This time the responsibility of saving the world does not
lie in the superhero archetype, but in a normal looking teenage girl. In fact,
Whedon goes a step further and instead of just giving strength to its
protagonist, he gives strength to most of the female characters, while the males fulfill the role of simple companions. The roles are reversed and men take a
role until then, reserved to the opposite sex; to influence with words the
decisions of those who take the lead.
What really sets Buffy apart from the rest of the other TV
series is the large attention it pays to its characters. Instead of opting for giving priority to the
plot, Whedon chooses to create evolving characters. This is especially visible
in the inseparable trio; Buffy, Willow and Xander. Teens who suddenly face a supernatural world
that constantly threaten them, and it forces them to change very quickly. In
fact, it seems that most of the situations they face are but a simple excuse, a
metaphor, to dig into their personal development. It is extremely difficult to
find characters so well defined. I can
say that Buffy sets the stage for the golden age of “series” on television.
Buffy's achievements do not end there. To analyze the whole
theme of “Buffyverse” could take us hundreds of pages, from general matters
such as death, redemption and sacrifice or the conflict between good and evil,
even more specific the struggle between
heroes and gods, the myth of Frankenstein or the sacrifice of individualism in
pursuit of a common benefit. There are more philosophical content in any Buffy
episode than in a whole season of many other pretentious series. As Rose (2002)
says; “the creators of Buffy use a popular imaginative genre to address complex
philosophical and ethical questions” (p. 133).
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