Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 Rewatch: Episodes Ranked + What Still Holds Up

Welcome, Buffy fans and fellow elder millennials. If you’re here for a millennial nostalgia and a stroll down the Hellmouth, you’re in the right place.

I recently rewatched Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1, and I have thoughts. Some parts were every bit as iconic as I remembered. Others felt much campier, weirder, or more dated than my teenage self ever noticed. But that is part of the fun of a Buffy rewatch, isn’t it?

Going back to Season 1 now, I found myself appreciating things I missed the first time around, especially the beginnings of the Scooby Gang, the emotional groundwork of Buffy and Angel, and even Cordelia of all people. On the flip side, some episodes didn’t hold my attention as well, and certain characters still tested my patience.
Still, even with the awkward effects, uneven pacing, and very nineties production style, Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains one of the most influential supernatural shows of its era. Even after all this time. Let’s get into it.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 in a Nutshell

For anyone who hasn’t revisited it in a while, Buffy Season 1 follows Buffy Summers as she arrives in Sunnydale hoping to leave her Slayer life behind. That plan obviously does not last long.

Instead, she finds herself pulled right back into vampire slaying, supernatural chaos, and the growing threat of the Master, an ancient vampire trapped beneath Sunnydale. Along the way, she forms the earliest version of the Scooby Gang with Willow, Xander, and Giles as they battle weekly monsters while the larger season arc builds toward its finale.

What makes this first season work is that it is not just about monsters. It is about identity, friendship, destiny, fear, and what it means to grow up while carrying more than anyone should have to.

My Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episode Ranking

After rewatching all 12 episodes, here’s my ranking from favorite to least favorite.

1. Episode 7: Angel

What is it about?
Buffy’s budding romance with the mysterious Angel takes a complicated turn when she discovers he is a vampire with a soul, cursed to atone for his sins. Meanwhile, a trio of vampires arrives in Sunnydale, and Buffy has to face the fact that Angel’s past is darker than she imagined.

My thoughts:
Classic brooding vampire vibes, plus the first truly deep hint of the chemistry and connection between Buffy and Angel. This is the episode where the slow burn really starts to matter.

2. Episode 3: Witch

What is it about?
Buffy tries to balance Slayer duties with normal high school life by joining the cheerleading team. When strange accidents start happening during tryouts, she suspects witchcraft is involved. The mystery leads to a darker body swapping twist.

My thoughts:
I loved the mix of supernatural danger and high school pressure. It is such a good example of what Buffy does best: turning ordinary teenage anxieties into literal horror.

3. Episode 5: Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

What is it about?
Buffy tries to go on a normal date with Owen while also dealing with a prophecy tied to the Master’s plans.

My thoughts:
A charming mix of romance, responsibility, and classic Buffy conflict. She wants a normal life, but duty keeps getting in the way. Also: jealous Angel. Enough said.

4. Episode 9: The Puppet Show

What is it about?
When students begin dying around the school talent show, the gang suspects Sid, a ventriloquist dummy. But Sid turns out to be more complicated than expected, and the real danger is something much darker.

My thoughts:
Surprisingly creepy and strangely sweet for an episode about a puppet. It should not work as well as it does, but somehow it really does.

5. Episodes 1 and 2: Welcome to the Hellmouth / The Harvest

What are they about?
Buffy arrives in Sunnydale, meets Willow and Xander, reconnects with her Slayer identity, and faces Luke, the Master’s vessel, before he can gather enough power to free the Master.

My thoughts:
I consider these a two part opener, and together they do a great job of setting up Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, Buffy’s role, and the series’ overall tone. They are the foundation for everything that follows.

6. Episode 4: Teacher’s Pet

What is it about?
A substitute teacher catches the attention of Sunnydale’s male students, especially Xander. Buffy soon realizes Miss French is actually a giant preying mantis.

My thoughts:
It is wildly campy and very much peak early Buffy. Also, I’m not saying Xander deserved to be eaten, but I’m not entirely saying he didn’t.

7. Episode 6: The Pack

What is it about?
After a zoo trip, Xander and several students become possessed by hyena spirits, turning aggressive and dangerous.

My thoughts:
A strange one, but oddly enough one of the few episodes where I found Xander more interesting. It felt like we got a glimpse of something darker under the surface.

8. Episode 12: Prophecy Girl

What is it about?
Buffy learns of a prophecy foretelling her death at the hands of the Master. Terrified and overwhelmed, she struggles with her calling before ultimately choosing to face her fate.

My thoughts:
This finale carries real emotional weight and gives us one of the season’s most important Buffy moments. It just wasn’t my personal favorite overall.

9. Episode 11: Out of Mind, Out of Sight

What is it about?
A student named Marcie becomes invisible after being ignored for so long and begins targeting those who overlooked her.

My thoughts:
There is a thoughtful metaphor here about invisibility, isolation, and high school cruelty, but the episode still felt like it was missing something.

10. Episode 8: I, Robot… You, Jane

What is it about?
Willow falls for someone she meets online, only to discover her crush is actually the demon Moloch, unleashed through the internet.

My thoughts:
The technology is wonderfully dated, and Giles refusing to deal with computers is genuinely funny. But the online demon plot never fully clicked for me.

11. Episode 10: Nightmares

What is it about?
The gang’s worst fears begin manifesting in the real world because of a traumatized comatose boy.

My thoughts:
The concept is strong, but the execution did not hold up for me. I was more bored than intrigued, which surprised me.

Not sure where to get it? You can watch Buffy on Amazon.

What Stood Out to Me on My Buffy Season 1 Rewatch

1. The high school realism is basically nonexistent

Let’s be honest. The cast looked far too polished and far too old to resemble any real high school I ever attended. The hair alone deserves its own credit line. But Buffy was never really trying to be realistic. Sunnydale High is more emotional metaphor than actual school, and that is part of why the show works.

2. Buffy and Angel are much more of a slow burn than I remembered

I had completely forgotten how slowly their romance unfolds in Season 1. There is chemistry, tension, longing, and brooding, but it is all still simmering. Knowing what comes later makes those early moments even more fun to revisit.

3. The nineties production quality is both dated and charming

Watching Season 1 in HD really highlights the rough effects, awkward makeup, and low budget moments. But honestly? There is something endearing about it. The practical effects and early genre TV texture give the season a handmade charm that polished modern shows often lack.

4. Xander still isn’t for me

He was never my favorite character, and rewatching did not improve his standing. Some of his humor feels especially dated now, and a lot of his behavior still lands badly and problematic for me.

5. I actually liked Cordelia this time

This may have been my biggest surprise. I used to dislike Cordelia, but on this rewatch I noticed more of the subtle hints that there is something deeper beneath the surface. She is still sharp and self involved, but she is also much more interesting than I gave her credit for.

6. Buffy’s cultural impact is impossible to ignore

Even when parts of Season 1 feel dated, the show’s influence is everywhere. Buffy helped define the supernatural teen drama space and shaped the storytelling DNA of so many series that came after it. It also absolutely influenced my taste in books, especially paranormal and emotionally intense stories.

Does Buffy Season 1 Still Hold Up?

Yes, but with an asterisk.

If you expect sleek prestige television, Season 1 may feel rough around the edges. The pacing can be uneven, some monster-of-the-week plots are stronger than others, and the effects definitely show their age.

But if you come to it for the characters, the metaphor driven storytelling, the emotional themes, and the roots of what made Buffy iconic, it still works.

What really holds up is Buffy herself. Sarah Michelle Gellar brings so much vulnerability, strength, humor, and emotional depth to the role from the very beginning. Even in the campiest episodes, she keeps the character grounded.

And then there is the heart of the show: friendship, fear, identity, and learning to carry what life puts on your shoulders. That part never gets old.

Why Buffy the Vampire Slayer Still Matters

Rewatching Season 1 reminded me that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was never just about vampires.

It was about loneliness. Pressure. Power. Desire. Exclusion. Growing up. Becoming yourself. The monsters were always metaphors, and that storytelling choice is exactly why the show still resonates.

Even the weaker episodes are built around emotional truths that feel familiar. That is what gives Buffy its staying power. Beneath the camp and quips is a show that understood what it felt like to be young, overwhelmed, and expected to face impossible things.

Final Thoughts on My Buffy Season 1 Rewatch

Rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 1 was nostalgic, funny, occasionally frustrating, and genuinely rewarding.

Some episodes worked better than others. Some characters hit differently with adult eyes. But the magic is still there. The charm is still there. And the emotional core that made Buffy such an unforgettable series is still absolutely there.

Whether you are watching for the first time or the fifteenth, Season 1 is a reminder of how it all began: a girl, a library, a Hellmouth, and the start of one of the most beloved found families in genre television.

And honestly? I think it still stands the test of time.

Have you rewatched the show recently? Which Season 1 episodes are your favorites? Let’s talk Buffy in the comments.

And if Buffy nostalgia has you in a full 90s supernatural mood, check out my posts on iconic 90s witches and YA books like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Craft.

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