I'm sure most of the people reading this topic are long-time fans of the show. I doubt people who don't watch would bother coming to learn more about the cult phenomenon that is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". But in case there
are visitors, I thought I would take the opportunity to introduce you to our heroine, the character of Buffy Summers.
Buffy Anne Summers slays vampires. But you could have guessed that from the title of the show. However, she is much more than that, as regular viewers have seen in the past six years. Buffy started out as a somewhat shallow, slightly selfish, typical teenager who's main source of angst was the desire to fit in at her new school in Sunnydale and not have people find out she's a slayer. But as the years went by, she slowly evolved into a much deeper character - flawed, yes, but innately concerned for those around her, decidedly responsible and determined to do the right thing. In my opinion, the switch from teenager merely following her slayer destiny to woman with a mission occurred in Season Five's brilliant episode, "The Body", in which Buffy had to cope with her mother's untimely death. In the past, Buffy dealt with death by killing the vampire or demon who caused it, but in "The Body" there was no external killer to hunt and terminate in vengeance. There was only grief, sadness, fear, and the realization that she could no longer be the older sister, but the
caretaker of her younger sister, Dawn. From that episode on Buffy had bigger issues to deal with than simple fashion choices and which classes to take at Sunnydale U.
By the middle of Season Five, Buffy had broken things off with her boyfriend, closed off emotionally from her friends, and seemed to have a death wish in the determination to save her sister from the clutches of the season's Big Bad, Glory. As each episode brought us closer to the climax of the season there was only one way it could end: Buffy's death.
And so, when Season Six began last fall, I had high hopes. Having been brought back to life by her Scooby pals, Buffy had truly changed - for the better. In Season Six she struggled with Life issues - there was no Big Bad that she could rail against. Instead, she could only deal with her daily life and occasionally stake vamps when they interfered with her attempt to grapple with adulthood. Joss Whedon himself has been quoted as saying, "This show is really about growing up…how hard it is to grow up…to make it through life without just cashing in your chips…" http://www.buffyupn.com
