Despite matching a number of the geek stereotypes (smart, bookish, analytical, software hacking guy) I typically don’t like the stereotypical geek TV shows. Things like Star Trek, Doctor Who, X-Files and the new Battlestar Galatica do absolutely nothing for me. However, there is one exception to this rule – Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love this show with a passion that goes well beyond any rational measure and borders on the scarily obsessed (although not quite to the extent Simon Pegg portrays in the brilliant series Spaced). Powerful female characters, clever writing, multi-layered story arcs and tweedy British sex symbols – what’s not to like?
Of course my favorite character was always Willow, the quiet, shy, super smart, super nerdy red head, whose alter-egos always turned out to be über-dommes. The first of these was vampire Willow, shown in the first image below, who tried to both kill and make-out with her good counterpart. Then came dark Willow, shown in the second image, who pretty much tried to kill everybody.
If you’ve never seen the show, then it’s well worth queuing up on netflix. There are no sparkly vampires, and if you feel the need to intellectually justify watching a show about teenagers, then feel free to browse some of the academic papers writen on it.
