If you’re anything like me, you grew up with a 90’s horror-obsessed mother, who introduced you to Nightmare on Elm Street before Sesame Street. I was raised watching shows like Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer before school in the morning. So, it surprised me the amount of people my age who haven’t seen (or even heard of) Buffy! If you fall into this category, let me introduce you to the world of Sunnydale and hopefully persuade you to watch what is, in my opinion, the best TV show ever made.
diverse, feminist characters
BTVS introduced us to a diverse cast of characters that are by no means one-dimensional, Buffy was actually one of the first female-centric shows. From the strong and resilient Buffy Summers to the quirky and loyal Willow Rosenberg, this show does not lack strong female characters. The character development of most of the characters alone is unique to this show. Cordelia Chase for example starts off the show as egocentric and stuck up. As the show goes on though, she becomes a fan-favorite and completely changes her demeanour, even helping save the town during Graduation! Willow is also a good example of a complete character change. Starting the show off as a shy and soft spoken side kick whos main focus was her homework and helping Buffy. By the end of the show however, she is arguably the most powerful of all the slayers and the rest of the gang. Speaking of Willow….
first on-screen lesbian kiss
Did you know that BTVS featured the first on-screen lesbian kiss on mainstream television? You probably didn’t, but it’s a huge deal! Willow Rosenberg, the beloved “scooby gang” member, starts exploring her sexuality at the beginning of season four when she meets Tara. Tara is introduced in the episode “Hush” as a college student who attends a Wicca meeting that Willow goes to, to find witches like her. Towards the end of the episode the two join forces to save each other from the supernatural villian chasing them in the hallway. From this moment on Tara became a reoccurring side character that even became an honorary scooby member! While Willow admits to her and Tara being a couple mid-season four, the two do not share a kiss until season five. This episode aired on TV in 2001, when gay relationships were still widely taboo, especially on screen. However, Joss Whedon (the creator of BTVS) didn’t care. This kiss was a huge step for the LGBTQ+ community and made a strong statement. Women can love each other: they can kiss, touch and have sex. Yay lesbians!
the “big bad”
BTVS was one of the first shows to feature a “big bad” or a season-long villain that is a constant and prevalent threat in every episode. Most shows at this time were sitcoms or, had virtually a new plot every episode. Whedon also seamlessly incorporates horror, drama, humor, and romance into this show. Not to mention how cool every “big bad” is. Season five’s main villain was Glory, a literal God that was sent to destroy the world, and believe it or not, the scoobies find a way to take her out.
the musical episode
Yes, you read that right, the musical episode. I debated on including this however, I watched the musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling”, as I was writing this and I literally cannot find one flaw. From the overture and the perfect 90’s movie-musical opening credits, the outfits, the songs themselves, to the big revelation about Buffy’s afterlife experience at the end, this episode is a cinematic masterpiece. I used to beg my mom to play the soundtrack on the way to school as a kid and to this day if I’m driving the car, the OMWF soundtrack will be on!
All in all, this show is a timeless masterpiece that I absolutely insist you watch! It’s also a perfect Fall show to cuddle up to and watch alone or with friends. If you don’t watch the show after this, oh well. At least I got to talk about Buffy for awhile. #slay!
