Buffy The Vampire Slayer Non Spoiler Question

[JohnB1000]

Just a general - non spoiler - question.

I've been watching Buffy from the beginning with my 11 year old. (I've never seen it before).

We just reached the end of Season 2 and it's clearly been a top notch show for almost every single episode.

I am wondering if the quality drops off at any point. If so does it return ? Did the show end well or peter out ?

[TriBruin]

Just a general - non spoiler - question.

I've been watching Buffy from the beginning with my 11 year old. (I've never seen it before).

We just reached the end of Season 2 and it's clearly been a top notch show for almost every single episode.

I am wondering if the quality drops off at any point. If so does it return ? Did the show end well or peter out ?

I think you will get different opinions, but my feeling is

S3 - Best season
S4 - Not so good. (But it has one of favorite episodes "Hush")
S5 - I liked it (but I know others disliked it.)
S6 - Took a while to get going, but the last few episode were great. (This is also a polarizing season due to a specific relationship.)
S7 - Good, but not great.

[JohnB1000]

Perfect breakdown :)

Having watched the musical ep I am aware of a view things that I wish I wasn't, the relationship is fine, but I also know that certain characters live which removes some suspense from the earlier stuff.

[mrdazzo7]

You'll definitely get a lot of differening opinions...

I personally think the first three seasons were the best, season four was "ok" (will probably be better in quick viewing than it was originally), season five was more or less epic (especially the back half), season six was hit or miss and season seven started off slow but then was good for the last six or seven episodes.

I was thinking of going back and watching seasons two and three again but got tied up with other things... man that was some good TV. the season two finale is one of the best finales I've ever seen.

[JohnB1000]

Just watched that one last night.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Season 4 is also a lot better on second viewing. It seems aimless for quite a while when you don't know where it's going, but the second time through you realize it was a lot more structured and focused than it seemed.

[cheesesteak]

The first five seasons are good.

Season 6 was horrific. I'm exaggerating, but I didn't like six at all.

Season 7 was ok.

[DreadPirateRob]

S1 is by far the weakest season.

S2 is awesome.

S3 is even better.

S4 is a little more up and down, but it fits thematically with what Joss & Co. were trying to do with the show, and as Rob pointed out earlier, it's a lot better on second (compressed) viewing, as certain plotlines and story arcs aren't quite as meandering as you thought when you first watching it week to week. Also S4 has one of the top 2 or 3 episodes of the show.

S5 is awesome again, and is probably the high point of the show (although many will argue that S3 was the high point).

S6 is up and down. Like S4, it's better on a second, compressed viewing, when annoying or uncomfortable story arcs turn out to be tighter than you remember, and it also has what most consider to be the best single episode of the show. But it's also quite a bit of a downer. Even though that is precisely what the writers wanted, it doesn't make it any more fun to go through.

S7 starts off slow, but finishes very well, and the series finale is very satisfying.

[Magnolia88]

S1-3 are outstanding. I love 2, most people think 3 is the best season overall.

S4 drops off quite a bit from the first 3. Many people hate S4. I don't hate it, but it's not as good as 1-3. It will become obvious (I think) why S4 isn't as well liked as 1-3.

After that, it's up and down. 5 is very good with some truly great eps, but I didn't like the last 2 seasons much.

[Zevida]

S1-3 are outstanding. I love 2, most people think 3 is the best season overall.

S4 drops off quite a bit from the first 3. Many people hate S4. I don't hate it, but it's not as good as 1-3. It will become obvious (I think) why S4 isn't as well liked as 1-3.

After that, it's up and down. 5 is very good with some truly great eps, but I didn't like the last 2 seasons much.

This is pretty much my thoughts exactly. I thought season 6 floundered a bit and I hated the direction they took the mythology in season 7 and was disappointed in how the series wrapped up.

[allan]

It's been long enough since I've seen it that I don't remember specifics. I know it had ups & downs, though I can't say which seasons were good/bad. And I'm sure I didn't lose my lunch at the season finale, which puts it above many show's finales. ;)

[brermike]

This is definitely one of those shows where the opinions are mostly across the board. Oddly enough, season six is my favorite season, mainly due to the "villians" that season. I'd rank them like this ...

season 6
season 3
season 5
season 2
season 4 (definitely has one of the best episodes)
season 7
season 1

[billypritchard]

Ranking is Fun!

Season 3
Season 2
Season 5
Season 6
Season 4
Season 1
Season 7

I can barely watch any of the last season in repeats, it was that bland and uninteresting to me.

[billypritchard]

And then Angel Season 3 goes somewhere in those top three...

[Cainebj]

And then Angel Season 3 goes somewhere in those top three...

Is Angel Season 3 where Faith shows up?
I am impressed that you all can talk seasons after all this time.

[billypritchard]

Is Angel Season 3 where Faith shows up?

I am impressed that you all can talk seasons after all this time.

No. It's the season where

Darla, Holtz, Connor show up. If you leave out the 'romance' angle, it's perfect.

[JohnB1000]

Where does Angel (the show) come in to the timeline. Do we need to mix our Buffy and Angel watching, timeline wise, or can we just switch over to Angel at the end ?

[billypritchard]

Where does Angel (the show) come in to the timeline. Do we need to mix our Buffy and Angel watching, timeline wise, or can we just switch over to Angel at the end ?

You could do it either way. The events of Angel are concurrent to the events of Buffy, and there are one or two crossovers, but you certainly don't have to watch them interspersed.

I'd tell you how the seasons match up, but that would be a Spoiler!

[Magnolia88]

I'd tell you how the seasons match up, but that would be a Spoiler!

Major spoiler! It's also a big spoiler to tell you when Angel even starts, when that happens in the Buffy timeline. Obviously, if Angel has his own show. . . . grrrr . . . aaargh. Spoiler. :p

[Cainebj]

No. It's the season where

Darla, Holtz, Connor show up. If you leave out the 'romance' angle, it's perfect.

ohhh i would have to disagree with you there...
Connor pretty much ruined the show for me.

[allan]

ohhh i would have to disagree with you there...
Connor pretty much ruined the show for me.

I agree, I couldn't stand him.

[mrdazzo7]

I hope the OP isn't following this thread through an email subscription. I learned the hard way that spoiler tags do NOT translate, lol. Annoying little side effect.

I am impressed that you all can talk seasons after all this time.

The show is more or less responsible for me wanting to be a TV writer. Maybe it's because I was the same age as the characters and was kind of a misfit, but I totally got the show and loved just about every aspect of it. I was impressed with how the writers took totally over-done and cliched situations and spun them into this world, and I also loved the way the storylines were layed out each season... it's the first show I really got into that was serialized, where you had to watch every week for the most part.

I totally forgot about it until this thread but I even had a web site... I had a computer and time to kill so I had wanted to try to make a website, and since it was at the height of my Buffy fandom I figured I'd create a fan site. It's pretty corny, but I had fun making it. Just checked and it's miraculously still up (http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/buffycentral/)... too funny. I think I did a pretty good job considering.

[JohnB1000]

I am using an email sub but I know what to skip with the old eyes + I kind of have some knowledge of the overall arc anyway.

I mostly watch Brit TV but this is one of the few shows that has manged to maintain the high quality, interlinked, storytelling over the longer US 20+ episode season and beyond.

[Cainebj]

Where does Angel (the show) come in to the timeline.

You all are inspiring me to watch Buffy from the beginning ;) (and yay it's on Netflix for instant viewing!)

I wonder...
- has some Buffy geek ever put together an episode guide that includes the Angel cross-overs and Angel/Buffy/Faith episodes listed in order?

[Church AV Guy]

Joss and his writers did an amazing job with an old idea of a vampire saga and made it fresh and interesting. There were moments that were so good, sometimes in the midst of not to interesting storylines, that it made my hair stand on end.

Spoiler for Angel, but generalized:

There was a scene where Westely was going to do something he was keeping a secret. He walked past Lorne and accidentally started to humm or whistle a tune, and Lorne's head whipped around to stare at Westley, who stared back. They both knew, and they both knew that they both knew. That moment played SO well.

Today, there is so much generic vampire stuff on television, and I can't stand to watch any of it for some reason.

[Magnolia88]

I wonder...
- has some Buffy geek ever put together an episode guide that includes the Angel cross-overs and Angel/Buffy/Faith episodes listed in order?

Yes. List of all B/A episodes in order, with crossovers marked (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_and_Angel_episodes).

[uncdrew]

Is it free anywhere?

Hulu, my Comcast On Demand (which I know isn't really free), etc.?

I made it through Season 2 and then couldn't find it online again. :(

[DreadPirateRob]

Is it free anywhere?

Hulu, my Comcast On Demand (which I know isn't really free), etc.?

I made it through Season 2 and then couldn't find it online again. :(

If you have Netflix, all of the seasons are available in the Instant Queue.

[uncdrew]

If you have Netflix, all of the seasons are available in the Instant Queue.

:(

[betts4]

This is a great thread. I have tried a couple times over the years to get into Buffy. Never could quite catch the fever. I do LOVE Angel and Firefly but always wanted to like Buffy more than I did.

I will give it another shot and see if I can make it to season three and beyond.

[DreadPirateRob]

:(

It's only like $9/month for 1 disc at a time + unlimited instant access.

Just sayin'... :)

[Cainebj]

Yes. List of all B/A episodes in order, with crossovers marked (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_and_Angel_episodes).

Thanks...
I knew someone had to have -

I wouldn't read it if you haven't seen them - there are some MAJOR spoilers in the episode descriptions!

[MikeCC]

This is a great thread. I have tried a couple times over the years to get into Buffy. Never could quite catch the fever. I do LOVE Angel and Firefly but always wanted to like Buffy more than I did.

I will give it another shot and see if I can make it to season three and beyond.

Good luck. I did like Buffy, but lost interest after Season 3. I mean, come on guys, Cordy went to LA dammit!

At that point, little reason for these male eyes to hang around Sunnydale.

[Bai Shen]

It's only like $9/month for 1 disc at a time + unlimited instant access.

Just sayin'... :)

Totally worth it. :)

[Mars Rocket]

season 4 (definitely has one of the best episodes)


Which episode are you thinking of? Hush? For me, season 5 episode 16 (The Body) was one of the best episodes ever on TV, period.

[TAsunder]

The season arcs were generally stupid and poorly done across the board for me. I found the series as a whole quite satisfying nonetheless. The day-to-day episodes and the scene-to-scene moments made it worthwhile. In particular, the dialogue and interactions of some of the characters. So for me, once I got used to the vibe by the end of the first season, it was steadily good with a few standout episodes.

As far as which season arcs were better than others, that's a hard thing for me to figure out. As I said, they were all rather stupid.

[swizzlest]

I hated hated hated Season 6.

So much that I stopped watching.

I caught Season 7 a couple years later on FX.

Then I rewatched Season 6.

Then I learned to NEVER doubt Joss Whedon. :)