Buffy the Vampire Slayerhad no shortage of great episodes, dealing in turn with supernatural creatures, romantic qualms, and the struggles of growing up and recognizing one’s own mortality. It tackled a lot of very real issues within its supernatural premise, making it one of thebest teen drama showsof all time.
Buffy’s characterswere far from perfect, and its villains varied in strength and finesse, but when the show hit its stride, it did so perfectly. AcrossBuffy the Vampire Slayer’s seasons, there are very few truly bad episodes. And while there are several great options,one memorable episode is often cited as the show’s very best.
“Once More, With Feeling” Is A Lot Of People’s Favorite Buffy Episode
It Is One Of The Highest-Rated Episodes
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s best episodesrun the gamut from emotionally fraught, like “The Body,” to downright creepy, like “Hush,” but perhaps the most unexpected greatBuffyepisode was “Once More, with Feeling.” The musical episode, despite being an unusual format for the series to cover, was surprisingly perfect.
For a series likeBuffy,which covered so many dark topics, a musical episode seems like an unexpected addition, but since it aired in 2001,“Once More, with Feeling” has become one of the most beloved episodes. This is especially surprising since it is right in the middle ofBuffy’s divisive and often disliked sixth season.
Amid all the very dark, angsty material of season 6, “Once More, with Feeling” is both a slight reprieve and a total continuation of the season’s tone. The musical aspect lifts the show a little, and some of the songs, like “The Mustard,” are quite humorous and highlight the show’s ability to do the unexpected.
In contrast, others, like “I’ll Never Tell” and “Where Do We Go from Here?” are very uncertain. Arguably, these are the episode’s most impactful, asthe songs work as a brilliant storytelling device for the characters to expose their secrets and inner monologues,getting their uncertainties into the open.
9.7
The Body
Thanks to the episode’s unique approach to its themes, entertaining musical numbers, and tight storytelling, “Once More, with Feeling” is manyBuffyfans' favorite episode, and it even has theIMDbscore to prove it. At 9.7 out of 10, “Once More, with Feeling” is tied with “Hush” and “The Body” as the show’s top-rated episode.
Reviews for the season 6 episode note that it is one of the best episodes of TV of all time, not just forBuffy. Others note the quality of the songs and how they fit the characters' stories. Overall, though some viewers were initially skeptical of the show’s ability to pull off a musical episode,Buffy’s was a pleasant surprise.
Buffy’s Ability To Play With The Monster Of The Week Formula Was The Show’s Real Strength
The Format Highlighted The Show’s Range
A serialized monster of the week format could have beenBuffy the Vampire Slayer’s downfall, but instead, it is actually one of the show’s strongest aspects. Don’t get me wrong, I love the episodes that deal withBuffy’s big bads, butthe monster of the week episodes were actually some of the most impressive.
Some of the monster-of-the-week episodes hadBuffy’s best villains and most creative plots.
Not all of them were perfect (“Beer Bad,” I’m looking at you), but some level of difference is to be expected in a show that ran for 7 seasons. In fact, it is this difference that makes viewers able to appreciate the great episodes. Some of the monster-of-the-week episodes hadBuffy’s best villains and most creative plots.
While all the episodes tested the characters in some way,most of the character development actually happened in the monster-of-the-week episodes, just as maturing happens continuously in real life. The big bad episodes and finales did have high emotional stakes, but the monster of the week episodes highlighted the show’s themes just as well.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s monster-of-the-week episodes wove their own messages and themes into the plots of the individual episodes in a way that felt seamless. While the monsters and storylines felt more youthful in the earlier episodes, as the characters aged, so did the threats they encountered, andtheir foes never felt repetitive.
Only Great Shows Like Buffy Could Pull Off Something Like “Once More, With Feeling”
Musical Episodes Are Hard To Get Right
Many shows have attempted musical episodesto varying degrees of success. Some, like “Once More, with Feeling,” have worked out, but others are better left forgotten. Because of this, it is already very impressive thatBuffy’s musical episode is considered a success.
More than just succeeding in a format that can be difficult to get right, though,Buffyactually used the musical elements in a way that expanded what a supernatural drama series could be. “Once More, with Feeling” highlights just how creative the show’s story was and how talented its cast was.
As musical episodes go, “Once More, with Feeling” also has one of the better integrations of the music, too, sinceeverything is explained away by Sweet’s power over the people of Sunnydale. Rather than having the songs be completely disconnected and unexplained within the plot, the demon aspect makes it fitting forBuffyspecifically.
Overall, “Once More, with Feeling” highlighted exactly what madeBuffyso great. It may have felt like an unexpected direction for the show to go in, but the gamble paid off, as the musical episode is remembered as one ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer’s strongest chapters.
