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Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Fourth Season

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Fourth Season

List Price: $59.98
Your Price: $44.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Season 4 Rocks!!!
Review: Despite the loss of Angel and the abrupt departure of Oz, Buffy's fourth season sparkles with exciting, creative storylines and the addition of intriguing characters like Riley and Tara. Fan faves Spike and Anya also became series regulars during season four.

Although Adam, this season's featured Big Bad is somewhat lame, there are some real standout episodes here, including: the haunting, mostly silent "Hush" which scored Joss Whedon an Emmy nomination in the category of outstanding writing for a drama series; the hysterical "Something Blue", in which a heartbroken Willow casts a spell which goes horribly wrong (Buffy & Spike get engaged!); and the dramatic two-parter "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You" which finds an angry Faith awakened from her Buffy-induced coma and looking for revenge. The honorable mention goes to "Superstar", which gives secondary character Jonathan a chance to shine as he creates an alternate universe where he gets to be everyone's hero. Of course, there are some below average episodes here too, but even a preachy clunker like "Beer Bad" has moments of brilliance.

NOTE: To maximize your Buffy Season 4 viewing experience, you may want to purchase the first season of Angel on DVD. Crossovers!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "I've been upgrading."
Review: Buffy The Vampire Slayer's fourth season is criminally underrated! I really don't understand how anyone can claim it was less than stellar. Personally, it is one of my favorite seasons of this show and I actually prefer it to the previous three. This is one of Buffy's wittiest years and a great precursor to season five. This season has it all - great comedy (witness Anya and Spike's introduction into the scooby gang, Buffy's attempt to live with a roommate, Willow's spell gone awry which actually has Buffy and Spike thinking they're in love and planning their wedding, the "let's have a normal Thanksgiving" episode) - terrifying moments of horror (the two frat parties that go horribly wrong, the initiative, the quite creepy Professor Walsh, the gentlemen, the first appearance of the first slayer in the gang's dreams) - powerful human drama (Willow's relationship with Tara, Xander's relationship with Anya, Buffy's relationship with Riley, the altered relationships of the central gang as they move on and deal with life after high school, Faith's return and "redemption"). This season was all about transition, blossoming adulthood, testing out new waters and experimenting - that of the characters and the show's writers and directors (Joss Whedon especially took new steps in his direction skills with such episodes as "Who Are You?" and "Restless"). Sure, Adam may not have been the best villain the show has ever seen, but he was very disturbing (and as you'll see in "Restless" very cute in human form) - and he did serve an important purpose leading up to the more intimidating and complicated villains that would come with the final seasons. Some of the best episodes ever are featured on this season ("Living Conditions" - "Fear Itself" - "Pangs" - "Hush" - "Doomed" -"Where The Wild Things Are" - "Primeval" - the aforementioned Joss Whedon gems). At the end of season three, I was left wondering how Buffy and co. could expand past a high school environment - that setting was so integral and important to the show that I was a bit worried about the future seasons - the cast and crew proved they had enough talent to handle the task, and in my opinion most of the post-high school episodes are more accessible and entertaining. The scope of season four widened and allowed room for the majorly epic visions that would come with the following seasons. Season four not only allowed Buffy to expand beyond high school and the characters to come into their own, but it became an even more metaphysical, mature, risk-taking show that continued to deftly mix elements of horror, sci-fi, drama and comedy. Riley, too, is often criticized for not being the most exciting boyfriend, but let's all remember, that Buffy was looking for a "normal" man and relationships rarely live up to that of your first love. This show's main strength has always been that even though it deals with aspects of the supernatural, it consistently concentrates on human emotions and relationships and depicts them honestly and realistically. This show just gets better and better, building on it's own past and taking us into new and brilliant territory - it never tells the same story twice, and every story it tells it tells well. I should also mention, another great thing about this show, is that is has a look and style completely it's own - and it is utilized superbly in this season. The camera work, sets, designs and effects are cinematically thrilling especially considering it's a small screen show. There's amazing irony and symbolism, incredible mythology and insanely quotable dialogue. In terms of creativity and quality I found it sheerly exhilarating, moving, heartbreaking, scary and hilarious - in many aspects it well surpassed the previous seasons. The writing and acting are as always brilliant and topnotch - if you want to see one of the best television shows ever, all you have to do is watch this series. If you haven't yet experienced the phenomenon that is Buffy you really owe it to yourself to give it a chance. Tara's words in the final episode of season four are particularly apt: "You think you know, what you are, what's to come. You haven't even begun."

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Pretty Weak.....you know, by Buffy standards
Review: I didn't think Season 2 could be topped. I was wrong. Season 3 was great. I didn't think it could be topped at that point. Sadly, I was right. By this point, David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter had moved on to the Angel series, and new characters had to be brought into the mix. Now, with most series, the new characters are never as good as the ones who were there from the beginning. This one is no exception. Riley is the dullest character EVER! And why did he have to be from Iowa? I like Anya, but you could tell she was thrown into the mix as a cheap Cordy substitute whose excuse was she'd recently become human, whereas Cordy just wanted to be popular. Then let's look at the Season's bad guy: Adam was nothing compared to the Mayor/Faith or Spike/Dru/Angel. The characters from the Initiative (Maggie, Forrest Gump) were boring at best. Finally, there were a lot of episodes this season that just weren't on par with previous seasons or the next one for that matter. I never liked gimmicky episodes of TV shows, and this season was full of them. I didn't think "Hush" was nearly as great as most people did. "Restless" put me to rest. "Superstar" was hardly super. Other episodes weren't gimmicky, but still weren't good- "Where the Wild Things Are" comes to mind. The loss of Oz after six episodes wasn't a good thing, although I enjoyed his final episode (excluding his brief return in "Restless"). Xander's part was reduced in this season. Willow became a lesbian, which came off as a desperate move to develop new stories. That alone wouldn't have been as bad if Tara had been a 3-dimensional character (she eventually would become one, but not in this season). The season might have been a complete loss, if not for a couple of things: (1) The return of Spike! And as a regular!! Spike was hilarious throughout the season and would often steal an entire episode even with only a few scenes. The episode "Something Blue" was one of the best I'd seen in awhile. And the name escapes me, but it seemed like old times when Angel returned for the Thanksgiving episode. All in all, the weakest season I've seen of Buffy (although I haven't yet seen all of six or any of seven). Still, I'd say it's worth buying, if for no other reason to complete your collection.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 'Buffy' is on its own scale!
Review: Its very difficult to judge a season of 'Buffy' because, after all, even the worst seasons are better than most other television. I see a lot of people giving the fourth season a harsh grade because it happened to come after the truly fantastic second and third seasons. And while it is true that the fourth season isn't as good as those two, it is still very, very good. I'm going to be giving my two cents on both the packaging of this season, as well as the season itself.

PACKAGING:

Pros: This is one of the best complete packages of the 'Buffy' seasons. It has a lot of really great features. While the second, third, and fifth seasons all have only 4 episode commentaries, the fourth season boasts an impressive 6. Every singel one of these commentaries is insightful. "Wild at Heart" has hilarious comments by Joss Whedon, Marti Noxen and Seth Green (as of yet the only cast member to contribute a commentary). The set also has a lot of featurettes on everything ranging from sets to music to specific characters and episodes.

Cons: While this will obviously (and hopefully) not be a problem for other reviewers, I must comment on the condition of my box set. I ordered the third, fourth and fifth seasons from amazon.com. My third and fifth seasons were in pristine condition. However, this season arrived crunched and smooched. I was disappointed. Things got worse when I went to take out one of the discs. The CD holder broke and I must now keep disc 2 in a separate jewel case beside my box set.

THE SEASON:

Pros: I tend to like the fourth season of 'Buffy' better if I look at the episodes individually. In fact, the first time I watched the fourth season, I was very disappointed and I didn't like it that much. But my opinion changed after watching the season on DVD. This season boasts some wonderful individual episodes including "Hush", "Restless", "Who Are You", "The Initiative" and "Something Blue". The writing is still sharp, funny and completely original. The characters continue to grow in this season and the acting is, as always, phenominal. In some ways, this year was a creative peak for the cast and crew of 'Buffy'. It was the college year. Many shows struggle after their characters leave high school, but 'Buffy' proved that it was still great, even without Sunnydale High.

Cons: Basically, the Initiative storyline sucked. The writers were trying to show the struggle between science and magic, but they ended up getting a very sterile and boring plotline. The writers created a great character in Professor Walsh, only to kill her before she could become the Big Bad. Adam is one of the show's worst ever moments. He was a horrible Big Bad, especially after Angelus and Faith. These two were so emotionally connected to Buffy. Adam just seemed to be a hurdle that Buffy had to jump over. Riley was also a bad idea. It may be that he is so tied to the Initiative plotline, but he is also no substitute for Angel. This season also had a few bad episodes, namely "Beer Bad".

Overall, I strongly recommend buying this box set. You should get every season of 'Buffy'; its the best show ever created. Don't get me wrong: I love the fourth season! I'm just trying to look at this from an objective point of view and not give it five stars just because its 'Buffy'. Seasons of this show must be graded on a different scale than other shows. This season is just not as good as the second, third, fifth or sixth seasons. A four star rating for 'Buffy' is better than a ten star rating of, say, 'Alias'.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Buffy Goes to College!
Review: Another Season has arrived as Buffy and Co. leave behind their High School world and venture into college!

Regulars:
Sarah Michelle Gellar; Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon; Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan; Willow Rosenberg
Seth Green; Oz (Through episode 6)
James Marsters; Spike (Episode 7 onward)
Marc Blucas; Riley Finn (Episode 11 onward)
Anthony Stewart Head; Rupert Giles

1. The Freshman - While Willow blossoms in the college environment, Buffy has a difficult time adjusting, and her Slaying suffers because of it.

2. Living Conditions - Everyone wonders what's wrong with Buffy when she insists that her annoying roommate is evil.

3. The Harsh Light Of Day - Spike is back, searching for a gem that will make him invincible; Buffy is distracted by her first attempt at getting back into the dating pool. GUEST STAR: James Marsters

4. Fear, Itself - The gang finds themselves in a real-life house of horrors at a Halloween party, in which a Fear Demon feeds on their individual fears.

5. Beer Bad - Buffy drowns her sorrows by drinking with some upperclassmen, but Xander grows concerned when they start to get in touch with their primordial roots.

6. Wild @ Heart - Oz and Willow's relationship is up in arms when Oz is powerfully drawn to a female werewolf.

7. The Initiative - Spike is imprisoned in an underground demon-research facility; Riley realizes he has a crush on Buffy.

8. Pangs - Angel secretly arrives in Sunnydale to protect Buffy; Buffy tries to have a perfect Thanksgiving. GUEST STAR: David Boreanaz

9. Something Blue - A spell by Willow goes awry, causing Giles to go blind and Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged.

10. Hush - After the residents of Sunnydale lose the power of speech, Buffy battles strangely silent assailants alongside an incredulous Riley.

11. Doomed - Buffy and Riley struggle with the knowledge of each others' secrets; the gang must head back to high school to stop another apocalypse.

12. A New Man - When Giles is turned into a demon, he turns to an unlikely source for help while an unknowing Buffy hunts him down.

13. The I in Team - The gang worries about Buffy's involvement with the Initiative; Walsh sends Buffy on a dangerous mission.

14. Goodbye Iowa - Buffy discovers the Initiative's secret weapon; Riley becomes disoriented and paranoid after the death of his mentor.

15. This Year's Girl (Part 1 of 2) - Faith wakes up from her coma and goes after Buffy, seeking revenge and armed with a mysterious gift left behind by the Mayor. GUEST STAR: Eliza Dushku

16. Who Are You? (Part 2 of 2) - While Buffy is mistakenly kidnapped by the Watcher's Council, Faith wreaks havoc in Buffy's life. GUEST STAR: Eliza Dushku

17. Superstar - Buffy must put aside the turmoil she feels about Riley and Faith's night of passion to investigate why a former nerd is suddenly a superhero.

18. Where the Wild Things Are - When Buffy and Riley rouse a supernatural force, they are held hostage by ghost-children who have returned to exact revenge for past abuses.

19. New Moon Rising - Oz returns to Sunnydale and is captured by the Initiative during a full moon; a conflicted Willow tells Buffy about her new relationship with Tara. GUEST STAR: Seth Green

20. The Yoko Factor (Part 1 of 2) - Riley spars with Angel when Angel visits Sunnydale; Spike conspires with Adam to bring Buffy to her knees. GUEST STAR: David Boreanaz

21. Primeval (Part 2 of 2) - Adam's plan to craft a master race of human-demon hybrids unfolds while Buffy is at odds with Giles and the others; Adam captures Riley.

22. Restless - A primordial spirit haunts the dreams of Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander, making them each face their innermost fears.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Seen the set and recommend it without reservation
Review: I just checked out a review copy of this DVD set and decided to share my observations here:
After destroying Sunnydale High School in the season three finale, where does Buffy Summers and Scooby member Willow go? The answer is simple - the fictional University of California at Sunnydale.
Already hailed as a phenomenon into its fourth year the adventures of Buffy, Willow and Xander continue with the usual flair and witty dialogue that made the three previous seasons such inspired television. Producer and writer Joss Whedon has created an escapist world filled with engaging characters and entertaining story lines. His risk taking nature is especially evident in season four with the Emmy award winning episode "Hush."
As mentioned in one of the many featurettes that litter this six-disc collection, what does Joss Whedon do when he hears it is the dialogue that makes "Buffy" such compelling viewing? Why he writes and directs an episode with no lines of dialogue in over 30 minutes - with great results.
Over the course of the 22 episodes that make up season four you will see Buffy battle demons, fairy tale characters, vampires, a cyborg demon named Adam and the mysterious paramilitary organization - The Initiative. She even encounters the first Slayer in the very final episode.
This is certainly a handsome set with the discs housed in the same fold-out packaging as the three previous season sets. A different character portrait is pictured on each of the discs and the start up menu's for the discs also feature a different member of the cast. Curious however is the fact that the character depicted on the cover of the disc does not correspond to that on the main menu. Interesting, but certainly a minor quibble.
Each disc contains four episodes with the exception of discs three and six which contain three. The extra space on these discs is utilized to give Buffy fans a look behind the scenes with several featurettes. Perhaps the best of these is "Designing Sunnydale" on disc three where the crew reveal that a field trip to UCLA gave them inspiration for the look of the sets of UC-Sunnydale. They also reveal that a number of the exteriors were actually shot on the UCLA campus. Despite the presence of a number of these featurettes in the middle of the set casual viewers should be warned that they contain a number of spoilers relating to plot points in the latter half of the season.
The major special feature on the sixth disc is the 35 minute "Season Four Overview". As the title suggests this is a methodical look at the season, peppered with insightful reflections from a number of the principal actors and crew.
After his conspicuous absence on the Season Three DVDs producer, writer and director Joss Whedon returns with not one but two commentaries. This is a welcome development and (as always) Whedon is an engaging person with whom to share 45 minutes. Both these tracks (for "Hush" and "Restless") are required listening for fans. Joss Whedon also makes an appearance on a group commentary sharing views of "Wild at Heart" with Marti Noxon and actor Seth Green.
Of the three other commentaries the best by far is those provided for "This Years Girl" and "The Initiative" by Doug Petrie. Fellow crew member Jane Espenson also shows up for the episode "Superstar".
Also included in the set is the original scripts for "Fear Itself", "Hush", "Who Are You?" and "Restless."
One major disappointment with the set is the fact that all episodes are presented in full frame. Despite the presence of a small insert with a message from Joss Whedon explaining his preference for full frame, as one who has seen the widescreen transfers of these episodes I have to say that I prefer the widescreen versions.
The picture quality of this set shows a continued improvement over Season Three with strong colors and no sign of niches or scratches. The audio is also impressive with a nice balance and the title sequence fairly booming through the speakers.
All in all, this set is easy to recommend. Although not the best of the "Buffy" seasons this is still compelling viewing and great fun.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Buffy Goes to College!
Review: Season Four Regulars:
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Seth Green as Oz (Through episode 6)
James Marsters as Spike (Episode 7 onward)
Marc Blucas as Riley Finn (Episode 11 onward)
Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

1. The Freshman - As Buffy adjusts to college life, she realizes that classmates are mysteriously disappearing.
2. Living Conditions - Everyone wonders what's wrong with Buffy when she insists that her annoying roommate is evil.
3. The Harsh Light of Day - As Buffy has an affair with a handsome student, Spike searches for a ring that, according to legend, makes the wearer invincible.
4. Fear, Itself - The gang finds themselves in a real-life house of horrors at a Halloween party, in which a Fear Demon feeds on their individual fears.
5. Beer Bad - Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends metamorphose into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures.
6. Wild at Heart - Oz and Willow's relationship is up in arms when Oz is powerfully drawn to a female werewolf.
7. The Initiative - Spike is imprisoned in an underground demon-research facility. Riley realizes he has a crush on Buffy.
8. Pangs - On Thanksgiving, Buffy encounters the spirit of a Native American warrior whose people were wiped out by settlers.
9. Something Blue - A spell by Willow goes awry, causing Giles to go blind and Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged.
10. Hush - A group of murderous creatures straight out of a fairy tale steal away the townspeople's voices.
11. Doomed - Buffy attempts to stop demons determined to bring about the apocalypse by reopening the Hellmouth.
12. A New Man - After being transformed into a demon, Giles attempts to track down Ethan Rayne in hopes of reversing the process.
13. The I in Team - The gang worries about Buffy's involvement with the Initiative. Walsh sends Buffy on a dangerous mission.
14. Goodbye Iowa - Tension erupts between Buffy and an ailing Riley as they pursue Maggie Walsh's killer.
15. This Year's Girl (Part 1 of 2) - Faith awakens from a coma and seeks revenge against Buffy. Riley joins Buffy in the hunt for Adam.
16. Who Are You? (Part 2 of 2) - While Buffy is mistakenly kidnapped by the Watcher's Council, Faith wreaks havoc in Buffy's life.
17. Superstar - Buffy and her friends sense that something's amiss when a ubiquitous Jonathan becomes a hero to everyone in Sunnydale.
18. Where the Wilds Things Are - Buffy and Riley's passionate lovemaking energizes supernatural elements inside a frat house.
19. New Moon Rising - Oz's return to Sunnydale leads to his incarceration inside the Initiative, and complicates the relationship between Willow and Tara.
20. The Yoko Factor (Part 1 of 2) - Riley spars with Angel when Angel visits Sunnydale; Spike conspires with Adam to bring Buffy to her knees.
21. Primeval (Part 2 of 2) - Having gained control of Riley's mind, Adam sets in motion his plot to destroy the Initiative and create an army of unstoppable soldiers.
22. Restless - Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles experience dreams in which they are pursued by a mysterious figure.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The uneven but fun fourth season of Buffy comes to DVD
Review: I'll start with the bad news: this is quite probably the worst season of Buffy. However, don't let that stop you; it's still some of the best TV out there. It's a bit disjointed and inconsistent compared to other seasons, and suffers from a less-than-intimidating Big Bad and the massive hole of boring that is Buffy's relationship with corn-fed soldier boy Riley. Still, there's a LOT to love about this season.

In Season Four, Buffy the Vampire Slayer starts college; hooks up with a "normal" boyfriend after the disaster that was her last relationship; switches bodies with her arch-nemesis; and finally comes into her own when facing Adam and the First Slayer. Over the course of these 22 episodes, Buffy grows from a girl into a woman, and that might actually be the reason for the disjointedness. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way.

This DVD set contains:

"The Freshman" - Buffy starts college, but she has a lot of things to adjust to. Classes, dorm life, psychotic teachers, and oh yeah, a sassy vampire named Sunday who's determined to make her life miserable. This episode also introduces Buffy's future love interest, the terminally bland Riley.

"Living Conditions" - A filler episode, but quite funny. Buffy's roommate Kathy is irritating, to say the least. Labeling her food, clipping her toenails, trying to nab Buffy's could-be-boyfriend...she's certainly bad news. But then Buffy decides that Kathy is evil and therefore must be killed. Surely her friends can stop her before she does anything rash...right?

"Harsh Light of Day" - Spike (played to perfection by James Marsters) returns to Sunnydale, and at his side is...Harmony? He's in town searching for a magical gem that makes vampires immortal. But he's not the only visitor - Xander's sort-of-ex Anya returns to town, with one purpose on her mind. Meanwhile, Buffy's relationship with Parker Abram heats up...and then dies a nasty death. Continued in the Angel episode "In the Dark."

"Fear, Itself" - Halloween in Sunnydale is never normal, and this year it's marked by a haunted frat house. In which Buffy is a tarted-up Little Red Riding Hood, Willow is Joan of Arc, Xander is 007, and Oz is God. Featuring the debut of Bunny Suit Anya!

"Beer Bad" - A subpar episode...possibly the worst episode of Buffy EVER. Buffy and some frat boys drink magic beer that regresses them to cavepeople. 'Nuff said.

"Wild at Heart" - Alyson Hannigan gets to show off her acting chops, as Willow has to face the loss of her boyfriend to a cheating trampy werewolfette named Veruca. Hannigan's portrayal of Willow's misery nearly has me in tears every time I watch this episode. Also, Spike returns only to be zapped by a taser.

"The Initiative" - In this seminal episode, Riley is revealed to be Agent Finn in a military operation housed underneath the college campus; one led by Buffy's psychology teacher, Maggie Walsh, and which puts a chip in Spike's head to keep him from harming humans.

"Pangs" - Angel returns! Buffy finds herself fighting the vengeful spirit of a Chumash warrior that gives Xander syphilis and cuts off people's ears. But she's not going to let that stop her from putting on the best Thanksgiving ever, if she has to kill everyone in Sunnydale to do it. Leads in directly to the Angel episode "I Will Remember You."

"Something Blue" - Probably the funniest episode of the season. Willow does a spell to relieve her grief over losing Oz, but it ends up having a few unexpected side effects: Giles is blind, Xander's on the run from demons and Buffy and Spike are engaged!

"Hush" - The masterpiece of Season Four. A group of (for once, sincerely scary) demons come to town and steal everyone's voices. For almost half an hour, not a word is spoken. It's a testament to the top-caliber acting and writing on this show that the characters still manage to be themselves even without dialogue. Willow's just as sweetly endearing as she scribbles "Hi Giles" on her whiteboard, Anya's tactless as ever as she makes an obscene hand gesture to Xander as a subtle hint..."Hush" is a true work of genius.

"Doomed" - Now that Buffy and Riley have discovered each other's secret identity, they have to decide whether to report it to their superiors. Meanwhile, Spike is suicidally depressed by having to wear Xander's clothes.

"A New Man" - Giles' old "friend" Ethan Rayne comes to town, and things end up with Giles being turned into a Fyarl demon. With Spike (!) as his only ally, he goes searching for the solution...while Buffy is searching for the monster she thinks has killed Giles.

"The I in Team" - Buffy starts working for the Initiative, but there's only room for one tough chick here, and Professor Walsh wants to be it. But she'll soon find that she doesn't know what a Slayer is made of...

"Goodbye Iowa" - With Professor Walsh dead, the Initiative is in disarray. Riley doesn't know who to trust...his friends or his girlfriend. He deals with the situation by going slightly insane (way to go, Riley). But they all soon find they have a much greater menace to deal with...Professor Walsh's "son", the Frankensteinian hybrid Adam.

"This Year's Girl" - Here's where things get REALLY good. Eliza Dushku returns to the series as bad girl Slayer Faith, who awakens from the coma Buffy put her in (in the Season Three finale). She's pure tormented bad-ass, with the climax being an epic fight between the two Slayers with an...unexpected ending.

"Who Are You" - If anything could top the previous episode, it's this. Buffy and Faith have switched bodies, and the actresses both gamely prove they're up to the challenge. Eliza Dushku manages to play Buffy's earnest innocence quite capably, but the show belongs to Sarah Michelle Gellar as Faith, who's all tousled hair and pouty lips. Watching her mimic Buffy's good-girl mannerisms is alternately chilling and uproarious, and watching her reactions, unused to people treating her like she's their friend, is absolutely heartbreaking. An acting tour-de-force.

"Superstar" - In this episode, chronic nebbish Jonathan suddenly finds himself the coolest and most capable person in Sunnydale. But when a monster shows up that's apparently connected to Jonathan in some way, does it have something to do with his sudden popularity? (If you know ANYTHING about Sunnydale, you already know the answer.)

"Where the Wild Things Are" - After a run of such good episodes, here's a sub-mediocre filler episode. Buffy and Riley are trapped in his frat house having endless sex. Yes, it's as appealing as it sounds.

"New Moon Rising" - Ah, now this is what I'm talking about. Oz returns to Willow, with his beast under control. But as it turns out, Willow's relationship with Tara has gone further than friendship. Which will Willow choose?

"The Yoko Factor" - It's the blowout we've all been waiting for: Boyfriend vs. Ex! Caveman Brow vs. Corn Boy! In other words, it's time for Angel vs. Riley! Oh yeah, and there's some stuff with Adam getting Spike to divide the Scooby gang from each other as well.

"Primeval" - Between the teary Scooby reunion, the epic final battle with Adam, and the Matrix-ripoff special effects, this is more of a finale than the actual finale is. But it's all good.

"Restless" - The season comes to a surreal close in the Whedon-directed and written finale, which takes place in the dreams of Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles...a fitting end to a season that's quirky at best, uneven at worst. It also lays quite a bit of groundwork for Season Five. Don't miss highlights such as milkmaid Harmony, the Cheeseman, or the Exposition Song!

If you've never seen Buffy, it's probably better to start with Season One or Two. If you're a Buffy fan, you probably already own this. But if you're a casual Buffy watcher, then I think you should give this set a try.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: magic sex!!!!
Review: this season was great i love the way they brought willow out,new moon rising is my favorite episode.if you are a buffy fan or even if you'r not watch this season and you may become a buffy fan,my boyfriend did not care to watch buffy until he watched some of this season.pick this season up today you'll love it!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The gang matures with a great season.
Review: The first three seasons of Buffy all felt the same in where the characters were, in high school. From the outside it all looks the same, sophmore, freashman, junior, they are just high school students. But in the last season, they graduated.

Now we get to see them out of High School. Willow flourishes in this environment and loves the concept of higher learning. Oz is back home, with people he played for and partied with in his band. Xander is trying to find a life for himself, not going to college and not interested he bounces from job to job. Anya returns and develops a love interest in Xander, considering how they are both outsiders it strangely works. Buffy is trying to balance her slayers duties with education, and new love interest Riley. Giles is learning to live without a job as a librarian or watcher status.

It introduces a new group called the initiative, that is a government group experimenting with Demons.

This was a great season, we saw the characters adapting to life outside of high school. Something I remember not too fondly. As well as them continuing to change as characters. Adam was a great big bad, but didn't have enough screen time. He was obviously a take off of Frankenstein's Monster, but so well done it didn't matter. As a friend of mine in film school said, if you are going to rip something off, rip off the best.

The only complaints I had about this episode were Spike and Harmony, their scenes were too goofy, even for them. Though it was interesting to see Spike deal with life after the Initiative peforms surgery on him.

High Points(there are a lot of them)

The Freshman: Buffy flounders in her new environment. It is compounded with a vampire gang lead by the defeatist Sunday who wants Buffy dead.

Living Conditions: Hillarious episode about bad roommates. Buffy's roommate is strange, but Buffy thinks she is more, her friends think she's overstressed.

Fear Itself: One of the best Haloween episodes, frat boys use symbols they find in a book to create a haunted house, unfortunately they summon a nasty fear demon that is trying to manifest.

Beer Bad: Xander is working as a bartender at the college bar, but the beer seems to make people revert to primal states. Buffy is making cave drawings and smelling her friends hands.

Wild At Heart: A great episode where Oz encounters another werewolf. She makes him question what he is and his connection to Willow.

Something Blue: Willow casts a spell that goes awry; Giles goes blind, Buffy and Spike get engaged, and Xander becomes a demon magnet.

Hush: Classic episode. A group of fairy tale monsters comes to sunnydale. They steal everyones voice so they can't scream when they take your heart.

This Year's Girl: Faith awakens and she is enraged to find the Mayor dead and Buffy living with a new man. The mayor left a device that will help her go out with a bang.

Who Are You?: Sarah Michelle Gellar shows how talanted she is as an actress. Faith and Buffy have switched bodies, Buffy is mitakenly taken by the Watcher councel and Faith starts settling in Buffies life.

Superstar: Hillarious episode. Something is strange as the former class nerd Johnathon returns, but he is a suave near super man. He is like a well known and respected james bond. But Buffy has this feeling something is wrong.

Primeval: Adam reveals his plan. He wants to start a new race of deomon/human hybrids. He wants Buffy to be there, but has dark plans for her.

Restless: An unusual season ender, Buffy and the gang fall alseep while watching movies and have strange dreams where soemthing is chasing them. A very surreal episode.


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