Is Buffy S1 Underrated?

By the fandom? I honestly don't think so, since joining the boards I've realized that most of us appreciate episodes from S1.

Outside the fandom? Hell yeah, people assume that S1 is the worst of the show and have a hard time moving past it enough to watch the rest of it.
 
Puppet said:
By the fandom? I honestly don't think so, since joining the boards I've realized that most of us appreciate episodes from S1.

Outside the fandom? Hell yeah, people assume that S1 is the worst of the show and have a hard time moving past it enough to watch the rest of it.
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I guess I'm speaking objectively outside the boards. Your right that in the fandom Season 1 gets more love here.
But outside the fandom/superfans I'd say Season 1 and Season 4 get the most criticism for Buffy.
 
PaulParmar1 said:
I guess I'm speaking objectively outside the boards. Your right that in the fandom Season 1 gets more love here.
But outside the fandom/superfans I'd say Season 1 and Season 4 get the most criticism for Buffy.
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I don't agree about S4, I think you have to have actually watched the show to criticize that season, since based on appearances it's much the same as the other seasons. But S1, being a bit campy and such in comparison, gets a bad rep. It also gets that because when people try to watch the show, they of course start with S1 and if they don't like it, they don't move past it. So they're stuck badmouthing what little they've seen, and that, as mentioned, is S1.
 
I'm glad I started with season 1. I really got to care about the characters and was willing to overlook the campiness (my sense of humor actually enjoyed that). Had I started with season 2, I'd have rented the first dvd and saw the first 4 episodes, and I may not have given it a chance beyond that. (I do know someone who started Buffy with season 2 and he couldn't keep with it as it was not only "too high school" but disliked all the characters, including Buffy.)

Season 1 was zany fun, and one of the best show openings ever. Because I didn't expect too much as it was so campy, I turned my brain off and just enjoyed the ride, and fell in love with the characters and dialog. Having it turn serious with Prophecy Girl really sucked me in, and it made the start of season 2 much more tolerable, both with patience for characters who can be sympathized with rather than instantly disliked, and understanding more of what's going on there at the start (being able to care about what's going on at all).
 
In Season 1, the strong ones are Welcome to the Hellmouth, The Pack, Angel, The Puppet Show, Prophecy Girl. The moderately good ones are The Harvest, Out of Mind Out of Sight, Nightmares. Loserville is populated by The Witch, Teacher's Pet, Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, I Robot You Jane. The problem is you get a strong first part opener, a weaker second part and three of the losers right together after that. Once you get past the monster of the week slump near the beginning, you have good viewing after that.

Season 1 is often picked as one of the worst but a lot of other seasons do not have as high a proportion of good episodes. For me, Season 4 is the worst. In the regular one episode a day watch of the series, I got bogged down at the Initiative.
 
Underrated? Not really. It was a novel concept, fresh, and weird. And while it wasn't "great" it had potential; which it certainly proved in S2...all the way up to S4.
 
Here on the boards Season 1 is actually pretty popular I think. I don't read much criticism of it, compared to the later seasons. I think it's got nostalgia on it's side, and everyone, lovers of seasons 2-3 and seasons 6-7, enjoy it for the simplicity and fun.
 
I know nothing about outside these boards... lol
But on here I feel it gets more and more appreciation which I also, like Priceless just said, think has a lot to do with it being non controversial and just plain fun and campy.

/SK
 
I think it's underrated because of production values and the cheese of it all. They didn't spend that much money producing it and you can tell. With the lack of budget, then the cheesy, sometimes wooden acting you have a tendency to disregard the content. There was a series that I disregarded for years because of the same reason.
 
I haven't heard about this. I think all the seasons are good in their own way and have their strengths and weaknesses. I certainly have preferences but the only one I have trouble getting all the way through is 3 but that's just because the Mayor is so damn annoying and there are individual episodes like "Earshot" and "The Zeppo" that I love.
 
Eh, it's a short season that's definitely eclipsed by Season 2 & 3. Buffy also becomes known for mythology episodes, and MOTW tend to be neglected. But I like it
 
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