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

2. Season 1

The world of television shows is often a game of patience. Some series may take a season, sometimes even more, to really find their groove, to fine-tune their tone, character arcs, and overall narrative. But Buffy the Vampire Slayer was not one to follow this norm.

It hit the ground running with a riveting series premiere that reeled fans in, keeping them on the edge and waiting for what was to come next. The world of Sunnydale and the Slayer who had come to it was quickly established, setting the stage with a format that would serve the show well for its whole run. Somehow, it managed to strike a perfect equilibrium between subverting clichés, applying the villain-of-the-week format to perfection, and utilizing classic high school drama archetypes.

The show kept things simple when it started and that ultimately worked in its favor. Buffy got in, battled the Master, and showcased herself as a force-to-be-reckoned within the demon-slaying world with a few filler episodes, and then got out. Sure, the main storyline itself could have used more focus, but all in all, this was a strong and effective debut – something that newer shows could learn a lot from.