Buffy the Vampire Slayer
An Adoring Review by Amy Pickett

If you're like me, you're still coming to terms with the fact that this fall season brought no new episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Take comfort in the fact that Buffy is in syndication on FX, Monday through Friday, at 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Whether you watch the reruns for nostalgia's sake, or want to tune in to see what all the fuss is about, Buffy is always recommended.

If you're wondering how the adventures of the Chosen One relate to Bibliofile, it's because the Scooby Gang generally used the Sunnydale High School library as their headquarters. Giles, the school librarian, served as Buffy's Watcher and go-to-guy for any and all demon, vampire, and werewolf-related research questions. "Reference Interviews" between Buffy and Giles usually consisted of Buffy relating the highlights from her previous night's patrol. Giles then determined the nature of the new "Big Bad" on the block, and how to proceed with a plan to neutralize said Big Bad. During the series' first three (and arguably best) seasons, our heroine would have been stymied time and again without access to Giles' special collection of mystical texts.

Anyone who's new to the world of show creator Joss Whedon might find all of this far-fetched, to say the least. But Joss had a vision. He took the stereotypical damsel in distress and re-imagined her as a preternaturally strong slayer who fights evil even when she'd rather be attending the prom or dodging her geometry homework. And really, who among us didn't feel like we were battling ancient foes in high school, whether it was Pythagoras or Hamlet? If only we all could have gotten the job done with such utterly impeccable fashion sense and so many snappy comebacks.

Jumping into Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the midst of its syndication loop only feels like starting War and Peace on page 340 for an episode or two. Rest assured that many of your fellow DLIS students are more than willing to hash out past plot points. But it wouldn't hurt to get familiar with some of the most important characters:

Willow:         Buffy's best friend, and a budding Wiccan. Willow also specializes in Web searches for background on vampires and other adversaries.

Xander:        Willow's friend since childhood, Xander is also as loyal to Buffy as the day is long.

Oz:              Boyfriend of Willow for many moons, and werewolf during the full moon each month.

Cordelia:      An initially reluctant member of the Scooby Gang, Cordelia is one of the popular set at Sunnydale High who falls in with Buffy's crowd despite her best social survival instincts.

Spike:            A frequent foe of Buffy's who is responsible for the deaths of two previous Slayers.

Angel:           Last but not least, Buffy's first love. Angel is a vampire some 200 years her senior, who a gypsy has cursed with a soul and accompanying remorse for years of bad behavior. Angel is currently fighting the good fight in Los Angeles (Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. on the WB).