"In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone shall stand against the vampires, demons and forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."
Buffy The Vampire Slayer is arguably the most entertaining show I have ever seen which blends comedy and emotions so well that it surprises me. It also has got to be one of the most creative shows ever, it has the premise where they can try different stuff by putting the characters in various difficult situations, they do that frequently and manage to do great character work on the characters simultaneously, this shows how well balanced this show mostly is, in a show with about 140 episodes, I was bored for only like half a season, that’s how consistently engaging this show is.
The show starts out as a typical teenage show with being cheesy and over the top often in S1 but it was enjoyable, it was never boring to me. It was a monster per episode formula which ran for most of the season and at the end we got a little glimpse of the potential this show had with the season finale, which tbh is not even a top 20 episode in the show. The character introductions in the season were great with we really getting time with the members of the scooby gang and their dynamics with Buffy and our mysterious Angel
S2 continued the monster per episode formula for some episodes but then we saw the introduction of the goat himself (Spike) and Drusilla which really made for some great encounters with Buffy and Angel. But in particular it was the episode Innocence in the middle of S2 that made me say “Yeah this show is going to be peak”. The idea of a vampire with a soul was nothing short of ingenious imo and adding to that was the thing that he will turn evil if he achieved a moment of pure happiness was like such a fascinating idea and was executed to perfection by the show. The moment this happened with Angel , there was always a threat hanging around every other episode of S2, I had nothing spoiled so I could never predict what he might end up doing and then Passion (2x17) happened which still thinking abt that episode leaves me shocked, that made Angel such a real threat. That and Innocence were the turning points of the show, from there it never stopped delivering. All the chaos and tension ending with a brilliant season finale that makes s2 so memorable, I still remember that scene with Buffy doing the final move and their sword fight before that, so good.
FAITH FAITH FAITH FAITH FAITH. I absolutely love the idea of a rogue Vampire slayer, Faith was such a fantastic addition to the show, such a fun personality. I loved her pair with Buffy (B). Also this season has one of the most fun villains in the verse, I absolutely loved The Mayor as the villain, he has that undeniable charm abt him and I really liked his dynamic with faith and how he became her weakness (also addressed in s7). Also this show didn’t stop being creative proved by episodes like The Wish, Earshot and many more. Willow and Xander were also given valuable time. Giles and Buffy’s dynamic kept on growing and was probably the most consistently amazing thing in the first 3 seasons. Also this season had the most banger episodes in number in any Buffy season, especially the 2nd half was just banger after banger after banger. One of the most thoroughly enjoyable seasons for me nd probably the most consistent one of the show for me and was the end of the high school era of the show
Also I forgot to mentioned, these first 3 seasons couldn’t have felt the same, high school wouldnt have felt the same without our Cordelia
Season 4 felt definitely like a transition season into a more mature and serious version of the show. This season had the weakest main plot of the show by far, The Initiative plotline got boring too quick and Riley was the worst addition in the show, also this season was the first time where Buffy wasn’t the best character in the season imo. This season felt like a setback for her character but we got Spike as regular so that was a plus point. This season had 3-4 absolute banger namely Hush, Something Blue and Restless
Season 5 had one of my favourite plotlines in any tv show tbh, I absolutely adore the key plotline and the addition of Dawn was fantastic. First 2-3 episodes I was like that they are trying to gaslight me into believing that Buffy had a sister for the 4 seasons nd I didn’t notice it but gradually things started to come out and the whole idea of the slayer’s sister being a key to destruction contributed to some of the most emotional moments and also best acting moments from the show. And then there is THE BODY, arguably the finest hour of television I have seen and definitely the most emotional episode I have seen. Sarah Michelle Geller was absolutely exceptional in that episode and S5 in general and so was Dawn’s actress. Spike kept on growing as a character, he was fantastic in this season nd they wrapped up this masterpiece season with one of the best season finales ever
Season 6 was like easily the darkest this show ever got, there was barely any moment where everyone was happy. The themes handled here were fantastic, how Buffy was pulled out from heaven by her selfish friends and how she had to find a reason to live, she felt so alone and felt Spike was the only person who she can talk to freely. Their dynamic really flourished here and so did Willow’s character. Tara nd Willow dynamic had been one of the best things in the show since s5 and their falling apart accounted for some of the most emotional moments in the show. The character work on Buffy in this season was exceptional
Season 7 I can see why people hate, its stuffed, the potential slayers are annoying but everything with Spike is like the show at its finest, Andrew was fantastic and so was Buffy and so was Xander. It also gave a very satisfying conclusion to the show, not the show’s strongest season but also definitely not the weakest
Now about the thing I value most in a show, the characters. This show has probably my 2nd favourite tv cast ever just after Lost. Buffy Summers is one of my absolute favourite protagonists ever and is the best female character in any tv show for me (only Elaine close). The show excels at depicting Buffy’s vulnerability, she is just a teenager who has to fight demons and maintain a social life and the social life front in here really enables the show to handle themes and topics we face in real life which make me love her character even more. The acting for her is fantastic by SMG in a role of a lifetime, I could yap a lot more but I have a lot of stuff left to be said
Spike yeah the goat, he has one of the best character arcs you will see, he is extremely funny, his dynamic with Buffy is absolutely spectacular and he is one of those characters who has immediate chemistry with every other character.
Willow is probably 2nd to Spike in terms of an arc. Alyson Hannigan is such a powerhouse, she plays the role so effortlessly, how she grows from a school nerd to Buffy’s most reliable and powerful weapon and the strongest one in the show, a powerful witch. The whole addiction of magic thing was gradually and carefully built up by the show for seasons nd it paid off so well. Her friendship with Buffy, her romance with Tara and the most notable her friendship with Xander (that scene in s6 finale) account for some of the best dynamics in the show
Giles was the father figure in the show, the Watcher. His dynamic with Buffy is one of the strongest points in the show except for them in season 7 and as the series grew, his role became less and less important but he was always an integral part of the show and 2nd best character in the show till s4. In the later seasons, I adored his and Anya’s little dynamic
Xander I personally think is very overhated and misunderstood characters. Every decision on which people have hated him during the runtime of the show had like very very solid arguments or reasons in his defense and that’s why I could never truly hate him. He is the one who had no particular powers but he was the heart of the show, he was so brave that he was always the first one to join Buffy in any battle, I can see people saying Willow selfish but I barely ever thought that for Xander. He is the support Buffy needed over all the seasons and he ALWAYS stepped up. Also loved him and Anya together nd his friendship with Willow
Saving my Anya for the last, the character with absolutely no filter, she is horny all the time and she is the funniest character in the show. An ex demon trying to fit in with humans was a neat idea. She is beautifully weird and doesn’t always get how to react to moments, especially her outburst in THE BODY, such a genuine moment
This show is probably the funniest drama, sitcoms are obv funny but being as hilarious as this show is for seven straight seasons is no small feat and I absolutely love that
The writing is consistently good but when this show puts all efforts into something, it is just unmatched and yields out some of the best episodes I have ever witnessed
SEASONS RANKED
1) SEASON 5 (5/5)
2) SEASON 3 (5/5)
3) SEASON 2 (high 4.5/5)
4) SEASON 6 (4.5/5)
5) SEASON 7 (4/5)
6) SEASON 4 (3.5/5)
7) SEASON 1 (3.5/5)
Top 10 Episodes
1) The Body 5x16 (#2 episode oat)
2) Once More With Feeling 6x7 (#9 episode oat)
3) The Gift 5x22 (T15-20 ep oat)
4) Becoming (Parts 1-2) 2x21-22
5) Fool For Love 5x7
6) Tabula Rasa 6x8
7) Hush 4x10
8) Passion 2x17
9) Helpless 3x12
10) Forever 5x17
Top 10 Characters
1) Spike
2) Buffy
3) Willow
4) Anya
5) Faith
6) Giles
7) Xander
8) Angel
9) Tara
10) Dawn
Best Dynamics—Spike and Buffy, Buffy and Giles, Buffy and Willow, Willow and Xander, Willow and Tara, Anya and Xander, Xander and Buffy, Buffy and Faith
Top 10 BuffyVerse Characters
1) Spike
2) Buffy
3) Wesley
4) Willow
5) Anya
6) Angel
7) Fred
8) Faith
9) Giles
10) Xander
Top 10 BuffyVerse Episodes
1) The Body
2) Once more with feeling
3) Not fade away
4) The gift
5) A hole in the world
6) Hush
7) Becoming
8) Smile Time
9) Fool For Love
10) Tabula Rasa
BuffyVerse Seasons Ranked
1) Buffy S5
2) Angel S5
3) Buffy S3
4) Buffy S2
5) Buffy S6
6) Angel S2
7) Angel S1
8) Buffy S7
9) Angel S3
10) Buffy S4
11) Buffy S1
12) Angel S4
No show will feel like this again
Wont be watching anything next, will just continue Agents of Shield very slowly and will barely log
My #3 show of all time just after Lost and Seinfeld
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