Early last week, before the recent board crash that ate a few thousand messages, I posted a request here for my fellow Dopers to help me and my wife continue our frantic dash to catch up with the last few seasons of “Buffy” before the new season is too far gone. I went on at length about how we’ve fallen in love with the show, that we’re kicking ourselves for having resisted its call until a few months ago, and that, now that we’ve managed to cram ourselves full of “Buffy” all the way through season four with the help of generous tape-lending friends, we cannot stop, and must continue.
I never saw any of the responses to that thread; the board crashed before I could come back to it. However, I’m overjoyed to report that Stoid took it upon herself to email me directly, and we’re currently working out a tape-borrowing arrangement. To her, my wife and I say thank you, thank you, thank you. 
Apparently, there was also some other discussion in that thread before it evaporated, though I can’t say for sure because I never saw it. I’m hoping that whatever was said – something about Stoid and/or others getting a hold of a missing episode here and there? – can be addressed again.
But that brings me to my new request. It’s kind of a no-brainer, but here it is: Please spare me from spoilers! I see the thread in this forum about the season seven premiere, and although I itch with the desire to find out what’s going on in the Buffyverse, I resist the call. Part of the genius of Joss Whedon is the unbelievably elaborate story arcs that cheerfully turn the whole world upside down for weeks at a time (or permanently), and it’s why I don’t want to know what happens later until I find out what happens next. I already know some stuff, just because it’s hard to avoid (who is Glory, exactly? don’t tell me!), and it’s bad enough that we get the “next week on an all-new Buffy!” commercials during “Enterprise.” So please, don’t make it worse.
But if you want to talk about stuff that’s happened up through season four in this thread, hey, be my guest. Oh, wait, just in case anybody is skimming:
THIS MAY CONTAIN BUFFY SPOILERS THROUGH SEASON FOUR! TURN BACK NOW OR FOREVER BE SCARRED OR SOMETHING.
Okay, that takes care of that. Hell, as long as I said it, I might as well live up to it.
Let’s see, random stuff for discussion:
Best season so far – season two by a whisker, followed by season three. Season four had some high points but suffered from inconsistency and missed potential. Season one was a shakeout cruise.
Best episode so far – “Hush” is the obvious choice, but I have a major soft spot for “The Zeppo,” “Something Blue,” “Halloween,” “Doppelgangland,” and, especially, “The Wish.” Oh, and the season-four ender, “Restless,” contains quite possibly the best dream writing I’ve ever seen in any medium. Plus an honorable mention to one episode solely for its title, “The Yoko Factor.”
Worst episode so far – a tie between “Where the Wild Things Are” (in which Buffy and Riley’s lovemaking brings about badness) and “Killed by Death” (the one with the kids in the hospital).
Best obscure cultural reference – Xander offhandedly refers to Amy Yip in a second-season episode (don’t remember which). I literally fell off the couch, paused the DVD, and ran into the other room to get one of my Hong Kong Cinema reference books so I could explain it to my wife and show her a picture.
And P.S. – Yes, I’m watching “Firefly” until it either (1) loses its way or (2) gets cancelled.
(Big, big thanks again to Stoid.)
but the rest of the ep was really good too. I didn’t particularly care for “The Yoko Factor”, but if you want a cool title, how about the original title of “Invisible Girl”…“Out of Mind, Out of Sight”.