Reviews Series / Buffy The Vampire Slayer

My failed attempt to do this series justice

I must admit, I am not as well-versed in the buffyverse as I should be. In fact, I have only watched the first three seasons (but have been heavily spoilered on the series post-graduation).

I digress, what I have had the pleasure to see of Buffy, I have immensely enjoyed. We all know the premise; stereotypically dumb cheerleader archetype turns out to be the biggest badass in the world, and the only person who can defend humanity from vampires.

Season 1 was a narmy but somewhat charming introduction to the vast and intricate world Buffy lives in, and yes, most episodes were ridiculous. It makes up for that with it's nostalgic pop culture references, snark and lovable characters who never lack in depth though. (I'd give it a B-)

Season 2 was a immeasurable improvement with the introduction of rightful fan favourites Spike and Drusilla, who symbolise when the show became a lot smarter, a lot funnier, a lot deeper, a lot scarier and a lot more exciting. It also saw the plots become more smoothed out and well paced, and character development was running rampant. Even the villains and comic relief got there fair share of depth and sympathetic moments. Sometimes it fell back into the silly and narmy world of season 1 (see "Go Fish" and "Bad Eggs" for the worst offenders), but mostly it was a wonderful season. It had the ability to break your heart and lift your spirits, sometimes simultaneously. (Worthy of a straight A)

Season 3 kept it at a steady high with the introduction of badass Faith and the hilarious yet sinister Mayor Wilkins. (A-)

Like all masterpieces though, there are one or two flaws. I am quite disillusioned by a improbable all caucasian cast, for example. Especially in such a culturally diverse location. There are also issues with consent and sex surrounding the series, which I won't get into here.

The best thing about this show is that despite all the mythology and fantasy, all it really conveys is life. If you can't relate to anything in this both tragic and comedic show, then you're probably a soulless automaton. Behind all it's glitz and dazzle (and by glitz and dazzle I mean blood, gore and puns), Buffy is a show about growing up. Everyone can relate and enjoy that.

All in all, it's earnt a A- from my perspective, and I'd like to experience the rest of the series one-day, in spite of what I've heard.