24 Years Ago Today, Buffy Released Its Final Halloween Episode and Set Up One of the Biggest Romances

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As a huge Buffy fan, it’s kind of wild to think the show only did three Halloween episodes in its seven seasons, and the last one was over 20 years ago! That episode, “All the Way,” wasn’t the best of the bunch, but it did set up a really major romance that fans totally obsessed over – and honestly, it caused a lot of drama when the show ended. For those who might not know, Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally aired on The WB (and then UPN) from 1997 to 2001. It’s about Buffy Summers, a normal high schooler who discovers she’s the Slayer – basically, the one chosen to fight vampires and all sorts of other monsters in her town of Sunnydale, California.

It’s funny that Halloween is known as the scariest day, because in the town of Sunnydale, demons usually stay hidden on this night. But in a recent Halloween episode, some vampires actually decided to ignore this tradition and come out.

“All the Way” Was the Last of Three Buffy Halloween Episodes

“All the Way” is the final Halloween episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and many fans consider it the weakest of the series. A major reason for this is the focus on Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), a character often disliked by viewers. The episode explores Buffy’s role as a parental figure to Dawn after their mother’s death, and centers around Dawn, as a typical teenager, deceiving Buffy about her plans. This leads to Dawn being captured by a group of vampires who defy expectations and venture out on Halloween night.

Okay, let’s talk about this Buffy Halloween episode. Honestly, the worst part, by far, was the dynamic between Buffy and Dawn. Their sibling banter felt incredibly forced, even while the Scooby Gang was battling vampires! Throughout this season, their storyline really weighed the show down. While Dawn did show some growth as a character towards the end of the series, this episode felt like a real low point. Thankfully, other parts of the episode were much stronger and saved it from being a total loss. It’s a shame, because the Halloween episodes are usually a highlight, but this one was definitely uneven.

A particularly memorable scene involved Giles expressing concern over Willow’s casual approach to magic, which she brushed off. This happened as Willow was beginning to succumb to the darkness that would eventually transform her into a villain after Tara’s death. It was a clear sign of what was to come, showing that Willow wasn’t treating magic with the respect necessary to become a truly powerful and benevolent witch.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “All the Way” Sets Up Xander & Anya

The Halloween episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “All the Way,” also featured a fun costume party. At this point in the series, Xander and Anya were dating and had impulsively decided to get married. Giles was understandably concerned, given Anya’s demonic nature, but Xander was thrilled. However, Anya became too excited about the wedding and their future, and her eagerness started to overwhelm Xander.

Fortunately, everything worked out, and this scene became a hilarious running joke throughout the series. Xander mentioned he and Anya were going to a Halloween party and asked her to dress as something frightening, but she showed up as a giant rabbit! The humor came from the fact that Anya is actually terrified of bunnies. Aside from that funny moment, this episode also marked when Xander decided to announce that he and Anya were engaged.

I always loved the Halloween episodes of Buffy, but “All the Way” is tough to rewatch. It’s where we really see Xander and Anya fall for each other – there’s this amazing scene of Anya dancing and Xander just beaming, blurting out he’s going to marry her! It was such a sweet, genuine moment, and it felt like their relationship was really solid. It’s heartbreaking knowing what happens to Anya later in the series – her ending felt so anticlimactic after how strong they seemed here. Even though the episode overall isn’t a favorite, that Xander and Anya scene is still one of the most memorable and heartwarming moments in the whole show, for me at least.

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2025-10-30 23:42