Suomi ranks the Buffy Seasons

[Suomi]

In order of how much I hearted them


#1 Season 5

From the moment you see Dawn appear at the end of the season opener "Buffy vs Dracula" you know some seriously wacky shit is about to go down in the Buffy verse. In a way, this series is the end of the 'Classic Buffy' most people are aware of. What I mean by this is that from Season 06 onwards the show changes in that the themes which the (now-adult) Scooby Gang are dealing with are a lot darker (addiction, loss of human life, the actual end of the world) and as a result, the tempo and mood of the show changes; causing some to comment that the show goes down in quality. Indeed, season 06 is often voted the worst of the seven Buffy series'.
So this is the last of 'Classic Buffy' we have, and the way in which this series pans out was LONG planned by Joss Whedon. As early as Season 03 we have Faith telling Buffy the rather cryptic "look at you all dressed up in Big Sister's clothes" Similarly, In "This Year’s Girl", from Season 04, Buffy and Faith are making a bed in Faith’s dream where they have the following conversation:

Buffy: “I wish I could stay, but…”
Faith: “Oh, you have to go.”
Buffy: “That’s just what…”
Faith: “Little sis coming. I know.”
Buffy: “So much to do before she gets here.”

In "Restless", which as we all know, was an episode which basically fired out clues to the future of Buffy (for example, Joyce being stuck in a wall, not being able to get out, Buffy not being able to save her - metaphor for Joyce's natural death in "The Body") Tara tells Buffy to "Be back before Dawn".

There are a number of other little clues and tidbits Joss gave away in the earlier series' of Buffy, but I don't want to get sidetracked because clues or no clues, this series was defined by not necessarily amazing standout episodes, but just consistent quality. I'd say the last four episodes of this season, in which Glory chases the Scoobies to the eventual climax, are some of the most consecutively exciting moments of Buffy ever!

Dawn's arrival injected some fresh air into the show. The fact that her arrival wasn't actually EXPLAINED until well into the series shows that the writers were pretty confident that they had a good storyline here, and it kept me the viewer on the edge of my confused seat. Only in the first series of Desperate Housewives with the whole WHY ARE YOU DEAD MARY ALICE drama would I be as perplexed and inquisitive as I was here with Dawn's sudden and random arrival.

Tara becomes a proper Scoobie in this season too, and anyone who watches Buffy hearts Tara so I don't need to explain further do I?

Glory is a really good villian, someone with a human side (not just in the form of Ben, but the character actually shows frustration and such and is SUCH a nice contrast from Adam, who as the villian of series 4 was pretty fecking stale) and who is actually quite funny. You're almost sort of rooting for her to be okay too in the last episode . Buffy describes her as "like Cordelia" after their first encounter, and I think it would have been pretty nifty to have brought back Cordelia into Buffy and turn her evil and for those two to fight it off.

I said there were no standout episodes but MY GOSH "The Body" is amazing. My favourite episode of all time and if you search the forums you can read the review of it I wrote in my Top 10 buffy episode of all time countdown. Otherwise, "The Gift" is a MUCH better season closer than "Chosen", which ended the entire show, and "Fool For Love" is a nice Spike/Drusilia orientated episode.

And last but not least, we see the end of Riley, who without doubt is the worst character on Buffy ever and is largely responsible for where I've placed Season 4 in this ranking!

Top 5 Episodes
1. The Body
2. The Gift
3. Spiral
4. Family
5. Weight of the World


Worst Episode

Into the Woods (FUCK OFF RILEY)

Right, next up we have a season which has grown on me immensely since it first aired...

 

[David]

Isn't the little sis first hinted in season 3?

'Little Sister counting down from 730' or something?

Season 5 is not my favourite, but it's in the top 3!

 

[Suomi]

As early as Season 03 we have Faith telling Buffy the rather cryptic "look at you all dressed up in Big Sister's clothes" Similarly, In "This Year’s Girl", from

 

[Suomi]

but yes ,that too, but that's more a reference to Buffys death. 730 days till she dies, or 2 years. Then in "Restless" Tara tells Buffy that that number is wrong, because by then it would be one year, or 365 days, until she dies

 

[David]

I don't know whether it was in the writing or the casting but Clare Kramer as Glory was just RIGHT!

 

[Ill Advised]

Oooooh!

LOVE Buffy

Look forward to this countdown immensely

I Miss it so much though

 

[David]

I think Su should do a countdown from 144-1 of the episodes...

 

[Ill Advised]

I think Su should do a countdown from 144-1 of the episodes...

FINE by me

 

[David]

I need to watch them all again actually, I got the big box last Xmas and have only watched through once!

 

[Suomi]

omg lol! Actually, doing the bottom 10 would be easy, and I've already done a top 10...which actually has changed a wee bit now...it'd just be the ones in the middle that would take forever

 

[Ill Advised]

I watched them all in the space of 8 weeks a few months back

Then watched the film which was FAR worse than I remember

 

[Ill Advised]

Should I bother with Angel?

Also are the Spike movie rumours true?

 

[Ill Advised]

omg lol! Actually, doing the bottom 10 would be easy, and I've already done a top 10...which actually has changed a wee bit now...it'd just be the ones in the middle that would take forever

might do a top 10 myself, would be pretty hard to do though

bottom ones would be tough aswell as I found it hard to dislike any of them, no matter how twee

 

[David]

I reckon at least 5 of the 10 worst would be from season 4... but I reckon 'Buffy vs Dracula' would also be right up there!

 

[Suomi]

I reckon at least 5 of the 10 worst would be from season 4... but I reckon 'Buffy vs Dracula' would also be right up there!

Season 4, oh dear Lord, well you'll see what I say about THAT later


but re: "Buffy vs Dracula", i agree, the weakest episode in the whole series, buti think they needed a 'normal' Buffy episode to wedge Dawn in at the end. Could you IMAGINE the season opening with Dawn's narration in "Real Me" ?

 

[David]

I reckon you could have had the Xander doppelganger episode as an opener actually... but then the first episodes always seem to focus on Buffy

 

[Suomi]

Should I bother with Angel?

Also are the Spike movie rumours true?

Yes there are plans for a movie, but as of yet there's no support or something


and YES oh YES you should bother with Angel. To be honest with you, you kind of need to if you want to be clued in on everything in Buffyverse; characters come and go from Buffy into Angel a lot, and they're usually very strong episodes. If you're interested in finding out what happens with Faith its good also...

But otherwise, Angel is a lot darker in content and setting, obviously a lot of the scenes have to be at night. Cordelia is intrumental in providing a contrast to the darkness and adds colour to the whole thing....Wesley is like a rogue Giles...it's all good characterwise!

And season 02 , which I am currently watching, brings back Darla and Drusilia forms a duo with her and it's the most brilliant thing ever

 

[David]

The Darla/Dru tag team is too short-lived I think...

I stopped with Angel mid-season 3 and never got back into it!

 

[Ill Advised]

I watched all of season 1, then moved out from home where there was no SKY and could never catch it on terrestrial TV so BUGGERED

But have season 1 now and will get the others in time

Buffy Vs Dracula = LAME

Have you seen the Buffy pilot with the different Willow in it? GOOD GOD is she DREADFUL

 

[David]

Fat Willow was AWFUL! Yes!

 

[Ill Advised]

It's not even that the Willow we know and love was so great

Fat Willow was just PISS POOR

 

[Suomi]

that actress hasn't been in anything else since! Poor lady

 

[David]

I believe Riff Regan is more of a stage actress...

Translation: She's so not telegenic, also she's a bit tubby!

 

[dUb]

my Top 10 buffy episode of all time countdown.

Ooh I simply MUST read that sometime.

Anyway isn't this going in the wrong direction? NO? Oh.

 

[Suomi]

Ooh I simply MUST read that sometime.

Anyway isn't this going in the wrong direction? NO? Oh.

some might say it is the wrong direction, but I had originally planned to do it all in one post. Ah well!

 

[Suomi]

#2: Season 7

“You came into the world with certain advantages; sure, I mean that's the legacy. But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it... They were just handed to you. So that doesn't make you better than us, it makes you luckier than us."

I was initially put off from seeing season seven of Buffy because I didn’t want the fun to end. Once I had seen this last season, that would be it. No more Buffy. But, obviously I did watch it or else I wouldn’t be ranking it the silver medallist in the rundown of the best Buffy seasons. I consider this season to be very much a “fan” season; I know from watching it that non-Buffy fans criticise it as being ‘boring’ in places and, whilst I don’t agree, I can very much see their line of thinking. Why would a non Buffy fan be interested in this season? Much of the snappy witty dialogue is pushed out to make room for essentially darker undertones. There are less ‘light’ filling episodes, and those that are in this season are scattered about in the first half a dozen episodes or so. Pretty much from “Conversations With Dead People” it’s all go in terms of the impending doom which the viewer sees unfolding. Joss Whedon has said that this season was all about going back to basics, hence we see the return of Sunnydale high and a scattering of references to the shows debut season – “First Date” is a nod to “Never Kill A Boy on the First Date” and the last scene before the big fight in “Chosen” leaves the original four Scoobies re-enacting the same dialogue they had at the end of the first ever episode “Welcome to the Hellmouth”. However, the producers have done a great job in creating that sense of ‘the end’. The last ten or so episodes are all building and building to the point where the issue of “The First” will be settled, and there are some shocking moments along the way. The issue of whether Buffy should kill Anya in “Selfless”, the various deaths and suicides of the potential slayers, the much needed closure on Tara’s murder, Xander going blind; these issues all add to the sense that the past six seasons have been somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the facing of true evil in its purest form in this closing season.
There are many reasons why I loved the idea of bringing back The First as the baddie to go out on (Buffy actually has a conversation with him in the form of Ms. Calender in season 03). The first (ho ho) reason is the notion that, unlike Glory, the Mayor or the Nerd Trio, this big bad is actually wholly one-sided in its nature. There is no element of humour with it, there is nothing you can reason with; its kill or be killed. Worst of all, it embodies the corpses of dead characters from the past, which adds to quite a chilling effect. From a fan point of view, it is SUCH a nice touch to see past characters come back, this also adds to the completist feel of the series – by giving The First the power to do this the producers can basically throw in everyone who was a major character in Buffy back into the melting pot for a final blow out. I think also that Caleb is one of the best characters they’ve EVER had on this show, he has such a presence when he is on screen, and he’s so fecking mental! Credit to Nathon Fillion’s acting though; no wonder Whedon wanted him on “Firefly”
The return of Faith is great too, especially for those fans who haven’t watched “Angel” and therefore last saw her in Season 04. Andrew establishing himself as a member of the good guy gang adds a great comic presence. Without Andrew this season would have been perhaps a little too dark I feel, and its nice to see Anya have someone to bounce off in terms of comedy dialogue. Also, Andrew produces my favourite comedy moment of the whole season when he gets out that piece of paper to thank people near the end of ‘Chosen’

ANDREW
I just want to say how proud I am to die for this very special cause with you guys. (takes a paper out of his pocket, reads) There's some, um—there's people I'd like to thank, both good and evil. Um, a shout out to my brother Tucker, who gave me the inspiration to summon demons and also—



Ahem. Anyway, this season also saw the introduction of the excellent Cassie Newton, who I feel was a pretty special character, and I wish she’d been in it a bit more than she was. Still, “Help” remains an excellent episode, especially one which is essentially filler, and I think a weaker actress would have brought the whole episode down. Similarly, having revised my top ten I can say that I would put “Conversations With Dead People” into my top ten, it’s an excellent sort of off beat concept and I would call it the best representation of both theme and mood of what the last season of Buffy was essentially about!

I would say the weakest spot of season seven, in my opinion, is the last episode which ,although good, really paled in comparison to “The Gift” which seemed much more dramatic. The fight in “Chosen” didn’t actually last that long and the idea of giving all potential slayers the power to fight like a slayer was a little too convenient. At the same time however, I feel its not that important as “Buffy” essentially ended on a bright note – that slight smile Buffy gives representing the notion that she can now relax, it’s all over – not just in terms of this battle but as her job as the sole slayer. The quote I used at the beginning of this professional ramble represents what I think the main theme of this season was, which was Buffy essentially proving to herself and to others that there was something unique about her as a slayer, and that essentially the best thing she can do is to share this power. Buffy’s feeling that she is ‘better’ than other people is explained more clearly in her conversation with Holden in “Conversations With Dead People”

So anyway!

Top 5 Episodes:

1. Conversations With Dead People
2. Selfless – especially for that scene which harks back to “Once More With Feeling” which is suddenly cut to show the current image of Anya pinned against the wall with a sword.
3. Help
4. Empty Places – the scene where everyone turns on Buffy is AMAZING, such a pivotal moment
5. Storyteller – it is a great, funny episode and also its important in terms of properly explaining why you the viewer should essentially accept Andrew into the fold.
6. Get It Done – I just had to slip this in for the last scene when Willow is sitting on Buffy’s bed and Buffy tells her that she’s seen what they’re about to face and you get that wide shot of all the ubervamps. WOW


Bottom 3:

1. Him – complete filler
2. Sleeper – Too dark and too Spike orientated. You almost feel like just slapping him and telling him to get over it
3. Killer In Me – Not weak per se, I just prefer all the others and couldn’t choose!

 

[Ill Advised]

FANTASTIC

So in depth! Definitely more of a fan than me

So so so so so so SAD when it ends but ho hum

 

[Ill Advised]

Oh and I started Angel last night

Ep 1 and Ep 2, not as good as I recall, a tad on the boring side hope it gets better

 

[Suomi]

oh I forgot to say! Anya was meant to have a conversation with Halfrek (who died just previously in "Selfless" but they couldn't get the actress back! )

 

[Suomi]

Oh and I started Angel last night

Ep 1 and Ep 2, not as good as I recall, a tad on the boring side hope it gets better

yes, actually I agree the first 2 are quite meh, but by episode 8 you will be in tears. I hope you don't know what happens throughout the series!

 

[David]

See I like 'Him' despite the fact it is filler because it was fun, I think it would have been a lot more at home in the first two seasons, where the occasional episode that seems to be a bit of relief from the bigger story seemed right (Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered is a great example)

 

[Apoca]

YAY, loving this so far and it's REALLY time for me to get the whole boxset of Buffyverse.

 

[VoR]

I think this was more series six, but can I just say i HATED the way they treated Jonathans character towards the end.

 

[Suomi]

See I like 'Him' despite the fact it is filler because it was fun, I think it would have been a lot more at home in the first two seasons, where the occasional episode that seems to be a bit of relief from the bigger story seemed right (Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered is a great example)

perhaps, but I found the whole premise really :daf: because it was essentially the plot of the aforementioned "Bewitched.." all over again !

 

[Ill Advised]

oh I forgot to say! Anya was meant to have a conversation with Halfrek (who died just previously in "Selfless" but they couldn't get the actress back! )

poor halfrek

Fave character for me is De Hoffren (??) FABULOUS

 

[Suomi]

I think this was more series six, but can I just say i HATED the way they treated Jonathans character towards the end.

how do you mean? I MUCH prefer Andrew to Jonathan, and if one of them had to die then I would have kept it as it was in the show...

 

[Ill Advised]

yes, actually I agree the first 2 are quite meh, but by episode 8 you will be in tears. I hope you don't know what happens throughout the series!

memory like a sieve so barely remember a thing

 

[VoR]

oh I forgot to say! Anya was meant to have a conversation with Halfrek (who died just previously in "Selfless" but they couldn't get the actress back! )

I believe the same problem occurred when Angel was cancelled, they wanted Drusilla back but Juliet Landau had other commitments.

Shame, I'd have KILLED for some really good Drusilla closure. She was pivotal to the Angel character IMO and her disappearence was just rubbish. She deserved some powerful scenes and a REALLY good death.

 

[David]

perhaps, but I found the whole premise really :daf: because it was essentially the plot of the aforementioned "Bewitched.." all over again !

But Bewitched didn't have bunny boiler Anya...

 

[VoR]

how do you mean? I MUCH prefer Andrew to Jonathan, and if one of them had to die then I would have kept it as it was in the show...

He was LOVELY and he deserved better.

Also, he was SO NICE in the first few series. Really tragic, lonely little character. Then they just kind of turned him into a moron.