Finished off the series last night, in order.
It was my second viewing.
It's weird what that does to what you thought you thought about characters and stories,etc, y'know?
It was S:6 that got me thinking "wow, I think I want to rewatch this... actually, I think I may want to own it!" Thank gawd for S:6 cause I liked the second run-through even more, appreciated it even more.
So yeah, 6 holds the top spot as my fav season. It's harsh and messy and difficult and so, so, so emotional. It ain't pretty at all, and I love it.
My 'rate your fav' order would be:
6
3
2
7
1
4
5
S:3 is second due to the whole Faith deal. I liked S:3 the first time and I really liked it the second time. Also the direction Buffy/Angel started~went in. It's heartbreaking, Angel leaving at the end like that, but it wouldn't have been the same if he stayed.
S:4 had some of the best episodes of the serious in it, but the arc/big bad of The Initiative and Adam was really just blah for me, that's why it's low on the list. On first watching I didn't not like Riley, but I didn't like him either - he improved on viewing two. Enough that the falling apart of their relationship in 5 actually made me ache for both of them this time. I just saw him/it differently. I didn't want him to stay, he's not my fav. Buffy Boy, he's my 3rd fav, I think, it was just so painful and sad, how it got to that point.
With S:5 I found that Dawn irritated me even more the second time. I was hoping she'd end up like Riley, it was not to be so. Honestly, she bugged me bad enough that it was actually hard to watch her sometimes. I'd find myself rolling my eyes at the tv. It's always been curious to me how 5 is such a popular season, it was my least fav. on view one, and still holds that spot. Thank you Whedonverse for not leaving Buffy dead and ending the series there.
I was tempted to rate 7 before 2 but it's the course of S:2 that makes S:7 so endearing to me, mostly, the Buffy/Spike relationship. It's hard to love what it became before loving how it all started. I know the Spuffy love is a serious, heavy debate and I've always been on the Pro-side of it, and being that it was a rainy weekend, I finished the series off with a final 5 episode marathon last night and honestly, for me, the interaction between Buffy&Spike in those last 3-4 episodes solidifies it... that shiznit ain't no false proclamation at the end there. It wasn't Angel love, I don't even think it was romantic/relationship love, but she did love him. Her telling Angel that Spike was in her heart... it would have been so easy for her to shrug off Spike and say he was a mistake in that moment, and she didn't.
So, yeah, uh... my favorite season would be 6, and my least favorite would be 5.
and ps: I still just LOVE Giles. I watched the commentary for Seeing Red and Joss mentions something about he and the writers not realizing how much Tony Head brought to the show until he, well, came back. I have to agree. 🙂