There are very few TV shows that compare to Buffy the Vampire Slayer [1], and Sarah Michelle Gellar [2] knows it. Not only did the supernatural drama spawn 144 episodes and seven whole seasons, but it also gave rise to Gellar's empowering, vampire-slaying heroine [3], a character who ended up paving the way for more bold female figures on TV down the road. It's no wonder that, even after 20 years, the show's fan base is insanely dedicated. While there were tons of memorable moments [4] during its seven seasons, there are two episodes in particular that really stand out to the show's star, albeit for different reasons.
As for her overall favorite? "I like 'The Prom,'" Gellar told me of the heartbreaking season three episode during Capital One's event with Priceless Table to promote its new Savor rewards credit card [5]. "Just because to me that was all about who she was and the isolation that you feel as a teenager."
When it comes to narrowing down the scariest episode, though, she loves season four's "Hush" — which was predominately filmed without any dialogue [7] — just as much as the fans do. "I thought that it would be really easy to have no lines for eight days, but it was so hard," she admitted. "I was like, 'This is way harder. I'd rather learn lines.' And they had the scariest costumes." You can say that again. The Gentlemen's sunken eyes and creepy smiles still give me nightmares.
Seeing that the show recently celebrated a huge anniversary this year, I couldn't help but ask what her favorite part about playing the incredibly fierce and inspiring Buffy Summers was. "If I say her wardrobe, I seem shallow," she quipped. "If I say hitting men, that sounds awful."
All joking aside, it's obvious that Gellar is just grateful she got to be a part of something so iconic that stands the test of time. "We all talk about legacy and what we leave behind and what we represent — I'm just very proud of the story we told and the characters we created ultimately."