What made season 3 a fan favorite of the series?

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Joshua

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What was it about this season that made it a fan favorite of the series? Now don't get me wrong it's my favorite of the series, I love it dearly. But what was it about this season that made it special to the fans? Some call it Joss and Co.'s best writing of the series.
 
I think in terms of writing, by season 3 they'd hit their stride. They knew the characters inside and out and knew exactly what they wanted them to sound like. Add that together with it being the final highschool season and you get to see some greatly themed episodes such as The Prom and both parts of Graduation. I really liked the mayor as a villain. He was evil but had likeability which is exactly what I look for in a villain. The character of Faith was a great add, too. Showing you how dark a slayer could be if things were different in personal circumstance. Faith and Buffy contrasted perfectly.
Recapping this season right now has made me remember how much I love it - special shoutout to Band Candy - ASH in that episode with that accent... 😉
 
It seemed fresh, having a non- vampire ''big bad'' plus characters such as Faith. Whedon went all out for the graduation, an incredible two-part. Also, it introduced Anya 🙂
 
M
Mischlings
It's Faith. For me, the majority of it is Faith (I'll admit, I like her way too much).
It's hard to explain. But this season just had 'it'. That thing that made it good. The humor, the witty-ness. For me , it was first season I started watching. So It'll always be a favorite.

And there was the Woz.
 
I think Willow and Oz's relationship and there is the entry of Faith and we grow up with Buffy and the scoobies as they move on with their lives and go to collage...
 
I think that the writing was at one of its highest peaks, the acting was amazing, and everything about the season seemed to just 'click'
 
For those who preferred Buffy as a high school show, it still was one at that point, but it had really come into its own, as well as the characters maturing and being portrayed in more complex ways. It had some excellent standalone episodes and a coherent arc. It was also when Willow started to become a much stronger character in her own right, and the cast started to seem more like an ensemble and less like Buffy and the Slayerettes. And Faith was a great addition.
 
For me what I like about it in comparison to later seasons was it was the last season where Giles played a central role. It also had two of my favorite episodes ever. The Wish and Doppleganger. Oh and the Mayor is really funny.
 
Season 3 has it all: action, comedy, drama, romance... There is the doomed romance of Buffy and Angel (AFTER he returned from the dead and shocked the piss out of everyone watching the show), the amazing fight scenes, the new Slayer who ends up going bad and betraying her only friend, and of course, the students declaring war on the speaker at their graduation ceremony. 😀 Awesomeness!
 
I can sum it up in one word:

Faith.

She was the best thing in that season.
 
M
Mischlings
I agree. While there's a lot more to it, Faith is the main reason why Season 3 just works so well.
Personally, I just think it was Eliza and what an amazing role she put on with faith. I also think it was to do with Mayor Wilkins, as we didn't even know he was going to be a giant snake that ate principle Snyder, on the final episode of the season. He just comes across as a jolly happy man until we see his true colours.

I must admit this season isn't my all time favourite, my all time favourite is actually season 2, however this is my second favourite...again, mainly down to how great the villains were in the series.
 
Just the overall arc of the season, and how the characters are all fleshed out, after their experiences from the first two seasons. Season 2's finale was where the show hit this point of greatness in my opinion, and Season 3 continued this strength.

Another reason: Mayor Wilkins. Probably the best of the Big Bad's throughout the entire series run.
 
Kurai said:
Another reason: Mayor Wilkins. Probably the best of the Big Bad's throughout the entire series run.
Click to expand...

I must be the odd man out in the entirety of Buffy fandom -- I don't really like The Mayor until Faith joins up with him. Their interactions are pure gold, and that's what makes me really enjoy his character, but I don't like him until that point.

On the actual topic, I'll be terribly reductive and say that it's the Faithiest season, and that's a huge reason why it's my favorite. Not all of the reason, but a huge part.

(The word "Faithiest" comes from the script for Who Are You -- I didn't make it up, Joss did.)
 
For me it's cause everyone is dealing with last year of school and growing up and trying new stuff, Willow has her first time with Oz, Xander has his first time with Faith, Buffy dealing with college whenever to leave Sunnydale or not and trying to be in a healthy relationship with Angel, Cordy and Xander break up, Cordy loses money, Angel dealing with what happened with Angelus and the Hellmouth, Giles loosing his job and dealing with the death of Jenny. So much is going on then top of it a new watcher and slayer. Eliza was brilliant in this season a new slayer who is a rebel turns into a bad slayer. The Mayor was my favorite big bad he seems like a normal everyday man but is actually a demon. Plus Mr Trick really did it for me he is my all time favorite demon/villian, how chilled out he was then did the slayerfest it was amazing. Amends is the most beautiful episode especially with the snow, and there so many other amazing episodes in this season for me don't want to list as there is too many! But this is why I love it so much 🙂
 
I think there were so many factors that all just came together brilliantly.
1. Whilst having a lot of serious aspects, it was almost this bright bubbly feel after the angst of season 2.
2. A lot of the smaller characters such as Oz, Snyder, Joyce start to come into their own more and flesh out the series even more
3. You still get the fun of high school but the characters have grown up a little in their own individual way
4. Introduction of Faith was great. Having 2 slayers in the long term (rather than just for a couple of eps like with Kendra) was a fab addition, but it was a little extra something when they took Faith to a darker side and opposite to Buffy. Especially the idea of an agent for good ending up working for the current Big Bad.
6. Which brings me to the brilliance of the Mayor. The way he flips from appearngly jovial to this cool, threatening sinister thing. Brilliant!
7. There were also so many good stand alones in this series alongside the story arcs.

That post ended up longer than I intended, but yes, I think it's a mix of even more factors than I've listed here that makes season three so popular.

Hmmm...might go watch Band Candy.
 
Tuppence said:
I think there were so many factors that all just came together brilliantly.
1. Whilst having a lot of serious aspects, it was almost this bright bubbly feel after the angst of season 2.
2. A lot of the smaller characters such as Oz, Snyder, Joyce start to come into their own more and flesh out the series even more
3. You still get the fun of high school but the characters have grown up a little in their own individual way
4. Introduction of Faith was great. Having 2 slayers in the long term (rather than just for a couple of eps like with Kendra) was a fab addition, but it was a little extra something when they took Faith to a darker side and opposite to Buffy. Especially the idea of an agent for good ending up working for the current Big Bad.
6. Which brings me to the brilliance of the Mayor. The way he flips from appearngly jovial to this cool, threatening sinister thing. Brilliant!
7. There were also so many good stand alones in this series alongside the story arcs.

That post ended up longer than I intended, but yes, I think it's a mix of even more factors than I've listed here that makes season three so popular.

Hmmm...might go watch Band Candy.
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Was there a #5 that you forgot? I just noticed you were missing that.

But yeah, I agree with most of what you said. So many things just came together in a perfect storm... then we got season 4, which wasn't terrible, just a large drop in quality.
 
Mischlings said:
Was there a #5 that you forgot? I just noticed you were missing that.

But yeah, I agree with most of what you said. So many things just came together in a perfect storm... then we got season 4, which wasn't terrible, just a large drop in quality.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I missed number 5, haha. I didn't forget a point however...just apparently forgot how to count for a moment!
 
Wesley Pryce
Wesley Pryce
[No message]
Ok,I'm not being an A-hole here lol,but i never got the big deal of season 3. I like it a lot,the mayor and Faith are awesome and Giles and Wesley are amazing together. 🙂 Still,i don't see what the great fuss is about. I have never understood all the big hype. I like season 3 more than seasons 1 or 7 but i rate the other seasons higher. I hope I'm not killed for this unpopular opinion 😛
 
AnthonyCordova
AnthonyCordova
I kind of agree with you actually
M
Merrick
Have to say I agree with you.
Season 3 is great. It's more consistently good than season 2. But season 2 is still my favorite, I think mostly because the drama gets ratcheted sky high with the introduction of Angelus. But I agree that Faith plus the mayor are among the things that make season 3 great.
 
Season 3 was the first season I watched and it was because of Faith that I became a big fan. I think this season has the most watchable episodes compared to the others. There's only 1 or 2 episodes that are bad out of the 22. I think season has the second most.
Faith and the mayor definitely make this season fun and interesting. The Buffy and Angel relationship is also very good. There's even an episode with Spike! Plus we get the introduction of Anya and Wesley. It's got a lot of cool vampires, especially since vampires take a back seat the rest of the seasons. I really like the use of the Mayor as the big bad. He's not used too much and doesn't sit around doing nothing like some other big bads. I just think that there are so many good things that help make this season my favorite and one of the best.
 
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