season 1 - the first 12 episodes were definitely the best because they were definitely the most campy/comic book. Willow was the geekiest, Xander the dorkiest, Cordy the bitchiest, Giles was the Gilesiest, and Angel the most enigmatic. Episode 12 was the best episode, bar none. There was Buffy's tantrum and ultimate decision to accept a fate and BE the slayer. Then came the scenes in The Master's lair, Buffy's death, Xander and Angel working together, Buffy's re-birth and triumph, it was all so perfectly comic book.
Then....
2(tie) - S2 -- It ended twice, the first time with so much camp and comic book flare - "Surprise/Innocence", and any season with a ep with the emotion of "Passion" followed by and ending like S2's deserves to be at the top. 2(tie) - S5 -- Emotion, the sense of loss ("The Body," Riley) and imbending loss (Dawn, The Key, and everything) throughout made the triumph and ultimate loss all the more deeply felt.
4(tie) - S3 -- It still had the campy factor but not as much nor was there as much tension. 4(tie) - s4 -- It was all about friendship and loyalty and while some don't think of it as an ending episode, "Restless" was indeed about how their friendships molded the persons that they would become. And "Restless" was about as perfect a psychological cliffhanger as there has ever been.
5 - S6 -- The camp came through at times in specific points like "Once More With Feeling" which was just pure genius. It also fit my mood the year it aired....
7 - S7 -- Well, 7 & 7 sorta fit, even the '&' sign is on the '7' key! But it ended the series perfectly, because Buffy deserved to be free of Sunnydale and free of Spike. And Spike deserved to be free.
no subject
season 1 - the first 12 episodes were definitely the best because they were definitely the most campy/comic book. Willow was the geekiest, Xander the dorkiest, Cordy the bitchiest, Giles was the Gilesiest, and Angel the most enigmatic. Episode 12 was the best episode, bar none. There was Buffy's tantrum and ultimate decision to accept a fate and BE the slayer. Then came the scenes in The Master's lair, Buffy's death, Xander and Angel working together, Buffy's re-birth and triumph, it was all so perfectly comic book.
Then....
2(tie) - S2 -- It ended twice, the first time with so much camp and comic book flare - "Surprise/Innocence", and any season with a ep with the emotion of "Passion" followed by and ending like S2's deserves to be at the top.
2(tie) - S5 -- Emotion, the sense of loss ("The Body," Riley) and imbending loss (Dawn, The Key, and everything) throughout made the triumph and ultimate loss all the more deeply felt.
4(tie) - S3 -- It still had the campy factor but not as much nor was there as much tension.
4(tie) - s4 -- It was all about friendship and loyalty and while some don't think of it as an ending episode, "Restless" was indeed about how their friendships molded the persons that they would become. And "Restless" was about as perfect a psychological cliffhanger as there has ever been.
5 - S6 -- The camp came through at times in specific points like "Once More With Feeling" which was just pure genius. It also fit my mood the year it aired....
7 - S7 -- Well, 7 & 7 sorta fit, even the '&' sign is on the '7' key! But it ended the series perfectly, because Buffy deserved to be free of Sunnydale and free of Spike. And Spike deserved to be free.
...