How to Watch
All seven seasons are available to stream with a subscription on Netflix and Hulu.
Reasons to Watch
Before Twilight, True Blood or The Vampire Diaries, there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you love vampires, demons and/or strong female characters, Buffy is the show for you. Sarah Michelle Gellar kicks major ass as Buffy Summers, the high school cheerleader turned Chosen One. With the help of her friends Willow and Xander, Buffy sets out to save the world from evil—which is easier said than done when your high school sits atop a Hellmouth.
Buffy has it all: smart comedy, romance (between humans and vampires, humans and humans, vampires and vampires…) and a great cast of characters. There are episodes that will make you laugh, scream and sob—sometimes all three within the span of 45 minutes. You will fall in love with the Buffyverse, which is why you’ll stick with the series through heart-wrenching story arcs and at times laughable special effects. Like every long-running TV show, Buffy has its ups and downs. But trust us when we say, all seven seasons are worth watching…and then watching again.
Suggested Rate of Watching
When you start watching Buffy, you’ll most likely go through the first season fairly quickly. By the end of season two, you’ll definitely be hooked. Just remember that the show has seven seasons, and you don’t want to rush through them. Each episode is 45 minutes long, so committing to two episodes a day is pretty reasonable. Of course, there will be days when you just can’t stop watching, and that’s OK.
You Will Like This Show If You Like…
Firefly, Charmed, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural
Best Season
The third season is arguably the strongest overall. With notable episodes such as “The Wish,” “Amends” and “Dopplegangland,” and of course the two-part season finale “Graduation Day,” season three marks the end of Buffy’s high school years. Viewers get to experience sentimental coming-of-age moments such as the prom and high school graduation…which wouldn’t be complete for Buffy fans without the titular character ripping off her graduation gown in order to battle a giant demon.
Worst Season
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and season seven brings the show to a close. The final episode concludes on a fittingly bittersweet note, but the episodes leading up to the series finale are mostly mediocre. While there are some memorable moments, this season is, sadly, pretty forgettable as a whole.
Best Episode From Each Season
Season One
1x12 — "Prophecy Girl"
Season Two
2x22 — "Becoming: Part 2"
Season Three
3x20 — "The Prom"
Season Four
4x10 — "Hush"
Honorable Mention
4x09 — "Something Blue"
Season Five
5x16 — "The Body"
Season Six
6x07 — "Once More, with Feeling"
Season Seven
7x22 — "Chosen"
Character You Will Aspire to Be Like
Buffy Summers
A teenage girl from California who is thrown into a dark and dangerous world, Buffy is understandably a reluctant hero at the beginning of the series. But by the end, she embraces her destiny. You’ll love watching Buffy kick some serious vampire ass. She is funny, cool, smart and kind, and you will definitely aspire to be like her. Slay, Buffy, slay.
Characters You Will Love to Hate
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia begins her series arc as the classic mean girl, but she becomes so much more. You’ll hate her, love her and hate her again, but you've got to give it to her: she is far from a static character.
Faith
Without giving too much away, Faith is basically Buffy’s foil. You’ll mostly hate her, but it will be so much fun.
Spike
Oh, Spike. This leather jacket-wearing vampire villain will surprise you in the end. And that’s all we’re going to say.
Couples You Will Be Shipping
Buffy and Angel
The Buffy/Angel saga is beautiful, heartbreaking and one of our favorite parts of the entire series. If you live for romance, you will ship this couple so hard. Plus, there’s nothing sexier than a young, tortured David Boreanaz.
Willow and Tara![]()
Talk about magical (ha, you’ll get the joke later). These two are the best together.
Xander and Anya
We love seeing Xander happy, and Anya (mostly) makes him happy. This couple will bring a smile to your face.
Spike and Drusilla
Spike and Drusilla are an unconventional couple. They’re both a bit crazy, which makes for some entertaining banter between the two.
Terminology You Need to Know
Hellmouth
"From beneath you, it devours."
A Hellmouth is an area where the barriers between dimensions are weak, which allows for the creation of portals between Earth and hell dimensions. Hellmouths attract demons and other creatures, becoming “hot spots” for supernatural activity.
Slayer
"In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."
The Slayer is a young human woman chosen by fate and bestowed with mystical powers, whose job it is to hunt and fight forces of evil.
Watcher
"A Slayer slays, a Watcher…"
A Watcher is a member of a secret organization called the Watchers’ Council, which seeks to prepare the Slayer to fight demonic forces. Watchers are assigned to train and guide Slayers.
Best Guest Stars
Many of Buffy’s stars went on to do great things in Hollywood. Apart from the main cast, though, there are a few familiar faces that show up for an episode or two. Look out for Amy Adams, Rachel Bilson, Bianca Lawson, Shane West and Amber Tamblyn, among others.
Music You Will Be Dying to Hear Again
Tracks like Close Your Eyes (the Buffy/Angel Love Theme), Wild Horses by The Sundays, and Magic Snow Music (from “Amends”) will have you reliving the most emotional of episodes. For something a bit more fun, check out this album that features all of the songs from season six’s musical episode, “Once More, with Feeling,” plus a taste of the show’s fantastic score.
Best Quotes
“If the apocalypse comes, beep me.” — Buffy to Giles, Season 1, Episode 5
“We saved the world. I say we party.” — Buffy to Willow, Season 1, Episode 12
“The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live.” — Buffy to Dawn, Season 5, Episode 22
“I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why.” — Buffy to Andrew, Season 7, Episode 11
“Okay, I'm cookie dough. I'm not done baking yet. I'm not finished becoming…whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. I make it through this and the next thing and the next thing, and maybe one day I turn around and realize I'm ready, I'm cookies. And then, y'know, if I want someone to eat or enjoy warm delicious cookie-me, then that's fine. That'll be then. When I'm done.” — Buffy to Angel, Season 7, Episode 22
What to Do When You’re Done Watching
Be content in the fact that you just experienced a major pop culture phenomenon…albeit a few years late. If you need more vampires and demons in your life, you can check out Angel, the Buffy spinoff. It’s different in many ways, and the tone is darker than Buffy, but you get to see Angel, Cordelia and other Buffy favorites in a new setting.
Just be prepared: If you binge-watch Buffy, you may not know what to do with yourself once the series is complete. You just rode a rollercoaster of emotions in a short period of time, so it’s understandable that all you want to do is discuss what just happened. Hopefully your friends have seen the show, and if not, send this link their way.
