In the end—arcs and dropped threads (of both seasons) aside—I found season 5 more entertaining to watch—more enjoyable. That said, I do think they suffered from the same sort of arc mismanagement, but in season 7, the characters were somehow lesser to me. I haven't yet watched season 7 again. That's unusual for me. Usually after season bows, I rewatch it all over the summer, and then assorted episodes again, thereafter. I like the overall story told in both seasons. I think the plot development was poor in both seasons.

I still felt like I was watching my characters in season 5. Within season five, I'll thumbs up episodes 1 through 7, 10 through 19, and 22 (I think that's 18 out of the 22). Within season seven, I can thumbs up 1 through 5, 7, 15 through 17, 19, 22 (I think that's 11 out of 22).

All in all, I'd take The Replacement, Fool for Love, Checkpoint, Crush, I Was Made to Love You, The Body, Forever, Intervention, Intervention, Intervention, and The Gift, over pretty much everything in season 7, except Beneath You, and Conversations with Dead People.

In retrospect, if Fool for Love had never freaking happened, I think Fandom would have been a much better place.

Fandom ruined that for me in a way that it never ruined Seeing Red.

How (I feel like I should know, and have been told this before, but I can't remember it for the life of me), Plei?

How (I feel like I should know, and have been told this before, but I can't remember it for the life of me), Plei?

Turning point for a lot of people from Spike fans to Spike Woobification Apologists.

I really like Season 5. I think it's probably my favorite.

Guess I'm not hardcore. Don't really care, honestly. If it's going to ruin my love for Season 5, I don't want to be.

To be fair, it WAS the first season I watched. But I recently watched it again (third time maybe. It may not seem like much, but, to be fair, I watched my first episode of Buffy ever about 18 months ago.) and still loved it all the way through.

Turning point for a lot of people from Spike fans to Spike Woobification Apologists.

*slaps forehead* I so should have known that. Yes, it's where the redemptionista movement really picked up steam. I caught a touch myself, but he was never a woobie for me. That ruins him for me, actually.

Guess I'm not hardcore. Don't really care, honestly. If it's going to ruin my love for Season 5, I don't want to be.

Keep in mind the context here (as in this thread). Most of us love the show, and many of our complaints and criticisms need to be read under the disclaimer of "still better than a lot of stuff ever on TV."

To be fair, it WAS the first season I watched. But I recently watched it again (third time maybe. It may not seem like much, but, to be fair, I watched my first episode of Buffy ever about 18 months ago.) and still loved it all the way through.

I think people do have an attachment to *their own* season. I found the show sometime in season 3. I was a lot happier with season 4, than many of my online friends, and I think because it was all so shiny and new to me. I never got tired of the B/A, because it had already climaxed and was drawing to a close when I found the series. Have you now seen all seven seasons?

I found the show in season 2, but halfway through (with Bad Eggs - i.e. just before Angelus came to play).

My order is still

3, 4, 2, 6, 1, 7, 5

5 always and forever, despite superlative episodes, is last, Last, LAST, dammit!!! And 6, 1, and 7 are very much one level of like (and frequetly change order). The first 3 (of my preferences) are solid in my mind, in that order.

Have you now seen all seven seasons?

I saw the first six within three months of seeing my first episode. Season seven was still airing at the time, so I saw it a bit less quickly.

B/A is my least favorite thing about the first 3 seasons, actually. Love Buffy, love Angel, don't like them together.

I still say season five is awesome. I like Dawn. I like Glory. I even like Riley in the poor-puppy-she-doesn't-love me phase of early five. I like Spike in the hopeless love phase. I love W/T in season five (like it more in six, but six has other problems).

I will say, whatever my feelings about a particular season, it does my heart good to see that each season seems to have SOMEONE who loves it. I'm cool with that.

it does my heart good to see that each season seems to have SOMEONE who loves it. I'm cool with that.

Whereas it just makes me wonder at the number of delusional people around.

Doesn't everyone know it's all about season 2?