10 Most Underrated Buffy The Vampire Slayer Scenes
4. Giles Threatens Principal Snyder (Season 3, Episode 2)
At the end of Season 2, Principal Snyder expels Buffy from Sunnydale High, and he still refuses to let her back in when she returns at the start of the next season.
Giles, determined to fix this problem, confronts Snyder directly. The two of them have a passive-aggressive exchange in the principal’s office. Though it’s a short conversation, you can feel the tension in the room as they do their best to undermine each other – it’s clear that they both share a sense of mutual hatred. But despite how good the dialogue is, the most memorable aspect of this scene is more physical.
As the principal attempts to leave, Giles pins him against a filing cabinet. It’s a joy to experience the principal’s expression of shock and fear, especially because he’s normally so smug and condescending. And as for Giles, it’s thrilling to watch him abandon his polite demeanour and force the principal into compliance in such a physical way.