Buffering the Vampire Slayer | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast

Oh wowowowow this week Willow is going to finally pay her debt of PAIN to Glory while we all look on in wonder, Buffy is going to get so so so mad about triangles, Giles is going to be hotter than anyone has ever been whilst in proximity to a minion, Anya is going to take a horrible xenophobic turn (yikes) before veering briefly into lesbianville (nice), and we are going to cry *again* because Wil...

Special guest, avowed Spike fan, and all-around-badass Alanna Bennett joins us today as we ride a f*cking EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER together! We've got a Buffy Bot, we've got a pissed off hellgod with great hair and a penchant for torture, we've got Detective Minions, and hooooooboy we have got an... actual... kiss... between... Buffy... and... Spike?!?!??!? Also, Alanna coins the term "anti-bangs"...

The absolutely brilliant LaToya Ferguson, Alanna Bennett, and Ira Madison III host today's conversation on race within the Buffy and Angelverse! This is the first in a larger series that will be produced and hosted by BIPOC Buffy fans here on the Buffering the Vampire Slayer and WOW — what a way to begin. These three TV geniuses bring their encyclopedic knowledge of both series to the table with q...

We’re back today to share new commitments here at Buffering the Vampire Slayer, all of which are focused on bringing an anti-racist base to the podcast & bringing the work of becoming & staying anti-racist into our larger community. You can also read more about our ongoing commitments at bufferingthevampireslayer.com/justkeepfighting‬ & snag a transcription of this episode at https://www.buffering...

No new episode today. We stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and know that we need to do better in supporting and defending Black lives. We feel we have a responsibility here on our platform to share in our knowledge, learning, and conversation surrounding our white privilege, the Black Lives Matter movement, social and restorative justice, community work, and so much more, and...

Today we are moving from the shock of losing Joyce and along to the many paths of grief: some leave flowers, others listen to music that reminds them of different days, some hold their old, broody loves close. Then of course there are those who break Wiccan oaths, visit men in a bathrobes with a tail, steal eggs from totally innocent Ghora demons, and attempt to raise the deceased using forbidden...

The Body remains one of the most emotionally resonant television episodes of all time, and this week we are continuing our exploration of its many themes. We are first in conversation with Brittany Ashley, host and producer of "Don't Tell the Babysitter Mom's Dead," a grief podcast which explores the experience of losing parents, and specifically mothers. Brittany lost her own mom at age six, and...

Kristin had the chance to speak with the brilliant Jen Malkowski, an assistant professor of Film and Media Studies at Smith College with a specialization in death and dying in media, about Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5E16: The Body. More on Jen can be found here: smith.edu/academics/faculty/jennifer-malkowskiJen is also the author of Dying in Full Detail which can be accessed for free here LOCATE YO...

Today we journey together into one of the most impactful episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and — in our opinion — one of the most impactful episodes of television across time and genre, S5E16: The Body. We dig deep into the show's four acts, share in conversation with Professor Jen Malkowski from Smith University who studies representations of death and dying in media, hear selected poems as r...

Here we are at S5E15: I Was Made To Love You, which begs the eternal question: Why are men??????! UGHHHHH so yeah Warren is here and he makes a goddamn robot and then leaves her in his goddamn room to be with his new human girlfriend and Buffy is like GOD DAMN why don't you just hire a helicopter while you're at it, man?!?!?!?!?! Oh, also, Giles tells Spike where to stick it. Tada! LOCATE YOUR HOS...

We have mail about fish reproduction! We have mail holding Riley accountable! We have mail about mannequin nipples! We have mail including a song that proves, once and for all, that Sunnydale *is* Santa Barbara. Yes, friends, it is a MAILBAG and it is here for YOU — our first mailbag in the main feed in oh-so-long!! Thank you to everyone who sent us these perfect distillations of humanity which, a...

Behold the magnificence of her dulcet tones as they land against your unworthy eardrums, mortals - today is the day we give you our conversation with the GLORIOUS Clare Kramer!!! Her most wondrous smoothness talked with Kristin about her inspiration for the Glory audition, the on-set trials and tribulations of being a woman with naturally perfect curly hair, and loads more. As is always the case w...

You know that feeling when you used to date an undead guy with a soul but then he left town, and then you dated an alive guy who loved basketballs but then he also left town, so you've just been *trying* to mind your own business while you process your sister being a mystical key and fight off a god who wears silk and heels... but then ANOTHER undead guy, this time one with peroxide hair and a chi...

Last week we put out a call on social media to hear what you all were doing to help our communities during this scary and overwhelming time. We were so overwhelmed with your beautiful responses that we decided to read a selection of them here! One of the biggest gifts that Buffy continues to give us is community, and our Buffering community is something that we are thankful for each and every day....

Dawn finds out she's the key while eating chocolates with Spike at the Magic Box, Glory gets to the hospital only moments after Ben left which was so weird, and Anya and Xander's role play includes firemen and shepherds... BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS THIS IS A DOOZY OF AN EPISODE, Y'ALL. Much trauma, many things revealed, and also RIP Dreg the Minion. Wow. It's S5E13: Blood Ties. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON...

The brilliant Ira Madison III returns to guest on his *very favorite episode* of the series and we get down and dirty with the patriarchal bullshit that is (and has always been) THE F*CKING COUNCIL. In the words of Jenny Owen Youngs, "fellas, she is not your commodity"!! Want to know why?! Because power. She has it. You don't. And we know it f*****cking bothers you!!!! MWAHAHAHAHA yes indeed it is...

Trixie Mattel is here CAN YOU EVEN STAND IT?!?! We are going to talk about Olaf the Troll and Anya and Willow fighting and Dr. Seuss and wigs and Xander's poor lil wrist and Tara's eyeshadow and running into Juliet Landau at the gym??!?! Wow. It's S5E11: Triangle!!! LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jennyowenyoungs.com Kristin Russo: @kristinnoeline; kristinn...

Marc Blucas!!! Measures his hand size!!! Against Jenny's?!!! WHAT IS LIFE EVEN?! In addition to hand size comparison, we dig into topics like: how it felt to be surrounded by tin foil at The Initiative, whether or not Forrest had a crush on Riley, what that goddamn sexy boot removal was all about, and of course the ahem many varied and colorful opinions on our resident butterscotchian boyfriend. I...

Helicopter blades are whirring over the sound of our tears as Buffy comes face to face with her fear of needing some monster in her men, all while our cardboard prince heads deep into the unknown woods. Jenny also examines height differentials and thinks about how that might affect the use of the Buffy box. You're welcome. It's S5E10: Into the Woods. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen...

A queller demon on the ceiling! A queller demon in a tree! A queller demon under your car! A queller demon with many teeth!! While we *hate* this extraterrestrial bug more than most things in this life, we’d still rather look at its horrible mouth than think about Joyce going into surgery. Sigh. It’s S5E9: Listening to Fear, and we must face it even though we don’t wanna. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON TH...

There's a snake! There's a snake! There's a great big snake!! With... arms?!?! WHATEVER. Glory, who now has a name and some new shoes, puts a cobra in a vase and kablam makes a giant snake who sniffs and sniffs until he finds THE KEY (it's Dawn, but nobody tell Glory)!! Luckily Big-Slayer-Sister Buffy rides on the back of the snake like Khaleesi on her dragons and kills it before it can reveal the...

Live from San Francisco's Brava Theater!! Spike has always been bad, baby... but this week we learn that, at first, he was only bad at poetry. We are taking a deep dive into our favorite peroxide-doused vampire and are joined by the effulgent Kate Leth & Joanna Robinson to discuss impeccable cheekbones, bad accents, snapping subway poles in half, and what to do when your finger *oops* gets covered...

Kate Leth guests and Tara's family makes a surprise visit to Sunnydale with a whole carload of patriarchal bullsh*t in tow (and also Amy Adams). Never fear! The scoobies do what scoobies do best in response: they punch Tara in the nose and promptly welcome her into their chosen family. Oh, and we spend no less than a half hour on a new, one-time segment with Kate called "Cornography." It's S5E5: F...

The Beast has arrived in her glorious red dress, tousling about her golden locks and also some very important monks. Spike is out for a walk bitch and Giles is in his most resplendent wizarding attire, Anya gets a job and Ben still looks great in scrubs. Oh, and although we still don't know what's in that Magic Eye poster... we now know that DAWN IS THE FREAKING KEY. It's S5E5: No Place Like Home!...

Riley's heart beats 150 times per minute but he still can't find love and no one cares except for Jenny! JUST KIDDING. Buffy also cares. Joyce faints in the kitchen, Harmony smokes Morley Slims and cannot keep an arrow in a crossbow, and most importantly SPIKE LOVES DAWSON'S CREEK. It's Season 5 Episode 4: Out of My Mind. LOCATE YOUR HOSTS UPON THE INTERNET Jenny Owen Youngs: @jennyowenyoungs; jen...