of the episode takes place in realtime, unscored, with harshly realistic sound.
Once More, With Feeling
Season 6, Episode 7
The episode Whedon had long wanted to write, Once More, With Feeling is the highest-acclaimed of a spate of TV musical episodes including efforts by Friends and Scrubs. The genius of Feeling lies in its key role as catalyst for a number of major plot points. Taking place at a point in Season 5 at which the main characters are bursting with emotion, the songs seem an almost natural expression of the characters' operatically-proportioned feelings. This, combined with genuinely catchy tunes and the cast's mostly impressive singing talents, makes Feeling an overwhelming fan favourite.
Tabula Rasa
Season 6, Episode 8
Following directly on from Once More, With Feeling, Tabula Rasa is a hilarious yet poignant memory-loss episode (later echoed in Angel's Spin the Bottle). Waking up with wiped memories due to a botched spell by Willow, the Scoobies rediscover and misdiscover their various identities and relationships. The 'what might have been' of Anya's and Giles' supposed engagement and Giles' and Spike's apparent family ties is played for laughs, but the episode ends with one of the show's most tear-jerking moments—the depature of Tara and Giles to Michelle Branch's 'Goodbye to You'.
Conversations With Dead People
Season 7, Episode 7
While Season 7 is largely considered weak by critics and fans, Conversations with Dead People shines as a triumph of writing, editing and acting. The opening sequence is an impeccable mood piece, featuring Angie Hart's 'Blue', which Whedon wrote specifically for the episode. Conversations comprises four discrete vignettes, all involving 'dead people' of some kind (ultimately revealed to be manifestations of the First, Season 7's main villain). The conversations range from Willow's touching attempt to communicate with her dead lover, to Buffy's farcical psychoanalysis by an ex-psychology-major vampire, to a traditionally spooky 'haunting' of Dawn by Joyce, and Jonathan's redemption and death at the hands of a somewhat confused Andrew. Although the characters and subplots never intersect, the cumulative effect is profound and haunting.
