Post by stargazer1682 on Apr 22, 2020 3:14:26 GMT
Literally just finished re-watching season 5. My usual ranking of the seasons remains the same as ever: 3, 2, 5, 4, 1, first half of 6, first half of 7 and inexplicably, that's it; it's weird we never got the second half of those last two seasons. They don't exist and there's nothing more to talk about regarding them.
I've always had mixed feelings about season 5 and I still do. On paper it should be perfect, it's structured a lot like season 3, which obviously I consider Buffy at its most perfect. I know that's not a universal opinion; a lot of fans rank season 2 as the better season over 3, though 3 still often ranks towards the top in contention with season 2.
For me, season 3 wastes very little time with an episode or story that doesn't add something to the show or to the characters. There's maybe one or two stinkers in the lot, but arguably fewer than season 2; and season 3 is much more even in story, whereas 2 is kind of divided between pre-Angelus and post-Angelus. I've maintained for a long time that season 3 of Buffy should be the gold standard in comparison for plotting a season long arc. It strikes the right balance of the serial, season long story developmenets and the one off episodes; and for the most part uses those one offs in a productive way, developing one or more of the characters - Zeppo, The Wish, Amends. They tease the season big bad for the first several episodes before we meet him, and even after we meet him it's not until closer to half way through the season that Buffy and company learns that he's the big bad. And they pace it so perfectly that as to masterfully interweave the final leg of episodes, building up the urgency to a fever pitch; and bring it home with an epic climax.
I regularly say that other shows, particularly the likes of the Arrowverse shows, would do well to look at season 3 of Buffy as a template for how to structure a season; especially if they're going to have a season long big bad.
So what does this tirade about seasons 2 and 3 have to do with season 5? Because structurally, I feel that season 5 is very similar to the way season 3 was built. It has that same sense of them packing in a lot of story in such a short amount of time.
And yet there's something different between season 3 and season 5; season 3 never seems to lose steam, if anything it not only keeps chugging along, it picks up steam going into the last couple of episodes. Meanwhile, season 5 can feel like a bit of a drag. When I re-watch season 3, I regularly marvel at what they fit into the season; I'll look at a guide to see how many episodes are left or what's coming up and I'll be like, "oh yeah, that's in this season too! I love that episode!" Whereas there was genuinely one point re-watching season 5 this time around where I looked at the guide and thought, "augh, I forgot they still have to introduce the fucking robot....and then still introduce the Buffy bot...!"
There's like a lack of energy in season 5 that under different circumstances I think it might rival season 2 and 3. It has some good premises and it's not without charm; I don't even hold Dawn against the season, as some would. As the eldest of three growing up, Dawn is nothing new under the sun.
It does get a bit maudlin. The Body is a fucking epic episode, but man everybody's mopey in season 5. Riley's mopey, Dawn's mopey, Buffy's mopey; Spike isn't mopey per se, but he takes that character turn dulls his edge a bit when his feelings for Buffy makes him love's (the show's) bitch. This latest re-watch I noticed more than ever how different season 2 Spike is from season 5 Spike. Season 5 Spike is still, largely enjoyable, but it's a pretty strong departure; and I'm not 100% convinced they earned. They got it maybe most of the way there, but the second he realizes he's in love with Buffy, his demeanor towards her completely changes; and sometimes he just seems kind of pathetic. I still appreciate where the story took him and built to him crying over her death, but I've always been of time minds about that; because as great a job as James did in his response to that moment, I kind of feel like it overshadows other characters who probably deserve that reaction to Buffy's death more. We get a little bit of it from the other Scoobies, but I think Spike/James owns the reaction and the sorrow to a degree that is maybe a little unfair to the likes of Xander, Willow or Giles. But also, like with his character turn, I don't think they had Spike completely earn that moment; he's part of the gang at that point, but while they had two full seasons to get them there, they spent most of it maintaining him as an antagonist towards the group, instead of laying the groundwork for any of them to trust him.
Which is another beef I take with season 5; there's no reason for any of them not to have staked Spike at any point in the season, especially during the earlier parts where he was still very keen on getting back to his old self. They should have staked him after working with Adam, they should have staked him when he kidnapped the Initiative doctor to take his chip out. Why the hell would Riley go to the trouble of find a plastic wood veneer stake to pretend to stake Spike with after Spike ratted Riley out to Buffy; rather than using an actual stake?
I get the conceit of wanting to keep the character around, but there ultimately has to be a reason to support it, so as not to make the characters profoundly stupid.
I've always had mixed feelings about season 5 and I still do. On paper it should be perfect, it's structured a lot like season 3, which obviously I consider Buffy at its most perfect. I know that's not a universal opinion; a lot of fans rank season 2 as the better season over 3, though 3 still often ranks towards the top in contention with season 2.
For me, season 3 wastes very little time with an episode or story that doesn't add something to the show or to the characters. There's maybe one or two stinkers in the lot, but arguably fewer than season 2; and season 3 is much more even in story, whereas 2 is kind of divided between pre-Angelus and post-Angelus. I've maintained for a long time that season 3 of Buffy should be the gold standard in comparison for plotting a season long arc. It strikes the right balance of the serial, season long story developmenets and the one off episodes; and for the most part uses those one offs in a productive way, developing one or more of the characters - Zeppo, The Wish, Amends. They tease the season big bad for the first several episodes before we meet him, and even after we meet him it's not until closer to half way through the season that Buffy and company learns that he's the big bad. And they pace it so perfectly that as to masterfully interweave the final leg of episodes, building up the urgency to a fever pitch; and bring it home with an epic climax.
I regularly say that other shows, particularly the likes of the Arrowverse shows, would do well to look at season 3 of Buffy as a template for how to structure a season; especially if they're going to have a season long big bad.
So what does this tirade about seasons 2 and 3 have to do with season 5? Because structurally, I feel that season 5 is very similar to the way season 3 was built. It has that same sense of them packing in a lot of story in such a short amount of time.
And yet there's something different between season 3 and season 5; season 3 never seems to lose steam, if anything it not only keeps chugging along, it picks up steam going into the last couple of episodes. Meanwhile, season 5 can feel like a bit of a drag. When I re-watch season 3, I regularly marvel at what they fit into the season; I'll look at a guide to see how many episodes are left or what's coming up and I'll be like, "oh yeah, that's in this season too! I love that episode!" Whereas there was genuinely one point re-watching season 5 this time around where I looked at the guide and thought, "augh, I forgot they still have to introduce the fucking robot....and then still introduce the Buffy bot...!"
There's like a lack of energy in season 5 that under different circumstances I think it might rival season 2 and 3. It has some good premises and it's not without charm; I don't even hold Dawn against the season, as some would. As the eldest of three growing up, Dawn is nothing new under the sun.
It does get a bit maudlin. The Body is a fucking epic episode, but man everybody's mopey in season 5. Riley's mopey, Dawn's mopey, Buffy's mopey; Spike isn't mopey per se, but he takes that character turn dulls his edge a bit when his feelings for Buffy makes him love's (the show's) bitch. This latest re-watch I noticed more than ever how different season 2 Spike is from season 5 Spike. Season 5 Spike is still, largely enjoyable, but it's a pretty strong departure; and I'm not 100% convinced they earned. They got it maybe most of the way there, but the second he realizes he's in love with Buffy, his demeanor towards her completely changes; and sometimes he just seems kind of pathetic. I still appreciate where the story took him and built to him crying over her death, but I've always been of time minds about that; because as great a job as James did in his response to that moment, I kind of feel like it overshadows other characters who probably deserve that reaction to Buffy's death more. We get a little bit of it from the other Scoobies, but I think Spike/James owns the reaction and the sorrow to a degree that is maybe a little unfair to the likes of Xander, Willow or Giles. But also, like with his character turn, I don't think they had Spike completely earn that moment; he's part of the gang at that point, but while they had two full seasons to get them there, they spent most of it maintaining him as an antagonist towards the group, instead of laying the groundwork for any of them to trust him.
Which is another beef I take with season 5; there's no reason for any of them not to have staked Spike at any point in the season, especially during the earlier parts where he was still very keen on getting back to his old self. They should have staked him after working with Adam, they should have staked him when he kidnapped the Initiative doctor to take his chip out. Why the hell would Riley go to the trouble of find a plastic wood veneer stake to pretend to stake Spike with after Spike ratted Riley out to Buffy; rather than using an actual stake?
I get the conceit of wanting to keep the character around, but there ultimately has to be a reason to support it, so as not to make the characters profoundly stupid.