As a lover of all things horror, I always look forward to Halloween – in particular the movies and TV shows. There is nothing better than getting cozy, grabbing popcorn, and settling down for a TV binge. But for those struggling, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the best show to get into that spooky spirit. This iconic supernatural teen drama follows the life of Buffy Summers, the one girl in all the world with the power to fight the forces of darkness and save the world, a lot. This grungy, 90s, coming of age classic provides the perfect mix of horror, action, and comedy to fuel a cozy and spooky night in. It makes for fun, easy watching and the perfect binge as the gang faces a new physical manifestation of issues facing teenagers. 

Even if you’re familiar, here is a rundown of the best episodes to re-watch this spooky season. The first Halloween special funnily enough takes place in Season 2, Episode 2’s ‘Halloween.’ When a curse is placed on the town, children begin turning into their costumes and wreaking havoc as the little demons they have become. The next Halloween special is Season 4, Episode 4’s ‘Fear Itself.’ After a college frat house falls to a demonic force, the gang must find their way through the horrors of the haunted party without succumbing to the evils attempting to separate them. The final Halloween special is Season 6, Episode 6’s ‘All the Way.’ One of the gang goes on the date quite literally from hell as the boy turns out to be a vampire. It then becomes a race against time to save them before they are turned into the enemy.  

Even though it was not a Halloween special, ‘Hush’ (Season 4, Episode 10) takes its crowning place as the most terrifying episode of the shows run. The nightmarish Gentlemen from a series of dark fairytales descended on the town, stealing everybody’s voices, and then their organs. This episode gained critical acclaim and quite literally silenced the critics who claimed that the writers relied too heavily on its snappy comedic dialogue to drive the show. Through practical effects and prosthetic makeup, they were able to achieve the grotesque smiling appearance of the Gentlemen and a bone chilling atmosphere without any dialogue for most of the episode.  

Of course, physical media is always better, but if you do not have a cool £60 to drop on a DVD boxset, then you can stream the full series (currently) on Disney+ and Paramount+.   

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