Everyone has that one show they consider a guilty pleasure. One of mine happens to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Laugh it up, but not so fast. Although the first season began slowly, the rest of the show really picks up and the ball keeps on rolling all the way until the very last episode. After all, it is a cult classic.

The show narrative follows Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the latest of a long line of women that were chosen by fate to fulfill the role of the “Vampire Slayer”.  The Slayer’s duties include fighting demons (literally and figuratively), vampires, and other forces of evil – including your every day high school turmoils. Buffy is also accompanied by the rest of her “Scooby Gang” – there’s Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), Xandar Harris (Nicholas Brendon), and Rupert “Ripper” Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), her “Watcher” from whom she receives guidance.

Buffy effortlessly blended romance, melodrama, comedy, satire, and horror without being overly cheesy (just the right amount of cheesy, thank you very much). Apart from the incredibly witty dialogue from the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the show also prescribes a refreshing dose of feminism (huzzah), the joys of teen anxiety, and existentialism. In fact, I can’t think of any other show that balances this many elements so successfully.

The series creator and nerd overlord, Joss Whedon, also directed some fan favorites, such as Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, The Avengers (the third highest-grossing film), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and co-wrote and produced The Cabin in the Woods. If any of these catch your eye, I promise that Buffy will become your new Netflix obsession. That’s right folks, every episode is on Netflix. Do what you will with that information.