Best Season Ever

[shipperx]

[Poll #914215]

Comments

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

Although I think AtS S5 trumped all.

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

I'm interested that you picked BTVS season two instead of three... Hmmm.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned, Season 3 BtVS has some classic stand-alone episode, but the overall story arc wasn't all that strong. More strong than Season 4 BtVS, but that's not saying a lot. Season 2 is far stronger in a plot arc, though I would say that Season 3 has more episodes of greater actual quality. Maybe I'll do "Best Episodes Ever" after "Best Season Ever."

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

As much as I loved Spike (and loved Illyria too, btw), I have to admit that the seasons whose story arc seemed the strongest (to me) was AtS 3. That plot hung together really well and didn't seem to meander much.

[ww1614.livejournal.com]

You never forget your first. I picked Buffy S5.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

The Season that Launched a Million kerfuffles Squees.

[hesadevil.livejournal.com]

You never forget your first.
Never a truer word. Deadwood 3 was a close contender (Season 4? We wuz robbed!).

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

I didn't even have to look past the first choice. I always say it's the best season of TV ever, and I stand by my words.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I definitely consider it the best paced and executed Season Arc Ever. The way that season comes together is a thing of beauty in angst and plotting.

[jerrymcl89.livejournal.com]

I have a high opinion of BTVS S5, and XF S3, but my actual favorite is Millennium, S2. The first season of The Sopranos would also rate highly.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Strangely, I never really got into Millennium. And I'm one of those XF fans who watched The Lone Gunmen... and who actually loved Harsh Realm!

I know. I need help. :)

[sp23.livejournal.com]

As much as I loved S2 BtVS and consider it my favorite, S3 Farscape tore my heart into tiny little shreds over and over. Such an excellent season.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

S3 Farscape raised angst to perfectly plotted perfection.

[tnmisery.livejournal.com]

Gave it up for S3 X Files.

I was perusing the list and saw THAT choice? Immediate click. NOTHING will ever come close for me. NOTHING./end caps abuse

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Truly, there are some forever and always -- ALWAYS -- classic eps on that list. I think several of them rank up there with the best TV episodes ever.

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm contrary - I thought Farscape S3 and Deadwood S1 were the best seasons. I'm also torn about the X-Files, although I will admit that S3 was probably the best season overall. And S2 Buffy the best? Only to a rabid B/A 'shipper. Bleah.

Everything else seems right, except I have no opinion about 24 or FNL (having never watched either).

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I really, really, really debated about Season 1 Deadwood because it was pretty freaking fantastic. It holds up as well as the others. And XF Season 3 had some all-time classic episodes that will never, ever grow old. They're good forever.

Still, I have to admit for the sheer perfection of ramping up angst and coming to a perfect season conclusion, I tend to pick FS Season three. That said, I loved all the seasons on my list.

(And seriously, you should Netflix Season 5 of 24. 24 isn't entirely sequential with previous seasons as they have a tendency to skip years between seasons. It's possible to pick up any season and it make sense on its own. They have individual Big Bads and their own plots, so you don't have to watch all the seasons to "get" Season 5 (though it makes you scream with more pain as they off your previous season favorites. They do, however, introduce new utterly awesome characters-- first and foremost of which is the drug addled First Lady played by Jean Smart and her weasel of a President hubby.) It's a thrill ride, and whoah! Season 5 was a hellacious thrill ride with delicious plot twists... and Chloe with a taser gun enacting many a woman's fantasy.) It's a great popcorn show.

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

You know, everyone tells me this about 24 -- there are some huge fans in my family (it's practically a religion with one of my nephews), and all of them are forever exhorting me to watch it. But for me the biggest obstacle to watching it is: I just can't stand Kiefer Sutherland. He's annoyed me since the '80s, and I can't watch any movie or TV show if he's in it. It's his face and his voice and his acting style -- he just skeeves me out.

So I guess I'll never watch it, more's the pity.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

If you hate the lead of the series, it would be rather tough going. I understand. Guess 24 is a bust for you.

Still, I have to say that the dysfunction in the Whitehouse in Season 5 with Martha and her weasel of a husband is superb [First, she looks like she's having a nervous breakdown, hubby wants to lock her up "quietly" in an institution. She's popping pills and seemingly paranoid... then you slowly realize she isn't paranoid. She's right. They are out to get her. Oh, and when she finds out that her US President hubby is looking the other way as terrorists try to assasinate the Russian President, she throws herself into the car with them hoping to force said weasel hubby into action, and saving the Russian president... only weasel hubby doesn't lift a finger! And they blow up the car! And then the greatest Secret Service Agent Ever Aaron Pierce rescues her and the Russian Pres, leading to one of the great unspoken, requited-but-not-verbalized love affairs for the over fifty set ever to hit tv plays out with Martha and Aaron and its -- awwwwwww and *sniffle* because both of them are all kinds of awesome.

Of course, she's pissed with hubby... but things get worse. She finds out that her husband isn't just a spineless weasel he is one of the bad guys! And he orders Aaron executed! And he had ordered the assassination of the previous president! And, dude, the 'incompetent President' turned out to be evil! (but in his own utterly fucked up way, he actually seems to love Martha).

We go from having pill-popping drunk Martha in the beginning to starcrossed Martha/Aaron, to Martha saving Aaron's ass, to Martha Triumphant at the end of the season when she's wears a bug and gets the Pres to confess all, then standing resolutely -- in a dashing black hat-- watching her husband be carted away by the men in black.

Martha rocks, and the guy playing her weasel hubby does brilliant work. And, again, Martha+Aaron are all kinds of star crossed. Jean Smart (Martha) and Gregory Itzen (President Logan) deserved their Emmy noms. Actually, they deserved to win, because they and their storyline were awesome.]

damn you, what kind of person would ask such a thing?

[katelennon.livejournal.com]

How can one decide between John/Aeryn and the warms-your-heart sight of Buffy falling to her death? Also, I have to say S4 of Angel, pre-Jasmine is pretty flucking fantastic. I especially have to give mad love to Dark!Wes doing Lilah, and the reset at the end.

I did have to vote for S3 of FS, because it is teh shit of all seasons, ever.

Re: damn you, what kind of person would ask such a thing?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Hee! I don't have to decide. That's why I put all of them up. I like all of those seasons.

...Okay, I lied. I totally picked Season 3 Farscape. :)

[madam-rptr.livejournal.com]

Okay...I wanted to initially vote for BtVS S5 but chose other because I had to go with my O.G. online fandom - Alias whose Season 2 had it all for me and was my gateway drug to fandom.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Heh. We never forget our first.

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

Um, Buffy S2 and S5? What about S3 and S6? You know, the good seasons?

I picked VM S1 because I'm not voting for third-best Buffy seasons.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's how you look at them. Season 3 had really strong stand-alone episodes but I don't think it was the strongest story arc. While there are several episodes I think rank as BtVS's best episodes in those seasons, I don't think that the arc was particularly tight in Seasons 3 and 6, IMO. The season as a whole isn't as strong as the sum of its parts. Whereas the seasonal arc in 2 and 5 redeems some of the admittedly weak episodes in the seasons.

[darynthe.livejournal.com]

Eh why not season 6 of Buffy? That one is definitely the best. But since it is not competing I have to totally go for the Xfiles season 3 Yay!(but some of the ones you mention there are from season 2? not sure anymore)

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I think Season 6 is marred because, though it has an excellent first act, the plot begins to become repetitious and meander starting with the middle, and the Flower Epiphany at the end with the Crayon speech didn't seem like a strong conclusion to the arc.

And, I tend to agree with many that the lack of Season 7 following up on the aftermath of Season 6 weakens the impact of six as it seems in many ways to exist in a bubble with Buffy and the Scoobs in Season 7 thinking "that wasn't really us."

So, despite an incredibly good set-up and some great episodes, as a rising action - climax thing, I think Season 6 suffers especially badly in Act II and didn't produce a climax strong enough to really top it off.

Basically... I loathe the Flower Epiphany.

[darynthe.livejournal.com]

Oh I see your point now. I realize now I have totally deleted that last episode from my mind because it was so terrible that I had to supress it. I think more than an arch it was character and archetype exploration and I take it as such, as probably the best written season of TV. But of course that is something that is very disputed, it had alwyas been the most loved and the most hated season of Buffster. I do like a lot s7 if looked through the archetype and hero journey POV. But indeed, that Xfiles of S3, still is something undisputable excellent and orginalbe and lovable.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I prefer season 2 of Angel to season 3. All those twists with Dru and Darla just killed me. Although admittedly it did lose its way towards the middle and end. It's a shame that US tv seems to have to do 22 episodes a season. Smallville's the same, and you end up with so much pointless filler


And my choice was totally Farscape season 3. It was awesome! Nearly episode was exceptional that year, especially when it really got going around the time of Incubator, Scratch N Sniff, Revenging Angel, the John dying two-parter, The Choice

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Love AtS Season 2 as well, and Season 2 & 3 fit together so beautifully.

Still, I have to agree that FS 3 was perhaps the best because it managed the double whammy of having many of the series best episodes combined with a great arc.

The thing that continues to impress me with FS Season 3 is that it built so perfectly to his heartbreaking -- but utterly logical and character driven -- conclusion. You look back and you can't think, given the circumstances, how could it end any differently? It couldn't -- that's great plotting. Great set-up and great follow-up that's 100% in character all the way with many of the series finest episodes all the way through.

Some series have their best episodes in a season that isn't their best overall arc. And some of them have a strong overall arc but it's not the season with their best, most classic episodes. Like many things FS, it managed a great synergy of both.

[paratti.livejournal.com]

The Nine series of Who.

[cordykitten]

I can't take the poll, too hard to decide with Farscape in the mix :)

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

I was leaning heavily toward Farscape S3, but then suddenly I was filled with memories of Bab5 S3 & 4.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

Some of these I've never seen because the channels they appeared on were not available in my area, but although I did love BtVS S5 and AtS S3, I thought the introduction of Spike/Dru and Angelus brought something to BtVS that changed it from an interesting show about a girl who fights vampires and her friends to something amazing. Plus . . . see icon. *g*