jeff shuck

Well, I did it. It may not seem like much, and it is probably hopelessly dorky to most folks, but I’ve finally watched all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I used to love the show but dropped away after the third season. As strange as it may sound, I cannot think of a better example of the potential of television. The show portrayed actual characters — not caricatures, but living people with not only strengths but flaws. And not one-dimensional flaws, but honest-to-goodness conflicts, emotional pain, moral ambiguities, and ethical struggles. It was and is fantastic writing.

This summer, season one was added to iTunes and I decided on a late-night lark to download it. That turned into a decision to watch them all. If you’ve never watched TV on DVD or iTunes, it really is the way to go — one-hour shows take about 45 minutes with no commericals. It became part of my summer evening ritual: Put the kids to bed, work a few hours, and then watch one or two episodes late-night before going to bed. One hundred and forty-four (!) episodes later, I’m done.

The capper was yesterday — unfortunately I was in a car accident and spent the day nursing my neck and my ego. So, with no ability to do anything else, I watched the last six episodes. Now I’m done. Frankly, I’m a bit sad about that.

I would write, “What a great show,” but I think it is better to say, “What a great story.” If you haven’t had a chance to discover this masterpiece fromJoss Whedon, suspend whatever unfair suspicion you have and give it a try. It is absolutely right-on in my book.

There you have it. Buffy rocks, I’m a proud dork, and one more goal down. Now I just need to find some other show with complex, tortured characters attempting to become their better selves. Thank goodness for Lost.