Buffy is a typical teenage girl who just happens to also be a vampire slayer – the vampire slayer, actually. As the voiceover at the start of each episode recites, each generation there is one chosen girl who must fight against the forces of darkness. Buffy’s the current slayer, but she’s a bit different from those who came before her. Season 1 consists of the first twelve episodes of the season. This first season focuses on Buffy’s struggle with teenage life and her heroic destiny.
Fans of fantasy dramas will surely enjoy this show, and there’s no better place to start than the first season which introduces the show’s cast of characters and mythologies carried throughout the show’s seven seasons.
My favorite episodes include the funny “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date,” the romantic “Angel” and the telling, “Prophecy Girl.”
The only thing I didn’t’ like about this set was the length of the first season. Coming into the TV schedule halfway through the season as a replacement, Season 1 is only half of the normal length of TV show seasons.
As I finish watching Season 1, I inevitably move on to Season 2. Season 1 deals with Buffy coming to terms with her calling (the season finale, “Prophecy Girl” emphasizes this theme) and Season 2 gets even more into what her job entails as well as the decisions and sacrifices she must make.
The cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is excellent, all through its seven seasons. In this first season DVD set, the characters are pretty basic, but the actors do a wonderful job portraying their characters. Eventually the characters gain much depth and more interesting personalities.
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays the title role superbly, combining typical teenage girl with a burdened hero. David Boreanaz plays her love interest, Angel, the vampire with a soul. He played his role so well, he got his own TV series three years later. Allyson Hannigan plays Willow, the brain and Nicholas Brendan plays Xander, her geeky best friend. Rounding out the cast is Anthony Stewart Head, who plays Giles, the school’s librarian and more importantly, Buffy’s Watcher – her trainer.
For me, watching the Buffy Season 1 DVD set is a great introduction to the entire series. The show is full of great mythology, scary monsters, and quality drama. The show also has a sense of humor to it that can be appreciated by its audience. It has everything!
