Monkeys Fighting Robots has been celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the show that made Joss Whedon a geek celebrity. Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered in March of 1997 as a midseason replacement with only 13 episodes, a small budget, and plenty of desperation from a fledgling UPN network. Season one of Buffy is fun, monster-of-the-week action with a side of teenage love; even if one of the teenagers is a century-and-a-half old.
Buffy survived season one and went on to six more, full seasons. Buffy became Whedon’s first real hit and allowed him to spin off the show into Angel, another hit, though not to the degree of Buffy. Along the way, Buffy’s seven seasons introduced a range of characters, and the show’s greatest achievement is the brilliance with which it evolved characters. I could focus this piece on any number of characters from the show.
Buffy starts the series as a somewhat dim and shallow girl who wants nothing to do with her destiny. By season seven, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s vampire slayer grew into a woman and leader. Along the way, some brilliant moments become turning points for the character.
Angel, of course, is another character whose torment and transformation is fantastic to watch. Early on, Angel is cocky, and aloof, keeping his distance while trying to help the slayer. But love and loss from his past and present, force the hand of the character. By the end of David Boreanz’s run on Angel, the vampire with a soul has fully accepted being a superhero.
Xander, Willow, Faith, Giles, even secondary characters like Andrew, all have fantastic arcs throughout the show. Those arcs are a hallmark of Whedon’s best writing. It shines for seven seasons on Buffy.
One of the most complex arcs on the show is that of Spike, the (other) vampire with a soul (eventually). Spike’s voyage from failed, empathic poet to a murderous monster to throw away villain to hero is a fantastic journey through televised fiction. Of course, things didn’t happen in that order.
1. Buffy Season Two: Spike Arrives
The character of Spike first appeared as a secondary villain who would push Angel to become Angelus, the vampire’s evil alter ego of sorts. In the episode, “What’s My Line, Part 2” Spike dies. Originally, this was the end of the character. Drusilla, Spike’s psychic vampire girlfriend, and Angel were then to be the villains for the rest of the season. However, James Masters’ portrayal of Spike was popular among fans. Spike was saved, albeit in a wheelchair for the next few episodes, and the journey of the character began.
Spike’s introduction established many things that that would be explored in later episodes. Spike’s attachment to Drusilla and envy of Angel, play into his motivations throughout the show. In fact, it’s Spike’s devotion to women and “mommy issues” that causes so much turmoil in his life.
