Lindsay Bryde (SUNY Suffolk County Community College)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on March 10, 1997, on the WB network with relatively low expectations. Yet, in the last twenty years, the show thrived and has become its own scholarly academic discipline. This roundtable looks for papers that examine the progress of Slayer Studies and the evolution of critical discourse that has taken place. The way we look at the series has changed since the original seven season run of the series and the comic book continuation by Darkhorse Comics. A major question to consider is: how well has Buffy as a series aged? It can be argued that certain episodes have taken on a new context in light of changes in our society (ex. “Earshot” was controversial at the time due to the Columbine shootings; its timeliness can be further argued given the rise in school shootings since). Yet, the show also did include a number of hallmarks to late 90s and early 00s culture and fashion that could be considered dated. What makes the show a time capsule for future generations or a piece that can be picked up as socially relevant in the here and now?