So I am currently watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And let me tell you– I am obsessed. Buffy is a vampire slayer who fights all the forces of evil with the help of her friends. It’s a coming of age show, where the viewers grow with Buffy as she enters adulthood. What’s so cool about this show is that it takes the trope of the little girl that is always killed in horror movies and turns her into a superhero. 

Buffy was one of the first shows of its time to blend genres. Its horror, its drama, its coming of age. It’s also a TV show of the ‘90s, and you’ll catch Buffy saying “the wiggins” all the time. Nevertheless, Buffy is still a show in which  teenagers, even today, can relate to. Sunnydale high school is planted right on top of the Hellmouth– and there are many metaphors to experiences in high school that feel like the end of the world. Except in Buffy, certain circumstances actually are the end of the world. 

The episodes of Buffy follow a formula: Buffy just living life, then introduce a vampire, demon, werewolf–you name it, and then Buffy and her friends must devise a plan to fight the monster, and all ends well. Most of the time. Over the course of a season, a powerful, never before seen force of evil challenges Buffy to the greatest fight she has ever faced. Even though there is definitely a formula to Buffy, it’s always comforting and always entertaining. The best thing about Buffy, I think, is the evolution of the characters. As a coming of age show, each character comes into their own: Willow, the shy, computer genius gains confidence and discovers her own power (no spoilers!), Xander learns to become more responsible, and even 40 year old librarian/Watcher Giles opens up into a music loving, father figure to Buffy. 

Buffy is not without flaws. There are few characters of color and some of the depictions of race make me cringe. Even a show that seems to be so feminist has moments of misogyny when male characters idolize and objectify the female characters. The show creator, Joss Whedon, is a man. I think a female showrunner would have been more appropriate for a show like Buffy. But maybe we will see a new version of Buffy. I heard that female television writer, Monica Owusu-Breen might be making a Buffy reboot. Then I checked her Imdb page, and sure enough I saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer listed under her name. Apparently she has no plans to replace the original characters, but instead plans to follow the journey of a new vampire slayer in a more diverse show.