Joss Whedon’s show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” boasts many iconic moments, often with Sarah Michelle Gellar fighting vampires and demons, but none have resonated as much as the musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling.” This standout hour is considered one of the series’ best, brimming with references to both the show’s universe and popular culture. However, even dedicated fans might miss a surprising Easter egg linking the episode directly to Season 1.
In the final stretch of Buffy’s first season, an episode titled “Nightmares” unfolds with a demon that materializes individuals’ deepest fears in reality. Remarkably, one phrase from “Nightmares” foreshadows the arrangement for “One More, With Feeling,” paving the way for the upcoming musical spectacle.
The Most Iconic Episode of Buffy Was Set Up Five Years Earlier
In Season 6’s “Once More, With Feeling,” an enigmatic demon forces the residents of Sunnydale to burst into song, revealing hidden truths about themselves. Buffy discloses she was drawn from heaven. Giles (Anthony Head) acknowledges he must take a step back. Tara (Amber Benson) discovers Willow has been controlling her through magic. Xander (Nicholas Brendon) admits to summoning the demon initially.
In the group performance titled “I’ve Got a Theory,” character Willow, portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, sings: “I’ve got a theory; we’re all trapped inside someone’s wacky Broadway dream.” This line seems to echo something Giles said in “Nightmares.” When Xander tries to decipher the situation, he asks, “Could it be that our dreams are coming true?” To which Giles responds, “Dreams? That would be a musical comedy version of this.” It appears that the concept for “Once More” was initially hinted at in this Season 1 dialogue, whether intentionally, subconsciously, or later realized.
Not only does Anya’s (Emma Caulfield) bunny song echo a previous line, but her question “What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?” calls back to Willow’s query about spiders in “Nightmares”. For devoted fans, the abundance of obscure references in “Once More, With Feeling” is one reason why it holds a special place in the Buffy lore.
This musical has numerous references to various “Buffy” episodes. For instance, Xander’s action of summoning a demon recalls his magical misadventures from Season 2’s “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.” Similarly, Anya mentions Xander’s health issues, much like she did in the S4 episode “Pangs.” In the climactic scene, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) echoes Buffy’s final words from “The Gift” in Season 5: “The toughest part about living is just being alive.” Lastly, Tara’s awareness that Willow manipulated her memory mirrors their disagreement in the previous episode, “All the Way.
The Hidden Layers of “Once More, With Feeling”
Beyond the numerous winks and echoes within its own narrative, “Once More, With Feeling” is richly layered with tributes to various musicals, classic movies, and popular culture. For instance, Spike (played by James Marsters) says, “Someday he’ll be a real boy,” which is a clear nod to the story of Pinocchio. Anya’s line, “Look at me, I’m dancing crazy,” is a tribute to a scene in Anchors Aweigh, specifically Jerry the Mouse’s chaotic dance sequence. After their song “I’ll Never Tell,” Xander and Anya burst into laughter, reminiscent of the trio’s laughter after “Good Morning” in Singin’ in the Rain. Spike’s sarcastic comment about “seventy-six bloody trombones” is borrowed from The Music Man, satirically poking fun at musicals’ grandiose nature. And the line “That’s entertainment!” is taken directly from Raging Bull, a film by Scorsese.
In the episode, the impact of stories like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Snow White” is felt subtly. The character Dawn, in a striking resemblance, sings a tune named “Dawn’s Lament” that mirrors Ariel’s yearning and Belle’s piqued curiosity. Moreover, Joss Whedon and his team cleverly integrated elements from these Disney tales, but they also subtly included some direct references, such as an acknowledgement to a risqué Tom Cruise line from Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia.
The episode ‘Once More, With Feeling’ stands out as incredibly rewarding due to its intense emotional release for all characters and a long-awaited payoff for viewers who followed the series since its inception. It represents the culmination of character growth and world creation that lets us fully appreciate the brilliance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As we eagerly await the new Buffy adaptation, it’s essential to watch carefully, as hints could be subtly introduced from the very beginning.
You can stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.
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2025-08-03 20:40