Everything We Want From the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot

It's official—Buffy the Vampire Slayer is making a comeback, with the Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, set to return in a recurring role.

As fans who watched the series when it originally aired on the The WB and UPN (as well as its spin-off, Angel) back in the day, we're equal parts elated and terrified. The new show could be perfect, recapturing all of that classic Buffy magic—or it might feel like a hollow, disappointing shell of its former self.

However, the details we have so far are promising. The new pilot at Hulu will primarily be focused on a new Slayer, with the titular Buffy Summers showing up in a supporting role. It'll also have Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao at the helm, so we can expect it to be gorgeously shot and feature rich character work. We won't know for sure until we can actually watch it in full, but until then, here are a few things we want from the reboot (and if you're not caught up on the lore, beware spoilers!).

A Compelling Lead and Her Supporting Scoobies

Without Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer simply wouldn't have been what it was. Even in the very early episodes when the series was still trying to find its footing and pacing, she came out of the gate with the perfect blend of style, attitude and humor, with an uncanny ability to deliver dialogue that might otherwise be cringe-worthy and turn it into a super quotable catchphrase—and all while kicking lots of butt.

(Buffy the Vampire Slayer via The WB)

Obviously, the young Slayer at the heart of this new story can't just be Buffy all over again, but it's so important that the creators nail her casting and characterization to create a character we'll love just as much. She needs to be well-rounded and complex, with her own vulnerabilities and struggles behind her strengths, without feeling like a carbon copy.

And just as Buffy has her beloved "Scooby Gang" to support her along her journey, this new Slayer will also need a well-rounded cast of characters keep her afloat. Perhaps this new Slayer will have a Watcher, like Buffy had Giles, to guide her through her training, or maybe a new system will be in place. Her friend group could consist of fellow Slayers, or maybe she's also mostly a regular high school student with her band of best pals who also slay demons. Whichever direction they take, it's critical that they get that balance right.

(Buffy the Vampire Slayer via The WB)

 

A Deeper Dive Into the World of Slayers

In the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the world changed forever when Buffy's best friend and ultra-powerful witch Willow performed an activation spell. This magic sought out every "potential" (girls with the innate potential to become Vampire Slayers) and unlocked the Slayer power within them, including super strength, speed, healing and even prophetic visions.

Of course, this would have some pretty big implications for the wider world of Buffy—if we ever got to see it, at least. The finale shows the Slayers coming together for an epic final showdown before Sunnydale is wiped off the map, and then the series ends. Season 5 of Angel follows these events, but also doesn't address them much outside one of episode dealing with an activated Slayer who breaks her way out of a psychiatric ward.

What we want to see is how the world looks when there's not just one or two Slayers, but hundreds, thousands or even more. Have they made the planet a more peaceful place by fighting the forces of darkness, or have demons become emboldened by the threat to their existence? Is the world of vampires and demons still a complete secret to the average person, or are they now a part of everyday life?  With the work spread out, do today's Slayers have a better work-life balance, or are they as busy as ever? There's a good chance Buffy's world looks entirely different than it did in 2003, and we can't wait to it come to life.

(Buffy the Vampire Slayer via UPN)

 

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What's Canon and What's Not?

Just because Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended in 2003 and Angel ended in 2004 doesn't mean their stories have concluded. Thanks to various comic books series, the lore has continued building to this very day, with certain runs even dubbed "Season 8," "Season 9," "Season 10," "Season 11" and "Season 12." We're pretty curious as to whether the show will consider these events canon, ignore them completely or pick and choose what works best for the story they want to tell.

For example, Angel's "Season 6" After the Fall comic series basically sees the team use a loophole to force the evil Senior Partners to revert time, undoing the apocalypse and saving all of Los Angeles from being sent to Hell. Since Season 5 ended on a cliffhanger spelling certain doom for our heroes, this would be a great way to potentially bring some of our favorites back to the screen.

There are also aspects from the comics we'd prefer for them to leave behind, like Buffy becoming a bank robber to fund the Slayers or Xander dating Buffy's little sister, Dawn (yuck). We hope the new series can set things straight.

 

The Return of Familiar Faces

Buffy Summers is one of the greatest fictional characters of all time, but that doesn't mean she's the only familiar face we're eager to see in the new series. In fact, we could probably name a hundred characters we'd want to see again, from her witchy best friend Willow Rosenberg to little sister Dawn, her trusted mentor and Watcher Rupert Giles and fellow Slayer and frequent adversary Faith Lehane, not to mention so countless minor characters who may have only shown up once or twice.

Of course, if there are two major characters the fans (and shippers) everywhere will want to see, it's Buffy's vampiric ex-boyfriends Angel and Spike. Viewers remain deeply divided on which couple they love best, and for good reason. There is one minor complication, however, and it's that vampires aren't supposed to age, and actors David Boreanaz and James Marsters (justifiably) don't look exactly the way they did when we first met them nearly 30 years ago. We just hope that if they bring out the de-aging tech, it's done tastefully. Maybe it's also time to let Buffy grow up and have a healthy relationship and leave that demonic love triangle behind.

(Angel via The WB)

 

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A Terrifying Big Bad

We think it's a given that the new Buffy spinoff will feature new demonic forces. However, if there is one most important thing about introducing our latest bad guys, it's that they feel scary and dangerous, and that there are stakes for our heroes because their narratives are intrinsically intertwined.

Past seasons have—mostly—nailed this. The Master was your classic ancient vampire who felt extra threatening because Buffy feared him and  ger prophesied death. Spike and Drusilla felt like the ultimate vampire power couple with deadly ambitions, which became even worse when Angelus was unleashed, turning Buffy's one true love into her greatest adversary. Even though Mayor Wilkins didn't look scary, his ambitions to ascend into a pure demon were, and he had a weirdly delightful personality that made every appearance one of our favorites, particularly when he was dealing with Buffy's rival Slayer, Faith. Then there was Glory, an all-powerful goddess and all-around diva with a plan to kill Buffy's sister and end reality, and the trio of Andrew, Jonathan and Warren, who start off as pesky yet harmless nerds before going down the path of supervillains and setting off an even great evil in the process.

(Buffy the Vampire Slayer via The WB)

Then there are the baddies that were mostly duds. Adam was a Frankenstein's monster-esque creature with no apparent motives and only a tangential relationship to Buffy and her story. Finally, while Season 7's Caleb has frightening moments, but he's introduced too late in the game, feeling mostly like a mouthpiece for The First Evil and not his own character, and the entire final confrontation feels less weighty because of it.

We hope that, whatever the big villain of this new show is, that they're the right combination of scary, compelling and charismatic. Most importantly, though, we have to care, and their threat has to really matter to our heroes, as well as the larger world of the show.

 

Did you know there's a Buffy the Vampire Slayer tarot deck? Click HERE to read our thoughts.