Why do some people dislike S7?

[sylvanscribe]

I divide Season 7 into thirds.

First 1/3: not bad, with some definite potential culminating in "Selfless" and "Conversations with Dead People"

Second 1/3: Slowly degrades in quality, never realizing the potential of the first 1/3. Too much time spent on annoying Potentials, Andrew and every thing else except the core 4. The First comes across increasingly as a lame villain.

Third 1/3: at this point the writers obviously don't care. Plots don't make much sense, characters are annoying as hell, and everyone just wants to wrap things up so they can concentrate on Whedon's other projects.

I like Season 7 better than Season 6. At least it had some drive and energy. But the writing just fell apart in the end, and it lost its focus.

 

[mamarsh18]

I'm not a big fan of S7 for a couple of reasons.

My first reason is because like I've read from a couple people they hoped that they would focus on the core scooby group, but instead seemed to tear them apart. They ruined the relationship between Buffy/Giles and there was really no recollection.

I also don't like how they all put the responsibility of protecting the potentials and defeating the first to Buffy. I realize that it is "Buffy's" responsibility, but they didn't seem to really try and throw ideas out either. Then everyone basically voting Buffy off the island seemed so out of character for me.

I didn't go into much detail but those are some reasons.

 

[Sweet J]

Instead of just echoing all the important criticism points that I agree with made by everyone else.
I'd just like to finish with a criticism of the final fight in 'Chosen', honestly it should have included a combination of magical weapony the amulet etc. and conventional 'rocket launcher' firing.

Perhaps calling Riley up and securing his teams ability to 'drop the hammer' and nuke the entire city once all the humans had evacuated, if the amulet didn't work?

Sure It might have been over the top, but ask yourself this, if Buffy from Season 2-3 was really facing the First Evils army she sure as sheeet would be packing magical and convention weaponry to ensure every last one of that undead army was wiped out.

Where was Buffy's plan B if the amulet didn't work?
She had a Plan B in Graduation Day pt II if the senior class couldn't take care of the mayor with flamethrowers and harpoon guns, right?

Why was Anya and Andrew not packing uzi's to take care of the Harbringers?

 

[moonshadow]

For me season 5 was the pinnacle, they could have ended it there and I would have been happy. I was watching on DVD so I wasn't waiting from week to week to see what was going to happen next and I probably processed it differently than some other enthusiasts.

Season 5 kept me guessing from the start, the whole thing with Dawn had me confused and thinking the writers had run out of ideas and were trying to pull rabbits out of their hats. When the truth was revealed I was in love with the season to the end and thought the final scenes would have been the best way to end the series.

Season six I kept waiting for the old dynamics and interpersonal magic to happen and it never really did for me. The almost unrelenting pain the characters went through as the season went on was depressing and the arch seemed flat.

Season seven pulled it back together to a degree I thought, but it still didn't compare to the quality of season 5. Maybe if season 5 hadn't been so good IMO then what followed would have seemed better.

Both S6 and S7 were major anti-climaxes for me, I almost wish I hadn't watched them for the changes in the characters and the story that occured.

 

[Robb Stark]

For me season 5 was the pinnacle, they could have ended it there and I would have been happy. I was watching on DVD so I wasn't waiting from week to week to see what was going to happen next and I probably processed it differently than some other enthusiasts.

Season 5 kept me guessing from the start, the whole thing with Dawn had me confused and thinking the writers had run out of ideas and were trying to pull rabbits out of their hats. When the truth was revealed I was in love with the season to the end and thought the final scenes would have been the best way to end the series.

Season six I kept waiting for the old dynamics and interpersonal magic to happen and it never really did for me. The almost unrelenting pain the characters went through as the season went on was depressing and the arch seemed flat.

Season seven pulled it back together to a degree I thought, but it still didn't compare to the quality of season 5. Maybe if season 5 hadn't been so good IMO then what followed would have seemed better.

Both S6 and S7 were major anti-climaxes for me, I almost wish I hadn't watched them for the changes in the characters and the story that occured.

I don't think there's any question that the show takes on a different feel following S5. At the same time though, I really don't think that S6 and 7 are "worse". Now obviously to each his own and all that, but while my favorite seasons of the show were without a doubt 1-3, I still felt that 6 and 7 were tremendously interesting. I mean, Spike becomes one of the best characters on the show in those years (even though he was awesome all the way before that).

I enjoyed the seventh season more than the sixth. I really like it.

 

[Joshua]

[MENTION=11975]Always Bangel[/MENTION]

personally I love the season it has my favorite episodes in it but like others said I hate how it focus more on the bratty potentials and less of the core four Scoobies reconstructing their friendship.

 

[moonshadow]

I don't think there's any question that the show takes on a different feel following S5. At the same time though, I really don't think that S6 and 7 are "worse". Now obviously to each his own and all that, but while my favorite seasons of the show were without a doubt 1-3, I still felt that 6 and 7 were tremendously interesting. I mean, Spike becomes one of the best characters on the show in those years (even though he was awesome all the way before that).

I enjoyed the seventh season more than the sixth. I really like it.

I enjoy the tragi-comic aspect of the series and I found there wasn't as much of that in the last two seasons, especially S6. The whole thing with Willow got way too black for me, and the resolution didn't really do much to bring it back IMO.

I was glad to see Spike become a central character, but he lost some of the things that made him appealing to me. He was always a bad ass but he could also be very humorous...getting tasered, having to dodge The Initiative as Hostile 17, catching on fire after passing out in the garden. His character also went through some pretty dark stuff, it was all interesting but it could also be unrelenting at times.

S7 was better and it did end well I thought...and I'm picking up with S8 in the graphic novel so it's still better than most of what's out there still.

 

[patriot1123]

I didn't "dislike" season 7. I flat out hated it (relatively speaking - I mean, it's still BtVS).

Most of all, I hated that the writers took a great character in Giles, and a beautiful relationship in Giles - Buffy, and shattered both of them.

I hated that Spike took over Giles's role as Buffy's go-to. Spike's a freaking vampire, hello. (Don't get me wrong, I like Spike and I'm fine with Spuffy. But he falls far short as a replacement for Giles.)

Also there's not one single episode in season 7 that I ever consider rewatching when I just want to rewatch one ep, other than Chosen and that one only because it's the series finale.

And I HATED the way everyone kicked Buffy out of her own house. And who does she turn to when that happens? Spike.

The season just turned the core four inside out, ignored one of the strengths of the show (the relationship between the core four) and went in a completely different direction (the Spike and Buffy show).

 

[Cheese Slices]

I didn't "dislike" season 7. I flat out hated it (relatively speaking - I mean, it's still BtVS).

Most of all, I hated that the writers took a great character in Giles, and a beautiful relationship in Giles - Buffy, and shattered both of them.

I hated that Spike took over Giles's role as Buffy's go-to. Spike's a freaking vampire, hello. (Don't get me wrong, I like Spike and I'm fine with Spuffy. But he falls far short as a replacement for Giles.)

Also there's not one single episode in season 7 that I ever consider rewatching when I just want to rewatch one ep, other than Chosen and that one only because it's the series finale.

And I HATED the way everyone kicked Buffy out of her own house. And who does she turn to when that happens? Spike.

The season just turned the core four inside out, ignored one of the strengths of the show (the relationship between the core four) and went in a completely different direction (the Spike and Buffy show).

I'm totally cool with people who disliked that part, but I always thought it was very realistic : as you grow older you tend to slowly grow apart from your childhood friends , and also, in a lesser extent, from your parental figure(s). It doesn't mean that you have nothing to do with them anymore, but just that you become a more independant person who creates a new family (boyfriend/girlfriend and maybe children).

As for Giles and Buffy's relationship, it wasn't easy to watch, but I found it to be quite fascinating and again, realistic.

 

[patriot1123]

I'm totally cool with people who disliked that part, but I always thought it was very realistic : as you grow older you tend to slowly grow apart from your childhood friends , and also, in a lesser extent, from your parental figure(s). It doesn't mean that you have nothing to do with them anymore, but just that you become a more independant person who creates a new family (boyfriend/girlfriend and maybe children).

As for Giles and Buffy's relationship, it wasn't easy to watch, but I found it to be quite fascinating and again, realistic.

I've seen that argument made, and it makes sense. I guess -- and I've admitted this before -- that I don't want realism from my entertainment. 🙂

The Giles-Buffy relationship was my favorite thing in the show, and the core-four camaraderie my second favorite, so to see both of them just shrugged aside was upsetting.

 

[TheScoobyGang]

I loved Season 7 but then again i love all of the Seasons , it shows the maturity of Buffy and the gang throughout the years i mean the show kept fresh IMO not many shows can stay fresh as long as Buffy did.