Alright, this is going to be a really short entry for multiple reasons.

1. Season One is one of the weaker seasons, and I basically looked at all the episodes and tried to pick which one I hated the least.
2. I don’t watch that many episodes from this season.
3. I don’t really have much to say about the episode I did end up choosing.

I bet that gets you all sorts of fired up for this challenge day, yes?

After a bit of internal arguing, I decided that “The Puppet Show” was my favorite Season One episode. Weirdly enough, it was the last episode of the first season that I ever watched, and I’m not even 100% sure as to why that is. I read about it and always meant to watch it, especially since it was highly recommended that I do so by several other fans. But it wasn’t until I got the entire season on DVD that I finally sat down and enjoyed the hell out of it.

First off, I love Sid the Dummy Demon Hunter (spoiler alert, I guess). His lecherous behavior can get a bit much, especially when he continues to hit on Buffy, despite her perpetual eye rolls, but he’s just as dedicated to slaying as Buffy is. His connection to a Korean Slayer from the 1930s was also really intriguing, and I have yet to see a novel about her, which is a damned shame.

Second, Cordelia is incapable of singing, but she tries so damn hard.

Third, the pacing and plotting of the whole episode is masterful. Nobody knows if Sid is a demon or not, and naturally, due to the creepiness of dummies in general, Buffy (and the viewer) suspects him and/or his handler, Morgan, of having malicious intentions. Had the big reveal happened at any other point, the story would have either come to a screeching halt or it would have just seemed cheap, so I applaud the way the writers handled this plot point.

And last, how much do I love Snyder’s punishment of the Scoobies? Armin Shimerman is one of my favorite actors, and he does such a good job being a dick that I love him (and Snyder by proxy) all the more. And forcing Buffy, Willow, and Xander into participating in the talent show is pure evil and also justified, seeing as they were just mocking Giles for being voluntold to run it.

Anyway, I can’t milk any more out of this, so I’m just going to go get a head start on my NaNo word count for today. Wish me luck!

Runner Up: “Prophecy Girl”

Art Credit: Buffy Wiki, Comic Vine