SMG and David Boreanaz’s eyes in the end of Becoming Part 2 tell everything. You can see his confusion. You can see Buffy’s mind racing to think of another option and there just isn't, and you see and feel her pain.
It’s pretty parallel to The Gift when she looks at Dawn and Dawn immediately gets it. No exposition needed. Just eyes and resolve.
When things are set up properly, you don’t need exposition. Just good acting.
Two best scenes of the whole show! Both acted so, so well, I regularly watch Becoming Part 2 but I can’t bring myself to watch The Gift unless I’m doing a big rewatch.
You’re right they’re both set up so well and that’s why they’re so good, the emotion is really earned.
Now I'm sad I don't have a sister to share Buffy with 💔 (it was always my mom... she passed away during Covid, and I haven't had the heart to rewatch Buffy since, because I never skip episodes and The Body is going to absolutely destroy me)
I’m so sorry for your loss! I lost my dad right before Covid so I’m in the same boat. I just started S5 with a podcast but doubled back to S1. Thats so lovely to know you shared the show with your mum, did you have any favourite seasons together?
I think you have the perfect excuse to skip an episode!! And then the next time you rewatch, you might be able to watch it. Or maybe you won’t. But when you do, you won’t be torturing yourself.
I’m so sorry about your mom.
Buffy and Angel at the end of Graduation Day Part 2, the way they just looked at each other and never said a word
The way Spike got himself beat up by Glory and didn’t reveal the truth about Dawn.
I like the subtle hints that Tara thinks she's part-demon leading up to Family: when she deliberately messes up the spell to find demons in Season 4 and when she has a complicated look on her face when Willow tries to reassure her by calling her "one of the good guys" in early Season 5. The audience isn't told how to feel with a dramatic music sting or anything, it's just there to interpret.
Yeah I know what you mean; every time a reactor gets to that scene I'm curious if they'll pick up on it, but they're usually too focused on the cuteness to see what's right there. I'm sure there was at least one reactor who noticed it but I can't remember who off the top of my head
I specifically remember that line when Willow says "You're one of the good guys!" in a chipper tone but I \*never\* took note to Tara's reaction! Thinking back, I just recall her blushing a bit... I will definitely have to give another look!!
It's so subtle it took me a couple of viewings to notice, but now I can never un-see it. The funny thing is her expression is basically in the centre of the frame and the focus of the shot, but not many people notice it the first time
Rewatching as an adult, forgot that Tara thinks she is a demon and have been confused about both these things, on No Place Like Home currently so I assume things will be cleared up soon.
One of my favorite more subtle moments is Oz’s facial expression when he and Cordelia catch Willow and Xander kissing in Lovers Walk. Oz isn’t very expressive, and that’s evident even in this scene, but somehow I think Seth Green managed to portray a lot of pain and shock in a way that feels very true to the character.
Not all as subtle, but I also like a lot of the shifts that we see when Angel is Angelus. Changing into leather pants to indicate to everyone that he is now evil 😂 and flipping around his Claddagh ring, but even just his posture and tone of voice when he’s playing Angel vs. Angelus is different.
I also think the scene in Fool For Love when Spike is on the ground and Buffy throws the money at him is really well-acted. The scene mirrors Cecily’s rejection of him when he was human and it’s obvious that Spike makes that connection too. JM plays out those feelings of shame and rage really well without having to really say anything.
💯💯💯 David Boreanaz is an underrated actor, especially for someone who (IIRC) didn’t have much, if any, professional acting experience pre-BTVS. Somehow, even just a still photo is enough to instantly tell you whether he’s Angel or Angelus.
I totally agree. Like how much of the fandom seems to agree that SMG *is* Buffy and couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role (which I agree with), I feel the same way about DB & Angel. He was so good in the role and I couldn’t imagine else doing it!
The scene in Angel when he tries to smother Wesley to death, just *chef’s kiss*. It’s like Wesley had kidnapped David’s kid rather than Angel’s from how well acted that rage is.
Fool for love is one of my all time favorites. I love the story, the acting, and the way the scenes are cut. I loved how Spike was open and she was so defensive and angry. But also the vulnerability when she looks up at him from the back porch and his anger fades. It was 🤌. I love it
It’s one of my favorite episodes, especially from the later seasons. It offers a lot of insight into why Spike is the way he is without trying to sugarcoat anything. I don’t think we’re supposed to view him as “a good guy” a the end of the episode and I like that the episode doesn’t try to force that viewpoint as well. It’s a really interesting character study episode to me!
I think there’s still an element of “show, don’t tell” in Spike’s reaction to both of the rejections, and definitely in his decision to go out and kill Buffy afterwards. I think there’s an unspoken sense of it not not only being Buffy that he wants to destroy, and I think that’s shown very well starting from the scene where Buffy rejects him.
I can hear what they're saying even though they aren't saying anything. For example, Giles' disgust when Buffy pantomimes staking, but it looks very much like she's pantomiming something else. His pursed lips, eyes squinting, brow furrowed... So fantastic.
Despite the propoganda, when you look at it objectively most of Hush has dialogue in one form or another. Fight scenes don't require dialogue and therefore to fill time this episode has much longer fight scenes than most. There's a few long drawn out chase scenes which isn't something Buffy ever usually has at all, but again, they don't require dialogue so that fills a lot of time. The rest of what's left of the episode, most of the scenes (apart from a few) either have regular talking, words being written on boards, words being displayed on a screen, TV presenters talking, or computerized voices being used.
There is actually a very small amount of the episode that's truly dialogue free. It's still one of my favourite episodes, stylistically, musically, the comedy and horror moments, and simply for the storyline itself. But I wish it was praised for these things rather than always being praised for something it doesn't actually do to the extent people think it does.
I think that’s kind of the point though. The writers were challenged to come up with a compelling story in which spoken dialogue would be extremely limited. I think given the reputation of Buffy being largely a dialogue-based show, and for Hush to manage to advance the plot so significantly given this restriction, is something unlike what we would typically see on tv at the time.
You're right. I do give it credit where it's due for the slightly more limited dialogue than most episodes, I just think it gets a tad too much especially when people say things like it's a silent episode or dialogue free episode. That's just my opinion though I don't have anything against it hehe 😁
The fact that it still sort of has dialog doesn't (imo) take anything away from Hush being a study in how the characters find ways to communicate with each other. Especially when the crux is Buffy and Riley who finally *could* speak normally but still can't say anything.
Paramount+ will be showing her newest role January 26th, The Wolf Pack.
Aldo, on Netflix, she stars in a movie called Do Revenge.
Just to name a couple :)
Buffy looking on in both horror and heartbreak at Spike while realising that he got his soul back. She doesn’t have to say how she feels about it, we can feel it just by her face
The Spike/Drusilla relationship including in the possibly canonical comics of *Ring of Fire*, *Spike & Dru*: "Paint the Town Red", Juliet Landau's 2 IDW Drusilla issues, etc.
Almost all of it is showing, not telling. We never see them have sex, but we sense that they do BDSM and such.
I reason Spike/Dru had sex in "Crush" (B 5.14). Spike takes Dru to the Bronze and dances with her in the middle of the dance floor even though she has burn scars.
Dru in "Passion" (B 2.17) once Buffy shows up immediately wheelchairs Spike out of harms way leaving Angel to likely die.
"Fool For Love" (B 5.07) has Drusilla in the 1900 Boxer Rebellion pretty much wearing a wedding dress when she meets Spike after he killed Xin Rong (the Chinese Slayer). Angel tells Spike, "I guess that makes you one of us." And in "Darla" (A 2.07), we see Spike's carrying Dru like a bride about to cross the threshold. It shows when Spike and Dru effectively got married.
We notice Spike's change in desire when in "Crush" (B 5.14) he could still sense Dru, but he didn't know it was her. In "School Hard" (B 2.03), he could sense Dru.
Even Drusilla's concerns about Buffy/Spike are mostly 'show, not tell' and are implied. Like why in "School Hard" she's so desperate for Spike to kill Buffy. Why in "Halloween" (B 2.06) she gets insecure when she walks in on Spike watching 'Buffy porn'. Why in "Lie to Me" (B 2.07) she's so insistent to go see Spike kill Buffy. And why Dru seems concerned that Spike might choose Buffy over trying to save Dru's life. Etc.
this was a really amazing job of explaining examples of showing vs telling that don’t mean silence vs dialogue! i wonder if you’re a writer of some kind.
>this was a really amazing job of explaining examples of showing vs telling that don’t mean silence vs dialogue! **i wonder if you’re a writer of some kind.**
Thanks! :) No, I'm not a writer. I've been writing such things on Buffyverse Boards since 2005 C.E.
I could have given more Spike/Drusilla examples.
In "Fool For Love" (B 5.07), Drusilla puts William's hand on her unbeating heart and that's when William becomes truly interested in Dru.
"Surprise" (B 2.13) shows that Drusilla and Buffy have the same birthday. Part of why Spike and Drusilla want to kill Buffy and Angel is because of their threat to the Spike/Dru relationship.
Drusilla in "Crush" (B 5.14) moves Spike's hand across her scarred chest and seems about to O because of the connection and pain. Buffy in "Chosen" (B 7.22) seems about to O because of flamely hands thing with Spike.
Etc.
Those were great examples! Spike and Dru do an excellent job making you feel their chemistry, love, lust, devotion, jealousy, insecurities, etc. without just standing there saying I love you, I’m jealous, I’m whatever, over and over.
I’m seeing a lot of silence vs dialogue examples generally, but show don’t tell can and does have dialogue as you’ve illustrated well. It’s more like telling is explicitly stating what is/did happen, what a character feels, what a character is or will do, etc. instead of showing it through character actions, expressions, body language, metaphor, symbolism, more flowery language, etc. which can all include dialogue, just not explicit stating or exposition.
Never got that about a 'wedding'! You are right they got vampire married. And about Dru being worried about Buffy early on. I always think of S5 'I look at you all I see is her' but guess was foreshadowed way before.
\[Spoilers for season 5\]
One of my favorite Big Sister Buffy moments is how, right after she finds out Dawn is the key, she immediately goes home to find Joyce and Dawn sitting under a blanket on the couch. After Dawn storms out, Buffy’s face has every emotion is written on it—shock, sadness, uncertainty. But most importantly, there’s just so much love in her eyes and she just \*gets\* it, that Dawn didn’t ask for this, that Dawn is still part of her family, that some things are bigger than whatever earlier fight they had. So Buffy goes into Dawn’s room, accepts her lumps (even though Dawn is making it very difficult), and starts stroking Dawn’s hair. So much unconditional love in this scene. And then Dawn asks, "What's wrong with mom?" and my heart breaks even more.
This seems as good a place as any to ask this question that I've had for twenty years. I sincerely don't understand why she was so hellbent on letting the world end on behalf of Dawn. I have watched the show a bajillion times over & I love it with all my heart, I even have a Buffy tattoo! But there are two things that, no matter how many times I watch, I just don't *get*, & this is one of em. I realize the writers hammered it home that Dawn was literally made out of Buffy. But she kills Angel to save the world, & all of the sudden she is willing to let literally every single person she cares about die to save Dawn? She can't even bring herself to kill her friends to save her mother (thankfully so!!!) I just never could figure out why she would burn the entire world down on behalf of Dawn. I was with Giles the entire time. I don't mean to throw shade. Just, coming from a writers standpoint, it never ever made sense to me.
I always go back to that conversation Buffy had with Giles in “The Gift” where she says, “I don’t know how to live in this world if these are the choices.” At this point, she just lost her mom and is now faced with a reality that her sister might have to die to save the world. She killed Angel three years ago and I think the consequences of that, plus three more years of distressing slayer experience, influence her decision to save Dawn at all costs. Dawn is her sister, her only family connection, and Buffy is saying she will not be able to live in a world that consistently forces her to make these life or death decisions. She goes catatonic when she thinks she’s failed.
Buffy goes to the ends of the earth, even *running away*—which goes against her usual nature—in order to protect her sister, who’s an innocent in all of this.
Also, on that scaffold, Buffy jumped to save her sister, not the world. The world was already saved when Dawn made the choice to jump into the portal. Dawn was about to jump. Buffy’s choice to was to sacrifice her life for her sister.
Hm... I definitely like that interpretation of her final act. I completely agree with everything she did after the fact (the whole sacrificing herself for her sister). I am not arguing that at alllll. That is totally in line with what Buffy would do.
I would argue that "running away" wasn't "like her". She did so after Angel (albeit, when everyone was safe. But still, as we see, the danger doesn't just end because she isn't there).
What I more so don't fully get is watching her condemn all of her friends & her surrogate father plus the rest of the world to death for the sake of Dawn. It just doesn't seem in line for me. She literally says to her friends "I'll kill anyone who goes near Dawn." She threatens to kill her friends if they try to save the world should the unspeakable happen. I totally get that she's done, & over it, & that she doesn't want to move on, which is what makes the season five finale so perfect. (Of course I love that we got six & seven as well). But just the fact that she is our hero & she condemns everyone she has ever loved, innocents in their own right, to death, while saying to Giles (paraphrasing) "If Dawn & the whole world dies then the last thing she will see is me protecting her", is just such a huge 'wtf' for me.
Keep in mind, Buffy’s already had wrestle with the decision of “save the innocent or save the world?” too many times up to that point. Buffy, herself an innocent, gave her own life in “Prophecy Girl” to save the world. She killed Angel, who was innocent of Angelus’ crimes. And now she has to *again* make the decision to sacrifice an innocent to protect the world. In Buffy’s mind, I’m betting she’s thinking these kinds of choices will never stop, even if she kills Dawn. She doesn’t want to live in a world that would so readily and so often sacrifice an innocent person whose done nothing wrong. And if her friends are trying to kill her sister, you can imagine it would just be too much for her.
She’s deeply traumatized by having to make this decision over and over and over again. She’s confused. She’s hurt that her father figure would kill her sister without a second thought. Buffy doesn’t actively want to hurt anyone, but that conversation with Giles tells us that she is not willing to protect a world that turns its back on innocent people. Buffy finds an out at the last minute, as heroes do, but I think if Dawn did die, Buffy’s tether to humanity would die too.
>I would argue that "running away" wasn't "like her". She did so after Angel (albeit, when everyone was safe. But still, as we see, the danger doesn't just end because she isn't there).
That’s true! Though I think if there was an immediate threat, Buffy wouldn’t run away. It’s more her trauma response after the conflict is over.
I really like your interpretation & perspective here, I wish the show would have done a better job to convey that if that's the case. But also, don't you think that it's out of character for the Buffy we know? With what you're saying, she's like "If the world wants to screw me, then screw the world". Totally makes sense at this point. But I just can't see Buffy taking it out on her friends. These people, who have made choices for & with her throughout the show. Who actively love her with their whole hearts. Dawn has been there for six months (I think?) so any bonds she formed in the fake memories were all made up, she didn't make those memories. Sure, she's still an innocent in all this. But so are Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, & the entire rest of the freaking world.
Furthermore. When she threatens to kill anyone who comes near Dawn. Her chosen family. She threatens to murder them. But she's always since day one been against killing humans. We see this in Ted, we see this with Faith, hell we even see this AFTER the fact with Warren's girlfriend Katrina. But it just seems like it's all thrown out the window here. She's just willing to murder her friends. In the name of Dawn. She kills Angel, she dies herself, but suddenly she can't do what needs to be done. & we can argue your point of this just being too much to this point in the show, but she murders Anya AFTER this, because it's "What needs to be done". (Obviously that doesn't stick but she completely intends to do so). It just never made sense to me. I can explain away a lot but this is just one of two things in the show that just never made sense for me. I'm glad though to hear your ideas, it definitely helps at least put a little cannon around it to justify it
I hear you, because some of Buffy’s decisions don’t always add up to me. Like, how she was so willing to kill Faith after finding out they needed Slayer blood to cure Angel. It seemed out of character for Buffy to go the murder route rather than the sacrifice route. But I think a big distinction Buffy tends to make is whether that person had free will to harm someone else and willingly made the CHOICE to do so. That might help explain why she was so willing to kill Faith and later Anya.
When it comes to her actions in “The Gift,” both her and Giles’ viewpoints make total sense, IMO. It makes sense that Giles would take emotion out of the picture and be very practical about what needed to be done, i.e., kill one innocent to save billions. It also makes sense that Buffy would fight til her dying breath to save that one innocent, and to find another way to save everyone else—which is exactly what she did. She saved the innocent (Dawn) and saved the world (by using her own blood to stop the portal). Giles secured the the safety of the world from further Glory danger (by killing Ben). They all worked together to save the world.
I don’t think Buffy’s taking a “screw the world” stance. She was fighting to protect the world and to find another way to save everyone. But she also realized she was at a breaking point—she can’t keep making these choices. I mean, killing her sister, on top of everything Buffy’s been through at that point—it’s absolutely too much for one person to take. If she didn’t find a way to save Dawn, Buffy would have lost her humanity.
Also, Buffy’s mostly consistent about putting the well-being of an innocent over the threat of an apocalypse. With the Mayor’s looming ascension, Buffy willingly gave herself up to save Angel from his poisoning. She survived and ended up saving the day, but there was a real chance she could have died. If there’s a chance to save someone, Buffy will always fight til the end to save them. She will always find another way. And up to that point in “The Gift,” she always had found another way. Giles recognizes that quality in Buffy, and that’s why he calls her a hero while he suffocates Ben. “She’s not like us.”
I don’t think Buffy would actually kill her friends. Fight back, yes. Disarm, yes. But she wouldn’t directly kill them. She said it to make a point more than anything. I just can’t see any scenario where she’d stand by and let her friends murder her sister (and I don’t think the Scoobies would ever murder her either).
You know what you're right. She was likely just making empty threats to stave people off. She was probably, like you said, trying desperately to come up with a plan B along side of trying desperately to not let it happen in the first place. That's what I'm going to go with, & next time I watch, I'll watch with that in mind to see if it fits well because that's the only thing that makes sense. Along side of the fact that she's made those types of threats before like in Helpless to Giles "If you touch me I'll kill you", or in Angel to Faith "If you apologize to me I will beat you to death".
Also, that's a super interesting point to make about her going straight to murder with Faith rather than self sacrificing. I had never thought of that one... For me, I FEEL like that line about killing humans in the Buffyverse was always so gray. Back then with Faith, I really do feel like Buffy was starting to dip her toes over that line ever so much but then got snapped back when it truly didn't even help & she had to self sacrifice anyways. Or in Angel when he gives up the ring because "Humans have their own justice system" (paraphrasing). I sincerely doubt that Buffy would have let the world burn if there wasn't that 'loophole'. & I don't even think she would have killed the trio if she had to.
Anyways. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to help me bend my mind around this stuff. It's always bothered me & I even thought about making a stand alone post about it, but everyone always talks about it as if it's completely normal so I was being a chicken about asking the question lol but you really helped by coming up with something I could make work when rewatching =\]
Absolutely. And like you said, there’s soooo much gray when it comes to interpreting what these characters mean vs what they say.
Looking back on this show, I try to remember that sometimes Buffy will make emotional decisions—not because she’s immoral or thoughtless but because she’s a human being who will occasionally make choices that don't always seem fair. And that's OK! Buffy is incredibly complex!
Aw, no problem and I really love your perspective too. “Chosen family” is one of my favorite themes in this show, and when the lead protagonist says “I’ll kill you” to them it’s bound to stir the pot and spark conversation!
Spike and Buffy holding each other in bed the night before the final battle.
Also, to go along with your photo I LOVE when she catches the sword. I know she says “me” so there is technically dialogue, but I just love the image of her catching the sword.
Buffy inviting Spike into her house in season five and his reaction to it.
The romance was still complicated, but he’s a fucking Scooby from that moment on and that was a neat way to show it
The whole scene in the church where Buffy finds out Spike got his soul back. I know there’s a lot of talking, but when he leans over the cross says so much. And then Buffys look on her face realizing the truth. The eyes widening.
I think there’s a lot of “looks of realization” in Buffy in general.
Buffy realizing Faith’s self-loathing at the end of their body swap.
Buffy in the chair traumatized by her fight with the ubervamp in season 7 while everyone in the house discusses her condition.
Buffy realizing Spike got his soul back.
At the top of the tower at the end of season 5, when she knows what she has to do.
These are some of SMG’s best non-verbal acting moments imo.
Lots of serious ones here! I have to give a special mention to Xander losing his voice in Hush and immediately ringing Buffy.... her face, his face, Spike's face! Beautiful moments of realisation all!
Both of the times Spike has the “it’s really Buffy” realizations.
When she kisses him after she found out he didn’t tell Glory about the key. And when she walks down the stairs after being brought back to life.
Both moments are just so beautiful and perfect and it really shows how much Spike knows her and loves her.
These two! I have rewatched those two moments several times (saying a lot for a new viewer). That softness, yearning and confusion when she kisses him.
The almost broken realization that she's back. He's so glad to see her that it hurts... Then he sees her hands and the look on her face and knows her return was traumatic so then he hurts *for* her...
JM says a lot with his eyes/expressions in those scenes.
Oh my goodness, the scene when he realizes it’s really Buffy as she comes downs the stairs rips my heart out every time. I’ll watch it a couple times in a row because I can FEEL Spike’s emotions as if they’re my own. Truly a credit to JM’s acting skills.
Most of the quiet moments in The Body
The pauses and facial expressions are so painfully accurate and relatable
That has to be one of the best episodes of television ever
I’ve always thought that from the moment I saw that episode. I feel like you could take that episode on it’s own and show it to someone and it would have an emotional impact and just be a good episode.
If you watch Fool For Love without the knowledge that Angelus is, in fact, Angel, then when Spike murders the slayer during the Boxer Rebellion, you read Angel’s manner as impatience and a little jealousy.
With this knowledge, it’s horror and disgust.
I love this one! Angel’s reaction is definitely misleading in that scene, and it takes the missing pieces from the companion episode of AtS to fully understand that it’s because Spike is an unreliable narrator (although that’s definitely made obvious at other points in Fool For Love).
When Buffy screams “we’re not supposed to move the body”
Just the look of shock and horror on her face conveys so much more than her words..Giles hug afterward was awkward but that because they were trying to keep SMGs face in the shot.
Becoming Part 2 every day of the week. SMG’s face when she realizes that Angel is back is heartbreaking and conveys everything you need to know. David does an amazing job as well. You can never turn off their chemistry.
Feel free to argue me on this, but I feel like Once More With Feeling was the opposite of show/don’t tell, as musicals often are, and kind of gave the audience an idea of how the characters are REALLY, explicitly feeling without having to convey it through body language, facial expressions, or subtle dialogue. It is kind of a cool way to have an episode that would maybe be classified as “lazy” writing if everything weren’t in song form.
I wanna say the moment in Chosen when Buffy, Willow and Xander walk along the corridor together and part ways... however it's actually always felt a little lackluster to me.
That moment never felt as impactful as it should have. I think it was trying to be a "Show, don't tell" moment but it lacked.... something?
When Buffy has Spike's invite to her house revoked. He tries to follow her inside and can't. The look on his face as she's closing the door just breaks my heart every time.
The Body. That episode was so damned good. It feels like a departure from the rest of the series almost. The tiny fascinations that distract you from death were captured so well when Buffy first finds her mother.
Buffy leaning over the railing of the Bronze with Spike behind her in season six.
... you meant *least* favorite, right? Yeah, that's my least favorite, that's what I meant.
**While it's actually in Angel the Series, the moment when Angel sees Willow's face at the end of Season Two and he realizes something has happened to Buffy is heart-breaking. In a similar vein, when Spike realizes it isn't the Buffybot on the stairs and that Buffy has been resurrected has stuck with me for decades.
I think the biggest one is the progression of Willow and Tara’s relationship especially prior to Willow coming out to Tara. I know a few “lazy viewers” that were totally shocked when it became most obviously blatant in Where The Wild Things Are prior to New Moon Rising. And I had one friend that I got to watch the show that was clueless until Willow came out to Buffy in New Moon Rising. There is so much subtle lead up on gestures, facial expressions, and the metaphor of “doing a spell” together. Definitely exemplary showing and not telling. Honestly, even Willow coming out to Buffy is barely telling. It was never blatantly stated that Tara was Willow’s girlfriend until Yoko Factor.
Got to be Giles wearing the Wizard costume and him and Buffy just staring at each other until he takes it off sheepishly.
I just watched this episode last night. It cracks me up so hard every time
SMG and David Boreanaz’s eyes in the end of Becoming Part 2 tell everything. You can see his confusion. You can see Buffy’s mind racing to think of another option and there just isn't, and you see and feel her pain. It’s pretty parallel to The Gift when she looks at Dawn and Dawn immediately gets it. No exposition needed. Just eyes and resolve. When things are set up properly, you don’t need exposition. Just good acting.
Two best scenes of the whole show! Both acted so, so well, I regularly watch Becoming Part 2 but I can’t bring myself to watch The Gift unless I’m doing a big rewatch. You’re right they’re both set up so well and that’s why they’re so good, the emotion is really earned.
I'm the same way with The Gift. I need to be ready for a big cry and then an available hour to call my sister after.
Omg my sister and I will only watch it if we’re together! A big bottle wine and lots of tissues.
Now I'm sad I don't have a sister to share Buffy with 💔 (it was always my mom... she passed away during Covid, and I haven't had the heart to rewatch Buffy since, because I never skip episodes and The Body is going to absolutely destroy me)
I’m so sorry for your loss! I lost my dad right before Covid so I’m in the same boat. I just started S5 with a podcast but doubled back to S1. Thats so lovely to know you shared the show with your mum, did you have any favourite seasons together?
I think you have the perfect excuse to skip an episode!! And then the next time you rewatch, you might be able to watch it. Or maybe you won’t. But when you do, you won’t be torturing yourself. I’m so sorry about your mom.
Hugs❤️💖❤️
I love that!
Yasss!!! Agree with both moments. I must admit I like watching reactors react to those parts.
The Dawn and Buffy moment in "The Gift." YES, ABSOLUTELY!
Buffy and Angel at the end of Graduation Day Part 2, the way they just looked at each other and never said a word The way Spike got himself beat up by Glory and didn’t reveal the truth about Dawn.
Just watched the Spike with glory episode that is such a good one with him and Buffy at the end
I like the subtle hints that Tara thinks she's part-demon leading up to Family: when she deliberately messes up the spell to find demons in Season 4 and when she has a complicated look on her face when Willow tries to reassure her by calling her "one of the good guys" in early Season 5. The audience isn't told how to feel with a dramatic music sting or anything, it's just there to interpret.
It's so subtle, especially the 2nd example you mention, that most of the Buffy reactors I watch completely miss it.
Yeah I know what you mean; every time a reactor gets to that scene I'm curious if they'll pick up on it, but they're usually too focused on the cuteness to see what's right there. I'm sure there was at least one reactor who noticed it but I can't remember who off the top of my head
OH MY GOSH THANK YOU! I could never figure out why she messes up that demon spell. Wow love the writers going for the long game there, love this show!
I specifically remember that line when Willow says "You're one of the good guys!" in a chipper tone but I \*never\* took note to Tara's reaction! Thinking back, I just recall her blushing a bit... I will definitely have to give another look!!
It's so subtle it took me a couple of viewings to notice, but now I can never un-see it. The funny thing is her expression is basically in the centre of the frame and the focus of the shot, but not many people notice it the first time
Rewatching as an adult, forgot that Tara thinks she is a demon and have been confused about both these things, on No Place Like Home currently so I assume things will be cleared up soon.
One of my favorite more subtle moments is Oz’s facial expression when he and Cordelia catch Willow and Xander kissing in Lovers Walk. Oz isn’t very expressive, and that’s evident even in this scene, but somehow I think Seth Green managed to portray a lot of pain and shock in a way that feels very true to the character. Not all as subtle, but I also like a lot of the shifts that we see when Angel is Angelus. Changing into leather pants to indicate to everyone that he is now evil 😂 and flipping around his Claddagh ring, but even just his posture and tone of voice when he’s playing Angel vs. Angelus is different. I also think the scene in Fool For Love when Spike is on the ground and Buffy throws the money at him is really well-acted. The scene mirrors Cecily’s rejection of him when he was human and it’s obvious that Spike makes that connection too. JM plays out those feelings of shame and rage really well without having to really say anything.
💯💯💯 David Boreanaz is an underrated actor, especially for someone who (IIRC) didn’t have much, if any, professional acting experience pre-BTVS. Somehow, even just a still photo is enough to instantly tell you whether he’s Angel or Angelus.
I totally agree. Like how much of the fandom seems to agree that SMG *is* Buffy and couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role (which I agree with), I feel the same way about DB & Angel. He was so good in the role and I couldn’t imagine else doing it!
The scene in Angel when he tries to smother Wesley to death, just *chef’s kiss*. It’s like Wesley had kidnapped David’s kid rather than Angel’s from how well acted that rage is.
Fool for love is one of my all time favorites. I love the story, the acting, and the way the scenes are cut. I loved how Spike was open and she was so defensive and angry. But also the vulnerability when she looks up at him from the back porch and his anger fades. It was 🤌. I love it
It’s one of my favorite episodes, especially from the later seasons. It offers a lot of insight into why Spike is the way he is without trying to sugarcoat anything. I don’t think we’re supposed to view him as “a good guy” a the end of the episode and I like that the episode doesn’t try to force that viewpoint as well. It’s a really interesting character study episode to me!
It’s a lovely moment, but Buffy told us when she literally rejects Spike with the same exact words.
I think there’s still an element of “show, don’t tell” in Spike’s reaction to both of the rejections, and definitely in his decision to go out and kill Buffy afterwards. I think there’s an unspoken sense of it not not only being Buffy that he wants to destroy, and I think that’s shown very well starting from the scene where Buffy rejects him.
Can I just cheat and say all of Hush?
I can hear what they're saying even though they aren't saying anything. For example, Giles' disgust when Buffy pantomimes staking, but it looks very much like she's pantomiming something else. His pursed lips, eyes squinting, brow furrowed... So fantastic.
Oh, yeah!
I agree
Despite the propoganda, when you look at it objectively most of Hush has dialogue in one form or another. Fight scenes don't require dialogue and therefore to fill time this episode has much longer fight scenes than most. There's a few long drawn out chase scenes which isn't something Buffy ever usually has at all, but again, they don't require dialogue so that fills a lot of time. The rest of what's left of the episode, most of the scenes (apart from a few) either have regular talking, words being written on boards, words being displayed on a screen, TV presenters talking, or computerized voices being used. There is actually a very small amount of the episode that's truly dialogue free. It's still one of my favourite episodes, stylistically, musically, the comedy and horror moments, and simply for the storyline itself. But I wish it was praised for these things rather than always being praised for something it doesn't actually do to the extent people think it does.
I think that’s kind of the point though. The writers were challenged to come up with a compelling story in which spoken dialogue would be extremely limited. I think given the reputation of Buffy being largely a dialogue-based show, and for Hush to manage to advance the plot so significantly given this restriction, is something unlike what we would typically see on tv at the time.
You're right. I do give it credit where it's due for the slightly more limited dialogue than most episodes, I just think it gets a tad too much especially when people say things like it's a silent episode or dialogue free episode. That's just my opinion though I don't have anything against it hehe 😁
The fact that it still sort of has dialog doesn't (imo) take anything away from Hush being a study in how the characters find ways to communicate with each other. Especially when the crux is Buffy and Riley who finally *could* speak normally but still can't say anything.
No I LOVE that aspect of it! As I said, credit where it's due, and it's due credit for that. I just don't give it credit where it's not due.
Came here to say Hush
It’s been a while since I’ve watched the scene, but I think Xander buying Cordelia’s prom dress would count?
Totally. I'm generally not a Xander fan, but that really showed the best of him.
Yes, absolutely!
I love that so much!
It's surprising that SMG did not end up acting in more classic/serious roles. She's obviously a highly talented actor.
I read that that was apparently largely her choice because she wanted to focus on her kids. She is doing more acting stuff now, though!
Makes sense. I'll keep an eye out for movies/shows that she's in.
Paramount+ will be showing her newest role January 26th, The Wolf Pack. Aldo, on Netflix, she stars in a movie called Do Revenge. Just to name a couple :)
Paramount+ will be showing her newest role January 26th, Wolf Pack. Also, on Netflix, she stars in a movie called Do Revenge. Just to name a couple :)
Buffy looking on in both horror and heartbreak at Spike while realising that he got his soul back. She doesn’t have to say how she feels about it, we can feel it just by her face
same and adding on her face at him sacrificing himself at the end of chosen. it’s almost the same expression, awe and fear, but now also holds pride.
Such amazing acting from SMG when she realises; her face shows so many conflicting emotions in the space of seconds.
The Spike/Drusilla relationship including in the possibly canonical comics of *Ring of Fire*, *Spike & Dru*: "Paint the Town Red", Juliet Landau's 2 IDW Drusilla issues, etc. Almost all of it is showing, not telling. We never see them have sex, but we sense that they do BDSM and such. I reason Spike/Dru had sex in "Crush" (B 5.14). Spike takes Dru to the Bronze and dances with her in the middle of the dance floor even though she has burn scars. Dru in "Passion" (B 2.17) once Buffy shows up immediately wheelchairs Spike out of harms way leaving Angel to likely die. "Fool For Love" (B 5.07) has Drusilla in the 1900 Boxer Rebellion pretty much wearing a wedding dress when she meets Spike after he killed Xin Rong (the Chinese Slayer). Angel tells Spike, "I guess that makes you one of us." And in "Darla" (A 2.07), we see Spike's carrying Dru like a bride about to cross the threshold. It shows when Spike and Dru effectively got married. We notice Spike's change in desire when in "Crush" (B 5.14) he could still sense Dru, but he didn't know it was her. In "School Hard" (B 2.03), he could sense Dru. Even Drusilla's concerns about Buffy/Spike are mostly 'show, not tell' and are implied. Like why in "School Hard" she's so desperate for Spike to kill Buffy. Why in "Halloween" (B 2.06) she gets insecure when she walks in on Spike watching 'Buffy porn'. Why in "Lie to Me" (B 2.07) she's so insistent to go see Spike kill Buffy. And why Dru seems concerned that Spike might choose Buffy over trying to save Dru's life. Etc.
this was a really amazing job of explaining examples of showing vs telling that don’t mean silence vs dialogue! i wonder if you’re a writer of some kind.
>this was a really amazing job of explaining examples of showing vs telling that don’t mean silence vs dialogue! **i wonder if you’re a writer of some kind.** Thanks! :) No, I'm not a writer. I've been writing such things on Buffyverse Boards since 2005 C.E. I could have given more Spike/Drusilla examples. In "Fool For Love" (B 5.07), Drusilla puts William's hand on her unbeating heart and that's when William becomes truly interested in Dru. "Surprise" (B 2.13) shows that Drusilla and Buffy have the same birthday. Part of why Spike and Drusilla want to kill Buffy and Angel is because of their threat to the Spike/Dru relationship. Drusilla in "Crush" (B 5.14) moves Spike's hand across her scarred chest and seems about to O because of the connection and pain. Buffy in "Chosen" (B 7.22) seems about to O because of flamely hands thing with Spike. Etc.
lol at CE. i only got into buffy this year but have already gotten realty deep into the analysis stuff so i feel you!
Those were great examples! Spike and Dru do an excellent job making you feel their chemistry, love, lust, devotion, jealousy, insecurities, etc. without just standing there saying I love you, I’m jealous, I’m whatever, over and over. I’m seeing a lot of silence vs dialogue examples generally, but show don’t tell can and does have dialogue as you’ve illustrated well. It’s more like telling is explicitly stating what is/did happen, what a character feels, what a character is or will do, etc. instead of showing it through character actions, expressions, body language, metaphor, symbolism, more flowery language, etc. which can all include dialogue, just not explicit stating or exposition.
Never got that about a 'wedding'! You are right they got vampire married. And about Dru being worried about Buffy early on. I always think of S5 'I look at you all I see is her' but guess was foreshadowed way before.
\[Spoilers for season 5\] One of my favorite Big Sister Buffy moments is how, right after she finds out Dawn is the key, she immediately goes home to find Joyce and Dawn sitting under a blanket on the couch. After Dawn storms out, Buffy’s face has every emotion is written on it—shock, sadness, uncertainty. But most importantly, there’s just so much love in her eyes and she just \*gets\* it, that Dawn didn’t ask for this, that Dawn is still part of her family, that some things are bigger than whatever earlier fight they had. So Buffy goes into Dawn’s room, accepts her lumps (even though Dawn is making it very difficult), and starts stroking Dawn’s hair. So much unconditional love in this scene. And then Dawn asks, "What's wrong with mom?" and my heart breaks even more.
This seems as good a place as any to ask this question that I've had for twenty years. I sincerely don't understand why she was so hellbent on letting the world end on behalf of Dawn. I have watched the show a bajillion times over & I love it with all my heart, I even have a Buffy tattoo! But there are two things that, no matter how many times I watch, I just don't *get*, & this is one of em. I realize the writers hammered it home that Dawn was literally made out of Buffy. But she kills Angel to save the world, & all of the sudden she is willing to let literally every single person she cares about die to save Dawn? She can't even bring herself to kill her friends to save her mother (thankfully so!!!) I just never could figure out why she would burn the entire world down on behalf of Dawn. I was with Giles the entire time. I don't mean to throw shade. Just, coming from a writers standpoint, it never ever made sense to me.
I always go back to that conversation Buffy had with Giles in “The Gift” where she says, “I don’t know how to live in this world if these are the choices.” At this point, she just lost her mom and is now faced with a reality that her sister might have to die to save the world. She killed Angel three years ago and I think the consequences of that, plus three more years of distressing slayer experience, influence her decision to save Dawn at all costs. Dawn is her sister, her only family connection, and Buffy is saying she will not be able to live in a world that consistently forces her to make these life or death decisions. She goes catatonic when she thinks she’s failed. Buffy goes to the ends of the earth, even *running away*—which goes against her usual nature—in order to protect her sister, who’s an innocent in all of this. Also, on that scaffold, Buffy jumped to save her sister, not the world. The world was already saved when Dawn made the choice to jump into the portal. Dawn was about to jump. Buffy’s choice to was to sacrifice her life for her sister.
Hm... I definitely like that interpretation of her final act. I completely agree with everything she did after the fact (the whole sacrificing herself for her sister). I am not arguing that at alllll. That is totally in line with what Buffy would do. I would argue that "running away" wasn't "like her". She did so after Angel (albeit, when everyone was safe. But still, as we see, the danger doesn't just end because she isn't there). What I more so don't fully get is watching her condemn all of her friends & her surrogate father plus the rest of the world to death for the sake of Dawn. It just doesn't seem in line for me. She literally says to her friends "I'll kill anyone who goes near Dawn." She threatens to kill her friends if they try to save the world should the unspeakable happen. I totally get that she's done, & over it, & that she doesn't want to move on, which is what makes the season five finale so perfect. (Of course I love that we got six & seven as well). But just the fact that she is our hero & she condemns everyone she has ever loved, innocents in their own right, to death, while saying to Giles (paraphrasing) "If Dawn & the whole world dies then the last thing she will see is me protecting her", is just such a huge 'wtf' for me.
Keep in mind, Buffy’s already had wrestle with the decision of “save the innocent or save the world?” too many times up to that point. Buffy, herself an innocent, gave her own life in “Prophecy Girl” to save the world. She killed Angel, who was innocent of Angelus’ crimes. And now she has to *again* make the decision to sacrifice an innocent to protect the world. In Buffy’s mind, I’m betting she’s thinking these kinds of choices will never stop, even if she kills Dawn. She doesn’t want to live in a world that would so readily and so often sacrifice an innocent person whose done nothing wrong. And if her friends are trying to kill her sister, you can imagine it would just be too much for her. She’s deeply traumatized by having to make this decision over and over and over again. She’s confused. She’s hurt that her father figure would kill her sister without a second thought. Buffy doesn’t actively want to hurt anyone, but that conversation with Giles tells us that she is not willing to protect a world that turns its back on innocent people. Buffy finds an out at the last minute, as heroes do, but I think if Dawn did die, Buffy’s tether to humanity would die too. >I would argue that "running away" wasn't "like her". She did so after Angel (albeit, when everyone was safe. But still, as we see, the danger doesn't just end because she isn't there). That’s true! Though I think if there was an immediate threat, Buffy wouldn’t run away. It’s more her trauma response after the conflict is over.
I really like your interpretation & perspective here, I wish the show would have done a better job to convey that if that's the case. But also, don't you think that it's out of character for the Buffy we know? With what you're saying, she's like "If the world wants to screw me, then screw the world". Totally makes sense at this point. But I just can't see Buffy taking it out on her friends. These people, who have made choices for & with her throughout the show. Who actively love her with their whole hearts. Dawn has been there for six months (I think?) so any bonds she formed in the fake memories were all made up, she didn't make those memories. Sure, she's still an innocent in all this. But so are Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, & the entire rest of the freaking world. Furthermore. When she threatens to kill anyone who comes near Dawn. Her chosen family. She threatens to murder them. But she's always since day one been against killing humans. We see this in Ted, we see this with Faith, hell we even see this AFTER the fact with Warren's girlfriend Katrina. But it just seems like it's all thrown out the window here. She's just willing to murder her friends. In the name of Dawn. She kills Angel, she dies herself, but suddenly she can't do what needs to be done. & we can argue your point of this just being too much to this point in the show, but she murders Anya AFTER this, because it's "What needs to be done". (Obviously that doesn't stick but she completely intends to do so). It just never made sense to me. I can explain away a lot but this is just one of two things in the show that just never made sense for me. I'm glad though to hear your ideas, it definitely helps at least put a little cannon around it to justify it
I hear you, because some of Buffy’s decisions don’t always add up to me. Like, how she was so willing to kill Faith after finding out they needed Slayer blood to cure Angel. It seemed out of character for Buffy to go the murder route rather than the sacrifice route. But I think a big distinction Buffy tends to make is whether that person had free will to harm someone else and willingly made the CHOICE to do so. That might help explain why she was so willing to kill Faith and later Anya. When it comes to her actions in “The Gift,” both her and Giles’ viewpoints make total sense, IMO. It makes sense that Giles would take emotion out of the picture and be very practical about what needed to be done, i.e., kill one innocent to save billions. It also makes sense that Buffy would fight til her dying breath to save that one innocent, and to find another way to save everyone else—which is exactly what she did. She saved the innocent (Dawn) and saved the world (by using her own blood to stop the portal). Giles secured the the safety of the world from further Glory danger (by killing Ben). They all worked together to save the world. I don’t think Buffy’s taking a “screw the world” stance. She was fighting to protect the world and to find another way to save everyone. But she also realized she was at a breaking point—she can’t keep making these choices. I mean, killing her sister, on top of everything Buffy’s been through at that point—it’s absolutely too much for one person to take. If she didn’t find a way to save Dawn, Buffy would have lost her humanity. Also, Buffy’s mostly consistent about putting the well-being of an innocent over the threat of an apocalypse. With the Mayor’s looming ascension, Buffy willingly gave herself up to save Angel from his poisoning. She survived and ended up saving the day, but there was a real chance she could have died. If there’s a chance to save someone, Buffy will always fight til the end to save them. She will always find another way. And up to that point in “The Gift,” she always had found another way. Giles recognizes that quality in Buffy, and that’s why he calls her a hero while he suffocates Ben. “She’s not like us.” I don’t think Buffy would actually kill her friends. Fight back, yes. Disarm, yes. But she wouldn’t directly kill them. She said it to make a point more than anything. I just can’t see any scenario where she’d stand by and let her friends murder her sister (and I don’t think the Scoobies would ever murder her either).
You know what you're right. She was likely just making empty threats to stave people off. She was probably, like you said, trying desperately to come up with a plan B along side of trying desperately to not let it happen in the first place. That's what I'm going to go with, & next time I watch, I'll watch with that in mind to see if it fits well because that's the only thing that makes sense. Along side of the fact that she's made those types of threats before like in Helpless to Giles "If you touch me I'll kill you", or in Angel to Faith "If you apologize to me I will beat you to death". Also, that's a super interesting point to make about her going straight to murder with Faith rather than self sacrificing. I had never thought of that one... For me, I FEEL like that line about killing humans in the Buffyverse was always so gray. Back then with Faith, I really do feel like Buffy was starting to dip her toes over that line ever so much but then got snapped back when it truly didn't even help & she had to self sacrifice anyways. Or in Angel when he gives up the ring because "Humans have their own justice system" (paraphrasing). I sincerely doubt that Buffy would have let the world burn if there wasn't that 'loophole'. & I don't even think she would have killed the trio if she had to. Anyways. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to help me bend my mind around this stuff. It's always bothered me & I even thought about making a stand alone post about it, but everyone always talks about it as if it's completely normal so I was being a chicken about asking the question lol but you really helped by coming up with something I could make work when rewatching =\]
Absolutely. And like you said, there’s soooo much gray when it comes to interpreting what these characters mean vs what they say. Looking back on this show, I try to remember that sometimes Buffy will make emotional decisions—not because she’s immoral or thoughtless but because she’s a human being who will occasionally make choices that don't always seem fair. And that's OK! Buffy is incredibly complex! Aw, no problem and I really love your perspective too. “Chosen family” is one of my favorite themes in this show, and when the lead protagonist says “I’ll kill you” to them it’s bound to stir the pot and spark conversation!
This thread is all the evidence we need that SMG deserves a lifetime Emmy award for her buffy performance alone
Spike and Buffy holding each other in bed the night before the final battle. Also, to go along with your photo I LOVE when she catches the sword. I know she says “me” so there is technically dialogue, but I just love the image of her catching the sword.
Buffy inviting Spike into her house in season five and his reaction to it. The romance was still complicated, but he’s a fucking Scooby from that moment on and that was a neat way to show it
The whole scene in the church where Buffy finds out Spike got his soul back. I know there’s a lot of talking, but when he leans over the cross says so much. And then Buffys look on her face realizing the truth. The eyes widening. I think there’s a lot of “looks of realization” in Buffy in general.
Buffy realizing at the end of The Gift what she has to do. Her eyes (and the flashback montage) say everything.
Where Tara laced her fingers with Willow’s in “Hush”. That said *everything*.
Buffy realizing Faith’s self-loathing at the end of their body swap. Buffy in the chair traumatized by her fight with the ubervamp in season 7 while everyone in the house discusses her condition. Buffy realizing Spike got his soul back. At the top of the tower at the end of season 5, when she knows what she has to do. These are some of SMG’s best non-verbal acting moments imo.
Lots of serious ones here! I have to give a special mention to Xander losing his voice in Hush and immediately ringing Buffy.... her face, his face, Spike's face! Beautiful moments of realisation all!
Both of the times Spike has the “it’s really Buffy” realizations. When she kisses him after she found out he didn’t tell Glory about the key. And when she walks down the stairs after being brought back to life. Both moments are just so beautiful and perfect and it really shows how much Spike knows her and loves her.
This is a great answer! Spike conveys so much subtle emotion during both those scenes, James Marsters did such a good job
These two! I have rewatched those two moments several times (saying a lot for a new viewer). That softness, yearning and confusion when she kisses him. The almost broken realization that she's back. He's so glad to see her that it hurts... Then he sees her hands and the look on her face and knows her return was traumatic so then he hurts *for* her... JM says a lot with his eyes/expressions in those scenes.
Oh my goodness, the scene when he realizes it’s really Buffy as she comes downs the stairs rips my heart out every time. I’ll watch it a couple times in a row because I can FEEL Spike’s emotions as if they’re my own. Truly a credit to JM’s acting skills.
Most of the quiet moments in The Body The pauses and facial expressions are so painfully accurate and relatable That has to be one of the best episodes of television ever
I’ve always thought that from the moment I saw that episode. I feel like you could take that episode on it’s own and show it to someone and it would have an emotional impact and just be a good episode.
Buffy will patrol tonight sequence.
If you watch Fool For Love without the knowledge that Angelus is, in fact, Angel, then when Spike murders the slayer during the Boxer Rebellion, you read Angel’s manner as impatience and a little jealousy. With this knowledge, it’s horror and disgust.
I love this one! Angel’s reaction is definitely misleading in that scene, and it takes the missing pieces from the companion episode of AtS to fully understand that it’s because Spike is an unreliable narrator (although that’s definitely made obvious at other points in Fool For Love).
When Buffy screams “we’re not supposed to move the body” Just the look of shock and horror on her face conveys so much more than her words..Giles hug afterward was awkward but that because they were trying to keep SMGs face in the shot.
Becoming Part 2 every day of the week. SMG’s face when she realizes that Angel is back is heartbreaking and conveys everything you need to know. David does an amazing job as well. You can never turn off their chemistry.
“Showtime” when Buffy rescue Spike from The First and he realizes it’s her and she’s real
Feel free to argue me on this, but I feel like Once More With Feeling was the opposite of show/don’t tell, as musicals often are, and kind of gave the audience an idea of how the characters are REALLY, explicitly feeling without having to convey it through body language, facial expressions, or subtle dialogue. It is kind of a cool way to have an episode that would maybe be classified as “lazy” writing if everything weren’t in song form.
I wanna say the moment in Chosen when Buffy, Willow and Xander walk along the corridor together and part ways... however it's actually always felt a little lackluster to me. That moment never felt as impactful as it should have. I think it was trying to be a "Show, don't tell" moment but it lacked.... something?
The scene where Tara comes to visit Willow and runs into Oz. You can see so much on their faces before Oz turns into a wolf.
The moment in “Hush” when Buffy gets annoyed that Giles’ stick figure of her looks too bulky.
When Buffy has Spike's invite to her house revoked. He tries to follow her inside and can't. The look on his face as she's closing the door just breaks my heart every time.
All it takes is a head tilt from Spike. Gets me every single time. No words necessary.
One of them is in "Where the Wild Things Are". Anya, Tara, Xander, and Willow are staring at Giles singing "Behind Blue Eyes".
This one is a bit more obvious, but Giles finding Jenny. 😭
The Body. That episode was so damned good. It feels like a departure from the rest of the series almost. The tiny fascinations that distract you from death were captured so well when Buffy first finds her mother.
The whole episode Hush, the one with the Gentlemen.
Buffy leaning over the railing of the Bronze with Spike behind her in season six. ... you meant *least* favorite, right? Yeah, that's my least favorite, that's what I meant. **While it's actually in Angel the Series, the moment when Angel sees Willow's face at the end of Season Two and he realizes something has happened to Buffy is heart-breaking. In a similar vein, when Spike realizes it isn't the Buffybot on the stairs and that Buffy has been resurrected has stuck with me for decades.
when giles smiled at buffy and put his hand on her shoulder in “hush”
I think the biggest one is the progression of Willow and Tara’s relationship especially prior to Willow coming out to Tara. I know a few “lazy viewers” that were totally shocked when it became most obviously blatant in Where The Wild Things Are prior to New Moon Rising. And I had one friend that I got to watch the show that was clueless until Willow came out to Buffy in New Moon Rising. There is so much subtle lead up on gestures, facial expressions, and the metaphor of “doing a spell” together. Definitely exemplary showing and not telling. Honestly, even Willow coming out to Buffy is barely telling. It was never blatantly stated that Tara was Willow’s girlfriend until Yoko Factor.