This summer I watched many series, about which I'll be writing in the following months, but my most recent discovery and obsession is one of Joss Whedon's most famous creations: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, I've been hearing about this TV series for a long time, and some years ago I even happened to catch the homonymous film on TV (it wasn't anything special, just a B-movie with awful acting and effects) so I never looked back. However, there came a time that I realised how a big a fan of Joss Whedon I am, having seen and loved Firefly and Serenity, admiring his wonderful writing and fresh view on things. So, just a month ago, after having revisited the unique, gloriously funny and extremely inventive Dr.Horrible's Sing-Along Blog I decided to watch some other things created by Joss Whedon. Buffy was the first on the list. It will hopefully be followed by Angel and perhaps Dollhouse.
Buffy, as it is apparent by its ridiculous name, is a TV series about a vampire slayer. Buffy is a girl that by the age of 15 is chosen to fight the forces of darkness. This however is never showed in the series but it has already happened in the film. When one enters the world of Buffy on TV, they immediately get into this world of vampires, demons and slayers without any introductions. What is new both for the viewer and the protagonist, though, is the environment, seeing as Buffy has moved to Sunnydale after being expelled by her previous school where (in the movie) she blowed up the gym fighting some vampires. So, this is how we enter the marvellous world of Buffy. And I say marvellous because it might seem pretty ridiculous at the beginning, with the funny premise, the awful title and the laughable make-up (they apparently had a very low budget at the beginning) but it soon becomes fantastic.
Joss Whedon knows how to create a great environment with magnificent, deep characters. From Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), to her soon-to-become best friends and allies, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan), her librarian and "watcher" Giles (Anthony Head), the always say-what's-on-my-mind school hottie Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and the cursed-with-a-soul vampire Angel (David Boreanaz), everyone is a thought-out, deep, realistic character that has much more to offer than what first meets the eye. There are many ridiculous villains in some of the episodes, more so in the early ones, however the amazing writing and the way these characters (and actors) interact with each other make the viewer care and that's the driving force of the series.
See a small review of the first three seasons here:
I currently am in the middle of the fourth season, so I will be doing a small, as spoiler-free as possible, review of the first three.
Season one: The beginning
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| Xander, Giles, Buffy, Cordelia and Willow |
Knowing what comes next, this season is just the preparatory chapter where everyone is introduced while they're facing some demons that don't seem important enough and they are somewhat ridiculous. The main villain of the season, the "Master", is quite evil and the only real threat on the first season's horizon. I, however, understood his importance and how evil he could really be during an episode of season 3 that showed what could have been if Buffy wasn't there. Scary stuff. The peak of the season comes right in the middle, during episode 7, named "Angel". This is when you realize that something really good is hidden under all the make-up and monsters.
I never expect great things from the first seasons, and usually when the 1st season of a series is too good I fear for the quality of the next seasons. Most of the time, I am right. Since this particular season was half a season, with just 12 episodes, I knew that great things would be happening soon. If you have seen it and you were ready to give up, don't. Season 2 is where it really gets interesting.
Season 2: When nothing is what it seems
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| Willow, Oz, Giles, Cordelia, Xander, Buffy, Angel, Spike, Drusilla |
Season 2 is F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C. From beginning to end. I could easily leave you with that and go straight to the next season but I need to give some information on the "why" it is such a fantastic season. Firstly, out of the 22 episodes there are only 5 that can be considered weak, and 4 of them are right in the beginning. So, after that, everything becomes really great. Second, there is some amazing character development during this season. From Buffy who accepts her "chosen one" fate and realizes the sacrifices she must make in order to succeed, to Xander and Willow who, for the first time, have some real relationships in their lives, to Angel who finally shows that he is much more than a beautiful vampire with a good heart. Thirdly, this season has the most amazing villains ever. With the introduction of Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) things start to spice up. Spike is an amazing character, the one you love to hate. He is a totally bad vampire who doesn't pull back and never regrets what he's doing. However, just when you think you know what he is up to, he suddenly does something unexpected that makes you want to see even more of him. Dru on the other hand is a complete lunatic, a vampire who is as crazy as hell. These two vampires are in love, they can both do whatever it takes to help their significant other, something that makes their characters even deeper and more important. This season has its funny moments (Xander and Spike, I'm looking at you) and some of the most surprising Buffy moments ever. It is a season full of twists as the season's main big bad is a complete surprise and comes out of nowhere. Just when everything seems normal, here comes the 14th episode to turn everything upside down, and the episode 2x17 - "Passion" where everything changes forever. From there till the end of the season, this is a bumpy, thrilling, touching, surprising ride. I could easily say that even if the show had ended right there it would still be a great show but, honestly, there are some great episodes coming up.
Season 3: Choices while growing up
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| Buffy and Faith |
The third season is when all the growing up happens. It is a season about growing up, about choices, about good and evil, about what you'd do to help the one you love, about loyalty, about what you'd do if you had the power of the Slayer and about the consequences of our actions. Here, we are introduced to a second slayer, Faith (Eliza Dushku), who is everything that Buffy isn't. She is introduced to show us why Buffy is the true heroine and what would happen if she abused her position of power. And speaking of power, the main villain of the season, the Mayor, is a great character. He has that look of a good humorous uncle that's always above suspicion even though he is thinking of killing all the residents of Sunnydale..ah, good times. This season shows our characters growing up and making their choices about their future. It is, after all, their last year at school and they have to decide what they'll do as soon as they graduate. Buffy isn't the only one that has to face the concequences of her actions, though. Xander and Willow also make some mistakes during this season, and they soon find themselves facing the crossroads of big choices. As for the effects, they get better season by season. This season, however, is not all drama. There are some memorable funny moments too. The Vampire Willow from the alternate universe in Doppelgangland (3.16), the hero - Xander in The Zeppo (3.13) and the hilarious guest appearance of Spike in Lovers' Walk (3.08) offer not only humour but the very important character and plot development. This is a marvellous season, often a fan favourite (even if for me personally, it doesn't surpass the 2nd). Here is when the 3-year story arc finishes, as the protagonists graduate from high school and have to go to college or wherever they are led to. Some of the main characters are leaving the show for good, opening the doors for new faces and new adventures during Buffy's college years.
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