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   alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer      Show about girl power, written by a dude      152,792 messages   

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   Message 152,497 of 152,792   
   David to All   
   Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 5 Times It Pro   
   04 Jun 20 18:53:12   
   
   From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   https://screenrant.com/buffy-best-vampire-show-comparison-btvs-slayer/   
      
      
   Buffy the Vampire Slayer is iconic and helped change genre television. But   
   is it the best vampire show? Here is why it was and why others are.   
      
   BY KAYLEIGH BANKS   
      
      
   In the past twenty years, the television industry has seen an increase in   
   the number of supernatural-themed shows. A lot of writers have decided to   
   centralize their stories around characters who are either werewolves,   
   ghosts, aliens, demons, or witches. However, none of these have proven to be   
   as popular as the vampire genre.   
      
   One show that was responsible for this trend was Buffy the Vampire Slayer.   
   When Buffy was on the air, the show had been praised by critics and fans for   
   its progressive storytelling. It wasn't surprising that it became one of the   
   most popular teen dramas. However, with the likes of True Blood, The Vampire   
   Diaries, and The Originals now existing, does it still reign supreme as the   
   best vampire series?   
      
      
      
   10   
   Fell Short: The Make-Up   
      
   Whether it's because of their sex appeal or the fact that they look human,   
   many people prefer the look of the vampires in TVD to those in Buffy. It's   
   safe to say that Whedon's vampires are probably the ugliest creatures you   
   will ever see. They are depicted to have razor-sharp teeth, pronounced brow   
   ridges, and yellow eyes.   
      
   It has been mentioned that the make-up artists took inspiration from   
   reptiles to give them more of a demonic look. However, since most vampire   
   narratives tend to go down the morally grey route now, fans seem to like it   
   better when the creatures appear more human.   
      
      
   9   
   Best: Humanizing The Vampires   
      
   One of the best things Buffy does better than the others is humanizing the   
   vampires. In most fiction, vampires are portrayed as heartless monsters who   
   have no signs of redemption. Every one of them was aligned with evil.   
   However, Buffy managed to challenge this portrayal by exploring the more   
   humane side to the creatures.   
      
   Despite being one of history's worst vampires, Angel showed he could be   
   remorseful and selfless. Spike also proved that he was capable of feeling   
   human emotion, showing he could be compassionate and altruistic. It's sort   
   of a formula that has been replicated in The Vampire Diaries, The Originals,   
   and True Blood.   
      
      
   8   
   Fell Short: The Vampire Clichés   
      
   One element some of the other shows wasted no time in getting rid of is the   
   vampire clichés. While Whedon did try to remove clichés, such as vampires   
   sleeping in coffins, he did reinforce the vampire stereotype by making them   
   unable to walk in the sun, fear holy relics, and hang out in graveyards.   
      
   Considering vampires are meant to be able to blend into society easily, all   
   these things undermined their status. Like The Vampire Diaries, it would   
   have been interesting to see how Buffy would have handled daywalkers.   
   Especially when it would have made it harder to spot them.   
      
      
   7   
   Best: The Romances   
      
   The vampire-human love triangle is a formula that has been engrained in   
   supernatural shows since forever. TVD had the infamous Stefan/Elena/Damon   
   triangle, True Blood had Bill/Sookie/Eric, even The Originals had a few.   
   However, none of them had anything on the infamous Angel/Buffy/Spike   
   triangle.   
      
   Although the relationships weren't healthy, Whedon used the romances to   
   explore the humane side to the vampire slayer. However, unlike Sookie and   
   Elena, Buffy didn't allow these relationships to define her, which is why   
   they were more of a subplot than the main story. The fact that they weren't   
   always front and center meant fans would never get bored either.   
      
      
   6   
   Fell Short: The Villains   
      
   Although Spike, Drusilla, and Angelus are worthy villains, they are nothing   
   compared to the big bads found on The Vampire Diaries or True Blood. If they   
   went head-to-head with 'The Originals,' they wouldn't stand a chance. The   
   Mikaelsons are too powerful. They certainly wouldn't be able to outsmart   
   Katherine Pierce either.   
      
   Even if fans thought they were ruthless and violent, they were nothing   
   compared to Russell Edgington or the Vampire Authority. Buffy has to take   
   the loss on this one...   
      
      
   5   
   Best: The Characters Arcs   
      
   When it came to Buffy, all characters went through a huge transformation.   
   Buffy went from a young, optimistic teenager to a mature and experienced   
   warrior. Willow goes from a shy and harmless girl to one of the most   
   dangerous witches of all time.   
      
   Even Spike managed to change his bad-boy persona when he sacrificed himself   
   to save Buffy and the Scoobies. By the end of the series, everyone was   
   completely different from the person fans met in the beginning.   
      
      
   4   
   Fell Short: The Flashbacks Scenes   
      
   Looking back in hindsight, some fans will agree that the flashbacks didn't   
   exactly contain the best origin stories. The Vampire Diaries and True Blood   
   have all used flashbacks as a tool to fill in the crucial backstories. This   
   has ranged from their participation in several wars, how they transitioned,   
   all the way to monumental events.   
      
   However, all the flashbacks did in Buffy was illustrate how violent and   
   ruthless Angel and Spike could be - which had already been established at   
   this point.   
      
      
   3   
   Best: The Partnerships   
      
   Another element of Buffy fans preferred over the other television shows was   
   the group dynamics. Out of all the vampiric shows, Buffy was the only one   
   that was deeply rooted in friendship. No other show has been able to match   
   the Scooby gang's chemistry, with them naturally playing off of each other.   
      
   The group has also shown themselves to be a powerful unit, with each member   
   proving their importance in different areas. Although they got into a few   
   fights, the Scoobies managed to pull themselves together and come out   
   stronger. The show wouldn't have been the same without them...   
      
      
   2   
   Fell Short: Monster Of The Week Episodes   
      
   There is nothing wrong with the monster of the week episodes, but if someone   
   just wanted to watch a show solely about vampires then Buffy isn't the show   
   to watch. Despite Buffy's trade involving her slaying vampires, most of the   
   plots didn't involve the blood-sucking monsters.   
      
   On several occasions, fans have seen her take on cyborgs, lizard creatures,   
   poltergeists, and demons. They have also seen the gang take on zombies and a   
   couple of witches. If someone just wants a show that focuses primarily on   
   vampires, they are best watching the likes of Angel or Dracula.   
      
      
   1   
   Best: Strong Female Leads   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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