For all the different Buffy/Angel characters, which do you think are their best episodes? Which episodes showcase the characters best? Buffy. Although she could be a selfish bitch sometimes, I had nothing by sympathy for what she was going through in "Prophecy Girl" & "The Freshman." She needed more episodes like this. Xander. Many of my favorite episodes were Xander episodes, like "Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered" and "The Zeppo." Willow. What's better than double your Willow pleasure in "Dopplegangland"? Cordelia. On Buffy, I enjoyed the episodes where we got to see that there was more to her than just an evil rich girl. I'm particularly thinking of "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" & "Homecoming." "The Wish" was also great. On Angel, I thought she got a great opportunity to shine early on in "Rm w/a Vu." Her return & departure in "You're Welcome" are excellent as well. Giles. I really felt for the impossible position the Watcher's Council put him in in "Helpless." I also got to give him a shout-out for "Band Candy" because he got some! Angel. He didn't get a lot of good material on Buffy. I like "Amends." It sets up the themes for Angel. On Angel, he got so many good eps. In particular, I'd cite the "Reprise"/"Epiphany" 2-parter and "Orpheus." "Does anyone notice a fight with your alter-ego going on here!?!" Oz. Actually, the Oz moment that stands out best for me is in "Fear Itself," where he's curled up in a ball in a bathtub whispering, "You're not gonna change. You're not gonna change..." Spike. I've always liked him best as a comic relief character, like in "Pangs" & "The Girl in Question." Riley. His best episode was when he left in "Into the Woods." Anya. "Selfless." I love the flashbacks & the song. Dawn. "Real Me." Doyle. "Hero." A true hero's death. "Is that it? Am I done?" Wesley. That really dark abducting Connor phase in "Loyalty" & "Sleep Tight." Gunn. "Players" was a much needed breath of fresh air after the "turgid supernatural soap opera" of Season 4. Fred. "A Hole in the World." Connor. I hated the bastard until his speech in the church in "Peace Out." That's when I finally understood what was wrong with this kid & why it was so tragic. Lorne. "Spin the Bottle." His narration adds a great spin to the episode. I also love his lullaby in "Waiting in the Wings." Illyria. Her introduction in "Shells" was so kick ass! Harmony. "Harm's Way" of course. Faith. "Sanctuary." Episodes like this were when Angel truly shined. This was when show fulfilled its promise that it wasn't just about saving lives, but saving souls.
I don't know about everybody else (I'd have to think about it), but my favorite Xander episode is "Potential" from Season 7 because of the speech his gives to Dawn at the end.
I prefer Season 3's "The Zeppo" myself. I like how Xander's wacky adventures were the 'A' story while Buffy and everybody else fighting off yet another apocalyptic-type situation was the barely-seen secondary storyline.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy: 'Innocence', 'Anne', 'Beer Bad', 'Once More with Feeling', 'Normal Again' Xander: 'The Pack', 'Revelations', 'Lover's Walk', 'The Replacement', 'Hell's Bells' Willow: 'Something Blue', 'New Moon Rising', 'Tough Love', 'Villains', 'Two to Go', 'Grave' Giles: 'The Dark Age', 'Passion', 'Helpless', 'A New Man', 'Bring on the Night', 'Lies My Parents Told Me' Oz: 'Phases', 'Beauty and the Beasts', 'Wild at Heart' Spike: 'School Hard', 'The Harsh Light of Day', 'Out of My Mind', 'Crush', 'Beneath You' Anya: 'Fear Itself', 'Triangle', 'Entropy', 'Selfless', 'Chosen' Riley: 'The Initiative', 'Goodbye Iowa', 'Where the Wild Things Are', 'Into the Woods', 'As You Were' Dawn: 'Real Me', 'Blood Ties', 'Forever', 'All the Way', 'Potential' Tara: 'Restless', 'Family', 'Who Are You', 'Tabula Rasa', 'Seeing Red' ANGEL Angel: 'City Of', 'I Will Remember You', 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been', 'Smile Time', 'Why We Fight' Cordelia: 'Rm with a Vu', 'Parting Gifts', 'Over the Rainbow', 'Slouching Toward Bethlehem', 'You're Welcome' Doyle: 'I Fall to Pieces', 'Bachelor Party, 'Hero' Wesley: 'Guise Will be Guise', 'Soulless', 'Salvage', 'Lineage', 'A Hole in the World' Gunn: 'War Zone', 'The Shroud of Rahmon', 'The Thin Dead Line', 'That Old Gang of Mine', 'Players' Fred/Illyria: 'Through the Looking Glass', 'There's No Place Like Plrz Glrb', 'The Magic Bullet', 'Shells', 'Time Bomb' Lorne: 'Happy Anniversary', 'Belonging', 'The House Always Wins', 'Spin the Bottle', 'Life of the Party'