Cult classic series Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the nature of media discourse, ushering in a new era of pop culture analysis. The show also had a lasting impact on the depiction of women in television and film at a time when female action stars remained a rarity. The series spawned multiple supernatural dramas replicating the "Scooby Gang" character dynamic.
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Buffy's cultural impact is impossible to replicate, though rumors of a reboot suggest that 20th Century Fox may attempt to do just that. All the more reason to dwell on what made the original series so great like its many iconic speeches. Here are ten of the best.
After getting her ass kicked repeatedly by Big Bad hell goddess Glory, a desperate Buffy turns to the Watcher's Council, an organization that's overseenslayer activitiesfor hundreds of years, for advice. The Council, who behaved in similarly poor form in Season 3, make Buffy jump through a series of hoops before she finally snaps. Inthis deeply satisfying speech, she lets them know that she holds all the cards.
When Angel regains his soul, he quite sensibly decides that a relationship with Buffy isnt safe, despite his continuing love for her. At the beginning of Season 3, the two are "just friends," but a speech from lovelorn vampire Spike shatters this illusion. This moment is a catalyst for Angel leaving the series for his own eponymous show, and is a hint at the intensity of Spikes future feelings for Buffy.
The final season of Buffy is not the most popular among fans, who found the addition of multiple new characters the "potential slayers" unwelcome and often irritating.
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Nevertheless, Season 7 does have some memorable moments, and a rousing speech from Buffy, bruised and battered and facing the ultimate foe the source of all evil is among them.
Xanders speech to Dawn in Season 7 isnt important to the series overarching plot like the majority of Buffy's monologues, but its almost more touching for that very reason.
In this season, an army of potential slayers forms at the Summers' house For much of the episode,Buffy's little sister suspects that she, too, is a potential slayer, only to discover that a schoolmate isthe actual potential.Dawn accepts this blow with a maturity that the character lacked in earlier seasons, something that only the perceptive Xander notices and praises her for.
The final episode of Season 6, "Grave," is a rare triumph for Xanders character. As the series progresses, his contributions to fighting the forces of darkness begin to pale compared to his supernaturally endowed friends, who are all slayers, werewolves, watchers, witches and vampires, something that is comically addressed in the Season 3 episode "The Zeppo."
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So it is refreshing that "Grave" sees Xander single-handedly saving the world where the others have failed, using no more than some heartfelt words to his old friend Willow, who is hellbent on inciting an apocalypse after Tara's death. This speech is delivered in a style that is true to the character and is a touching callback to the pairs lifelong friendship.
Though there are various aspects of Spike and Buffys relationship that have come under scrutiny most notably that infamous bathroom scene Spikes speech to the heroine in the final season should move the heart of even the most ardent Spuffy detractor. This comes at a low moment for the Slayer, when the entire Scooby Gang has abandoned her.
The penultimate season of Buffy is pretty bleak. Creator Joss Whedon has described it as a transitory period for the shows core characters, marking the moment that they leave adolescence behind and become adults. They struggle withaddiction, financial hardship, and depression as a result.
So while the final season of the show shifts focus back to familiar territory the end of the world Buffys "cookie dough" speech in the last ever episodeis a beacon of hope for the audience after consecutively grim seasons. It suggests that our beloved protagonist is looking to the future with a newfound positivity, that she will continue to grow whether were there to witness it or not. Its also a small nod to other young adults experiencing similar struggles a reminder not to be too hard on yourself while youre still "baking."
What could be more powerful than the last words of the heroine for which this beloved show is named, the slayer herself? In Season 5, the spirit of the first-ever vampire slayer gives Buffy a message: "death is your gift."The meaning of this cryptic statement is unclear until the seasons final moments, when Buffy realizes that only by sacrificing herself can she save both the world and her sister, Dawn.
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Fans may have suspected that Buffys demise was only temporary, but even the knowledge of her eventual resurrection cannot temper the poignancy of this moment, which also foreshadows the characters ambivalence about living in Season 6.
This is the last ever speech we hear from Buffy, moments before the series' last ever battle. But it is memorable for more than just that, cutting to the heart of what Buffywas all about: female empowerment.
That empowerment is both literal and figurative, as in this speech Buffy announces a new era for the slayer prophecy, in which all women with the potential to assume the role will gain her powers. This imparts some hope for Buffy post-Season 7, when she will finally be free of the burden of being "the chosen one."
In Season 5, Buffy finds her mother Joycedead from a brain aneurysm. For a series so rooted in magic and fantasy, this episode is starkly realistic in its depiction of grief.
In fact, the show is able to cleverly juxtapose its supernatural and natural elements to further highlight our limited ability to understand death most notably through the character of Anya, a 1000-year-old demon recently turned human. Formerly an immortal, Joyces death forces Anya to confront the reality of the human condition for the first time an experience that many of us have as children. Anyas initial reaction is one of anguish and bewilderment, her speech perfectly capturing the absurdity of death, which the episode title, "The Body," alludes to; how can someone be a person one moment and just a body the next?
NEXT: 10 Must-Watch Movies If You Love Buffy The Vampire Slayer
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Rae Gellel is a London-based freelance writer with a special interest in cult TV and film, fiction-writing and content creation for the charity sector.
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