My "Buffy" Passion

My friend Kevin was really into "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" while the show was on TV (I'm always late to the party...). We were together one day and he asked me if I had seen the Musical Episode ("Once More with Feeling" from Season 6). I hadn't because when the show originally came on television, I couldn't get the channel with any regularity. I had thought, when the show came on, that Roby would have loved it - he loved all things vampire. Kevin mentioned the episode to me several times and really seemed to think that I would like it. At the time, I was sort of off scary things and since I hadn't seen the show, I just kept thinking it was going to be some bloody horror show that I couldn't handle.



Maybe a year or more later, as I was recouperating from surgery and laid out flat on my back for 3 weeks, I was flipping through the channels on a Saturday afternoon and I ran across an episode of "Buffy". I watched it, but I had NO IDEA what was happening. Turns out, I was watching the third-to-last episode of the entire series (this episode is still one of my favorites). My favorite Buffy and Spike scene are in this episode...when I finally watched the series, I kept looking for this episode because I didn't know where it came into the whole Buffyverse.

Touched - BTVS


Anyway, I watched that first episode and I was intrigued because I loved Eliza Dushku and Spike was very cool and dashing. Immediately afterward, there was another episode which I eagerly watched - but it was from Season 5 with Glory. I didn't know which one came first, but it was intriguing. The following week, I only caught the second one or I would have pretty much known how the whole thing was careening to an end.

I lost track of the Saturday/Sunday episodes (little did I know they played 2 on each weekend day - the 2pm following season 7 and the 3pm following season 5). Later on, Kevin mentioned the musical episode again. On a whim, I bought Season 6 on DVD - I figured I might as well watch the whole thing to try and understand it. But when I got it home, I realized how dumb that was. I don't know who any of these people are, I don't know how the musical fits in, would I understand what was going on? So I went on eBay and purchased Season 1 on DVD for cheap. I figured I would start watching and see if I liked the show. I started watching and I was hooked. I just kept watching each episode, each Season, slowly but surely. I am always happy I get to watch them all together - if there is a 2 parter or a cliff-hanger, I can just watch the next episode and not have to wait a week.

Tempting though it was to jump ahead and watch the musical episode, I didn't want to do it...I wanted to see it organically (ha, funny word to use). I wanted to have the show's history to have the full experience (I learned that from watching "Friends" - another show Roby LOVED, but I didn't full understand until after he died...the only reason I started watching "Friends" was to maintain some fragile thread to him - if he loved it so much and I watched it, it was another way to hold on to him).

Now, it is 5 years later and I have seen the series about 10 times through - give or take. I would rather pop in a "Buffy" episode than watch some of the crap that is on TV right now. Each time I watch it, there is some new joke, new look, new phrase that makes me laugh, catches my eye, or makes me think. I never thought I could be this attached to a TV show, but there you go. I love the strength of Buffy and the themes of isolation, confronting adulthood, friendship, grief, etc. Joss Whedon is a brilliant writer. I am even reading the "Buffy Season 8" comic books. This is a harder sell for me because I am not a big comic book/graphic novel person...the story seems too fragmented for me to follow, but I keep plugging away.

Anyway, that's my Buffy story. Thanks to KGV for the introduction - I owe you one. :)

Here's a season 7 promo: