The original series follows the story of 15-year-old Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), destined to slay otherworldly villains as she deals with the ultimate evil: high school. The show combines comedy, horror, romance, drama, and action to produce a truly one-of-a-kind, ground-breaking masterpiece. It features not only a strong female lead but also the first recurring lesbian couple on prime time TV, Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara Maclay (Amber Benson), who dated over a span of three seasons, solidifying its status as a cultural icon and one of the top 90s superhero TV programs.
The show is said to have influenced cinema in more ways than one. It was the first show to use “Google” as a verb, has arguably the greatest musical episode to ever air (which is said to have been influenced by the Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001) TV show of the same era), and coined the term “Big Bad.” It even influenced an entire academic field of “Buffy” studies. Plus, gay witches — hello?!
Buffy saved the world a lot — not just within the show itself but also for those of us who followed her journey. Although it premiered almost 30 years ago, its cult-like fan base has remained ever-loyal, gathering in online chat rooms to discuss and analyze the show. With the pilot’s announcement, the Buffy subreddit has been home to absolute chaos as fans rant, rave, speculate, and gush over what a new era of Slayers could bring. If one thing is clear, fans of BTVS adore BTVS. This show isn’t just about slaying vampires, demons, and forces of darkness; it’s also about navigating the trials and tribulations of young adulthood, with Buffy as our inspiration to walk through the fire.
“The hardest thing in this world … is to live in it … Be brave. Live. For me.”
So far, we don’t know much about what the reboot may look like, but here’s what we do know:
While it has been confirmed that Gellar will rejoin the cast, she won’t be the lead slayer. Instead, the focus will be on a new slayer, building off the show’s final season, where a world of potential slayers was activated. Two writers have been scouted already, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, who worked on both Poker Face (2023–) and Fringe (2008-2013), as well as Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, who is a long-time Buffy fan.
Gellar has infamously been against a Buffy reboot. She and Zhao connected three years ago, falling into a discussion about a Buffy revitalization that ended up on Hulu’s desk this year. Gellar took to social media to reassure fans that the show would be in good hands after the announcement dropped.
“I know how much it means, and we will only do it if we can do it right and honour that legacy and extend it, but it just seems like the world needs a superhero right now.”
During troubling times, I often find myself asking, “What would Buffy do?” (In fact, you can buy an entire spiritual guide for that). She inspires me to make hard decisions, to push away my selfish desires for the greater good, and to be courageous in the face of danger. The reality is we need a hero more than ever. They may not be able to save us from the real world, but if only they could renew our hope, perhaps it could boost our strength and give us the confidence to withstand our current social apocalypses (“Turns out I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of ‘apocalypse’”). As Buffy would say:
“There is only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil… And that’s us…
Any questions?”
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.
