#60: All Paths Lead to the Basement
4x22 - "Restless"
With all elements taken together, I think I liked Xander's dream the best, and this specific moment encapsulates all the things that worked for me. The ever-present dream-like state of things, with the green screen around the ice cream truck. The music, which just feels utterly perfect for this sequence. And, of course, the theme -- which in Xander's case is the fact that no matter where he goes, he simply cannot escape the basement. "Restless" is a work of art unto itself, so much so that I almost considered the whole darned thing a moment and ranked it. But part of its genius is that it works as an entire body, as well as dissected into little chunks, like this one here. There is so much going on in "Restless" that it's a wonder any of it worked. But it all did, every last bit of it, and moments like this are why.
#59: "Can we just skip it?"
6x18 - "Entropy"
I love this moment so much that words almost fail me. Just as things are at their absolute worst for everybody else, when it looks like things can't get any darker, along comes Tara who seems ready to throw salt in our already tender wounds. Everything about her speech seems geared towards telling Willow that it's just not going to work out between them again. There's too much damage, too much mistrust, far too much to be fixed with a simple cup of coffee. Getting back together is "a long, important process," she says as Willow looked on fearfully. Then the magic words: "Can we just skip it? Can you just be kissing me now?" Willow's face is confused for about half a second before breaking into the happiest smile I think I've ever seen her wear, and then suddenly everything is as it should be again. Jubilant? Absolutely. Big grin? Oh, you betcha, and even knowing what happens, I still get one whenever I reflect on Tara's speech. I think some part of me will just keep Will and Tara in this moment forever and ever.
#58: Giles' Presentation
4x10 - "Hush"
The most fun with exposition ever had in a series that requires a whole hell of a lot of it. There's no part of this scene that isn't a joy, but I think the biggest source of amusement must come from Giles' almost child-like drawings and his obvious (and highly disturbing) love of blood and gore within them. I don't doubt that these drawings say so very much about Giles, but even I fear treading down that dark path. Instead I shall look upon this and giggle.
#57: Tara's Comfort
5x16 - "The Body"
"The Body" is full of a great many important things. Its central event, of course, is perhaps the single greatest loss in Buffy's life. Then there's all the character development as we see each person's reaction to the tragedy. But then there comes the little surprise from out of nowhere, and suddenly Tara's character takes a huge leap forward too. The scene is awkward. It's supposed to be. Buffy and Tara aren't all that close, and Buffy's going through something incredibly personal. But then Tara does what she does best, and reaches out to someone in pain, and in the process we learn about how her mother died as well. Tara is dealing so well with all the chaos around her because she's been there before, and it's here that her function in the Scooby gang becomes crystal clear. She's the grounding force, the calming voice of reason. Buffy and Tara connect here, in a way that neither character can connect with anybody else, because Tara understands. But then, understanding is what Tara does best.
#56: The Snoopy Dance
5x03 - "The Replacement"
Another reward for those of us who have watched from the beginning, although it's so much fun that anybody can join in. In a hilarious and utterly unnecessary attempt to convince Willow that Xander's really Xander, she gets an early Christmas present as he finally performs the dance we've been hearing about since the second season. It doesn't fail to disappoint. This puts a smile on my face every single solitary time I see it, even when it's in the credits. It's so ... so Xander.
#55: Blink and You'll Miss the Terrifying
7x07 - "Conversations With Dead People"
Okay, freaked? For a horror-type show, Buffy rarely phases me on the whole monster thing, but when it does, it does so with serious punch. This moment gave me the wiggins instantly, due in no small part to the fact that it's over with so damned fast. So fast, in fact, that when I was watching it with my husband, he didn't even notice it, so while I'm tazzing out, he has no idea what the problem is. We see Dawn in this shot, nothing on the couch. Then she leans out of frame. The camera follows her. When she comes back, there's Joyce, all looking exactly as she died in "The Body". Then a cut, and when Dawn looks over her shoulder, there's nothing there. Pretty much all of the scenes with Dawn in the house are freaky, but nothing compares to this one. Gyiiah.
#54: Walk Alone in Fear
6x07 - "Once More, With Feeling"
It's hard to pin down just why I like this moment so much, but I think it's the way that it so perfectly captures where everybody is at that exact moment in their lives. The lyric, "Understand we'll go hand in hand / but we'll walk alone in fear / Where do we go from here?" pretty much sums up season 6 in one tidy little package. But I think it's more than just the lyric here, I think it's also the way that everyone comes together for what appears to be their curtain call, usually a thing of cheerful victory, but then the group breaks apart violently. All of it combined create a moment that, while perhaps eluding my complete comprehension, works nevertheless.
#53: Resurrection Mojo
6x01 - "Bargaining, part 2"
There's not a whole lot beyond the obvious on this one. I love the building tension and the spiraling descent into arts way darker than anybody ('cept Willow) was expecting, all culminating in the dramatic return of Buffy. The series typically suffers from lackluster season premiers, it was a refreshing change to get one that really knocked it out of the park.
#52: The Dance of Capitalist Superiority
6x06 - "All the Way"
It's funny. It's fall-on-your-ass funny. For several reasons. Firstly, it's funny because of itself. I mean, Anya's doing an energetic, extremely elaborate dance. With the money. Secondly, it's funny because Dawn's doing it with her and having a blast. She may not know the moves, but that doesn't stop her from doing it anyway, throwing in her own little Dawn touches. And finally, it's funny because when Anya says she does it every night she closes out the cash register, you know it's true. Whether with an audience or not, you haven't a doubt that Anya dances with her money. Every night. You gotta love her.
#51: Practicing
5x11 - "Triangle"
I think this is the Spike that I liked best, with a realized soft spot for the Slayer that he hated both of them for. And in this moment, he's a riot. Desperately wanting to make sure she wasn't mad at him for tattling on Riley, Spike practices what is supposed to be a supplicating speech to a blonde-wigged mannequin. It works for a second or two, until the conversation in his head turns ugly, and he winds up smashing the chocolate peace offering over "Buffy"'s head. So then what does Spike do? Sighs, puts the mannequin back, picks up the chocolates, lamely tries to fix it up a bit, and then starts all over again. I adored him like this, when he still actually had an interesting edge to him. I will forever lament that they went and mucked with his character.
<< Previous 10 Moments
Next 10 Moments >>
|
