Buffy, a Slayer of Vampires

When I was just a little girl I discovered a show. Little did I know how much that show would change my life. -Chasiti Jones

Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on March 10th, 1997 on The WB. It was created by Joss Whedon and stared Sarah Michelle Geller as Buffy, Alyson Hannigan as Willow, Nicholas Brendon as Xander, and Anthony Stewart Head as Giles. These were to be the four main cast of the show. They were dubbed "the scoobies." The show starts off in season one about one girl in all the world. This girl is to have the special abilities deemed necessary to fight off some of earth's most hellstruck forces of darkness. She has increased senses, speed, strength, and agility. As the story goes on, we learn the first girl acquired these special abilities from the essence of a pure demon, put there by a group of men to defend their lands. And thus the line of the Slayer began.

Our particular story begins in 1997, in Sunnydale. A fictional "one Starbucks town" in California. A year prior, Buffy was called to be the next slayer. As the story goes, when one slayer dies the next one is called. A "Watcher" is sent to teach and train them (if they have not already grown up with a watcher being trained their entire lives). Buffy's watcher, Merrick, was killed in Los Angeles before Buffy came to Sunnydale. Upon arriving in her new town, Buffy meets the librarian Rupert Giles. When she goes to request school books, he shows her the "Vampyr" book instead. Buffy runs out. She later returns and tells him she wants nothing to do with vampire slayage and is "retired." She tells Giles to kill the vampires and he explains he cannot because he is a watcher and lacks the skill. It is at that moment we discover who is to be Buffy's watcher.

Willow Rosenberg and Alexander "Xander" Harris are Buffy's two best friends. She meets them along with season regular, Cordelia Chase, portrayed by Charisma Carpenter, on her first day at Sunnydale High. Charisma leaves the series after season three to be a regular on the spin off show, Angel. Throughout the series, we watch as trouble, betrayal, anguish, and mercy follow Buffy and her friends throughout seven years of their lives. Each season has a "big bad," or main villain. Along with the big bad, the series also has plots concerning the said villain as well as filler episodes. Each season also appears to have specific life themes as well as themed episodes. For example, in season four, Buffy has her first college roommate. This episode does to demonstrate the trials faced with living with someone of non family origin. These themes are not explicitly stated but they are easy to understand throughout. For example, season one can be seen as being the new kid, season two first love, three as graduation, four college, five family, loss of a loved one, responsibility and sacrifice. Season six is overcoming addiction, and life changing events. Season seven can be seen as moving on with life, growing up, and truly becoming an adult. These themes are not definitive, and other themes are recognizable. The series itself promotes feminism, acceptance, responsibility and sacrifice.

Buffy is a series about growing up and experiencing life, the writers just happen to write that with a twist. A young girl saving the world. If you decide to read further in my "Exploring Buffy the Vampire Series" or maybe even by watching the show, you will learn, "She saved the world. A lot."