Are you a 'Loyalist' or 'Jumper' fan? lets find out!

[Sweet J]

I found this great website that deals with the two largest camps of BtVS fans.

To find out if you're a 'jumper' or 'loyalist' fan take a gander here and see which list you agree with more, there is also a dandy graph too:
http://www.phi-phenomenon.org/buffy/tastes/ranked.htm

In all likelihood most fans fall in between the two camps, but it'll be fascinating to see just how many fans are in only 1 camp.


''The results suggested that there might be two different tastes in Buffy episodes. The more widely held of these two tastes, which, for now, will be called "Loyalists," are held by fans who may not be all that fond of the first season, but liked all the other seasons equally. However, a significant minority, which, for now, will be called "Jumpers" believe that the show was consistantly increasing in quality for the first three seasons and consistantly declined in quality after that. The most commonly cited reasons are graduation from high school, Tara, Riley,the Initiative arc & Dawn.''

I personally single the character of Dawn out for being most culpable in BtVS's demise.

As it turns out, I'm a clear Jumper, but also love Season 5,6 & 7 episodes like Normal Again etc.

''For those who are curious, the addition of the list of Joss Whedon's favorite episodes not written by him clearly moves him from a clear Loyalist to being more of a Jumper than a Loyalist.''
http://www.phi-phenomenon.org/buffy/tastes/

Other pages on the site worth a quick look incl:
The episodes that most polarize fans-
http://www.phi-phenomenon.org/buffy/polarized.htm

& this predictive 'top episode' equation seems pretty darn effective, and is based on only 4 variables!
http://www.phi-phenomenon.org/buffy/predicted.htm

So let the polling begin!

 

[Enemies]

I opted for jumper. Although I love BtVS in its entirety it definitely holds my attention better in seasons 2&3. Mostly because this is where the majority of my favourite episodes are but that doesn't mean to say that I don't love other episodes/seasons too. I do think Buffy took a turn towards unbelievable in season five but luckily regained itself with the Glory arc. I think this season holds some fantastic episodes for me too.

 

[sosa lola]

Mixed fan. I enjoy watching the earlier seasons more. But I like discussing and reading/writing fics about the later seasons.

 

[shadcat]

I'm not either - although a couple of my fave episodes are high on the Jumpers side.

 

[Kean]

Jumper. So very much a jumper. However, my reason for not liking the final 3 seasons rests completely on my distaste of Spike and his prevalence in seasons 5,6 and 7.

Interesting site, though.

 

[Moscow Watcher]

"Jumpers" believe that the show was consistantly increasing in quality for the first three seasons and consistantly declined in quality after that. The most commonly cited reasons are graduation from high school, Tara, Riley,the Initiative arc & Dawn.''

How strange. I'm in this fandom for 10 years, and, so far, on every place I know, the "jumpers" mostly blame Spike.

 

[Kean]

How strange. I'm in this fandom for 10 years, and, so far, on every place I know, the "jumpers" mostly blame Spike.

It's not blame, it is merely expressing that there is an element of the show I didn't enjoy. It works the same way with people saying that they don't like S3 because they were uninterested in Angel/Bangel. Both are perfectly valid and sound opinions to have.

It's not an attack or offensive tactic, it's just opinion and personal taste.

 

[Cast No Shadow]

I went with loyalist, I used to prefer the earlier seasons, now they don't hold my attention as much.
Could be because I've watched them more.

 

[Moscow Watcher]

It's not blame, it is merely expressing that there is an element of the show I didn't enjoy. It works the same way with people saying that they don't like S3 because they were uninterested in Angel/Bangel. Both are perfectly valid and sound opinions to have.

It's not an attack or offensive tactic, it's just opinion and personal taste.

Maybe I used a wrong word - sorry, hon.

But the general consensus on TWoP was (and still is) that Spike has ruined BtVS. Practically all people I met who dislike later seasons say that in was Spike who has ruined the show for them.

Back when I discovered online fandom I used to be frustrated about such attitude - but now I'm philosophical about it. I accepted it as a fandom constant.

I just find it strange that the people on that site cite other reasons for disliking later seasons.

 

[Kean]

Maybe I used a wrong word - sorry, hon.

But the general consensus on TWoP was (and still is) that Spike has ruined BtVS. Practically all people I met who dislike later seasons say that in was Spike who has ruined the show for them.

Back when I discovered online fandom I used to be frustrated about such attitude - but now I'm philosophical about it. I accepted it as a fandom constant.

I just find it strange that the people on that site cite other reasons for disliking later seasons.

None of us enjoy seeing/hearing others say they dislike/hate what we love. I suppose the thing we have to remember is that no matter how others feel about certain characters it has nothing to do with how you feel about them. Or as you said, you have to be philosophical about it. If someone watched the show and Spike, Angel, Xander, Clem...anyone, hampered their enjoyment of the show then that is perfectly fine. That is their experience. It doesn't change what your experience has been. Even if yours was in complete opposition to another's. Especially when yours in complete opposition to another's.

There's room for us all. 🙂

 

[Icarium]

Jumper. I am yet to see a show that went from incredibly good to downright unwatchable the way BtVS did. Pretty much every longish TV series ends up with a disappointing final season because producers just refuse to cancel a show that makes money, so it's not like I have seen that happen but the scale of the fall in the case of BtVS is one that I have never witnessed in another show. Although, this might be due to me being willing to drop shows halfway through. 🙂 With BtVS I can't seem to let go, so I bitch about its fault more often than I praise its brilliance.

However, a significant minority, which, for now, will be called "Jumpers" believe that the show was consistently increasing in quality for the first three seasons and consistently declined in quality after that. The most commonly cited reasons are graduation from high school, Tara, Riley,the Initiative arc & Dawn.

What? Riley and Tara are more commonly cited reasons for the decline than Spike? I don't think so.

 

[Taake]

Jumper, though I can still enjoy season 5 I absolutely can't stand s6-7 anymore, I didn't mind them as much first time around, I was disappointed but I was glad to have more Buffy. By now I'm even contemplating to get rid of those dvd's cause I can't stand to watch them really (excenption 'Once more with feeling')

Though I don't like how much space Spike took during the last seasons it's actually not the reason why I dislike so much. I dislike them because I feel a lot of the show's spark disappeared, the writing took a down turn, the characters... well they just seemed to lost ability to make them funny or interesting (hence the emphasis of Spike who suddenly seemed to be the only character the writers put any effort into writing along with Buffy)

Suddenly the scooby relationship seemed downplayed because everyone was with their significant other instead (who needs friends if you're in a relationship rigt?) and with Giles gone it definitely felt as if they were kind of lost... not sure really what to do. It made for a weak show in my opinion and I think that s8 (what little good it did) did show that Xander and Willow still were great characters to be counted. (Why couldn't Dracula/Xander had been around on the tv-show? Could've been interesting...)

So I don't really blame Spike 😉 I blame the writers...

 

[Kairos]

Ditto to the being a "jumper" but not for any of the reasons listed in the OP. I love Dawn, like Tara, like Riley, and even enjoy the Initiative...I do miss high school, but the college/adult stuff was cool too.

All in all I don't think anything that was added to the show was detrimental except for Kennedy and Andrew. It was more about what it lost - high romance, carefree adventure, unabashed drama, and too many irreplaceable characters. I see it as kind of inevitable, and I'm happy to embrace the entirety of the show despite the downward trend.

 

[ladydorotea]

Jumper, not surprisingly. and the more I rewatched the show the less I liked the later seasons. I never tried to rationalize/serialize my major reasons of getting the fatigue, I guess all of what is listed on that site sort of fits. My instinct though was I was extremely tired of all the pessimism/tragedy of the latest seasons, that was not well justified by the ever so convoluted plot. I get the alienation settles upon us all as we got older, and transition into adulthood through the crushed hopes of youth. Still, I think the overall theme/message of the show suffered because of continuous replay of the same old tropes and needless sacrifice of characters that became almost a joke of its own.

 

[brinkster130]

Another Jumper here, although not at all for the reasons listed. I loved Riley, there wasn't anything wrong with Tara and while poorly executed I thought the Initiative story line was good.

For me, as the series progresses most of the characters become less likable. All the relationships we grew to love start suffering because of how self centered so many of the characters became.

 

[david4wt]

Absolutely a Loyalist, kinda everything I love most is in the later seasons.

 

[SlayerFest]

Both of those lists ticked me off. Seasons 2 and 3 are my favorite but I don't dislike the later seasons either. I definitely prefer the early seasons, but a lot of that is based on...nostalgia haha. I doubt I'd love season 4 as much as I do if I hadn't watched it first. If I had started watching Buffy now, I'd probably hate a lot of that season, maybe all of it...except Hush, This Year's Girl/Who Are You, and Restless.

 

[Gum Gnome33]

I'm a loyalist, because of Spike's character arc, partially Anya's, and the incredible development of Buffy Summers.

I agree that the earlier seasons are better written, more clever, and more dynamic.

So if Spike and Buffy and their storylines have so much to do with why I like later seasons, I guess that makes me a Spuffy? 😛

as the series progresses most of the characters become less likable. All the relationships we grew to love start suffering because of how self centered so many of the characters became.

I agree with this too, with Spike and Buffy as the exceptions. But it is always incredibly depressing to watch as most of the characters really become less likable in those later seasons, (though I will still defend their actions, mostly).

 

[Cheese Slices]

I'm definitely a Loyalist, I even tend to think the last three seasons were the best, although I love the first seasons as well. The show turned more mature and characters got more and more complex and fascinating (especially Buffy and Spike).

 

[Mr Giles]

Mixed, i loved all the seasons from first to last. Since i joined this forum though, ive started to doubt certain characters and seasons!