Favorite Season of Buffy?

[shadowkat]

[Figure this should be safe and won't get any pedantic arguments/fights. But you never know with the Buffy fandom. At any rate, mind my blood-pressure in responses, I have a sinus head-ache from hell and a hellish work week with crazy bureaucrats and pedants. This is a mild distraction.]

[ETA: Almost wish I asked where you are in the viewing of series. Are you brand new to the series, watched it live in the 1990s-2003 (and since seen it 20 times or more, okay that may be an exaggeration...then again maybe not), or only watched the first three seasons all the way through and haven't seen most of the later seasons yet...although not really sure it matters one way or the other..]

[Poll #1822636]

Comments

[shapinglight]

There's a lot I like about season 3, but it would never be a favourite. Weirdly, though I like Faith and adore the Mayor, the season arc bores me. If I want to watch a season 3 ep, I always choose a standalone. The standalones are great, for the most part.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

There are singular episodes of Season 3 I like, but the on again off again Bangelness of the season really starts to grate.

As I believe later season fans probably follow you (as the Spuffy fandom generally prefers the later seasons when Buffy and Spike are together), you're likely going to get a lot of no's for season 3 and a lot of seasons 5, 6, and 7 fans chiming in.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

It was my favourite season when I'd seen the entire show once, but I think later seasons hold up better to repeated viewings.

[flameraven.livejournal.com]

Of the seasons I've seen completely (S1-S4), I'd say yes, S3 is my favorite. Interestingly, I was actually warned off S5-S7 as having some good stand-alone episodes, but having frustrating/bad season arcs and character development. I've only seen a handful of episodes from each, though, so I don't really have an opinion on them overall, just impressions. I remember finding Spike much less interesting once he was good/had a soul. I also remember getting kind of annoyed at the way S6 and S7 seemed to involve a lot of time spent with everyone sitting in Buffy's house/the magic shop talking and not really doing much? Also every time Xander was on screen I could not fathom why he was still in the show.

Those were my impressions. I guess eventually I'd like to see S5-S7 completely, but I wasn't thrilled about S4's second half, and so I remain dubious about how much I would enjoy the later seasons.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

No season 3 isn't mt favourite. Actually it's one of my least favourite along with season 1, although I liked The Mayor as Big Bad a lot.

I love the two last seasons' dark themes and I was tempted to say season 5 because of FFL, my favourite episode, but, eventually I picked season 4 because to me it's the best season, writing-wise, with true masterpieces ("Hush", "Restless"), a great episode that paved the road for Spuffy ("Something Blue") -- and Restless paved the way for so many storylines, including Dawn's--, and of course there was the wonderful "A New Man" in which my beloved Ethan Rayne appeared for the last time.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

S3 would rate behind 2,5,6, and 7 on my list. Maybe behind 4 too, though that's a tough call.

It's harder to pick my favorite. I voted for 7 above just so it would get a vote, but on a given day I could go equally well with 2 or 5. S6 would have been my favorite if not for the magic/drugs stuff.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I was so sick and tired of Buffy & Angel mooning over each other and not doing anything about it (and I never really got into Angel in the first place) that I spent most of the 3rd season wishing they would just move on.... Of course there was a lot of brilliant stuff in Season 3, but it isn't even close to my favorite.

I see that your poll has Season 5 as most people's favorite, but I couldn't bear Glorificus, I thought she was an incredibly lame big bad... and I totally hated the Knights fighting throughout the last episodes.... So again, I loved a lot about Season 5, but it is NOT a favorite of mine.

I would rate them both below seasons 2 and 6... and even 7.
Season 1 is clearly the worst).

But my season of Buffy is 4! I know, I'm like the only one (LOL).
a) I loved having Spike back
b) I loved the sci-fi vs magic theme... it was right up my alley
c) and most of my favorite episodes were from season 4.

[norwie2010.livejournal.com]

Season 3 has the single best episode ever and for all times: "Anne".

Apart from that, i like a lot about this season - but i'm also bored by a lot of stuff that season.

Season 6 is the best TV time i ever had, it gave me back a small amount of hope that pop culture isn't just fascistic narcissism but indeed a possible and legitimate way to express views on the human condition in a meaningful way.

[norwie2010.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that wasn't meant as a reply to your post. Forgive?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I'll echo others. I think Season 3 had some good stand-alones, but the overall arc was blah. I tend to rank the seasons (for my enjoyment not necessarily for their ambition) as:

1) Season 5
2) Season 2
3) Season 6

The next four are subject to shuffling given my mood:

4) Er... Season 7. I guess. Maybe.
5) Season 3
6) Season 1
7) Season 4

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

You are not the only one picking season 4, see my comment above!

As for season 5, I agree with you about the Knights. Glorifus? I hated her at first but, thanks to lots of parsing and my habit of connecting stuff to Greek mythology, I eventually managed to convince myself that she wasn't as lame as she looked.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

While Season 3 has several of my favorite episodes, it isn't one of my favorite seasons. Those would be 2, 4, and 6, and don't make me choose between them! I just say the even-numbered ones do it for me, and leave it at that.

It's weird, because I love Faith, I love the Mayor, I love lots of things about it. It's true that "Amends" is my least favorite episode, bar none — even though it has flashbacks, which I usually adore! I guess that Angel inexplicably coming back and doing tai chi all over the place really made the season drag for me.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

There are singular episodes of Season 3 I like, but the on again off again Bangelness of the season really starts to grate.

It does upon re-watching. Although I think it grated when I watched it live way back in 1998-1999. Can't quite remember to be honest. I do vaguely remember getting aggravated by it, and a bit bored, and I shipped B/A at the time.

As I believe later season fans probably follow you (as the Spuffy fandom generally prefers the later seasons when Buffy and Spike are together), you're likely going to get a lot of no's for season 3 and a lot of seasons 5, 6, and 7 fans chiming in.

So far that appears to be the case.

Honestly, I can't be sure. I know there are more than two people who loved S3 on my flist - because we've debated it. They just aren't taking the poll.
And I can't remember if people loved that season, or preferred S5. I think the vast majority preferred S5. But I can't remember. So far it appears the vast majority did prefer S5, but only 28 people have taken the poll. (shrugs)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Would agree S3 doesn't hold up as well upon re-watching for some reason. Not quite sure why. I think it may be the romantic relationships just don't quite gell for me in that season - you can feel the writers pushing Angel and Cordy out the door.

Curious, which season do you think hold's up the best for re-watching? I'm guessing 5, from your vote above?

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you did... don't you love the season 6 icon I put here? LOL

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I guess eventually I'd like to see S5-S7 completely, but I wasn't thrilled about S4's second half, and so I remain dubious about how much I would enjoy the later seasons.

Curious...have you watched the entire series? (ie. all the episodes?)

Have you watched all of Angel?

Because that does make a difference. The series becomes incredibly serialized towards the end of S4. To the point that you really can't skip episodes without losing something. Whedon does that in all his series, he dumps the whole episodic formula halfway through and goes straight serial.

I'm not sure there's any true stand-a-lone's after S4. Although I may be wrong about that. I haven't watched it in a while.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I think they all hold up well to re-watches in different ways. There's a lot of things I love about S3 (Faith/Buffy, the Mayor, the proper start of Willow's arc, etc etc), but there are also a few things - the endless CPR they give Buffy/Angel, for instance - that just annoy me the more I think about them. Plus, most of the thematic stuff is right there on the surface.

Put it this way: most seasons have some things that annoy me at first but get better on rewatch. S3 does what it does really well, but once you've seen it you know what that is.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I did see your post after I'd posted mine.... I'm happy to see such a discerning viewer shares my love of season 4!

I'm afraid I've tried and tried to view season 5 through the eyes of my friends who loved it... but except for a few stand-alones, I found that season to be kind of a drag.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Agree...S3 is my least favorite as well for some reason. I can't figure out why. It does have some good stand-a-lone episodes though. And The Mayor was admittedly the best villain even if he morphed into a cheesy big snake at the end.

S4 probably has the most innovative and experimental writing in the entire series and the most interesting stand-a-lones. You have Restless, Hush,
Something Blue, A New Man, Pangs, Who are You, Superstar (granted not a favorite of mine by a long shot - but I can make a case for it), The Freshman.
Restless and Hush alone make it interesting.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm somewhat similar. S3 doesn't really resonate for me. I'm not sure why.

I know someone else loves S7 on my flist. Just can't remember who.

It is hard to pick a favorite. I went with the Season that resonates for me the most, and I find the most comforting and easiest to re-watch. I don't know why that's S5. It may be the emphasis on the mother/daughter, sister relationship, along with the whole theme of duality. I loved the duality theme. I'm also in the minority - in that I loved Glory as a villain. I thought she was hilarious, and the whole Ben/Glory bit inspired. I also liked the Knights...no one else did. But I did. I thought they were funny. (I sort of saw the horror bits in Buffy - the big bad's as being intentionally campy and tongue-firmly-in cheek.)

[sophist.livejournal.com]

I loved Glory too, which is one reason why I could easily pick S5 as my favorite.

Re S4 and your comment above: I agree that many of the episodes read as standalones, but that may be because of the problem caused by Lindsay Crouse's departure. Joss has said the season didn't play out as intended, so I'm guessing a lot of the connections were lost along the way. The individual episodes were generally good (with a few clunkers like WTWTA), but the lack of an overall season arc makes me downgrade it.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I would agree with that assessment. The endless CPR for Buffy/Angel in S3 is a good way of putting it. They went overboard on the angst. The only reason we didn't get it in S4 - is Angel the Series. Thank God for Angel the Series.

I loved Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Giles, and OZ's arcs in S3. Also the Mayor/Trick/Faith worked as villains in a way that few others did.
(The only big bad villains that didn't work for me were Caleb, Adam, and The Annoited One...everyone else worked.)

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Agree...S6 was different. What they did in that Season, I've not seen done elsewhere. Very Brechtian in places. With a lot of deconstruction and surrealism.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm somewhat similar...I tend to rank for my enjoyment over ambition.
And it changes based on mood. To date though...S5 remains consistently my favorite for some reason. Not sure I can satisfactorily rank the others.

While I loved the stand-a-lone episodes in S4, and the whole clockwork orange bit with Spike was admittedly inspired...I could not stand the super-solider plot with Adam - just too cliche and dumb. Admittedly? I've never been a fan of Frankenstein. If Lindsey Crouse hadn't left mid-way through...I think it may have worked better, can't tell. For me - S4, S1, and S7 had the least interesting big bads and through plot-line.

S3...I think the overall arc and B/A stuff didn't quite work for me either.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'd have to say that I agree Angel's arc in S3 along with the repetitive B/A angst...is the reason that season did not work for me. And I have similar feelings regarding Amends.

It's odd, I remember loving Amends when I first watched it - when it actually first aired. Now I can't stand it. And have no idea what I saw in it. It doesn't re-watch well...for me...for some reason. (shrugs).