Customer Reviews

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:S4

5 star:		(160)
4 star:		(64)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

With Sunnydale High in ruins and the Scoobies freshly graduated, the gang embarks on the new adventure of college (well...except Xander...but he ends up populating the campus as opposed to the non-campus). After her initial misgivings about college, Buffy adjusts to her new life and fits in her Slayer duties...and notices a covert, underground military demon-hunting operation based beneath the university.

The Initiative, of which Buffy's new boyfriend, Riley, turns out to be part of, is a government-sanctioned demon-hunting organization that captures and experiments on the demon population. As she allies herself with the Initiative, Buffy discovers the threat of the mysterious 314 and a villain who unites all the demons of Sunnydale and divides the Scoobies against themselves.

Season 4 marks the return of beloved characters from seasons past, most notably Spike, the snide, leatherclad, chain smoking vampire, who is promptly neutered by the Initiative and forced to depend on the Scoobies for help. Ethan Rayne also returns to turn Giles into a Fyarl demon. And the rogue slayer Faith returns in a brilliantly executed two-part body-switching episode.

While often maligned (including on this website), Adam is, in my opinion, the show's best villain. A charismatic demonoid cyborg, he unites all races of demons and vampires in a quest to create others like him and overrun the earth. A modern update of Frankenstein's monster, he is chilling in his assertion that he is "aware". He uses Spike as a pawn to divide and conquer the Scoobies, who he sees as the only true threat to his plan. He knows that without each other, they cannot stop him.

The result is a very interesting spell and an very well-done climactic battle, as well as the prophetic and surreal season finale Restless. It is a fitting end to an awesome season.

Season 4 was an interesting change of pace, and marked the transition out of the familiar setting of Sunnydale High. A very well-done season, definetly among the upper eschelon of the show's achievement.

In my opinion, Season 4 is a superb season. Yes, it's different to all the rest but that's what gives the show depth and substance; it'd be a bit boring if Buffy slayed a few vampires in every single episode. Joss Whedon took a bold decision in making Season 4 different. Most viewers hated the fact that Angel and Cordelia were gone, there was the wood-like Riley and Buffy, Willow, Xander and Oz were out of high school. At least Whedon had the courage and faith in the show to take the transition it needed. Overall I think the first 11 episodes of Season 4 (all in this Box Set) are the best "first-half" episodes of any of the seasons - they're all good and unique in their own way.

Season 4 opens with the explosive "The Freshman." The fourth consecutive season opener to be written and directed by Joss Whedon, we see Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) not coping too well as a freshman at UC Sunnydale. In a wrenching role of reversal from probably the first-ever Buffy episode, Willow is the confident girl while Buffy feels insecure and lonely; she is kicked out of Pop Culture class for talking (a subject she really wanted to take), is annoyed by her new roommate Kathy (Dagney Kerr) (who's a fan of Celine Dion and Cher) and gets her [butt] kicked by a super-strong female vamp called Sunday. Along with a few more vamps, Sunday wreaks havoc among freshmen at UC Sunnydale by stealing all their possessions and killing the owner. After a lot of sulking and moaning, Buffy is reunited with Xander in the Bronze - he's been travelling America for months, yet only got far as Oxnard and ended up working as a male stripper and cleaning dishes! Buffy gets her act on and eventually slays Sunday and her crew after they steal all of her gear. In "Living Conditions," we learn a lot more about Buffy's roommate Kathy. Buffy thinks she's so annoying - she snores, she writes her name all over her food with labels, she wears Buffy's clothes without permission and she listens to awful diva-like music! Buffy is tipped over the edge by all this and starts acting crazing, making the assumption that Kathy is an evil demon after they both have simultaneous nightmares involving force-feeding blood, scorpions and chanting. In the end, Buffy proves to be correct and battles Kathy - in demon form and sends her all the way back to the Hell she came from. In "The Harsh Light Of Day," Spike (James Marsters) and Harmony (Mercedes McNab) return to the show. The latter is now a vampire and Spike's girlfriend after she was turned a vampire in the Season 3 finale "Graduation Day Part 2." This is an emotionally tough episode for Buffy. She gets chatting with Parker (Adam Kaufman) before consequently making love. The next morning, he wants nothing to do with her. Buffy feels betrayed and hurt. She also has to deal with Spike who can walk around in broad daylight with the help of a gem. "Fear Itself" is the next episode and a superb one at that! It's the Halloween episode that occurs every two seasons - this is without a doubt the best. The Scoobies get locked in a house on Halloween, which is possessed by a demon Gachnar thanks to Oz - accidentally. The final demon is hilarious. To quote Willow, "He...he's so cute!"

The next two episodes that follow are "Beer Bad" and "Wild At Heart." Both are pretty rubbish. In the former, Buffy gets drunk with a gang of unknown guys - but the beer she's consuming is drugged with a substance that turns her into a caveman...in a way. She can't speak properly and doesn't know who the Scoobies are - overall, a funny but lame episode. In the latter, Oz (Seth Green) is drawn to Veruca (Paige Moss) who turns out to be another werewolf just like him. They end up waking up together naked - yet Willow (Alyson Hannigan) gets the wrong idea and thinks they slept together when Oz actually did it to make sure she wouldn't harm anyone by locking her in the same cage as him on a full moon night. In the end, Oz leaves Sunnydale in a flurry not telling Willow where he's going. Willow is heart-broken. In "The Initiative," we learn a lot more about Buffy's would-be boyfriend Riley (Marc Blucas). Buffy's happy thinking Riley's a typical kinda guy, but she doesn't know he works as a soldier in The Initiative - a secret government military operation that captures demons/vampires and performs tests on them. Riley in turn doesn't know Buffy is the Slayer - but they come very close to finding out each other's identities. "Pangs," the next episode, is a Buffy/Angel crossover episode in which Angel (David Boreanaz) visits Buffy - yet she doesn't know. He lurks in the background watching her. It's thanksgiving and Buffy wants a perfect traditional meal - but first she has to deal with a Chumash tribe!

"Something Blue" is probably the funniest Buffy episode that I have ever seen. Willow isn't coping too well with Oz's departure from Sunnydale so decides to perform a spell to make the grieving fly by. The spell goes wrong and everything she says comes true - next thing you know, Buffy and Spike are getting married, Giles is going blind and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) is being chased around by demons! The next episode is the classic "Hush." Hush is considered a ground-breaking piece of television in that it's almost completely silent. The episode was nominated for an Emmy and has earned classic status amongst Buffy fans. I won't spoil it for you because it's just so excellent, but I will say that it's very revealing towards the end! "Doomed" is the next episode. In this average episode, three demons plan on re-opening the Hellmouth in the library of Sunnydale High School. Buffy and Riley both know who they are; Slayer, commando etc. so go vampire slaying from now on. In other storylines, Willow meets Tara (Amber Benson) in a Wicca-group. They become good friends in Hush - a friendship that leads to love and Anya (Emma Caulfield) returns and starts going out with Xander. Overall a superb first-half to Season 4...

When a local TV station in my area first started airing the WB, the only show I wanted to check out was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I had read good reviews of the show from places like Entertainment Weekly and Cinescape Magazine, and I was searching for something new to watch. I first started watching Buffy around the beginning of the third season, and as you have probably already guessed, it didn't take long for me to get hooked.

During the time the fourth season was airing, I had a routine. I specifically chose a schedule at work where I was off Tuesday through Thursday. I would finish my guitar lessons at the music store where I taught part-time about six thirty or so. Throw my Strat in the trunk, cruise through Tim Horton's for an Iced Cappuchino, and home at eight. Every Tuesday, like clockwork. After half a year of this, I realized something: I was addicted to Buffy in a way no television show had ever managed before.

The fourth season is widely regarded as the worst season of Buffy on the Internet. Because of this, I believe everybody is crazy.

Why? Why do I revere the fourth season above all others, when the majority of my fellow Buffyphiles see it as an embarrassment to be forgotten?

The answer, I think, lies in the very theme of the season - change. The loss of Angel and Cordelia, and later Oz, shook the show's formula to its roots, not to mention the shift from high school to college, from the library to Giles' place, from awkward Xander-piney Willow to blossoming funky-bohemian sexual awakening Willow. We were comfortable with the way things were! After two stellar seasons, Joss was changing everything! If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

But as I think back on it now, The Joss knew what he was doing. These actors were beginning to visibly age, and he knew he couldn't keep them in high school forever. A shake-up was just what the series needed to keep it fresh. And a shake-up we got.

First of all, every one of the Scoobies was removed from a comfortable existence and thrown into uncharted territory. Buffy without Angel. Xander out of adolescence and into early manhood. Willow - holy smokes, Willow! - first losing Oz, and then discovering something extraordinary about herself. And Giles, the fired Watcher and librarian who becomes Mr. Mid-Life Crisis Guy. All the Scoobies suddenly had to deal with transitions, never an easy time.

Next, the tone, the very feel of the show changed as well. Joss has said before the fourth season was the beginning of the show's "Baroque" era, and how right he is. Starting with "Hush," the show's first true event, and continuing through altered reality episodes like "Who Are You" and "Superstar," the show takes on an almost palpable air of foreboding and unreality, as the audience begins to notice hints that something is coming. ("You think you know...what you are...what's to come. You haven't even begun.") This tone, which lingered on through the first seven episodes of season five, may just be my single most enjoyable entertainment experience ever. I remember watching the last four episodes ("New Moon Rising," "The Yoko Factor," "Primeval," "Restless") over and over again, and I still do.

The key to enjoying the fourth season is understanding what it means: It's the turning point for the whole series.

The fourth season still has many of my favorite moments from the series:

Xander mangles Yoda's speech from The Phantom Menace.

Parker puts the moves on an apparently unsuspecting Willow, and gets a big surprise.

CaveBuffy responds to Parker's heartfelt apology.

"Actual Size."

"The Big Bad is back, and this time..." ZAP!

"Maybe you're trying too hard."

Xander and Harmony, locked in mortal combat.

Giles uses transparencies.

Willow meets a fellow Wicca.

"Because it's wrong."

"You can't just say Librum Incendere and..." Fwoosh! Thunk!

Spike attempts to inspire Xander and Willow into mayhem.

Tara blows out a candle.

"You want some Fightin' Pants, Buff? I can get you some Fightin' Pants!"

The Battle of the Initiative, and the Charge of the Scoobies - my favorite Buffy action set piece.

Season 4 saw Joss' favorite running gag begin, and it goes like this: If you're a villain in Sunnydale, don't EVER make a Villain Speech.

And finally, last but not least, Xander's foreboding, sinister, sexy, terrifing dream, which still haunts me, and makes me think Xander might be in for a hard time of it before the series ends. ("You can't protect yourself from...some stuff.")

These are just a few, I know. But I just wanted to get the point across. Those of you who haven't seen it - buy it, watch it, remember it. There are events in the fourth season which are still resonating in the series to this day, and a close study of this season over time will only enrich your enjoyment of subsequent seasons.

Those of you who have seen season 4 and don't appreciate it for what it is, buy this set and give it another chance.

Buffy is set to end after episode 144, which makes the episodes from "Hush" through "Restless" the halfway point of the series. Once the final episode, "Chosen," is finally aired, this story of Buffy, Xander and Willow transitioning from adolescence to adulthood will go down in TV history as one of the medium's most remarkable accomplishments - a show that frankly, honestly and always with hope examined what growing up really is; and it did it all with the conceit of a teen-age girl beating the snot out of vampires.

And the fourth season, especially "Restless," is the turning point where the Scoobies begin to realize their journey is just beginning. Don't miss it.

"You think you know...what you are...what's to come. You haven't even begun."

This was the year of Joss Whedon. After experiencing the highest ratings for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" the show would ever experience in season three, the master of this lore would use 1999 as a year to branch out; with two shows to preach the Buffy mythos. For Buffy, this fourth season was the year that the stakes changed for its core characters. Buffy, Willow and Oz would begin thier pursuit of higher learning, Giles and Xander would experience disillusionment and meandering life choices in thier post-education instiution endeavour and Angel...was gone.
This was the season where the characters and the show was scrambling for a point of reference. The library was no longer available as the rallying point for this gang. Instead, they were scrambling around between Giles' apartment, or Xander's basement, or on campus. This ambiguity was a perfect metaphor for the estrangement that the characters would experience from eachother throughout the season.
This was also, possibly, the last season that the relevance of the characters could be considered relatable to the audience. The trials and fiends that this season offered had some relevence to the "real-life" experiences that the characters endured. Often dismissed as misdirected, the fourth season availed a new incarnation for the "highshcool is hell" analogy as the evolution from a rather sheltered environment of Sunnydale high to the more cut-throat arena of college was handled well. College is not the place where everyone knows your name and where milestones like graduation or prom would signify the ties between all of the students.
College was the last institution that blocks our characters from the reality of life and the show did well to purvey this sense of isolation and anxiety as we were witness to Buffy's first experience with being "played", being intimidated by campus regualars and the overwhelming discomfort of college, friction with a new roommate, binge-drinking, visits back to highschool and drifting apart from her friends.
These elements were very pertinent to myself because Buffy's first year of college, was also my first year of college, and the fourth season was the season in which I became obsessed with the show. Huge character developments were brought about and none more provoking or monumental than Willow's evolution to homosexuality (brilliantly brought about through masterful writing, Alyson Hannigan's performances and the introduction of an equally tremulous Amber Benson). Other developments involved Xander's resignation to the life in the workforce, Giles' defamation professionally and as an influence on Buffy's life, Oz's departure, Anya's return (thank-you writers), Riley's introduction as the rebound-guy, the beginning of Faith's recovery, Angel's not-so-loving reunion with Buffy and who could forget Spike's neurological vasectomy.
When I mean the stakes change, I refer to how Buffy seemingly abandons her friends for some new ones, how Willow and Oz were no longer the perfect couple, how Xander and Giles were on the outside looking in on Willow and Buffy's college life and how a once menacing Spike was strapped in limbo between good and evil. This is the year that the characters left the certainty and comfort of highschool and eachother and joined the cusp of the real world where the institution itself did not tie the characters together, but only created rifts to drive them apart.
Sure, the "Initiative" was not as mythological or apocalyptic as villians past, but it was a villian nonetheless that proved a worthy adversary because it was not a familiar type of enemy. I was manufactured and consisted equally of demons and humans. The importance of this season rests in its unfamiliarity. College brought about unfamiliar challenges for the group as did the Initiative and it was in that unfamiliarity that this season was masterful. It was an unfamiliarity that is shared with countless freshmen and that could be relatable. Eventhough college and freshman year is a time that tests your ability to be alone and to adapt to that isolation, it is that isolation that binds the characters together as well as relates the stories to the viewer.
Episodes like "The Freshmen", "Living Conditions", "The Harsh Light of Day", "Beer Bad", "Pangs" and "A New Man" explore the realms of unfamiliarity for the characters as they begin to be divided on issues and challenges that normally they would rally around. As these episodes are largely stand-alone, the episodes pertinent to the season arc also provide exemplary television like "The Initiative", "The "I" in Team", "Good-bye Iowa" and "Primeval". There were also very stand-out episodes in terms of creativity and artistic potential; these include the emmy-nominated "Hush" and "Restless" where the writers play with conventions of television and with surrealism.
For those of you who relate to the college anxieties and want to see the evolution and growth for the gang as they approach the real world, I highly recommend this as an addition to you DVD collection. If you long for the good ol' days, however, when the gang was still in highschool and the library was central command, then I definitely recommend this as part of your DVD collection cause "you don't know what you got til its gone".

Season 4 of Buffy, while not the best (that honor goes to season 5), is still most exceptional television. The overall arc, involving a mysterious government agency known as the Initiative, is quite a change from seasons 1-3, but in my opinion, that's a good thing. Season 4 was the transition season, the middle season, the midpoint between seasons 1-3 and seasons 5-7.

Even if you don't like the main arc (which produces 4 quality episode: "The I in Team", "Goodbye, Iowa", "The Yoko Factor" and "Primeval"), this set is still well worth your money, since the true power of season 4 is in the dozen or so "stand-alone" episodes, i.e., the ones that do not heavily affect the overall arc. But that's what's so good about Buffy, even a fun and light-hearted episode can reveal crucial information that fits in with the season's arc. Among these superb episodes, there are the wonderful ("The Freshman"), the hilarious ("Fear, Itself", "Pangs", "Something Blue", "A New Man", "Superstar") the incredible ("Hush, "This Year's Girl", "Who Are You?", "Restless"), and the heartbreaking ("Wild at Heart", "New Moon Rising").

With such a spectacular season, all the special features are just icing on the cake. This set is rumored to have more extras than any other previous Buffy set. There will be 6 commentaries total, two by series mastermind Joss Whedon for both "Hush" and "Restless".

Overall, this is a set not to be missed, whether or not you're a Buffy fan.

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.

first off, I liked "Hush", "Pangs", and "Something Blue" the best. "Hush" because The Gentlemen were wonderfully creepy and the gang were hillarious in their attempts to communicate without the power of speech. (think of the projector scene). "Pangs" again, for the hillarity. (Spike with the arrows) and lastly, "Something Blue" because of the love spell that caused my two favourite people Buffy and Spike to fall in love! a MUST BUY! but you already knew that..

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.

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!!!

If you ask any generic fan they will probally tell you that the fourth season is the least, but if you asked a season fan she will say that it was the one of the best (after a few viewings). During the season, there is much foreshadowing, about whats to come.

The fourth season was about change, and change it did have. It followed the core characters: Buffy Anne Summers(Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow Rosenberg (Allyson Hannigan), Daniel "Oz" Ozborne (Seth Green), and Alexander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) out of high school and into the real world. For Buffy, Willow, and Oz the real world consisted of College and independence; and for Xander the real world turned out being many side-jobs that end up leading to his eventually life path.

The deduction of Angel (David Boreanaz) and Cordelia (Charisma Charpenter), from the show made it suffer a little, but there leaving was not in vain. The show gained the much fan loved Spike (James Marsters). Tara McCaly (Amber Benson) who would end up playing a much more important role than she should have. Anya (Emma Caulfield) the comic releaf ex-demon, who decides that she loves Xander. And finally Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) who was Buffy first and only "Human" Boyfriend.

The main point of this season was about how the transistion from High School to the "Real World" is hard, but it is obtainable. The plot consisted Buffy finding a new boyfriend who ends up being part of a government opperation that expirements on Demons, Oz's departure and the Willow dabbling in Magic and her sexulaity, and the introduction of Anya who in time would become on of the key players in the Buffyverse.

Season four has many stand out episodes: Hush (the only time Buffy has been nominated for an Emmy), Something Blue, Fear Itself (Who can't love the last 5 minutes?), Superstar, and Restless (Which still three years later, plays a very important part in its foreshadowing).

The Fourth Season DVD set includes 7 Audio Commentaries (The Initiative, Wild at Hart, Hush, This Years Girl, Superstar, Primeval, and Restless), 5 30-Minute-Long featurettes (Hush, Spike Me, Oz Revelations, Buffy: Inside sets of Sunnydale, and Season 4 Overview), Cast and Crew Bio's, and More still Galleries. This season has the most Special Features than any Buffy DVD to Date.

With the show finally coming to an end in May, It will be very interesting to collect and watch all the seasons; not just once but for many years to come, so Buffy will never fade into the Sunset.