Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer- The Complete First Season DVD

Okay first things first, I'm a *huge* Buffy fan, so of course I'm biased. Second, I feel in order to give an accurate review, I have to separate the elements of the DVD package from the elements of the show itself.

The show:
I'm one of those people who immediately scoffed at the idea of this show – until I watched it. It works on so many levels and is about so much more than vampires and demons. It's completely and thoroughly real. Whatever your beliefs on the supernatural are, if you survived high school you can relate to this show. Joss Whedon has created characters that are so amazingly true, that you can't help but see yourself on the screen. The evils that Buffy fights on a weekly basis are metaphors for everyone's inner demons. I won't go too far, because this package only contains season 1, but if the show had ended there it would still be more than worthwhile.

I was reluctant at first to purchase this set because my first thought was that season 1 is my least favorite season- it doesn't contain all my favorite story arcs, has a lot lighter tone than later seasons, and is missing some favorite characters. But then I sat down and watched them again.

The show is a must watch from beginning to end, get the DVD package & get season 2 & when they come out, get them all.

The DVD package:
There's some really great stuff. Joss Whedon's commentary on Welcome to the Hellmouth alone is worth the price of admission. The interviews with Joss are pretty insightful, although it's obviously the same interview spliced throughout the set. ...

However, I must agree that they missed the boat on the things they *could* have included. I for one could listen to Joss Whedon commentary on every single episode. And how about interviews with other cast members, including, oh I don't know, SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR!!!!

So altogether, the DVD package is still a must have. Yes, there are things I wish were different, but it's still awful good & it's not like there are other Buffy first season packages out there to choose from.