That’s good to know, I think I needed this kick up the bum to get back to it. Appreciate you spurring me on!
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If it helps, I stopped halfway through season 1. I later ended up watching Once More With Feeling, loved it, wanted to know the full context, re-started, pushed my way through the rest of the season, got to season 2, felt pretty iffy on it at first, reached about halfway, and fell in love, ended up watching the entire rest of the show, and the spin-off angel
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I recently watched I Only Have Eyes for You and Go Fish (S02E19&20) and was struck by the Doctor Who similarities.
The first felt incredibly Torchwood, specifically similar to Ghost Machine and To the Last Man. I know Torchwood came much later but I suppose plotlines like this are maybe a little inevitable in a sci-fi show that wants to do something a little timey-wimey but doesn’t explicitly have access to time travel. I suppose see also the SJA story with the ghosts and the fire in the big house (I forget what it’s called…)
And then Go Fish was surreal, partly because of the jarring juxtaposition of graphic body horror and sexual assault in a story that’s essentially about Vampires in Venice-style fish-people. But also because the design of the creatures themselves is uncannily similar to the classic series Silurians. The final shot of them swimming out to sea feels like the exact midpoint in style and quality between **The Sea Devils **and The War Between the Land and the Sea.
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I ADORE I Only Have Eyes for You! It’s one of my favourites. Such a gorgeously constructed little ghost story and the ending makes me weep!
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I certainly preferred it to **Go Fish **
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I generally look to Go Fish as one of the last of the ‘filler’ episodes that pads the season episode count while only being of middling quality. Beginning about halfway through S2, those wonky episodes dwindle as a percentage of each season.
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I’d got that impression and given that the series finale comes next, I’d been hoping this might be more or less the end of that filler. On the whole, Doctor Who does filler fairly well. Buffy not so much.
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I can see that viewpoint. On the whole, I think about half of Buffy S1 is great; probably 65 - 70% of S2 is outstanding; but for me, S3 is where things really take off with maybe only one or two episodes that are just okay. I’m also someone who really enjoys S4 and thinks S6 is better overall, or at least more consistent, than S5 (despite S5 having a handful of just spectacularly good episodes). S7 to me is a necessary capstone to the series despite it not being quite as strong.
There were weeks during the initial airing where the Angel episode was as good as, or even slightly better than, the Buffy episode, but that comes more with Angel S2/3/4.
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Keep these reassurances going, they push me to carry on when I’m not wholly convinced!
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Oh yes, S3 is excellent. After Dead Man’s Party it’s pretty much all bangers. I love S4 a lot too, but to me S5 is possibly the greatest season of TV ever made…
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I’m very much of the opinion that most TV shows tend to peak around their third or fourth seasons. By then the audience is familiar with the series’ format and characters and the production team seems really confident with what they’re doing. So my favourite seasons of my favourite TV shows tend to be season 3 and/or 4.
Which is a slightly long-winded way of me saying that I really like season 3 of Buffy. Granted it’s been a long time since I last watched it but I do remember there being some great episodes in that season.
I also really liked season 3 of Angel at the time but, for the life of me, I can’t remember why. That season is an almost blank to me. I’ll clearly have to re-watch it at some point
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I also remember s3 of Angel being my favourite, though honestly I truly don’t think there’s a single bad series of Buffy. I like it all. And I like s6
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Would you guys recommend watching Angel concurrently with Buffy as per release dates?
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I’d actually even go so far as to say it’s the only way to make Angel the series bearable… but yes, it does tie in quite excitingly so it does add to everything overall
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look up a proper watch order because release order isn’t quite perfect for the crossovers
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I’ve started watching buffy for the first time a few weeks ago, I’m currently in S4 and have slowed down a bit because I’m mixing in Angel and also uni started again. But I’m loving it so freaking much and am excited to see whatever comes next (and entertaining my friends who already know it by being completely oblivious to anything about to happen <3)
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I’ll be honest, for both Buffy and Angel I didn’t really like season 4 as much (especially in Angel). Season 5 of Buffy was amazing and I would be satisfied if it just ended there, even though I’m glad it didn’t, because I also loved seasons 6 and 7.
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Yes, definitely watch both shows concurrently. Reading the comics and novels is also worthwhile, and I can see where mixing those in would add to the experience, although I came to the comics after the show concluded with the release of the omnibus editions and only read around half a dozen or so of the novels while the show was airing.
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He might not be here anymore, but he will always be alive in our hearts.
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