The Most Skippable Episodes of Buffy

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an incredible show. Hell, it's the show that made me want to be a writer. That said it was a network show. Now that just means that they needed a minimum number of episodes which also means that not every episode was gold. So this is my list of skippable Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. We are going season by season.

Season 1

Look, all of season 1 was a little cheesy but in a fun way.

Episode 4: Teachers Pet

So in this episode Xander almost gets eaten by a giant praying mantis lady. I really just think this episode is gross, the writing is really weak. And honestly any episode that focuses on Xander is really annoying cause he’s just the worst.

Nothing for season 2 because it was literally perfect, no notes.

Season 3

Episode 1: Anne

Seeing Buffy outside of her group and away from her family and friends was a little weird but the problem with this episode is really that it was a great chance to explore how Buffy felt in the aftermath of having to kill Angel and I just don’t feel like it did it very well.

Episode 13: The Zeppo

Again we really hate episodes that center Xander. This was obviously a Joss Whedon self insert where he wanted to make himself feel more important then he is and it's kind of pathetic.

Season 4

Episode 5: Beer Bad

Oh god. This is possibly the worst writing on the show. It is so unnecessary. Normally the show is really good at the monster of the week thing but this just seems like we were running out of ideas.

Episode 8: Pangs

There was just too much going on in this episode. There was nothing overwhelmingly wrong with it, it's just not necessary to watch in the grand scheme of the show.

Episode 12: A New Man

It's a cute episode, and it centers Giles but there isn’t much to it.

Season 5

So really the bad episodes for this season and season 6 are all because they are super rapey. The next 4 episodes on this list are all really gross. Most center around Warren or Spike and they are all really disturbing. Like there was no commentary happening it was just uncomfortable to watch. The series would literally be no different if we just got rid of all of these episodes.

Episode 15: I Was Made To Love You

Episode 18: Intervention

Season 6

Episode 13: Dead Things

Episode 19: Seeing Red

Season 7

These are also rapey but in a very different way.

Episode 6: Him

This is the episode where Buffy, Willow, and Anya get enchanted to be in love with a high school senior. It's real gross and wildly concerning. But I guess we can look at is as a win that the show had at least one episode where the women were gross too but honestly just skip it.

Episode 13: The Killer In Me

And then of course we have the episode where Spike actually tries to rape Buffy. There was no need for it. We could have used literally anything else as the catalyst for Spike to go get his soul back and it was just really violent for no reason.

Overall I think Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an incredible show (obviously) but as with any network show there are some episodes that were simply not needed. And some of these episodes just simply needed to be written by women. Joss Whedon’s influence was simply too felt in some of these and these are all skippable episodes even in understanding the plot of the season.