In Which I Review One of the Coolest Old Shows On Earth

So, I recently got highspeed internet for the first time in my life. It's a great change. No longer must I wait 3 hours just to check my e-mail! Gone is the inability to watch movies, use Google Chat, or be really connected to the world!

With this newfound freedom, I've also discovered the UBER cool "Instant Download" feature on Netflix. They have dozens of full TV shows on there, ranging from super old stuff to last year's season of 24. Recently, I've started watching (and becomed rather obsessed with) one of the great classics of 90's TV...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

First airing in 1997, the show recieved around 4 to 6 million viewers a night. Even though that's a bit lower than the other shows at the time, the fans it inspired are ferociously loyal. And I can understand why - I'm starting to fall in with them.

The first thing I have to say about this show is that it's inexplicably addicting. The acting is great (though toward the beginning of the first season the writing is noticably... cheesy) the special effects not so much (but it WAS made in the 90's, so we have to cut them some slack) and the stroyline is unique (for it's time. You have to rember, Buffy came BEFORE Twilight.)

Ok, so I just explained why it's inexplicably addicing. I get poetic licence, though, don't I? Anyway, it seriously is a great old show. It's clean (compaired to anything you'd find on TV now-a-days) and actually has moments that make you genuinely laugh.

The overarching plotline is probibly pretty easy to guess at - there's this girl (Buffy) who's a Slayer, and thus has to slay things. However, the writers do some pretty unique things with the fanasy genera that I'm actually surprised I've never heard of (for example, in one episode, a demon gets loose in the internet). I'm also starting to develop something of a celebrity crush on Charisma Carpenter =P

I did notice someting interesting. Angel - the "good" vampire of the series, and Buffy's love intrest - looks a lot like Edward. Ok, that's a bad comparison. He dresses like Edward. He looks NOTHING like Robert Patterson (which, though it is totally awkward to say, is a very, very good thing). Actually, the more I watch the show and compaire it to what I remember of Twilight (yes, I did read the books. I have no comment as to the level with which I enjoyed them) it seems to me that Stephanie Myers:

1. Took Angel.
2. Made him gay.
3. Made him sparkle.
4. Made him ugly...

..and said, here's the main character of my new smash-hit paranormal romance series, Edward Cullen! The similarities are almost uncanny. The vampires of Buffy are legit vampires, though - they're burned by crosses, and they burn in sunlight. None of this sparkeling nonsence.

So, basically, if you're ever in for a rainy day and don't know what to do, I reccomend looking this show up. I'm sure you can find it somewhere on YouTube. It takes about three episodes to get attatched, but after that... I highly doubt you'll ever be able to get back out. Then again, I might just be very gullable and easily addicted.

But I don't think so.

Be ye wary of yonder undead...
James
Vampire Enthusiast, Fantasy Lover, Despiser in Great Hatred of Edward Cullen, etc., etc.