In an age where syndicated sci-fi style programs are too few and far between, I personally find it refreshing that the WB Network has finally come up with one that can actually hold a viewer's interest for more than the anticipation of the pilot. I speak of the hit teen scream show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Soon to start its 4^th season, I looked forward to the gang all remaining together. However, the powers that be apparently decided that a spin-off was warranted. This, I believe, will be fatal. The show had such a strong cast, even if the characters all had names that no one today would name their kids. Angel and Buffy had such a good thing going, it seems a waste to have him give up so easily. Considering all they have gone through, I feel the writers could have gone a different direction than the Angel pilot implies: Where Angel moves to Los Angeles to start over, leaving the one he loves behind; never to be seen again. It is my experience that crossovers are more successful as a whole than totally separate series.

The show is primarily successful due to the tough teen issues they tackle in their own rough-n-tumble, macabre sort of way, such as teen pregnancy, abuse, drugs, runaways, and family togetherness. I tend to also lean heavily toward the fact that despite their obvious differences in appearance, mannerisms and opinions of each other, they still are a close-knit unit that looks out for each other's backs, something that today's society severely lacks.

The format of the show is one of the few things that I can openly criticize. Granted, the school is built on top of the Hellmouth; but this does not explain why there are always so many vampires around for the Buffster to slay. If the show maintains any sense of authenticity, it is known that vampires are made, not born or spawned. With the Master slain much earlier on, how are they continuing to multiply? Also, there is rarely any mention of disappearances around town. So, if there are no disappearances, where are all the vampires coming from??? I also believe that the character of Cordelia, played by the exquisite Charisma Carpenter, needs more development towards lessening her prissy attitude and more towards humility. Enough is enough! Let her play nicely with the others. She always seems the odd-man-out.

Finally, my overall opinions of the cast… Buffy: needs more work on her dialogue, it's still too cliché, Zander: needs more of a chance to show that he can help more than he has, Willow: needs to be cast showing more serious devotion to her occult and witchcraft studies, Cordelia: much more time on her, she is more under-rated than any of the others, Giles: try having him get a bit more modern, Oz: find a cure for lycanthropy. Overall, the show demonstrates that it can be campy, yet fun. Serious, yet entertaining. Scary, yet all too watchable. This is one that I hope will continue for some time, but with Angel coming soon, and most of the cast switching sides, I fear the worst… like when Jason Priestly left 90210. See ya next time, when I'll be roasting this summer's sci-fi flicks.

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Last update: Saturday, September 30, 2000