The greatest Buffy season ever.

[DeloresMLC]

Sometimes when a show reaches its third season, it can either be a hit or a miss. When I managed to finally watch BTVS last year, the first two seasons were amazing but when it came down to this particular season, undoubtedly this is when things really started to take things for the better, and the magnum opus of the high school era.

Additionally, the episodes that I saw from this season were A+ quality with amazing execution; from a fantastic season opener to the introduction of Faith, Mayor Wilkins, and Wesley, to the alternate universe episodes "The Wish"/"Doppelgangland", and the well written two-part season finale "Graduation Day".

 

[NotASlayer]

Three is one of my favourite seasons, the others being four and five.

Three: Strong and good arc, plus fun/good stand-alone episodes.

Four: Poor arc, lots of fun/good standalone episodes or two-parters.

Five: Very strong and good arc, though far fewer standalone episodes as a result.

 

[TheXandyman]

Season three for me too - or season two - best quality episodes.

 

[TamsinValencia]

The third season is the best.


Faith's storyline and Buffy is at it's peak here.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

Buffy never found it's footing after college started, and Senior Year is the only year of high school worth remembering. My only real regret is that they couldn't go "How I Met Your Mother" and spend an entire season examining every hour of "Graduation Day."

 

[thrasherpix]

I would've been okay with Buffy ending with season 3, me still wanting more. And despite some truly awesome eps that came after.

 

[Bop]

Season 3 managed to juggle and execute more than any other season:

- An interesting season arc and big bad in The Mayor and Faith
- Buffy and Angel's relationship
- Setting Angel up for his spinoff
- Many members of the gang got a character focused episode that would be considered their best or at least one of their best- Buffy (Anne and Helpless), Giles (Helpless), Xander (The Zeppo), Willow (Dopplegangland), and even Cordy got Homecoming.

I think that's the difference because looking at season 2 and season 5 their season arcs are probably just as strong but they didn't achieve those arcs while putting the same sort of greatness into other areas like season 3 did.

 

[TheAnnoyingOne]

Completely agree, it was the show's absolute peak. Great and interesting new villains (Faith, Wilkins and Mr. Trick), great story, great character development and the greatest stand-alone episodes of the show imo ("Band Candy", "The Wish", "Amends", "Helpless", "The Zeppo", "Doppelgangland" and "Earshot"). I admit there were episodes I didn't enjoy as much as the rest of the season and don't like to rewatch ("Anne", "Dead Man's Party", "Beauty and the Beasts", "Homecoming" and especially "Gingerbread"), but the season's highs are so high that none of the other seasons top this one imo.

 

[Kendar]

We had a conversation about this in The Bronze. For shows that go between 5-7 seasons, season 3 is usually considered one of the best if not the best.

 

[TheXandyman]

If I were to have a marathon consisting of some of my favourite episodes i would choose a mix of season two and season three.

 

[fauxindigo]

Sometimes when a show reaches its third season, it can either be a hit or a miss. When I managed to finally watch BTVS last year, the first two seasons were amazing but when it came down to this particular season, undoubtedly this is when things really started to take things for the better, and the magnum opus of the high school era.

Additionally, the episodes that I saw from this season were A+ quality with amazing execution; from a fantastic season opener to the introduction of Faith, Mayor Wilkins, and Wesley, to the alternate universe episodes "The Wish"/"Doppelgangland", and the well written two-part season finale "Graduation Day"

Perfectly said! And this is why Season 3 has always been my favorite even though I personally love seasons 4 & 6, a lot of people seem to love seasons 2 & 5 but in my opinion none of them beat Season 3 which is utter perfection across the board. Season 2 has some bad filler monster of the week episodes and Season 5 is sad (and not interesting sad like Season 6, just sad sad) w/the Buffy/Riley breakup, Dawn cutting herself, Joyce dying and then Buffy dying... it's a great piece of storytelling but it's not my favorite to rewatch... though it has more emotional impact than Season 3, Season 3 is flawless from start to finish and peak Buffy H.S.; the last four seasons are amazing but S3 is clearly the peak of what the show started out as.

 

[MapleCourt]

Once more I feel the opposite as seemingly every other Buffy fan. I think Season 3 is the worst season. It completely changed the tone of the show from Seasons 1 and 2. The first two seasons were dark, melancholy, melodramatic and gothic. Season 3 is light, bright and not too serious. We go from the dark gothic trio of Spike, Drusila and Angelus to the hokey mayor. I must be the only person in Buffy fandom who cannot stand the mayor. I don't think he's funny. I think he's an annoying used car salesman and I'd rather be anywhere doing anything than listen to that bloviating windbag talk.

Season 3 is when the show started to drift from its roots about three kind, unique misfits struggling to fit in and and live up to the stressful expectations imposed on them by a cruel world to just another American teenage party show. Willow is no longer a shy, socially awkward nerd but a cool rockstar dating super powered witch. Xander is no longer the strong male lead who saved Buffy's life repeatedly, smashed the bug man and stared down Angelus, but a useless clown. Giles is barely even in Season 3. Instead, super cool Faith has more screentime than most of the titular main characters.

And of course they had to ruin the ending to Becoming Part 2 by bringing back Angel in the third episode of Season 3. The end of Season 2 was the saddest thing ever, but then everything is back to normal and everyone is happy again by the middle of Season 3. And Buffy starts dating again in the third episode? Season 3 is basically a completely different show than the first two seasons, and they clearly had no idea what direction to take the show in from there, as we saw in subsequent seasons. They could have just kept it a dark, gothic show about vampires instead of all this happy clappy teenage party hour nonsense.