Buffy the Vampire Slayerdebuted in March 1997 on the WB, moving to WPN for its final two seasons and ending in 2003.Buffy the Vampire Slayerbegan as a movie in 1992, and,according to TV Tropes, was meant to turn the damsel-in-distress idea on its head, with a blonde girl taking on monsters and winning, rather than being the first one killed. The show would more than live up to this promise.
The show starredSarah Michelle Gellaras Buffy Summers, a 16-year-old chosen to kill vampires, demons, and other monsters in Sunnydale, a town positioned over the mouth of Hell. Joined by her friends, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon), and guided by her librarian Watcher, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), Buffy must balance her real life with her duties as a slayer. This conflict between saving the world and having a normal life is common, but before there was a plethora of superhero shows and films highlighting this,Buffy the Vampire Slayerbrought it to life with freshness, humor, and heart.It’s now been 25 yearssince the show first graced TV screens, and yet it remains as important as ever, thanks to its perspective, representation, and excellent writing.
Feminist Perspectives
Having a woman lead an action-heavy series was rare at the time, and Buffy wasa strong action heroinewhen many women in TV and movies didn’t get to be. One important aspect of this portrayal is that Buffy was both fierce and feminine. She delighted in fashion and witty one-liners along with slaying — something that still feels groundbreaking 25 years later, where many female heroes aren’t portrayed as strong and feminine at the same time Buffy showed that you can be both.
She also fully owned her power. She wasn’t a punchline; she was a full-on hero who knew her strength and used it to protect others. Yet even with her power, we still watched her struggle and make mistakes, making her relatable and real. While she struggles with wanting to have a normal life, she not only embraces her power, but gives it to others, sharing her power with all the potential slayers in the series finale. Buffy was a powerful girl, and she showed other girls that they could be powerful too.
Real-Life Demons
One main theme on the show is the use of monsters and demons as parallels for real life. High school can be its own form of Hell, represented in episodes like “Out of Mind, Out of Sight,” where an ignored classmate turns invisible; or “Earshot,” where Buffy helps a student who wants to take his own life. This continues even after the characters graduate high school, with college, careers, and (almost) marriage serving as different kinds of Hell.
Buffy the Vampire Slayeralso showed simple human conflicts. In the standout episode “The Body,” which isconsidered one of the best episodesnot only of the show, but in TV history, Buffy and her friends must deal with the aftermath of her mother’s death. The episode is a raw look at the death of a loved one and how death is its own monster. For a show that’s part science fiction, part horror, it’s also undeniably human, which is one of its strongest points. Nothing ever feels so fantastical that it can’t be relatable, making legions of fans connect with the characters and what they were going through, and this relevance still holds up today.
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LGBTQ+ Representation
LGBTQ+ relationships are seeing much more representation in media now, but Willow beginning a relationship with Tara (Amber Benson), a fellow witch she meets in college, was truly groundbreaking for the time.According to Nerdist, their kiss in season five was one of the only times that two women had kissed on mainstream television, and that kiss developing into a relationship was completely unseen. Hannigan and Benson also have great chemistry in their scenes, bringing a sweet, genuine romance to life. The representation wasn’t perfect; the show later labeled Willow as a lesbian, erased her previous relationship with Oz (Seth Green), and Tara’s death wasn’t the last time a queer character in media would meet an untimely end. But, their relationship was a historic first that still matters today.
Related:These Are Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Characters of All Time
Storytelling
The show also featured outstanding writing and had many excellent episodes. It had some low points, but for the most part,Buffy the Vampire Slayerwas a perfect mix of action, drama, and humor, boasting fast-paced, witty episodes with intense emotional scenes. Some of its most memorable episodes defied convention and pushed expectations of what a TV episode could do.
Musical episodes of non-musical showsaren’t always a success, but the season six showstopper “Once More, With Feeling,” was a hit, as Buffy and her friends sing their feelings while under control of a demon. The original songs are great, and launch major reveals that shape the season, including Willow’s magic addiction and Buffy being pulled out of heaven when her friends resurrected her.
Other standouts include “Hush,” a mostly-silent episode that sees Sunnydale fall prey to the Gentlemen, and “Becoming, Part 2,” where Buffy takes on the evil, soulless version of her boyfriend Angel (David Boreanaz). Some are just plain fun, like “Band Candy,” where adults become irresponsible teenagers after eating enchanted chocolate. In a show that could have been nothing more than monsters of the week leading up to a final showdown, the high-quality writing and amazing cast elevated each episode and made the show special. The major battles were epic, and the emotional moments had real impact, all centered by realistic characters who grew and changed across the series. You’ll laugh and cry in the same episode, feeling for the characters every step of the way. It showed just how good TV could be, in both writing and performance, and opened doors for many shows after it.
Buffy the Vampire Slayerremains an iconic show even 25 years after its premiere. By combining the supernatural with the real and breaking ground with its feminist and queer representation, it has left its mark on television history.Buffy the Vampire Slayerhas something for everyone and remains not only important, but also enjoyable to this day.
