Supernatural vs. Buffy
I think it is safe to say that everyone here at the DP is a huge fan of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer (you could actually end this sentence after “Whedon.”) Most of us here watched it during its original run, and several of us own the complete series on DVD (myself included).
Sarah Michelle Gellar . . . Sigh.
What can I say? Watching a hot girl (SMG, please contact me when you realize Prinze is not worthy of you) kill vampires, demons, and assorted nasties was a weekly treat, and the supporting cast wasn’t too bad either. (Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Felicia Day: we’re all thinking of you. And some of us maybe David Boreanaz. But not me.)
Needless to say, we were all somewhat disappointed when its run ended in 2003, but by that time Joss apparently just had to move on to other things. So when it ended, where were we to get our fix of such supernatural entertainment? [See what I did there?]
Three years later, Supernatural debuted. I have been a fan of the show since it started. Now that it is about to begin its fifth season (Season Premiere on September 10, mark your calendars), I am prepared to offer an opinion that just might get me kicked off the DP:
Sam and Dean Winchester FTW
Supernatural is better than Buffy.
Yes, I said it. Even if the leads are two guys as opposed to SMG.
Now I am not going to offer here a detailed analysis of the ways Supernatural is the superior show, but I will state that it fundamentally comes down to one of tone. While Supernatural has a healthy dose of humor (see, e.g., Season 4′s episode “Horror Movie”), it takes a far darker view of the underworld, heavens, and humanity. By comparison, Buffy, as much as we enjoyed it, lapsed into the goofy too often.
I still remember Buffy fondly. But Supernatural, week in and week out, has shown how a drama dealing with angels, demons, and the pending apocalypse needs a darker edge than that found in Sunnydale.
