[TV Review] Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997- 2003)

"Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer."

25 years since Buffy the vampire slayer first aired and millions of people around the world fell in love with Buffy Summers; a quirky 16-year-old L.A girl by day and a bad ass vampire slayer by night. Buffy (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) was the first real feminist icon for girls to look up to. Before Buffy, the go-to horror trope was the damsel in distress and the heroic male love interest to come and save the day, but like Buffy says she was “never much for the damsel”. Buffy proved time and time again that regardless of age, gender or body size, real power comes from within. 

Throughout the seven seasons of Buffy, we see her grow from a spunky yet scared schoolgirl to a strong, powerful woman who fears nothing. Along with Buffy’s growth, we also see the amazing character arc of her loved ones. Buffy’s original friend group consisted of Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon), Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Buffy’s watcher Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head). Together, the 4 of them known as “The Scooby Gang” or just “The Scoobies” fought all the ghoulies, demons and whatever other evils the Hellmouth threw at them. Yes, Buffy is the chosen one and she alone is meant to fight and protect the world but what makes her stand out from the rest of the slayers is that she had people who she loved and who loved her while the other slayers did not. They didn’t have families or friends to keep them going, and maybe secretly they did want to die, to be rid of the pressure of the fate of the world being on their shoulders. Although Buffy had the same responsibilities, she didn’t have to face it alone. Even though The Scoobies were mortal, their courage helped them to defeat evil alongside Buffy and it was Buffy’s love for them that kept her grounded and fighting time and time again. 

Throughout the show, we see all the characters change as they face  world-ending danger time and time again. Xander, who was once nothing more than a spunky yet pretty useless member of the gang, whose main reason for helping Buffy is because he has feelings for her turns into a heroic sidekick. Besides being completely mortal Xander stands side by side with Buffy when facing a battle and even loses an eye in the process when fighting the first evil but still doesn’t run scared. Then there’s Willow, who was once just a shy nerd who was a love-struck puppy for Xander and was always hiding deep in the research and who becomes the most powerful witch (accidentally almost ends the world in the process). Even Buffy goes from once fearing death to dying three times. Despite the show drifting from its light-heartedness to a darker theme in the later series, it still has the fun comedic undertone to it that still makes it a great go-to tv show, even after all these years.  

Although the villains in Buffy were usually supernatural, they were merely just metaphors for what every person must go through during their lives; loneliness, heartbreak, grief, and the pressures of growing up, trying to find our place in the world. Yes, Buffy is a show about a teenage girl fighting demons, but it is so much more than that. If anything, it is one of the most accurate representations of the confusing and daunting transitional period from being a teenager into adulthood. 

One thing that really makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer such an amazing show is Buffy’s iconic one-liners. No matter the situation or the threat ahead, Buffy is always ready with a sassy comeback in her back pocket. My personal favourites are in the season one finale, when she’s going head-to-head with ‘The Master’, one of the first vampires on record after he tries to kill her and open up the Hellmouth bringing the demons fourth “I may be dead, but at least I’m still pretty”. In season seven when Buffy is fighting a powerful Uber-Vamp brought forward by ‘The First’ who were the first evil before anything, they are the creators of all evil, she says “I’m the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and I are gonna show ‘em why.”

The show does well at portraying teenage life well. Although Buffy is so much more than your average 16-year-old girl, they also don’t forget that she is just a teenager. We see her struggle with homework, school, a social life, the prom relationships with boys (one boy in particular or I guess in this case he’s classed as a man considering Angel is a 270-year-old immortal vampire with a soul). We can’t forget Buffy’s outstanding wardrobe. From her miniskirts to her red leather pants, Buffy with Mr Pointy by her side was always serving looks. Women, specifically as teenage girls, are usually made fun of for the things we like. They’re seen as trivial and silly. That’s why it was so great to see Buffy be a strong heroine but also a girly, quirky schoolgirl. The heroine is usually a serious, tom boy type with book smarts and it was nice to see buffy stray from that. You can be a badass and still be sensitive at the same time.

One of the most memorable moments in the show is when Buffy sacrifices herself in the season 5 finale to protect her sister Dawn, who was the key to opening a portal to hell. Before doing so, she gives a speech about being strong and to keep fighting. “The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live.” Although Buffy has superhuman strength, it’s her love for others that gives her the abilities to conquer evil. There is a reason that she isn’t just any slayer, she is “THE Slayer”. She is the prophecy. To see her go from “Giles. I’m 16 years old. I don’t want to die”. To “I'm standing on the mouth of Hell and it is going to swallow me whole.” It truly is amazing. As Buffy grows, so does the audience. We go through the highs and lows with her and feel like we’re there with her fighting the battles, getting knocked down but then getting back up again twice as high. 

Buffy Anne Summers is more than just a vampire slayer. She taught us to be brave. To never give up and to always fight for who and what we love, all whilst wearing a cute outfit in the process. That is why 19 years after its final episode, Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains a cult classic that will make a difference to more generations to come. Remember, if the apocalypse calls, beep me!

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