Although every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has its defenders, the show’s upcoming reboot must avoid one recurring issue with later outings to remain true to the original show’s spirit. The news that Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy will return in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot is a great start for any fans who were fretting about the show leaving behind its original leading lady. However, the more divisive news that the reboot will follow a new slayer as its main character, rather than an older Buffy, is similarly promising.
While this might mean that Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot won’t be overly concentrated on Angel Vs Spike, at least for its first few outings, it also gives the series an opportunity to develop its own unique flavor. A Buffy the Vampire Slayer that simply retread the original show’s story would be disappointing, so a new slayer at the center of the story allows this reboot to right some historical wrongs from the original run. From Tara’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer death to a broader issue with later seasons, the show has many flaws worth fixing.
Buffy’s Later Seasons Mostly Left Vampires Behind – And Struggled With Power Creep
The Villains of Later Buffy the Vampire Slayer Seasons Were Absurdly Overpowered
While it might be hard for die-hard fans to face, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s villains became too powerful in later seasons of the series. A quick look back at Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s most powerful villains highlights this issue, as the first few seasons focused primarily on the тιтular threat of vampires. They might be powerful and devious, but individual vampires were still only vampires at the end of the day. The stakes were clear, Buffy’s ability and weaknesses were well-defined, and the fun, weird monster-of-the-week antagonists kept things fresh.
As Power Creep set in earnest, the villains got progressively more overpowered with each pᴀssing season.
However, as early as the Mayor’s role in season 3, Buffy the Vampire Slayer started to test out villains who were much more powerful than mere vampires. Fortunately, there was still a strong vampire presence, so the show still felt true to its roots. However, as “Power Creep” set in earnest, the villains got progressively more overpowered with each pᴀssing season. There were gods, then evil itself, and eventually even the vampires had to become overpowered supervamps. Glory’s entertaining role as Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s villain proves this wasn’t all bad, but it was a problem.
Buffy’s Reboot Having A New Slayer Makes It Easier To Return To Its Roots
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Can Go Back To Basics With Its New Star
The power levels seen in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s later villains went way beyond what the Slayer started out as. While this wasn’t always bad thanks to characters like Glory, the show was still at its best in seasons 2 and 3. The reboot should not simply rehash those early seasons, but it should recapture Buffy’s relative vulnerability from that period.
There was a sense of Buffy the Vampire Slayer needing to increase the challenges Buffy faced with each new villain, so the powers went up and up and the scope of the series grew too broad. The same issue occurred in Supernatural, with the series morphing from a show about monster-slaying brothers into an epic saga about angels, God, and reality itself. With a new slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot can mercifully get back to focusing on vampires and feeling a bit more grounded in its villains.
Source: TVTropes
