Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (seasons 1-4)

After some time considering whether or not I should watch this show. For one, I wasn't sure what sort of show it would be, and if it would appeal to me. That, along with the nineties setting and rubber costumes, I had my doubts.

All of these were set aside fairly early on though. From the humour, to the horror, to the great character work and dialogue. I was blown away from the first few episodes, and have been watching at a steady pace ever since, having now finished season 4.

The show follows Buffy, a normal teenage girl, who, along with the struggles of school and social life, must fight the a whole slew of vampires and demons in the supernatural hotspot of Sunnydale. Guided by her Watcher, Giles, and her friends Willow and Xander, and the mysterious Angel, she must battle the forces of darkness and get through high school.

Giles in particular is a favourite character of mine, mentoring Buffy as her Watcher, but with his own life he is trying to live at the same time, with a fantastic English awkwardness that leads to some of the best one-liners of the show. Hats off to you, sir!

Honestly, the description I just gave hardly does it justice. The concept could well be executed terribly, making something tacky, uninteresting or cringy. This is not the case. While it is true that it is in a high school setting, with the rivalries and romances that you'd expect as a result, but the show somehow manages to blend just about every single genre you could think of, and somehow, it works really well, leaving something for everyone. For me, it's the quality dialogue and wit that the show comes up with. Plus, the monster-of-the-week format is something that I grew up with, watching shows like Doctor Who or Primeval, so it hit a nostalgic spot for me. It also makes it hit home even harder whenever it does get serious, rather than demeaning something genuinely shocking or impactful, turning from the general comedy to drama incredibly well.

For others, particularly a female audience, the love triangles and character drama would be another element to enjoy. Hell, even I have to admit I'm engaged with it when it is handled so well, giving me a perspective to see how and why each of these genres appeal to people, and bridging a gap between so many other types of shows to bring something anyone can appreciate.

I also like how, unlike many female characters written today, Buffy is a well rounded, complex person anyone can relate to. Despite her physical strength as a result of her being a slayer, she is still feminine and many times wants to find a place in the world for herself just as, if not more so than her duties as a slayer. Because of this, she is sympathetic to any and every viewer, not picking any one demographic to favour over another or try to demonise.

My favourite season so far has been the second one, building upon the precedent set by the first with its smaller episode count. This one brings along a cast of new, compelling villains to keep Buffy and her friends on her toes, adhering more to chaos and advantageousness than ancient prophecies and traditions. This makes them a constant threat to contend with, and some real consequences that surprised me when they happened. The third season is by no means bad, with the average episode quality being about the same, but it definitely has a weaker main story, coming across as season 2-lite. Season four changes things up a lot, some for better, and others for worse, and this is reflected in the episode quality, with some feeling oddly filler, but also lends itself to some of the best, with my favourite episode thus far.

Are the costumes and effects not always that convincing? No. Is it rough around the edges? Absolutely. But it has something to it that I just can't get enough of, and I'm glad I've got three more seasons, along with four more seasons of Angel. I'll review the rest when I get to it.

Season 1: 7.5 out of 10

Season 2: 9 out of 10

Season 3: 8 out of 10

Season 4: 8.5 out of 10

SPOILER SECTION

I don't think the opening villain of the Master was very good - all he did was occasionally say something ominous, but did nothing but serve as the big bad of the first series. I'm glad they rectify this problem almost immediately in season two with Spike and Druscilla, their chaotic nature throwing the balance completely off and made them far more imposing, if not sometimes too easily ridiculed, especially after their first run at the first half of season two.

I think that the drama caused by Angel's curse being lifted and turning evil at the turning point of season 2 was stellar - not only is it a distortion of a beloved character, but he had been established to have been horribly brutal and torturous without his human soul, and we get to see the glimpses of it with his tormenting of Buffy and her friends, and the murder of Jenny Calendar, depriving her of redemption and the chance of restoring him in a soul-wrenching episode that really marks the new territory the show was going to go down - gore, death and violence were not just reserved for the monsters and their victims, but the main cast as well.

On the surface, Faith seems to be a great villain, the Anti-Buffy with her care-free attitude and disregard for innocent lives. However, her descent into this murderer seemed far too quick, especially when she joined forces with the major. The mainly interesting thing about her was that she was teetering on the edge of good and evil, but she spends most of her time in one category, before quickly and unceremoniously switching sides, leading to a lot of wasted potential (although she was the best source of conflict in the third season).

Season 4 has that awkward readjusting phase from the high school to the college, with the characters having drifted apart a bit, with Giles no longer an official Watcher, Xander not in college, Oz leaving to figure out his werewolf condition, and Willow having a secret romance with Tara. All of these elements work as intended, but that separation bleeds into the story, making it less compelling. The initiative story has its ups and downs, but doesn't really work for me as such - it seemed far too easy to infiltrate, being directly beneath the characters at any given time.

However, the ongoing stories and threads produced the episode Hush, the masterpiece of the show as far as I am concerned. The design and movements of the Gentlemen are haunting and eerie, the concept that everybody's voices were stolen made for some comedy, and terrible dread as well, and the terrifying idea of having your heart taken out of you alive while you are unable to cry for help really brought the horror back. This one I won't forget anytime soon, and whatever you can fault season four for, I think this one episode alone makes up for all the faults.