So now that lejo has watched all the seasons again, end-to-end, I'm kind of curious, now that we've all had a good long time to think about it, which parts of Buffy were the best, or the worst?

My favourite Buffy episode was Passion, in season two. The death of Jenny Calendar was well-handled, and the perverse sexuality of the episode was executed beautifully. It was dark and it really felt like the writers hit their stride. Other favourites, apart from obvious ones like Hush and Once More With Feeling, included:

Killed By Death (Der Kindestod, season two), I Only Have Eyes For You (season two), When She Was Bad (season two), Ted (season two), Becoming (parts one and two), Beauty and the Beasts (season three), Amends (season three), Helpless (season three), The Wish (season three), Doppelgangland (season three),
Earshot (season three), Wild at Heart (season four), This Year's Girl (season four), Restless (season four), The Body (season five), The Weight of the World (season five).

My least favourite Buffy episode... Well, there's at least ten of those. :P
Bad Eggs (season two), Gingerbread (season three), Beer Bad (season four), Real Me (season five), I Was Made To Love You (season five), Smashed (season six), Beneath You (season seven)... and pretty much the entire second half of season seven.

What was your favourite story arc? Least favourite?

Oddly, one of my favourite storylines was the development of a father/daughter relationship between Faith and the Mayor in season three. It was unexpected, but gently handled, and it conveyed so well Faith's vulnerability beneath all her bluster. The season five appearance of Dawn was my least favourite, probably because Michelle Trachtenberg was one HELL of an annoying actor. The loss of Angel's soul in season two was a fantastic arc, whereas the entire Buffy And Spike Are Into Each Other just screamed WRONG WRONG WRONG in my head over and over.

Best season? Two, followed by three. Worst? Seven, followed by five and six equally.

I agree with most of those ("Passion" has always been a big winner for me), except I completely disagree about "Bad Eggs", which gets better every time I watch it.

I can't think of a single moment post-"Restless" that would make it on any kind of Best Of list for me (I'm not a fan of "The Body"). I love almost everything that came before so much, I've given up on picking what is best out of the embarrassment of riches. Some scenes stick with me - the entire last 10 minutes or so of "Becoming", Buffy running into her mom after losing her virginity to Angel, the Mayor coming into the library - and that doesn't include any of the zillion funny bits (the "as punishments go, this is fairly abstract" exchange from "Bad Eggs" comes to mind, and most of "B, B & B" as well as "Earshot".) I'm not sure if any other show has been quite so binary - the good is fantastic, the bad utter dreck.

I've got too bad a taste in my mouth right now to offer favorite moments. Right now, when I picture Oz and Willow's careful flirting in Phases, I summon images of Kennedy being lame. Or Xander's pep talk at the Bronze leads me to him... uh, standing around. A lot.

Too bitter at the moment, although retrospectively I know I have many a sundry favorites. As Ananda said, there's so much rich, wonderful material to choose from, it's difficult to narrow it down.

Oh, but Buffy's S1 "I'm 16 years old. I don't wanna die." is pretty awesome. And "I like the quiet." "You're going to have the night of your lives if I have to kill every living thing on the planet to do it.' 'Yay?" "Have you ever looked at a thumb and said, Man, that's really sore.' 'You have too many thoughts." "Got it! Hot lava.' 'That's for a heretic.' 'Oh, here, bury a potato- no, that's for warts. Who writes this stuff?" "Did I ever thank you for saving my life? Don't you wish I would?"

Oh, there's the love. That wasn't so hard after all.

Gah! I just had a bubble of acidy, roiling rage burst in my gut about S6/7. I mean, I was clenching my fists and grinding my teeth, not just over the events in the episodes, but that anyone, whether a writer on the show or fan, would be pleased with the characterization and plotlines. The garbled morality and sanctimony. The erratic behaviour and incomprehensible logic.

I've got no outlet for this fury and frankly don't understand why it crept up on me. It's kinda surreal, walking around with an M-16, passing MRAP's about to go on convoy and I'm fuming over Buffy being vindicated in Touched. It occurs to me I'm coming home just in time, as that can't be a good sign.

The worst part is when Buffy pops into my head these days, it's invariably the last two seasons. Never something endearing or funny from S1-4. I think I really did ruin the show for myself. At least for now.

That's why it took me so long to start a rewatch: the fear of losing the good show all over again. I'm doing one a week, and am on the 3rd disc.

Same here, although I still haven't started. I hope to someday do a rewatch (leaving out the last three seasons, of course) and find the love again. But I've basically been in that state since the show ended, although I'm not angry anymore because...I don't think about it anymore. And when I do, I usually just laugh incredulously over how ridiculous those seasons were. I don't get angry about individual events in Season 7 because it was so unbelievable that I was completely out of the show and couldn't judge any character's actions in context.

I strongly recommend never watching S6 or 7. Ever or again.

Literal anger. Seems strange since I knew the major plot points. They just weren't real, ya know.

I know. I recently found myself in a group of Buffy people who preferred the last three seasons. When you're in that situation, it's so strange.



It's probably an easier thing to think about... even impotent fan anger is an escape.

I'm afraid that's me too, not that I was ever angry about the descent into crapitude, I just ... stopped caring. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of the earlier episodes when I do watch them, but that is not often (we stalled halfway through S4 for no real reason recently). The rest of the time the show isn't really on my radar anymore, which is a shame. If not for those last three seasons (to differing degrees, because 5 will always be the nadir for me), I'm sure I'd still be as attached to it as I am for shows which never jumped that kitten-trading loan shark, say Deep Space Nine for instance which I'm still happy to discuss endlessly.


Heh. I saw a book in the shops yesterday by Michael Moore, something about "what the troops are thinking about on the front lines". It would be rather a kick if randomly in the middle it included "the betrayal of Buffy".

For me it doesn't make a difference. Angel remained reasonably dear to me to the very end, and I don't watch it these days either. It's due to time passing, not disappointment. The last three seasons of Buffy aren't real to me, and I don't accept them as the same show, so the first four seasons of Buffy remain justly beloved.

Oh, believe me when I say my experience here has not been stressful. Al Anbar where I'm stationed had been quiet for months before we even arrived. My job is sheltered and routine.

I'd say the most disturbing thing I've seen out here has been Buffy's last two seasons.

eej, that's where I hope to get to eventually. I think I need some distance, then I'll try sampling a few favorite old episodes. Angel never enduced the excruciating cringing that Buffy did, even at its absolute worst. (Angel/Cordelia, Cordelia/Connor, Fred/Illyria etc)

I recommend rewatching the first four seasons in order, and then just stopping dead. "Restless" is it.