Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 — Season 5

After the very good 4th Season the expectations are high. And you won't be disappointed: Season 5 is top notch. I think it's the best season of Buffy!

The best episode is the one where Joice dies: Just brilliant directing, Mr. Joss Whedon!

Hint: the episodes from Buffy 5 are always one episode behind the one's from Angel 2 (as was true with Buffy 4 and Angel ).

Strong season with a few weak points.


- One of them being Xander. He feels completely useless at this point, none of his arcs or plotlines are very interesting, I don't buy his romance with Anya, his scenes in the episode Riley left were the worst thing ever. He's not even half as funny as Spike, or even Anya.

- Glory is a fun villain with a cool Ben reveal but I feel like she would have benefitted from being introduced later in the season. Her scenes felt very repetitive after a while.

- Dawn was a fine addition. I took some time to get used to Buffy having a sister but in the end I enjoyed how it was done, and it offers a great new dynamic for Buffy.

- I was neutral towards Riley in the last season but he was insufferable in this one and I was glad when he was gone.

- I continue to like Willow & Tara together even though they can be annoyingly overdramatic at times which I'm not fond of. They don't have the depth and history to make these scenes work.

- There's too little of Buffy & Willow's friendship in this season.

- Joyce's death was handled so well. I love the themes in this season.

- Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance is one of the highlights

- Spike is fun as always. His crush on Buffy is a bit out of nowhere and feels like they didn't know what to do with him but provided for some great scenes. I like when he is paired with Dawn so I hope there's more of that in the next season.

- Lots of highly enjoyable episodes. Finale was super satisfying.

In its fifth and final season (on the WB) Buffy the Vampire Slayer attempts to deliver the series' most powerful and epic saga. While there is a “big bad” this season, the focus is on Buffy herself, as she explores the true natural of what “the slayer” actually is. The main story arc follows the appearance of Buffy’s mysterious new sister, and her possible connection to a hell god named Glory. Michelle Trachtenberg makes for a good addition to the cast and gives a new dynamic to the show; with Buffy taking on a sisterly role. The writing this season is also quite ambitious, leading to one of the most shocking season finales in modern television. Still, there are some tonal problems as the series mixes its usual camp and lightheartedness with the more serious and dramatic themes of this season. In many ways Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer marks the end of an era and a conclusion to Buffy’s story arc as a slayer.

Season 5 of Buffy hits hard—in the best way. It somehow makes Buffy’s brand-new sister Dawn feel like she’s always been part of the story, dives deep into Spike’s messy, fascinating feelings, and gives us one of TV’s most powerful episodes ever with The Body. It’s a darker season, for sure, but it earns every emotional beat—especially in that finale. If you thought Buffy was just about vampires, this season proves it’s also about what it means to love, grieve, and grow up.

Dawn Summers, how is that possible