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By Samuel Scott

In the Season 4 episode “Doomed,” Buffy tells Riley — in a sarcastic way when he asks her, “What are you?” after seeing her in battle for the first time in the prior episode “Hush” — that she is a “Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius.” Although there is a little uncertainty about Buffy’s birthday (see later), it has been deemed by Joss Whedon… Continue reading

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By Samuel Scott

In “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the character arc of Willow is that which changes the most. However, in contrast to most commentaries on the development of her character, the primary issue might not be her extrovert or introvert personality (depending on the season) or her transition into a lesbian. Her relationship with Judaism also needs to be addressed.

When we first meet Willow in the first… Continue reading

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By Samuel Scott

“Some prophecies are a bit dodgy. They’re mutable. Buffy herself has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass.”

— Giles, “Prophecy Girl”

The definition of prophecy is two-fold – a prophecy, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, contains one or both of the following: a… Continue reading

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By Charles Lincoln

I like three TV shows more than all others. Those are “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Firefly,” all produced by Joss Whedon. Since I first watched them with my father before I turned ten, these shows have helped me to develop a way of life, an understanding of where I live somewhere between the good and the evil, the living and the dead… Continue reading

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By Samuel Scott

The five stages of grief (known in academics as the Kubler-Ross Model) are fairly well-known, and they have often been used in television dramas within an episode or multiple-episode arc. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is no exception. The experiences and action of Faith — a so-called “rogue” vampire slayer who was portrayed by… Continue reading

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By Samuel Scott

When I was a freshman journalism-major at Boston University in the spring of 1999, one of the required liberal-arts courses was “Introduction to Ethics” since reporters, of course, should strive to be ethical. One of the texts that I have always remembered was Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics,” and Book Three details with the philosopher’s view of “voluntary” and “involuntary” actions and the… Continue reading

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By Samuel Scott

Authority, for lack of a better phrase, can be defined as that which makes one or more demands on an individual, group, or society (regardless of whether the recipient in question voluntarily recognizes the authority’s position). In other words, it is someone who orders someone else — individually or collectively — to do something. Whether and how the respondent reacts is always a… Continue reading

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By Samuel Scott

The fact that “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was regularly criticized by conservative Christians during its seven-year run is nothing new. The Parents’ Television Council generally viewed the program as one that presents the occult in a positive light while showing what the organization viewed as explicit sex and violence in the early-evening viewing hour (when children are watching). In addition, the PTC named “Buffy”… Continue reading