Buffy Does Not Age Well

This is not a comment on Sarah Michelle Gellar. She is lovely and always will be (I had a thing for Eliza Dushku growing up but that is unimportant).

What I am referring to here is the 90s television series that starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan. Back in my younger days, it was one of the hottest shows. Shown on BBC Two with an uncut version later in the day, it was a highlight of the week's television.

With this in mind, I decided to re-watch this year after doing the same with Angel. From this, I was left with one feeling and that was disappointment.

Not re-Watchable

They tell people that you should never meet your heroes and perhaps you should, at times, leave the past in the past. Move on with the memories and this is what I should have done. Move on and remember it as I wanted to remember...for amazing effects and great storytelling.

That is what I should have done. Leave well enough alone but I didn't. After re-watching Angel and enjoying the balance of humour, darker storytelling and action, I decided to do the same for Buffy and I wish I had not.

It was not re-watchable beyond the first season. The first season remains timeless like a really good relationship. Stands alone with humour and individual stories/character arcs that reflect themes of the time alongside teenage angst. It is re-watchable but beyond that it drags.

By the midpoint of the second season, the birds outside the window were beginning to distract me. They were more interesting and I started to wonder what else I could be doing with my day...the answer: A LOT.

To say that Buffy is not re-watchable is like a dagger to the heart but sometimes the truth hurts. The acting is ropey, the effects are basic at best and I don't even want to touch on the number of stunt doubles used.

It is a real shame and I wish that I had not done it. Left Pandora in her box and carried on with the memories but now, apart from the first season and theme music/Faith, there is little to draw me in.

Angel

When I was younger, Buffy's sister show, Angel wasn't as appealing. It was funny, yet always seemed to miss the mark and maybe that was the disparate nature by which I watched the seasons but it simply never reached through and called out to me as much.

Angel was aimed at an older audience and whilst I was old enough to watch it, it simply wasn't as addictive as Buffy, yet today, the opposite is true. From this, you could very easily argue that it is a case of getting older and tastes changing and you would be correct but other programmes have stayed the test of time.

Star Trek The Next Generation is a show that I watch every year and yet it still appeals. It is a product of the 80s (older than Angel and Buffy) and it appeals to me still. Watching episodes over and over to the point where most would have thrown in the towel but not me. I love Next Generation and it has aged beautifully.

Within this we can easily and acceptably suggest that Buffy has not aged well, Angel appeals to my growing tastes and The Next Generation is timeless.

A Lack of Evolution

Within Angel, there was a central villain (Wolfram & Hart) that appeared from start to finish, yet it never felt repetitive. Even with the first four seasons being more interconnected than the sheer number of children that Boris Johnson must have in the ether. It felt fresh and pre-planned in a manner that Buffy could never manage.

Buffy (apart from season one) was saturated in hidden villains, introduced at the end of the first season, to be battled at the conclusion of the 22-episode runtime. What this means for an adult of today who is used to short-run seasons of no more than 13 episodes, becomes a little stale.

There are standout episodes such as the introduction of Faith, Xander getting cloned and where Xander makes himself irresistible to women but they are few and far between. It is a struggle and this is the thought that now swirls around my mind. No enthusiasm to dust off the old DVDs, only the consideration that there are better shows out there.

What's Next?

I really want to re-watch 24 but at a 45-minute runtime per episode and with 24 episodes a season it would take me 18 hours to complete. This may not sound like much but that would take a month to complete.

To watch all eight of the original seasons would take me eight months to complete. A long time and with the feeling that it may end up like Buffy, I worry. Every season includes a mole and every season ends on a cliffhanger (apart from the first).

I love 24 and want to maintain the positivity from my youth, therefore, it will need to stay in the box.

A Final Thought

Buffy was a favourite growing up, which has now been spoilt. I wish I had left it in the box to stay hidden forever. A show for the memories only and one to be spoken about with hushed voices over a campfire.

Angel has aged well, not as well as The Next Generation, but it appeals to me more now that I am 33. Angel is a lot of fun, balances the humour with the story and apart from the second half of season five, stays on track.

There are much of our childhoods that we remember fondly. The carefree days and watching as much TV as we wished to without a thought of how best to spend our days. They are the best years of our lives for a reason and with that in mind, we need to protect them.