Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy (or Angel) on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun of course from this point I will also add the comic series from Dark Horse as well.. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high and beyond then read on McDuff.

In our look at Season 8 of Buffy we neglected to mention one important plot point and that was the formation of the Angel and Faith series. This hybrid of the newly acquired Angel (from IDW) and the sassy slayer Faith was a parallel story to the main Buffy season. The two stories intertwine in many areas yet to begin with our dynamic Vampire hunting duo resides in London. This comes about due to the relationship Faith had with Giles and due to unseen circumstances Faith now resides in the former librarians flat. But Faith is still Faith and this is never more vocalised then when she is throwing lines out left right and center. One of the best is aimed at a odd demon with a rather large tongue,

We will be bringing reviews of Angel and Faith season 10 as well as Buffy also in season 10. The chance to see the three main characters going about their vamp/demon slaying duty fills me with hope as to the continuing strength of the Buffy franchise

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 or 8. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun of course from this point I will also add from Dark Horse Comics as well.. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

At the culmination of Season 8 some odd things were afoot in the Buffyverse, thanks to the destruction of the “Seed of Wonder” magic has now been removed from the world. As usual though things are not that simple as beings infused with magic still retain their powers. This means while Buffy remains the Slayer, Willow is now completely lacking of power. This change in the world resets what we know and helps Season 9 to remove some of the larger plots that weighed down Season 8. The back to basics principle serves Buffy very well and some of the stories in this run are much more human in tone. This is led by an abortion storyline that really shook up the media and readers alike, Whedon’s lack of fear in diving into an extremely sensitive area is one of the highlights in the lore of Buffy.

Much like the previous season this one has multiple arcs and one shot’s that together form the narrative at large. We do get multiple writers throughout the season and all bring their own subtle influences on to the world. This is coupled with more than a few pencillers; the art does feel pretty high throughout the run and some of the covers like the one above by Jo Chen are really something.

The new status quo is set by the end of the season and we can look forward to the continuing Buffyverse growing along these new lines. If we take Season 8 as a bit of a learning curve then this ninth season is the proof that the lesson has been learnt. It felt that bringing Buffy back to more realistic stories (realistic is taken with a pinch of salt), made the narrative have more impact. Season 10 is perfectly set up with more than a few twists in the tail form the ninth, we also have a side running storyline in Angel and Faith add these two together and what you get is a whole heap of Whedonverse goodnes

You can find our review of Buffy Season 10 #1 here

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun of course from this point I will also add from Dark Horse Comics as well.. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

Yes you did read the title correctly Buffy has a continuing story thanks to Joss Whedon and Dark Horse Comics. The end of season 7 left a promise of more adventures for the Scooby Gang but most of us expected this to be fan fiction or just imagined stories from Slayer fans. Instead we get a story that follows on from the TV show and builds on many of its key themes and ideas.

This would not be Buffy however unless a few things remained the same and aligned with the female perspective is Joss Whedons love of killing characters off and also having others make a return appearance. Thanks to a world where magic permeates everything although far-fetched most of the resurrection of characters has generally been handled pretty well. However if everyone came back then the deaths would lose meaning, thankfully Joss has not fallen into that narrative crippling device and instead kept death as an ever present feature of the universe.

The trouble with look at a very long series of comics is that there will be occasions where the art will fluctuate. In single issues this can be subtle but when you read an arc in big chunks the deviations can be more jarring. The art is generally good but there are some pretty stellar issues which make the good ones lose a measure of impact. It sounds a little greedy to also want the best but if standards are set high then dropping below that point will always cause a stir. The tone of the art feels a lot more risqué than the show and we do see quite a lot of flesh in the art, Everything is tastefully done but you do get a sense of a mature appeal to the comic. One of the art highlights comes arly in the series when a skinless enemy is back on the hunt for Buffy but accidentally captures one of the gang instead. The depiction of the musculature is great and it the representation has a haunting quality that does stand out.

Overall Season 8 is a strong showing in the Buffyverse the multiple writers led by Joss Whedon went in a few directions that led Buffy from the usual path, but without experimentation we would not know what works in this medium for the franchise. It may not be everyone's taste but I think in the comic format Buffy has found a new home.

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

We do get an action ramp up with a new breed of enemy to face, its good to see Buffy being in danger and having to rely on her friends. Again it points back to the strength of the gang and the way they all support each other, it has been one of the best things about Buffy in its entirety and in this seventh series we really get to the know the value of a collective.

Ultimately though Buffy is the key to victory and watching her grow as a character over the seven seasons was one of the best televisual experiences in my life. Thankfully watching Buffy back now the show pretty much holds up. The CGI may be a little dated but this show was more than about the way it looked. Its odd to think that over a decade later there has not been a show quite like this. The strong female lead is something we should not need to talk about but far to often girls/women are not portrayed as the carriers of shows. Buffy was a trend setting show but unfortunately TV failed to hang on to the coat tails of the phenomenon. 

The end of Buffy was a fitting end, the final season had a lot of depth and some great performances It was a fitting end but like we have seen in the past just because something ends does not mean its finished.

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

In terms of emotional impact this series is filled with great moments the stories also see to get back to Buffy at her best. This is exemplified by one of the best episodes in Buffy history, its called Once More, With Feeling and is almost the exact opposite of Hush from season 4. Here we have Sunnydale being overrun with singing and dancing which on the face of it sounds nicer than the usual evilness that goes on in this town but what would Buffy be without a twist.

The ending of this season is especially strong as it has been building for through pretty much every episode, the intertwined story strands end up with an amazing finale where we have friends doing battle and this time the world is in danger. The biggest surprise though is the hero of the piece, the last stand is melodramatic with a great side dish of humour not to mention a big dollop of violence. 

The scene is set for Season 7..

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2, 3 or 4 It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The Season 4 finale was perhaps my least favourite episode. It felt like a mid season show and did not have the draw of previous end of series hootenanny's. Of course not every show can be a blockbuster but for a show to bring back watchers it needs either a grandstand finish or lots of goodwill. Thankfully Buffy was a strong enough show that many did come back but they were presented with he ultimate Vampire cliché Dracula. It has all the hallmarks of a weak episode with everyone falling for his spell. Well everyone but our newly house trained vampire Spike

This season will be most remembered for two of the most impactful deaths in TV history. But more of that later.

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1, 2 or 3. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The episode is probably the high point of the series and is one of favourite 45 minutes of television. Oddly the lack of voice just makes the whole situation feel creepier. Even though Buffy is a show about Vampires I never once felt scared but this is the episode that comes closest to elevating Buffy to a true horror event. It’s also compounded as there is still noise emanating from the rest of the world and environment. The lack of vocalisations does have on benefit for Buffy in terms of a new friend, or maybe this someone can be a little more than that.

On the positive side (maybe) there is an anti-vampire group on campus, the question is are their motives in line with Buffy’s sensibilities. Obviously as the show goes on you get to find out more about the world of the University of California Sunnydale and there are the usual missteps by the Scooby Gang along the way. Especially from Buffy as she finds that her early days on campus are filled with difficulty both in classes and on her nightly adventures. 

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

The season schedule was always intertwined with Buffy’s school years, it makes the whole aging process of the actors work and it also moves the story along. Of course she was expelled in the last season but some things do not last forever in the Buffyverse. There is a period mid season where this could not be truer thanks to Cordie and a mischievous demon. It gives the townspeople a chance to see what would happen if the Buffy we know and love never existed, it’s a chance to see alternate reality storytelling and is pretty well done albeit with an expected outcome although there are one or two twists along the way.

As this is senior year the obvious conclusion of the season would be graduation, however would it be a Buffy season without a sting in the tail.  

Even though we always endeavour not to spoil there may be unintentional spoilers for season 1. It may be worth your while looking at our synopsis of the first season or better still grab a visual copy of Buffy on DVD, or through Netflix etc and have some slaying fun. If you don’t mind learning a little more of the comings and goings centred around Sunnydale high then read on McDuff.

However mostly I would say the theme of Season 2 is relationships, whether they be existing or new the ties that bind can sometimes be inescapable. Perhaps the oddest coupling is our bookworm librarian Giles with the Techno pagan Miss Calander (who returns from the first series). Their match of new and old information is vital in helping Buffy understand the world around her but the opposite attract factor is played for laughs at every opportunity. Their relationship is also responsible for the best rugby related lines in television as Giles remarks;

Buffy has an unexpected new relationship to deal with in the form of Kendra a new slayer; she was activated (so to speak) after the events of the season 1 finale. It’s a great conceit and her introduction again shows Whedon and the creative team have a flare for the dramatic.

Overall the second season of Buffy is a step up from the first. We have more action and character development as well as a growing cast. The wonder of the cast growth is that we get to lose characters along the way meaning no one is safe not even the slayer herself if the finale of season 1 is anything to go by.

Being the new kid in school can always be difficult, however when your school is located at Hellmouth then things may get a little messy. This is where we meet Buffy Summers our reluctant heroine, although she already knows her role as the slayer it does take a little time for her to warm up to the name.

In these opening episodes we are also able to meet the Scooby gang as they are affectionately titled (by Xander). Although Buffy is a great central character the team around her are every bit as important in the shows narrative. The rag tag collection of a geeky girl (willow), a Librarian (Giles), a wise cracking want to be cool guy (Xander) and the dark and mysterious Angel. Each has their place of importance to the collective and will be the main stay of this series and some of what follows.

Although Buffy is called a Vampire Slayer she does have the ability to slay pretty much any evil creature and in this first season she will have to face monsters and witches and of course our fang touting bad guys. My personal favourite battle is from the episode entitled the Puppet show, I’ll not spoil the plot for you but the title should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

We do have a big bad in this series called the Master and as the name suggests he is the leader of the Vampires and although not in every episode he and his minions are always lurking. The Final episode is pretty epic and we really get see our lead performing at her best.

Ultimately Buffy was a great piece of pop culture. Watching the series again now, it still holds up even though the visuals are a little shaky. We will be taking a look at each season over the next few weeks but for now I’ll leave you with one of the most iconic quotes form the show from Giles