High School Years vs. After High School Years (Buffy)

[The Ferg]

Basically S1-3 vs S4-7

I think S4-7.

[InsaneMystic]

I'm one to go for the highschool years... S2+3 were, to me, the high point of the series, it didn't reach that intensity again for me up until S6.

While I definitely wouldn't say in hindsight they should have done it any other way (anyway, it wouldn't have been realistic at all, duh!), at first viewing I really disliked S4 for breaking up (literally :) ) the entire setting and part of the cast I'd grown to love.

And yes, it's personal reasons again, too - I watched this around 98-00, and at that time, I regarded my own last two-and-a-half school years (91-93) as the high point of my life, which pretty much fell apart when I went to university... so I reacted badly to the same transition on screen (Buffy's disorientation at UC Sunnydale hit home too much for me, I guess).

[Tranquillity]

Post-high school for me. The high school years were great but I just love the later seasons more.

[Cangel]

High School for me. I sometimes have trouble deciding which my favourite show is, Buffy or Angel. And these seasons are exactly what's making it so hard, because for me they are like a part of Angel as well, only that it was another show. So yeah, it has to be High School as it's technically a constant BtVS/AtS crossover.

[Legate Damar]

High school.

High school is universal. Everyone can relate. Not everyone goes to college (S4). Not everyone drops out and can't pay the bills (S6). Then 5 and 7 really weren't about growing up at all (though I do realize that Joyce's death tested Buffy's maturity, it isn't a universal that your mother dies while you're ~20.)

The original genius of the series is that it took legitimate teenage/HS problems and then overlaid them onto a fantasy background. The appearance of Angelus is the most obvious one, but there are a lot of standalone eps as well that basically take realistic issues and then amplify them for the Buffyverse. By the time S5 rolled around, it was about exploring the Buffyverse rather than telling parables.

[The Kinslayer]

The first time around I definitely prefered the high school years. Now it´s the other way around. I still love the first years, it´s just that the other has grown so much on me.

[Cangel]

High school is universal. Everyone can relate. Not everyone goes to college (S4) Not everyone drops out and can't pay the bills (S6). Then 5 and 7 really weren't about growing up at all (though I do realize that Joyce's death tested Buffy's maturity, it isn't a universal that your mother dies while you're ~20.)


But still everyone could relate, because not everyone on Buffy went to university. Just look at Xander who just wasn't the 'smart kind', or Cordelia, who all of a sudden couldn't afford college anymore.
And the same goes for all the other things. There was always such a variety of characters on Buffy that there had to be someone anyone could relate to.

[slayerpower]

I love the high school years, s2 and s3 particularly. I like the non-Initiative/Adam episodes of s4 and s5 was one of the best seasons. But s6 was not that good and only the first half of s7 was good.

[Bangelxx]

Definitely after the high school years. the high school years were good but not as good as season 4,5,6&7

[Aethra]

I liked the high school years best. Maybe that will change when I rewatch the show and I'm out of high school, but right now, it's not only that I can relate to much of the stuff, but also that I just love seasons two and three for their episodes and stories.

[Canon]

I definitely prefer seasons 4-7, but that's not to say that I don't love the high school years.

[littlewilly]

After high school years.
The new relationships are better,
The new vamp with a souls better,
The main characters get better,
The picture quality is better,
Even the magic box is better than the library.

but can all that compete with the Angelus or Faith storylines? NO

its high school years that (just) win::bbat::

[Lyri]

As a Spuffy fan, guess which I liked better? lol

I think it's something to do with the fact that I grew up with everyone on the show, and I left school the same time they did (granted, I was 16 and they were 18) I was moving forward as they were, and the older season seem to me like we're looking back.

Now, that's not to say that I don't love the first 3 seasons, becasue I do, it's just that I seem to relate to season 4-7 easier.

Plus, almost all of the 'experimental' episodes take place in the later seasons. 'Hush', 'The Body', 'Once More, With Feeling'...I won't list them all, lol.

[TabulaRasa]

4-7 for me, but Buffy in season 2, when she was bad...yowsa! Can't trade that for nothing. :) But yeah, 4-7 are my favorites!!!!!!

[palabravampiress]

I think I have to vote for 4 - 7. I loved seasons 2 and 3 and I miss the library like you wouldn't believe, but so many of my favorite episodes were in later seasons. I loved Hush and Something Blue and, while I didn't love it, I thought Restless was neat. I loved the Body. I loved OMWF, Tabula Rasa, Hell's Bells, Entropy, and Seeing Red. For me, the early years just don't compare. In seasons 1 - 3, I loved Passions, the Zeppo, and Band Candy. The early seasons were great, but the later ones made me laugh more and feel more.

[Primal Slayer]

I would have to go with S1-3, I just love the highschool years to death. I love 4-7 aswell but I love me some original cast (having Angel, Cordelia, and Jenny Calender helps)