Rides a G.S. scooter

“Where are the Robert Redfords and Paul Newmans of my age group? I love James Franco, but where’s the next James Franco? Where are the hunks who can act?” —Jennifer Lawrence

Along those lines, it’s easy to wish that there were a stronger moment of choice for Buffy in “Welcome to the Hellmouth” or “The Harvest.” It’s almost as though Buffy doesn’t choose slaying; slaying chooses Buffy. Events spiral out of control, and she gets dragged along with them in order to protect people. But perhaps that is the point - and an issue that’s always going to be a central conflict for this character and her place in the story. She cannot choose her destiny because she is chosen. The chosen cannot truly choose. Tapping into that reality right off the bat humanizes Buffy as a reluctant hero, and helps create a gray area in the narrative that many good-vs-evil stories simply make black and white. From the get-go, Buffy Summers is more compelling a hero than a whole slew of her predecessors.

Slim darling, you came along and into my arms and into my heart and all the real true love I have is yours – and now I’m afraid you won’t understand and that you’ll become impatient and that I’ll lose you – but even if that happened, I wouldn’t stop loving you for you are my last love and all the rest of my life I shall love you and watch you and be ready to help you should you ever need help.