Why do you love season 2 of BTVS?

[DeadlyDuo]

I enjoyed the Spike and Buffy dynamics of s2. 'The reluctant allies who really don't like each other but must find a way to get along for their mutual benefit.'

Agreed. The frenemy chemistry was great. The watching the video wasn't Spike fancying Buffy, especially since he invited Dru over to stand next to him as he was watching it. Also he wanted the Judge to zap Buffy. The only interest Spike had for Buffy in Season 2 was one that a predator had for its prey. In Season 2, Spike was to Buffy what Wile E Coyote was to Roadrunner.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

S2 has the best structured plot. S1 hardly has a plot. S3 and 4 meander about. S3, especially, uses a lot of macguffins. S5 and 6 are on a level with S2. S7 really wants to have a plot, but it can't quite get there.

Take "Passion" for example. The episode really needs to be there. The stakes are Angel's soul and Jenny's life. These are things that the audience care about. "Choices" from S3 is also a great episode, but it is centred around a box that we've never heard about before.

As a rule of thumb, if it is easy to remember the order of episodes in a season, it usually means that the season has a nice linear plot, where each episode moves the plot forward. I find the timeline of S2 very easy to visualise. S4 is great season, but it is much harder to remember when the important beats occur.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

S5 and 6 are on a level with S2. S7 really wants to have a plot, but it can't quite get there.

Whilst I agree with most of what you said, I have to disagree about Season 5 and 6 being on a level with Season 2. Don't get me wrong, there are some great moments in those seasons and Season 6 has the best season opener with Bargaining parts 1&2 but the over arching story of those seasons sucks. Season 5 revolves around Dawn, a character that was never seen or heard of before but is suddenly soooooo important to Buffy that the slayer is willing to sacrifice herself for her, whilst season 6 is essentially all about making Buffy as miserable as possible because "life is the big bad".

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Season 5 revolves around Dawn, a character that was never seen or heard of before but is suddenly soooooo important to Buffy that the slayer is willing to sacrifice herself for her, whilst season 6 is essentially all about making Buffy as miserable as possible because "life is the big bad".

But I am talking about the eternal structure of each season, so it doesn't really matter that Dawn hasn't been seen before. She's there the entire season, and she is central to the plot. And her story has a clear progression. It doesn't ramble back and forth ... and they don't bring in new unnecessary elements just to stall for time.

And I think S3 and 4 are truly great seasons, even though the plot is a little messy. The most important thing for a TV show is that the individual episodes work.

The biggest flaw in the S2 plot is that the whole Jenny-is-a-gypsy-spy thing is so obviously ad hoc. You easily forget that the season was kinda written as they went along.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

eternal structure

Ouch! Internal!

 

[darkspook]

The storyline is strong, the interaction between the characters is never better and nicely balanced with everyone getting their moment in the sun (season featured little Xander for example compared to Willow), the twists were shocking (for me the Angel twist isn't he goes back its that he stays that way for the rest of the season! Something like Star Trek would have had him become good by the end of the episode.) The show has a good mix of dark episodes and light episodes. It is for me the best season of Buffy.

 

[GothicBuffy]

The gothic horror and gothic romance vibe of the entire season. No other season quite matched the specific energy of Season 2, and I loved it. Dru's strengthening ritual in the church? Dru carrying Spike from the rubble? The entire Angelus/Spike/Dru dynamic in their creepy hideout? Angelus in general? The set design and character dynamics for this season were so so good.

Plus, Buffy with a rocket launcher. That's all.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

I also think that Junior Year is the goldilocks year of High School. At least for telling stories.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

Definitely Spike and Dru. Juliet and James just knocked it out of the park. Best character introduction in Buffyverse (other than Illyria).

Also, Angelus was amazing. The Mayor was hilarious, and this is where Buffy's hair became seriously beautiful. Epic hair.

I think this is probably the best season of the show. Everything just clicked for me.

 

[Crossbow]

I just finished watching S2 for the second time and Becoming Part 2 is my favourite episode of the season, if not the whole series. It has a bit of everything.

 

[Antho]

The score ! Buffy is a show with really good musics but some coming from season 2 are my favorites :

 

[katmobile]

The central arc's really strong some of the standalones not so much but still the arc being so strong is great plus Oz appears.

 

[Stake fodder]

Two things stand out for me in this season. Angel's arc is fantastic, from moony, romantic boyfriend to the best psychological villain. And you really do think that's it for Angel at the end, such a daring move for the show after already keeping him the villain through several episodes.

The other thing is that Buffy learns the real costs of being the slayer. She died at the end of S1, but has to cope with the trauma of it here, as well as losing Angel, and being kicked out of her house and school at the end. She even physically no longer looks like a child.

I loved things others mentioned - Spike and Dru, the Scoobies dynamics - but these two things are what really make the season, I think.

 

[Kill Him A Lot]

Season 2 hits the emotional peaks and valleys better than any other. I'm not really a Bangel shipper, but their love for each other--emotionally immature as it is--feels true to high school feelings and works as tragedy.

Also, I think the season does a really good job believably keeping the Big Bad at bay until he's needed for the season finale. In other seasons (most notably seasons 5 and 7) the Big Bads do a lot of waiting around when they ought to be taking the offensive. In season 2, Angelus keeps trying to strike but is continuously foiled in creative ways--Wentworth Miller's fishblood in Go Fish, a lovestruck Drusilla in BB&B, Xander standing up to him in Killed By Death, etc. Angelus almost comes across as hapless, but he's so cocky and smarmy that even these setbacks don't really rattle him; he just retreats to a corner and decides to be amused.

 

[Cohen]

Season 2 is just classic Buffy. The storyline is a little more planned. The monster of the weeks are better written. It just works on a better level than the first season. The back half of the season is just epic, and really defined what the show could become. I don’t think there’s a better arc on the show. Most shows go through a “sophomore slump” in their second seasons, but Buffy excelled.