Nearly two decades following the conclusion of the much-beloved teen supernatural drama, Sarah Michelle Gellar reflects upon her role as the titular hero in Buffy The Vampire Slayer with nostalgia and affection, telling SFX that she is "so proud" of how the show continues to connect with audiences. While allegations of on-set misconduct from show creator Joss Whedon have lead to what Gellar herself names "a tumultuous couple of years" for "understanding the show", ultimately the actress says she has reached "a place now where we can really appreciate the show for what we created."
Though Buffy's initial seven-season run, beginning in 1997 and ending in 2003, may be well over, the show has continued to reach new audiences long since it first debuted on The WB. Gellar notes how she is "so proud that during the pandemic, the show reached a whole new generation of people that still felt that it spoke to them, that it was still timely and it still meant something to them." Like much media of the 90s, recent reappraisal under a modern socially-conscious lens has somewhat complicated the legacy of Buffy - particularly in light of the allegations against Whedon - and more recent criticisms leveled against the show include noting a lack of racial diversity.
Gellar notes that "there is good and bad to all of it." Buffy was praised for its subversion of typical horror genre tropes, particularly in regard to gender and the depiction of its lead; Gellar praised the show for "having a character like Buffy, who is so three-dimensional and hits all those notes… you don’t just want to be the wife or the girlfriend." Buffy also continues to be praised for its inclusion of LGBTQ+ storylines in a time when queer representation was hard to find, as the character of Willow, portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, is still regarded as a queer icon to many. The character came out as gay in the season four episode "New Moon Rising".
Amidst rumors of a potential revival for Buffy, the actress has expressed she has no interest in returning to the show, but despite this she is ultimately proud of her work: "as an actor, all you ever want to do is a show that affects people, that they love and holds up, that is your legacy. I am so proud of what we created."
All seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer are streaming on Hulu now.