Summary
- Sunnydale was more than just a setting, it was a character in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
- The potential sequel should include an episode as raw and emotional as “The Body.”
- The revival needs to balance action-packed scenes with deeper, emotional moments to be memorable.
With creepy demons, a small town setting, and a strong and dynamic main character, it’s no wonder Buffy The Vampire Slayer is still dominating pop culture conversations. With the big news that there could be a Buffy sequel, fans are reflecting back on this excellent and popular series and wondering what could happen next. Hopefully, if this comes to fruition, Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role of Buffy Summers, and maybe a new Slayer will be featured, too.
If the Buffy The Vampire Slayer sequel does become a reality, fans want the new show to be as funny and smart as the original. It’s exciting to imagine going back to Sunnydale and seeing what has changed and what has stayed the same. However, there is another thing that the revival would have to do in order to succeed.
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The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Sequel Needs An Episode As Memorable As “The Body”
While The Buffy The Vampire Slayer sequel needs to fix the ending of Angel, it should also include an episode like season 5, episode 16, “The Body.” This dark and sad Buffy episode finds Buffy Summers mourning the sudden death of her mother, Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland), from an aneurysm. The revival needs to feature a storyline that is as raw, deep, emotional, and vulnerable as this one, or it won’t pack the same punch as the original series.
Since The Buffy The Vampire Slayer sequel should balance new and legacy characters, it would make sense if a new character faces a tragedy and Buffy helps them out. Maybe the show focuses on Buffy’s teenage daughter, who is also a Slayer, or Buffy mentors a young character. No matter what the plotline is, the new show has to dive deep and live up to the heightened emotions of “The Body.” After almost five seasons of Buffy fighting evil creatures and dealing with everyday teenage problems, she now has to deal with the most significant problem she has ever faced. She may be strong and she may have succeeded in her goal of protecting Sunnydale, but Buffy can’t save her mom, and that changes her forever. Now that Buffy has lived without her mom for several years, she is in a position to be there for someone else also facing a big life change.
By the time fans get to the Buffy season 1 finale, it’s clear that this is a special and unique show about a dynamic and compelling character. Buffy’s mom’s death forces her to grow up and it also changes how she deals with her younger sister Dawn Summers (Michelle Trachtenberg). Although Dawn isn’t the most popular character, it’s still interesting to see Buffy take on a parental role and learn more about who Dawn really is. If Joyce had stayed alive, Buffy would still fight vampires and do her best to be a good person. But there’s no question that she wants to try even harder now that she has dealt with such a horrible tragedy.
The Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode “The Body” cemented the series as more than a “vampire” show or a teen drama about dating, friendship, school problems, and more. It proved that Buffy could be serious and deal with matters of life and death beyond the constant threat of the Hellmouth taking over Sunnydale. While fans hope to see Buffy and some of her friends again, the sequel series needs to balance action-packed scenes with heavier, deeper ones, or it won’t feel as memorable.
What Did Sarah Michelle Gellar Say About The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Sequel?
Fans have been rewatching Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel for years, which is why news that there could be a new series was so thrilling. After fans found out about the potential Buffy The Vampire Slayer sequel, Sarah Michelle Gellar posted about it on Instagram. The actress wrote that Gail Berman, who was an executive producer on the TV series, phoned her three years ago and said Chloé Zhao wanted to talk to Gellar about possibly making a revival. According to ABC News, Gellar said they talked for three years and explained:
“This has been a long process, and it’s not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there.”
Gellar added:
“I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love ‘Buffy’ as much as I do. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you.”
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