Just a brief outline to describe each episode. For more details, and reviews, go to Buffyguide.com

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SEASON ONE

Welcome to the Hellmouth  /  The Harvest

Series premiere; Buffy moves to Sunnydale and must stop the Master from rising.

The Witch

Buffy and Giles must stop a witch who's wreaking havoc on cheerleaders.

Teacher's Pet

Xander has a dangerous crush on a new substitute teacher who's not what she appears to be.

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Being the Slayer conflicts with normal teenage desires when Buffy wants to date cute-guy Owen.

The Pack

After a school trip to the zoo, Sunnydale's cool group - and Xander - start to act like savages.                                 

Angel

Buffy and Angel share their first kiss, and she finds out who he really is.

I Robot  You Jane

A demon is unleashed onto the Internet and lures Willow with a false identity.                                                                

The Puppet Show

The gang participates in the school's talent show, where someone (or something) is harvesting human organs.           

Nightmares

People (including Buffy and pals) are haunted by waking nightmares as fear becomes reality.                                  

Invisible Girl

A perpetually ignored student becomes invisible and seeks revenge on perpetually popular Cordelia.

Prophecy Girl

A book of infallible prophecies predicts that Buffy will face the Master in a battle to the death - hers.      

SEASON TWO                                                                                                          

When She Was Bad

Buffy's got a new, not-so-nice attitude; the Anointed One plans to resurrect the Master.   

Some Assembly Required

Someone is building a woman using body parts from different girls - and Cordelia's head is on the wish list.

School Hard

Spike and Drusilla come to town, and Spike invades Parent-Teacher night.                                                                      

Inca Mummy Girl

Buffy and Joyce offer to take in a foreign exchange student, but instead get a life-sucking mummy who's taken an interest in Xander.

Reptile Boy

Buffy accompanies Cordelia to a frat party, but it's not much fun - they're offered as sacrifices to a reptilian demon.                            

Halloween

Someone from Giles' past wreaks havoc on Halloween, causing Buffy and the gang to be transformed into their costumes.

Lie to Me

Buffy's childhood crush comes to town, but he's not looking to reminisce - he's looking for immortality as a vampire.

The Dark Age

Ethan returns and Ms. Calendar is in danger when a demon from Giles' darker days comes to Sunnydale.

What's My Line, Part One

As the gang endures career week, Spike sends assassins after Buffy and sets out to cure Drusilla; a new Slayer comes to town.

What's What's My Line, Part Two

Buffy must team up with Kendra to save Angel when it turns out that his death is necessary to cure Drusilla.

Ted

Everyone except Buffy loves Joyce's new beau, who turns out to be more than meets the eye.                                 

Bad Eggs

The gang must adopt eggs as "babies" for their Health class, but there's more than yolk inside these eggs.

Surprise (Part One of Two)                                       

Drusilla reassembles the Judge, an unstoppable demon; Buffy and Angel consummate their relationship.

Innocence (Part Two of Two)                                           

Angel loses his soul and his demon self takes over; Buffy must deal with him and stop the Judge.                            

Phases

The gang tries to save a werewolf from a poacher; Oz makes the startling discovery that he is the werewolf in question.                      

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

Things get dangerous when all the women in Sunnydale - except Cordelia - are after Xander due to a love spell gone wrong.

Passion

Angel continues to torment Buffy; Jenny tries to curse Angel with a soul again, but he stops her - permanently.                               

Killed by Death

A raging fever sends Buffy to the hospital, where her fever enables her to see a normally invisible monster that preys on children.

I Only Have Eyes For You

The tortured ghost of a former student haunts Sunnydale High School, reenacting the murder/suicide he committed.                             

Go Fish

When it appears that something is targeting the swim team, Xander goes undercover to find the truth.

Becoming, Part One

Angel prepares a ritual to awaken a demon that will suck the world into hell; Buffy prepares to kill him, but is torn when Willow discovers the ritual that could restore Angel's soul.

Becoming, Part Two

Buffy's life is a mess when her mother discovers her secret life, and she's expelled from school and forced to make a heart-wrenching decision when both Angel's and Willow's rituals succeed.

SEASON THREE 

Anne

Buffy's in LA, hiding from her friends, family and destiny, but she has to face who she is when something demonic is threatening kids living on the streets.

Dead Man's Party

Buffy finds her homecoming to be awkward and unwelcoming, but the gang must put aside their frustrations to deal with an army of zombies.

Faith, Hope & Trick

There's a new Slayer, a new villain, and a new love interest for Buffy... and the return of another character as well.                             

Beauty and the Beasts

Oz-wolf is the suspect of a brutal murder, and Buffy secretly discovers that Angel is back from hell.

Homecoming

Buffy and Cordelia compete for Homecoming Queen and are hunted in a competition of a different kind; Willow and Xander's friendship takes a turn.

Band Candy

Candy sold by the Sunnydale High School band causes the adults to behave like teenagers, with some interesting outcomes.

Revelations

Faith's new Watcher comes to town; Buffy is in trouble with the gang when they find out that she's been hiding Angel's return.

Lovers Walk

A broken-hearted Spike returns without Drusilla; relationships are torn apart due to a liaison between two members of the gang.

The Wish

The demon Anyanka grants Cordelia's wish that Buffy never came to Sunnydale, creating an alternate reality in which vampires rule.

Amends

At Christmas-time, evil haunts Angel, torturing him with visions of his murderous past and urging him to kill Buffy.

Gingerbread

Haunted by her discovery of two murdered children, Joyce rallies the town into a witch hunt.                                  

Helpless

Buffy's 18th birthday means a secret rite-of-passage test by the Watcher's Council, putting Buffy at risk and Giles in an awkward position.

The Zeppo

Feeling left out by the gang, Xander makes new "friends" and finds his own adventure and danger.                          

Bad Girls

Buffy's new Watcher comes to town; Faith lures Buffy into her world of reckless abandon, with fatal results.

Consequences

Buffy struggles with Faith's lack of remorse over last week's incidents; Faith initiates an alliance with the dark side.                           

Doppelgangland

Anya wreaks havoc again when a spell goes awry, bringing Willow's vampire doppelgänger into the Buffy-verse.

Enemies

Faith and the Mayor conspire to steal Angel's soul, but they aren't the only ones with a secret conspiracy.

Earshot

Buffy is infected with the uncontrollable ability to read minds, which threatens to drive her insane; it also unearths a plot to commit mass murder at the school, and the gang must save the day.

Choices

The gang all faces decisions about their futures; Willow ends up in danger when Buffy tries to take the offense against the Mayor.

The Prom

Buffy and Angel must deal with the impossibility of a future together; Buffy must save the day when someone plots Prom massacre.

Graduation Day, Part One

While the Mayor prepares for his diabolical transformation on graduation day, Buffy battles Faith to save Angel's life.

Graduation Day, Part Two

As the hours tick away to graduation, the impending doom of the Mayor's ascension hangs heavy with the gang. With Angel near death, Buffy must risk her own life in an effort to save his.

SEASON  FOUR                                                                                                                                 

The Freshman

While Willow blossoms in the college environment, Buffy has a difficult time adjusting, and her Slaying suffers because of it.

Living Conditions

Everyone wonders what's wrong with Buffy when she insists that her annoying roommate is evil.                            

The Harsh Light of Day

Spike is back, searching for a gem that will make him invincible; Buffy is distracted by her first attempt at getting back into the dating pool.

Fear, Itself

The gang find themselves in a real-life house of horrors at a Halloween party, in which a Fear Demon feeds on their individual fears.

Beer Bad

Buffy drowns her sorrows by drinking with some upperclassmen, but Xander grows concerned when they start to get in touch with their primordial roots.

Wild at Heart                                                                

Oz and Willow's relationship is up in arms when Oz is powerfully drawn to a female werewolf.

The Initiative

Spike is imprisoned in an underground demon-research facility; Riley realizes he has a crush on Buffy.

Pangs

Angel secretly arrives in Sunnydale to protect Buffy; Buffy tries to have a perfect Thanksgiving.

Something Blue

A spell by Willow goes awry, causing Giles to go blind and Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged.

Hush

After the residents of Sunnydale lose the power of speech, Buffy battles strangely silent assailants alongside an incredulous Riley.

Doomed

Buffy and Riley struggle with the knowledge of each others' secrets; the gang must head back to high school to stop another apocalypse.

A New Man

When Giles is turned into a demon, he turns to an unlikely source for help while an unknowing Buffy hunts him down.                      

The I in Team

The gang worries about Buffy's involvement with the Initiative; Walsh sends Buffy on a dangerous mission.

Goodbye Iowa

Buffy discovers the Initiative's secret weapon; Riley becomes disoriented and paranoid after the death of his mentor.                        

This Year's Girl (Part One of Two)                                    

Faith wakes up from her coma and goes after Buffy, seeking revenge and armed with a mysterious gift left behind by the Mayor.

Who Are You (Part Two of Two)                                       

While Buffy is mistakenly kidnapped by the Watcher's Council, Faith wreaks havoc in Buffy's life.                           

Superstar

Buffy must put aside the turmoil she feels about Riley and Faith's night of passion to investigate why a former nerd is suddenly a superhero.

Where the Wild Things Are

When Buffy and Riley rouse a supernatural force, they are held hostage by ghost-children who have returned to exact revenge for past abuses.

New Moon Rising

Oz returns to Sunnydale and is captured by the Initiative during a full moon; a conflicted Willow tells Buffy about her new relationship with Tara.

The Yoko Factor (Part One of Two)                                   

Riley spars with Angel when Angel visits Sunnydale; Spike conspires with Adam to bring Buffy to her knees.                                  

Primeval (Part Two of Two)                                             

Adam's plan to craft a master race of human-demon hybrids unfolds while Buffy is at odds with Giles and the others; Adam captures Riley.

Restless (Season Finale)                                                 

A primordial spirit haunts the dreams of Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander, making them each face their innermost fears.       

SEASON FIVE                                                                                                                                          

Buffy vs. Dracula

Buffy is shaken by the awesome power when she comes face to face with the greatest vampire of all time, Dracula. Meanwhile, Xander becomes the dark one’s emissary and leads his friends into peril.                                  

Real Me

Buffy's slaying is hampered by sibling rivalry with Dawn, who gets kidnapped by a vampire gang led by Harmony.                            

The Replacement

Confusion reigns when Xander is split into two Xanders, each representing different sides of his personality.

Out of My Mind

The physical aftereffects of Riley’s being used as a lab rat by the Initiative threaten his life; Spike takes advantage of the situation.

No Place Like Home

Buffy discovers more about her newly arrived little sister, and the girls are distressed when Joyce suddenly becomes ill without any explanation, medical or supernatural.

Family

Tara’s family makes a surprise visit to Sunnydale for her birthday, threatening to reveal a shocking secret that could endanger all of their lives.                                                                                                                                                       

Fool for Love

When Buffy forces Spike to recount how he was able to kill two Slayers, his flashbacks reveal his first meeting with Drusilla.

Shadow

In order to protect her sister, Buffy must face a horrible beast that has been conjured by the powerful demon Glory to help seek out "The Key."                                                                                                                                                       

Listening to Fear                                                           

As Buffy and Dawn help their mother prepare for brain surgery, an extra-terrestrial demon fixates on a disoriented Joyce and infiltrates the Summers’ home.                                                                                                                                        

Into the Woods

Buffy is thunderstruck when Spike informs her of Riley's furtive nights spent in the dark embrace of a vampire.                                 

Triangle

Emotions are charged between Willow and Anya when they are left in charge of the magic shop and Willow accidentally conjures an enormous troll.

Checkpoint

The Council of Watchers possess insight into Glory, but are less than forthcoming with the information, and are also threatening to deport Giles if Buffy doesn't perform well on a test of her Slayer skills.

Blood Ties

Dawn's entire world crumbles around her after she learns that she is the Key, and dealing with the truth proves to be even harder than anyone had anticipated.

Crush

Buffy is appalled by Spike's admission of love for her, but Drusilla is waiting in the wings, intent on returning Spike to his killer ways.

I Was Made to Love You

Buffy must stop a heartbroken young woman — a robot who was manufactured to be the perfect girlfriend — from destroying the city.

The Body

Buffy and the gang are overcome by grief when tragedy strikes and they are robbed of someone they hold dear.

Forever

In the aftermath of Joyce's funeral, Buffy finds comfort by confiding in a visiting Angel (who has come to Sunnydale upon hearing of Joyce's death), but her sister's inability to accept their mother's death isn't as easily alleviated. Denial leads Dawn to a supernatural remedy for grief — a magical recipe for resurrection. Willow and Tara refuse to assist with the dangerous spell, but Spike has no such qualms about helping to bring Joyce back

Intervention

After Buffy and Giles leave town for some Slayer soul-searching, the Scoobies mistake Spike's custom-made romance with his Buffybot for the real thing. Then, Glory's minions kidnap Spike in the belief that he is the coveted Key. Meanwhile, Buffy has a reunion with the first Slayer out in the desert.

Tough Love

While Buffy is preoccupied with being her sister's keeper, Glory sets out to grab the person whom she now believes to be the Key — Tara.

Spiral

When Glory finds out who the real key is, Buffy and company flee. Meanwhile, the Knights of Byzantium have their own plans to deal with Dawn.

The Weight of the World

Willow psychically enters Buffy's subconscious in an effort to reach the Slayer, who has been rendered catatonic by Glory's abduction of Dawn.

The Gift (season finale/100th episode)

Buffy must square off against a true God when Glory prepares to use Dawn to break down the walls between the dimensions and unleash Hell on Earth.

SEASON SIX

Bargaining (parts 1 & 2)

The gang resolves to bring the slayer back from the dead, but they're hindered by a marauding band of demons. Meanwhile, a grief-stricken Giles contemplates leaving Sunnydale.

Afterlife

As Buffy adjusts to life after resurrection, a shadowy presence menaces her sidekicks — a side effect of the spell cast by Willow to bring the Slayer back.

Flooded

A trio of teen-age fiends (including Jonathan and Warren) cause trouble, while Buffy shoulders grown-up responsibilities, such as running a household.

Life Serial

The Slayer struggles to readjust to life in Sunnydale by attending classes with Willow and working with Xander, while the Geek Trio test her abilities with a secret campaign of harassment.

All the Way

After Xander announces his engagement to Anya, the gang throws a party for the couple. Meanwhile, Dawn sneaks out and gets into a dangerous situation.

Once More With Feeling (musical episode)

A mysterious force impels the Scooby Gang to burst into song, revealing their true feelings. Musical episode, with the cast doing their own vocals.

Tabula Rasa

Despite Tara's misgivings about her overindulgence in magic, Willow does a spell that goes awry and affects the minds of all the Scoobies.

Smashed

Spike discovers something about his chip; Willow reverts a former classmate to her old self and goes out to have some fun with magic.

Wrecked

Buffy's tryst with Spike leaves the Slayer shaken to the core; Willow's craving for magic puts Dawn in danger.

Gone

A social services worker threatens to take guardianship of Dawn. Meanwhile, the three villains accidentally turn Buffy invisible with a ray gun.

Doublemeat Palace

The Slayer takes a job at a burger joint, and suspects that something demonic might be going on; Anya gets a visit from an old friend.

Dead Things

Buffy investigates why Spike is able to attack her despite the chip in his head. Meanwhile, the three geeks frame the Slayer for murder.

Older and Far Away

Dawn feels like the odd-girl out on Buffy's birthday, leading to a fateful wish that leaves the Slayer and her friends in a fix.

As You Were

Buffy is jolted by the reappearance of Riley, who needs her help — and he's also got some startling news about his private life.

Hell's Bells

On the day of his wedding to Anya, Xander gets cold feet about their prospective life together when an odd stranger offers him a glimpse into the future.

Normal Again

A demon's venom causes Buffy to hallucinate, convincing the Slayer that her parents are alive, Dawn never existed, and her Slayer life is a delusion.

Entropy

Anya seeks vengeance on Xander and finds comfort with Spike. Meanwhile, Buffy tries to bond with Dawn, and Willow asks Tara out for coffee.

Seeing Red

Warren acquires the Orbs of Nezzla'khan, a pair of demonic talismans that he says imbue him with “strength, invulnerability...the deluxe package,” thus setting the stage for a fateful showdown.

Villains

The gang cope with the untimely death of one of their own. Meanwhile, Buffy tries to recover from an assassination attempt; Jonathan and Andrew share a jail cell; Warren seeks allies at a demon bar; Anya is confronted by Willow.

Two to Go

Buffy and Xander must protect Jonathan and Andrew, who are next on Willow's list. The Slayer is no match for Willow, who has drained Rack of all his powers. Giles arrives to test Willow's conviction that she's unstoppable.

Grave

Giles faces off with Willow, but she drains him of his powers. This much power causes her to feel all the suffering in the world, so she decides to end it — the world, that is. Xander finally gets through to her, and he saves the day by doing so.

SEASON SEVEN

Lessons

Buffy and Dawn fight off vengeful spirits in the newly rebuilt Sunnydale High. Meanwhile, Spike struggles with his sanity, and Giles rehabilitates Willow in England.

Beneath You

The gang deals with a giant underground worm, the result of a wish Anya granted. Buffy finds out that Spike has a soul. In England, Willow prepares to return home.

Same Time, Same Place

Buffy, Xander and Dawn are unable to find Willow, who has inadvertently made herself invisible to her friends, and vice versa. Willow's return to Sunnydale is marred further by a demon, Gnarl, who relishes the skin of his victims.

Help

Novice counsellor Buffy begins trying to help the students at Sunnydale High, including Cassie Newton, a girl who predicts her own death. Unfortunately, a Slayer is no match for fate.

Selfless

After Anya grants a particularly gruesome wish, Buffy feels that she must kill Anya. Xander tries to stop her, but the problem is solved when Anya requests to take it back and leave the vengeance demon fold.

Him

Dawn and Buffy (and then Willow and Anya) fall for the school quarterback, whose jacket is enchanted. Meanwhile, Xander and Spike become reluctant roommates.

Conversations with Dead People

Buffy chats with a former classmate and current vampire, Dawn is visited by Joyce, and Willow is visited by an imposter pretending to have a message from Tara. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Andrew return from Mexico.

Sleeper

As Dawn and Willow recover from their chaotic night at the Summers house, Buffy probes a series of grisly murders that may be the work of Spike.

Never Leave Me

Spike is held captive in the Summers home while the Scoobies ponder their options in the aftermath of his murder spree; a squeamish Andrew tries to master killing but ends up another Summers house captive.

Bring On the Night

Giles arrives with three apprentice Slayers, the Scoobies research the origins of the First to find a way to rescue Spike, and Buffy fights the Ubervamp.

Showtime

Buffy stages a showdown with the Ubervamp with the Slayers-in-training as her audience, then rescues Spike. Giles and Anya seek advice from Beljoxa's Eye.

Potential

Buffy and Spike establish a boot camp to prepare the potential slayers for combat with the First, while a spell from Willow reveals another potential living in Sunnydale.

The Killer in Me

Courtesy of a bitter Amy, Willow turns into Warren after kissing Kennedy; Buffy contacts the government to get help with Spike's misfiring chip.

First Date

Buffy accepts a dinner invitation from Principal Wood, who reveals that he's a former Slayer's son; Anya is jealous when Xander has a date (who, as usual, turns out to be a demon).

Get It Done

The Scoobies are rocked by a suicide within their ranks. After lambasting everyone, Buffy jumps through a portal on a quest for knowledge.

Storyteller

Andrew films the Scoobies for a documentary on Buffy, while Sunnydale High is rocked by a sudden outbreak of student violence. Xander and Anya reconsider their relationship.

Lies My Parents Told Me

When the Scoobies fail to nullify the First's hold on Spike, Principal Wood and Giles team up to kill him. Meanwhile, Spike relives the day he became a vampire.

Dirty Girls

Faith returns to Sunnydale just in time to meet the First's evil agent, Caleb. Buffy leads the troops into a battle with Caleb, which ends with two dead Potentials and a seriously wounded Xander.

Empty Places

Buffy takes another beating from Caleb, the tries to lead the troops back to the wine cellar. Instead, she gets kicked out of her house as the gang decides Faith would make a better leader.

Touched

A depressed Buffy gets comfort from Spike. Meanwhile, the Scoobies capture and interrogate Bringer, and Faith leads an attack on the Bringers' arsenal.

End of Days

Faith and some of the Potentials are injured by a bomb. Buffy retrieves a mystic scythe and uses it against Caleb; Angel turns up to give her a hand.

Chosen  (Series Finale)

Buffy comes up with a plan: The gang makes an attack on the First's army, aided by Willow, who performs a powerful spell to imbue all of the Potentials with Slayer powers. Meanwhile, wearing the amulet that Angel brought, Spike becomes the decisive factor in the victory, and Sunnydale is eradicated. Buffy and the gang look back on what's left of Sunnydale, deciding what to do next...