Do you find yourself liking episodes more/less because of the characters?

Chosen Enemy

Chosen Enemy

Losing my soul
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Are your favorite episodes, or at least the episodes that you like more, your favorite becaus they're centering around your favorite character/s?

Or the other way around - are your least favorite episodes your least favorite because of certain characters that you happen to not like?
 
I can't think of a character having a huge impact on me loving an episode. Nor the other way around.

For example, Lorne didn't make me like 'Happy Anniversary' any better. Neither did Xander in 'Go Fish'. Usually, I'll like or dislike an episode depending on a variety of things, including but not limited to... plot, character interaction, acting, dialogues, action and humor.
 
C
caritas08
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I didn't like The Zeppo because it was Xander-centric. Same goes for The Replacement, but I wouldn't mind watching it again if I had to. I also don't like the ones with Kendra in so tend to avoid watching them.
 
I have to admit I do love episodes that focus on Xander or have great Xander moments more than the others.
 
Fool for Love is my favorite episode, and it is Spike focused, so I'm sure that plays a part on why it is my favorite episode as he's my favorite character, but there are plenty of others I love that don't have Spike, like The Pack. It just depends on the writing. I don't think there is a Buffy character whose presence would hurt an episode for me, but featuring one of my favorite characters could make me like the episode better.
 
Yes. FFL is one of my favorite episodes and it's the story of Spike's life as a vampire. And I hate Amends not because it's Angel centric, but that certainly contributes to it
 
I don't think the character really affects how much I like an episode. As long as the story is well told and gives me something to think about then I usually like it.
 
I love all the characters, so no, the fact that a certain episode focuses on one particular character wouldn't make me hate it.

The only episode that I cringe while watching is "First Date" just because I hate that Ashanti was in it.
 
Oddly enough, my favourite character is Willow but my Top 3 episodes - Prophecy Girl, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered are far more Buffy, Xander (and to a lesser extent) Giles-centric than Willow-centric. I think it's because Willow excels in the small moment and the more they pushed her into spotlight the worse the writing for her became. And because early Buffy and Xander are very close to Willow in my ranking.
 
For the most part my favorite episodes don't correlate with which character has the biggest storyline in each episode; I judge that more on plot, writing, humor, action etc.

The exception to that is Season 2 of Angel. I love Darla and I am sure she is the reason I tend to favor Dear Boy, Darla, The Trial, Reunion...and so on. 🙂
 
I think this applies to me, too. The majority of my favourite episodes are either Angel or Bangel driven. However, that is not to say I don't love episodes where that is not the focus. Equally, I find I have much less interest in episodes and arcs that feature characters I don't like i.e. S6 which features Spike and Willow prominently.

What I also find is that storylines that I otherwise would be uninterested in become more tolerable, even enjoyable, if they focus on my favourite characters.
 
Well yes sometimes it does. I don't like the replacement episode as much I mean it has its funny moments but in re-watches I just want to skip it sometimes it gets a bit boring at times. Overall though if it is a good episode I like it. Bangel irritates me at times but I still like some of their episodes in season two.
 
Umm, no. Something Blue is one of my favorite episodes, and it has a lot of Spuffy in it. I like episodes that make me feel something, it doesn't matter who has the most screen time..
 
hmm, don't think so.

There isn't any particular character that makes the show so great imo.
It's a package thing. It's the overal stories, the jokes, the cheesiness, the interaction between the scoobies, their way to talk, etc...

Even if an episode happens to revolves mostly around one character alone it's still the story, the jokes etc. in that episodes that decides if I like it or not.
Not so much which character it is that plays the main part.

On less great shows I might have more of some favorite character and that will make it a bit different. But on all of my top favorite shows it works like this.

/SK
 
I've probably found myself liking episodes more rather then less because of the characters. In particular I've always enjoyed the episodes a bit more that focused on Xander, as well as the Giles and Ethan Rayne episodes. "The Zeppo" and "A New Man" are some of my favourite episodes.
 
Yes and no...

On one hand, I don't hate or dislike any major characters so every episode is a potential favorite. That being said, there are some that I find rather boring and always skip.

Because my favorite character story arc occurs throughout later seasons, I guess I always gravitate toward those. And the older I get, the less I want to watch the high school years on a regular basis. But that has more to do with me than with the characters.

So...a bit of both?
 
There aren't many Giles-centric episodes. The ones that are Giles-centric, I like because they are focused on Giles, but they aren't my favourites. What are they, like The Dark Age and A New Man? That's about it, right? Neither of them were particularly special, but I did appreciate the Giles-ness.
 
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patriot1123
Lies My Parents Told Me is also Giles-centric, but I hate it because it's not the real Giles.
I definitely choose favorites depending on how much they focus on Giles.

My number one favorite ep is Grave, which I view as a Giles-centric ep, given that he pretty much saves the day and expects to die doing so. And looks (wait for it) incredibly hot throughout.

None of the eps that don't have Giles in them would ever be in my top 20 of episodes.
 
I've watched all the episodes with Faith much more than any others. This Years Girl and Who are You are my two top watched episodes. Consequences, Enemies and Graduation Day 1 and the final 5 episodes all because Faith was in them.
So I definitely find myself liking certain episodes more than others just because she is in them.
 
[MENTION=11161]patriot1123[/MENTION] Let us not speak of "Lies My Parents Told Me"... 🙁 Besides, there was too much Spike and Wood for it to be totally Giles-centric. Though, which Season 7 episode doesn't focus on Spike? <.<

I just tried and I can't think of an episode without Giles that I would put in my top 20 either. xD Though, I do very much enjoy "Him" and "Normal Again".
 
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