‘Hush’: the ingenious and terrifying ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ episode that forever changed TV drama
Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer know that whatever controversies surround Joss Whedon, one thing is certain: he was excellent at crafting ingenious stories and dialogue. In fact, it’s difficult to name one other show that was on par with Buffy‘s sheer excellence. It was the perfect concoction of heart and horror as it navigated common existential experiences of grief, sorrow, despair, love, identity, and the demons lurking in our minds’ deepest depths.
Season four was undeniably a pivotal moment for the show, as our beloved Buffy Summers embarked on life without her other half, Angel, at UC Sunnydale. Although the season presented a complete switch-up in terms of formula, it achieved high praise for its character development and introduction of new characters. Some, like Cordelia Chase, went over to the Angel spin-off show, while others remained in Sunnydale, fighting evil on the Hellmouth.
Almost mid-way through season four, the episode ‘Hush’ was written by Whedon as a way of addressing the common discourse about Buffy‘s dialogue being the strongest part of the show. In response, he wrote the episode to be purposefully, almost entirely, without dialogue. Instead, he focused on the narrative and performances of the main characters.
In 1999, such a bold choice for the small screen may have been considered jumping the shark, but its experimental edge altered the perceived boundaries of television drama. Moreover, the premise of the episode is pretty terrifying. Groups of demons by the name of The Gentlemen infest the town of Sunnydale, stealing everyone’s voices and leaving them unable to scream or cry out when they eventually cut out their hearts. No one knows why these ghouls are here, but they seem and look frightening, their silent presence haunting everyone in the town even if they’re not always seen.
The episode garnered high praise and effectively opened doors for other shows to follow suit and experiment with the formatting and presentation of horror cinematic tropes. ‘Hush’ depended almost entirely on visuals, an aspect that Whedon initially found concerning, worried that the audience would be left feeling bored and disconnected. However, the petrifying nature of The Gentlemen made for a compelling watch, enough to substitute the lack of engaging dialogue.
The ghouls themselves were enough to give the episode a long shelf-life – most people recognise their image even if they haven’t even seen the show – which also says a lot about powerful concepts that exist outside the realm of their source material. According to the series writer Doug Petrie, The Gentlemen were the “creepiest villains we’ve ever done”. Thus, by tapping into classically creepy villains like Nosferatu and Pinhead from Hellraiser, ‘Hush’ epitomised horror aesthetics while tapping into unsettling realities about society and its relationship to language, community, and class.
As a result, ‘Hush’ is an extraordinarily daring masterpiece, whereby Whedon’s unrelenting desire to keep his own creation fresh and exciting shines through in the intrigue of both The Gentlemen and the surrounding characters. Watching the episode, we’re faced with equal parts terror and wonder as the show intelligently addresses and smashes TV convention. Series writer Jane Espensen once said that ‘Hush’ “redefined what an episode of television could do,” and it did. During a time when diverting from the formula was unexpected, Buffy did so with all the fervour and grace of a show way ahead of its time.
