Best Season?

[TravelingBandsman]

This has probably been done countless times but I wanted to see what everyone thought about what they think is the best season. The most well done in all aspects.

I would have to say the best season for me would either be 7 or 1. Yes 1, just because of how light hearted it was then.

[patxshand]

Okay, spill. Who voted for Season One?

I wanted to vote for Three and Five, but I had to go with Five. It's the hardest to find bad episodes in, and it has three Classic episodes in it as well.

[holypotatoes]

I would have to say the best season for me would either be 7 or 1. Yes 1, just because of how light hearted it was then.

Wow I'm actually surprised by both of those. I find both seasons to be the worst of the seven. Neither one was really up to par with the season's in between. I do give the benefit of a doubt to season 1 just because it was the first season. Season 7 I just couldn't stand. I don't get how the last season could be that jumbled and have that many plot holes. It felt like the writers weren't sure where they were heading with it.

Anyhoo, I voted season 2. It was between 2 and 6 like it usually is, I just so happen to be in a season 2 mood tonight. They're both amazing seasons. We get Angelus in one of them and Dark Willow in the other. What's not to love about either one?

[TravelingBandsman]

I don't know why people bash Season 1 so much. I loved it. It wasn't as full of the intense gut -wrenching drama like the other seasons are. Granted, I like the other seasons a lot, but it was nice to at least have one season as light hearted and innocent as this one was.

[vampmogs]

I don't know why people bash Season 1 so much. I loved it. It wasn't as full of the intense gut -wrenching drama like the other seasons are. Granted, I like the other seasons a lot, but it was nice to at least have one season as light hearted and innocent as this one was.

I don't have a problem with season one because it's light hearted, it's the over the top campyness that can be a little hard to stomach. Lines like "I'm Buffy and you're.. history!" were IMO, just terrible. Not to mention the vampires with their stupid long nails and ability to be over powered by a cross, the horrible stunt work, some really corny bad guys storylines like the demon in the internet from 'I Robot You Jane,' and characters not living up to their full potential (Darla.) The writing just wasn't as solid, but the season did have its moments. I think the episode 'Angel' showed what the show could be, though it still needed a bit of work, and 'Prophecy Girl' was just excellent IMO. But I could never put it high on my list because the quality was so poor IMO, to that of the seasons that followed.

I chose season three as my favourite season. Overall, I don't think the season was matched in terms of episode quality. I really couldn't fault any episode as being 'bad' I thought they were all great. IMO no other scene matched it in terms of tightness and strength, every scene had a point and purpose and didn't feel like waffle and filler, the stunts were great, the directing was excellent, the stories and characters were excellent, it was hillarious and heartbreaking and the characters were still very fresh and interesting. It was the perfect blend of everything that made Buffy special.

It doesn't come as a surprise to me really that out of all the seasons, s3 got the shows best ratings. The season finale got over 6 million viewers which was great for Buffy, nothing quite matched it. But I also loved s2 and s5 and s4 and s6 did have its moments as well.

[BangelFan2202]

I honestly can't vote for a particular season because every single season has a reason behind it and also its really hard for me to choose.

~Trish

[NxD_Slayerette]

6!

it always has been! i just loved all of it, i do skip one or two episodes, but the rest i can watch all the time! its just my favorite season and always has been since it first came out!

[Enisy]

Voted for Season 5, but I love me some Season 6 and Season 2, as well.

[OkinawanSteel]

For me, it's between 3 and 5. I think they are the best in overall quality, and 3 is the only season where the "season long Big Bad arc" really works. The only reason Glory got away with sitting on her arse and doing nothing seemingly forever, is that it was in-character for her to be an illogical and not very proactive villain.

3 takes it for me. Best Big Bad, alongside one of the best and most complex characters in the verse, with the tightest overall plot.

[Nina]

I don't know why people bash Season 1 so much. I loved it. It wasn't as full of the intense gut -wrenching drama like the other seasons are. Granted, I like the other seasons a lot, but it was nice to at least have one season as light hearted and innocent as this one was.

I love season 1 too, I already thought that I was the only one in the world.
It was cheesy and there were some trouble with the chararcters ... (There were like 4 Angels in that season.) But I love that there wasn't angst or pain. Besides Buffy was a fantastic girl in season 1.


But I voted for season 2. The bad guys were vampires, there were episodes like Passion, Innocence and Becoming part 2. And I never loved the main cast more than in this season. I loved the core 4, Cordelia, Angel, Jenny and Oz. And there was a lot of drama, but there was also fun and sweet moments.

[tangent]

Six for me. Mainly because of her Dark Willowiness but also for the angst and emotion of it.

Plus OMWF, Tabula Rasa, Life Serial, Afterlife etc.

[Pandora's_Box]

Season 6 and 7 are my favorite. Season 7 became my favorite season months ago, that's what I voted for.

[Cell]

Season 5 for me, it featured the most consistency and some really stand-out episodes. That would be followed in order by 6, 3, 2, 7, 1, and then 4, a season so bad that it ranks as some of the worst television I've ever seen.

[buffyholic]

Although I love watching all the seasons (just great), season 5 is the best for me. Great plots, great big bads and amazing episodes, like "The Gift", "Fool for Love", "The Body" and even smaller gems like "Blood Ties", "Crush" and others. Add that to amazing character development for everyone involved and you have an amazing season.

[Watcher at Large]

Could be preaching to the converted, but Season Three is the peak of the series to me. Other seasons had more outstanding individual episodes, but the quality of scripts in 1998-99 was the strongest from end to end - this and Season Five are the only years, IMO, in which no episodes were total turkeys. (If your "low point" of the year is "Dead Man's Party," you're doing damn well. And with the emotional trauma that episode lays bare, I think it's better than many give it credit for.)

Two other observations on the third season... first, the setting of high school buds balancing classes and battling the Hellmouth had had two years to simmer and develop, and the writers by then had developed tremendous confidence in it. All the huge, fundamental risks in storytelling had been taken and the kinks worked out - this is the year they left behind the Monsters of the Week and fully committed themselves to telling a larger story over an entire year. (Season Two, equally memorable, is heavily back-loaded by comparison; it doesn't really gain its identity until "Surprise" and "Innocence" at midseason, when good Angel becomes evil Angelus and changes everything.)

Second... Mayor Richard Wilkins is the most layered and (damn him) charismatic of all the Big Bads! He's fascinating because he's not a cardboard villain, but someone we can almost identify with - glib, rather efficient as a politician, amusingly hypochondriac... and fatherly toward Faith in a sick, twisted way. He's the only villain who would try to parent Faith rather than get in her pants - never mind his life's goal is to turn into a giant snake and eat people. Can't really top that.

OK. Who's up next?

(PS: There will never be total agreement on some episodes, I admit. I looked up the Sunnydale Slayers Web site (www.sunnydale-slayers.com) once, to see just how low its episode guide would rate the notorious "Beer Bad"... and found it got four stars out of five. Ya just never know!)

[Bittersweettwit]

Like many of the posters here I have to agree that for me Season 3 is the best of all of the seasons. Well actually again like others it was a toss up between it and Season 5 and had it been an option I most certainly would have voted for both seasons. As for the issue of Season 1 I actually don't have a problem and can sit down and enjoy the Season. Though it doesn't live up to the standard of later seasons. I do think that the Season holds several bright moments. The opening episode Welcome To The Hellmouth for instance introduces all of the key characters for the season and the premise of the show easily and allows the viewer to gain an insight to the general view of the show. There are other episodes such as Angel, which also stand out and show just how much potential the show can have. As for the season finale Prophecy girl I just think that the episode is fabulous and I still enjoy watching it in particular the final battle between Buffy and the master on the rooftop.

Now to talk about my reasoning for choosing Season 3 as my favourite Season. I think that this season is unbeatable in terms of overall episode quality and arc. Every episode contributes to the plot in some way and even those that don't such as The Wish or Helpless allow us to gain a deeper insight into the character of Buffy or those around us. This season also begins examining several key themes of the show such as the power of the slayer and how it should and shouldn't be used through the character of Faith or even Buffy herself. The fight scenes within this season are some of the best I have ever seen and in fact I would go as far as to say the battle between Faith and Buffy in Graduation Day Part is the best we have seen on the show perhaps tied only with the battle between Glory and Buffy in The Gift.

Action however was not the only theme of this season that made it so great. We got the introduction of Mayor Wilkins who while not being my favourite villain ever certainly does have some level of interest. After rewatching Season 3 I found some of his dialogue funny and was generally entertained by the mixture of family guy he held and evil villain. Then we also got the introduction of Anya this season a character who I loved throughout her run on the show and one who brought fresh live. This was also the season we got to see more development of the character of Angel and start to see his determination for redemption and of course we get to see him leave and go off to his own show. So all in all Season 3 is definitely the Buffy Season for me

[skinless]

Season2 is Great compared to to all the other ones but It was a Close tie to season 5. But with the Apperence of Spike, Drusilla, and Angelus. Plus there were so many good Episodes compared to the other seasons.

[Timmy's Well]

Season 2 for me.

As has been said, it saw the introduction of some great characters; it had the Buffy and Angelus arc; there were so many brilliantly funny moments; and there was an endearing innocence to the characters, to the show.

In order of preference season wise, I'd go;

2
1
3
4
5
6
7

[darkmike]

I just love season 6

[LaJaula]

It's always close between Seasons Two and Three for me-- Season Two's got the better arc, it's when I first fell in love with the show and characters, but it's got crappy stand-alones. Season Three has a very good arc as well, and I think after I get past "Beauty and the Beasts" I love every single episode. But the gut-wrenching pain of "Innocence", "Passion", and "Becoming Part Two" ultimately win out.

So Seasons Two and Three are the top for me, then Seasons Four and Five. Six, Seven, and One all float around in the bottom, but I don't hate them like some people do. It's just that, save Prophecy Girl, Once More, With Feeling, Entropy, and Conversations With Dead People, I don't watch any of those episodes straight through.