is season 1 worth getting? I've never really seen any of the tv shows or anything, so if I wanted to see it, would I need to see series 1 or can I skip to series 2,3,etc?
thanks

Season 1 is essential. It builds character. It's like the first few chapters of a book.

I'd go up to season 3, and then quit there, but that's just me. There's some good episodes after that, but seasons 1-3 are excellent, and self contained.

You definitely want to see it from the beginning. Each season builds upon the previous one.

(In addition, I think the first season is one of the best. The writing was just very fresh and snappy. I definitely wouldn't skip the first season...)

I agree that it needs to be seen from the beginning. Some things happen that carry on into later seasons.

the only thing wrong with season one is an under-developed Buffy.

The first season is a little rough around the edges, but it absolutely lays the foundation for what is to come.

Season 1 sucks. At least half the episodes are embarassments. Try to rent it or maybe your library has it. It's important to know what happens in the season, but, IMO, the shows have no repeat viewing value at all.

Buffy is an all-around excellent show. The 3'rd season is the best in my opinion, and the first 2 seasons both just build and build to the climax of Season 3, so it is essential viewing. Not only that, but you get a good look at the characters in their very early days, and see a lot of the events that shape future seasons. Definitely pick it up if you have the $.

Especially since it's shorter than the other seasons (it was a mid-season replacement), the 1st season is a lot cheaper than the others.

And you might as well buy it now. You'll be buying it after you watch the other seasons anyway.

YES...while Season 1, essential to get in from the beginning... + it's pretty cheap

I say get it, but just know that it only gets better from there...much better... season 1 is easily one of the weakest as the show was still trying to find it's footing... after that it gets really great (and I still think the show is quite good to this day)...

MATT

I think that it is essential to have. However, since I have it, I have not watched it. I am going to do a Buffy marathon eventually, probably after I get Season Four.

BTW, the Watcher's Guides are pretty cool as well.

Season 1 is important for the setup to seasons 2 and 3, as well as for the spinoff, Angel.

its not just you.
ive seen every episode of buffy and angel, and i like them all, but i think the first three seasons when the shows were combined were amazing, while the later seasons after the shows separated are still above average, just not as good =).

Season 1 was not as long as the other seasons obviously, and it was a little rough around the edges. It was kind of well, pretty 'light' compared to the other seasons. But as said before, it builds characters and info for later seasons and you need to have a 'light' starting point. Kind of like the scheme for the Star Wars series. Episode 1 was really childish and had a bright mood compared to the rest of the movies, but you need that kind of mood at first for in comparison to the rest later on. Buffy gets darker and darker every season. But to get that feeling that everything is really falling to crap in the characters live and in Sunnydale, you need this beginning Go for it, get this season

Yeah, that's one thing I've noticed about Buffy.

After watching seasons two and three, and all of the stuff that goes down in them, season one has a sort of innocent charm.

The innocence is definitely cast away at a very specific point in the second season, and the stakes get higher, the tone gets darker, and that innocence is lost forever.

If you don't buy it, you must still rent it before watching the other seasons. Remember that I, and I think most others will agree, think seasons 2 and 3 are better than season 1, but season 1 is still very good and better than most every other show on TV. It's just that seasons 2 and 3 are even better! Believe me, if you are going to like Buffy, you will enjoy season 1.

Definitely get Season one on DVD- Even though the episodes are pretty campy, it is that effect which had pulled in so many people to keep it on the air to make it the hit it is today. And my next advice is to not to just stop at season 3 because other people say that they are the best- in my own opinion all of the seasons hold their own greatness as well as some of the best hours of television. ('Hush', 'Restless', 'The Body' anyone?) Those were just some of the random picked episodes from seasons past season 3 which are just so great the whole season supports a lot of these individual hours of greatness. So you may want to dip your foot into the water at first on seasons after season three (based on personal preference) and decide from there if you wnat to continue. I believe the show just kept on getting better season after season, in my opinion.

I just started watching Season 1 having never seen the show. I am really enjoying it. I guess from everyone's comments, this show must just kick butt going forward. I would enjoy it even if all the seasons were as good as season 1. I now own Season 1-3 R1 and just tonight ordered Seasons 4 and 5 in R2 from cd-wow. Bring it on!

Definitely get Season 1. Then once you've done that, get Seasons 2 and 3 and, when they're available(assuming you don't have a region free player), Seasons 4 and 5. After that, I'd be careful. With the exception of a handful of episodes, Season 6 took a major dip in quality compared to the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th year. The jury's still out on Season 7. But hey, by then you can just start buying the Angel box sets instead.

Well put!


might I add, Season 1 is a lot of fun

I've only seen the seasons currently available on DVD, and must say that Buffy is possibly the best TV I've ever seen. While some of the episodes on S1 may not be up to the level of the next few (S2 being my fave by far) they're still excellent and contribute to the overall story arc.

Not exactly. I never watched the show on TV but I bought the first season on impulse and have really enjoyed the first three seasons. Later I caught a few shows from seasons six and seven. I thought they were seriously depressing - a major stinkfest. I can't make any comment on season 4 or 5 as I have never seen a single episode. However, be aware that the show makes a major shift in tone somewhere along the line which many did not like. I don't know when the depressing, moody atmosphere took over but many point to season six.

Season 6 was every bit as much a combination of moody and funny as the the seasons before it. Yes, there was _more_ of the moody stuff, but almost all the stuff involving the three "villains" (and quite a lot of stuff involving the main characters) was hilariously funny... and it's not like the serious stuff was bad or anything. In fact, I thought most of it was brilliantly written and acted, and I liked season 6 almost as much as season 2.

My answer to the original question is the same as what most of people have said - season 1 is well worth watching, but not as good as the series gets later on.