Modest much?

[sarea]

So I was watching the special features on BtVS S7, and there's this featurette where Joss Whedon picks his 10 favorite episodes from the series. This is really cool, you know? So I'm watching, and his selections are coming up, and I'm starting to get this sense of ... wait, something's not right.

You know what wasn't right? The fact that, of the 10 episodes he chose, he wrote 8 of them.

Joss -- you are a sad, sad egomaniac.

Here's the thing: I would actually agree that most of Joss's eps are the best of the series. BUT I'M NOT JOSS. I'm allowed to think that, because I don't have the bias of, oh, HAVING WRITTEN THE EPISODES. Sheesh! I mean, especially when you're the only one who gets to make up the list, and you choose 8 of your own? What does that imply to the folks who have been working their asses off on the show all these years? It basically says, "Everything good about this show is all me, me, me, and I don't know what the rest of you bloody idiots have been doing all these years." It's just so. not. cool. That tells your staff that their contributions didn't mean anything, that you couldn't nix a couple more of your own eps in order to at least give props to some other people.

I mean, when the first eps he'd chosen came up, I was glad that he hadn't excluded himself, because I liked seeing that this was his honest opinion of what the best eps were over the years, his own included, no false modesty. But when, at the end, only 2 (TWO!) episodes were ones not written by him, I was just kind of incredulous.

Here were Joss's favorite episodes:

10) Prophecy Girl (S1) (JW)
9) Conversations with Dead People (and get this, Joss says: "I'm very fond of 'Conversations with Dead People.' I just thought structurally and tonally it was very interesting and had a lot to say. And I got to write another song." So it was STILL about him! He doesn't even credit Angie Hart, who cowrote that song.) (S7) (Jane Espenson/Drew Goddard)
8) Restless (S4) (JW)
7) Becoming, Part Two (S2) (JW)
6) The Wish (and Joss ended up writing in this same universe) (S3) (Marti Noxon - probably got named showrunner because she made this top 10 cut!)
5) Doppelgangland (S3) (JW)
4) The Body (S5) (JW)
3) Hush (S4) (JW)
2) Once More, With Feeling (S6) (JW)
1) Innocence (S2) (JW)

There's no question that a lot of those belong on there. And they probably are some of the show's best episodes. But surely there have been other great eps over SEVEN YEARS that weren't written by him. Here's my top 10 list, which consists of 4 Joss episodes:

10) Earshot (S3) (Jane Espenson)
9) Anne (S3) (JW)
8) Intervention (S5) (Jane Espenson)
7) Fool for Love (S5) (Douglas Petrie)
6) Something Blue (S4) (Tracey Forbes)
5) Storyteller (S7) (Jane Espenson)
4) Hush (S4) (JW)
3) Lies My Parents Told Me (S7) (Drew Goddard/David Fury)
2) Lie to Me (S2) (JW)
1) Once More, With Feeling (S6) (JW)

These aren't necessarily the best episodes -- because then The Body and Passion would be on the list -- but my favorites, the ones I enjoy watching multiple times. My interests seem spread across a number of seasons, which is cool.

I've now added in the writers of the other eps, and Jane Espenson is almost up there with Joss in terms of favorite writer -- I have 3 by her. I also consistently like episodes penned by Drew Goddard and Rebecca Rand Kirshner.

What are your top 10 fave BtVS eps? How many are Joss written? It'd really be interesting to see how many of us are as impressed with Joss as he is with himself.

Comments

[noelleleithe.livejournal.com]

Well, mine can change from day to day, but right now, these are the ones I could watch over and over and never get bored:

10) Doppelgängland (S3) (JW)
9) Band Candy (S3)
8) Halloween (S2)
7) The Wish (S3)
6) Nightmares (S1) (JW)
5) Restless (S4) (JW)
4) Fool for Love (S5)
3) The Body (S4) (JW)
2) Hush (S4) (JW)
1) Once More, With Feeling (S6) (JW)

Really heavy on S3 and S4 there, and almost nothing from the last two seasons. Much like XF, I felt it really went downhill after S5. I did pick six Joss-written (or co-written, in the case of Nightmares) episodes, though, not knowing who wrote any of the ones you didn’t specify on your lists.

I kind of agree with you on Joss picking his list. On the other hand, it was his show, after all, and he was in the best position to write for it. He could’ve picked all 10 from episodes he wrote! *g*

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree it was definitely his show and could have picked all 10 from his own repertoire. The question, imho, is whether he should have, and I rather think the answer is no. Not when you've had teams of people helping you out throughout the years -- even if you thought you wrote all the best eps, there's something to be said for giving props to the people who helped make your show a success.

XF S6 was my favorite season of all, but I know I'm in the minority there. <g>

Thanks for checking in w/ your fave eps ... we may start to see a pattern yet...

Also, I'll add in the writers for the eps I listed.

[chucky1982.livejournal.com]

Well you don't know me, but I read your story Portkey Party at the FIA and just had to check if you had written more (great story by the way!)and wasn't disappointed.
I used to like Buffy, still do but not like in the old days and I also made a list.

10) Amends (JW)
09) Lover's Walk
08) Doppelgängland (JW)
07) Fool for Love
06) Something Blue
05) The Wish
04) Passion
03) Innocence (JW)
02) Becoming
01) Angel

hmm, not too many JW eps in my list. My fav season was S2! My absolute hate-season was S4, didn't like the Initiative and Riley storyline at all. He just was so not-Angel, oh well, old times. Found it hard to narrow it down to ten eps though, there were some good Spike/Buffy eps later on, but generally I liked the earlier seasons better.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Lover's Walk is also a favorite of mine, even if it didn't make my top 10 cut. :D S4 used to be the season I reviled until S7 came along, but yeah, I don't really know too many people who are into Riley/the Initiative. For the longest time I thought it was Marc Blucas who bugged me, but after seeing him in a couple of other things I can rule that out. I like him, I just didn't like Riley. At all. He was totally wrong for Buffy; I might have been able to like him more if he'd had a relationship with Willow, perhaps, or even Faith after they boffed. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lore/]

WAH! That would take effort! DAMN YOU!!!

IN NO ORDER DAMN YOU:

1. Angel - David Greenwalt (floored at every turn)
2. When She Was Bad - Joss (serious case of last-line-love)
3. Halloween - Carl Ellsworth (has everyone being cool)
4. The Zeppo - Dan Vebber (Yeah, leave me alone)
5. Doppelgängland - Joss
6. Graduation Day, Part One - Joss
7. Hush - Joss
8. Who Are You - Joss
9. Family - Joss (who knew)
10. Triangle - Jane Espenson
11. Once More, With Feeling - Joss

6 or 7. Huh. HATE! ;)

love, lore

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Heehee, ok fine, don't put them in order!

See, where Joss's strength lies is that even though none of us have as many Joss eps on our list as he does himself (though you come closest), there's not a ton of overlap -- he writes quality episodes that people enjoy on many different levels, and he does so consistently. I fully recognize that. I just think it's kind of nose-wrinkling that he wouldn't choose to give some credit to the people who have been working on the show for years, when its success is due in part to their work.

I also <3 'Family.'

[jeansmx.livejournal.com]

Here are my of favorites to watch over and over:

10) Lover's Walk (S3) (Dan Vebber)
9) Tabula Rosa (S6) (Rebecca Rand Kirshner)
8) Dopplegangland (S3) (JW)
7) Intervention (S5) (Jane Espenson)
6) Fool for Love (S5) (Douglas Petrie)
5) School Hard (S2) (David Greenwalt)
4) Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (S2) (Marti Noxon)
3) Something Blue (S4) (Tracey Forbes)
2) Bad Girls (S3) (Douglas Petrie)
1) Once More, With Feeling (S6) (JW)

I tend to go more for the comedy then the angst. My favorite season over all would be Season 3.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

I'm also more of a comedy/light-hearted person myself, which is probably why S6 of The X-Files was my favorite season. :D We have a lot of Buffy eps in common! I would guess you to be a Spike fan like yours truly? <g> 'School Hard' almost made my cut, but didn't make it because it's the one I've watched most often, I think. So my current list is biased against previously 'favorite' episodes.

You have the least number of Joss eps so far!

[jeansmx.livejournal.com]

Yes definately a Spike fan, I have a thing for unnaturally blonde british bad boys.

[merkuria-lyn.livejournal.com]

Haven't thought about Buffy in a while but I'm still fan enough to remember a few favourite episodes :)

10) School Hard (S2, DG)
9) The Body (S5, Joss)
8) Something Blue (S4, FF)
7) Tabula Rasa (S6, RRK)
6) Hush (S4, Joss)
5) Normal Again (S6, DG)
4) Fool for Love (S5, DP)
3) Restless (S4, Joss)
2) Once More with Feeling (S6, Joss)
1) Conversations with Dead People (S6, various)

Not sure I really like them in that order but who cares... ::shrugs:: In any case, Joss only makes an appearance 4x.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

The order isn't that important, so thanks for making your top 10 selection! : ) It's funny, almost everyone has chosen 'Fool for Love' so far, and 'Something Blue' has appeared a number of times as well. SB was written by someone who I don't think has written a lot of other eps (if any), so in a way I'm not at all surprised it wouldn't be on any official top 10 list ... but that being said, if it's about honoring those who have done a lot for the show, I think someone like David Fury should have gotten more credit on Joss's list (even though I don't personally like DF's writing much).

Just an Idea

[wylde-terra.livejournal.com]

Maybe Joss can pick those episodes as his favourites because he got to pick the storyline, and pick what he wanted to write. The others wouldn't have had that opportunity to the same extent.

Fav eps.

10. Helpless (David Fury) - s3
9. Earshot (Jane Espenson) - s3
8. The Yoko Factor (doug petrie) - s4
7. Same time, same place (jane espenson)- s7
6. Halloween (Carl Ellsworth)- s2
5. Beer Bad (Tracey Forbes) - s4
4. Normal again (diego gutierrez)- s6
3. The Prom[s3] (Marti Noxon)& Graduation Day[s3] (Joss)
2. Amends[s2] & Becoming[s3] (Joss)
1. Once More With Feeling (joss)- s6


Grave (david fury)- s6
Showtime (david fury)- s7
Chosen (joss) - s7

are all in there somewhere too... I should have called it the top 15 but the more i thought about it the more episodes i wanted to name.