‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Was Joss Whedon At His Best

It’s no secret that Joss Whedon is prolific. The television and movie master has been responsible for a plethora of projects, most of which involve a little science fiction flair. Whedon, a third-generation television scriptwriter, never thought he’d end up following in his father’s footsteps – but once he realized the paycheck for TV writing might help foot the bill a little better than film, he took the plunge. Whedon wrote for television series like Roseanne and Parenthood, and later sold his screenplay for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only to watch his vision for the film be butchered on screen. Evidently, this failure was short-lived, as he later expanded the idea into a full-fledged television series (one we’re still celebrating today). Fans who missed the Buffy boat might know him for The Avengers, a flick that can only be called the ultimate superhero movie, and indie lovers fawned over the innovative Much Ado About Nothing, a black-and-white modern adaptation of the Shakespeare classic filmed over 12 days in Whedon’s Santa Monica home. He’s an artist of many talents, and his unique storytelling abilities, passion for feminism, and dabbling in multiple art forms make him something of a national treasure. While he continues to make incredible content, it’s important to look back at where he became a household name – and that starts with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the beloved series that debuted 20 years ago today.

When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film was torn apart by critics in 1992, it seemed unlikely that this idea would be revived again. While the concept of a fashion-loving, chatty cheerleader kicking vampire ass may have been an innovative one, the reception of the film prevented it from having any serious impact. Whedon revived this story in 1997, however, when a woman named Gail Berman thought the script would make a great television series and proposed the idea to Whedon. Berman owned the rights to Whedon’s script at the time, and after a lot of conversation, brainstorming, and rejection from networks, Buffy eventually found a home with The WB. Whedon served as creator, head writer, and director on the series – and once the show took off, it was always apparent when Whedon had taken the reins as director on an episode (they were extraordinary).

The impact that Buffy had has remained unmatched. The series has inspired a field of academia, spin-offs, massive conventions, comic books, action figures, and more. It spurned a series of television shows that featured strong, flawed, dynamic female leads at the helm (Veronica Mars and Crazyhead among them). Whedon became a household name, and since then, his next projects have always been highly anticipated.

“I designed Buffy to be an icon, to be an emotional experience, to be loved in a way that other shows can’t be loved,” Whedon told The Onion AV Club in 2001. He understood right away what an impact her character would have, what passion the series would spark in fans – because her experience (slaying vampires and demons aside) was universal. High school is hell, adolescence is agonizing, and sometimes all the pressure is too much. The manifestation of normal adolescent (and later, adult) issues as literal monsters somehow made the show more nuanced and introspective than any other serious drama out there. It was no accident that Buffy became the cultural apex we know today: with Whedon, everything is intentional. And that’s why the legacy of Buffy will outlast every other thing that Whedon has done. This is not to say that Whedon has not created amazing content since Buffy‘s conclusion. As mentioned before, The Avengers and Much Ado About Nothing are incredible examples of his narrative prowess. We’re still aching over the premature cancellations of Firefly and Dollhouse. No one’s done a spin-off quite like Angel. And even recently, with his producing hands on horror comedy/modern classic The Cabin in the Woods (which has elements borrowed from Buffy and The Initiative!) and creator mind on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he’s still killing it. What we’ll remember, however, is the plucky blonde ass-kicker he gave us with Buffy.

Whedon truly achieved what he set out to do when he created Buffy: the birth of a character that generations would be able to relate to and cherish for years. So few showrunners and writers ever truly accomplish what they set out to do – but this is Joss Whedon we’re talking about. This is a man who flawlessly conveyed the emotions and consequences of teen sex in “Innocence”, who portrayed grief in a way that remains unparalleled in “The Body“, who shocked us with clever musical numbers and dance sequences in “Once More, with Feeling”. The episodes directed by Whedon hold up as classics in their own right, and his writing, time and time again, was layered with complexity, metaphor, and raw emotion. “Joss doesn’t do anything with half measures,” says James Marsters, who played Spike. “He goes all the way with things. And I’m glad he does.”

How can you top someone who sets out to do something and accomplishes it even better than anyone ever anticipated? You can’t. What Whedon achieved for genre television, female characters, and storytelling in general will remain unmatched for the duration of his career – and even after we’re all gone. That’s the magic of what he achieved with Buffy. While we may have said farewell to our feisty leading lady fourteen years ago, the impacts of Whedon’s work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer will last forever (or at least as long as television and movies are being made).