Quibbling Siblings – The best season of Buffy

Bob:

Let’s get back to a show that we both know and love: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. One of the best things about the show was the model of one season story arcs. It allowed for closure season to season (along with great finales), while still telling a big story. It also allows us to argue over a fun question: which season of Buffy was the best?

I actually like every season (yes, even the sixth), but my favorite is easy: season five. I feel like the fifth season was really the peak for Buffy. Everything was hitting on all cylinders, it had a few really standout episodes, and the best finale of any of the seasons, if you ask me. Sure there was the introduction of Dawn, a polarizing character in the Buffy-verse, but she served a purpose. The stakes were higher than they had ever been with no less than a god fighting against the gang. Tara and Willow’s relationship was at its peak. Buffy and Riley fell apart dramatically, Joyce died, and Xander and Anya were comedy gold. Buffy’s death at the end of the season, however, is perhaps my favorite moment of the entire series, and still packs an emotional wallop whenever I watch.

So, which season is your favorite? The big finale season? The Angel/Buffy-heavy season 2? Buffy-goes-to-college season 4?

Debbie:

Oh, you cruel bastard — I’m probably going to have to choose…. It’s definitely not season one, six (my least favorite), or seven (though I think the series finale was absolutely perfect), and I almost wanted to say season two until I went back and looked at the episode list. While I love how everything exploded in season two and really set the stage for some serious story arcs to come, and:

1. Who’s going to say Angelus was a bad thing
2. One of my favorite scenes ever on TV is in the finale when she sends Angel to Hell
3. Jennie Calendar
4. One of my all-time favorite episodes, “I Only Have Eyes For You (dude, when she dances with Angelus when they are possessed by the ghosts in love it’s amazing)”

… there are so many stinkers in season two that I can’t pick it as my favorite; “Ted,” “Bad Eggs,” “Reptile Boy,” “Inca Mummy Girl,” “Go Fish.” Yeah. Just. So. Bad.

So did I call you a bastard yet for making me choose?

OK, season four, which is often considered one of the weakest seasons (mostly because Adam was lame) actually holds some of my favorite episodes. There’s no arguing the awesomeness of “Hush,” and “A New Man” is one of the funniest 44 minutes of TV ever filmed. “Fear Itself” and “Superstar” — brilliant. I really liked season four, despite Adam.

I see why you like season five, but I just can’t stand all of the darkness following Joyce’s death, and I didn’t love Glory either.

I’ve got to go with season three. Faith was such a great foil for Buffy, really challenging her to pick a side and some values, and I love the way they acknowledge Buffy at the prom. I think it just makes the three seasons worthwhile for her, and then the way the whole school comes together to fight the mayor at the end is great. It’s the last season Buffy gets to be a kid, and there is still adult support for her. It’s also the last season where Giles is there all of the time, and I just adore their relationship. Plus, “The Zeppo” and evil Willow, twice. That is all.

Except to say that was such a painful catharsis you forced me to experience. Bastard.

Bob:

You forget that I am an evil mastermind.

I like season three as well. It seems like it is the final installment in the first “chapter” of Buffy. High school is over, the school gets destroyed, Angel and Cordelia leave the picture. I can argue that season five was the end of the college chapter, and then six and seven make up the “Buffy as an adult” chapter of the show.

You bring up specific episodes, so I have to point out that season five includes “The Body,” which is one of the more impressive hours of television ever made, in my opinion. Other highlights from the season include “Buffy vs. Dracula,” with all of its tongue-in-cheek humor; “The Replacement,” with Xander doing the snoopy dance after being split into two Xanders; and “I Was Made to Love You” introduced us to Warren and his sad robotic girlfriend, setting up some fun stuff down the line.

Seriously, though, there’s not a wrong answer here.

Debbie:

And it’s because there’s not a wrong answer that it is so hard to choose!

I left season five alone because you had discussed it, but “Buffy vs. Dracula” is one of my favorite episodes, and was such a fun season premiere. Strangely enough, I really don’t love most of the season premieres of Buffy. They tend to need a few episodes to get into the swing of the season.

I do not share your love for “The Body.” I appreciate its quality, but it was zero fun to watch. No, negative fun.

I like your three chapters of Buffy … very true, and I guess that I liked Buffy being able to be a kid and a slayer. It was too much for her to handle adulthood and slayerhood at the same time, and season six and seven were such downers for the most part. Although I really, really love the musical episode.

Bob:

I don’t think Joss was going for “fun” with “The Body.” It’s okay to let television make you feel sad emotions, Deb, really.

Well, what do you all think? Which season of Buffy is your favorite?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Aug 12, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT