Right, should probably give my overall opinions of Season 3 and then other stuffs. This overview is going to suck, though.
Season 3 was very consistent quality-wise, which is hard for me because it causes a lot of it to blend together. The highs weren't as high as Season 2, but the lows weren't as low, either. Really, there were very few lows in this season at all. I most enjoyed how every episode seemed to add, even in a small way, to the overarching plot. Continuity is one of my favorite things in a television show, so every episode building upon each other and referencing things from the past is a huge positive for me.
Off the top of my head:
The Good: The Mayor being delightfully evil, the continuity, lots of character growth, Oz doesn't suck anymore
The Bad: Trick was poorly used, I didn't like Faith, the finale disappointed me
Character ranking:
Giles
The Mayor
Buffy
Xander
Wesley
-gap-
Cordelia
Oz
Angel
-gap-
Willow
Faith
I should probably expand on why I didn't like Faith. Her immaturity annoyed me, for one. I tired of watching her prancing around killing people and not taking it seriously. Calling Buffy by the letter B was annoying, too. The character seemed slightly forced, too. I wish they would've dove a little bit deeper into why Faith was so easily persuaded to join the Mayor. They dropped enough hints involving parents and her childhood and all that, but an actual scene devoted to bringing all of this out, or something like that, would've been really helpful in having me appreciate the character and where she came from more. I understand that when it comes down to it, you weren't supposed to like Faith. She was the foil to Buffy and was meant to be an obstacle. I'm not sure how much longer she has on the show, but if she gets continued stay in Season 4, I hope she improves greatly.
I can't really do an episode ranking because not many truly stick out immediately in my mind. I'll just say which ones were notably good (in no specific order):
Lover's Walk
Anne
The Wish
The Zeppo (I know I kind of hated on this before, but I've grown to appreciate it more as time has passed)
The Prom
Five seems like a good number.
So yeah, finally:
Season 2 > Season 3 > Season 1
Despite a couple of lows, episodes like Passion and Innocence vault Season 2 above the consistency and continuity of Season 3. I don't imagine Season 1 will ever move.
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snowpork
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