Credit: 20th Century StudiosIt has felt like a lifetime since Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) came to an explosive end on our television screens. The supernatural teen horror/drama has amassed a huge cult following in the 20 years since, and though we live in an age where almost everything has undergone “the Hollywood knife”, there are no signs of a Buffy reboot in sight.
While Buffy Summers actress Sarah Michelle Gellar recently discussed the idea of a reboot, saying that if it does happen then a new actress should take up the Slayer mantle, it would seem that the show is dead and buried — which is very much a good thing. Or perhaps that it is destined to live forever in the same form, which is pretty much what every fan wants.
After all, in addition to the seven seasons of the show, there’s a lot of additional Buffy content to sink your teeth into. There’s spin-off series Angel (1999) for starters, a long-running comic book series that’s still ongoing, and a sequel-of-sorts novel from YA author Kendare Blake titled “In Every Generation” (2022).
Fortunately, Gellar has also been popping up everywhere lately while promoting her brand-new Paramount+ series Wolf Pack (2023), much to the delight of fans. During her interviews, she has been discussing everything from her time on the set of Buffy to talking about how she thinks female-led Marvel movies aren’t being “accepted” by audiences.
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Now, in an interview with Vogue, the I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) star has finally revealed which season of Buffy is her least favorite, and why, pointing out that a certain turning point in Season 6 was something of a huge turn-off.
Here are her full comments:
“I love questions I’ve never been asked before. If that’s something that when they’re older they’re asking for, obviously I’m not going to stop them. When we started watching the show, my daughter was 10 and my son was 7, and it’s not appropriate. It’s not a conversation that I wanted to have. If it was any other show, I would say, “That’s not something that you should be watching.
Even recently when I’ve even seen snippets, I watched some of it to make sure that I was remembering things correctly. And then you see that scene with Spike and Buffy. I’m like, There’s no way. To me, it wasn’t what the show was about. I didn’t enjoy filming season six. I didn’t enjoy watching season six [back]. It wasn’t the heart of who she was, to me. I get going through a dark phase or being upset, but she killed her own love and she still didn’t go that dark. It wasn’t for me.”
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Gellar’s comments about Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 6 comes as no surprise, as it’s generally the most disliked season by fans, largely because it’s too dark, stretches the plot far too thin, and doesn’t really offer up that much in the way of great episodes (save for the likes of the absolutely brilliant musical episode “Once More, With Feeling!”, of course).
However, “that scene with Buffy and Spike” Gellar is referring to is something that has never been well-received by fans, even at the time it aired. The scene in question involves Spike (James Marsters) sexually assaulting Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), something that, even for an immortal, blood-sucking demon, felt very out of character, and was mostly in poor taste.
Related: After 20 Years, Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters Finally Reunite For New Series
Gellar also alludes to just how unlikable Buffy is in Season 6, something fans would also agree on, as there’s even an episode in which the Slayer is ousted by her own family and friends for being so unbearable to be around!
Gellar and Marsters recently reunited for the Wolf Pack premiere, although sadly the Spike actor won’t be appearing in the new show, but at least Sarah Michelle Gellar has returned to the world of the supernatural on the small screen.
You can check out the trailer for Wolf Pack below:
Related: All 5 Seasons of ‘Angel’ Ranked Worst to Best
Wolf Pack stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Kristin Ramsey), Rodrigo Santoro (Garrett Briggs), Armani Jackson (Everett Lang), Bella Shepard (Blake Navarro), Chloe Rose Robertson (Luna Briggs), and Tyler Lawrence Gray (Harlan Briggs).
Wolf Pack is now streaming on Paramount+. Meanwhile, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Buffy stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Seth Green (Oz), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Eliza Dushku (Faith), and James Marsters (Spike).
Related: The 5 Best Episodes of ‘Angel’
What’s your least favorite season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!