# Best season of Buffy? An X-mas question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003 "2004-12-09T21:49:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/1 "2004-12-09T21:49:23Z")
So, my girlfriend is a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched the first couple of seasons and liked them a lot, but then I moved abroad for a while, and never really got into it again. I’m thinking about getting her one or two seasons of the show on DVD, but I need some help: which seasons are better than the others? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/2 "2004-12-09T22:06:03Z")
Well, if you start at the beginning you’re set for presents for the next several occassions. Otherwise, season three and season five. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/3 "2004-12-09T22:06:08Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > So, my girlfriend is a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched the first couple of seasons and liked them a lot, but then I moved abroad for a while, and never really got into it again. > > I’m thinking about getting her one or two seasons of the show on DVD, but I need some help: which seasons are better than the others? Assuming she’s seen the all already, so she won’t mind getting them out of order, I’d personally vote for 4 and 5. I think in general it’s a bell curve. 4 and 5 are best, followed by 2 3 and 6, followed by 1 and 7. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/4 "2004-12-09T22:06:47Z")
My favorites are 3, 2 and 6. But you’ll find as many different answers as posters here. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/5 "2004-12-09T22:43:18Z")
If you get two, get her seasons 2 and 3. If you get her just one, get her season 3. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/6 "2004-12-09T22:44:26Z")
3, 2, 5, 4, 7, 1, 6 :d ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/7 "2004-12-10T00:25:09Z")
Season 3, no doubt. “The Prom”, by itself, makes it the best season. -lv ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/8 "2004-12-10T00:26:02Z")
If she hasn’t seen them already, you need to get them all, in order, starting with season 1. If she has, then Season 3 is easily the best, followed closely by Season 2. But It wouldn’t make any sense to give her Season 3 first, so give her 2. **Otto** : Season _ **Five** _?! You’re crazier than Drusilla! ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/9 "2004-12-10T01:24:20Z")
Season 3 is the best, then season 2. After that we’re in kind of a gray area. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/10 "2004-12-10T02:46:16Z")
Hmm, I find that I vary from most Buffy fans. My rating goes: 1. 5, 3, 2, 4, 1 and 7. I find the themes and character development in Season 6 to be the most fleshed out. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/11 "2004-12-10T03:28:00Z")
I’d say, in terms of total seasons, season 3 was the best, followed by 2. You had probably the best villian in the Mayor, you had the entire Buffy/Faith dynamic, Spike (in season 2, at least…he wasn’t really in season 3) was evil and not a wimp, and I think the series did best when it was about high school. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/12 "2004-12-10T03:41:41Z")
Personally, I think season 2 is the best. It has lots of crazy sh\*t happening, and has a very bittersweet ending. A freakin’ emotional rollercoaster. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/13 "2004-12-10T04:10:57Z")
My favorite is definitely season 6, both for its excellent stand-alone episodes (the musical, tabula rosa, the psych ward episode, etc.) and the character development that took place along its arc. It’s also the season that benefits most from being seen in a short period of time, as the episodes linked to one another quite closely and was thus pretty hard to follow on TV separated by 1+ weeks. It was easily the darkest season, but also the most captivating. And the humor that did surface really delivered (“oh dawn’s in trouble again… must be tuesday…”). The safest choice for season would be 3, simply because I can think of no one who doesn’t like it (6 is pretty polarizing in its effect on fans). My ordering would be: 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 1, 7 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/14 "2004-12-10T04:21:14Z")
What ever season had alternate universe Willow in that leather corset outfit. OH and the Bunnies song in the musical is probably my second favorite thing. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/15 "2004-12-10T06:41:15Z")
Seasons: 2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 4, and 7. The Mayor was an excellent villain, but nobody beats Angel when he’s bad. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/16 "2004-12-10T06:55:24Z")
6, 7, 5, 2, and 1. Haven’t seen 3 or 4. I’m a heretic though so it’d probably be best to ignore my post. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/17 "2004-12-10T07:09:28Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > **Otto** : Season _ **Five** _?! You’re crazier than Drusilla! I stand by my pick. Glory is second only to the Mayor for big bad. Dracula. “The Body.” Willow becomes a total badass. “Fool for Love.” The return of Drusilla. The Buffybot. “The Gift.” Overall definitely a solid second place, and crowding hard on first. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/18 "2004-12-10T09:15:44Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I stand by my pick. Glory is second only to the Mayor for big bad. Dracula. “The Body.” Willow becomes a total badass. “Fool for Love.” The return of Drusilla. The Buffybot. “The Gift.” Overall definitely a solid second place, and crowding hard on first. In a way, S.5, which is moving up to be my favorite and replacing S.3, is a condensed version of all the Buffyverse. It’s starts with her meeting the most famous vamp of all time and ends with “The Gift”. - “I owe you paaaaaaaain” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/19 "2004-12-10T09:49:14Z")
I’ve got to go for season 2 as the best standing season of Buffy. It was what convinced me that Buffy was worth watching and the overall arc of the season was easily the most coherant. And that’s not to say that I dismiss season 3; there’s some very good reasons its the consensus choice around here as it is the definitive set of Buffy episodes, but for a total story give me season 2. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003/20 "2004-12-10T12:53:57Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I stand by my pick. Glory is second only to the Mayor for big bad. Dracula. “The Body.” Willow becomes a total badass. “Fool for Love.” The return of Drusilla. The Buffybot. “The Gift.” Overall definitely a solid second place, and crowding hard on first. You’re crazier than Fred in Pylea! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-season-of-buffy-an-x-mas-question/279003.md?page=2)