There are episodes of TV series that are still a topic of conversation for decades after their first broadcast. Buffy: In the spell of the demons (English: Buffy the Vampire Slayer), such a episode produced in 1999: »Hush« (German: The big silence).
Hush is the tenth episode of the fourth season and was broadcast on December 14, 1999. It is a horror episode that almost completely does without dialogues-and still provides goosebumps. The highlight:Of all things, this episode was nominated for its script for an Emmy.
Hush or the big silence is even more than 25 years later than one of the best buffy episodes and has had a lasting impact on the television landscape. Currently arises. Original vampire hunter Sarah Michelle Gellar is also back in front of the camera.
When the horror takes the voice
Vampire hunter Buffy Summers and her friends experience a very kind nightmare in Hush: the entire population of the city of Sunnydale loses her voice overnight. No cry, no word, just ghostly silence.
Behind it are the "gentlemen",uncanny, grinning beings that steal hearts- and force their victims to silence. Without words, Buffy and her team have to find a way to stop evil.
Hush's basic idea could come from a classic horror film. But what makes the episode so unique is the staging: without spoken dialogues, the episode leaves completelyMimics, body language and musical accompanying. It is precisely this silence that increases the feeling of helplessness - and makes the episode so unforgettable.
On the IMDB websiteHush is there with a magnificent rating of 9.7/10 stars. Only the muscial episode is better ratedOnce More, with FeelingFrom season 6, however, only the higher number of ratings ensures the rank difference.
The venture: a TV series is silent
The series of Buffy inventors Joss Whedon are known for sharp-tongued, funny dialogues. But that was exactly what the director and screenwriter with Hush challenged: What happens if figures that otherwise shine with their words suddenly fall silent? The answer:An episode that is one of the creepiest and most innovative in series history.
At that time, it was revolutionary that a series in the wedding of linear television dared to make such an experimental episode. Today dialogue -free episodes or brave stylistic breaks are no longer uncommon.
For example, in Mr. Robot in Episode 5 of season 4, only two lines are spoken. The episode The Boy from 6b in season 1 of the series only Murders in the Building can be almost completely done without dialogues and even noises.
But Buffy was one of the first series that showed that you can tell a breathtaking story with pictures and sound design alone.
Hush's legacy: series that have been inspired
Hush has left a trace of pop culture that can still be felt today. The gentlemen with their ghostly smile belong tothe best known TV monsters ever. Series like Doctor Who later took up similar concepts, such as the silent »Silence« beings (first appearance: 2011).
Also modern horror filmsHow a Quiet Place (2018) or Don't Breathe (2016) work with the fear of noisiness - a motif that Hush brought into the mainstream.
Hush is therefore an episode that wrote television history. She proved that horror in TV series not only works with cheap jump scares, but also with a well thought-out staging and brave narrative style.25 years after their first broadcastHush is still celebrated as one of the best buffy episodes.
Provided you saw Buffy back then - what is your favorite episode?
