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.)
It is in the FAQ:
huh. I didn't even check. So, umm, why are we discussing it then?
why are we discussing it then?
Because it's interesting to those that are?
Plus the FAQ is dead wrong. The later episodes are far too dense and rich with meta to convert anyone, IMO. You want early rickety funky
Buffy
for that.
The later episodes are far too dense and rich with meta to convert anyone, IMO.
Not if you're trying to get someone to pick the show up mid-S5, which is when that entry was written.
Pah! They must watch all the previous episodes before the next new one airs. Lightweights.
Buffy conversion ep deathmatch, anyone? :)
See, I think as a general-purpose conversion ep,
Hush
is probably the best choice. But you do want to tailor the choice to the particular person. Here the primary preconception is that it's a show for teens. I would be concerned that the humour in
Hush
might be too easy to write off under that preconception ("oh yeah, wank jokes and stuff") and the horror aspects might appear a bit teen slasher. Not a fair judgment, but that's kind of the problem.
I'd recommend
Passion
because I think it's BtVS at its most adult. Not least because there's an adult relationship at the heart of it. Jenny's death isn't slasher fare, and pretty much demands to be taken seriously. It would be hard to sustain a view that it's just a teen show after it.
While I think
Hush
may well be the best all-purpose choice,
Passion
isn't a bad one either. It's also a high-quality ep, and also showcases what BtVS is about (less so on the humour, more so on the drama and emotional engagement). And being so tied up with the story arc means that if it does draw a person in, they're going to want to see more to find out all the details. But here I think it's more important that it addresses the preconceptions directly. I think only
The Body
could do a better job of that, but as ita noted, it isn't really representative of BtVS's general tone.
ETA: though it'd probably be an advantage if Sean watched it first. J
