The end of the second season just breaks my little heart every time, so that's what I picked. Oh, and Spike through that whole season is just marvelous.

The end of the first season is probably my second favorite, if only because of Buffy's speech. "Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't want to die."

I can't pick just one! But, oh no!!

You MADE me pick just one... I didn't even really want that one.. :P

*fiddles to see if I can change my vote*

"Becoming Pt 2" may have the single best moment of angst on television.

Yep, gotta throw my vote to Becoming. Best. Episode. Ever.

Well, mostly...

GRADUATION! I love how everyone pulls together in that - from planning to setup to training to fighting. I had no idea what they were doing when I saw it the first time; worried for all the students, I gasped in delight when they throw their gowns off to reveal weaponry. Finally, all the students get a chance to stand up and help smack down a villain. They get to fight back. It was awesome, I loved it.

I am the only one who totally loses her shit when Xander gets to save the world by doing what he does best: loving people? I can't be! Yeah, the earthshattering angst of killing your true love to save the world is astounding, but I can do that in a roleplaying game. Hell, I have. ;)

But... Xander, getting up and bleeding and telling Evil Willow how much he loves her and how, if he's going to die, he's going to die with her? I bawl like a baby.

I agree that Xander does his thing, and well, in "Grave", and Evil Willow, well.. there are too many words for that. But I have to throw in with the One True Love, if I have to choose just one.

I find it very interesting that no one has voted for "The Gift" yet.

Here's your vote for The Gift.

Jebus do I break down and cry like a great big baby when Buffy throws herself into the glowing sky of doom to save her sister. I think I may have been the only person on the planet who enjoyed the introduction of Dawn -- she so very much reminded me of my own sister, Kristen. I mean, right down to the fact Dawn grew taller than Buffy. Love. My own sister and I had a rather rough and traumatic childhood, and in a heartbeat I would have done absolutely anything to get Kris out of all the crap we were hip deep in. If beating down a God with Thor's Hammer and then throwing myself into a glowing sky of doom meant I could save Kris (especially if a Freaky Guy (tm) cut her the way the Freaky Guy (tm) cut Dawn), the chances of me following through are very high. And I'm not even being facetious with bravado here: I would give anything of myself if I could give something better to my sister. When I saw Buffy do the same... breakdown city.

There's also the line Giles gives to Ben as Ben lays there all crumpled up: "Buffy's not like us. She's a hero." And then Giles kills Ben. Dayum. I'm all verklemt just thinking about it. Or maybe that's the nasal drip; I've a cold, after all...

If you watched _Buffy_ from start to finish, sans spoilers or repeats, which season finale would jump out at you as the BEST season finale? Would your answer be changed?

Because, yes, the other finales are good to great, but when Buffy killed Angel back in 1998, nothing had ever been so amazing on TV before. The shock of that moment can never be duplicated. Possibly the spoilers I read for the last few seasons made the season finales less awe-inspiring.

(I have a friend, btw, who is watching the show on DVD in order without spoilers; in a few more years, after he sees all the episodes, we should check in with him about his fave, and see if it supports my theory.)
I think the best news is that

Ok, as someone who as not seen the last several seasons of Buffy, I'm torn between Becoming part 2...who didn't cry??? and Graduation which has got the best villian line EVER: The mayor upon seeing his pending doom exclaims, "Well, gosh!"