By now, I’ve seen most of the hit SFF TV shows of the 1990s and 2000s: The X-Files, Doctor Who, all of Star Trek, etc. I’m disappointed it took me this long to get to Buffy.
Debuting as a mid-season replacement in 1997, Buffy The Vampire Slayer has everything that I look for in television. Serialized storytelling. Comedy that doesn’t undercut the drama. Complex yet morally upright characters.
Mild spoilers to follow (nothing too specific though)
What’s it About?
16-year-old Buffy Summers moves to Sunnydale, a small town, after accidentally burning down her old high school. Also, she’s the Slayer – a Chosen One who stands alone “against the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness.”
Instructed by her Guardian, Rupert Giles, and aided by her friends, Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris, Buffy encounters all manner of unlikely and grotesque enemies – and even a few allies along the way.
“I May Be Dead, But I’m Still Pretty.”
What Did I Think?
High school. Vampires! Overbearing parents. Evil mummies! Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a lot of things: comedy, mystery, horror, coming-of-age drama, monster-of-the-week extravaganza. Amidst all this – and while upending some tired tropes – the show develops a unique tone that is remarkably consistent.
From the beginning, Buffy’s zany monster-of-the-week formula gives it a lot of freedom in storytelling – often using supernatural elements to explore teen issues like bullying, identity crises, or the pressure to succeed. So, while week to week we might see an insectile substitute or murderous ventriloquist puppet, main conflicts usually center on character growth for Buffy or another of the young leads.
To be sure, the worldbuilding makes no sense. None. Why would anyone go to a school where dances are synonymous with monster attacks? How come no one with more experience – such as the Watcher’s Council – ever helps Buffy prevent the end of the world?
Who cares? Over time, Buffy increasingly pokes fun at its own premises – one character even voices my above questions – reaffirming its inconsistent worldbuilding doesn’t matter when the characters are true-to-life. Significant and traumatic events always have emotional follow-through, and all the characters change realistically from episode to episode. There’s a whole episode named “Consequences” all about the ramifications of certain characters’ choices.
“The Big Moments Are Going To Come. You Can’t Help That. It’s What You Do Afterwards That Counts.”
Relatedly, I love how the show’s serial elements develop. Though I’ve avoided too much googling because of spoilers, I know that Buffy is considered a precursor to television’s Golden Age – an obvious fact while watching each season’s arc play out. As much as I love shows like Breaking Bad or Stranger Things, watching Buffy has made me nostalgic for seasons with 22+ episodes. Here, big events happen often, but they have a lot more breathing room in between. A character’s shocking betrayal might be followed by a few standalone episodes where the big events factor into character behaviour without consuming everything.
Unlike modern shows, Buffy has time for low-stakes storylines, where viewers can simply enjoy the characters and the show’s eclectic vibe. One of the best aspects of this is how much screen time the villains receive. I love all of them – from irascible vampire Spike to family-values necromancer Mayor Wilkins. Special shout out to Principal Snyder, played by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Armin Shimmerman, for being such a wonderfully unpleasant goblin of a character.
I don’t love everything though. For one, Xander Harris is far more whiny, unlikeable, and douchey than the writers seem to think he is – and a few key storylines are ill-considered at best. There’s also occasional homophobia and some culturally insensitive storylines made worse by the lack of non-White characters. I’m hoping that’s something the writers recognized and improved as the series continued.
Unlike its unfortunately scummy creator, Buffy is a show with a lot of heart – elevated by the passion and on-screen camaraderie of the leads. Starting with Season Four, I’ll be watching both Buffy and its spinoff series, Angel, in release order. I’m betting one or both will end up on in my top ten. Or top five.
★ ★★ ★
