My take on the Buffy reboot with a Black lead—this 20‑year‑old childhood favorite still delivers beloved characters, tear‑jerking moments, laughs, and a surprisingly deep meaning.

\nLately I’ve been thinking about how fast time flies, and it hits you out of nowhere when someone drops the name of a movie, a TV show, or even a band that used to be huge back in the day and you just can’t place it in your mental timeline. Then it clicks that they were born after all that hype happened, which feels kind of bittersweet. Those teen shows we grew up with now live only in the memories of the grown‑up aunts and uncles who used to watch them from the sidelines, and everything we loved as kids still feels like the best thing ever—way better than what today’s teens are into. Funny how our parents used to roll their eyes at our obsessions, and now I get why they did. 😂

\nThe series “Buffy – the Vampire Slayer” first hit the TV when I was about 10‑12. Going back to it now, I expected something cheesy and goofy, but I got hooked and couldn’t stop until I finished every single episode, binge‑watching like it was a brand‑new Netflix drop.

\n

\n \n\n\n\n❕All the screenshots in this review are my own, not pulled from the internet

\n

\n🌕 GENERAL INFO

\n

\nThe show premiered in 1997 and wrapped up in 2003 after seven seasons. In Russia it started airing in 2000, which means a whole generation of Russian teens got to experience the slayer vibes a few years later.

\nEach season has 22 episodes, running about 40‑45 minutes each, so you’re looking at roughly fifteen hours of pure, teen‑drama‑meets‑supernatural action per season.

\n

\n \n\n\n\nPinning down the genre is a little tricky because the show loves to mix things up. Some episodes lean heavy into horror, others swing toward action, and a good number of them crack jokes like a sitcom. Most of the time you get a blend of all three, and the relationships—whether they’re friendships, romances, or the weird mentor‑student dynamic—always sit front‑and‑center. Certain episodes even throw in musical numbers, surreal vibes, or gritty drama, so you never really know what you’re signing up for. In the end it’s a teen show wrapped in fantasy, but the fantasy never overshadows the human stuff.

\nIf you ask me, the ideal viewer is about the same age as the main crew—starting around 15‑16 and aging a year each season, which means you can grow up alongside Buffy, Xander, Willow, and the gang.

\n

\n🌒 PLOT

\n

\nBuffy moves to the town of Sunnydale, a place teeming with supernatural creatures she’s tasked with hunting down.

\nThe early seasons feel pretty straightforward, and that’s part of the charm. Back then the formula was simple: a tight‑knit group of friends fights evil, and each episode throws a new monster at them—ancient myths one week, pop‑culture creatures the next. Living mummies, zombies, ghosts, werewolves—you name it, they showed up. I watched it with the same curiosity as my peers because there wasn’t much else on TV at the time, and the show filled that weird niche between high‑school drama and monster‑of‑the‑week action.

\nIf “Buffy” had only been about simple monster‑of‑the‑week battles, it wouldn’t have stuck with me. I definitely wouldn’t be rewatching it as an adult. 😊

\nWhat really shines for me are the unforgettable characters, the subtle dynamics, the humor that sneaks up on you, and the drama that sometimes hits you right in the feels. Every season digs deeper, the vibe gets darker and more intense, and the stakes feel higher.

\n

\n Yes, Buffy is full of moments that stretch credibility. For instance, the main villains are practically untouchable – the heroine could finish them off, yet she always lets them escape. And then there’s Buffy’s near‑invincibility: she gets tossed onto the floor, slammed into walls, beaten up, and she comes out unscathed. Sure, you can blame it on her slayer powers.There’s far too much melodrama. I mean the endless “they love each other but can’t be together” routine – they break up, then kiss again in the next episode, and it just drags on. It gets irritating.

What the show does nail is self‑irony, both in the characters and the creators. Take the episode where an alternate reality pops up: Buffy never actually moved to Sunnydale, she’s a patient in a mental hospital, and all the adventures, friends, vampires, world‑saving – just her hallucinations. Convincing, right?What’s more real? A girl locked in a psych ward, or a chosen one battling demons and saving the world? It’s absurd.

Funny enough, by the end of that episode Buffy doesn’t just vanish from the ward – she fully retreats into her fantasy world. So the whole series could be the ramblings of a crazy mind, and that’s fine with me.

I love how the creators kept experimenting with the format. Dream‑sequence episodes (yes, psychoanalysis vibes), goofy alternate‑reality specials – they never took themselves too seriously, and I get the feeling the cast did the same. Nothing worse than low‑budget horror trying to act serious.

The creators also listened closely to fan feedback. The story got tighter. Characters that fell flat or just didn’t click either met their end or were written out. The most charismatic ones, even if they started as one‑offs, earned more screen time and sometimes became core players (think Faith, for example).

🌔 HEROES

Interesting note: for almost every actor who ever appeared on Buffy, it turned out to be the peak of their career. They never quite broke out in another big role. That doesn’t mean they’re bad actors – just how things went. To me that’s actually a plus: each of them is forever linked to that character and nothing else.

Surprisingly, the cast fits their on‑screen personas like a glove. Huge credit to the director for casting people who basically play themselves.

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar)I’m a fan of hers – she nails the mix of comedy and drama. Buffy herself isn’t always likable; her attitude can be grating, but that’s part of what makes her feel real.

\n\n\n\n\n\n Buffy – Sarah Michelle GellarBuffy is 16 when the story starts, Sarah Michelle is 20. She moves to a new town with her mom and has to deal with typical teen stuff—classroom drama, new friends, dating. On top of that she hides a secret life battling vampires and other legendary creatures most people have never heard of. \n\n\n\n\n\n Buffy – Sarah Michelle GellarShe’s not your typical superheroine: petite, stylish, and she’ll admit she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. Usually characters like that end up as background friends or helpless victims, but here it’s flipped. Buffy’s tough both physically and spiritually. She’s the one doing the rescuing.

\n\n\n\n\n\n Buffy – Sarah Michelle GellarIn the early episodes almost every stunt was done by a double (you can spot it in screenshots, sometimes even see a different face), but as the series goes on she does more and more of the action herself. I think that’s pretty respectable.

Xander (Nicholas Brendon)Buffy’s best friend. Just a regular guy with no superpowers or anything special. He calls himself average and a loser, and he pretty much stays the same across the seasons—aside from a growing belly.)

\n\n\n\n\n\n Xander – Nicholas BrendonBy the way, a fun fact for Dragon Age fans: some characters in the game were inspired by the Buffy cast. Aster and Xander share the same insecurity, lame jokes, and lack of leadership; Zevran and Spike are the handsome blond assassins forced to help the main hero. If you’re curious, here’s my review of the first Dragon Age: https://irecommend.ru/content/starye-igry-luchshie....Willow (Alyson Hannigan)Buffy and Xander’s best friend, my favorite heroine, total geek. In the early seasons she’s sweetly insecure, shy, and timid. Later she grows, evolving and revealing unexpected sides.

\n\n\n\n\n\n Willow – Alyson HanniganShe’s a wonderful friend—caring and gentle, but don’t be fooled; there’s a fierce streak underneath. Probably the strongest personality of the trio.

\n\n\n\n\n\nWillow - Alison HanniganThe Ren-TV dub gave Willow a terrible voice – it sounded like an older, heavy‑smoking woman. That’s why I stuck with the original audio. By the way, there are no Russian subtitles for “Buffy,” only English ones.Angel / Angel (David Boreanaz)\"Good\" vampire with a soul and Buffy’s boyfriend.

\n\n\n\n\n\nAngel - David BoreanazBoreanaz looks great on screen, but his acting lets the character down. He never really conveys emotion, so I can’t connect with him. The whole Buffy‑Angel romance was carried by Giles.

\n\n\n\n\n\nBuffy and AngelBuffy got a spin‑off called Angel, following Angel’s adventures with a few familiar faces. I haven’t watched it, but if you like Boreanaz, give it a shot.

Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head)In the Russian dub they called him \"Giles,\" which drove me nuts. He’s Buffy’s mentor, a Brit stuck in the US, which fuels a lot of jokes. His British accent is perfect, and the actor is charming. He was 43 when filming started.

\n\n\n\n\n\nRupert Giles - Anthony Stewart HeadOh, and he’s a musician too. In the show Giles actually plays guitar and sings his own songs. Plus, Head recorded an album featuring Buffy cast members – Willow, Tara and Spike. How cute, right? 😊

\n\n\n\n\n\nRupert Giles - Anthony Stewart Head_____________________________________\nI won’t list every love interest (there were a lot), other slayers or Buffy’s family. Villains came and went each season, but this duo really stands out:

Drusilla (Juliet Landau)Drusilla irritates a lot of people, but I’m a fan. She’s a vampire who’s off‑world, can see the future, and acts weirdly theatrical – that’s her charm.

\n\n\n\n\n\nDrusilla - Juliet LandauShe’s sympathetic, especially after we learn her vampire‑turn story. Her relationship with Spike is surprisingly touching – you don’t expect that from soulless beings.Spike (James Marsters)In the Ukrainian dub they called him \"Kostyl.\" Spike (James Marsters) is my favorite male character – a trickster who brings the action to life.

Спайк - Джеймс МарстерсHe’s nothing like the other vampires—he actually shows a human side, like his gentle care for Drusilla. What really sticks with me is his flippant attitude toward everything and the self‑irony that the other villains, even Angel, just don’t have.

Спайк - Джеймс МарстерсEven against the good guys, Spike’s empathy is off the charts. He notices Willow’s pain when her friends are blind to it, and he senses Buffy’s and Angel’s feelings that even they can’t quite grasp. We get a deeper look at his softer side when the show flashes back to his life before becoming a vampire. Watching him grow spiritually over the series is something I really appreciate.

Спайк - Джеймс МарстерсBad luck seems to follow this guy like a shadow—he’s the one who ends up bearing all the suffering, humiliation, and torture. You can’t help but feel for him, and a lot of that comes from James Marsters’s performance.He was 35 when filming began and 41 by the end, yet he still looks surprisingly youthful. Outside of acting, Marsters fronts a rock band, and there’s an episode where Spike actually sings—he sounds pretty solid.

Спайк - Джеймс Марстерс

🌘 LOCATIONS

This show lives in two worlds. The first is sunny California, the fictional town of Sunnydale—think bright, teen‑drama vibes.

High school, parties, ’90s fashion. It’s not England, but the school and college buildings are impressive—especially that atmospheric old library where the main crew hangs out.

The second world is dark and mystical—underground tunnels, city sewers, cemeteries, abandoned factories, you name it. It leans heavily into a noir vibe.

You won’t see a lot of classic gothic décor that usually screams ‘vampire movie.’ Instead, the characters wear modern, dark‑toned clothes and drive cars. With each season, the sets just get richer and higher‑quality.

🌗 MUSIC

In the Bronze nightclub, where the main characters often hang out, they play soulful songs that are unique to each episode. One band even made its way onto my playlist.

The main theme is catchy. Starting with season 4, the soundtrack feels magical, kind of like the Harry Potter scores.

🌖 ENEMIES

I love that this movie was shot in the tail end of the era when filmmakers still used practical models, puppets, and solid makeup. Most sci‑fi back then had already jumped to CGI, and now we’re stuck with green‑screen everything.

Even today, CGI can feel off‑kilter, and creators sometimes have to make the visuals deliberately artificial so they kind of work. The charm of movies that rely on models and costumes is that everything on screen feels tangible (and sometimes downright funny). In Buffy’s monster roster there are plenty of goofy creatures, but a few actually manage to be scary. The vampires come in all shapes – some cute, some almost human, others downright monstrous. They kept a few classic traits and dropped others. Here they’re immortal, feed on human blood, melt in sunlight, burn from wooden stakes, shy away from holy water and crosses, and can’t walk into a house without an invitation. They don’t sleep in coffins, don’t fly, aren’t magic‑wielders (with a few exceptions), and they don’t turn into animals. Usually they switch between a human look and a predatory, vampire form. The show uses that to explore the “dark side” of humanity. When someone turns, their whole personality shifts – the same person, but the stuff they kept buried bubbles up and gets amplified. It’s clear they weren’t always like that.

🌘 SPECIAL EFFECTS

They’re decent for a ’90s/early‑2000s flick. By today’s standards, a lot feels naive, especially in the early seasons.

The 3D models are downright ugly (thankfully they’re few and far between), but the magic looks decent. If you’re into “Charmed,” you’ll enjoy the witches, spells, transformations, rituals – the whole vibe.

🌑 THEME

There are no real‑life vampires or demons, but the series isn’t just about that. If it were, it probably wouldn’t have gotten so popular. Here’s what I took away:

\n\nThe nuances of human relationships. Friendship can feel deeper and more soulful than any romance – think about the touching bond between Willow and Xander. Feelings for one person don’t automatically cancel out feelings for another; they’re just different.\nThe parent‑teen dynamic, plus the mentor‑student angle.\n\n

\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nTotally relatable situations any girl could face. A boyfriend stalks his ex and makes her life miserable (the show even drops the buzzword “harassment”). A pick‑up artist pretends to be sweet and understanding. A step‑dad threatens his step‑daughter behind closed doors but acts like a charm in public, so Mom believes him over her daughter’s complaints. And that scene where Buffy fends off a random guy’s advances, only to be painted as the aggressor and told to dress more modestly.\nHomosexuality. The lesbian couple isn’t just token representation; they’re fully‑fleshed characters you actually care about.\nAttempts to make sense of the world’s unfairness. Why do innocent people die? Why does evil go unpunished?\n\n\n— But he didn’t do anything wrong! Why did this happen to him?
— It’s not about him. Stuff like this happens all the time. You can’t just close your eyes and hope it disappears.

\n\n\nThe grief of losing someone close.\n\n

\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nA feminist angle. The main heroine inspired a whole generation of young viewers. She shatters stereotypes, out‑matches the guys, and never pretends to be weak even when her relationships are on the line. That \"you can do it\" message hits hard at the end of the series:\n\n\nIn every generation a chosen one is born. That rule was set by a handful of men centuries ago. We’re rewriting the rules. I say my strength should become our strength. From now on any girl who could be a slayer will be one. Every girl who could have power will have power. Those who can rise will rise. Slayers. All of us. Make the choice. Are you ready to be strong?

\n\n

\n🌘 BUFFY REBOOT

\n

\n20th Century Fox is already working on a continuation of “Buffy” with a Black actress in the lead, similar to what they did with “Charmed.” The plan is to tell a fresh story about a modern girl while staying true to the original mythos.

\n

\n\n\n\n\n\nJessica Parker Kennedy will play a slayer in the Buffy reboot\nNo original cast members are returning, but they’ve all spoken positively about the new project. Here’s my rough translation from the English interview:

\nI think it’s a great story, and I’m thrilled they’re telling it again. I hope people actually watch it. I’ve already told my own story. For me, the magic of the show was the madness and horror of high school, turned into literal, real scares. I can look young with makeup, but I’m not a kid.

— Sarah Michelle Gellar

\nEveryone else seems to feel the same way. I saw rumors online that James Marsters (Spike) had signed on for the remake, and I’m relieved that turned out to be false. I don’t want my favorite character looking 57 years old. The new series script is still in development.

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYoung viewers will probably gravitate toward the updated look—modern VFX, social media, smartphones, the whole package. Rubber monsters and cheesy scares won’t cut it for them. I’m serious, not sarcastic—every generation wants its own vibe. Still, wouldn’t it have been better to create something fresh from scratch? This remake craze feels like a creative slump in today’s film world. Like someone tweeted about the sequel:

\nBuffy taught us not to resurrect what should stay dead.

\n🌗 Bottom line

\nSo I re‑watched the show from my childhood, and it still hits me. Turns out you can revisit not just classic books but low‑budget sci‑fi shows as an adult and find new layers. The series isn’t primitive at all; it actually reveals fresh angles.

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI’m not sure how the new crowd will take it, but I’d recommend giving it a try. The relevance of “Buffy” hasn’t faded, and the retro outfits, hairstyles, and makeup feel surprisingly stylish right now.

\n \n