I have very fond memories associated with watching the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Since its Spring 1997 debut, "Buffy" has been good to me. I remember watching an episode of the show the night before my Calculus Advanced Placement exam rather than studying (I was a senior in high school after all--what was I going to do, be a good student???). I ended up doing well on the exam, and I also ended up meeting new friends (and a girlfriend or two) while watching "Buffy" in the TV rooms in Cornell´s dormitories.
What´s so special about a show that chronicles the exploits of a young girl who goes around killing monsters? Like anything else, "Buffy" would be boring if it adhered closely to a one-line marketing pitch. The genius of the show lies in series creator/executive producer Joss Whedon´s wonderful imagination. Whedon parallels Buffy´s travails with those of an adolescent´s reactions to growing up in a harsh world. In a sense, Buffy´s problems are young people´s problems writ large, the vampires and other demons physical manifestations of youths´ fears about life.
Some of you may recall that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was once a theatrical release. Back in 1992, Kristy Swanson starred in Mr. Whedon´s first try at the material. The film failed to find much critical or commercial success, probably due in part to its awkward attempts at mixing horror and humor.
"Buffy" the TV show picks up the story where the film left off. At the end of the movie, Buffy Summers burns down her high school´s gymnasium. Subsequently, the TV show finds Buffy (now played by the amazing Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her mom moving to Sunnydale, California in order to start a new life. Buffy hopes that her sophomore year will give her less headaches than her freshman year. She wants to get away from her past, but her past refuses to let her go.
You see, Buffy is the Chosen One. In every generation, there is a Slayer, one girl with the strength to fight the forces of darkness. The Watchers Council supervises the Slayer, and each Slayer/prospective-Slayer has her own Watcher. Given how dangerous her task is, the Slayer often faces her enemies alone. When one Slayer dies, a new one is "activated."
"Buffy" the TV show operates with a couple of guidelines. Each episode is self-contained, telling its own story and ending with Buffy slaying one monster or another. However, each episode also contributes to a season-long story arc that results in a massive season finale. Along the way, we get to see Buffy and her companions grow older, wiser. In short, we get to see them become adults.
Season One lays the groundwork for the show. We meet her Watcher, Rupert Giles (Anthony Steward Head). Then there are Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendan), the original "Slayerettes." One Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) shows up as the school bitch queen, and a mysterious guy by the name of Angel (David Boreanaz) appears once in a while to warn Buffy about any dangers that might be brewing in the neighborhood.
The main focus of Season One revolves around Buffy and Co.´s fight against The Master, a vampire king. Sunnydale sits on the Hellmouth, and The Master is trapped in the Hellmouth. He seeks to escape to the surface of the Earth in order to take over the world. I´m not giving away much of the story by writing that Buffy wins--after all, the show is currently (2001) enjoying its sixth season on the air. Yet, despite knowing that Buffy emerges victorious, you´ll still be surprised by what the season finale offers.
Often named as one of the Top Ten Shows on TV, "Buffy" has become famous for Sarah Michelle Gellar´s costumes (once comprised of way-short mini-skirts but now mostly fetching turtlenecks), sly pop-culture references, and "Buffyisms," words and expressions coined expressly for the show. While "Buffy" appeared on the WB and now on UPN, its limited viewing ratings do not reflect its actual cultural penetration. Every social group is aware of "Buffy´s" existence.
After a long wait (due to rights and syndication issues), Twentieth Century Fox brings "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" the TV series to DVD. Season One arrives as a three-disc set in an attractive, blue, gatefold packaging.
Disc One: "Welcome to the Hell Mouth"/"The Harvest"--These two episodes were first broadcast together as the Series Premiere of the show. Buffy arrives in Sunnydale and meets Giles, her new Watcher.
"Witch"--During cheerleader tryouts, a girl bursts into flames while another goes blind. Apparently, there´s a witch who wants to be on the squad really badly...
"Teacher´s Pet"--Xander has no luck with women...until an attractive substitute teacher picks him to help her with a science project.
Disc Two: "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date"--Buffy finally goes out on a date, but things take a turn for the worse when she and her date have to fight off the usual nocturnal suspects.
"The Pack"--For some reason, some high school kids begin to exhibit hyena-like behavior.
"Angel"--Buffy finds out that Angel is actually a vampire with a soul. This is where the two true loves share their first kiss.
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