Every time I mention an episode as “weak”, someone jumps in
to say how much s/he likes it. With some trepidation for the comments I might
get, this post will contain my list of weakest episodes. Please do remember
that even the weakest episodes can have a good scene or two in them.
I have some criteria for what makes an episode weak. The
catch-all term would be poor execution, e.g., hitting us over the head with the
point, or leaving the point obscure, or making the plot line implausible. That
sounds as if the list is objective, but it’s no more so than my “best” list.
I’ll confess that I’ve allowed my personal distaste for Dead Man’s Party to affect its ranking.
A more neutral observer might find it not as bad as I do (not much of a bar, I
freely admit).
133. Gone
134. Teacher’s Pet
135. Reptile Boy
136. Beer Bad
137. Two to Go
138. Doublemeat Palace
139. Wrecked
140. I Robot, You Jane
141. Where the Wild
Things Are
142. Go Fish
143. Dead Man’s Party
144. As You Were
Least favorite? Well, for starters I'm not a big Marti Noxon fan. I find her comedies much better than her dramas, actually. Living Conditions and BBB are good, fun episodes. I don't like Wild at Heart and New Moon Rising at all, though. I find them overwrought and sappy. I Only Have Eyes For You and Consequences are notable exceptions, though.
ReplyDelete144. As You Were (total agreement there -- how did the man who wrote Fool For Love write this?)
143. Go Fish
142. I Robot, You Jane
141. Wrecked
140. Two to Go
139. Where the Wild Things Are
138. Wild at Heart
137. The Yoko Factor
136. Family (I actually like a lot of this episode, but I downgrade it because the totally unnuanced portrayal of Tara's family turns it into kitsch, imo)
135. Grave (Willow's "who's your supplier?" is emblematic of the way things were mishandled)
134. Bargaining 1&2 (I think SMG and James Marsters are phenomenal in this episode, and everything having to do with Buffy's state of mind is excellent. The rampage of Sunnydale is fine, except that the bikers are stupid and annoying, and there are an inordinate number of bad or pointless lines)
I have a soft spot in my heart for Wild at Heart, mostly because I think AH really sells it. I agree that the rest are weak (Family and Amends are my 2 least favorite Joss episodes), even if I don't put them at the very bottom.
DeleteLong time no comment. Glad to see you back.
:) I'm thinking of doing a rewatch soon. It has been a while.
DeleteI'm not sure how The Yoko Factor got in there. I like that one, especially the big fight. I guess I was tired last night.
I want to like Wild at Heart, but even though AH does do a good job, I think the script lets her down. I also don't care for Veruca or her dialogue, and that really ends up sinking it for me.
I also agree about Family and Amends being Joss' weakest. Amends is a curiously uneven episode.