Many of you have seen at least one episode of this show. Some of you might also have a certain admiration for the series, like I do. Maybe there are a few fans of Whedon's work, too (he's the creator of Firefly and Dollhouse). What's BTVS? A brilliantly written story, filled with Whedon's witty dialogues and omnipresent sarcasm ; a great sense of irony at all times ; an amazing set of characters, led by the charismatic high-school slayer, the self-proclaimed "Scooby-Gang". Seasoning the whole series with humour is very important for any short fiction that greatly distorts reality, to lighten the mood and lower the viewer's skepticism, and this was never forgotten through the series. It also adds a whole new dimension to the plot, when criticism can come from both comedy (remember Malcolm in the Middle's cynical view of the American society) and tragedy.
Throw in some action, badass costumes, an awesome cast, 7 years of development, and you've got Buffy.
Of course, it also appeals to the melancholic teen. Many characters were designed with the intent to appeal to a certain audience in a very strong way (Buffy, Angel, Willow, Spike. The personal matters and romantic adventures of these unlikely outcasts (seriously, outcasts become so for a reason) quickly became the main focus : "will Xander and Willow finally go out together?" was a bigger question than "will Buffy defeat the season's villain (of course she will!)? They were all students, and were just a little older than the audience at the time. Role-models who would take you for a magic walk every week through the idyllic city of Sunnydale, full of exciting events and interesting people. And when you think about it, every bad guy represented one of your fears as a kid or teenager.
The writers didn't however hesitate to shake their faithful followers from time to time, with creative episodes like "Hush", where Sunnydale becomes mute after a couple of demons, the "Gentlemen", steal their voices. That is the Buffy I like.
Now, if I had to pick a favourite episode, I would hesitate a bit, but probably come up with "The Body", season 5, episode 16. It speaks of death, and how we react to it in our everyday life.
(I didn't found the excerpt on the net so I had to upload it myself)
Previous to this scene, Buffy's mother, Joyce, had been diagnosed with cancer, and the tumor was surgically removed. But just when everyone felt that the worse had passed, Buffy comes home and finds Joyce lying unconscious on the couch. This is the beginning of a downward spiral that will take a little (and sometimes a lot) from everyone's hearts. From there on, things only get darker.
This scene is very different from the rest of the series : the slow pace, the silence, the cinematographic tone contrast with the other episodes, full of action, humorous sarcasm, playful banter and drama. The audience has to feel that something has been broken ; in a story full of violent deaths, Whedon wanted us to feel that this time, it was different, that this time, death actually mattered, but that there wasn't really anything to learn from it.
Buffy opens the door, we can hear the children outside, the wind bell quietly singing in a sunny day. The impressionist influence is noteworthy. The image is poetic, like Kurosawa's "Rashomon". Indubitably the best of Whedon's work, bringing out the artistic value of the show.
For some reason I always have the Charmed opening theme in my head whenever someone mentions Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I guess I have grouped them together xD
On March 16 2012 07:29 Saechiis wrote: For some reason I always have the Charmed opening theme in my head whenever someone mentions Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I guess I have grouped them together xD
Indeed this is a good series. My favorite part about this show is the cast. David Boreanaz, Seth Green, James Marsters etc. I like all of them. Whedon did a good job overall, this show feels really unique.
On March 16 2012 08:38 darkscream wrote: See? Vampires were emo even before Twilight.
It's actually interesting that this shit goes in cycles. Teenagers gobble up goofy vampire romances every decade.
In Twilight, vampires are pussies and stalking is promoted. In Buffy, vampires eat people and try to destroy the world and stalkers get killed or smashed.
The vampires from Buffy are much more comparable to those from Tru Blood. They like to kill for sport, they enjoy dark nests with heavy techno music, they consider humans as prey, and they seem to be pretty kinky.
The main character only becomes intimate with one vampire who somehow has a soul and who impersonates all the emo-tions of the show. The second one she is involved with is much more of a... vampire, and their relationship starts when Buffy enters a depressive, suicidal state (as her vampire lover's secret wish is to kill her, but alas, he is too weak for that).
You should give the series a try. If it's too old for you, watch some Tru Blood, it's a good cure against Twilight.
Edit : it's funny, most of those who have left comments have a pretty high post count. Is it age-related or nerdness-related?
EPT
![[image loading]](http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/gallery/season4/images/340/17hush.jpg)
