Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of those rare shows (to me at least) that has very few dud episodes. There are an abundance of iconic and memorable ones. Some of the best episodes take our heroine into new territory. Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 6, “Halloween,” is one such episode. It’s also one of my favorite episodes and will forever be quintessential Halloween viewing.
Though I have seen it many times, only during my most recent rewatch did I notice how critical it is to the future of the show and season. Many popular shows use their holiday episodes as standalone or departures from the norm. Therefore, it’s not often a holiday episode has so much influence on the show’s future.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Halloween” episode very much helps forward the season and adds to the Buffy mythology.
It Introduces One Of My Favorite Buffy Recurring Characters
Ethan Rayne (Robin Sachs) is one of my favorite Buffy recurring characters and villains. I always think, “Oh yay Ethan is here to cause some havoc” every time he pops up. “Halloween” is the first time we meet him. He offers a little bit of his trademark cheekiness in “Halloween,” but perfects his mischievous and fun personality in later episodes.
In “Halloween,” Ethan causes more chaos in one night than many of the great Big Bads do in an entire season. He’s one of Buffy’ the Vampire Slayer's best and most entertaining agents of havoc.
We Get Some Insight Into Giles’s Past
The introduction of Ethan brings with it Giles’s (Anthony Head) unexpected and dark past. “Halloween” ends with a teaser of the “Ripper.” It isn’t until a few episodes later, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 8, “The Dark Age,” that we are enlightened by the story of the good Watcher. Giles was an interesting character before the introduction of his dark past, but it definitely made him more fascinating.
Instead of a Buffy reboot, I always wanted a prequel series with young Giles and Ethan to showcase their dark days. I also just think a young Giles series would have been a lot of fun, especially to compare who he was with who he became.
It Adds Romantic Intrigue For Both Willow And Xander
Tara (Amber Benson) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) are one of the greatest couples in the Buffy universe and an overall iconic LGBTQ+ couple. However, I am someone who also liked Willow with Oz (Seth Green). It was moments like those in “Halloween” that sold me on Willow and Oz. Prior to them becoming an official couple, there was a running storyline of Oz seeing Willow and being stunned by her personality and appearance. We see one of these adorable moments in “Halloween.”
The episode also adds some hints toward a Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) romance. These are very subtle hints and only noticeable if you pay close attention, or if you already know about their eventual romance. We see the first hint of their future coupling in how Cordelia reacts to Xander giving her his jacket. She likes the macho version of him. Additionally, they bond over the fact that they’ll never be able to come between Angel (David Boreanaz) and Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar).
The Oz and Willow and Xander and Cordelia romances officially start later in the season, but “Halloween” does a great job of laying the early foundation for them.
It Further Establishes Spike’s Obsession With Buffy
Spike (James Marsters) and Buffy’s relationship has always been complicated. Whether intentionally or not, from the moment that Spike was introduced, the show left breadcrumbs about his Buffy obsession. It started off as just an itch to get another notch under his slayer-killing belt but grew into love.
“Halloween” starts with Buffy fighting a monster while a vampire secretly films it (remember camcorders?!). It’s later revealed that the vampire is one of Spike’s crew, and he’s having her filmed to study her fighting techniques. It’s a very prey-hunter tactic, but it also showcases that Spike has constantly been a little too into knowing everything about Buffy.
The Episode Allowed Other Members Of The Scooby Gang To Take Charge
In the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Scooby Gang was kind of just Buffy’s sidekicks. “Halloween” is one of the early episodes that shows each member taking charge and acting as an important piece of the group. GI Joe Xander becomes the muscle in “Halloween” because -- as (almost) everyone is transformed into their costumes -- he becomes a soldier. Willow has to keep everyone on task and give commands. She is also the one to take action to alert Giles.
Cordelia even gets to contribute as she’s one of the few people who knows what’s happening. She also, without realizing it, keeps 18th-century Buffy from freaking out about Angel being a vampire. Buffy survives being helpless because her team steps up and keeps her alive, including Giles. He is the one to break the spell by beating up Ethan. “Halloween” involves a collective effort to keep them all alive by the time the spell wears off. The gang working together to solve problems eventually becomes the norm.
And It Helped Start Willow’s Progression From Shy Nerd To Badass Witch
Season 2 is very much the start of the evolution of Willow. She begins to grow up and embrace her femininity in a way that she had been too afraid to do in the first season. This comes across in this episode when Buffy gives her a very scandalous (for the '90s) makeover.
She hides from it by putting back on her ghost costume. However, the episode ends with her leaving the costume behind and walking home fully embracing her makeover. The entire second season really shows each character making decisions and dealing with things that shape them greatly in future seasons. This is one of the many reasons why Season 2 is one of the best seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Willow really doesn’t start playing with magic until later in the season, but it’s moments like this one that help build her confidence and lead to her fully becoming a witch in Season 4.
And Finally, It Showcases A Constant Theme Of Buffy And The Impossibility Of Normal Life
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a few episodes where Buffy gets to see a glimpse of a life where she isn’t the slayer. She also has a few moments throughout the series where she regrets her destiny or just wishes she could be normal. All of these seem to prove that a normal, average Buffy isn’t really the right life for her.
“Halloween” once again proves that normalcy doesn’t suit her. She nearly dies. Her life works better with monsters and ghouls and fighting off an apocalypse each season.
“Halloween” is one of the many episodes that proves why Buffy is a classic and one of the best teen supernatural shows of all time. It’s fun, unexpected, perfectly developed, and a truly legendary '90s show.
