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Buffy

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within. Cordelia was the superficial girl who tends to annoy other characters and fans alike. Wesley, the book smart character who could be very dry at times. Charles Gunn, the brawn, who was like Wesley's other half, adding street smart to the mix. Lorne, the musical demon who's makeup looked a bit cheesy, which went along with his singing. Winefred, the timid mouse who had the heart of a lion. And finally, Spike. The savior of the show. Without his comical element, the show would not have been as successful as it was.

The Plot "Buffy" was more about slashing actual demons and monsters. It was about facing the demons and monsters that reside in each one of us. We all have problems that we are facing, and while Buffy was kicking ghouls to the curb, she was dealing with normal, everyday issues that teenagers face too. Drinking, responsibility, sex, parents, etc. The show was a metaphor for life.

Episode staples In "Buffy", there were several episodes that were unparalleled to anything you've seen on TV. Take "Hush", for example. When residents of Sunnydale lose the power of speech, the Scooby gang has to figure out a solution. In the meantime, they are communicating with each other through not only dry erase boards, but through body language as well. The majority of the hour long episode was silent, yet you couldn't help but to love every minute of it.

"Once More With Feeling" was another great episode that had me worried at first. It was a musical. But the songs were actually entertaining enough for me to get the soundtrack.

"The Body" is probably the most haunting of episodes. This is when Buffy's mother dies from a natural cause, something Buffy isn't as accustomed with. The episode was created without a musical soundtrack, so the drama of it all is absorbed so differently. Usually music is included in shows to create drama, not the other way around.

Lastly there is "The Gift", in which Buffy sacrifices herself for her sister. Thinking that this could be the end of the show, Wheden did an excellent job portraying emotion through Buffy and her sister, Dawn.

The only episodes on "Angel" that stand out in my mind are "Smile Time", when Angel and Spike are transformed into puppets, and "Not Fade Away", the last episode of the series. "Smile Time" was great for comedic purposes only. There's just something about vampires turned puppets that is amusing. "Not Fade Away", of course, will be remembered as one hell of a cliffhanger series ending. Frustration pulsated from Angel fans when we were just left wondering, "what happened?"

Conclusion "Buffy" was written better and had better characters. More care was put into each episode, though the series had its slumps. However, "Angel" had even more of those slumps, despite its two season deficit. "Buffy" was just stronger, and critics agreed. And as the Helium poll about this title suggests, fans agree as well.

Learn more about this author, Kelly A. Mello.
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