0005: The Seasons of Buffy Ranked
Submitted by AAA on Tue, 08/17/2004 - 04:23
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- Season 6 - I'm probably one of two Buffy fans in the world who holds this dark, confused season above all others, but I must say, the character arcs in these 22 episodes are unmatched by any of the other seasons. It also produced some GRWAT episodes: "Once More With Feeling", "Tabula Rosa", "Hell's Bells", "Seeing Red", "Normal Again", and "Bargaining" foremost among them. Also, who would have ever thought that the Big Bad of the season would have been concealed among the Scoobies the entire time?
- Season 2 - As heartbreaking as any season of TV ever. Buffy vs. Angelus is probably the most compelling of the Bug Bad face-offs. This is also the season that introduces Spike, Drusilla, Oz, and Kendra. The final cherry on top of the sundae? "Becoming, Part II" is the single best season finale of the series' run.
- Season 3 - Faith and the Mayor define this season, but it is also the departure of Angel and the Scoobies' graduation that shape the rest of Buffy's run. After this, things will never be the same, and moving everyone out of high school was the best thing the show ever did for itself.
- Season 5 - The introduction of the annoying, but tragic, Dawn and the epic struggle with Glory, the Hell God, both pale in comparison with "The Body", a single episode that shatters all expectations for death and coping in Buffy. Perhaps the most obviously tragic of the seasons, Season 5 proves that Buffy can create dread and sadness like no other show.
- Season 7 - Extremely uneven, but the great episodes make up for it. Sure, we may have expected Buffy to go out differently, but this was totally appropriate to the rest of the show. We have the First Evil returning (first seen in Season 3) and the examinations of all the villians of the past. A great, if flawed, wrap-up to a great show.
- Season 1 - Still gaining its footing, Buffy was entertaining and fascinating, but not wuite up to the heights it would achieve only a year later. The Master and Darla are very good villians, but pale in comparison to later Big Bads.
- Season 4 - The one totally mis-placed season in all of Buffy. I, unlike most, don't mind Riley, but this is still a misfire. I'm not sure what isn't right about it, but the season feels even more unfocused than usual, with twists and turns that lead to more dead ends than treasures.
Ahh, a fellow Buffy fanatic! Great to find someone who can discuss all seven seasons so well, but I have some major differences of opinion. The two big ones would be seasons two and four. I certainly don't dislike season two (how could I? I love every episode ever made! Well OK, I'm not a huge fan of the "dream" episode at the end of season four...), but I wasn't as much into the Buffy/Angel drama as some were. Season three, an otherwise great one, was at times almost pulled down by the continuing interludes with Angel...stay dead already! Or move on to Spin-Off land! And season four? Well, it is probably my second favorite, after season three. I like that it is transitional, with the Scooby Gang moving on from high school into adulthood, and the introductions of Tara and of Anya (full time) added two of my favorite characters. Not to mention MORE! SPIKE!
Johnny Waco
Well, I guess I'm the other Buffy fan who likes Season 6 more than the others. I loved it! Extremely funny (especially Tabula Rasa...) and with a lot of Spike - what can you ask more?