Buffy Seasons 2-5 were great. IMO the rest is pretty icky. All 5 seasons of Angel were good, even if S1 and S5 aren't quite as good.

I'll have to refresh my memory, but I still find A1 better than (I think) A3-4 (at least 4 if that was the main C season).

Alright. So I've completed both series (wow that was a six month commitment). I'm glad I listened to you all and did, both are easily two of the best series of all time IMO. Now, the finale to Buffy was just kind've meh for me. But Angel....WOW. That's how you end a series (even if both are continuing in comic book form. Anyhow, here's how I'd rank everything on a 4 star scale.

Buffy Season 1 - 2 Stars
Buffy Season 2 - 3 Stars
Buffy Season 3 - 4 Stars (Best Season of Buffy IMO)
Buffy Season 4 - 2 Stars (Hush is the best episode of the series IMO)
Buffy Season 5 - 4 Stars
Buffy Season 6 - 1 Star (Easily the weakest season of both series IMO)
Buffy Season 7 - 3 Stars (I'd give it four but it was pretty obvious that the actors on the shows were just going through the motions, and that they all wanted out. But four stars once Faith comes back)

Angel Season 1 - 1 Star (Slooooooooow)
Angel Season 2 - 3 Stars
Angel Season 3 - 4 Stars (There best season IMO)
Angel Season 4 - 4 Stars
Angel Season 5 - 3 Stars (The Ending gets 10 stars)

Favorite Overall Character: Faith
Favorite Overall Hero: Faith (Anti-Hero I suppose)
Favorite Overall Villain: The Mayor / Glory (Tie)
Favorite Overall Sidekick: Anya

Worst Overall Character: Gun (That guy just sucked balls)
Worst Overall Hero: Willow
Worst Overall Villain: Willow / The Geeks of BS6
Worst Overall Sidekick: Tara

Sigh.....now I have to go find a comic book shop.

Do like I do - wait a couple of weeks and start them all over again. Some of the episodes seem to get better with repeat viewings.

I always wondered if I would ever post in a Buffy thread since I've never seen a single episode. The reason for that was that I didn't start watching it from the beginning and never had a chance to start watching it from the beginning.

Today, Amazon DOTD was the complete Buffy for $69.99.

And I bought it.

I will probably post my thoughts here in a couple of years, when I've finally had a chance to start watching it.

There are certain series that I wish I had seen from the beginning (never having seen a single episode), NYPD Blue, Buffy, etc and now I have a chance to do just that.

Chris

Just make sure within the next few years you pick up the Angel series, also. IMO, it's a better show. BUT, they're both awesomeness on a different level. My numbers 1 and 2 of all time..

Ashame isn't it?
Joss insisted in interviews that season 6 was good and that fans didn't like it because it was dark but that wasn't the problem. Dark is good if done right (see Angel). Joss handed the show over to others while he was off working on Firefly and the show suffered because of it.

well just a warning, don't look at any of the episode screens (either cover your eyes or look away) and for the first season, mute the menus for the first season, as they contain somtimes major spoilers whether it be who the vamp turns out to be or major events or major character revelations. i.e. if you've never seen an episode and maybe only know the basic plot points, follow those steps and you should be good.

I can't believe Amazon already shipped this out! :eek:

Chris

He seems to have confused "dark" with "we made all the characters into unlikeable putzes."

Slap me around and call me a sugar plum but I liked Season 6. Now, Season 7 I could forget ever existed..

I just finished both series for what seems like the 10th time. I can't find a single episode that I don't like. Easily my two favorite shows ever. The comic books are really great too. The third trade paperback of Buffy was just released and the second of Angel just came out also.

Watching Buffy for the very first time? Oh how I envy you! :D

I watched Buffy/Angel for the first time around March. It was fucking revelatory. Buffy was the better and more consistent show, but I preferred Angel.

I'd rank the series thusly:

Buffy:
1. Season 6- Their darkest and most personal; it managed to add more character development than ever before, and in the penultimate season no less
2. Season 3- I could just say The Mayor and be done with it, but that would ignore the perfect writing on nearly early episode, as well as Faith
3. Season 2- Starts a bit slow but results in the show's defining story arc
4. Season 7- The all-action finale. The potential Slayers were annoying though
5. Season 5- Pretty much tied with S7; many hate Dawn but I think she was played perfectly. Also contains "The Body," which is the best show of the series, even over Once More With Feeling
6. Season 1- Promising, but definitely working out the kinks. Some of the stand-alone episodes were interesting, but most of the secondary characters are annoying and undeveloped and the main arc loses steam.
7. Season 4- Whenever high schoolers go to college on TV it's terrible, because you go back to square one. This is season 1, only it swaps out Angel for a stiff, dull "normal" guy named Riley, who happens to be a super solider fighting demonic forces. This pretty much tacks a military industrial complex onto the show for no reason. And the taming of Spike is a jumping the shark moment, and only the quality of writing for the character in future seasons makes it work.

Angel:
1. Season 5- My all time favorite season of TV. Nothing but a constant state of highs, all while making the show darker than ever.
2. Season 3- A constant state of suspense over the baby and how it will affect...well, everything.
3. Season 1- Patchy, but a strong debut for a spin-off.
4. Season 2- Interesting here and there, and really only worth it because it gave us Fred.
5. Season 4- Goes from the best season yet up until that point to the absolute worst thing Joss Whedon has attached his name to right after the Beast is defeated. Jasmine is terrible and makes Adam from Buffy S4 look like The Mayor in comparison.

Ranked together:

A S5
B S6
B S3
A S3
B S2
B S7
B S5
A S1
B S1
A S2
B S4
A S4

I know, right? I wish I could be Eternal Sunshined, that way I could go back and watch these 2 shows for the first time, again.

ive been watching the whole series again for the 1st time since it went off the air and im up to season 5. a little something was irking me:

It's explained later. :) If you want to know now:

I introduced BTVS to my wife through the DVD's. Everytime a menu came up, she said, "Oh, I guess that's the vamp/demon of the episode." It became a running gag with us. I can't believe they would put spoilers in the menus.

That's FOX for ya. It's best to not look at the menus, close your eyes until the episode starts and toss away the episode booklet.

I love these shows. Both Buffy and Angel had some of the best writing, acting, directing, etc. for television. I can't believe it took me so long to discover them. I've only started watching the two series in the past year or so thanks to those Amazon and Best Buy deals. I couldn't be happier that I took a chance. I was reluctant to watch either of these and now I can't stop recommending them to friends and family enough! :)

i just saw the episode. spike trying to explain everything over and over had me cracking up

I'm also starting my own Buffy-a-thon (via NetFlix). I had only seen scattered episodes of the series before and even saw the old Buffy movie from the early-'90s that most everyone hates. But Firefly, Dr. Horrible, and the amazing throngs of devoted fans for Whedonverse at Dragon*Con have convinced me to finally watch this whole series. (And probably Angel too.)

And I just finished Buffy - Season 1. So far, so good - although some of the acting in the first few episodes (esp. Willow and Xander) was terrible, they got better and the show got better as the season went on. Definitely looking forward to Season 2.

IMO, Angel is the better show. By a mile. So yeah, definitely don't miss that.

I've been going back through Angel and Buffy and I like Angel so much more (even though I think Buffy is one of my ten favorite shows). But I liked S3 a lot less the second time around (it's tension built on tension and it REALLY shows on a repeat) and I've always hated the last third S4. But goddamn these shows hold up so well.