When season 4 premiered in the fall of 1999, I was one month into my first year at college.  At that time, I didn’t relate to Buffy in this season at all. She was struggling on a big university campus with a small group of friends. I was thriving at a comparatively small community college with more than half my graduating class surrounding me and already starting a romance with my first college boyfriend.  Life for me was easy, and I found Buffy’s weekly struggles dim in comparison to the mega monster fighting in the previous seasons.

Now I adore season 4.  I may not have been lost that first year of college, but I have been lost plenty of times since.  Seeing Buffy’s vulnerability and uncertainty is both comforting and profoundly realistic.  As I am rewatching season 4, I am enjoying it more than ever.  It has a way of getting better each time I see it.  I find the lack of big bads refreshing.  We’re seeing the Scoobies in real life situations and getting more one on one conversations with them than ever before.  We’re getting a chance to see them struggle and grow up.

Some thoughts on the first seven episodes of season 4:

“The Freshman.”
As I said above, Buffy is lost and feels out of place. That’s a new feeling for our perky Slayer. It stands in stark contrast to Willow excelling in the college environment immediately.  But, as Buffy declares to Will at the beginning of the episode, we didn’t all choose our majors in playgroup. Buffy’s not on her turf anymore. I think this was a great way to expand the show. It’s also great to see Willow come into her own. She’s not the gawky, unsure high school student anymore.
Also, we are already seeing Giles’ struggle to let Buffy grow on her own and give her room to do so, while wanting nothing more than to protect her. This prefigures his departure in season 6 well.
Side note – Willow’s darling short hair makes me reconsider my long  locks.
Favorite line – Vamp Minion: “Does this sweater make me look fat?” Sunday: “No, the fact that you’re fat makes you look fat. That sweater just makes you look purple.”

“Living Conditions.”
This episode is downright hilarious. I love Willow’s comment, “So that was the evil Buffy, right?” Seriously though, until B is ready to kill Kathy, I don’t think she’s being that out of line! Living with Kathy would drive me crazy!

“The Harsh Light of Day.”
Harmony is always funny. And Spike is always refreshing. From here on out, though, Spike will be focused on one thing – Buffy. Granted, he’s obsessed with killing her right now, but she’s still all he thinks about. This is even apparent in season 3 when Drusilla leaves Spike.  It’s not a far stretch to see how Spike will fall in love with the Slayer.
In this, episode, however, I am mostly filled with loathing for that darn charmer, Parker Abrams.
The end-of-episode sequence with Buffy, Anya, and Harmony wandering all alone is a powerful montage to the heartache of young romance.

“Fear Itself.”
I love everything about this episode, right down to Buffy’s Little Red Riding Hood costume (reminiscent of her hoodie in season three’s episode “Helpless”).  We start to see descent amongst the Scoobies here, foreshadowing how easily Spike will be able to break up the group towards the end of the season.

Most classic moment, of course, is Anya’s bunny costume.  It just makes me happy.  In fact, I might break down and to buy the Anya figure today. It’s been in my wishlist forever.

“Beer Bad.”
I think the best moment is when cave-Buffy knocks out Parker. Ah, sweet poetic justice. I know it’s a goofy episode, but, really, it’s not that far out there! Beer does turn us into neanderthals!

“Wild at Heart.”
This episode breaks my heart. Oz may make some poor decisions, but I know he’s still and good guy and I know he loves Willow more than everything.  I cry every time he leaves Willow.  At this point, they have had the healthiest relationship on the show. They’re respectful and loving and kind and what happens here just sucks.

“The Initiative.”
Best moment – Riley decks Parker in defense of Buffy and then finally realizes he’s crushing on her.  I love the way Willow then grills Riley when he shows his interest in Buffy.  Willow’s advice that Buffy loves cheese is wonderfully reminiscent of the ominous cheese-man we’ll see at the end of the season in “Restless.”
The irony of secret-soldier-boy and secret-slayer-girl is great. The fact that he’s a sweet corn-fed Iowa boy clearly makes him the anti-Angel, but his boyish charms win me over.