It’s harder to find a show worthier of cult classic status than Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is a permanent fixture in our pop culture landscape. The invincible Big Bads. The shipworthy romances. And the iconic acts of heroism we haven’t forgotten, even though the show’s last episode aired over sixteen years ago.
Buffy’s most legendary episodes tend be of the heartbreaking, nose-wiping variety. They make you question love, death, and humanity itself. And then there are those that still have you reaching for the Kleenex…because you’re crying from laughing so hard. Sometimes even the Slayer herself needs a good giggle. They may not all be the most noteworthy or beloved, but here is Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The 10 Funniest Episodes Ever.
“The Zeppo” (Season 3, Episode 13)
“The Zeppo” finds Xander singlehandedly trying to stop a pack of undead teenagers from blowing up the school. Meanwhile, the Scoobies are trying to prevent an impending apocalypse. Xander running around like a dorky chicken with his head cut off is hilariously juxtaposed with the heightened melodrama of what might be the Scoobies’ last battle. Buffy and Angel tearfully say goodbye and meanwhile, Xander’s accidentally decapitates the dead guy he needs information from. The frenetic score heightens both the situation and the comedy.
This is Xander’s coming-of-age episode. He starts off desperate for his friends’ approval but discovers he too can be a hero, even if nobody sees him do it. The final moments of “The Zeppo” see Xander choosing to keep his mouth shut, content with a satisfied grin. We dare you not to have one too.
Him (Season 7, Episode 6)
When Sunnydale High’s resident Adonis, RJ Brooks slips on an enchanted letterman’s jacket, all the Scooby women become smitten…lethally smitten. Each concocts their own ludicrious scheme in an effort to win RJ’s affection. Poor Dawn, the only one who can legally pursue RJ, is immediately deemed out of the running.
The episode’s jailbait factor may be off-putting for some, but RJ isn’t present for most of the women’s outlandish behavior. Besides, “Him” is one of the only Buffy episodes that’s pure comedy, start to finish. Anya robs a bank! We also get the triumphant return of the rocket launcher. In the funniest scene of the episode, Buffy aims it at the oblivious Principal Wood. Spike tackles her to the ground, and the two have a silent brawl with Wood none the wiser. Sometimes love makes you do the wacky.
Lovers Walk (Season 3, Episode 8)
Until now, Spike has been the villainous, punk rock rebel of the underworld. So watching him come back to Sunnydale, tail between his legs, sets up the viewer for uproarious laughter. That’s the beautiful thing about Spike’s character—whether he’s a drunk sad-sack or a rough-and-tumble badass, he’s always entertaining. In “Lovers Walk”, we’re treated to a delightful reunion between Spike and Joyce in which they sip hot cocoa with those little marshmallows Spike loves so much. Later on, when Spike finds himself the target of the Mayor’s cronies, he begrudgingly joins forces with former enemies Buffy and Angel.
“Lovers Walk” is brilliant in that almost every scene has a laugh, but the plot still moves forward in dramatic fashion. Spike manages to not only get what he wants, but ever the disruptor, he rolls out of town, leaving a trail of blown-up relationships in his wake. He may be love’s b***h, but at least he’s man enough to admit it.
Hush (Season 4, Episode 10)
“Hush” is one of the most legendary episode of the entire series, and not for its comedy value. For one thing, the episode features the creepiest Monsters of the Week ever: the Gentlemen. Their MO is to steal the voices of an entire town in order to rip people’s hearts out while they can’t scream. The episode showcases the sheer talent of the cast, as the Scoobies find they must communicate without their signature witty banter.
Some of the greatest humor derives from miscommunications and the Scoobies find themselves in the midst of several. There are a handful of accidental sexual innuendos—like Buffy demonstrating her stabbing skills—and one not so accidental innuendo, this time courtesy of Anya. The woman’s got needs, and apparently talking ain’t one of them.
Doppelgangland (Season 3, Episode 16)
Just like “The Zeppo” is Xander’s character-defining episode, “Doppelgangland” is Willow’s. After all the brave acts Willow has performed in the name of saving the world, she finds herself frustrated when friends and foes alike continue to treat her like a doormat. But with a little help from the handsy Vampire Willow, real Willow is able to let her badass flag fly. The underdog who learns to stand up for herself is always deliciously satisfying.
Also, Doppelgangland is an absolute hoot. The beginning of the episode finds Willow eating a banana in the middle of the quad in pathetic attempt at rebellion. “Lunchtime be damned!” she decrees. Just later that day, Willow finds herself swapping clothes with her vampire alter-ego and holding the Bronze in the palm of her hand—even if it’s sweaty from nervousness. The mistaken identity between the two Willows doesn’t disappoint in the laughs department. Quite possibly the best part is Vampire Willow owning bully Percy. With “Doppelgangland”, you sure won’t find yourself saying, “bored now.”
Storyteller (Season 7, Episode 16)
Viewers know they’re in for a comic treat with an Andrew-centric episode. As someone always on a quest to make himself seem more valuable than he really is, Andrew gets the brilliant idea to document preparations for the final battle with the First. Of course, that means a few little embellishments.
One episode inside Andrew’s head may be all the viewer needs, but we sure have a blast while we’re there. Who can forget the glamour shot of Buffy pouring cereal? Or the fantasy sequences that find the Trio reunited and prancing in a meadow? In this less-than-perfect final season, “Storyteller” is a welcome bit of levity. Don’t you agree, gentle viewer?
Something Blue (Season 4, Episode 9)
Season 4 may be the redheaded stepchild of the series, but it sure has its funny filler episodes. In “Something Blue”, Willow pulls a magic whoopsie. Heartbroken over Oz’s departure, Willow casts a spell to forget him or to “let [her] will be done”.
While her pain over Oz remains stronger than ever, Willow notices that one-off comments she makes are starting to come true. Giles loses his eyesight, Xander becomes a “demon magnet”, and most entertainingly, Buffy and Spike, former mortal enemies, decide to get hitched. Remember, at this point there was no Spuffy, so watching them together is beyond hysterical, especially because they’re so lovey-dovey and twee. “Something Blue” may not heal the wound of Season 4, but it sure distracts us from the pain.
Tabula Rasa (Season 6, Episode 8)
Oh Willow, you wily witch. In “Tabula Rasa”, she’s in the doghouse with Tara so logically, the most thoughtful thing to do is cast a forgetting spell so all will be hunky-dory. All is not hunky-dory.
The entire Scooby Gang loses their memories, including Willow herself. They cobble together identities based on what little evidence they have. The result is like a shuffled deck of cards. Giles provides the most entertainment of all, thinking that Spike is his son because they’re both British. But as much as they make us laugh, the gold medal for squabbling is between Giles and Anya, who think they’re husband and wife. Any episode that finds Anya yelling, “Bugger off, you brolly!” deserves some recgonition.
Pangs (Season 4, Episode 8)
What is it about Thanksgiving that brings out the dysfunction in all of us? Buffy wants to have a perfect holiday with the Scoobies, but as they live on the Hellmouth, that proves impossible. We can’t help but cringe a little at the premise of an indigenous demon terrorizing a bunch of white people’s Thanksgiving, though the episode does its best to remind us of the darker side of the holiday—even if its efforts are a tad obtuse.
The non-offensive moments of the episode, however, are undeniably the funniest of the show. Only Buffy writers could make us laugh at syphilis. Also, Angel makes a welcome return, reminding us that he’s at his finest during lighter episodes. Then there’s Willow as the classic freshman who thinks she knows everything about the world because she has a whole semester of college under her belt. Spike hilariously mocks her. Only he can pull off haughty whilst tied to a chair, and he really is the comedy star of the episode. “A bear…you made a bear! Undo it! Undo it!'
Band Candy (Season 3, Episode 6)
Thank the chaos gods for Ethan Rayne. The tricks up his sleeve always make for whimsical, mischievous episodes. In “Band Candy”, Ethan supplies Sunnydale with enchanted candy bars that make all the adults think they’re teenagers. The Scoobies are gobsmacked at how different the authority figures in their life used to behave back in the day. Responsible Joyce is a wild child with a penchant for bad boys, making her putty in Giles’ hands, who reverts back to his Ripper persona. Then there’s Snyder the black-hearted principal, who reveals that he was once a clingy try-hard.
Every moment of this episode is gut-bustingly funny. The only criticism is that it’s not a two-parter. For our money, we can’t get enough of Snyder following the Scoobies around like a puppy. And Joyce and Ripper are beyond shipworthy. Buffy may be horrified to later find out that the adults in her life defiled a cop car, but what can they say? Blame it on the band candy.
