Buffy's Best and Worst Episodes-With A Twist 

‘s series premiere, TVLine spoke to a few of its key players. First up: writer/co-executive producer Jane Espenson.

Buffy Summers started slaying on TV 20 years ago today. And to celebrate that, we thought we’d go to one of the people who put the quips in the heroine’s mouth.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Jane Espenson\'s Best and Worst Episodes

for much of its run, eventually rising in the ranks to the role of co-executive producer. And while she penned plenty of Ms. Summers’ lines, “Buffy was the hardest, because she was the most nuanced,” Espenson tells TVLine. “It was always fun writing the more peripheral characters. I love Anya, Jonathan, Andrew, et cetera, because they can have more focused points of view. But a more central character like Spike is perfect, because he’s nuanced, but he still has strong outlier opinions — because, evil.”

RELATEDThe Definitive Buffy Poll: Was She Better Off With Angel or Spike?

Espenson joined the then-WB series at the start of Season 2 and stayed until the series finale, which allows her to reflect on how Joss Whedon’s vampire-drama-movie-reboot went from teen drama to pop culture touchstone in the space of seven seasons. “The atmosphere was most changed by decreasing amounts of Joss as he started splitting his time with

and beyond,” Espenson says. “But the whole time, we felt that we were doing something of quality, that we were accomplishing something important and aiming high. That never changed.”

Also: “The writing was the king the whole time,” she adds. “We were more likely to shut down production while we wrote than we were to rush the writing to fit the production schedule. That was a rarity then, and now.”

PHOTOSBuffy, Lorelai, Olivia, Janeway, Murphy and 15 More Female TV Characters that Blazed a Powerful, Iconic Trail

We asked Espenson — whose extensive TV resume also includes

— to think back on her time with the Scoobies.

Click on the gallery above (or go to it directly here) for her thoughts on her best and worst episodes, favorite lines and more.

If you like TVLine, you\'ll LOVE our weekly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

“Triangle” is my favorite episode of Jane’s. Abraham Benrubi is hilarious as Olaf the Troll, whom Willow and Anya accidentally conjur up.

OMG! Pangs! I still do Spike and his reaction to the bear!

I actually quoted last week…..and it at Christmas when my best friend, whom I met through Buffy, and I were riding down the road to see her neighbor’s insane Christmas decorations. We thought it was a snowman, but it was a bear. Hence….’A bear!?!’

Yes, the “bear” moment is one of my faves too. James Marsters’ delivery is perfect.

I am always excited to see Jane Espenson’s name in the credits. She’s also one of my favorite panelists at cons.

Putting this here because I haven’t found the info and maybe fellow Whedonites will know: Anyone know what happened to Joss’ comic “Twist”? The Victorian-era female Batman? The promo art was beautiful – two years ago.

Game of Thrones Season 7 Premiere Date (Finally) Set at HBO

Vampire Diaries\' 15 Most Epic Romances (and a Few We\'d Rather Forget)

Nashville Adds The O.C.\'s Rachel Bilson and Empire\'s Kaitlin Doubleday

Scandal\'s Scott Foley Explains Jake\'s Explosive Reveal, Rowan\'s New Enemy

1The Definitive Buffy Poll: Was She Better Off With Angel or Spike?143

2Buffy, Lorelai, Olivia, Janeway, Murphy and 15 More Female TV…90

4Vampire Diaries Boss Talks Katherine\'s Sudden Rise to Power, Admits…69

5Vampire Diaries EP Previews the Fight for Mystic Falls, a Possible…63