While the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot has been put on hiatus, it would behoove studios to produce one in order to address the original show’s complex legacy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cult classic, lauded for its strong, multi-faceted female characters and emotional storylines. However, in the 25 years since the series first aired, the show’s legacy and cultural impact has grown complicated, largely due to the many allegations surrounding Buffy creator, Joss Whedon. As a result, how the fans address their relationship to the show in light of these allegations and where the franchise goes is nuanced, but could be helped with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer tells the story of a Chosen One, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is the Slayer, a girl destined to battle the monsters and demons of the world. At her side are her friends, primarily Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendon), and mentor, Giles (Anthony Head). The story began with the characters as students at Sunnydale High, but ended with the characters progressing into their adult lives. Throughout seven seasons, Buffy and her friends defeated world-ending evils several times, in the process often tackling complex social issues such as child abuse, violence in schools, and domestic violence.
Why The Original Buffy TV Show Has A Complex Legacy
Since the series ended in 2003, Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s legacy has become more complicated. One on hand, there are a lot of positive messages in the series. Not only does the show emphasize how the ‘chosen one’ actually needs a strong support system, showing how collective action and community are how people can cause change, but Buffy herself is a strong protagonist who is also emotionally complex, unafraid of her femininity, and as much a hero as any male character. Willow, too, is a hallmark of LGBTQ+ representation for its time, and her arc from a shy computer nerd to powerful witch is empowering.
But on the other hand, Joss Whedon’s impact on the series looms large in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since his work on the show, Whedon has come under fire for creating toxic work environments, favoritism, and treating his employees and actors poorly on set. This has included allegations of extramarital relationships with female employees working beneath him. Some have also alleged that Whedon used his feminist brand to shield him from the results of his problematic behavior, both on set and in his writing, even in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This has led to many of the show’s actors distancing themselves from Whedon.
A Buffy Reboot Can Help The Franchise’s Legacy
While the weaknesses in Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a result of Whedon’s influence and the negative impact he has had on those who helped him create the series can never be ‘fixed’ or undone, a reboot of the series could provide a less problematic alternative to the original. While watching the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it is nigh impossible to untangle Whedon’s influence from the series, despite its good points, and he is always likely to profit from any viewership revenue the series generates. If a reboot were created without Whedon’s input, it could give the franchise back to the fans while producing the series in a kinder, less toxic way.
As well as this, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot could allow the series to further invest in the positive elements where the original only scratched the surface. This could include fixing the lack of diversity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and removing the male entitlement rampant throughout the series, particularly in Xander. A reboot could also increase the number of people of color on the show and diversify the core cast, which stands in stark contrast with the minimal Black characters in the original. As well as this, a reboot could include more LGBT+ representation and avoid the ‘bury your gays’ trope that appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6.
Why Buffy The Vampire Slayer Deserves A Reboot
Even beyond the potential to fix the weaknesses from the original series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer deserves a reboot because the story is strong enough that it deserves to be free of the weight of Whedon’s influence and the tainted legacy that comes with it. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was an inspiration to many viewers and had a defining impact on the entertainment industry. Just because it had so many positive impacts does not mean that current audiences should not be critical of it, nor that it should even be celebrated in perpetuity. Instead, a reboot provides the opportunity to grow beyond the original in every way and leave behind the past toxicity.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Should Be Involved In Buffy’s Reboot
Of course, just because the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator was problematic does not mean everyone who had a hand in creating the show should be tarred by that brush. For instance, if the reboot could include some members of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast, especially the original Slayer, it would be both fitting and beneficial. Gellar would not even need to star to the show, though an older Buffy who has progressed from hero to mentor would be a great way to include her, but she could still be involved in production as an advisor or work in the show’s development.
Besides granting the reboot some validity and gravitas, including Gellar specifically would help purge some of the bad aftertaste left by the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. This is especially true given the way Gellar has spoken about protecting the young cast of Wolf Pack, another supernatural series in which she is both an executive producer and actor. If Gellar were to bring this same attitude from Wolf Pack to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, she could be instrumental in the new series avoiding the original’s problems and creating a better work environment, and by extension, a better viewing experience overall.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
