It's real.

An odd thing to say, I know, when you consider the basic foundation of the show is that nasty things really do go bump in the night, with vampires, werewolves, mummy girls, and demon possession as commonplace as Starbucks coffee shops.

But it's real.

What's real? The life - the life of your average teenager, as he or she navigates precariously through the trials of high school, peer pressure, conflicting emotions, and a burgeoning maturity. This is the life that 'Buffy' demonstrates so accurately in the midst of saving the world from evil. The creators use the supernatural backdrop as a metaphorical trampoline; yeah, we just toasted some vampires, but what are we gonna do about that trig final tomorrow? The demons Buffy and her friends fight are simply physical manifestations of the inner demons and social demons average teenagers have to fight every day.

Oh, and it's cool to watch some ass-whupping, too.

The real hook of the show, the aspect that draws the crowds and makes it so fascinating to watch is the fact that the superhero, the protagonist-heroine, is a teenage girl. Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves. Sarah Michelle Gellar does a marvellous job of demonstrating the terrible weight of two lives balanced on her shoulders: her Slayer existence, responsible for many lives aside from her own; and her Buffy existence, responsible for being a good daughter, a good student, a good person. This much weight would crush the average person, and indeed, if it wasn't for her Slayer superpowers, Buffy would have collapsed long ago. Slaying is a job, a job with no pay but exacts a terrific price.

This parallels the thousands of teenagers who balance a school life, a home life, and a part-time job, often to help pay the rent and buy food for the family. The responsibilities many young people face today can often be overwhelming, and through Buffy, they can identify with her and draw strength from her example.

Her friends are endearingly unique and interesting, finding the human qualities in the stereotypes. The dialogue has been widely praised, mostly for its humour, but the more dramatic passages have been handled with a sensitive, knowing touch as well. The acting has been, for the most part, a big surprise, rising well above the usual standards for teenage-oriented television. For proof, check out the episode from the second season in which the Jenny Calendar character meets her untimely demise, and the various ways the other characters react to this news. Grief is probably the hardest emotion to convincingly portray, because while we have all experienced it, it's also one of the most rarely used emotions, powerful and unpredictable. The challenge for an actor is to find that place within themselves where a raw nerve is exposed; Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Anthony Head (Giles), and Sarah Michelle Gellar all manage to find that place and show it to the audience without it feeling cheap and phony.

It's great fun watching Buffy kick ass and chew bubblegum; it's great fun to see a woman be the hero for once. (This also helps explain Xena's popularity) I've heard some great belly-laugh one-liners, and seen some hilarious reaction shots and build-ups. Right now, 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' is one of the best shows on television, and its lack of Emmy nominations is a serious crime. Hopefully, someday it will be recognized as the great show that it is, but for now, we'll have to be satisfied with the joy that comes from watching every episode.

**Update**

Now that Buffy is in college, everything I wrote above applies, except that now the ante is raised; college is one step closer to being (gasp!) an adult. In high school, you develop a sort of bunker mentality - you hunker down with your group of friends, and you battle through the years, hoping to emerge at the end of it with some semblance of sanity. College is a different thing entirely. You have choices to make, the work is harder, the classes and professors more impersonal. In essence, you have to be more independent, more self-reliant. Already in this young season, the writers have been able to show how Buffy is self-reliant only when it comes to slaying. She struggles to make sense of her new life, and how she fits in to this new scholastic fabric. It's 'Felicity', but written with wit and focus. :)

Comments, suggestions, flowery praises? E-mail me!


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