Buffy’s Most Heartbreaking Episode Isn’t the One Fans Usually Mention

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans debate the saddest episode of the show, the Season 5 episode “The Body” almost always wins out. The groundbreaking episode focused on Joyce’s tragic death, and fans widely regard it as the most heartbreaking hour of Buffy. “The Body” is a realistic depiction of grief, shock, and loss when Buffy unexpectedly finds her mother dead on the couch, and it rightfully earned acclaim from critics and fans alike.