I've said it before: Whedon's Buffy Episode "The Body" gets me every time

I was belatedly reading Jayne Nelson's piece for SFX's April edition and have to say it struck a chord.

Not for the first time, not even for the second time, I end up writing about how bloody fantastic "The Body" is as an episode of TV drama.

Nelson was writing about moments when TV makes us sob: there was plenty to recognise, not least when she said "The new series of Doctor Who also seems to know how to press my weepy buttons". But she knows who really could draw out the tears...

However... the number one, top dog, undisputed king of heart-rippage is.... Joss Whedon.

Goddamn it, she is so right. Not least for remarking that it is "an episode so rooted in primal anguish that even just hearing its name has me reaching for a tissue". Blub. And I thought it was just me. I could feel the tears welling up as I stood and read Nelson's piece: that's how powerful an effect this episode still has on me. And she's right too that watching Anya's speech (yes, THAT one) demonstrates how in this instance it's way beyond therapeutic, because as Nelson writes - and you can almost feel her choking as you read the article - Anya's "words should come with a health warning because they honest-to-God physically hurt you to watch."

I need a cuppa tea having just been thinking about all that. And masochist that I am, I may just have to rewatch the episode over the next week. With a large box of hankies to hand.