1. How did you get into BtVS?
People kept pushing it on me. I figured I'd see a few eps just to say I saw it and I think I needed another dvd to get the special at the video store anyway, so I grabbed it. Turns out it was what I needed at the time, though no matter what, I just love the dialog of that show, and some of the surreal conversations sounding so serious and deadpan.
2. Which season is your favorite?
I always start with season 1 on rewatches because it has such a strong start and is such campy fun, but it's something of a tie between seasons 2 (after the slow start) and 3.
3. Which season is your least favorite?
Season 7. It's obvious to me that everyone (or close enough) involved in the show then was exhausted with it and just wanted it to be done. (And countless scenes with just even a second thought could've been improved, like instead of "drowning Spike in a bucket" they put a leak in that bucket that drips holy water on him, and there are so many other scenes I'd instantly rewrite if I could that would take almost no time whatsoever. And then there are the much longer revisions...revisions in which Spuffy is still a possibility and a ship I could be much more sympathetic to.)
4. Which is your favorite episode?
It's ironic that as much as I dislike s7, Conversations with Dead People comes close to being a favorite...had they managed to score the characters of Jesse and Tara rather than what we got I think it would stand the chance of being one of the best eps in the entire series for me (though it wouldn't change my mind about s7 overall)...OTOH, I wouldn't want the scene of Dawn dancing in the kitchen cut, that was both cute and a perfect way to spring unexpected horror.
As it is, I'm gonna have to go with The Wish for showcasing what a difference Buffy and the rest make, that really feel good end after such grimdark (and love Giles remark of "because it has to be" before destroying that reality, at least Anyanka's connection to it and thus their own), and the sequel episode later. But Prophecy Girl is real close for me.
5. Which is your least favorite episode?
I'm gonna count all s7 eps as counted for disliked season (though I don't think they're all bad, especially in the first half) and thus not count them.
Therefore, I'd have to say that Dead Man's Party and Doomed are episodes I'm highly tempted to skip. It used to be Buffy vs Dracula for reasons I'd rather not go into (though I'd have stated this one outright in previous years), but I've softened on that one (still not a fan despite a few cool or funny moments).
6. Who is your favorite character?
Favorite character...that's a tough one as it's how they all play on each other. Any one by themselves just wouldn't be as good (and then there's some really character violating moments in later seasons to serve the plot that really muddy it).
So I'll instead translate the question is "who do you identify with most closely" rather that "who is my favorite." That would be Jenny, but she's not my actual favorite (and I'm fine, meta-story wise, with her death, I'd have just preferred Jenny to Olivia in Gile's dream in Restless).
7. Who is your least favorite character?
Least favorite...can't say Snyder as I just loved to hate him so much (and pretty similar for Flutie as well). I guess offhand it's a tie between Parker Abrams and Cameron Walker for very similar (but not identical) reasons. Glad a high school Buffy was better able to handle a guy like that from the start.
8. Who is your favorite villain?
The Mayor...though for personal reasons the Angelus arc really stands out and is what pulled me all the way in to become somewhat obsessed with the show at the time.
9. Who do you think is the most overrated character?
Oz.
Don't get me wrong, I love him, but see him as overrated by many. But I think if he stuck around and explored his Wolf side rather than trying to fully suppress it (and letting the Veruca arc go on for longer with long term consequences for the character) that he could've become my favorite, and be the one with my favorite arc.
10. Who do you think is the most underrated character?
Though I don't much care for older seasons, I'd say that was Dawn, including by the writers themselves.
11. Who is your favorite supporting character?
Tie between Xander and Willow. But IMO, it was Giles rather than Xander who had the best speeches in support and affection for Buffy.
12. Which ship is your favorite?
Personally, I think ships are to be endured. If I were the target audience (admittedly a small audience) then they'd be in the background at most, and certainly able to keep it together (and in the pants) when the world is on the verge of ending. And even just some plain priorities.
But I did like Giles/Jenny (but I was also moved that after Joyce's death that Giles played the song in secret that he and Joyce had listened to while under Ethan's spell). And I'm very fond of thinking about a Gunn/Anne ship (and them having a daughter named Buffy). Not that I seek out any shipper fics.
13. Which ship is your least favorite?
I'm gonna go with that ridiculous Xander/Willow cheating arc (again where plot trumps character), though many of the other ships start off just as eye roll worthy and hard to endure for me. It's that in addition to it feeling like plot warping character, there were too many betrayals involved, and then quickly discarded when no longer useful to the plot.
14. Which is your favorite friendship?
Xander and Willow.
15. What is your favorite moment in the entire series?
To avoid having to choose a series final episode, I'll say where Buffy puts the Council in their place in season 5 (plus the fight scene against the Knights just before that). That speech is everything great about Buffy. (It's also just one of the reasons I reject the idea that Buffy needs to "grow up" in season 6 shoved down our throats, which many believe, but I can't accept because of scenes like this, among others, in earlier seasons, among other factors just best not to bring up on why it was just another "adult" concept season 6 handled poorly.)
16. Who had the most tragic death?
Jenny. She died in terror (and I think guilt, the only reason why she wouldn't have the cross she had the first time she faced Angelus in the school) while looking forward to the future.
In contrast, Joyce and Tara died almost instant deaths (I hope mine is as easy) and probably wouldn't have liked the future had they survived.
17. Do you have a favorite fight scene?
Offhand, the battle in the RV against the Knights of Byzantium. All of the characters.
18. Who do you believe has the best character arc?
Despite the shaky writing, and how often plot trumps character, I'd say Xander had the best arc overall. I'm almost tempted to say Faith, but too many reasons keep me from doing so despite my gut.
That said, I mentioned that while Oz was the most overrated character, I think he had the potential to have had the greatest character arc out of all of them.
19. If you had to pick any character to be permanently killed off, who would you pick?
Assuming major character...either Xander in another act of saving others (basically similar in tone between his staring down that undead with a bomb under the school and also Buffy leaping to her death in s5, not just getting his neck snapped by Caleb), or Willow at the end of s7 when the spell overwhelms her (but it works, and cheesy shot of Willow and Tara reunited perfectly allowed in this case, and when Xander mentions Willow with grief, Buffy's smile is instead that she knows Willow is happy, her story complete). In either case it should mark the end of the series.
I've also thought of Dawn being the one to close the Hellmouth using her Key powers (as opposed to the McGuffins practically handed to Buffy), the tragic ending that followed being the others talking about that miracle green light and wondering what it was, and Buffy saying she doesn't know, but felt as if she knew it somehow, maybe a forgotten dream or Slayer vision, Buffy trailing off. I know it's tragic (but note that it's also the end of the series for me), but then lots of people supposedly love grimdark realism and tragedy anyway, and this would be just one of that which I'd actually appreciate...not seeing Dawn die (in fact, she can have a cheesy moment of her "afterlife" as well) but the sacrifice and stakes involved (and truly "back to the beginning" before the "Dawnverse"). And it's in the spirit of the question, if none of them had to die then I wouldn't kill her off.
20. And finally, who is Buffy Summers' one true love?
I don't believe in OTPs/one true loves.
AND I'd like it if Buffy found someone new rather than any of her old boyfriends (or even anyone she knew). Different writers and producers had their own ideas, but since they disagree (sometimes even with themselves depending on the day), I'll ignore them (which is meta anyway).
That said, I do like the answer above of it being Dawn...I might even choose that one myself save many can't tell true love from romance (and therefore grossly misunderstand me), and also I can't help but remain suspicious of how much the monk's magic is still affecting Buffy's mind and emotions since the false memories are still there.
