Buffy turns 20

[kirk55555]

I love the show. I didn't catch it on TV (except, looking back, I realized I'd stumbled onto Buffy's sacrifice scene at the end of season 5 as it aired, which was years before I watched the show). I liked all the main cast members except Dawn, but Giles and Willow were probably my favorite. My two favorite episodes are Once More with Feeling (the only good non-animated musical ever in my opinion) and Tabula Rasa (another season 6 episode, where everyone loses their memories).

My favorite Season is Season 6, and least favorite is a tie between Season 2 (I HATE Spike and Drusilla as the season villains, even though I like them as characters outside of their season 2 appearances) and Season 5 (Glory is the worst bad guy in the show by far, and Dawn was irritating, pointless and useless, and I could probably count the good episodes of the season on one hand, without using all five fingers). When I was watching the show originally I was getting the seasons from the library, and they didn't have Season 5. I ended up watching that last (it made Dawn even more confusing to watch it that way, but I'm glad I did because I would have dropped Buffy before my favorite season if I'd had to suffer through season 5 in order).

Overall its a great show. I'd say that Firefly is my favorite Whedon show, but Buffy is a close second.

 

[Forbin]

Brava for Hannigan's single lyric.

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That is just an utterly brilliant few minutes of writing, directing, performing, and cinematography. Every bit as good a show-stopping number as "Tonight" in West Side Story. And the completely perfect timing of those fire trucks!! :O

 

[Forbin]

I want to re-watch OMWF, but the version on Netflix is the shortened version for TV re-runs

That's why God created DVDs.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Buffy is the only show where, if I catch it somewhere I will always stop to watch no matter what episode is on. I can't say that about anything else, not even TOS.

 

[Tuskin38]

How different are the two version of OMWF? I don't remember noticing anything missing when I watched it on FX back when they used to show Buffy all the time.

The original version is 50 minutes long, so it had to be cut down for syndication.

I didn't watch it all the way through, but the 2nd song was cut short I know that much.

 

[SAndrews10]

I don't remember how they went about doing it but I know they got them to put the longer version of the Lost finale on Netflix. Maybe hit up Joss or someone on social media.

 

[DigificWriter]

Since some people have mentioned their favorite villains, I figured I'd do so as well. With Season 6 being my favorite season, both Warren and Willow make the list, and are joined by Glory (Season 5), Spike and Drusilla (Season 2), and Maggie Walsh (Season 4).

I also figured I'd share my Top 5 Favorite BtVS Seasons, #s 2-5 (since Season 6, as noted, is my #1):
2. Season 5
3. Season 2
4. Season 3
5. Season 4

 

[Ethros]

It's sometimes hard with best seasons, as when I think of Season 2 I think of the high points like Becoming, Surprise/Innocence, Passion etc, but I forget there are plenty of "average" episodes that season. Years ago I scored every episode of the show out of 5, and on average Season 2 scored lower than s4 for me, but when I think of the show as a whole I'd like to think I still like 2 more with that early Highschool era.
So I'd probably rank them for me like (best to worst)-
1. Season 3
2. Season 5
3. Season 2
4. Season 4
5. Season 7
6. Season 1
7. Season 6

It's not the themes or plots or anything I didn't like about Season 6, I just found far too many episodes pretty boring and/or stupid & silly. The season sags like crazy in the middle.

Favourite villains would have to be Angelus or the Mayor

 

[LJones41]

I started watching "BUFFY" during its fourth season and became a big fan. I also managed to catch up with its previous three seasons before the series moved on with its last three seasons. It's odd. Most people tend to prefer the show's earlier seasons, but for some reason, I'm not a big fan of Seasons One and Two, despite a handful of episodes. Season Five is probably my favorite of the bunch.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

1. Season 3
2. Season 5
3. Season 2
4. Season 4
5. Season 7
6. Season 1
7. Season 6

Agree with that order almost exactly except I'd swap 2 and 5, and I'd swap 7 and 4.

Season 6 has a few spectacular episodes. But, Buffy is a show that is at it's best when it balances silly thematic fun with serious drama. Season 6 was designed around having its characters beat up by reality in harsh, depressing ways, but it didn't separate that darkness from the show's inherent silliness, and the result was downright uncomfortable.

I

My favorite Season is Season 6, and least favorite is a tie between Season 2 (I HATE Spike and Drusilla as the season villains, even though I like them as characters outside of their season 2 appearances) and Season 5 (Glory is the worst bad guy in the show by far, and Dawn was irritating, pointless and useless, and I could probably count the good episodes of the season on one hand, without using all five fingers). When I was watching the show originally I was getting the seasons from the library, and they didn't have Season 5. I ended up watching that last (it made Dawn even more confusing to watch it that way, but I'm glad I did because I would have dropped Buffy before my favorite season if I'd had to suffer through season 5 in order).

If I watched the show when it aired as a college student I probably would agree about Glory and Dawn. But I saw the show for the first time in 2015, and I like them both. Dawn wasn't the most useful member of the crew but she brought out the best in Buffy and kept her grounded, and I loved the story they told about her. The otherwise normal teenager caught up in craziness beyond her control. And I thought the idea of an invincible evil Cordelia was a brilliant idea for a villain.

 

[Mudd]

I liked Dawn just fine.

 

[Jax]

I liked Dawn just fine.

Once they explained her reason for simply being then I got over my Dawn issues and to be fair being a teenager during its original run, I had a crush on her in season 6 & 7 so I am bias

 

[DigificWriter]

Adding Dawn to the show and treating her as if she'd always been there was just one of many examples of Joss' brilliance as a storyteller, and would've been so even if the show hadn't gone on to explain WHY everybody thought she'd always been there.

Michelle Trachtenberg's portrayal and performance also helped when it came to accepting the character, IMO, as she really made Dawn believable as the "bratty little sister" but without being off-putting.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I'm pretty neutral about Dawn. I did like her more in season 7, when the gang started to let her help. In season 5 she was only a few years younger than they were in season 1 but they treated her like she was 10. It was odd.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I don't remember how they went about doing it but I know they got them to put the longer version of the Lost finale on Netflix. Maybe hit up Joss or someone on social media.

Well Whedon hates the HD remasters (And rightfully so.) and I doubt Netflix would be okay with having one episode different from the others, even if it was OMWF.

With any luck, someone with come up with a better upscaling/deinterlacing algorithm for streaming someday, so that Netflix would be willing rollback to the DVD masters. (This is true for a lot of shows.)

 

[Ethros]

How long till the inevitable remake then?
Remember all those rumours a few years ago, I think it was actually around 2009/2010 the news was circulating. Luckily nothing came of it, only six years after the show ended seemed a little soon. I suppose now it's been 14 years...
http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Untitled_Buffy_theatrical_reboot

I wouldn't choose for it, I'm just saying I won't be surprised if eventually it happens. And if they do I'd definitely rather have a remake of the original movie/origin story as it were. Buffy as a ditzy LA student who finds out she has the strength and skill to hunt the vampires and stop the spread of their evil blah blah blah.

Then you wouldn't even need to include the likes of Xander, Willow, Giles etc and not upset those hardcore TV show fans too much I guess. Or they'd probably end up in there anyway, depends how you do it. I think the danger would just be doing something ultimately forgettable, like a lot of the countless 'horror classic' remakes during the 2000s compared to the few rare ones which stuck out.

 

[LJones41]

It depends . . . will it be a remake of the movie or the TV series?

 

[JD]

Wasn't there talk of a Buffy movie reboot, without Whedon, a year or two ago?

 

[Jax]

Rebooting Buffy in LA over Sunnydale might not go over well the the fanbase. I don't think we need a reboot of the Buffy character, I would more prefer to expand the universe we already know which a new TV show with new characters. I like the idea of a half human/demon female lead, one who walks both worlds (if you get me) and why not even have the whole demon thing known to the entire world (I guess Alien Nation in a way or even the CW Supergirl show).

 

[DigificWriter]

The Kazuis trying to reboot the Buffy movie - which is the only thing they can do - is a monumentally bad idea that is never going to go anwhere.