And I watched about 5 or 6 episodes of S1 yesterday, and -- having *not* watched it from the start -- I was wondering: for those of you who DID watch Buffy from S1, did you have the sense that you were watching something unprecedented?

Yes. In fact, I just got S1 on DVD, and I'd forgotten just how much of the adult darkness was there really early on. Angel sits perfectly comfortably with the best episodes of AtS, and they were engaging with really serious stuff right back at the start. Watching Nightmares , I'd forgotten just how psychologically vicious some of it is.

Her dad telling her the divorce was all her fault and that they really didn't need to see each other anymore breaks me every time. I sometimes have to leave the room when I know it's coming.

That's the bit. It's done so utterly straight. That, for me, was the moment the show shifted gear, and became something very special. No previous equivalent show could have invoked such a serious subject as a part of a one-off storyline without being mawkish or crass.

Sean - If only you could get him to watch 5 or 6 hours (big stretch, I know) I'd send him season 1's Angel, and season 2's Surprise/Innocence, and then Becoming. There's your soap, right there. Throw in Passion for good measure, and he'll be hooked despite himself. I don't suppose you could pay a neighboring Swede to tie him to a chair and prop his eyes open with toothpicks, and make him watch the whole 5 or 6 hours in a sitting?

Hmmmm. A one hour conversion mission for a European. This is a toughie. How about The Yoko Factor, Dead Things, or Seeing Red ? There's darkness and intrigue, but our kids aren't kids any more.

Hmmm. One or two eps, prove it isn't just a teeny-bopper show.

"Hush" would be good, unless it comes across as a teen slasher movie. I'm not familiar with that genre, so I don't know.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "The Body." It's about as teeny-bopper as a sucker punch to the gut. And doesn't require a lot of back story. (Joyce is Buffy and Dawn's mother. Anya used to be a demon and isn't really comfortable with human emotion yet. That's about it.)

If you get a second ep, go for contrast. IWMTLY is a little too after-school specialy at times, but has Giles' "aggressively cheerful music sung by people chosen for their ability to dance" line that a pure teen show would never dare to put in the mouth of a sympathetic character. IWMTLY and it really sets up the "Body" sucker punch in a way that "Something Blue" (which requires too much back story, IMO) doesn't do for "Hush." "Tabula Rasa" and either "Seeing Red" or "Villains" would also be a good combo that way, or "Band Candy" and "Earshot."

I'd steer clear of Buffy/Angel/Angelus eps. It may be a little too teen for the purpose because (apologies to B&A4Estas) Angel is so clearly the high school bf who she'll never forget even though he isn't long-haul guy.

I wouldn't recommend The Body except to someone who's seen a few eps and pooh-poohed it.

It gives a very clear idea of the heights the show can hit, but doesn't give a good picture of what the show is.

Which is why I root for Hush, because it's a pinnacle of the usual things -- creepy funny stuff.

See, I also need to eventually see S1 and S2 in their entirety, so I can better judge those early episodes.

Sean, I'm going to send you my tapes. Promise.

I'd go with Never Kill A Boy on The First Date, personally. Funny, dark, emotional.

You know, I think that this needs to be addressed in the FAQ. Every so often, someone says "I want to introduce ________ to the Buffyverse. What eps should I use?" And we have this debate. Which is fun. And differs because there have been new eps since the last time we talked about it. But since we aren't going to get any new eps, could get old real fast :)

It is in the FAQ:

Q. My SO/parents/roommates/cats won't watch Buffy. They sneer at me and my tacky taste. They've finally agreed to watch Just One Episode, in order to shut me up. Which episode do you recommend?

A. You want a good blend of comedy and action, without a lot of backstory to confuse the new viewer. We suggest something recent, so you aren't constantly saying "Oh, that's Angel, but he's got his own show," or "Oh, Cordy and Xander aren't dating any more."

Many Buffistas have had good results with Season 4's "Hush" (almost no dialogue, funny mime scenes) and "Something Blue" (Buffy and Spike become betrothed; hilarity ensues.) If you don't have tapes from Season 4, try "Earshot", from the Season 3 boxed set. Season 5's premiere episode, "Buffy vs. Dracula," is also a fun romp.

If you're trying to convert through Spike-lust (or even spickle-oost), "Crush" from Season 5 works. Sure, what Spike does in the episode is pretty creepy, but there's the Tongue Thing going on. Gaaah... excuse us. "Intervention," also from S5, offers a nobler, gentler Spike, and the notorious Buffy-job.

After you've got 'em hooked, go back to season 1 and catch up on the backstory. "Yes, Mom, I know Angel's kinda wooden. Shut up and drool like the rest of us." If this doesn't work, we recommend finding new parents/SO/roommates. (The cats can simply be locked in the bedroom for the duration.)