Home page All episodes sorted by rank All episodes sorted alphabetically All episodes sorted by writer All episodes sorted by director All episodes sorted by season Episodes with the most polarized opinions Episodes largely forgotten by fans Best and worst streaks of episodes An analysis of what makes episodes great Buffy writers sorted by the quality of their episodes Buffy directors sorted by the quality of their episodes Seasons of Buffy sorted by the quality of their episodes Buffy characters sorted by their possible contribution to episode quality Predicted episode quality based on writer, director, characters, and when aired Episodes that are much better or much worse than predicted Tastes in episodes Episodes ranked by taste Seasons ranked by taste Characters ranked by taste Writers ranked by taste Directors ranked by taste How the results on this site were obtained Frequently Asked Questions The links page Go to the sitemap

Predicted Quality of Episodes

Once all analyses performed by this site are combined, we are able to predict 74.5% of the quality of an episode based on four factors: who wrote the episode, who directed the episode, when the episode aired, and the presence or absence of major characters in the episode. Altogether, knowing this allows us to look back at episodes and predict how the episodes would be ranked if these four factors explained 100% of the quality of an episode instead of just 74.5%. As you will see, this method predicts the quality of some episodes very well and is off on the quality of other episodes. The Mispredicted Quality page describes how close or far these predictions were for each episode.

Predicted
Rank		 Title Season/
Episode		 Writer(s) Director Actual
Rank
1 Becoming, Part 2 2.22 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 4
2 The Gift 5.22 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 3
3 Chosen 7.22 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 6
4 Innocence 2.14 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 13
5 Becoming, Part 1 2.21 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 7
6 Graduation Day, Part 2 3.22 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 10
7 Once More, with Feeling 6.07 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 1
8 Restless 4.22 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 11
9 Hush 4.10 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 2
10 Doppelgängland 3.16 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 12
11 Fool for Love 5.07 Douglas Petrie Nick Marck 16
12 Prophecy Girl 1.12 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 14
13 The Body 5.16 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 5
14 Amends 3.10 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 33
15 Graduation Day, Part 1 3.21 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 18
16 Tabula Rasa 6.08 Rebecca Rand Kirshner David Grossman 9
17 Passion 2.17 Ty King Michael Gershman 8
18 Lovers Walk 3.08 Dan Vebber David Semel 24
19 Who Are You 4.16 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 20
20 Family 5.06 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 50
21 Grave 6.22 David Fury James A. Contner 22
22 Selfless 7.05 Drew Goddard David Solomon 23
23 Two to Go 6.21 Douglas Petrie Bill L. Norton 35
24 The Wish 3.09 Marti Noxon David Greenwalt 15
25 A New Man 4.12 Jane Espenson Michael Gershman 82
26 Forever 5.17 Marti Noxon Marti Noxon 65
27 Normal Again 6.17 Diego Gutiérrez Rick Rosenthal 32
28 Pangs 4.08 Jane Espenson Michael Lange 44
29 Conversations with Dead People 7.07 Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard Nick Marck 17
30 Intervention 5.18 Jane Espenson Michael Gershman 30
31 Checkpoint 5.12 Douglas Petrie and Jane Espenson Nick Marck 60
32 Bad Girls 3.14 Douglas Petrie Michael Lange 43
33 Life Serial 6.05 David Fury and Jane Espenson Nick Marck 64
34 Anne 3.01 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 96
35 Consequences 3.15 Marti Noxon Michael Gershman 74
36 Bring On the Night 7.10 Marti Noxon and Douglas Petrie David Grossman 103
37 Lie To Me 2.07 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 62
38 Storyteller 7.16 Jane Espenson Marita Grabiak 26
39 Surprise 2.13 Marti Noxon Michael Lange 28
40 Crush 5.14 David Fury Daniel Attias 58
41 School Hard 2.03 David Greenwalt John T. Kretchmer 36
42 I Only Have Eyes For You 2.19 Marti Noxon James Whitmore Jr. 38
43 The Harvest 1.02 Joss Whedon John T. Kretchmer 67
44 Dead Things 6.13 Steven S. DeKnight James A. Contner 72
45 Wild at Heart 4.06 Marti Noxon David Grossman 73
46 Bargaining, Part 1 6.01 Marti Noxon David Grossman 56
47 The Yoko Factor 4.20 Douglas Petrie David Grossman 55
48 Seeing Red 6.19 Steven S. DeKnight Michael Gershman 39
49 Band Candy 3.06 Jane Espenson Michael Lange 31
50 Lessons 7.01 Joss Whedon David Solomon 75
51 Hell's Bells 6.16 Rebecca Rand Kirshner David Solomon 104
52 Dirty Girls 7.18 Drew Goddard Michael Gershman 53
53 Helpless 3.12 David Fury James A. Contner 69
54 Angel 1.07 David Greenwalt Scott Brazil 27
55 Halloween 2.06 Carl Ellsworth Bruce Seth Green 34
56 Invisible Girl 1.11 Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swyden Reza Badiyi 106
57 Entropy 6.18 Drew Z. Greenberg James A. Contner 79
58 Enemies 3.17 Douglas Petrie David Grossman 40
59 Same Time, Same Place 7.03 Jane Espenson James A. Contner 80
60 Lies My Parents Told Me 7.17 David Fury and Drew Goddard David Fury 47
61 Beneath You 7.02 Douglas Petrie Nick Marck 63
62 Triangle 5.11 Jane Espenson Christopher Hibler 71
63 Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered 2.16 Marti Noxon James A. Contner 29
64 When She Was Bad 2.01 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 66
65 Homecoming 3.05 David Greenwalt David Greenwalt 91
66 Into the Woods 5.10 Marti Noxon Marti Noxon 113
67 Bargaining, Part 2 6.02 David Fury David Grossman 57
68 Where the Wild Things Are 4.18 Tracey Forbes David Solomon 142
69 The Prom 3.20 Marti Noxon David Solomon 25
70 Something Blue 4.09 Tracey Forbes Nick Marck 19
71 Never Leave Me 7.09 Drew Goddard David Solomon 97
72 The Zeppo 3.13 Dan Vebber James Whitmore Jr. 41
73 Blood Ties 5.13 Steven S. DeKnight Michael Gershman 87
74 What's My Line? Part 2 2.10 Marti Noxon David Semel 46
75 The Freshman 4.01 Joss Whedon Joss Whedon 101
76 Dead Man's Party 3.02 Marti Noxon James Whitmore Jr. 133
77 New Moon Rising 4.19 Marti Noxon James A. Contner 61
78 What's My Line? Part 1 2.09 Howard Gordon and Marti Noxon David Solomon 59
79 Superstar 4.17 Jane Espenson David Grossman 85
80 Villains 6.20 Marti Noxon David Solomon 52
81 The Witch 1.03 Dana Reston Stephen Cragg 83
82 Choices 3.19 David Fury James A. Contner 77
83 The Initiative 4.07 Douglas Petrie James A. Contner 102
84 Doomed 4.11 Marti Noxon, David Fury, and Jane Espenson James A. Contner 124
85 This Year's Girl 4.15 Douglas Petrie Michael Gershman 37
86 Nightmares 1.10 David Greenwalt Bruce Seth Green 48
87 End of Days 7.21 Douglas Petrie and Jane Espenson Marita Grabiak 49
88 Wrecked 6.10 Marti Noxon David Solomon 127
89 Phases 2.15 Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali Bruce Seth Green 92
90 Primeval 4.21 David Fury James A. Contner 45
91 Listening to Fear 5.09 Rebecca Rand Kirshner David Solomon 130
92 Tough Love 5.19 Rebecca Rand Kirshner David Grossman 78
93 The Puppet Show 1.09 Dean Batali & Rob Des Hotel Ellen S. Pressman 98
94 The Pack 1.06 Matt Kiene & Joe Reinkemeyer Bruce Seth Green 88
95 Living Conditions 4.02 Marti Noxon David Grossman 118
96 Shadow 5.08 David Fury Daniel Attias 129
97 Showtime 7.11 David Fury Michael Grossman 93
98 Touched 7.20 Rebecca Rand Kirshner David Solomon 51
99 Faith, Hope & Trick 3.03 David Greenwalt James A. Contner 70
100 Earshot 3.18 Jane Espenson Regis Kimble 21
101 Flooded 6.04 Douglas Petrie and Jane Espenson Douglas Petrie 126
102 The Killer in Me 7.13 Drew Z. Greenberg David Solomon 117
103 The Harsh Light of Day 4.03 Jane Espenson James A. Contner 84
104 Doublemeat Palace 6.12 Jane Espenson Nick Marck 144
105 Help 7.04 Rebecca Rand Kirshner Rick Rosenthal 90
106 The Replacement 5.03 Jane Espenson James A. Contner 89
107 Empty Places 7.19 Drew Z. Greenberg James A. Contner 121
108 Out of My Mind 5.04 Rebecca Rand Kirshner David Grossman 123
109 Potential 7.12 Rebecca Rand Kirshner James A. Contner 111
110 After Life 6.03 Jane Espenson David Solomon 81
111 Fear Itself 4.04 David Fury Tucker Gates 54
112 The I in Team 4.13 David Fury James A. Contner 120
113 Him 7.06 Drew Z. Greenberg Michael Gershman 100
114 First Date 7.14 Jane Espenson David Grossman 115
115 Revelations 3.07 Douglas Petrie James A. Contner 94
116 Spiral 5.20 Steven S. DeKnight James A. Contner 68
117 Killed By Death 2.18 Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali Deran Sarafian 119
118 Get It Done 7.15 Douglas Petrie Douglas Petrie 107
119 Reptile Boy 2.05 David Greenwalt David Greenwalt 135
120 Welcome to the Hellmouth 1.01 Joss Whedon Charles Martin Smith 42
121 Older and Far Away 6.14 Drew Z. Greenberg Michael Gershman 110
122 No Place Like Home 5.05 Douglas Petrie David Solomon 86
123 Teacher's Pet 1.04 David Greenwalt Bruce Seth Green 140
124 Weight of the World 5.21 Douglas Petrie David Solomon 105
125 The Dark Age 2.08 Dean Batali & Rob Des Hotel Bruce Seth Green 116
126 Gingerbread 3.11 Jane Espenson James Whitmore Jr. 114
127 Smashed 6.09 Drew Z. Greenberg Turi Meyer 76
128 Ted 2.11 David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon Bruce Seth Green 131
129 Sleeper 7.08 David Fury and Jane Espenson Alan J. Levi 109
130 Never Kill A Boy on the First Date 1.05 Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali David Semel 125
131 Gone 6.11 David Fury David Fury 108
132 Some Assembly Required 2.02 Ty King Bruce Seth Green 136
133 Beauty and the Beasts 3.04 Marti Noxon James Whitmore Jr. 122
134 Real Me 5.02 David Fury David Grossman 99
135 Bad Eggs 2.12 Marti Noxon David Greenwalt 141
136 Inca Mummy Girl 2.04 Matt Kiene & Joe Reinkemeyer Ellen S. Pressman 137
137 Beer Bad 4.05 Tracey Forbes David Solomon 139
138 I, Robot — You, Jane 1.08 Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swyden Stephen L. Posey 143
139 I Was Made to Love You 5.15 Jane Espenson James A. Contner 112
140 All the Way 6.06 Steven S. DeKnight David Solomon 132
141 Goodbye Iowa 4.14 Marti Noxon David Solomon 128
142 Go Fish 2.20 David Fury and Elin Hampton David Semel 138
143 As You Were 6.15 Douglas Petrie Douglas Petrie 134
144 Buffy vs. Dracula 5.01 Marti Noxon David Solomon 95
This page was last modified on June 28, 2005