I could agree with your list for sure. It was really tough to choose between five and two – they were both brilliant in their own ways, but you’re absolutely right that the first half of S05 was a challenge to get through. I think a huge part of that was because it was right on the heels of S04, which we’ve established was a hot mess. I think they were trying to regroup and get back to the stories we wanted to see, yet that came to screeching halt when Dawn came in. They threw her into the snake pit and then didn’t know what to do with her, and it showed.

7. Season Four: Everything you said. Season Four of Buffy was one of the most painful years of my life.

6. Season One. We’re still in agreement. A lot of the debut season was pretty rough, though I can appreciate it more in reverse, seeing the seeds of greatness.

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Dividing line: everything after this point is awesome.

5. Season Six: Had some of the series’ best moments, but was also an uneven mess at times.

4. Season Seven: I too liked Seven a lot, despite being a common source of complaints.

3. Season Three: I sometimes liked Faith, she just wore thin after a while. At a minimum, I found her an effective foil for Buffy. I found this season too slow too often … but that prom scene though. And Graduation Day. So much yes.

2. Season Five: The second half of this season was the highest sustained greatness the show ever had, featuring one of the greatest hours in TV history (“The Body”) and what would have been an incredible series finale if it had stood as such. But the season gets bumped to second because that early stretch was some rough shit. Dawn was truly unbearable at first, particularly before they revealed her true origin (which took like five episodes of wondering if Whedon had lost his damn mind). And we had to deal with more Riley. Once he left, it was like the sun could shine again.

1. Season Two: Spike. Drusilla. Angel. Jenny. “Becoming.” Spike again. SO much to love about Season Two.