Poll!

[next_to_normal]

Quite a while back, snickfic posted about her season 1 rewatch, and there was talk about "The Pack" being the first really effective episode of the series. And that got me to thinking.

It seems pretty generally accepted that season 1 is in a different category than the rest of BtVS - Buffy with training wheels, almost. It doesn't get much fandom love. Full series rewatches usually begin with a grumble about slogging through season 1 in order to get to the good stuff. I've even heard plenty of people suggest NOT starting at the beginning in order to get new viewers hooked on Buffy, or at the very least, assuring people, "Just keep watching! It gets much better, I promise." It's shorter, it's campier, the metaphors are really anvilicious, the monsters are really cheesy (okay, that doesn't totally change), and it features less of the long-term arcs and emotional character moments that become the touchstone of the show.

But where, exactly, does the "real" BtVS begin? What's the first episode that makes you sit up and say, "THAT'S the show I know and love!"

[Poll #1494098]

Comments

[deird1]

Full series rewatches usually begin with a grumble about slogging through season 1 in order to get to the good stuff.

I really don't get that mindset. The show was always worth watching, IMO. It was just... a different flavour of show.

[next_to_normal]

Yeah, I can see that. I think for some people, though, the flavor makes a difference. If you fell in love with the show because it was peanut butter fudge ripple, and season 1 is just plain old fudge ripple, it might still taste good, but every time you eat it, you're gonna be missing the peanut butter.

Then there's people who happily eat any flavor, as long as it's got fudge, and don't mind the variance. :)

Um. I might have a sublimated food-related thing going on.

[deird1]

Then there's people who happily eat any flavor, as long as it's got fudge, and don't mind the variance. :)

Like me! *loves my show*