Has anyone re-watched Buffy in recent years?

[DuffyFlucks]

I'm running out of things to watch and fancy something fun (although I know there are dark times in Buffy!)

Wondering if it has stood the test of time generally and 20 years on will I find it too young for me now?

(I absolutely loved it first time round).

I watched a few with DD (16) and found it had aged horribly! It's all way too obvious how much older they were than their characters, for a start, and what seemed witty and intelligent dialogue at the time seems horribly arch and forced now. Combined the news re Josh Whedon's behaviour on set, we've given up.

I’ve rewatched it more than once and it hasn’t dated nearly as badly as Friends, for example. The clothes, especially in the early seasons, are definitely of their time though 🤣 Still a great watch, still invested in the characters, although it’s interesting to watch it as a much older woman and think about the messages it gives about relationships, etc. Also slightly diminished for me by the stories that have come out about Joss Whedon: it seems a particular betrayal that the creator of Buffy turned out to be a sleaze like so many others of the Hollywood crowd.

Have you read up about it recently? Lots of the cast were abused and came out about it recently. Also something about cordelia. Also something about the geeky guy, forgot his name, his character was horribly or something and was based on the director who is the one all the things are about?

Oh how disappointing. I was looking forward to when DC would be old enough to watch. Maybe it's best left as it is in my memory.

I realise it was insensitive to not have acknowledged the Joss Wheedon issue.

The Joss Whedon thing is problematic, but it is also unfair to the actors and actresses that worked really hard if we decide not to watch it because of that.
I feel if we ignore it then the bad behaviour has won.

I watched all of the episodes again a couple of years ago and still loved it.

I watched it with dd a couple of years ago and we both loved it. But I am a big Buffy fan although I acknowledge there are issues to discuss

I have watched it recently and still love it. I did start from season 3 tho mainly because it has Eliza Dushku (Faith) in it. God I am so bloody shallow!

I rewatched Dollhouse recently, and still liked that.

I've just finished it again and I still love it, the last season is really cheesy and I prefer the earlier ones where every episode is it's own story.

there are issues to discuss issues about the content? Interested to know if I missed things that weren't great in the content given what is now known. I know the Spike story line was probably very problematic.

I still love it. Interestingly I enjoyed Angel so much more rewatching it recently, really angry about JW and how he treated CC and the cancellation in its prime which seemed to be down to JW's arrogance from what I read.

Yes I definitely liked the early seasons best.

Do it, OP! I’m re-watching at the moment and loving it - it still feels fresh, funny, and self-aware (even if its modelling of healthy teen relationships is... lacking).

The Joss Whedon allegations are horrible - but I don’t think avoiding Buffy is necessarily the right response. It’s the work of a huge number of other people, both on- and off-screen, and its characters and storylines are still meaningful in and of themselves.

‘Hush’ is a brilliant episode.

I am a huge fan, on another rewatch now. I don't think there's anything else quite like it.

(Also agree that Buffy is the creative output of teams of people, so much more than just its creator. )

Yes I rewatch it every couple of years. Still love it! And Angel too.

I'm up to the end series 4, yes it's aged but I still love it!

I rewatched with 15 year old DD up to Once More With Feeling, and then a couple of years later we rewatched series 1 with 16 year old DS.

I think it’s held up pretty well. Definitely worth a look because it’s all on All4 at the touch of a button. At its best it’s still brilliant.

On the downside, apart from the taint of JW’s sleazy behaviour, and a couple of uses of ablist slurs (although I think the All4 version edits those) I think the main problem is that Xander frequently behaves like a total dick who believes he’s entitled to Buffy because he’s gone to the effort of fancying her but this is not acknowledged in-world at all - the show presents him as loveable.

My dh and I watched the whole series though at the start of lockdown. He'd never seen it before. We both loved it and he was hooked. There are some things that haven't aged well but for the most part it's still a phenomenal show and was a great forefathers of the girl power TV shows.

@FourWordsImMuNiTy yes that's very true, Xander was not a likeable character really which I didn't notice as a teen but do more so now, he treated Cordelia and Anya terribly as well! I'm sure I read years ago that JW based Xander on himself...which would explain a lot...

Yes, it stands up (far more than Friends which I couldn't stomach again). I was 27, not a teen when Buffy first aired, so perhaps less immune to its flaws (Xander was always a dick) and I still love it. Quite sad that it is not my DD's genre at all. Also sad that JW has tainted it, but I think it would be a shame for all the people who worked so hard on the show, if we consign it to history.

I think it has stood the test of time better than other series like Friends (as has been mentioned) and more recent series like How I met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. I think the characters are a bit more nuanced and intended to be problematic (though there are still a few issues beyond that). That said I don't tend to rewatch the later part of season 6 or season 7 (which I missed first time and never got into). The Joss Whedon revelations do leave a nasty taste but as others have said, the actors and rest of the team worked hard on it and their talent and work shouldn't be ignored because of what he did (to them).

It is quite entertaining seeing the special effects in season 1 and 2!

I love it. Rewatched last year and didn't think it had aged much. I enjoyed the 90s hair and clothes but really looked like things you see people wearing now!

Friends is really dated and awful attitudes to open and homosexuality but buffy is generally OK. It's a teen show so porn not mentioned. Women are kind of punished for having sex. So 90s teen drama show. They did their best with a lesbian character for the time not playing it for male kicks.

Season 1 needs some skipping (any xander heavy episodes) but otherwise really gripping. Watch it! You won't regret it!

The version on All 4 is the HD version which ...

It is not how it is supposed to be watched, the creatives behind the show have universally panned it and if you watch this version and think it's the proper version then Buffy will come away looking like cheap, tacky rubbish.

If you're going to rewatch it, find the correct version. Or at least make allowances that the shots, colour grading, effects and the fact that the occasional camera man is visible is not at all how the show originally aired and judging the show on the HD remaster is deeply unfair.

It is a great show - Joss Whedon was always a dick, and it was always obvious so the 'revelations' don't change much except you might spot a particular plot line and realise 'oh - because Joss Whedon is dick'. Just be ready to give characters passes on the fact they are written by a dick and therefore sometimes say and do dickish things.

Xander is no where near as bad as the reputation he has among fans. He's a teenage boy. Yes, he can be a bit of an ass - but Willow is a power crazed murdering rapist who gives no thought to other people's rights or feelings and the people ragging on Xander being petty seem to let that slide.

If you loved it there's no reason you still won't. You might like a few characters less than you used to - but then you might like other characters more. Back in the day I loved Spike and was so annoyed Buffy couldn't just love him ... now I realise he is stalking her and she is right to reject him. I used to hate Dawn but now I love her.

Angel is also well worth a rewatch - it's a hot mess in places, but gloriously so. It really helps add depth and breadth to the Buffyverse.

I rewatched some episodes recently, had forgotten how good it was, am going to sit down and rewatch the entire series soon.

Re JW being problematic, if we only ever watched or read material created by good people, we’d be rather limiting ourselves.

Xander is no where near as bad as the reputation he has among fans. He's a teenage boy. Yes, he can be a bit of an ass - but Willow is a power crazed murdering rapist who gives no thought to other people's rights or feelings and the people ragging on Xander being petty seem to let that slide.

Who does Willow rape? How (biologically) does Willow rape? Although - yes - she is a power crazed murderer in one of the seasons....