10 Weirdest Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes
2. Ted (Season 2, Episode 11)
Joyce finds a boyfriend in this episode, and though everyone else seems to admire Ted, Buffy grows suspicious of her mother’s new partner.
This is understandable given Ted's actions. He’s very passive-aggressive and he has a dry, condescending personality. It’s difficult to know what’s going on for a lot of the story, and Buffy seems to be the only one who notices Ted’s odd behaviour.
As they spend more time together, the two of them grow to loathe each other. They quarrel, and Buffy then throws Ted down the stairs. And for several intense minutes, Buffy thinks she's committed murder.
But the incredibly dark atmosphere lifts when Ted is revealed to be a robot who seeks out women who resemble the original inventor’s wife. The Ted-robot also uses cookies spiked with dematorin (a substance which makes you relaxed and compliant) to make people like him.
Everything from the premise to the reveal of Ted’s true form is strange to take in, yet it’s still a gripping episode. John Ritter nails his performance as the titular character and there are several moments that are really unsettling.