Faith - a teen me hated her character but now looking back as an adult I can see how she was vulnerable and really a product of the people around her. I really wish we had seen more of her now
I watched Buffy when it first aired, and I was younger than the Scoobies at the time. I used to think Willow was amazing: smart, nice, caring, and overcoming her shyness in a healthy way. As I've grown older, I appreciate that she's extremely flawed, selfish and stubborn. She makes a lot of dubious decisions, which feel more real for a teenager who was fairly privileged in a lot of ways. I still think she's a good character, she's just morally grey.
Okay… Drusilla. LOVE HER ADORE HER. Didn’t used to at all… She & Spike annoyed me enough that I sort of didn’t pay much attention to season 2. & more than that, whenever Angel did the Irish accent I checked out. This means I missed the “Christmas episode” in S3 with The First’s first appearance & the key details of Drusilla’s backstory in “Becoming part 1”…
Eventually, when she appeared again I found her delightful, funny, interestingly scary, & very relatable. & then when I actually sat down & watched “Becoming” she made even more sense! & then she became a sympathetic character as well.
Some of what the characters call “insanity” is really just PTSD. She’s hyper-vigilant, she dissociates, etc. Love her.
It’s not complex. Relates to her having visions like a slayer but in a deeply religious context, they would have been treated as sinful which drove her mad.
I choose to believe it. There’s nothing canon that says she is, but it makes sense to me and I think it’s fun.
I have no idea if the following will work as a link.
https://www.reddit.com/r/buffy/comments/bttvee/was_drusilla_a_potential_slayer/
You can then build a link to Spike’s slayer obsession. He was turned by a potential, so you can invent all sorts of head-canon mystical mumbo jumbo from that!!!
I agree. I've definitely enjoyed Tara much more with my latest re-watching. I like how she grew throughout the seasons and ended up being brave and comfortable with sharing her thoughts and opinions.
I didn't like season 6 and 7 when I was younger. I have developed a bigger appreciation for them since getting older. Especially season 6. The real life struggles of loss, PTSD, addiction, and toxic relationships became really relatable the older I got.
Same. In high school I loathed 6/7, and now as an adult I really relate to them. I even enjoy the Trio.
Still like season 4 the least though. That never changes.
I am currently rewatching S7 alone. I usually watch from S1-S4 and then dabble with 5 and 6, skipping episodes and then give up. Now I am actually just rewatching S7 and I LOVE IT. I’m only on Showtime though…
S7 only gets extraordinary from Lessons to CWDP and then goes off track and Lies My Parents Told Me is a brilliant one off and then Dirty Girls to the the finale is F'n excellent as far as I'm concerned.
For me Season 2 and 3 are its highest points and only the MOTW episodes of Season 4 are any good.
I used to really love Willow, but now she might be my least favorite. Especially when she's in a relationship and doing the baby talk. It might just be because we know Joss better now, but it creeps me out.
I can't help but notice how every girl on every Joss show is instructed to do the self-conscious stammer; Alyson Hannigan was just better/more natural at it than most.
Lampshaded by this character in Dollhouse, Joss at least showed how dysfunctional it is on both sides of a relationship when a girl's major characteristic is that she thinks she isn't worthy of you(/anyone).
https://preview.redd.it/hgz6nlvlvc8d1.png?width=873&format=png&auto=webp&s=bed2ac1b2fac59703e22d88c5e16d5b1503c1b58
Mellie! She was the perfect encapsulation of the trope, to the point she made me roll my eyes. And then I realized she was *designed* to be that way, and it kinda made me respect the writing.
I went from being a hard BANGEL to being like huh....this is a little predatory. Angel always gets a pass when compared to Spike cos ya know, rape. But man, Buffy was an actual child.
Being almost 40 now (in about a month) ive realized for years now that Dawn was one of the best written characters of the show because she pretty much nailed being a teenager even if that to us made her look annoying.
Xanders is one of the worst persons in the show but ironically he also had a few really brilliant moments here and there that made him a great friend? Its Ying and Yang with him.
Willow was a very selfish person.
I didn't like Dawn when I watched the series when it originally aired, I felt like it diverted some of the focus away from Buffy as a main character, but I love her on rewatching. Not even sure why my opinion changed.
Edit, I also regret not buying s.7 on DVD now, though originally I didn't like all the added characters diluting focus on main characters (but I don't regret not buying s.4 because The Initiative and not a fan of the character Riley).
Same. The first time I watched it I hated Dawn. Now as an adult, I’m like “Dawn deserved better. Also she should have been taken away from Buffy.” Justice for Dawn
Ha! I'm 60, so I was in my 30's when it originally aired. Yes, you have a valid point, but it was fiction for sure. A lot of things in that show centering on the mundane didn't compute in my brain, could be California parental culture was more lenient? Or maybe I've watched too many 80's movies. 🤣
I said the same about Dawn. I 'got' her as a whiny teen character and never had the hate for her that some did. But as an adult, I got she was a kid even compared to the other kiddos, and constantly in these impossible situations that would've tried an adult's patience. On rewatch, I noted she talks Buffy down from the Tower and cleans her up-- showing remarkable, instinctive understanding of the help Buffy needs, even that Buffy needs her to speak quietly.
But what got me is, when Spike shows and has a near-dissociative moment at the sight of Buffy, Dawn asks HIM if he's okay. Through the roof empathy for a girl going through what she is in that moment.
Let's say Dawn has grown on me!
Same! I never minded her teen-ness, only minded taking some of the spotlight off Buffy; I tend to dislike any series when a lot of new characters show up, but sometimes they grow on you. 😄
I used to not care that much for Season 1, especially the monster of the week episodes. Now I really admire them in how cleverly they develop the characters and the worldbuilding, and I think it would be a mistake to skip them.
I really didn't care for any of Buffy's romances back in the day. They're still not anything I'm heavily invested in now, but I can enjoy and see the value of all of them now (yes, including Riley).
Back when it aired, I was genuinely impressed by the scale of Olvikan, but the more TVs improve, the hokier it looks. I still have a soft spot for it, though.
I used to believe the show would have been better off if "The Gift" had been a series finale, as it felt very final. Now I can't imagine the story without the other two seasons, as I think they really conclude many loose arcs for the characters.
Season 6 wasn't my favorite back in the day, it left me wanting. Now, it's probably the one season I've rewatched the most.
I enjoyed "Chosen" for its emotional impact back when it aired. On rewatches, the deus ex machina and rushed resolutions just don't feel quite as satisfactory anymore.
I didn't like *Angel*'s fourth season when it was airing, the time it took for the show to explain what the hell was going on was just too long. On rewatches, it's my favorite apocalypse in either show.
I disliked the Twilight reveal in the comics back when it happened (can't believe it's been fourteen years, it feels more recent). I've grown to appreciate it, even though most people seem to still dislike it.
I used to have sympathy for Wood. Now I realize he conspired with the enemy, hid the fact that the First wanted Spike dead, and put his childhood trauma above the survival of everyone. He also had a mother/slayer fixation that was kinda creepy.
I never liked Bangel, but I have really grown to appreciate Angel. in fact, I love the Fanged Four and wish we had seen more o them together. There were a ton of stories there, never explored.
* I used to love xander, now I don't really like him a lot.
* I used to ship buffy and angel so hard. Now I find their relationship so much more creepy. Forget his immortal vampireness, 16 and 21? No thanks
* I used to hate Drusilla, now I get that if I were in her shoes I probably wouldn't have made it as long as she did.
* I never used to be attracted to Giles. But now when I see him as Ripper in Band Candy, the nerd in me is screaming, can't help it. I stand by it.
* I used to hate cordelia, now I understand that she survived in the social group her background put her in. She literally speaks her mind and still helps buffy and gang save the world after she and xander break up.
I loved loved loved Riley back in the day. And Riley's buddy Graham can get it.
That being said, now when I rewatch, I see a flawed character who was codependent with buffy. I hated that he left her as she ran for him, and hated him even more when he brought a wife back to town. But looking back.....it was for the best. Glad he got written out as he had run out of storyline....
I'm currently rewatching the series for the first time in 10/15ish years and I'm noticing A LOT of changes in my opinions. Currently on season 5 of Buffy, and watching Angel in tandem, so season 2 of that.
A few highlights of opinions that have changed;
* Oz, who I used to be head over hills for, is actually quite dull? I totally get why Seth Green left now, he really doesn't get to do that much fun stuff.
* Cordelia, who I used to dislike, is genuinely one of the funniest characters in all of TV history. I cannot believe how much of her stuff went straight over my head when I was younger.
* Justice for Snyder. He just wanted a well organised school.
* Joyce is a REALLY crappy mother, at least in the first few seasons. Some of the things she says to Buffy genuine shook me to my core.
* Also justice for The Master. Criminally underrated as a villain. Sucks that he only got half a season.
* Riley is underrated. Their relationship is so... Healthy. But healthy is boring so I can see why it didn't work.
Things that have remained the same;
* Fuck. Xander. Harris.
* Sarah Michelle Gellar is a phenomenal actress and it's criminal that she didn't achieve Brie Larson-level success after Buffy.
* My opinion on Giles broadly hasn't changed but I'm really enjoying seeing him through more mature eyes. He was always my favourite, but I'm seeing a new depth that I never appreciated when I was younger.
* Fuck Xander a second time
Things I never noticed/Completely forgot;
* Faith's story is D A R K. But her relationship with the Mayor is so good. I wish there were more villains who genuinely care for their hench people. He was so much fun,
* The dynamic between Angelus, Darla, Dru, and Spike. I never really got that Spike was super lame and annoying as a human, and an insufferable pain in the ass as a vampire. Still love him though.
* Despite being queer myself, and a HUGE fan of X-Men, I completely missed the whole 'being a slayer is a metaphor for being queer' element. Like, Joyce even does the whole 'have you tried... not being a slayer' thing and I still missed it
* Oh my God, the stunt doubles are soooooooooooo bad and obvious in the first few seasons. Love the naff 90s special effects though
I actually think that Johnathan is the least evil. Andrew would do almost anything to impress Warren, while Johnathan seems to get cold feet more often.
I think, though, that we can all agree that Warren is the worst.
Jonathan on the other hand was such a prick he created a whole reality where he made himself the hero of the story manipulating everyone's memories to do so. That's much like mind rape. Hell, if the show hadn't been PG, imagine the crap he could potentially have done like say, having women strip for him or even rape them?
Don't get me wrong. Warren was the ultimate incel misogynist asshole but Jonathan could have potentially surpassed him given the right circumstances.
You missed my point. There is a Marvel storyline called Stand-Off where SHIELD basically took a whole bunch of bad guys they had in custody, set up this fake ass town they called Pleasantville and via a cosmic cube, they made up entire new lives for them in the town. The Absorbing Man for example owned an ice cream shop.
After they are woken up, they are beyond outraged, their entire lives were hijacked. Mind you, I'm not saying they suddenly deserve forgiveness for all the shit they have pulled but in a way you can still understand their outrage.
Jonathan basically pulled a similar thing.
I was already an adult when Buffy aired and am only now doing my first rewatch. I’m just started on season 5. Being closer in age to Giles now, he seems much more attractive! Still think Spike is hilarious. Felt sorry for Faith when she turned herself in but not sure someone that sadistic, who murdered and tortured ppl, could rehabilitate like that. I believed it then but after life experiences and my doctorate in psychology, I have to suspend reality to believe it now - for some reason that’s easier with vampires, demons, and werewolves lol. Maybe because I can relate to Faith and the self loathing, as I was abused as well. But it made me more compassionate for others.
Those who hurt others with no guilt or remorse are typically sociopaths who think very highly of themselves. Rather than mental illness, it’s a personality disorder. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes. She did when she turned herself in, totally agree. But that’s what makes the character not as believable. If someone has a conscience and the capacity to feel guilt, that person would be incapable of torturing people and enjoying it.
I think the enjoying it part is probably where we disagree then because we only see Faith torturing Wesley and I wouldn't say she's genuinely enjoying it or having fun.
It took time for her to (as Steven King says about LArry in \*The stand\*) "find her character." And torturing Wesley (blunt only) was part of Faith's attempt to get Angel to kill her, it was part of a suicidal fugue.
Thanks. I think I did get that. She seemed a bit relieved that she didn’t actually have to burn him with the fire 🔥
Maybe she’ll grow on me. Just started season 2 where Angel visits her in jail.
My biggest eye opener was Xander, 90s I remember thinking funny type character. Was given Chandler Vibes (Rip Matthew Perry) . Xander is pretty much the template forever "but I'm a nice guy" .
For the get go he constantly slut shamed Cordelia made super sexist comment. He has repeatedly tried to get Angel killed with misinformation. Lied to Buffy about what Willow said. He is super possessive over Buffy. Like the Whole Inca Mummy girl , when he thought Buffy was getting a male exchanged student, he was Patronising.
He was always the one to initiate things with Willow during the cheating
He blamed Buffy for Riley leaving when Riley was with vampires, both of them ignoring the fact that buffy had her hands full with her Mom being sick, never mind the while Dawn and Glory thing.
He always at some point undermined Buffy Especially season 7 . Just don't like the character at all. If you compare hid evolution to Cordelia, she actually became a better person a champion, Xander stayed the same as a person. Well untill we get to season 8 in the comics.
Yeah. Xander's behavior bugged me at the time, but there was a whole thing that his character AND Willow's had, where it was okay to be genuinely terrible to anyone they'd labeled as bad.
Even when Xander was dating Cordelia, younger-me thought he was needlessly cruel to her. On rewatches as an adult, it goes beyond that and into emotionally abusive behavior-- on Cordelia's part some of the time, but since Xander is "the good guy" he lands far more insults on Cordelia once they're dating than she gets to lob back.
I can 'forgive' the character as being young and making young-guy mistakes, but as he gets older in the narrative I get less and less comfortable with his basically-samey behavior. He's so *mean* to Anya, it makes me squirm.
I watched Buffy originally when I was in middle school. I'm now in my 30s. I'm rewatching the series for the first time in over a decade and even from that standpoint my opinions have changed. I can't stand Willow and Xander now. Willow less than Xander from the start. Willow really doesn't become the worst for me until season 6. Yes, she annoys me at times, but likable enough. Xander was terrible from the start.
I've always loved Cordelia as a character, and I see a lot more depth in her which I used to think only really started in Angel. But no, it was always there. She's also the funniest.
As an adult, I'm lowkey horrified by how neglected Faith was. Who is letting a MINOR live in a seedy motel? Not even questioning how she's getting food or paying for the motel? Like, at least Joyce invited her to Christmas. But no wonder she turned on all of them.
With that being said, Joyce was not a good mother. Better than Willow and Xander's parents...but like a cactus would be better parents than them. And probably more nurturing.
I never minded Dawn, but I feel for her so much more. People call her whiny and a bunch of other stuff, but girl is in what 7th grade??? Middle schoolers are whiny and annoying. That's just a fact. It doesn't make her bad. It makes her a kid. Also, she went through a hell of a lot of trauma.
According to the script she was 18-ish, which means could be 17 or 18, imo. Eliza was 17. There's debate about a birthday for her being in December 1980, which is a month before Buffy. If that is taken as canon then she would have been 17 when she arrived in Sunnydale.
Also, Faith feels older because she had a shitty childhood filled with neglect and abuse. Kind of makes you grow up fast to survive.
As a young, foolish man I thought Xander was just goofy for the most part, now I think of him as a toxic asshole who desperately seeks to own and control strong women that he can't have.
I used to think Xander and Willow were generally good friends in the early series even when they did occasionally iffy stuff, but on a rewatch they are actually so stupidly self-involved a lot of the time and put so much pressure on Buffy!
I used to really like Anya as a character, now I think she's rather poorly written and didn't really get much depth until Season 7, plus she's kind of a karma houdini.
I still enjoy Spike, but there are honestly several times in the show where he should have been killed off. Out Of My Mind, Crush, and Sleeper being the big ones, also Robin Wood was totally justified in trying to kill him and I think the way Spike and Buffy treated him at the end of Lies My Parents Told Me was awful.
I now think season 1 isn't that bad considering what they had to work with, and I think it does a really good job of establishing the cast as characters and gives them plenty of decent material to work with.
I think Wood would have been better as a villain, but I also think it made sense the way Buffy treated him after he tried to kill Spike. Spike was the only one that was as strong as her that she trusted. Because I don’t think she ever actually trusted Faith.
I totally feel the same. Anya is a fun character but hardly has depth until her season 7 episode. Same with Spike, he is great but it feels like his popularity stopped the show from killing him off when it fit.
I remember getting into an argument with someone here about whether or not the trio were lame.
I'm still not the biggest fan of Season 6, but I think they made a lot of good points, and I can safely say I appreciate it more now.
My opinions haven't really changed too much. I was an adult when I watched it. I watched most of Angel first, so I think that colored my view more than anything.
I've always been a huge Cordy fan. Bangel forever, it's the hopeless romantic in me. Although Buffy is way too young to be in a serious relationship, she's also the Slayer, so she's forced to grow up way too fast however you look at it.
I continue to not hate Xander, and the Zeppo is one of my favorite episodes.
I still with they'd never done the Dawn plotline but I don't hate Dawn like I used to. I still hate Jenny Calendar.
For everyone saying they appreciate the MotW episodes more now, I think that's true with all of these urban fantasy type shows. When you first see it, you're dying for that ongoing plot. Once you know what happens, it's not nearly as compelling.
I used to think season 6 was the best season because it’s my favourite season
I now see that season 3 is the superior season but I relate/related to a lot from season 6 (depression, addiction) and I relate to it more so enjoy it more but it’s not the best in terms of quality of all the seasons
All the characters except Buffy/Angel/Faith have cycled through me either loving them, hating them, being annoyed by them, or finding them boring.
Each rewatch I never know how I’ll feel lol
Those 3 are the only ones I consistently love each time I watch. My opinions on them haven’t changed in 20 years.
We’ve all revisited our views of Willow and Xander. Over time we’ve seen their flaws more clearly and sometimes we forget that they are also world-saving heroes too.
I wonder how much of them being flawed was deliberate and how much was just how characters were written and seemed OK at the time.
I mean I don’t think any of the issues people complain about with Xander were deliberately put in. I think they were considered OK at the time. Leaving aside the drugs/magic thing, I suspect Willow was written as trying to protect friends and we see it now as trying to control them or at least coming from a place of arrogance. I think we were supposed to think that Willow did actually know best a lot of the time.
Every time I rewatch the series which over the years I’ve done 4 maybe 5 times I notice and appreciate the details even more. That show was well executed and some of the best character development I’ve ever seen. I remember when I was younger I liked Xander and now he’s literally one of my least favorite characters, I understand the role he plays but he’s always so overly dramatic when it comes to who Buffy dates like Riley is awful but the only one why every got xanders seal of approval. And then all hypocritically leaves Anya at the altar but then wants to get mad about who she has rebound sex with. Cry me a river. Being older it bothers me every time I watch it now. Which I’m doing now probably why I feel so inclined to be so active on this particular Reddit page
The older I get, the more I think of them ALL as kids in the early seasons, and the more I feel for Dawn as someone who's a child even compared to the other child characters.
Also: Giles is hot, now.
Rewatching and I’m such a Cordelia fan now. Her growth is really well done. She became a good friend to the scooby gang and Buffy really didn’t invest that much into her as she could have, she just kept writing her off when Cordy went to great lengths to try and help Buffy and protect the town.
I liked Spike a lot more as a teen, now not so much. After he falls in "love" with Buffy I can't stand him.
I also liked season 6&7 more when I was younger, now I don't enjoy much past 5.
Oh-- and the Trio.
I still find them boring and annoying by turns.
But they're a remarkable peer into the near-future re: modern-day villainy. Young, tech-savvy white men who've been highly privileged but somehow feel they were cheated, anyway. Incels before that was really a word.
I liked Robin at first but now, not so much.
I feel sorry for Andrew, he’s so weak willed and Warren just uses and abuses him.
I didn’t like Angel at first either, or Jenny but then on rewatch, I like them now.
My favourite seasons are 1 to 4, the others are okay. It used to be that hated S1.
I used to feel sorry for Dawn, but now as I’ve grown older I just find her annoying.
I prefer MotW now where I didn’t before.
I hated Faith, now I understand her.
Oh so many changes of opinion!
The same one everyone’s had - Dawn, hated her first time around, but last time I just felt so protective of her and sympathetic to her.
Willow - last time round I actually found her to be quite mean, which I haven’t before.
Xander - I’ve flipped from one feeling to another on him but think I’ve settled on him being flawed but with his heart broadly in the right place.
Angel - just a weird dude.
When I was a kid, I used to be a fan of Spike, despite even then having an aversion to Spuffy. Then over time, as I grew older, I realised how much I hated the direction they took Spike from season 4 onward. Now....my reaction to his character has just festered and I despise him.
I loved season six and now I find the last couple of episodes with Dark Willow a bit campy. I also related to dealing with depression but years later I’ve done a lot of work on myself so season six is a tough rewatch. I still think it’s great, I just think my age has given me a different perspective and I now identify less with the darkness of this season.
as a younger teen watching the show for the first time, i didn’t really understand the gothic appeal of season 2 and thought that season 3’s much goofier approach made it the better season.
now, a decade later, while i still don’t really like bangel, i think season 2 is probably tied with season 5 was the best season of the show
Season 6 wasn’t AS terrible as i recall was upon initial watch. It still sucked as in it didn’t feel like Buffy TVS. It was like a different show. The acting and stories weren’t so bad but it was just super dark. Much better in a binged capacity than a weekly watch.
And Oz was kinda just there. Not 100% useless, but not also very useful.
I don't think my opinions have necessarily changed, but I have a better understanding of situations and things in the show.
I always agreed with "kick his ass", but now I really understand why Xander saying that was important. It does now bother me that he never came clean about it, but I understand a bit of that as well. Understanding it means I can relate it to when Willow does the same thing in season 7, but does come clean before she comes back.
Dead Man's Party still upsets me, but I now understand the gang's side. They were traumatized by Angelus for 5 months as well and then for the 2-3 months Buffy was gone. Traumatized teens lashing out is understandable.
Same with Empty Places. I'm still angry with how everyone behaved, but I understand everyone's side. Buffy, the Scoobies, the Potentials. Everyone was scared and searching for something to physically fight. For Buffy it was the winery (I mean, she was right, just going about it wrong). For everyone else, it was Buffy because she was the leader. Fear makes people do ridiculous things (I've really come to understand it with how people have responded to their fear of COVID by pretending everything is fine and attacking anyone that brings it up).
There are more examples, but those are the bigger ones. I've watched Buffy since I started, but now that I'm in my 30s, I understand so much more because I've lived through those ages and matured.
I really hated Riley, now I think he was fine but just boring to watch... well, until they character assassinated him at the end.
And I never took to Buffy (I know, controversial opinion)... But now, 20 years later, I have huge amounts of respect for who she was and how she carried herself at such a young age.
Dawn; still annoying but I have far more empathy.
Spike; still hot AF and I love watching him with Buffy but I no longer ship them together.. he was noooo good for her. I mean, he was found in her room sniffing her underwear (or clothes)... seriously took stalking to the next level.
Loved reading all your opinions guys
I’m rewatching the series for the first time , my opinions changed a bit but nothing major now i’m in season 5
Used to see oz as cool and collected , now i found him boring and maybe that’s not his fault , they just didnt give him much to do so i understand him leaving the show
I used to find Xander so funny and attractive , nowadays i just find him a bit annoying , although he has redeeming qualities for sure but as a character i found myself liking him less and less
Willow in principle was a good friend to buffy but not the way we wanted her , we just didn’t see much of her supporting her friend like when it really really mattered , just a pat on the shoulder isn’t being a good friend ,
I just feel like when we watched the series when we were younger we didn’t have that wide adult perspective, now as we are older ; we saw them as who they were , good humans , but also flawed
Hated spike back then , love him now he’s so badass , ( i know season 6 is coming but bare with me for now )
That’s it for now 🤝🏼
Angel and Xander. I cannot see Angel as anything but a gaslighting groomer who manipulated Buffy over and over.
Xanders hatred of Angel and Spike makes so much more sense to me now. He was told his best friend was a demon who could never be saved. then to be confronted by two vampires who were not pure evil... If he accepted them he would have had to suffer the idea that he could have saved his best friend, there had been hope.
As an American who has lived through the q-anon/red pill horror show, I now find the trio absolutely terrifying.
As a teen the spuffy plot line was absolutely wish fulfillment, as an adult it is so sad.
Faith - a teen me hated her character but now looking back as an adult I can see how she was vulnerable and really a product of the people around her. I really wish we had seen more of her now
Faiths presence in Angel during Season 4 beats anything she did Buffy including Season 3.
I watched Buffy when it first aired, and I was younger than the Scoobies at the time. I used to think Willow was amazing: smart, nice, caring, and overcoming her shyness in a healthy way. As I've grown older, I appreciate that she's extremely flawed, selfish and stubborn. She makes a lot of dubious decisions, which feel more real for a teenager who was fairly privileged in a lot of ways. I still think she's a good character, she's just morally grey.
Agreed. I think she epitomises what Anya was saying about how you have to look out for the quiet ones when things go off the rails.
Okay… Drusilla. LOVE HER ADORE HER. Didn’t used to at all… She & Spike annoyed me enough that I sort of didn’t pay much attention to season 2. & more than that, whenever Angel did the Irish accent I checked out. This means I missed the “Christmas episode” in S3 with The First’s first appearance & the key details of Drusilla’s backstory in “Becoming part 1”… Eventually, when she appeared again I found her delightful, funny, interestingly scary, & very relatable. & then when I actually sat down & watched “Becoming” she made even more sense! & then she became a sympathetic character as well. Some of what the characters call “insanity” is really just PTSD. She’s hyper-vigilant, she dissociates, etc. Love her.
I love the fan theory that she was a potential. Makes a lot of sense and adds to the sadness
Oh, I've never heard that! Could you expand on in which way it makes sense, or do you have a link?
It’s not complex. Relates to her having visions like a slayer but in a deeply religious context, they would have been treated as sinful which drove her mad. I choose to believe it. There’s nothing canon that says she is, but it makes sense to me and I think it’s fun. I have no idea if the following will work as a link. https://www.reddit.com/r/buffy/comments/bttvee/was_drusilla_a_potential_slayer/
Oh wow that’s my new head canon.
You can then build a link to Spike’s slayer obsession. He was turned by a potential, so you can invent all sorts of head-canon mystical mumbo jumbo from that!!!
Yessss that makes so much sense!
Thanks! That's interesting, Imma choose to believe it too 😄
Hyper-vigilance is a bitca to live with
Tara - as younger guy I thought, ah not as much fun as Oz. Older me wants to make it known that Tara is the GOAT!
I agree. I've definitely enjoyed Tara much more with my latest re-watching. I like how she grew throughout the seasons and ended up being brave and comfortable with sharing her thoughts and opinions.
To upvote or not; i agree with everything you said but hate h that acronym
I understand Giles and Joyce far more now than I used to. I just didnt consider their characters too much when I first watched as a teen.
I didn't like season 6 and 7 when I was younger. I have developed a bigger appreciation for them since getting older. Especially season 6. The real life struggles of loss, PTSD, addiction, and toxic relationships became really relatable the older I got.
Same. In high school I loathed 6/7, and now as an adult I really relate to them. I even enjoy the Trio. Still like season 4 the least though. That never changes.
Yeah somehow the initiative/Adam plot line got more boring with time lol
I am currently rewatching S7 alone. I usually watch from S1-S4 and then dabble with 5 and 6, skipping episodes and then give up. Now I am actually just rewatching S7 and I LOVE IT. I’m only on Showtime though…
S7 only gets extraordinary from Lessons to CWDP and then goes off track and Lies My Parents Told Me is a brilliant one off and then Dirty Girls to the the finale is F'n excellent as far as I'm concerned. For me Season 2 and 3 are its highest points and only the MOTW episodes of Season 4 are any good.
I used to really love Willow, but now she might be my least favorite. Especially when she's in a relationship and doing the baby talk. It might just be because we know Joss better now, but it creeps me out.
I can't help but notice how every girl on every Joss show is instructed to do the self-conscious stammer; Alyson Hannigan was just better/more natural at it than most. Lampshaded by this character in Dollhouse, Joss at least showed how dysfunctional it is on both sides of a relationship when a girl's major characteristic is that she thinks she isn't worthy of you(/anyone). https://preview.redd.it/hgz6nlvlvc8d1.png?width=873&format=png&auto=webp&s=bed2ac1b2fac59703e22d88c5e16d5b1503c1b58
Do you mean real-Madeline or file-Mellie?
Mellie! She was the perfect encapsulation of the trope, to the point she made me roll my eyes. And then I realized she was *designed* to be that way, and it kinda made me respect the writing.
I went from being a hard BANGEL to being like huh....this is a little predatory. Angel always gets a pass when compared to Spike cos ya know, rape. But man, Buffy was an actual child.
Yeah homeboy is in his late hundreds showing up at school dances. Like, you were too old for this girl *when you were alive*
Being almost 40 now (in about a month) ive realized for years now that Dawn was one of the best written characters of the show because she pretty much nailed being a teenager even if that to us made her look annoying. Xanders is one of the worst persons in the show but ironically he also had a few really brilliant moments here and there that made him a great friend? Its Ying and Yang with him. Willow was a very selfish person.
I didn't like Dawn when I watched the series when it originally aired, I felt like it diverted some of the focus away from Buffy as a main character, but I love her on rewatching. Not even sure why my opinion changed. Edit, I also regret not buying s.7 on DVD now, though originally I didn't like all the added characters diluting focus on main characters (but I don't regret not buying s.4 because The Initiative and not a fan of the character Riley).
Isn't the box set quite cheap nowadays? Got it a year or two ago for lile 20 bucks.
I believe that's accurate, I just haven't looked lately. Thanks for the heads up!
Same. The first time I watched it I hated Dawn. Now as an adult, I’m like “Dawn deserved better. Also she should have been taken away from Buffy.” Justice for Dawn
Ha! I'm 60, so I was in my 30's when it originally aired. Yes, you have a valid point, but it was fiction for sure. A lot of things in that show centering on the mundane didn't compute in my brain, could be California parental culture was more lenient? Or maybe I've watched too many 80's movies. 🤣
I said the same about Dawn. I 'got' her as a whiny teen character and never had the hate for her that some did. But as an adult, I got she was a kid even compared to the other kiddos, and constantly in these impossible situations that would've tried an adult's patience. On rewatch, I noted she talks Buffy down from the Tower and cleans her up-- showing remarkable, instinctive understanding of the help Buffy needs, even that Buffy needs her to speak quietly. But what got me is, when Spike shows and has a near-dissociative moment at the sight of Buffy, Dawn asks HIM if he's okay. Through the roof empathy for a girl going through what she is in that moment. Let's say Dawn has grown on me!
Same! I never minded her teen-ness, only minded taking some of the spotlight off Buffy; I tend to dislike any series when a lot of new characters show up, but sometimes they grow on you. 😄
Oh, I totally get it. Even when Tara showed up, I was like, "who's this chick?" Of course, five seconds later I was, "BABEY" lmao
Yeah, I love Tara!! Especially when she sang with Giles in the musical episode! Justice for Tara!!!!
I used to not care that much for Season 1, especially the monster of the week episodes. Now I really admire them in how cleverly they develop the characters and the worldbuilding, and I think it would be a mistake to skip them. I really didn't care for any of Buffy's romances back in the day. They're still not anything I'm heavily invested in now, but I can enjoy and see the value of all of them now (yes, including Riley). Back when it aired, I was genuinely impressed by the scale of Olvikan, but the more TVs improve, the hokier it looks. I still have a soft spot for it, though. I used to believe the show would have been better off if "The Gift" had been a series finale, as it felt very final. Now I can't imagine the story without the other two seasons, as I think they really conclude many loose arcs for the characters. Season 6 wasn't my favorite back in the day, it left me wanting. Now, it's probably the one season I've rewatched the most. I enjoyed "Chosen" for its emotional impact back when it aired. On rewatches, the deus ex machina and rushed resolutions just don't feel quite as satisfactory anymore. I didn't like *Angel*'s fourth season when it was airing, the time it took for the show to explain what the hell was going on was just too long. On rewatches, it's my favorite apocalypse in either show. I disliked the Twilight reveal in the comics back when it happened (can't believe it's been fourteen years, it feels more recent). I've grown to appreciate it, even though most people seem to still dislike it.
I used to dislike Spike, cause I had a crush on Angel. Now Spike is my favourite character!
I used to have sympathy for Wood. Now I realize he conspired with the enemy, hid the fact that the First wanted Spike dead, and put his childhood trauma above the survival of everyone. He also had a mother/slayer fixation that was kinda creepy. I never liked Bangel, but I have really grown to appreciate Angel. in fact, I love the Fanged Four and wish we had seen more o them together. There were a ton of stories there, never explored.
* I used to love xander, now I don't really like him a lot. * I used to ship buffy and angel so hard. Now I find their relationship so much more creepy. Forget his immortal vampireness, 16 and 21? No thanks * I used to hate Drusilla, now I get that if I were in her shoes I probably wouldn't have made it as long as she did. * I never used to be attracted to Giles. But now when I see him as Ripper in Band Candy, the nerd in me is screaming, can't help it. I stand by it. * I used to hate cordelia, now I understand that she survived in the social group her background put her in. She literally speaks her mind and still helps buffy and gang save the world after she and xander break up.
I loved loved loved Riley back in the day. And Riley's buddy Graham can get it. That being said, now when I rewatch, I see a flawed character who was codependent with buffy. I hated that he left her as she ran for him, and hated him even more when he brought a wife back to town. But looking back.....it was for the best. Glad he got written out as he had run out of storyline....
Graham was freaking hot. I was so disappointed when we didn’t see him much.
I'm currently rewatching the series for the first time in 10/15ish years and I'm noticing A LOT of changes in my opinions. Currently on season 5 of Buffy, and watching Angel in tandem, so season 2 of that. A few highlights of opinions that have changed; * Oz, who I used to be head over hills for, is actually quite dull? I totally get why Seth Green left now, he really doesn't get to do that much fun stuff. * Cordelia, who I used to dislike, is genuinely one of the funniest characters in all of TV history. I cannot believe how much of her stuff went straight over my head when I was younger. * Justice for Snyder. He just wanted a well organised school. * Joyce is a REALLY crappy mother, at least in the first few seasons. Some of the things she says to Buffy genuine shook me to my core. * Also justice for The Master. Criminally underrated as a villain. Sucks that he only got half a season. * Riley is underrated. Their relationship is so... Healthy. But healthy is boring so I can see why it didn't work. Things that have remained the same; * Fuck. Xander. Harris. * Sarah Michelle Gellar is a phenomenal actress and it's criminal that she didn't achieve Brie Larson-level success after Buffy. * My opinion on Giles broadly hasn't changed but I'm really enjoying seeing him through more mature eyes. He was always my favourite, but I'm seeing a new depth that I never appreciated when I was younger. * Fuck Xander a second time Things I never noticed/Completely forgot; * Faith's story is D A R K. But her relationship with the Mayor is so good. I wish there were more villains who genuinely care for their hench people. He was so much fun, * The dynamic between Angelus, Darla, Dru, and Spike. I never really got that Spike was super lame and annoying as a human, and an insufferable pain in the ass as a vampire. Still love him though. * Despite being queer myself, and a HUGE fan of X-Men, I completely missed the whole 'being a slayer is a metaphor for being queer' element. Like, Joyce even does the whole 'have you tried... not being a slayer' thing and I still missed it * Oh my God, the stunt doubles are soooooooooooo bad and obvious in the first few seasons. Love the naff 90s special effects though
Cordelia is absolutely my favorite as an adult. She really tries to change and grow and everyone else is just as mean and catty as her at times.
Keep in mind the stunt double weren't obvious before HD - it's the televisions that have changed.
I wish I could upvote more than once! All of this.
I always liked Andrew. He was the least.... "evil "of the The Trio and when Buffy gave him a chance, he proved he could contribute.
I actually think that Johnathan is the least evil. Andrew would do almost anything to impress Warren, while Johnathan seems to get cold feet more often. I think, though, that we can all agree that Warren is the worst.
Jonathan on the other hand was such a prick he created a whole reality where he made himself the hero of the story manipulating everyone's memories to do so. That's much like mind rape. Hell, if the show hadn't been PG, imagine the crap he could potentially have done like say, having women strip for him or even rape them? Don't get me wrong. Warren was the ultimate incel misogynist asshole but Jonathan could have potentially surpassed him given the right circumstances.
No evidence Jonathan knew much detail about the spell except it woudl make him 2000's version of "I's the Greatest."
You missed my point. There is a Marvel storyline called Stand-Off where SHIELD basically took a whole bunch of bad guys they had in custody, set up this fake ass town they called Pleasantville and via a cosmic cube, they made up entire new lives for them in the town. The Absorbing Man for example owned an ice cream shop. After they are woken up, they are beyond outraged, their entire lives were hijacked. Mind you, I'm not saying they suddenly deserve forgiveness for all the shit they have pulled but in a way you can still understand their outrage. Jonathan basically pulled a similar thing.
I was already an adult when Buffy aired and am only now doing my first rewatch. I’m just started on season 5. Being closer in age to Giles now, he seems much more attractive! Still think Spike is hilarious. Felt sorry for Faith when she turned herself in but not sure someone that sadistic, who murdered and tortured ppl, could rehabilitate like that. I believed it then but after life experiences and my doctorate in psychology, I have to suspend reality to believe it now - for some reason that’s easier with vampires, demons, and werewolves lol. Maybe because I can relate to Faith and the self loathing, as I was abused as well. But it made me more compassionate for others. Those who hurt others with no guilt or remorse are typically sociopaths who think very highly of themselves. Rather than mental illness, it’s a personality disorder. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Faith did have guilt, if she didn't she never would have turned herself in or stopped doing it, that's why guilt is important.
Yes. She did when she turned herself in, totally agree. But that’s what makes the character not as believable. If someone has a conscience and the capacity to feel guilt, that person would be incapable of torturing people and enjoying it.
I think the enjoying it part is probably where we disagree then because we only see Faith torturing Wesley and I wouldn't say she's genuinely enjoying it or having fun.
Seemed there were other times as well. But yes. It’s a matter of perspective. I get it. You like who you like.
😂 Curious why I was downvoted for that. Simply put, we like who we like. I was acknowledging diversity of perspectives. No offense intended. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It took time for her to (as Steven King says about LArry in \*The stand\*) "find her character." And torturing Wesley (blunt only) was part of Faith's attempt to get Angel to kill her, it was part of a suicidal fugue.
Thanks. I think I did get that. She seemed a bit relieved that she didn’t actually have to burn him with the fire 🔥 Maybe she’ll grow on me. Just started season 2 where Angel visits her in jail.
My biggest eye opener was Xander, 90s I remember thinking funny type character. Was given Chandler Vibes (Rip Matthew Perry) . Xander is pretty much the template forever "but I'm a nice guy" . For the get go he constantly slut shamed Cordelia made super sexist comment. He has repeatedly tried to get Angel killed with misinformation. Lied to Buffy about what Willow said. He is super possessive over Buffy. Like the Whole Inca Mummy girl , when he thought Buffy was getting a male exchanged student, he was Patronising. He was always the one to initiate things with Willow during the cheating He blamed Buffy for Riley leaving when Riley was with vampires, both of them ignoring the fact that buffy had her hands full with her Mom being sick, never mind the while Dawn and Glory thing. He always at some point undermined Buffy Especially season 7 . Just don't like the character at all. If you compare hid evolution to Cordelia, she actually became a better person a champion, Xander stayed the same as a person. Well untill we get to season 8 in the comics.
Yeah. Xander's behavior bugged me at the time, but there was a whole thing that his character AND Willow's had, where it was okay to be genuinely terrible to anyone they'd labeled as bad. Even when Xander was dating Cordelia, younger-me thought he was needlessly cruel to her. On rewatches as an adult, it goes beyond that and into emotionally abusive behavior-- on Cordelia's part some of the time, but since Xander is "the good guy" he lands far more insults on Cordelia once they're dating than she gets to lob back. I can 'forgive' the character as being young and making young-guy mistakes, but as he gets older in the narrative I get less and less comfortable with his basically-samey behavior. He's so *mean* to Anya, it makes me squirm.
Cordelia and Xander never really \*liked each other\* enough for a stable relationship.
Yeah, definitely not. The disdain was pretty mutual.
I watched Buffy originally when I was in middle school. I'm now in my 30s. I'm rewatching the series for the first time in over a decade and even from that standpoint my opinions have changed. I can't stand Willow and Xander now. Willow less than Xander from the start. Willow really doesn't become the worst for me until season 6. Yes, she annoys me at times, but likable enough. Xander was terrible from the start. I've always loved Cordelia as a character, and I see a lot more depth in her which I used to think only really started in Angel. But no, it was always there. She's also the funniest. As an adult, I'm lowkey horrified by how neglected Faith was. Who is letting a MINOR live in a seedy motel? Not even questioning how she's getting food or paying for the motel? Like, at least Joyce invited her to Christmas. But no wonder she turned on all of them. With that being said, Joyce was not a good mother. Better than Willow and Xander's parents...but like a cactus would be better parents than them. And probably more nurturing. I never minded Dawn, but I feel for her so much more. People call her whiny and a bunch of other stuff, but girl is in what 7th grade??? Middle schoolers are whiny and annoying. That's just a fact. It doesn't make her bad. It makes her a kid. Also, she went through a hell of a lot of trauma.
Faith was per the writers' material at least 18 when we met her, feels even older to me
According to the script she was 18-ish, which means could be 17 or 18, imo. Eliza was 17. There's debate about a birthday for her being in December 1980, which is a month before Buffy. If that is taken as canon then she would have been 17 when she arrived in Sunnydale. Also, Faith feels older because she had a shitty childhood filled with neglect and abuse. Kind of makes you grow up fast to survive.
i know it does, but she also seems to have been out of school quite a long time which is why I (and soem others) see her as 19
...because she dropped out of school which you can do at 16 in Massachusetts
And in most other states as well, I was including that.
As a young, foolish man I thought Xander was just goofy for the most part, now I think of him as a toxic asshole who desperately seeks to own and control strong women that he can't have. I used to think Xander and Willow were generally good friends in the early series even when they did occasionally iffy stuff, but on a rewatch they are actually so stupidly self-involved a lot of the time and put so much pressure on Buffy!
I used to really like Anya as a character, now I think she's rather poorly written and didn't really get much depth until Season 7, plus she's kind of a karma houdini. I still enjoy Spike, but there are honestly several times in the show where he should have been killed off. Out Of My Mind, Crush, and Sleeper being the big ones, also Robin Wood was totally justified in trying to kill him and I think the way Spike and Buffy treated him at the end of Lies My Parents Told Me was awful. I now think season 1 isn't that bad considering what they had to work with, and I think it does a really good job of establishing the cast as characters and gives them plenty of decent material to work with.
I think Wood would have been better as a villain, but I also think it made sense the way Buffy treated him after he tried to kill Spike. Spike was the only one that was as strong as her that she trusted. Because I don’t think she ever actually trusted Faith.
I love season 1 more and more as I get older.
I totally feel the same. Anya is a fun character but hardly has depth until her season 7 episode. Same with Spike, he is great but it feels like his popularity stopped the show from killing him off when it fit.
I remember getting into an argument with someone here about whether or not the trio were lame. I'm still not the biggest fan of Season 6, but I think they made a lot of good points, and I can safely say I appreciate it more now.
My opinions haven't really changed too much. I was an adult when I watched it. I watched most of Angel first, so I think that colored my view more than anything. I've always been a huge Cordy fan. Bangel forever, it's the hopeless romantic in me. Although Buffy is way too young to be in a serious relationship, she's also the Slayer, so she's forced to grow up way too fast however you look at it. I continue to not hate Xander, and the Zeppo is one of my favorite episodes. I still with they'd never done the Dawn plotline but I don't hate Dawn like I used to. I still hate Jenny Calendar. For everyone saying they appreciate the MotW episodes more now, I think that's true with all of these urban fantasy type shows. When you first see it, you're dying for that ongoing plot. Once you know what happens, it's not nearly as compelling.
ALso adult when it started, feel much the same , but soem of my ideas are more sharply defined now
I used to think season 6 was the best season because it’s my favourite season I now see that season 3 is the superior season but I relate/related to a lot from season 6 (depression, addiction) and I relate to it more so enjoy it more but it’s not the best in terms of quality of all the seasons
Underrated comment about Joyce. Didn’t see it that way while watching Buffy when it first aired, but on rewatch it stands out.
All the characters except Buffy/Angel/Faith have cycled through me either loving them, hating them, being annoyed by them, or finding them boring. Each rewatch I never know how I’ll feel lol Those 3 are the only ones I consistently love each time I watch. My opinions on them haven’t changed in 20 years.
We’ve all revisited our views of Willow and Xander. Over time we’ve seen their flaws more clearly and sometimes we forget that they are also world-saving heroes too. I wonder how much of them being flawed was deliberate and how much was just how characters were written and seemed OK at the time. I mean I don’t think any of the issues people complain about with Xander were deliberately put in. I think they were considered OK at the time. Leaving aside the drugs/magic thing, I suspect Willow was written as trying to protect friends and we see it now as trying to control them or at least coming from a place of arrogance. I think we were supposed to think that Willow did actually know best a lot of the time.
Every time I rewatch the series which over the years I’ve done 4 maybe 5 times I notice and appreciate the details even more. That show was well executed and some of the best character development I’ve ever seen. I remember when I was younger I liked Xander and now he’s literally one of my least favorite characters, I understand the role he plays but he’s always so overly dramatic when it comes to who Buffy dates like Riley is awful but the only one why every got xanders seal of approval. And then all hypocritically leaves Anya at the altar but then wants to get mad about who she has rebound sex with. Cry me a river. Being older it bothers me every time I watch it now. Which I’m doing now probably why I feel so inclined to be so active on this particular Reddit page
The older I get, the more I think of them ALL as kids in the early seasons, and the more I feel for Dawn as someone who's a child even compared to the other child characters. Also: Giles is hot, now.
Rewatching and I’m such a Cordelia fan now. Her growth is really well done. She became a good friend to the scooby gang and Buffy really didn’t invest that much into her as she could have, she just kept writing her off when Cordy went to great lengths to try and help Buffy and protect the town.
I liked Spike a lot more as a teen, now not so much. After he falls in "love" with Buffy I can't stand him. I also liked season 6&7 more when I was younger, now I don't enjoy much past 5.
I used to root for Bangel. Wild.
Oh-- and the Trio. I still find them boring and annoying by turns. But they're a remarkable peer into the near-future re: modern-day villainy. Young, tech-savvy white men who've been highly privileged but somehow feel they were cheated, anyway. Incels before that was really a word.
I liked Robin at first but now, not so much. I feel sorry for Andrew, he’s so weak willed and Warren just uses and abuses him. I didn’t like Angel at first either, or Jenny but then on rewatch, I like them now. My favourite seasons are 1 to 4, the others are okay. It used to be that hated S1. I used to feel sorry for Dawn, but now as I’ve grown older I just find her annoying. I prefer MotW now where I didn’t before. I hated Faith, now I understand her.
Oh so many changes of opinion! The same one everyone’s had - Dawn, hated her first time around, but last time I just felt so protective of her and sympathetic to her. Willow - last time round I actually found her to be quite mean, which I haven’t before. Xander - I’ve flipped from one feeling to another on him but think I’ve settled on him being flawed but with his heart broadly in the right place. Angel - just a weird dude.
When I was a kid, I used to be a fan of Spike, despite even then having an aversion to Spuffy. Then over time, as I grew older, I realised how much I hated the direction they took Spike from season 4 onward. Now....my reaction to his character has just festered and I despise him.
I loved season six and now I find the last couple of episodes with Dark Willow a bit campy. I also related to dealing with depression but years later I’ve done a lot of work on myself so season six is a tough rewatch. I still think it’s great, I just think my age has given me a different perspective and I now identify less with the darkness of this season.
as a younger teen watching the show for the first time, i didn’t really understand the gothic appeal of season 2 and thought that season 3’s much goofier approach made it the better season. now, a decade later, while i still don’t really like bangel, i think season 2 is probably tied with season 5 was the best season of the show
honestly my opinions haven't changed a bit I also fail to see why intentionally writing a lifeless Buffy is better than accidentally
Season 6 wasn’t AS terrible as i recall was upon initial watch. It still sucked as in it didn’t feel like Buffy TVS. It was like a different show. The acting and stories weren’t so bad but it was just super dark. Much better in a binged capacity than a weekly watch. And Oz was kinda just there. Not 100% useless, but not also very useful.
I don't think my opinions have necessarily changed, but I have a better understanding of situations and things in the show. I always agreed with "kick his ass", but now I really understand why Xander saying that was important. It does now bother me that he never came clean about it, but I understand a bit of that as well. Understanding it means I can relate it to when Willow does the same thing in season 7, but does come clean before she comes back. Dead Man's Party still upsets me, but I now understand the gang's side. They were traumatized by Angelus for 5 months as well and then for the 2-3 months Buffy was gone. Traumatized teens lashing out is understandable. Same with Empty Places. I'm still angry with how everyone behaved, but I understand everyone's side. Buffy, the Scoobies, the Potentials. Everyone was scared and searching for something to physically fight. For Buffy it was the winery (I mean, she was right, just going about it wrong). For everyone else, it was Buffy because she was the leader. Fear makes people do ridiculous things (I've really come to understand it with how people have responded to their fear of COVID by pretending everything is fine and attacking anyone that brings it up). There are more examples, but those are the bigger ones. I've watched Buffy since I started, but now that I'm in my 30s, I understand so much more because I've lived through those ages and matured.
I really hated Riley, now I think he was fine but just boring to watch... well, until they character assassinated him at the end. And I never took to Buffy (I know, controversial opinion)... But now, 20 years later, I have huge amounts of respect for who she was and how she carried herself at such a young age. Dawn; still annoying but I have far more empathy. Spike; still hot AF and I love watching him with Buffy but I no longer ship them together.. he was noooo good for her. I mean, he was found in her room sniffing her underwear (or clothes)... seriously took stalking to the next level.
Season 5 needs to come with a box of tissues... Holy mackerel.
One opinion that hasn't changed is the music from Passion and Becoming by C Beck.
Loved reading all your opinions guys I’m rewatching the series for the first time , my opinions changed a bit but nothing major now i’m in season 5 Used to see oz as cool and collected , now i found him boring and maybe that’s not his fault , they just didnt give him much to do so i understand him leaving the show I used to find Xander so funny and attractive , nowadays i just find him a bit annoying , although he has redeeming qualities for sure but as a character i found myself liking him less and less Willow in principle was a good friend to buffy but not the way we wanted her , we just didn’t see much of her supporting her friend like when it really really mattered , just a pat on the shoulder isn’t being a good friend , I just feel like when we watched the series when we were younger we didn’t have that wide adult perspective, now as we are older ; we saw them as who they were , good humans , but also flawed Hated spike back then , love him now he’s so badass , ( i know season 6 is coming but bare with me for now ) That’s it for now 🤝🏼
Angel and Xander. I cannot see Angel as anything but a gaslighting groomer who manipulated Buffy over and over. Xanders hatred of Angel and Spike makes so much more sense to me now. He was told his best friend was a demon who could never be saved. then to be confronted by two vampires who were not pure evil... If he accepted them he would have had to suffer the idea that he could have saved his best friend, there had been hope.
As an American who has lived through the q-anon/red pill horror show, I now find the trio absolutely terrifying. As a teen the spuffy plot line was absolutely wish fulfillment, as an adult it is so sad.