For a show about demons, it's pretty darn good! (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Member Name: ItalianFran92

Product:	Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Date:	08/12/08 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loveable characters, humourous, not too dark

Disadvantages: Season six is a let down

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is about a girl, Buffy Summers, who is not your average teenager. Yes, she has the attitude of one but she is in fact the 'chosen one'. She is the Slayer who must attempt to get rid of the demons who live in the Hellmouth which coincidently is under Sunnydale, where she lives.
This is the successful TV show that followed the less than successful movie, both created by Joss Whedon. Originally, he created the pilot to get his true vision of the Vampire Slayer across and it got such a good response it lasted seven seasons.

BUFFY SUMMERS
Played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Buffy Summers is the Slayer. She moves to Sunnydale, California after she burns down the gym in her old school (it was full of vampires). She and her mum plan to start a new life there. Buffy often tries to forget what her destiny is but her Watcher, Giles is always on hand to remind her. Buffy fights the demons as well as her only teenage problems. As the series continues she becomes more responsible and committed to her duties. Luckily, her friends know who and what she is and so they all help each other.

RUPERT GILES
Played by Anthony Stewart Head. This English man is Buffy's Watcher, he alerts her of the troubles among the Hellmouth. He reads a lot of books and tries to research demons as much as possible. He and Buffy didn't get off to the best start as he was very stuffy and she was taking anything seriously but as time goes by they become very close and Buffy even sees Giles as a father figure.

WILLOW ROSENBERG
Played by Alyson Hannigan. She and Buffy became friends on Buffy's first day of school. Willow is slightly nerdy and doesn't have many friends and so is glad to find companionship in Buffy. Willow becomes the brains of the group in the battle against evil and as time progresses we see her dabble in witchcraft as well as entering a relationship with another woman who is also a witch.

XANDER HARRIS
Played by Nicholas Brendon. He and Willow have known each other for years and so together they and Buffy become great friends. Xander is very comical and adds a light edge to the dark side of the programme. He is sarcastic and witty but ultimately a very decent guy, who unlike the rest, stays himself throughout but always tries to lend a hand.

ANGEL
Played by David Boreanaz. Angel is a vampire cursed with a soul. He can't feed off humans like other vampires because he's be tortured with the guilt. He's very broody and when Buffy first arrives he keeps an eye on her. He later becomes Buffy's love interest and they have an interesting relationship: a vampire and the Slayer. He later moves to LA to fight against evil there, leaving Buffy heartbroken.

CORDELIA CHASE
Played by Charisma Carpenter. Cordelia is very superficial and the most popular girl at school. She wanted to be Buffy's friend when she first arrived but after seeing her chosen friends of Xander and Willow, Buffy was quickly ditched. Cordelia, however, starts dating Xander for a short time and she also starts kissing Wesley, another Watcher, who has had a secret crush on her since his arrival. When Angel leaves for LA, Cordelia follows to give her a purpose in life and to help him fight against evil.

OZ
Played by Seth Green. Oz is rather a quiet guy, he's not very complicated and only speaks when necessary. He is a guitarist with the band 'Dingoes Ate My Baby'. He liked Willow from the moment he saw her and finally asks her out. Later, he discovers he's a werewolf. However, the gang help him through that and he becomes a part of the group. He later leaves Sunnydale and Willow in an attempt to calm his inner wolf.

SPIKE
Played by James Marsters. Like Giles, Spike is English but the similarities end there. Spike is a vampire who has one goal in life, to kill the Slayer. He comes to Sunnydale and wreaks havoc with his lover, Drusilla. Later, he is caught by a demon fighting cult. They 'chip' him meaning when he attempts to hurt someone with his vampire instincts, his chip activates causing him a lot of pain. He leaves and comes back to Sunnydale many times throughout the seasons. At one time he falls in love with Buffy and later proves this by getting a soul, like Angel, making him unable to hurt anyone but without the chip.

ANYA
Played by Emma Caulfield. Anya was originally known as Anyanka, a vengeance demon. She came to Sunnydale to grant Cordelia a vegence wish after Xander cheated on her. She later becomes mortal after Giles destroys her power source. Dealing with being a human was hard for her but she became very fond of Xander and they later form a relationship. Being with Xander made Anya part of the group and using her knowledge of demons was able to contribute to the research. Anya is one of the funniest members of the group with her naivety of human life. She later wants to marry Xander, who chickens out and she later becomes a demon again but she dies being one of the good guys as she saves a life.

These are just a small selection of the characters that have been involved in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You can now buy all the episodes on DVD for under £20 a season and the complete box set is around £70. If you're a fan I'd buy the DVDs as it's not on TV as much these days. Even though it's about demons and darkness, they have made this show surprisingly light-hearted and you even feel able to like the bad guys like Spike. Definitely one to watch!


This review can also be found on Ciao.co.uk, under the same name :)

Summary: If you like horror but with a little comedy, watch this!