Best and Worst: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[Kane Knight]

This is something that's hard to discuss without time since a show ended, but it can be an interesting sort of discussion.

So basically, the question is: What's the best and worst season of Buffy?

Worst is easy for me. Despite having gripes about the last season, and the Initiative story arc, Season 5 is my least favourite.

I'll note it has nothing to do with the ending and Buffy dying. I think that would have been a good way for the show to go out. The full circle vibe was awesome. But the season was full of "fridge logic," pointless angst, erratic tone, a completely misused potential enemy (The Knights of McGuffin could have been an actual player), etc.

In short, lame.

Favourite? It's down to season 2 or 3. I only really liked Angel as a villain. But Faith and the Mayor kind of tip it to season 3.

Thoughts?

[The Destroyer]

I really can't remember much about Season 5 or 6 for some reason, but I didn't think much of season 4.

Favourite would probably have to be 3. And I actually quite liked Season 7, although I know a lot of people didn't.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

I loved every season really, but if were to choose... While Season 1 helped to introduce everything and set the tone, it's still probably the weakest season overall in my opinion. The show really found it's feet in Season 2. Season 4 as well wasn't my favourite really because, fuck Riley.

Season 2 and 3 are probably the strongest seasons for the show, although I am also a big fan of Season 6 even with it having a comedic "Big Bad" for most of the season. The overall not-so-subtle metaphor for drugs throughout the season was done really well I think and Dark Willow was fantastic. Also Giles' return was the biggest mark out moment in the whole show for me. Plus it had Once More With Feeling.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

Oh and Normal Again is another of my favourite episodes too.

[Tommy Gunn]

Favourite has to be season 2, least favourite would be season 7.

I think it would have been a fantastic end to leave it at season 5 with the tombstone shot. I also just found SMG very unlikeable in the later seasons, mostly because the role was demanding a more adult Buffy and SMG was too one-dimensional to pull it off. I much prefer the last few seasons of Angel to anything Buffy did post season 5.

[Kane Knight]

I really can't remember much about Season 5 or 6 for some reason, but I didn't think much of season 4.

Favourite would probably have to be 3. And I actually quite liked Season 7, although I know a lot of people didn't.

"I can't remember" seems to be a common response to season 5. A lot of it was so...Bleh.

7 wasn't as bad as people said, and even had some high points.

I loved every season really, but if were to choose... While Season 1 helped to introduce everything and set the tone, it's still probably the weakest season overall in my opinion. The show really found it's feet in Season 2. Season 4 as well wasn't my favourite really because, fuck Riley.

Season 2 and 3 are probably the strongest seasons for the show, although I am also a big fan of Season 6 even with it having a comedic "Big Bad" for most of the season. The overall not-so-subtle metaphor for drugs throughout the season was done really well I think and Dark Willow was fantastic. Also Giles' return was the biggest mark out moment in the whole show for me. Plus it had Once More With Feeling.

Season 1 I more or less forgive because it was early and short. It's not my top, but it gets the job done.

Oh and Normal Again is another of my favourite episodes too.

Pretty good one.

[Kane Knight]

Favourite has to be season 2, least favourite would be season 7.

I think it would have been a fantastic end to leave it at season 5 with the tombstone shot. I also just found SMG very unlikeable in the later seasons, mostly because the role was demanding a more adult Buffy and SMG was too one-dimensional to pull it off. I much prefer the last few seasons of Angel to anything Buffy did post season 5.

When Buffy and Faith switched places, it demonstrated to me just how bad SMG is. Dushku was a perfectly serviceable Buffy, but SMG as Faith? Holy shit, that was awful.

And she did like the lst 4 seasons with a persistent thousand yard stare.

[Lock Jaw]

Season 2 was probably my favorite. I am a big fan of Evil Spike, and then later on Evil Angel. Season 3 is a pretty close runner up for Faith and The Mayor.

Least favorite.... probably Season 5 for reasons already stated.

[Kane Knight]

Season 2 was probably my favorite. I am a big fan of Evil Spike, and then later on Evil Angel. Season 3 is a pretty close runner up for Faith and The Mayor.

Least favorite.... probably Season 5 for reasons already stated.

I basically like Spike, period.

Angelus rules, though. I don't like hero Angel in Buffy. I liked him more in his own show, but even then, Angelus is where it's at.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I'll have to get back to you on my favorite.

My least favorite is... I think it was 4? Is that the season with Riley and the lame ass Frankenstien monster, the Initiative, etc?

Don't get me wrong, I loved Spike in it, and it had some great episodes, but overall, definitely my least favorite. I despise Riley.

[whiteyford]

What WWKD said, didnt enjoy Riley at all, still enjoyed the season as a whole but pretty forgetable overall. Probably agree with Iggy about season 1, it didnt really feel like it had much structure, later seasons all had,for the most part at least, an overall plot line linking every episode where season 1 just seemed like stand alone episodes.

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, I would have said 1 was the "worst", but didn't think it would be "fair".

[dronepool]

I haven't watched Buffy since the late 90's so I totally forgot which season was good and yet I never had a desire to rewatch it. But Spike was pretty cool.

Maybe if it comes to Netflix I'd rewatch some seasons.

[The Destroyer]

Also, I'm going to come out and say it, but at times I feel I enjoyed Angel as a show more.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I haven't watched Buffy since the late 90's so I totally forgot which season was good and yet I never had a desire to rewatch it. But Spike was pretty cool.

Maybe if it comes to Netflix I'd rewatch some seasons.

It is on Netflix, along with Angel.

[McLegend]

Season 2 is the best Buffy season, and I think season 4 is the worst season.

Best season of Angel is season 5, and season 3 would be the worst.

[Tommy Gunn]

First time I saw season five of Angel I was pretty devastated over what happened to Fred, it really bummed me out for the rest of the show, but years later I saw it again and really got into what a fantastic character Llyria was.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Best season: 3. I really liked the evil Mayor. A lot. The umbrella was awesome.

Worst Season 4: Some bitch destroyed the umbrella and Riley. Although one of my favorite episodes of the entire series was the one where they lost their voice.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

The guy who was Lorne died. :(

[Swiss Ultimate]

I'm in the process of finishing season 3. Will participate more when I finish the series.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

Season 5 of Angel also had Muppet Angel, which was splendid. Plus Spike coming back from the dead, while taking away the impact of that scene when rewatching, was great for Angel just for his interactions with all the characters he hadn't met before as well as Angel himself obviously.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

Also season 5 of Angel was probably seen as a step up from the previous season because of them doing away with Connor mostly.

[Blitz]

Best: 7. Just gotta. I loved how pretty much every character was treated, and the showdown between Spike and Robin Wood in Lies My Parents Told Me remains one of my favourite sequences in the series. Season 3 is a close runner up, if only for The Zeppo, which is probably the most underrated episode of the series.

Worst: 1. Not that it's bad, just I think the show got way better after it. It's also the season I've spent the least time with, so that may be an influence.

If we're including Angel though, season 5 of that stands in my mind as one of the best seasons of any show on TV, ever. Loved it.