 Writers agree that the episode was risky and could have failed spectacularly . Jonathan Bernstein in the British newspaper The Observer writes " What could have been , at best , an eccentric diversion and , at worst , a shuddering embarrassment , succeeded on every level [ ... ] It provided a startling demonstration that creator Joss Whedon has a facility with lyrics and melody equal to the one he 's demonstrated for the past six seasons with dialogue , character and plot twists . Rather than adopt the ' Hey , wouldn 't it be wacky if we suddenly burst into song ? ' approach practised by Ally McBeal , the Buffy musical was entirely organic to the series ' labyrinthine progression . " Johnston in the Sunday Herald Sun says , " There is just so much to this marvellously cheeky episode that suggests the show can take any route it pleases and pull it off " , while Debi Enker in The Age comments , " Whedon demonstrates yet again what Buffy aficionados have known and appreciated for years : that his wit , playfulness and readiness to take a risk make his television efforts rise way above the pack . " Steve Murray in The Atlanta Journal @-@ Constitution characterizes the episode as " scary in a brand @-@ new way " , saying " Once More , with Feeling " is " as impressive as Whedon 's milestone episodes ' Hush ' and ' The Body ' " ; the episode is " often hilarious " , according to Murray , and acts as " ( b ) oth spoof and homage , [ parodying ] the <unk> of musicals while also capturing the guilty pleasure and surges of feeling the genre inspires " . 
