Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the Friends of genre television. It has inspired countless descendants, some of which are lesser copycats and others which stand on their own two feet, but nothing compares to the original series. Established fans will be familiar with the moment when you happen upon a Buffy episode in syndication and smile a little nostalgically, only to find yourself gripped all over again. That is dependent on the episode, because Buffy ran for seven seasons and has notable dips in quality, but it hits multi-episode streaks in seasons two, three, five and even six, and every other season has standout episodes somewhere in there. It's also sometimes a little heavy-handed with the metaphors, like Willow's addiction to magic in the sixth season and that bizarre episode in which beer causes everyone to behave like cavemen. Then there are episodes like Passion, Graduation Day, The Body and Once More with Feeling, and you know you're in safe hands. The only people likely to be disappointed by Buffy are those who've heard of its unparalleled reputation from a fan and therefore come to it expecting a grandiose work of art, then catch a scene with one-liners and stakes and suspect exaggeration. Buffy's brilliance is that its emotional depth, snappy dialogue, technical creativity and nuanced performances just seem effortless, which is why it's still Whedon's best television series. In short, we're not exaggerating.
