When you don't take 7 years to watch something but crash watch it all at once things are different.. I bet everyone (originally) was happy to see the high school setting but I was like WHAT not again, seriously? But that as a minor quibble, the writing just seemed so bored and awkward.
Three things have been getting on my nerves and despite these things I have enjoyed this show more than any other I've watched for a very long time (which is why I almost cried at the season 7 blahness).
The three things are:
1. Xander, enough with the whiney doucheyness and the constant insulting of Spike. That should have been a phase, thought the Anya relationship was the right step but then, backwards big time. And the insulting Anya every five seconds was sucky as well.
2. Buffy stop punching Spike in the face every time he says something you don't like. Just stop it. We know you can do it but unless he actually lays a hand on you it's abusive shit. It does serve to show that you really live in his world though.
3. Dawn. Whining. Whining. Whining. STOP. We get it, you're a teenager. A very unpleasant one most of the time.
I feel sorry for Xander sometimes because he was written into a rut and never changed much. But then he opens his mouth.