The Sunnydale Diaries - A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast

This week on The Sunnydale Diaries, we’re taking on one of the most acclaimed (and devastating) episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 5, Episode 16, “The Body.”

For an episode this heavy, Melanie and Sean do something a little different: they watch it together, pausing along the way to process Buffy’s shock, Dawn’s heartbreak, Xander’s anger, Willow’s desperate need to do something right, and Anya’s unforgettable struggle to understand why death has to happen.

Sean revisits the episode in full for the first time in 25 years, while Melanie experiences it for the first time, and both are struck by the episode’s almost complete lack of music, its uncomfortable silences, and the painfully ordinary details that make the grief feel so real.

There are still a few moments of Sunnydale absurdity: questionable hospital procedures, suspiciously easy morgue access, some impressive “wallmanship,” and  even a vampire. But, this is an episode where the usual snark mostly takes a back seat.

Grab the tissues and join us as we talk through one of Buffy's most powerful hours.

No spoilers beyond the episode being discussed.

Opening/closing theme by @elyisum-music.

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Melanie somehow called it: robots have officially arrived in Sunnydale.

In “I Was Made to Love You,” Buffy encounters April, a mysteriously strong young woman wandering town in search of her boyfriend, Warren. What starts as one of Season 5’s stranger and funnier episodes quickly turns into a surprisingly thoughtful look at loneliness, relationships, and what happens when you think finding the “perfect” person will fix everything.

We talk awkward Buffy flirting, Anya’s appreciation for the craftsmanship of Chex Mix, Spike getting tossed through a window, Warren’s many, many red flags, and the surprisingly emotional final moments between Buffy and April.

And just when the episode seems ready to wrap things up… Buffy comes home.

Plus, Melanie rates the episode, makes her predictions for “The Body,” and Sean tries very hard not to give anything away.

Crushes can be awkward, embarrassing, and occasionally involve driving past someone’s house and getting caught. But in Sunnydale, they can also involve stolen sweaters, secret shrines, cattle prods, and multiple vampire ex-girlfriends.

Sean and Melanie discuss Buffy Season 5, Episode 14, “Crush,” as Dawn’s feelings for Spike become impossible to hide, and Buffy finally learns that Spike’s real obsession is with her. While Spike attempts to prove that his feelings are genuine, the return of Drusilla forces him to choose between the killer he used to be and the man he believes he has become.

Along the way, we debate whether Buffy is being unnecessarily harsh or completely justified, celebrate Drusilla’s gloriously unhinged return, question the strange absence of police at Sunnydale’s latest massacre, and examine why 48-year-old Sean views this episode very differently than 22-year-old Sean did.

It’s Buffy’s 20th birthday, so naturally everything is about to go horribly wrong.

During our episode discussion, we question Sunnydale hospital security, investigate the logistics of Glory’s wrinkle-free red satin dress, and Sean shares why his former life in the hospital lab has left him silently judging every phlebotomist who draws his blood.

Plus, Melanie tries to figure out exactly what the hell is going on with Ben and Glory and makes her prediction for the next episode, “Crush” involving Dawn, Spike, Harmony, and possibly a monster that just crushes things.

Buffy faces one of her most satisfying power shifts yet in Season 5 Episode 12, “Checkpoint,” as the Watchers Council rolls into Sunnydale with their usual blend of tweed, judgment, and wildly undeserved authority. Sean and Melanie talk about adult “tests”; from hospital in-services and job interview assessments to driving tests and performance reviews, before diving into an episode where Buffy is tested from every direction.

This week, we cover the Council’s return, Anya’s deeply questionable cover story (including a daschund) Willow and Tara’s “gay-type lovers” clarification, Spike’s continued inability to handle feelings like a grown vampire, and Glory’s little drop-in to 1630 Revelo Drive (break out the Enternmann's cake!). Plus, Melanie makes her predictions for “Blood Ties,” and Buffy finally realizes who really has the power.