And yet, if Buffy taught us anything, it’s that grief is something you face as a team. Around The Cascade office, the heartbreak has been real. This show has always been more than a cult classic. We adore it — we quote it, cling to it, find ourselves in it.
Riot with us as our very own Scooby Gang protests this cancellation by sharing our favourite episodes:
Caitlyn Carr, Features Editor
“Becoming: Part 2” (S2. E22)
Whenever I’m feeling low, I watch the season two finale of Buffy. Not because it’ll cheer me up, but because if Buffy can keep from crumbling after the events of this episode, I can certainly deal with my own relatively mundane hardships. I can still remember the exact moment I realized just how strong Buffy really is: when she’s about to be struck down by the love of her life, and she utters my favourite line in the entire series.
Angel: “No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away, and what’s left?”
Buffy: “Me.”
As I write this, I’m doing what all Buffy fans should do in times of hardship: rewatching my favourite episode. Buffy and Spike are teaming up for the first time, Sarah McLachlan’s “Full of Grace” is gracing my ears, and Buffy is telling her mom she’s a slayer in one of the best coming-out metaphors I’ve ever seen. Even if Hulu is abandoning Buffy, Buffy will never abandon us.
Jasleen Sandhu, Staff Writer
“Prophecy Girl” (S1. E12)
We could’ve had a whole new generation introduced to Buffy! The Hellmouth is waiting for whoever cancelled the reboot. I wanted to see what Buffy’s been up to and how Sunnydale has changed — or stayed the same. Chloé Zhao’s envisioned Buffy… what could’ve been. At least we’ll always have the original to return to, and all our favourite episodes.
The episode “Prophecy Girl” means a lot to me. Whenever I think about the series, I always reflect on this episode. Not only am I an absolute sucker for the high school seasons, but this episode highlights the life Buffy must lead. It emphasizes her resilience and reminds me why she’s one of my absolute favourite characters ever. And of course, it gave us some excellent quotes, including “you have fruit punch mouth.” Buffy’s an icon.
Sky S. Terrones, Arts Editor
“Family” (S5. E6)
As my all?time favourite series, I debated for ages over which episode to choose. In the end, I had to go with “Family.” Not only does it put my favourite character at centre stage, it captures what I feel is the spirit of the entire show. There’s strength in each of us — even alone, we carry that power. But sometimes, when you feel like you don’t have it or don’t belong; when you’re at your weakest and convinced you don’t deserve help, you look up and realize you’ve gathered people shaped by similar shitty situations — bonded to you for life — choosing to stand by you through the good and the bad.
Family is far stronger than blood. Family is choice.
Mr. Maclay: “This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara’s affairs. We are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?”
Buffy Summers: “We’re family.”
Darien Johnsen, Editor-in-Chief
“Who Are You?” (S4. E16)
During a period of depression a few years ago, my friend dropped off a stack of DVDs for me, including the first season of Buffy. It was certainly not my first choice, but once I finally dove in, what I thought was just a silly teen drama became something that changed my life forever. And there is one episode that shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.
“Who Are You?” explores what happens when someone stops trusting love — and how, when faced with it for the first time, it nearly breaks them. Perhaps the executive who cancelled Buffy has never truly known love; if they were ever confronted with the depth of comfort, truth, and righteousness packed into this glorious series, they’d crumble under the weight of its beauty, demanding in glorious, broken confusion, “What do you want from her!?”
Only then would they feel, for the first time, the extent of the pain they’ve caused.
As for long-time fans, we know evil is nothing new, and we’re prepared to fight it.
