Even though the title of the show is, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," it's not all vampires all the time. I had forgotten that Amy Madison was introduced this early in the series. It's interesting to see how she began as the shy, formerly fat, girl given that she plays such an important part later in the series. (I haven't read all of Season 8 yet, so I don't yet know how complicated she becomes or if she is able to come back from the edge of evil at all.) Here, the gang is facing magic. Giles warned Buffy in the previous episodes that there was more to be found at the Hellmouth than the garden variety vampires she faced in LA(read: the movie), but here we actually get to see what he's talking about. I really like that the show tackles a different type of supernatural bad guy so early in the series. It allows the show to stay fresh and not get bogged down in it's own mythology.
I also appreciate that this series is more than just Giles, Angel, and the Scoobies with extra characters thrown in for the convenience of plot. There are minor characters who start with and develop alongside our heroes, i.e. Amy, Harmony and Jonathan.
The plot lines are a little more believable with characters already known, to the audience, in peril or succumbing to the evil of the Hellmouth. We feel that these people are really living and interacting in Sunnydale even when the camera isn't following them for our entertainment. As we've seen in the previous episodes, Whedon has no qualms about killing off "regular" characters. (Alas, poor Jesse) Though I find it odd that Jesse is introduced as such a great friend of Willow and Xander's and then we never hear about him again in the series. Do they ever lament their dead friend in later episodes?
I also appreciate that this series is more than just Giles, Angel, and the Scoobies with extra characters thrown in for the convenience of plot. There are minor characters who start with and develop alongside our heroes, i.e. Amy, Harmony and Jonathan.
The plot lines are a little more believable with characters already known, to the audience, in peril or succumbing to the evil of the Hellmouth. We feel that these people are really living and interacting in Sunnydale even when the camera isn't following them for our entertainment. As we've seen in the previous episodes, Whedon has no qualms about killing off "regular" characters. (Alas, poor Jesse) Though I find it odd that Jesse is introduced as such a great friend of Willow and Xander's and then we never hear about him again in the series. Do they ever lament their dead friend in later episodes?
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