TV Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that while even grade-schoolers may
enjoy the horror-movie aspects of this hugely popular vampire
series, its mature themes are
not a good fit for kids that young. Even kids as young
as 12 -- who will enjoy the action and have fun with the
one-liners -- probably aren't quite ready for the dark, adult
issues the show tackles. Buffy is in mortal danger in most
episodes, she loses her virginity to her (much) older
boyfriend, and monsters are everywhere. On the upside, the
series encourages strength in girls, mentoring, and teamwork.
The series is best for teens and adults, who will appreciate
the multi-leveled story and the
Romeo and Juliet subtext of some of the episodes.
Families may want to talk about how Buffy deals with the pressure of her "calling." How do teens deal with the pressures they face every day? Can they draw any parallels between Buffy's life and "normal" high school experience? Families may also want to discuss the series' sexual content, including their views about virginity and sex.
Common Sense Media Review
Clever writing and an appealing cast make this cult series
about a tough blond vampire slayer -- in which the bright,
mundane world of high school contrasts strikingly with the
menacing, shadowy world of the vampires -- eminently watchable.
Created by
Joss
Whedon, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER failed as a big-screen
movie but was a huge success on TV, running from 1997-2003
first on The WB and later on UPN; it's still available in
reruns and on DVD.
Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as the titular slayer; the rest of the group (dubbed "The Scooby Gang" by fans) includes friends Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow ( Alyson Hannigan of How I Met Your Mother ), mentor Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), werewolf Oz ( Seth Green), vampires Angel ( David Boreanaz) and Spike (James Marsters), and many more.
Buffy just wants to be a normal teenager, but she can't escape her destiny as the Chosen One when she moves to Sunnydale, Calif., which happens to be right over the Hellmouth -- a mystic spot that allows demons and other evil creatures into the world.
The show's content can sometimes be gruesome and disturbing for younger or more sensitive teens, but excellent writing and a light hand take away some of the intensity. Teens will definitely identify with Buffy's sense of dread, even if their own dread is over a test, rather than the appearance of vampires.
Though Buffy is by no means educational, characters place a great deal of importance on integrity, working as a team and learning to sacrifice for the greater good. Families can talk about how they apply those values in their own lives. What do they consider the greater good?
Buffy fans might also enjoy Blade: The Series and The X-Files, or, for more teen angst, My So-Called Life.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
