STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)

The Complete Series

By John V. Brennan
September 2005

With Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head

Also with Charisma Carpenter (S1-3), David Boreanaz (S1-3), Kristine Sutherland (S1-5), Robia La Morte (S2-3), Armin Shimerman (S1-3), Seth Green (S2-4), James Marsters (S2, S4-7), Juliette Landau (S2), Eliza Dushku (S3, S7), Alexis Denisof (S3), Emma Caulfield (S3-7), Marc Blucas (S4-5), Amber Benson (S4-6), Michelle Trachtenberg (S5-7), DB Woodside (S7), Tom Lenk (S6-7), Iyari Lymon (S7)
Created by Joss Whedon
Reviewed by JB

Named the third greatest cult TV show ever in two different polls (battling with the likes of Dr. Who, Star Trek and The X-Files), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with its genre-exploding mix of comedy, drama, horror, romance and action, remains a guilty pleasure of many fans young and old. - JB

Season One

Buffy Anne Summers was TV's most unlikely action hero. She was pretty and "girly" - Joss Whedon's own description, and an accurate one, especially for the Buffy of the first season. She was not terribly book-smart, and no more than 100 pounds, yet supernaturally capable of kicking ass on a regular basis. Played by ex-All My Children starlet Sarah Michelle Gellar, who proves repeatedly through seven seasons how able she is of handling comedy (she was one of television best quip-tossers) and drama, talents that, sadly, she has rarely been asked to duplicate in her film career. Gellar gets tremendous support from the entire cast, especially Nick Brendon and Aly Hannigan as her the instantly lovable sidekicks Xander and Willow. Additional praise goes to Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles, Buffy's reserved, very British mentor, and Kristine Sutherland, simply one of the coolest TV moms ever. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the buxom Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia, the queen bitch of Sunnydale High and David Boreanaz, who started out kind of awkward and amateurish but wound up being so excellent as Angel, the tortured vampire with a soul, he got his own series.

The show's initial premise - high school as a metaphor for hell - resonated not only with teens but also adults, who tuned in to discover that Buffy, with its faux slang and smartly written dialogue, was one of the most quotable shows on the air.

Don't let the cheesy monsters of the 12-episode first season bother you - just sit back and enjoy the dialogue, the freshness of the then-unknown cast, and the sometimes satirically derivative stories, which feature, among other things, a ventriloquist dummy suspected of eviscerating students, a pack of students possessed by hyenas, a destructive demon inhabiting the Internet, and an ancient vampire called The Master looking to unleash Hell on Earth, if only he could get rid of that damned ex-cheerleader with a crossbow standing in his way. After the first dozen episodes, you will either get it or you won't. If you do get it, go onto Seasons Two and Three, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer matures into one of the finest, most imaginative programs ever offered on free TV.

Season Two

A mixture of fun stand-alone episodes (Buffy meets demon, Buffy and pals research, Buffy kills demon) and a season-long tale of the doomed love affair between Buffy and Angel makes the sophomore season of this cult favorite one of its most memorable. The show expands its scope and takes a quantum leap in maturity without losing any of the charm and promise of the inaugural year. The main cast is augmented by several new faces, including Seth Green as a taciturn guitarist and potential love interest for Hannigan's lovelorn Willow, and James Marsters and Juliet Landau as Spike and Drusilla, two new bad-ass vampires in town.

Halfway through the season, things kick into high gear with David Boreanaz's amazing turnaround performance as Angelus, the evil version of his goody-two shoes Angel. It all leads to the choicest Buffy episode ever, the two-part finale, "Becoming", in which Buffy must choose between saving her boyfriend Angel or saving the world. Filled with flashbacks relating the 200-year moral journey of Angel from drunken layabout to history's evilest vampire to reluctant undead hero, and containing several unexpected moments in its main story, "Becoming" is layered and thought-provoking, with outstanding performances from the entire main cast, especially Gellar, Boreanaz and Marsters.

Season Two, more emotionally compelling than you may expect from a show titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is the season that hooked many fans for the remainder of the series. ½

Season Three

I sometimes think that Buffy, Season Three, in which Buffy faces high school graduation and the end of the world, may be the greatest single season of television ever, but then I remember the Classic 39 season of The Honeymooners. Nevertheless, in this season of Buffy, an already super cast only gets better with the addition of sexy Eliza Dusku as Faith the Vampire Slayer, the hilarious Harry Groener as Mayor Wilkens (the greatest Buffy villain, and a human to boot!), and several appearances by Emma Caulfield, who would join the cast on a permanent basis in the fourth season.

As is usual for this show, the funniest episodes are often the deepest, revealing much about the characters, and the darkest episodes inevitably contain several laugh-out-loud moments. Highlights out of a season of highlights include two episodes that showcase the two MVPs of the show: "The Zeppo", in which Nick Brendon's hapless Xander gets to save the high school all by himself (while the rest of the gang are out saving the world), and "Doppelgangland", in which Alyson Hannigan's comic talents shine brightly in a dual role as the cute, shy Willow and a leather-clad, sleazy vampire Willow. There is also "Earshot", a clever, compelling episode which addresses student violence in American high school, and was originally pulled from the air due to the Colombine tragedy. These are only three out of about a dozen from this season that I would rank among my all-time favorite episodes from any program. Okay, so "The Classic 39" is better. But then again, did Ralph Kramden ever have a "Welcome Home" party ruined by a horde of zombies? I don't think so.

Season Four

The difficult fourth season, in which Buffy and pals move on to college. James Marsters is back as Buffy's arch-nemesis Spike the Vampire, and the beautiful Emma Caulfield returns as former demon Anya, pain in the ass extraordinaire. They fill the void left by David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter, who moved to the equally entertaining spinoff Angel. There is also Eliza Dushku, returning as Faith (the rogue slayer), who gets plenty of opportunity to strut her stuff in a four-episode crossover tale that begins Buffy and concludes on Angel.

But the show still lost more than two excellent cast members and a set when it moved on from high school; it also lost some of its emotional resonance. Of course, the cast and characters were getting older and could not play high school kids forever, so the march toward adulthood was inevitable, but the show would never be quite as charming as it was in the first three years.

Nevertheless, the fourth season features the usual excellent work by the entire cast and a handful of the show's best episodes, including Hush, considered by many to be the best, funniest and most frightening Buffy episode, in which no dialogue is spoken for nearly half the episode. The off-the-wall season finale, Restless, in which the four main characters (Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles) reveal their inner fears via some potentially deadly dreams, is also a fan favorite, though I, for one, do not get why. Many other episodes offer quality entertainment in the usual Buffy style, but the season as a whole lacks consistency. For the first time, several blah or downright bad episodes of Buffy rear their heads - understandable in a transitional year.

Oh, and did I mention Willow was now gay? No. Okay. Willow is now gay. Still adorable though. ½

Season Five

When it was announced that the too cute for words Michelle Trachtenberg (she of Disney's HARRIET THE SPY and INSPECTOR GADGET) was coming to play Buffy's previously unheard-of little sister Dawn in Season Five, some fans pictured Fonzie from Happy Days jumping his motorcycle over a tank full of sharks and assumed that Buffy was officially on its way downhill.

Not so. Joss Whedon and his crew de-emphasized the college setting of the previous year and moved much of the action to the superb new Magic Shop set. They gave Buffy two separate missions - protecting her kid sister from several sets of potential killers and rededicating herself to discover the true nature of being a Slayer - infusing the season with a sense of purpose the previous season lacked. Claire Kramer was cast as evil bombshell redhead Glory, playing the part with the delicious campiness of a baddie from the old Batman TV series. Emma Caulfield stepped up to prove herself not only a superb comedienne but a wonderful dramatic actress as well. Best of all, the young and talented Trachtenberg fit into the show as if she had always been there, making the mysterious "Dawn" story (in which all the characters initially believe she had always been there) much easier to accept. In short, Season Five of the now veteran horror-comedy was a triumphant return to the consistency and quality of the high school years.

Along the way, there are sexy robots, mysterious monks, butt-ugly minions, evil twins, Count Dracula himself and a band of Knights who focus all their time and energy on the task of killing a cute little girl named Dawn Summers, who just may bring about the end of the world. What more could you ask for in a TV show? If you say Joel Grey, a big fat troll with a dangerous hammer, a slimy creature from outer space and several shocking deaths, well, you've got those too.

Season Six

There are some fans of the show who believe that Season Six was the greatest of them all. They are almost always nice people, and I have nothing personally against them. But they are clearly insane and probably should not be allowed access to sharp objects.

The theme of the season was "Oh Grow up!", as Joss Whedon and his writers attempted to show Buffy and company struggling to make it to true adulthood. But instead, they turn beloved funny and heroic characters into unsympathetic, whining babies who gripe about their lives constantly. The season also offers the show's weakest villains yet, a trio of nerds who taunt Buffy for no reason other than boredom. Stir in a mishandled "Willow as a 'magic' addict" storyline and a graphic, mutually abusive sexual relation between Spike and Buffy, and you've got all the ingredients for a once-great show gone awry.

This is not to say the sixth season was a complete loss. The outstanding and tuneful musical episode Once More With Feeling is one of the series' Top Five episodes, and certainly the most danceable. Other episodes hit the mark or at least contain some unforgettable scenes, and there is a rousing, if somewhat forced, "apocalypty" finale. But you have to sit through many indifferent and bad episodes just to get to these highlights. ½

Season Seven

Buffy creator Joss Whedon, responding to fans and critics alike who decried the depressing sixth season, promised Season Seven would be a lighter "back to the beginning" year. For the first third of the season, that promised is fulfilled. The show returns to high school (Buffy as counseler, Dawn as student) with comedy emphasized over drama. If some of these episodes seem derivative, reaching back to the first three seasons for story inspiration, they have enough twists and turns to make them fresh new variations rather than carbon copies.

After those initial episodes, the show shifts into a jumbled story-arc that focuses on Buffy, Spike and dozens of new, extraneous characters, leaving the rest of the cast with less to do than many fans would have liked. Yet the entire season works well, and even in below-average episodes, there are often one or two exceptional scenes that serve to remind why the show lasted seven years. The writers continue to bring fresh novelty to the show, with creative individual episodes and unexpected character pairings. In the end, the seventh season is an often frustrating but ultimately engaging one that brings the story of Buffy Summers to an imperfect but valid conclusion after 144 episodes. Not bad for a show not expected to last past its status as a 12-episode time-filler filler on the WB. ½ - JB

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John B.'s Favorite Episodes from each season

Prophecy Girl (Season One): In the first season finale, Buffy dies, and not for the last time in the series. Her "I'm sixteen, I don't want to die" speech is the moment when the character becomes more than a cute comic book super hero, and when Gellar stopped playing the character and became the character.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty."

Runner-up: The Puppet Show: Classic take on the overused "talking ventriloquist dummy" story. Dummy sounds like Moe Green from The Godfather, adding to the fun. Ends with Gellar, Brendon and Hannigan doing a scene from Oedipus Rex. It actually makes sense.

Becoming 1 & 2 (Season Two): Death, laughs, heartbreak, flashbacks, mysterious strangers, doomed romances, twisted alliances, swordfights, snappy one-liners, a major character in a coma and a swirling, whirling porthole to Hell. In other words, everything the show has to offer and more.

"Have we met?"
"You hit me with an axe once."

Runer-up: Passion - Oh, man, is that Angelus guy evil or what?

Aly Doppelgangland (Season Three): Absolutely the most fun Buffy episode ever, thanks mostly to Alyson Hannigan, who has never been cuter nor funnier than she is here. And there are two of her to boot.

"I'm a blood-sucking fiend! Look at my outfit!"

Runner-up: Pick one out of a hat. Did I mention that Season Three is probably the best single season of a show ever since the Classic 39 of the Honeymooners? Oh, yeah, I mentioned that.

Hush (Season Four): The highlight of Season Four, as Buffy and pals battles the creepy Gentleman, who have stolen the voices of everyone in town so they can cut out hearts without having to deal with all that pesky bloodcurdling screaming. A great triumph for a show known mostly for its dialogue.

"......."

Runner-up: The Initiative - A depressed Willow gives tips to Iowa-bred college boy Riley Finn on how to win Buffy over. Doesn't sound promising, but it's a terrific little episode. Great Spike stuff, great Willow stuff ("She likes cheese.")

Fool for Love (Season 5): After almost being killed in a battle with a vampire, Buffy asks the evil Spike for advice, leading to some amazing flashbacks that tell us more about Spike than we ever knew before. Brilliant, fascinating episode that displays what a versatile actor James Marsters is as Spike. The final third, which explores and explodes the weird relationship between Buffy and arch-enemy Spike, is simply dazzling.

"You can't kill Buffy. She's the Slayer, she is so going to kick your ass.... and then you'll get bitch-slapped up and down Main Street unless she's had enough and just stakes you."

Runner Up: Triangle - Willow and Anya try to conjure a spell together, and accidentally bring forth Olaf the Troll. Good times, good times.

Once More with Feeling (Season Six): For some reason, Buffy and friends cannot stop bursting into song. "Buffy: The Musical" could have been a complete disaster, but it turned out to be one of the best episodes of the series and certainly the highlight of the otherwise depressing sixth season. The songs, all written by Joss Whedon and sung by the cast, range from hard rock to folk to old-fashioned musical comedy and are surprisingly sophisticated and well-sung.

"I was able to examine the body while the police were taking witness arias."

Runner Up: Tough call, as I have no real love for many of these episodes. Still, Normal Again wins points for creativity, as it suggests Buffy is not a vampire slayer at all but a girl in a mental institute who lives in a fantasy world. It almost works. The two part finale is pretty okay too, and shows that even when Alyson Hannigan plays an evil character bent on destroying the world, she still can't help being "the cutest creature in the Universe", as Joss Whedon once called her.

Selfless (Season Seven): Emma Caulfield, as Anya, finally gets her own spotlight episode, one that shows that even in its final season, Buffy was still capable of putting more into one episode than some shows offer in an entire series run. A mock Swedish movie (complete with English subtitles), the Russian Revolution, a giant heart-eating spider, a house of dead frat boys, a gorgeously tuneful musical number, a duel to the death and a Chaplinesque ending, all in one compact 40 minute episode.

"Behold D'Hoffryn! Lord of A'Rashmahar! He who turns the air to blood and reigns... Miss Rosenberg! How lovely to see you again. Have you done something with your hair?"

Runner-Up: Same Time, Same Place - Willow exists in a world without Buffy and Xander, Xander and Buffy live in a world without Willow. And there's the skin-eating Gnarl, the nastiest demon to appear in the show in several years. All this and a "Poseable Dawn"!

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