Most great TV shows take a few episodes — even a few seasons — to really click into gear. Succession's first season was a slog, Parks and Rec's opening run was almost unwatchable when you know what comes later, and The Simpsons didn't get good until season 3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was no exception.
The show's first season was mixed at best, as the cast and writers all struggled to find their footing. Yet Buffy season 2 easily has one of the finest batches of episodes in television history, largely thanks to the introduction of iconic vampire baddies Spike (James Marsters) and Druscilla (Juliet Landau), along with Angel's (David Boreanaz) transformation into the villainous bloodsucker Angelus. So how did the writers follow that up?
By making season 3 even better, of course. October may be coming to a close, but there's still time for one more spooky binge. Here's why you should fire up Hulu (or bust out the DVDs if you got 'em) and spend the rest of spooky season watching Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the rest of the Scooby Gang take down the most terrifying villain they ever faced: a small-town politician.
Buffy's third season is notable for introducing two formidable antagonists. One of them, Faith Lehane (Eliza Dushku), made it all the way through to the end of the series after finding redemption and becoming a hero. The other, Mayor Richard Wilkins (Harry Groener), wasn’t so lucky.
And while they arguably couldn't be more different as characters, the way the two of them fit together speaks to the genius of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its problematic creator, Joss Whedon. Faith shows up early in season 3, quickly revealing herself to be the new Slayer after the last one died in season 2. (Buffy's brief death in season 1 leads to the existence of two chosen ones throughout the rest of the show. Just roll with it.) Unlike our level-headed Buffy, Faith is pugnacious and unpredictable.
She's not just killing vampires to save human lives; she seems to get some twisted thrill out of the hunt. Meanwhile, Mayor Wilkins has been lurking in the background of Sunnydale since season 2 as other local leaders refer to him in hushed tones. Unsurprisingly for a town built on a literal portal to hell, the mayor is not exactly on the up and up.
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