Anybody who knows me personally knows that one of the only things that can get me overly excited is meeting a Buffy fan, or encountering any piece of Buffy trivia. I am a huge advocate for the show, even though it’s been 11 years since its series finale. The story continues in comics, and for years I’ve been keeping up and rewatching the series over and over again. It’s a show that you can never really let go, but sadly, nobody seems to give it a chance.
Below, I’ve listed a few short reasons as to why everybody should watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and why secretly, deep down, we’re all Slayers too.
She’s not your typical hero.
If you expect the show to be about a bad ass who has a hero complex and wants to save the world, then you’re in for a surprise. Buffy Summers spends the first few seasons of the show utterly hating the fact that she’s the Slayer. Hell, she says multiple times about how she would do anything not to be the Slayer, to have a normal life, to not be constantly fighting off any form of evil. She’s not the classic hero archetype, and it’s refreshing to see.
It’s written by Joss Whedon.
This is the same guy who gave us Firefly, Avengers: Assemble, and Agents of SHIELD, amongst others. If there’s ever a story teller in the world who deserves the type of recognition that Joss gets, it’s definitely him.
The characters are so loveable.
From Anya the Vengeance Demon to Giles the librarian, every single character on this show is made to be relatable and loveable. You’ll find yourself laughing at Oz’s quips, sympathizing with Xander, rooting for Willow, and — dare I say it — falling in love with Cordelia more and more as the series progresses. There’s not a single character that you can dislike on this show (except maybe Angel, who is just way too broody sometimes) — even the villains steal your heart away!
The episodes play with your heart like it’s a violin.
The show is the perfect mix of drama and comedy and action and suspense. And occasionally, the tear-jerker episodes crop up. Seasons 5 through 6 are full of these episodes, making you want to slam your head against a wall in utter despair — deaths, break ups, more deaths, characters leaving the town forever; you name it, it happens. And you will cry, knowing that somewhere out there, Joss Whedon is growing stronger as you shed more tears.
The character development is incredible.
We see these characters grow, from high school sophomores to college students struggling to keep their lives in check (aren’t we all?). You can’t help but feel like a proud parent as you see that these kids have gone from needing help to being the help that someone needs, and understanding how dark the world is. They grow stronger, more understanding of things, and (sadly) a little bit tough to the hardships of life. But it happens to all of us.
It gives you a sense of belonging and purpose.
Perhaps the most important part of watching the TV show for me wasn’t the story, or the characters, or the way that the episodes touched me in some way or another. The show is important because, in dark times, watching the episode titled Chosen made me feel like part of something bigger. As Buffy herself says during the episode "My power, shall be your power.’ She gives her group of Potential Slayers the strength to be Slayers, and if that moment wasn’t the most empowering thing in the world to watch as a teenager, I don’t know what is. It made me feel like I could take on anything, like I was a Slayer too, like I was strong and could defeat any evil. And that, ultimately, is what Buffy is all about — being strong and defeating the world’s darkest dark, together.