Summary

  • Buffy The Vampire Slayer tackled serious themes like isolation and pressure to be a hero, making it relatable to many viewers.
  • The betrayal of Buffy by her friends in Season 7 was a pivotal moment that defined the show, leading to her ultimate triumph.
  • Spike's role in helping Buffy heal and regain her strength in the final episodes brought closure and redemption to the series.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer might have been a teen drama TV show, but the series never shied away from serious and emotional storylines throughout its seven seasons. Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, faced feelings of isolation and intense pressure to be the perfect hero throughout the series, which was relatable to me and many other generations of watchers who discovered the series in their adolescence. However, a constant source of solace for her was the of her friends. Feeling connected to Willow, Xander, and Giles was vitally important in her journey to save the world.

There weren't many moments that made me quit the show, as most of the more painful episodes served a larger thematic purpose that made sense to me. I never enjoyed watching Buffy or any of the main cast suffer, but they needed to go through trials to come out on the other side as a hero. However, there were scenes I never understood, especially when it came to character choices that disrupted how the core group functioned. Buffy and her friends went through a lot together, and their connection kept me invested in the series.

Buffy Being Forced Out Of Her Home In Season 7's "Empty Places" Still Annoys Me

The other characters had no right to do that to her.

During the climax of Buffy season 7, Buffy and her allies fight Caleb at a vineyard, bringing the group's morale to an all-time low. This coincides with Faith's return to town and a general sense that Buffy doesn't have a plan to stop the First. It makes sense that people were shaken by their defeat at the vineyard, but their reactions were worse than I ever anticipated. Everyone, including Dawn, kicks Buffy out of her home and turns to Faith to lead the charge and formulate a new plan. It brings Buffy's worldview and everything she's worked for crashing down.

I can see what the writers were trying to do in bringing Buffy to her lowest point before her triumph, but it was out of character for Buffy's closest friends to turn on her so drastically.

The betrayal Buffy feels in this moment is a moment that defined the show, and though it spurred her to action in the final episodes, it doesn't feel justified. I can see what the writers were trying to do in bringing Buffy to her lowest point before her triumph, but it was out of character for Buffy's closest friends to turn on her so drastically. Additionally, after saving the world constantly throughout the time they'd known her, it seems inconceivable that the Scooby Gang would lose faith in Buffy now when she was their only hope.

Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Katie Holmes
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer Did Bounce Back From This Scene

The remaining episodes of the final season ended on a strong note.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer had a lot of healing to do throughout season 7, and the last few episodes of the series see a major shift in their dynamic. Buffy is at her lowest point after the confrontation with her friends and the Potentials, and Spike helps her. His speech to her in season 7, episode 20, "Touched," gives her the strength to go after Caleb and take back her power as the Slayer. You realize that now that Buffy has lost everything, the rest of the series can go out on a high note.

Her redemption in the fight with Caleb and the realization of her plan to make the Potentials full Slayers and stop the First forever was the perfect conclusion to the series. Allowing Buffy to get a happy ending was a satisfying culmination for me and helped to reconcile my feelings about the fight between the characters in "Empty Places." I'm still surprised that Buffy The Vampire Slayer had the characters make such intense and rash choices in one of the show's last episodes, but I never lost faith that Buffy would pull herself out of it.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Poster

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Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Action
Comedy
Drama
Horror
Supernatural
9/10
200
9.1/10
Release Date
1997 - 2003
Network
The WB
Showrunner
Joss Whedon

Cast

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WHERE TO WATCH

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.

Directors
Joss Whedon
Seasons
7