welleducated's Full Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
Joss Whedon created the character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with one thing in mind... turning the victim into the hero. Tired of seeing the helpless blond being attacked in an ally, Joss decided it was time that he created a heroine who not only fought back, but also won and looked good all the while!
Buffy originated as the stereotypical blond cheerleader in a movie by the same name as the series. The movie turned out rather campy and was a complete flop. It took itself a little too seriously and failed to meet the vision of its creator. There was no reason for the story to go any further. However, Joss Whedon is well known for making the impossible happen. Determined not to let go of his heroine before he had a chance to realize his vision, Joss managed to get the story of Buffy turned into a TV series on the Warner Bros (WB) network.
From the start, Whedon insisted on keeping the original title “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.” Despite attempts by the network to shorten the name, Whedon doggedly hung onto it. Creatively, the title summed the series up rather soundly. Both silly and dangerous, the television series was impossible to categorize. Clearly, it was science fiction as well as action and adventure. Yet it was also a comedic, romantic, horror set in a high school. The series appealed to teenagers as well as adults. It dealt with topics about coming of age as well as timely and serious current events. In fact, one eerie episode that included a plot about a student with a gun was already filmed and scheduled to air when Columbine happened. With his finger on the pulse of America and in tune with teenage angst, Whedon was destined to create a series that would become a critical success and cult classic.
Whedon’s first writing gig was on the mega-hit television series Roseanne. Later, he became known as an excellent script doctor. Perhaps even more interesting, he is a third generation script TV writer. His father wrote for the Electric Company and Golden Girls. His grandfather worked on The Donna Reed Show. Even his brother got into the act as a scriptwriter for Deadwood and John from Cincinnati. With a sharp wit, a clever tongue and a solid vision for crafting a story, Whedon clearly had the chops to take the lead as a writer. But in order to get his vision on the screen as he saw it, he ultimately had to take the reigns and become a director.
It is Whedon’s need to cultivate his vision that makes him a success in the world of entertainment. Not only has it turned him from a mere writer into a director, executive producer and visionary of three successful television series, it has also made him an expert marketer, always offering the viewer what he/she desires most. Whedon fills each DVD of Buffy, The Vampire Slayer with numerous goodies. One can hardly be disappointed with packaging costs or settle for reruns when the DVDs offer a cornucopia of insightful extras. Season One includes commentaries, interviews, trailers, web links, a photo gallery, cast biographies and the original pilot script. On top of that, the artwork is gorgeous. The DVDs as well as most of the pages of the season guide are adorned with images, quotes and useful plot synopses.
Whedon struggled to find the actress to pull off title character, Buffy. Sarah Michelle Gellar was originally cast to play uptight, miss popular, Cordelia. At the network’s suggestion, she read and was recast for the part of Buffy. These days, it is hard to imagine that anyone else could have played the role. However, it is easy to see in the earlier episodes bits of the snarkiness of queen Cordelia.
In the movie, Buffy was a senior in high school. For the sake of the series, she is repackaged as a sophomore. This works well as Whedon maintains the rest of the continuity between the movie’s plot and the series. This was a particularly interesting choice, as one does not need to see the movie in order to enjoy the series. However, working off the original plot gives Buffy and her cohorts a much richer background than if Whedon had scrapped the whole story.
Upon meeting Buffy, we quickly learn that she is new to the town of Sunnydale, California. A transplant from Los Angeles, Buffy was kicked out of school after burning down the gym, which happened to be filled with vampires. Of course, only Buffy acknowledges the fact that they were vampires while the rest of the world closes its eyes and treats her as juvenile delinquent. After her parents divorce, Buffy and her mother end up in Sunnydale because it is the only place where they can find a “good school” that will enroll her. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to shake her permanent record or the vampires.
In the series, Sunnydale High School is built on “a center of mystical convergence” aka “The Hellmouth.” This becomes the explanation for all the strange creatures Buffy must face, as the Hellmouth attracts evil as well as the Slayer. It also serves as a handy metaphor for the “hell” that is high school.
In the movie, Buffy learns about how she was born to be the Vampire Slayer. In the series, Whedon alludes to how she was called, but always with whit and sarcasm that says “This has all been done before.” In one classic exchange, stuffy, British Watcher, Rupert Giles, quotes “Into each generation, a slayer is born; one girl, in all the world, a chosen one. One born with the…” Only to be cut off by Buffy’s sharp tongue. “The strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of evil. Blah blah. I’ve heard it, okay?” Just like that we know Buffy is an old hand at this, she can stand up for herself, she doesn’t take it seriously and we’ve walked into the middle of her story.
The episode descriptions in the season guide are limited. I have further white washed them to avoid spoilers. To really enjoy plot surprises, read this list in lieu of the season guide.
*****BEST BET*****Save the commentaries and special features for after the final episode of the season. Listening sooner will cause spoilers. Also, Joss Whedon is famous for future season spoilers. He specifically gives away key plot points from seasons 3 and 4 in “The Harvest” commentary.
-----Disc One-----
Episode 1 – “Welcome to the Hellmouth”
Buffy Anne Summers, a high school sophomore, transfers to Sunnydale High. There she meets her new “Watcher” and learns she cannot escape her true destiny.
Themes: True friendship, responsibility, personal power, fresh starts, first impressions, appearances are deceiving, being misunderstood.
Episode 2 – “The Harvest”
A stranger named Angel tells Buffy that if she does not stop The Harvest, the Hellmouth will open and The Master will roam free.
Themes: The power of friendship, responsibility, personal power, being misunderstood.
Episode 3 – “Witch”
In an effort to inject some normalcy into her life, Buffy tries out for the cheerleading squad – only to discover the competition is under attack.
Themes: Identifying what is truly important in life, fitting in, popularity, pressure to conform, being part of a team, being friends instead of dating, being misunderstood by parents/adults.
Episode 4 – “Teacher’s Pet”
Xander falls for a beautiful substitute teacher who is not what she seems.
Themes: Teenage sexuality, dating, virginity, friendship vs. romance, creating your own path instead of letting others expectations dictate your life, positive influence of adults.
Special Features
* Interview with Joss Whedon and David Boreanaz
* Audio commentary by Joss Whedon on “Welcome to the Hellmouth” and “The Harvest”
* Joss Whedon discussion about “Welcome to the Hellmouth” and “The Harvest”
* Original Pilot Script
* Buffy Trailer
* DVD-ROM
-----Disc Two-----
Episode 5 – “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date”
While awaiting the arrival of the warrior vampire called the Anointed One, Buffy’s big date at the Bronze ends with a side trip to a funeral home.
Themes: Responsibility vs. dating, rejection, attraction, changing to please others, being liked for who you are not what you do.
Episode 6 – “The Pack”
A field trip to the zoo turns deadly after Xander and a clique of mean-spirited kids encounter a demonic breed of hyena.
Themes: Conforming, following the crowd, being a leader, unchecked power, trust, pack behavior, the problem of unchecked aggression.
Episode 7 – “Angel”
A moment of passion turns to terror. Buffy discovers Angel’s true identity and learns about the Gypsy curse that has haunted him for almost 100 years.
Themes: Unrequited love, honesty, trust, believing in a person & their ability to change, isolation, alienation.
Episode 8 – “I Robot . . . You Jane”
Willow finally finds love only to be thwarted by a powerful demon named Moloch who turns Sunnydale’s computer geeks into helpless pawns.
Themes: Healthy relationships, online dating, the pros and cons of technology, books vs. electronics, balancing technology with personal interaction, real vs. false/selfish love.
Special Features
* Photo Gallery
* Joss Whedon discussion on “Witch” and “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date”
-----Disc Three-----
Episode 9 – “The Puppet Show”
Someone is harvesting organs from classmates performing at the school talent show.
Themes: Appearances are deceiving, mortality, suspicion, responsibility.
Episode 10 – “Nightmares”
The nightmare world of a comatose child sends Buffy and her friends into a realm where their worst nightmares become reality.
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