Heh. I do think the "vegemite effect" was a certain factor in my viewing of the series.

I remember way, way back in Season 4 of BtVS (real time as it aired) getting a friend to try BtVS. She had viewed "Forever Knight" and was reluctant. I reassured her that Joss would never go as dark a route as "Forever Knight" went because I didn't think that the show would ever be that depressive. Little did I know... :)

So, yeah, I was pretty blindsided by post-OMWF BtVS. It wasn't at all what I was expecting.