‘Ted’ is the episode that first hooked me on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show was already in its second season when I discovered it. I had been avoiding it because it aired on ‘The WB’, Warner Bros. TV station that wasn’t known for its quality dramas. But when I surfed across it I knew it was something special.
First of all, it features John Ritter, who doesn’t make a lot of appearances in shows like this. He’s mostly known as a comic actor, and sure enough he adds a comic edge to the titular character, Ted. But Ted’s the villain of the piece, and it’s also great to see perennial good-guy Ritter cast against type. And he’s way creepy here as Buffy’s mother’s boyfriend.
The show of course also has all the normal witty dialogue that makes a Buffy episode so great, as well as excellent subtext to the story – something else the show is known for. ‘Ted’ drudges up the age-old wicked step-parent trope, as well as hinting at the modern issues of spousal and child abuse, all tied up in a neat super-natural package.
This is a good place for newbies to start – it worked for me when I was new to the series.