10 Weirdest Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes
8. Go Fish (Season 2, Episode 20)
‘Go Fish’ is the low point of Season 2, and it’s thrown into even sharper relief by the fantastic two-part finale which follows immediately after.
The story centres around the Sunnydale High swimming coach who uses performance-enhancing steroids on his team. The steroids – for reasons unbeknown to science – turn the swimmers into giant, fish-like creatures called Gill Monsters.
The first half of the episode isn’t too bad – there’s plenty of intrigue. But after Buffy witnesses a member of the swimming team turn into a Gill Monster, the story loses all sense of reason.
The swimming coach is a big problem here. He’s simultaneously psychotic and cheesy, and towards the end of the story, he drops Buffy into a pool so his ‘boys’ (the Gill Monsters) can assault her. With Xander’s help, she manages to escape, but just when you think it’s over, the episode sinks still deeper.
The final shot sees the Gill Monsters leave Sunnydale by swimming out towards the horizon. It’s a ridiculous ending to a ridiculous episode and an oddly fitting conclusion to one of Buffy’s worst adventures.