Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Every Season 2 Episode Ranked
11. The Dark Age
Season two is very dark once its central conflict really gets going, but before Spike arrives and Angel loses his soul, it's timid Rupert Giles who takes centre stage as the show's most troubled character.
In The Dark Age, the Watcher's hidden background comes to light with the arrival of old friend and chaos worshipper Ethan Rayne (seen episodes earlier in Halloween), who tells him they're both being hunted by a demon linked to their shared past.
The surprising secrets of Giles' make the episode instantly gripping, giving him the kind of rich history no one at home would have been expecting, whilst Ethan steals the show with his hilariously slimy selfishness. It's a powerful episode, and one that also adds heaps of emotional power to Giles and Jenny's doomed relationship.