Why do Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel have a lasting legacy?
Buffy and the companion series Angel came onto the scene in the early 2000’s and are unforgettable.
Because they were so in-depth with their characterizations, full of humor and memorable dialogue and deep in their themes they remain some of the most valued TV ever.
Why I love Buffy and Angel
When I tell my friends that I love “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the associated series “Angel” they look at me like I am a bit daft.
Why should a 62 year old educated woman be interested in series that were created for the teenage niche? And about vampires and vampire slayers of all things?
On March 10, 1997 Buffy the Vampire Slayer was unleashed on the world. Based on a much shoddier movie, the series on WB became a hit. Eventually another show Angel sprang out of it, based on one of the characters Angel the Vampire with a soul. These babies of the genius creator Joss Whedon
What is memorable is that this show, which many people think is or should be a teeny-bopper or B rated horror show that came and went – still remains in reruns. And reruns. And reruns!
Why? After all – it was not recognized by the “Powers that Be” – the Emmys. After 7 seasons not a single nomination.
Yet the fans – like me are incredibly loyal. There are fan clubs , trivia contests and fanfests. (I was going to go to on this year before the sirens starting blaring “shelter in place” in Northern CA.)
Buffy and Angel is an action, monster show – but it is one that is PG
The vampires in Buffy and Angel conveniently turn to dust, which means there are less just gross scenes as compared to the series “True Blood” where vampires explode into a hideous bloody mess for example.
There is sex on Buffy but it is not as graphic as other vampire series and yet it still gets the point across. Perhaps it is because the networks just were not allowing it then, but you will not hear profanity on Buffy and Angel – and that is refreshing.
Buffy and Angel’s Characters are Highly Developed and Relatable
Buffy’s characters are highly related human characters, with the use of magic and science fiction revealing them instead of defining them. They are people you can recognize, both the teenagers and the adults. When the series began Buffy was just changing schools and the school’s cliques were firmly in place.
But ALL of the characters grew throughout the series, and that is one reason why this series is so special.
The characters are not cartoonish or flat. Buffy is more like literature, in fact one the most amazing parts of the series is how the characters developed and changed.
Some were popular – like Cordelia, Harmony, Anya and even Buffy at first
Believe it or not Buffy was very popular at her old school Hemery High School in Los Angeles. I mean why not? She was gorgeous, a cheerleader with two parents who loved her. And Buffy was innocent at heart. She really just wanted to be a girl who grew up and had a normal life.
That was before she was called to be the Slayer at Hemery – and ended up burning the school gym down because it was crawling with vampires.
She never really got gained that status at Sunnydale High – again because of that pesky calling problem.
The popular girls at Sunnydale were birds of another feather. They were led by Cordelia and the Cordettes – who are willing to use any kind of mean girl attacks to rule the school. Cordelia drove a Chrysler Cirrus with the personalized nameplate of “Queen C” that pretty well summed it up.
Some were nerdy and pariahs
They are the students who have no popularity like Xander and Willow who yet turn out to have immense strengths. And immense weaknesses.
On the part of Xander it was loyalty and willingness battle that went beyond any rationality. In one memorable Halloween episodes of Buffy – Xander Harris plays a soldier, and he is like the soldiers that we thank for their service – willing to get killed or hurt if need be to protect Buffy and the good fight.
And yet although he is brave during battle, he is the guy you want on your side – he can be a coward at love. And blinded to the opportunities in front of him. While he is able to keep going when Buffy rebukes his love, he does not cherish the love that is given to him. He ignores Willow who he believes is too much of a friend to be a lover – until Cordelia taps him and Willow’s love is forbidden.
In the case of Willow she was incredibly intelligent but meek and mousy. That quality meant that she was overlooked by most of the people in her high school – and had no friends except Xander at the beginning of the series. They had been friends since childhood – and that specialness continued through the whole series.
And the demons, vampires and monsters were a treasure chest
Usually there was a major villain of each season but some other monster of the week villains that the heroes had to fight.
Some of the vampires were extremely sexy – some were just stupid,
But you will remember the villains. From Drusilla the insane psychic vampire to the Gnarl who paralyzes his victims and pulls off their skin piece by piece you will not forget them. Buffy and Angel also had a monster of the week theme as well.
The heroes can be flawed and evil – and sometimes when they go evil they can be redeemed.
Poor Faith. For a psychotic killer we end up having some sympathy for her – and even she is redeemable.
Buffy certainly goes through her rough times. Starting off as innocent and delightful, she can turn very dark.
Willow is the most innocent at the beginning which makes Dark Willow so heart-breaking and White Willow such a relief.
The Heroes fight with cool weapons
Buffy learns early on that she can kill vampires with stakes, sunlight, saws and knives when she beheads them. Willow is the Queen of Magic.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are an intellectual’s delight
Joss Whedon was college educated in both the United States and Britain – and it shows.
Whedon is very familiar with Shakespeare
Sprinkled throughout the series are all kinds of literary references. The use of symbolism and metaphor is present in almost every episode. High school as a hell – the demons being real instead of just imagined. Willow addicted to magic instead of drugs. And Buffy facing the source of her power – learning that it has evil in it as well as good like in Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter.
Buffy Studies are taught in college – and sign me up!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer had some groundbreaking episodes
Of special note are the following episodes:
- “The Body.” Season 5 episode 16. There is a totally unexpected death of a lovely character. Joss Whedon has said: “This is the finest thing I will ever do.” In this episode, Buffy and the Scoobies do not fight against the supernatural – they fight against real human death. And they lose. Each character has unique and telling ways of dealing with the death – Willow can’t find an outfit that is good, Anya the newly human ex-demon sadly recounted how Joyce would not be able to drink fruit punch. Xander put a hole in the wall. And Buffy just would not believe it was real. But she was wrong.
- “Superstar” season 4 episode 17 – the dork of the school becomes the guy who is trusted in every situation. We are shown a brief scene of Jonathan in the school tower about to kill himself which was in one of the earlier episodes. But in this episode the roles are changed. He beats out the Slayer, he is called upon by the Initiative to fight against Adam, and he is both a basketball and musical star. The styling of Whedon is in fine order as he creates clever scenes of Jonathon in powerful roles and interspersed them where Buffy usually is. In fact he starts the episode with Jonathon walking down the street in the leather jacket of Angel as the “Slayer.” What will happen when the magic wears off?
- “Hush” -Buffy is known for snappy and memorable dialogue. But Whedon wanted to give himself a challenge – he wanted to write an episode where the majority of the action occurred in absolute silence. The story was based on a children’s fairy tale where monsters stole the voices of people who could not scream to protect themselves. And it is amazing what happens when people shut up for a few minutes. Buffy and Riley experience their first kiss, Buffy and Tara have their first powerful spell together – and the sign that they are going to be in love. We got some humor with Spike when Xander found him with blood on his lips and assumed that he had been eating Anya. When she found out that he had not done it she ended up being thrilled – making a classy finger in a circle motion and running up to bed.
- “Once More with Feeling” This musical episode was so unique and revealed talents that we did not realize the characters had. The love song between Allyson Hannigan and Amber Benson was delightful , truly magical in the animation and dancing. And that was made even more heart-breaking when Benson and Anthony Head had to sing in “Under Your Spell/Standing – Reprise” – when they realize that they are going to have to say goodbye to the people they love the most.
Buffy is Full of tragic and Prophetic Dreams
By the end of the series people basically trusted Buffy when she said something unusual was going to happen. But in the beginning they did not, which basically was annoying.
One thing that could be trusted were the Slayer’s dreams.
Buffy and Angel are Tragic and deeply Painful
No one has particularly successful careers.
Relationships are doomed. Often the beloved ends up dead.
Buffy CANNOT have a happy birthday.
You can’t get revenge – if if the vampire killed your mother – because of the “Mission.”
And everyone of the main characters carries some deep pain until the series ends.
Buffy and Angel are Hilarious
There will be humor sparked in every episode of Buffy and Angel.
But two particularly hilarious episodes are The Zeppho in Buffy where Xander learns his strength but in the meanwhile chases some zombies who are making “cake” that turns out to be a bomb.
And in Angel – who could forget the episode “Smiletrain” when the big, bad vampire Angel is turned into a puppet?
Why do Buffy and Angel Matter after all these years?
Buffy and Angel both fight the Mission even though the odds are stacked against them and they know they will never be finished. We are left with episodes we will not forget, heroes and villains that we want to see more of.
Buffy and Angel fans did not want the series to end.
And we know that Buffy matters!
NOTE -I AM AN AFFILIATE OF AMAZON AND OTHER An AFFiliate and AD NETWORKS OF PRODUCTS THAT YOU MIGHT SEE MENTIONED HERE
