Buffy: An Appreciation and a Ranking!

[Deset Gled]

I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS A GIANT PRAYING MANTIS!

C'mon, are you ever going to let Xander live that down?

If it was just that one time, sure. But if you factor in Ampata, Anya, and Lissa, the dude's got a demon love problem. Heck, even his human love interests are all supernaturally complicated in one way or another.

On a serious note, Buffy was one of the shows that bridged the gap between episodic TV shows designed for syndication, and the wave of serialized prime-time TV that would reign supreme after the turn of the century. Season 1 is where the formula of episodic A-plot with serialized background was honed. A big part of why a rate Season 1 higher than others in this thread is that I believe the greatness of Season 3 is improved by watching Season 1 for background and character/setting establishment. As opposed to, say, ST:TNG, where you can straight up ignore Season 1 to get to the good stuff, and never miss it.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

On a serious note, Buffy was one of the shows that bridged the gap between episodic TV shows designed for syndication, and the wave of serialized prime-time TV that would reign supreme after the turn of the century. Season 1 is where the formula of episodic A-plot with serialized background was honed. A big part of why a rate Season 1 higher than others in this thread is that I believe the greatness of Season 3 is improved by watching Season 1 for background and character/setting establishment. As opposed to, say, ST:TNG, where you can straight up ignore Season 1 to get to the good stuff, and never miss it.

That is what I was alluding to at the beginning of the OP. Unless you lived through it and experienced, it is genuinely hard to describe.

For the most part, the only shows that had continuing plot lines were "soaps," either of the daytime variety (General Hospital, etc.) or the nighttime variety (Dallas and its ilk). Occasionally, you would have shows that had continuing plotlines that weren't true nighttime soaps, but were "soap-y" lawyer/police/hospital dramas, such as your St. Elsewheres, Hill Street Blues, or L.A. Laws.

But the idea that you would have characters change and evolve from episode to episode, season to season, that actions would necessarily have impacts later on (even several seasons on), that people would study shows for hints of what would come ... none of that was occurring, especially with "genre" TV.

The 90s was exactly that bridge point. At one end, you had the pervasive three-camera sitcoms with laughtracks and the "case of the week" shows (the case could be a legal case, a mystery, a crime, or a medical case, but ... it was a case, and it would be resolved). At the other end of the decade, you had the Sopranos and the Wire and the dawn of Prestige TV (the Sopranos debuted in 1999, the Wire in 2002, and Deadwood in 2004 ... so this period is usually considered the dawn of prestige television).

But the sea change was occurring with shows like Buffy (debuted with a season-long arc in 1997, season 2 also was in 1997), Babylon 5 (first season of 1994), DS9 (begins more heavy arc-dependent plot with Dominion war in 1997), and, of course, X-Files (hate them or..., um.... hate them, the mythology episodes that eventually folded in on themselves in a confusing black hole of nonsense provided a continuing plot line).

It was a wild transitional time for TV, and Buffy is, arguably, the transitional-est.

 

[Deset Gled]

The 90s was exactly that bridge point. At one end, you had the pervasive three-camera sitcoms with laughtracks and the "case of the week" shows (the case could be a legal case, a mystery, a crime, or a medical case, but ... it was a case, and it would be resolved). At the other end of the decade, you had the Sopranos and the Wire and the dawn of Prestige TV (the Sopranos debuted in 1999, the Wire in 2002, and Deadwood in 2004 ... so this period is usually considered the dawn of prestige television).

But the sea change was occurring with shows like Buffy (debuted with a season-long arc in 1997, season 2 also was in 1997), Babylon 5 (first season of 1994), DS9 (begins more heavy arc-dependent plot with Dominion war in 1997), and, of course, X-Files (hate them or..., um.... hate them, the mythology episodes that eventually folded in on themselves in a confusing black hole of nonsense provided a continuing plot line).

I feel we should also acknowledge Twin Peaks in this list. While Buffy and X-Files took episodic shows and transitioned them into an arc, Twin Peaks started more on the soapy side but merged into a murder show. Also, it was from earlier: 1990. Note: I have only seen an episode or two of Twink Peaks, but one of these days I'll get around to watching the whole thing.

Unless you lived through it and experienced, it is genuinely hard to describe.

The "lived through it" part is also why I think Season 6 often doesn't get the credit it's due. Despite being low on my list, I still love it.

Season 6 doesn't binge well, I think people might like it better when watched one episode a week. As you said, it's dark and depressing, and it's a shift in tone and style. But it's really important to remember the context that it was released in. First, the show was almost cancelled and changed networks, which is a shock few shows can recover from. It was unsettling to the fandom at the time, and everyone new that there would be changes in writers, sets, etc.

Second, it was being made and released in the immediate wake of 9/11. A lot of TV was screwed up then. On the one hand, you had shows like Third Watch that re-wrote themselves around it. On the other hand you had shows like Friends that completely ignored it. For Buffy there was no great way to address it directly; there's no way that linking in the supernatural to it would have been well accepted. But IMNSHO, a lot of the tone of the show really reflects the emotions of the day. Among other things, the idea that the big bad was "among us" really fit with the fears of terrorism instead of a monolithic nuclear foe.

And finally, Season 6 is also the season that most directly addresses the real world changes in technology. Does anyone remember Buffy's iconic "If the apocalypse comes, beep me" line from Season 1? Season 6 is where they give Dawn a cell phone as a present, and Willow magics into the internet. How many of the season 1-3 plots wouldn't work if all the high schoolers had cell phones (and cameras) all the time? It's a noticeable change and a transition for the characters - just as it was a noticeable change and transition for all of us living through it at the time. For a show it can feel rough at times, but it's also realistic.

 

[MarkB]

And finally, Season 6 is also the season that most directly addresses the real world changes in technology. Does anyone remember Buffy's iconic "If the apocalypse comes, beep me" line from Season 1? Season 6 is where they give Dawn a cell phone as a present, and Willow magics into the internet. How many of the season 1-3 plots wouldn't work if all the high schoolers had cell phones (and cameras) all the time? It's a noticeable change and a transition for the characters - just as it was a noticeable change and transition for all of us living through it at the time. For a show it can feel rough at times, but it's also realistic.

I still remember how much trouble writers had back then, adapting to the fact that people routinely had instantaneous communication. You saw it especially in the first couple of seasons of Angel, where he does get a mobile phone, but the writers take every excuse to have it be out of charge, or oh dear he's in a tunnel so there's no signal.

24 was really the show that broke the back of that collective writers' block, by making mobile phones not merely something to tolerate, but absolutely central to the plot.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I feel we should also acknowledge Twin Peaks in this list. While Buffy and X-Files took episodic shows and transitioned them into an arc, Twin Peaks started more on the soapy side but merged into a murder show. Also, it was from earlier: 1990. Note: I have only seen an episode or two of Twink Peaks, but one of these days I'll get around to watching the whole thing.

Twink Peaks? Oh, Agent Cooper!

I think that Twin Peaks was sui generis in so many ways. Even now, just thinking about it ... while the idea of David Lynch having a tv show today is no big deal, in 1990 .... well, the biggest shows in 1990-91 were almost all sitcoms (Cheers, Cosby, Roseanna, The Golden Girls), and the top two rated dramas were Murder, She Wrote and Matlock.

So Twin Peaks was just out there in a lot of ways. It was almost more of an event, a weird miniseries (the first season was eight episodes) that captured the imagination and was expanded into a short-lived series.

Hmmm.... donuts.

The "lived through it" part is also why I think Season 6 often doesn't get the credit it's due. Despite being low on my list, I still love it.

Season 6 doesn't binge well, I think people might like it better when watched one episode a week. As you said, it's dark and depressing, and it's a shift in tone and style. But it's really important to remember the context that it was released in. First, the show was almost cancelled and changed networks, which is a shock few shows can recover from. It was unsettling to the fandom at the time, and everyone new that there would be changes in writers, sets, etc.

Second, it was being made and released in the immediate wake of 9/11. A lot of TV was screwed up then. On the one hand, you had shows like Third Watch that re-wrote themselves around it. On the other hand you had shows like Friends that completely ignored it. For Buffy there was no great way to address it directly; there's no way that linking in the supernatural to it would have been well accepted. But IMNSHO, a lot of the tone of the show really reflects the emotions of the day. Among other things, the idea that the big bad was "among us" really fit with the fears of terrorism instead of a monolithic nuclear foe.

And finally, Season 6 is also the season that most directly addresses the real world changes in technology. Does anyone remember Buffy's iconic "If the apocalypse comes, beep me" line from Season 1? Season 6 is where they give Dawn a cell phone as a present, and Willow magics into the internet. How many of the season 1-3 plots wouldn't work if all the high schoolers had cell phones (and cameras) all the time? It's a noticeable change and a transition for the characters - just as it was a noticeable change and transition for all of us living through it at the time. For a show it can feel rough at times, but it's also realistic.

I agree with all of this. Especially the binge-y parts.

I truly enjoy shows like Rectify and the Leftovers (both of them are on my top 20 shows), but both of them are also shows that I deliberately paced myself on. You just can't settle in for a long weekend and gorge yourself.

Season 6 needs to be enjoyed (enjoyed being a ... interesting term) at a slowed pace. You just can't mainline it into your veins over a week, or it's too much.


Re: technology ... what, you don't remember Moloch the Corrupter from Season 1? THAT IS HOW COMPUTERS WORK!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

24 was really the show that broke the back of that collective writers' block, by making mobile phones not merely something to tolerate, but absolutely central to the plot.

What about X-Files? The giant cell phones of Mulder and Scully, that would work unless the plot dictated that they didn't?

 

[DrunkonDuty]

My rating list for Buffy:

Season 3. For all the reasons everyone has said. (Has anyone not placed it at the top of their list?)

Season 2. For Spike and Dru. Yeah, yeah Angel has something to do with the plot or whatever. Not that I don't like Angel but it's not like he and Buffy ever had more than a tiny fraction of Spike and Dru's chemistry.

Season 5. I like Dawn. I think she was a good addition to the show. A bratty younger sibling was something missing from the earlier seasons. And I liked Glory.

Season 1. It set the foundations of the show. I remember I was re-watching episode 1 with a (female) friend of mine. Opening scene, Darla and some jock are sneaking into school after hours. In a jaded tone of voice my friend says "Yeah, yeah, he's a vampire, he's going to kill her." Cue her surprise when Darla turns out to be the vampire.

Season 6. I liked the trio. My main issue with it is that Willow's turn to the dark side could have been done better.

Season 4. Yeah, Adam was boring. Riley was boring. Hush was amazing.

Season 7. Nothing good to be said for this season. Honestly, when I re-watch I don't even bother with this season.

 

[trappedslider]

I would also like to point out that Buffy is to be blamed for the creation of Tvtropes.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

I would also like to point out that Buffy is to be blamed for the creation of Tvtropes.

Something else I an thankful for!

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I would also like to point out that Buffy is to be blamed for the creation of Tvtropes.

I don't think it is a coincidence that the rise of "smart" TV and the rise of the internet occurred at the same time.

I still remember watching Babylon 5, and then checking Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5; originally created on Usenet, it migrated to the web back when people were talking about Mosaic and Netscape.