Part of my weekend was spent watching Buffy, and I forgot how much I freakin' ADORED this show. Come with me on a little journey while I recap one of the best shows in history....

1. Anne: With Angel gone, Buffy winds up in a different town, working as a waitress amidst a bunch of runaways, and sees the pain of not being missed by anyone. Meanwhile, the Scooby gang has taken to slaying vamps without the Slayer.

2. Dead Man's Party: Buffy has problems adjusting to being back home, and the Scoobys don't easily let her off the hook for having taken off and leaving them hanging. Meanwhile an ancient mask raises the dead and attacks Buffy's house. And we learn Willow has trying out her witch abilities.

3. Faith, Hope & Trick: And here we meet the delightful Faith, who has a lot of baggage and some serious jonesing for slaying. Buffy confesses to the Scoobys that Willow's spell to give Angel his soul back actually worked, but it was too late. Ooooh naked Angel...

4. Beauty and the Beasts: Is there a werewolf on the loose? And what about the abusive boyfriend? And OMG look who's back. Yay! Yet another weepy moment. Is it me or are Buffy and Angel one of the best couples ever? Spike who?

5. Homecoming: Buffy vs. Cordy for Homecoming Queen. Slayerfest '98. Xander and Willow making googly eyes at each other. Buffy & Cordy become "the ultimate big game". Oh and cute Buffy dress. Am I the only one who misses sparkly barrettes?

6. Band Candy: Principal Snyder has the school selling candy, only it's not just any kind of candy, it's got youthful powers, and we see the grownups acting like kids...and Giles gettin' busy with Buffy's mom.

7. Revelations: The gang finds out that Angel is alive. Faith tries to kill him. The Scoobies are mad at Buffy for keeping such a big secret. There's a new watcher in town, sent to monitor Giles' progress, though that's not the only thing on her agenda.

8. Lovers Walk: Spike is back in town, broken-hearted by the cruel Drusilla's rejection. He's so pitiful even Joyce sympathizes with him. Willow and Xander are fighting their growing attraction, yet when faced with possible death, give into temptation.

9. The Wish: Cordy is still trying to get over Xander's betrayal, and befriends a demon - Anya -who makes Cordy's fondest wish - that Buffy never came to town - a reality. Xander & Willow are badass vamps in this world.

10. The Amends: Oz decides to give Willow another chance. Angel is dreaming about the past and can't figured out why he came back from Hell. Then, there's the first evil. But oh, Angel standing on the hilltop, waiting for the sun. Buffy shows up. Snow...

11. Gingerbread: Joyce catches Buffy "on the job", and comes across 2 dead children. This prompts her to start a watch group to stand up and protect their town. The parents become fanatical and determined to erase all signs - real and imagined - of witchcraft, the occult, demons. Oh, and Amy turns into a rat.

12. Helpless: As Buffy's 18th birthday approaches, she's noticing that she's losing her strength, her coordination. Unaware that this is a test until she's very close to nearly being killed, she's devastated to learn of Giles' involvement, and has to figure out a way to save her mother on her own.

13. The Zeppo: Xander begins to wonder if he's really a necessary part of the Scooby gang when he's drafted into a bad crowd. He also ends up having sex for the first time.

14. Bad Girls: Buffy and Faith are bonding over the slayage. The mayor's got a dedication going on before his ascension. And we meet te new Watcher: Wesley Wyndam-Price (aka Allyson's future husband). And a slayer accidentally kills a human.

5. Consequences: Cordelia and Wesley meet for the first time. Faith and Buffy disagree about how to handle the murder. Wesley thinks he knows how to handle being a Watcher and giving orders but he learns there's a lot he doesn't know.

16. Doppelgangland: Willow is sick & tired of being the reliable one. Anya, a cranky demon stuck in Sunnydale, wants to go back to her world. The two work on a spell meant to help Anya get there, but instead they conjure up bad Willow, who has a tendency to lick the girls. (sidenote: Angel is a bit of wuss in this episode but still pretty hot)

17. Enemies: Buffy & Faith are approached about obtaining the Books of Ascension, which is something the Scooby gang know litte about. They also learn which side Faith is really on after she plots to steal Angel's soul and bringing him to the Mayor. We find out just who the better actor is, but it has consequences for Buffy & Angel.

19. Choices: The Scooby gang find out about a certain box that will help the mayor with the Ascension, and end up stealing it, howe er Willow is captured. Wesley doesn't like Buffy's plan to get Willow back, but Oz isn't about to argue, and he destroys the cauldron that was to be used in destroying the box. Buffy makes a deal with the mayor for a trade - the box for Willow. We also find out Cordy's future might not be as bright as it appears...

20. The Prom: It's the night Buffy hopes to share with Angel, only he's not so sure about their future and breaks up with her. A spurned student tries to get payback for rejection by sending hellhounds to the dance. And Buffy is designated class protector. This was an awesome episode!

21. Graduation Day, Part 1: The Ascenscion is here, and to make things interesting, Angel ends up being poisoned. The cure: a slayer's blood. A conflicted yet determined Buffy promises it will be Faith's...

22. Graduation Day, Part 2: It's D Day (or is it G Day?) and the Mayor has his big, bad plan set in motion, all while continuing to speak at the commencement. Then the eclipse comes (take that Stephenie Meyer!) and the Mayor shows himself in all his reptilian glory, yet Buffy has some surprises in store for the arrogant demon....

Oh it was wonderful going back and experiencing this season again. There's a lot of angst, and deep feelings that must not be deepened. It's poignant, funny, sexy, sweet, and enlightening.

What's your must-see episode?

Labels: BtVS, Sarah Michelle Gellar