Turning to Buffy: Leadership, the Big Bad, and Season Seven
I’ve adopted the ritual of watching a season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer every year around this time. Curling up with 20 hours of the Scoobies is cathartic and inspiring during the midwinter. I usually choose Season Three, and occasionally Seasons Two or Five. This year, though, I was overwhelmed by the need to watch Season Seven.
Suprising, to say the least, because it’s not the strongest of seasons. In fact, its shortcomings are alarming obvious: plot holes, an omniscient First Evil who gets un-omniscient at convenient times, Caleb the evil preacher who leads Buffy to the ultimate Slayer weapon, and Kennedy. (Kennedy! Could the writers have picked a less satisfying way to help Willow overcome her grief? Blarg.) I always appreciated the challenge of wrapping up Buffy, and I enjoyed a lot about this final television season, but I never really had the desire to re-visit it. Until this Winter. Because Season Seven is all about becoming a leader in the face of incredible odds. If that isn’t just what this Winter calls for, I don’t know what is.
