Sean, I probably have S1 and S2 on tape (from FX), if you want them...

Aw, that would be awesome, Tep. As long as it wouldn't be stupid expensive to get them out here.

I think most people would go with "Hush" as the best one-shot. For one thing, it isn't arc-specific, so you don't need a whole lot of backstory to understand what's going on. Since OMWF deals with a lot of the characters' secrets being revealed, its impact would be greatly lessened by someone who wasn't aware of those secrets, as any newbie would. Plus, not everyone can get into musicals.

Good standalone introductory episodes?

S2 Lie To Me
S3 Earshot (although if this was my friend, I'd make him sit down and watch the Amazing S3 Streak, i.e. Lover's Walk, The Wish, The Zeppo, and Doppelgangland, as well as Earshot.)
S4 Hush

I hooked my brother with OMWF, but he loves musical theater. A lot of people I know cannot abide musicals, so this is risky unless you know your friend's taste well.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't start anyone off with OMWF. Hush is a great rec. The funny, the truly creepy, the demonstration of how unique a thing Buffy is. And what Jeff said about not too arc-y.

I still have only seen one or two scattered episodes from S1 & S2, so I can't include those in the ranking, but they will eventually find their way on to my DVD shelf, and I will finally be able to rate them properly.

I am just blinking, mouth open, WHA??? after reading this. Please get Sean these tapes!!! I'll send him my DVDs if I have to...this just must be fixed.

I have a friend who HATES fantasy shows with a big old seething HATRED. Doesn't really watch TV except for reality shows. I forced her to watch OMWF when we were drunk one night and she looooved it. But now I can't get her to watch anything else. Sucks.

I also think Hush is a good one, but then you miss all the wonderful Jossy talk. 144 eps. Just one to convert. So hard. I think Surprise/Innocence is perfect if you can lock em in for two hours.

I adore Hush. But it's the dialogue that's always grabbed me on Buffy, so I tend not to recommend Hush as a first episode. I'd probably say Passion as well, but then I wonder if I'd be as struck by it if I didn't

edited to finish

I thought I didn't submit that post. That was weird.

I was going to say, I might love Passion because I loved the characters by the time I watched it. I don't know. I'm not great with the recs.

I was going to say, I might love Passion because I loved the characters by the time I watched it. I don't know. I'm not great with the recs.

Passion was my first ep. It's arc-heavy, but I found that it explained things well enough so that wasn't a detriment. (And I think that helped hook me into watching the rest of it, to find out all the backstory.)

Ya' know, I think the one where Oz figures out he's a werewolf (yeah, yeah, lame that I can't remember the name -- what is it? Phases, maybe?) has a lot of good stuff in it. Kind of gives away the Angel goes evil thing, but if you're not worried about spoilers. There are some good scooby interactions in that ep, I think. En masse and one-on-one. Can't replay the entire episode in my brain, but the flashes I'm getting are making me happy.

ETA: And also not really arc-heavy, I don't think. Or I do think not. Whatever

It is really hard to find a single episode to do it in.

My friend does enjoy musical theater, so that's one of the reasons it occured to me.

But there are weeknessess to using it as a single shot.

I think the main reason I thought of OMWF is that I don't have to get him hooked in one episode, I just need to make him realize he was wrong about the show being stupid and juvenile.

I just need to get him to agree to watch more episodes. Then I can start showing him mini-arcs to get him hooked.

Hush might still be better.

Or possibly Halloween and Band Candy. I bet I can get him to sit still for those two.

I think the main reason I thought of OMWF is that I don't have to get him hooked in one episode, I just need to make him realize he was wrong about the show being stupid and juvenile.

I would definitely suggest Passion for that. Not much juvenile about that ep. (Hush would also be a good choice, but if your friend is approaching it with that frame of mind, I think Passion better counters the preconceptions.)