10 Dumbest Decisions In Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The residents of Sunnydale made some really dumb decisions at times...
Character decisions are a key part of any great show, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer is no exception. What a character decides to do (or not do) tells you a lot about them. And over the course of seven seasons, Buffy and the gang have to make hundreds of vital decisions whilst in Sunnydale.
Some characters – such as Giles – ponder their choices with great care. They like to take their time and garner as much information as possible before making their move. Others, meanwhile, make decisions based on impulse, which isn’t always the wisest course of action.
Every season features a myriad of mistakes from multiple characters. Too often, reason and logic are replaced with knee-jerk reactions. Indeed, each major character lets their emotions get the better of them at some point. This is hardly surprising given the show is essentially a coming-of-age story wrought with all the usual trials and tribulations of being a teenager and a young adult.
And given these characters have to make all their judgements in a dark, fantastical setting, their dumb decisions often have disastrous consequences...
10. Keeping Angel’s Return A Secret – Buffy (Season 3, Episodes 4-7)
During the finale of Season 2, Buffy is forced to stab Angel and send him to a hell dimension. It’s a tragic, emotional end to a terrific season, and no doubt fans believed Angel was gone for good when the episode first aired back in 1998.
Buffy’s lover returns, however, at the start of Season 3. Unfortunately, his time inside the hell dimension has turned him savage – he can’t even communicate properly. As such, Buffy is forced to chain him up and keep him prisoner inside the Crawford Street mansion.
She refuses to tell the rest of the Scooby Gang about Angel’s return, though. They only find out after Xander spots Buffy and Angel inside the mansion several episodes later.
Buffy doesn’t even give a convincing explanation for her actions. Her refusal to reveal Angel’s return simply angers her friends. They were always going to find out eventually, so why didn’t she just tell them straight away?