A Salute to Buffy

In less than a week, Joss Whedon’s ground-breaking show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will come to an end. I, like many viewers, am already morning the loss.

I credit my mother for my interest in the show. A natural nurturer, my mom has always had a soft spot for the underdog. This compassion even extends to television shows. She’s always willing to give poorly reviewed, no-name networks’, mid-season replacements a try. In this regard, Buffy fit the bill quite nicely.

The show had everything going against it. Buffy was of the WB’s first forays into the wonderful world of original programming. The show was based on a bit of a silly premise -- a teenage outcast named Buffy is given a sacred duty to rid the earth of vampires, demons and a bunch of other evil nasties. To make matters worse, this show was based on a previously released movie that tanked at the box office. (For the record, I always kind of liked the quirky Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, featuring Luke Perry, Paul Rubens and the uncomfortable-looking Donald Sutherland, who, I’m guessing, was just in it for the paycheck.)

For me, the show couldn’t have come at a better time. I was just getting out of school and going through that awkward post-college phase. My life was changing. I was no longer writing term papers and figuring out what I was going to wear to the next sorority formal. I was getting my ass out of bed at 5 a.m. and headed to my first, big, important job in the city. I was lonely, living with my folks and missing the comfy, insulated college scene.

Buffy was all about growing up, getting older and taking on responsibility. I related to that. I also related to Buffy’s friends, a colorful cast of characters, who were just as lost and geeky as me.

Also, the show just kind of appealed to my tastes. I’ve always had a penchant for drama that is governed by strict sets of rules. On Buffy, there were so many tricky little rules. Once a Slayer dies, another one is born. A vampire can’t enter your house unless you invite them. Buffy (Slayer) and Angel (vampire) couldn’t sleep together and, if they did, he would turn evil. These restrictions always added a little tension to the show and, as Drama 101 students know: Tension provides the fundamental building blocks of drama.

When I moved into my first apartment, Buffy kept me company. So many of my friends lived far away, so the dinner hour was always a little lonely. I would come home from work, make myself a healthy “dinner for one” and catch up with the Sunnydale gang, thanks to the magic of syndication.

As of late, some have claimed the show has gone downhill. I don’t think so. As the show has evolved, so have its viewers. In the span of seven years, Buffy has gone from high school, to college, to the “real world.” I’ve been through college, the start of a career, long-term relationships and, most recently, marriage. In television time, Buffy could have stayed in high school forever. What I will always appreciate about the writers and producers of the show is that they never took the easy route and kept things status quo. Instead, they appreciated the viewers enough to make the show change and evolve every year.

Buffy has survived the introduction of a new sibling (almost inevitably a “shark jumping” moment), deaths of more than one main character (including the show’s namesake), multiple locations, failed romances, a spin-off, a change of network and seven amazing seasons.

However, even good things must eventually come to an end.

Thanks, Buffy, for a great run.

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