10 Most Overrated Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes
9. The Replacement (Season 5, Episode 3)
The third episode of Season 5 is a character-focused episode in which Xander is split in two by a demon called Toth.
Two Xanders then start to wander around Sunnydale. One of them is confident to the point of arrogance, whilst the other is goofy and insecure. This gives the writers the chance to explore Xander’s identity struggles, a theme that has been persistent since the show’s inception.
Though the episode has plenty of great humour, it doesn’t match up to the quality of other Xander-centred stories. ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ and ‘The Zeppo’ are some of the best episodes in their respective seasons, whilst ‘The Replacement’ is just dumb fun. Also, the reflective coin is a daft red herring that should have been removed from the episode entirely.
Still, even with its flaws, ‘The Replacement’ is undoubtedly an entertaining watch.