#90: "Not it. Me."
7x07 - "Conversations with Dead People"
With that line, The First makes its presence known to the Scoobies, after a torturous hour of seriously messing with Willow. Its threats are bone-chilling, and after watching it at work, you have little doubt that it can carry through with each and every one of them. The First had incredible opportunity to be the baddest of the Bads, exceeding even Angelus on the mind-fuck scale. Unfortunately, like so much of S7, it failed to live up to its potential (the irony of that statement is not lost on me), but at that moment in time, I was really, truly scared for our heroes.
#89: Vampire Impotency
4x07 - "The Initiative"
This scene is perfect, pure and simple. There's not a single thing I can think that would have made it better. After the most disturbingly brutal-looking attack on Willow, Spike discovers that he can't quite "perform" as a vampire should. The conversation degenerates from there, with Spike trying desperately to bite but inhibited by his chip and Willow ranging from supportive to blaming herself for his problem. Until she finally remembers that his problem is in killing her, of course. The metaphor is obvious and no less hysterical for that fact. A classic example of the skewed world of the Buffyverse.
#88: Ripper and Joyce
3x06 - "Band Candy"
Ahh, "Band Candy", a decent episode made legend thanks to these two characters. We all knew what kind of teenager Giles was, but who knew how much fun it would be to actually see it? Tony Head regresses wonderfully as 16-year old Giles, crackling with dangerous energy in every scene he's in. Then, of course, there's Joyce, snapping her gum and whining about the "geekmobile". So much fun to watch, and the birth of one of my favourite bits of self-referential humour.
#87: Do What Makes You Happy
4x19 - "New Moon Rising"
We'd caught little bits and pieces of Tara up up to this point, but this was the first time we really got to see what kind of person she truly is. This entire scene is moving to watch, as Willow is clearly torn between Oz and Tara, and it's here that the audience finally gets to see why Tara (someone we know precious little about) is giving Oz (someone we've loved for years) such a run for his money -- she has the biggest gosh darned heart in the entire show. When Tara says she'll be there for Willow no matter what, you know it's true. It's killing her to think that it won't be her, but she genuinely wants Willow to choose whomever will make her happiest. Tara's love for our redhead is so strong that it nearly becomes a tangible thing here, and it makes it that much easier for us love her back.
#86: "I let her be dead."
7x13 - "The Killer in Me"
This scene about broke my heart when I first saw it, and time hasn't really lessened the pain all that much. Willow experiences something of a second death of Tara here, and in many respects it's more painful than the first one, particularly since she doesn't have the magic-fueled rage to deaden the pain this time around. Anybody who's lost someone important to them has been there -- the moment when you realize you can't quite remember every single detail about a loved one anymore. What their voice sounded like, how they smelled ... some little detail that makes you feel unbearably guilty for forgetting and moves them one step closer to away from you. Killing the memory, if you will, which manifests in the Buffyverse by Willow taking on the form of Tara's killer. But the supernatural is truly secondary and doesn't detract from the main focus. Willow's breakdown in this scene is so powerful because it's so relatable. Her apologies and pleas for Tara to come back bring a tear to my eye every single time.
#85: Transformation
6x20 - "Villains"
Bad ass. That's what I have to say about this moment. An incredible visual, from Willow bursting into the Magic Box and blowing out every light in her path to the physical absorption of every scrap of power to the full-on black hair/black eye ultragoth look. Somehow taking away Willow's trademark red hair seems to make her descent even more pronounced. A little thing, perhaps even a little cliché, but undeniably effective.
#84: It Must Be Bunnies
6x07 - "Once More, With Feeling"
"Once More, With Feeling" is a different sort of episode for more than the obvious reasons. For me, it was a huge jump out of order. When I first saw this one, I had only watched up to the end of the fourth season (that was all that was out on DVD at the time), but through an odd series of events, I saw this one next. I didn't get much of what was going on, due in no small part to my attempts at ignoring most of it for spoiler's sake. But this moment shot through my hazy veil of imposed ignorance, and I think I nearly choked with laughter. Anya's rabbit phobia hadn't really been established for me just yet, having only been a throw-away gag in "Fear, Itself", but that made it no less hysterical. Insta-heavy metal complete with pyrotechnics and a song topic that should never be a song topic, "Bunnies" is a shining moment in a brilliant episode.
#83: Tiny, Tiny Babies
4x16 - "Who Are You?"
By rights, this shouldn't be so funny. If you look at it in writing, it's not. But then Tony Head delivers it, and it suddenly becomes the most hilarious thing in the entire world. I can't not laugh when I see this scene. Giles all overly agitated, waving his arms around madly and trying feebly to come up with something to distract the police officer. Meanwhile Willow and Tara stand by, wanting to help but as much at a loss as he is. So, so funny.
#82: The Best of Us
3x16 - "Doppelgängland"
Here is another example of what Buffy does best -- infusing quirky, off-beat humour into something that would otherwise be terribly unfunny. The Scoobies believe that Willow's dead and react with a grief that's wholly believable, but still managing to make it amusing at the same time. Of course, Will's not dead, and their relief is equally as amusing while still being heartfelt. The rest of it is just bonus though; it could earn its place in the Top 100 purely on Willow's adorable-yet-offended "I'm not a vampire!"
#81: Kinda Gay
6x08 - "Tabula Rasa"
Some of my favourite Buffy moments are the ones that are in-jokes. They always feel like something of a reward for dedicated viewing, and never fail to make an amusing moment that much funnier. Like this one. Hilarious enough that in the most dire of amnesic circumstances Willow is questioning her strange attraction to the blonde girl, but when you put it in the exact phrasing from one of my favourite quotes from "Doppelgängland", it becomes a moment to treasure. And the look on Dawn's face is priceless too.
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