Buffy The Vampire Slayer: All 7 seasons ranked from worst to best

7. Season 6

“Once More With Feeling” is widely regarded as one of Buffy The Vampire Slayer‘s very best. Heck, it holds a special place in my heart, akin to that of a close friend. But that isn’t enough to prevent the infamous sixth season from landing at the very bottom of this list.

The biggest thing that divided audiences was the Spike and Buffy (a.k.a. ‘Spuffy’) plotline. I can appreciate it for what it is because of the work that James Marsters and Sarah Michelle Gellar put into making the storyline work, coupled with their on-screen chemistry. It feels entirely plausible that Spike, given Buffy’s circumstances, is the only one she can confide in about her experiences with death and being the strongest one in the room.

That said, this season really does become a drag. The relationship with Spike isn’t explored in a fulfilling way and Buffy herself is constantly weighed down by her own trauma, which makes some of season 6 incredibly hard to watch. Yes, it’s important that Buffy gets to vocalize her feelings, but it’s also important that our heroine is given a storyline that sees her overcome these obstacles in a way that feels worthy of the character.

The Trio weren’t great as villains either. Yes, they were supposed to be accidental villains, but this is a rare case of Buffy‘s humorous tendencies overwhelming the plot.

Speaking of hard-to-watch, Willow’s storyline was mishandled. Fans were excited at the prospect of Willow showcasing her true potential in magic. But the storyline never served the character the way that it should have. Not only did the loss of Tara harm the show, Willow’s vengeful spree took the character down a route from which there should have been no way back. As jaw-dropping as it was, the handling of it did some long-term damage to the show.