6) Graduation Day (Parts One and Two) – Season 3, Episodes 21 And 22
As great as the later seasons were, Buffy’s golden years were definitely the first few seasons that revolved around the turmoil of surviving high school. Thankfully, they ended with a bang – literally – in season 3’s epic two-part finale.
The grand threat of the episode is brilliantly aligned with the gang’s own experiences – just as the evil Mayor Wilkins ascends into his demonic form, Buffy and the others are ascending into the next stage of life and into adulthood. Plus, it all ends in the symbolic destruction of the high school, which is partly a rite of passage for the characters and also a bit of vicarious wish fulfillment for the audience.
Elsewhere, there’s a terrific Slayer vs. Slayer fight between Buffy and Faith, tender moments with Willow and Oz and a final serving of Buffy/Angel drama before the vamp went off to headline his own spinoff show (which is also totally worth checking out, by the way).