With any long-running show comes a strong fanbase with even stronger opinions who constantly debate which side is right and wrong. Since I’m taking the time to watch some iconic, early 00s shows, I think I have the right to weigh in on some of these opinions. After “Gilmore Girls,” the next on the list is “Buffy: the Vampire Slayer.”
“Buffy” is about Buffy Summers, a high school girl that has the unexpected burden of being the Slayer, an ancient being that, you guessed it, slays the undead and protects humans from the supernatural. Luckily, Buffy has the support of her two friends, Willow and Xander, and the guidance of her Watcher, Giles, who all help her fight battles on the Hellmouth. Across seven seasons, Buffy gets entangled with several men, both human and vampire, saves the world multiple times, and even *SPOILER ALERT* dies. Through it all, “Buffy” remains a strong, character-driven show. So, what did I think of some of the biggest “Buffy” debates? Keep scrolling to find out!
- Team Angel Always!
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While Buffy has several boyfriends and love interests throughout the series, her greatest ones were both vampires. Seasons one through three featured the vampire with a soul, Angel, and the latter end of the show focused on bad boy Spike. While most seem to be in love with the idea of Spike and Buffy, I am hands-down Team Angel. Sure, both vampires had their faults. Whenever Angel experienced a moment of pure happiness, he went back to his old killer ways, but he never tried to rape Buffy like Spike did! Angel remained consistently supportive of Buffy and her decisions. Whenever the two met up, Angel continued to give Buffy a sense of comfort in her crazy world. The timing may not have always been right, but the two of them together were right! Some may argue that Spike was what Buffy needed after coming back in Season 6, but overall, the two were extremely toxic together. To be quite honest, I really don’t trust people who romanticize or ship Spike and Buffy together. It’s just not right at all!
- Not a Big Fan of Willow and Tara Either…
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Sticking to the relationship train, here’s a very unpopular opinion for ya! Before watching the show, I heard how great and significant the Tara/Willow relationship was to the show and the world. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to its hype for me. I found Tara incredibly boring and lacking as a character, which did not pair well with Willow’s development as a more confident and assured young witch. I got more feels from Willow’s previous relationship with werewolf Oz, who had similar characteristics to Tara but was more interesting to follow on the show. While Tara did get better towards the end of her run on the show, it was at a point where it was hard to redeem her from her boredom. Overall, I understand why the Willow and Tara pairing was important, but it just wasn’t my favorite.
- Xander was Kinda Trash…
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Xander, who ended up becoming one of the only humans who helped out Buffy on her missions, ranks kinda low on my list of favorite characters. Xander was often sarcastic to the point of being nasty and masked his controlling behavior as a way of being a protective, supportive friend. He was also deeply misogynistic and acted like a jerk for the later part of the series. While the show took place over seven years, I never felt like Xander grew as much as the other characters. While there were baby steps made in the right direction, which came when he began dating Anya, Xander very much stayed the same. No character growth= total bore in my book!
- Dawn is annoying but still tolerable.
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In season five, Buffy gets a sister after five seasons of not having one. Sounds strange and a major retcon because it was. We find out later that Dawn is actually the human form of a key to opening up multiple dimensions and was brought to Buffy by some monks for her to protect. At first, it was weird to see Dawn amongst the Scooby Gang, but she grew on me. She also really helped propel Buffy as a character and showed the audience a different side of her. At times, Dawn was annoying in that kid sister way and got the gang into more trouble than they needed to be in. Plus, I also thought Michelle Trachtenberg overacted at times. Still, she became an important part of the show, and the showrunners did a good job of seamlessly integrating her into a beloved, long-running show.
- Season four was the worst season.
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After spending three years at Sunnydale High, the Scoobs graduated and went to the local college. Of course, dangerous vampires and other demons followed, but lackluster plots followed too. This season’s big bad build-up didn’t have quite the same excitement, and I was disappointed in how the show focused heavily on Buffy’s sex life, which deviated from the show’s feminist plot. There were some gems, like the completely silent episode, but it was otherwise forgettable in the grand scheme of things.
- Buffy is one of the best female characters ever!
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While “Buffy” fans may constantly argue over vampires or plot points, one thing they and I can all agree on is that Buffy is one of television’s greatest characters ever. She’s stylish, funny, strong, and kicks major butt. Compared to most teen shows, Buffy is a fully developed character and feels real rather than some imagined type of female character. No matter what, Buffy is a character worth rooting for and one to admire.