While there is no denying that Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot sounds like an exciting prospect, the new show will bring back a debate that has raged about the original series for years now. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was an incredibly influential show. Although its plot and characters directly influenced the likes of Veronica Mars and Teen Wolf, the show’s tone and style had a much bigger impact on pop culture. The so-called phenomenon of "Buffy Speak," as TVTropes s dubbed it, was commonplace in Marvel movies during Joss Whedon’s era. This went on to influence countless other franchises.

From Supernatural to The Vampire Diaries, it is tough to imagine a fantasy TV show that doesn’t owe something to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s best villains will be familiar to anyone who has seen Lucifer, The Magicians, Grimm, or even What We Do in the Shadows. However, this doesn’t mean that Buffy the Vampire Slayer has aged impeccably. As Whedon’s involvement proves, the show’s problematic legacy is almost as prominent as its cultural influence.

Buffy's Reboot Will Reignite The Debate About Whether Buffy Has Aged Well

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Cultural Legacy Is Infamously Contentious

Already, the announcement of a reboot has prompted inevitable cries that Buffy the Vampire Slayer must fix Tara’s disappointing story in the revival, or do justice to other characters who were mistreated in the original show. While Whedon’s writing style might have shaped the pop culture landscape of the 2000s and 2010s, the attitudes of the era haven’t always aged well. In many ways, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s complex female protagonist and ing cast of fleshed-out female ing stars made the series an impressive effort, given the era it aired in.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot has the chance to address the original show’s issues within its universe.

However, there are plenty of dubious lines, storytelling choices that reflect a cultural era of misogyny, racism, and homophobia, and outright bad decisions in the show’s writing. Some of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s poor aging can be blamed on its creators, while some is a product of its time. Further problems, like the show’s inconsistent pacing and occasionally unsure tone, aren’t reflective of its cultural environment at all and are more straightforward shortcomings in its writing. Luckily, the reboot can address all of this.

The Buffy Reboot Is The Perfect Opportunity To Acknowledge The Show’s Issues

Buffy’s Reboot Can Address The Original Hit Show’s Shortcomings

It has been a long time since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended and, in that time, the show’s legacy has been cemented as a problematic classic. However, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot has the chance to address the original show’s issues within its universe. Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s reboot needs its original cast to pull this off, but the new show can center its storylines on the places where the original series fell short and failed.

In 2017, Twin Peaks: The Return took a major risk by reviving David Lynch and Mark Frost's endlessly influential small-town murder mystery. However, as the show continued, the revival made it clear that it was actively engaging with what didn’t work about the original show, as well as celebrating its strong suits. If that classic ‘90s show could return better than ever after 25 years, there is no reason to think Buffy the Vampire Slayer couldn’t do the same.

Sources: TVTropes