1. at least in theory, I prefer the post-high school years for the reason that the characters are less insular and they have to integrate their slaying responsibilities with wider responsibilities in the world at large.
Also, at least in theory, the issues of the characters take on magnified importance as they come to grips with real, adult issues; the kind which younger people can take for granted because they live in a sterilized, insular emotional environment (they have wide support groups and support nets, no real responsibilities, etc.). The charm of the early seasons for me is in its focus (an insular high school environment aids that), but the later seasons are more interesting because the issues are more real. What do I mean by real? For example, I can't take their relationship issues seriously, because high school relationships are almost always frivolous; partly because no one is ever really very close to who they will mature into in their later years at that age, and partly because an insular environment like high school (remember how big a deal it was just to get lunch off campus during school hours for the scoobies? That's the degree we are talking about, metaphor or literally) almost isn't realistic by definition (by the standards of the broader outside adult world) and expectations, emotional investments, etc. aren't realistic in high school relationships as a consequence.
2.
Cordy I like in both the early years and AtS years. I think I prefer the Angel years though, all in all. She still has a lot of that funny, sharp tongue of the early years, but she's also less of a one-note character too. But we are talking about high school cordy versus no Cordy in later Btvs. I will agree Anya is not a substitute, although I myself never really thought of her as one.
3. I'm inclined to agree.
4. I'm ambivalent about this one. Mixed feelings.
5. Mixed feelings about this too. Angel was far more interesting for me on his own show. The trade I guess is for Anya, Tara, Dawn and later, Andrew. Anya and Andrew can be cast aside, but Tara is worth it (and worth much more than Oz, at least to me) and I happen to really like Dawn, if only for season 5 (yes, yes, I know how most of you feel about her). So for me it ends up being a push---except that with Angel leaving we get two great shows instead of one (if he had just stayed on Buffy). I'll take Dawn and Tara, Buffy S4 and S5 and a great [some might say better] new show in the full balance of things, easily.
6. I think objectively it is apples to oranges really. Although I know that is a hornet's nest for nearly everyone, so whatever.
That's not to say that I think S6 Spuffy is all cookies and ice cream or anything either; it ain't.
7. I don't know, if S6 and S7 could be rewritten, keeping the general intention of going dark but in a myriad of better ways, I think later angsty, dark, conflicted, "storm and stress" Buffy would have been the
superior Buffy to regard from a philosophical and artistic perspective. As it stands, a guy like me in particular is left with a lot to be desired with regard to the later seasons. It's deeply dissatisfying, hoping for a feast and expecting the best but instead being given a very poor substitute, some flavorless insubstantial rice cakes to eat instead. Man, S6 on paper could have easily been my favorite. Same could be said with S7. Instead, a series of very dubious decisions were made in S6, which made a great follow-up season harder...and then the potentials story line is introduced and the wheels of the main story arc come off. I'm sick of thinking about what could have been though. S6 got it only half right at best; S7 much less so.
Season 5 was nearly flawless though.
8. Faith I will leave to everyone else to discuss. She doesn't generate as strong of feelings for me.
9. The bronze and the library were cool, I concur.
10. People who say these kinds of thing about Dawn and the key arc I think miss the whole point and the bigger picture about her. She evolved the character of Buffy unlike any other character or event in the show. Dawn was the impetus for Buffy transcending her prior self-centered-ness and she was the catalyst for the many epiphanies Buffy underwent to transform from girl to adult. Many people who say she was merely a stupid key idea will turn around and say how much they loved The Gift as one of their favorite episodes. Well, that episode loses ALL meaning and emotional potency if you remove Dawn from the equation. Buffy's supreme self-sacrifice, to which she had been building from the inception of Dawn and through the death of her mother, is a meaningful sacrifice ONLY in the context of what Dawn meant to her and how much Dawn changed her. I get why people find Dawn annoying, although I do not find her that annoying myself (different topic). But to say she didn't add anything to the show?!? She changed the nature of Buffy in countless more meaningful and significant ways than Spike or Angel
ever did; which is what made S6 and S7 so disappointing to me, because the show could have really capitalized on the artistic success of S5 and taken the show to even higher and more interesting places than where it ended up.
I'm with you about S4 through about mid s6.
@GoSpuffy mentioned it. It is the
emotional element and investment that makes S5 stand out by comparison to the other seasons. Half those episodes you listed are really pretty frivolous. They were enjoyable, but they were fruit stripes bubble gum and cotton candy compared to the grip and tension and build up of S5. Also, S5 was waaay more consistent than S2. I would file a full half of the episodes of S2 under garbage. S2 is a good but not great season. S5 is great. And the Body is an artistic masterpiece, a rare television achievement. Some Assembly required? Inca Mummy Girl? Reptile boy? Ted, Bad Eggs, Go Fish...feel free to stop me at any point. These were all discardables.....
This pretty much summarizes what you need to know. The later topic matter was much more ambitious, but the creative staff could not rise to the challenge.
