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

Buffy the Vampire Slayer only had three Halloween episodes over its seven-season run, and the last one aired 24 years ago. This episode was titled “All the Way,” and while it was the worst of the three specials, there were some things to love about it, including the setup of a big romance that fans fell in love with and caused some great anger when the series came to a close. Airing from 1997 to 2001 on The WB before moving to UPN, Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows high school student Buffy Summers, a young woman who learns she is the Slayer and the Chosen One, and she finds herself battling vampires and other monsters in Sunnydale, California.

Ironically, while Halloween is considered the scariest day of the year, it is the one day every year when the demons in Sunnydale choose not to come out and remain out of action. However, in the last Halloween episode, some vampires decide to break the tradition.

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

“All the Way” is the last Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween episode, and there is one big reason that most fans consider this the worst. The episode focuses on Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), one of the show’s most hated characters. The episode saw Buffy serving as Dawn’s parent after Joyce’s death, and Dawn, being the teenager that she was, lying to Buffy about where she was going, only to end up in the grasp of some young vampires who chose to buck trends and come out on Halloween anyway.

That was, easily, the worst part of the episode as Buffy and Dawn quipped like sisters, even when the Scooby Gang was trying to beat the vampires in a fight. Most of the things that happened with Buffy and Dawn in this season dragged the show down, and while Dawn improved as a character over the last Buffy season, this was a low point for the series. However, there were things in this Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween episode that worked a lot better than Dawn’s storyline.

One of the best moments was when Giles was worrying about Willow’s frivolous use of magic, which she ignored. Remember, this was when Willow was falling into her dark phase that turned her into the Big Bad after Tara’s murder. This hinted at the darkness to come, as Willow didn’t respect magic as she needed to if she wanted to be a powerful, good witch.

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

Another positive aspect of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween episode, “All the Way,” was the costume party. Xander and Anya had begun dating at this time, and they had decided to get married. While Giles was worried about these implications, since Anya is a demon, Xander was excited about the prospect. However, in the episode, Anya was so overly enthusiastic about their wedding and future together that she was almost pushing Xander away.

This all worked itself out, luckily, and also set up a brilliantly funny running gag in the series. Xander said he and Anya were going to a Halloween costume party and asked her to dress up as something scary. She dressed as a giant rabbit. Of course, the big joke is that Anya is terrified of bunnies. Other than that joke, this was the episode where Xander decided it was time to tell everyone that he and Anya were getting married.

However, their relationship was confirmed when they were celebrating Halloween. As Anya is dancing, Xander looks happier than ever and exclaims, “I’m gonna marry that girl,” showing his immense joy. Sadly, as fans know, Anya would die in the series finale without any fanfare, and it ruined the relationship that looked so strong in this episode. “All the Way” might be the worst Buffy the Vampire Slayer Halloween episode, but this moment with Xander and Anya remains one of the show’s best moments.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Every Ghostface in Scream, Ranked by Kill Count (#1 Is From the Worst Movie)