Wynonna the Vampire Slayer

Fantasy can be described as a piece of imaginative work that has supernatural elements within its story or characters. When a broad term such as fantasy is used to define a genre, repetition of plot and characters seems highly unlikely. Fantastical television shows that have been on the air over the last few decades like Xena: Warrior Princess, Pushing Daisies, Penny Dreadful, and The Magicians can easily be used as proof to show the many paths a fantasy television show can take. But even with all this information considered, it is impossible to deny the fact that there are some exceptions to this case. Although Joss Whedon’s cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Emily Andras’ hit series Wynonna Earp seem like they would attract different types of audiences at first glance; both shows resemble one another in many ways such as their similar approach to protagonists, their use of LGBTQ+ storylines and both of the show’s doomed settings proving that TV shows that seem like they belong to the two different ends of the spectrum, can be same at its basis. 

To begin with, how Andras and Whedon chose to portray their protagonists, even though Buffy is a sixteen-year-old teenage girl who must attend high school while Wynonna is an adult without a care in the world, they both must deal with their demons to bring some sense of order and peace into the world. As Buffy slays demons with her weapon of choice which is mostly a handy stake; Wynonna turns to her gun, Peacemaker, when in need of help. In addition, both Buffy and Wynonna fall for people they are not supposed to. Buffy’s relationship with Angel and Spike who are both vampires and Wynonna’s affair with Dolls and Doc who are demons is solid evidence of their attraction to the impossible. Perhaps the only way to explain why Buffy and Wynonna are so drawn to these beings they are supposed to despise is by using a quote Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Spike uttered in the episode titled “Lovers Walk” after Buffy and Angel claimed to be friends “You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will.”. Another thing they have in common is that both female leads have sisters who are not blood-related. Although in Buffy’s case, Dawn is made from Buffy’s blood, she still has no relation to her mother or father therefore making her adopted in a sense just like Wynonna’s later revealed to be half-sister Waverly.  

Regarding Waverly, yet another thing that both these shows have in common is their use of LGBTQ+ storylines to normalize these types of relationships within stigmatized settings. For instance, these shows challenged the television standards of its time and managed to achieve what was once perceived as impossible. As Willow and Tara’s kiss in the episode titled “The Body” of Buffy the Vampire Slayer paved the way for mainstream same-sex couples today, Waverly and Nicole’s stable relationship showed the world that not all homosexual relationships are doomed to end with one of them being buried six feet underground thus creating the term “bulletproof lesbian”. Additionally, Waverly and Willow’s coming out journey helped many others like them. While teens who grew up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer around twenty years ago witnessed Willow’s journey of discovering herself whilst learning and maturing with her, young fans of the show Wynonna Earp today found a part of themselves in Waverly which led up to growing alongside her as she explored her sexuality. 

As a final point, much like Willow and Tara’s relationship Wynonna Earp’s hometown Purgatory, and Buffy’s new home Sunnydale are doomed. Sunnydale High’s library is the core of demon energy, in other words, “Hellmouth”, is the reason for the town’s unfortunate encounters with countless creatures of the night. As we can understand from the third season’s two-part finale titled “Graduation Day” of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even with a slayer like Buffy to help, the nearing doom of the poor unfortunate souls is inevitable. Similarly, Wynonna’s hometown Purgatory is located within the Ghost River Triangle, the exact place where seventy-seven people who are now revenants were killed back in the day by no one other than Wynonna’s great-great-grandfather Wyatt Earp. While Wynonna has to hunt down and kill the revenants before they have a chance to mess with the tenants of her town in Purgatory, Buffy has to deal with demons and evil masterminds that are supposed to bring hell on earth in Sunnydale yet again showing that even under different circumstances these badass ladies play the same part in their own respective story. 

Given these factors, although fantasy television shows can take various routes, how they choose to handle their fantastical aspects is the actual key element. For two different premises like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show about a teenage girl juggling between leading a somewhat normal high school life while being a fearless demon slayer; and Wynonna Earp, a series about a reckless woman who comes to find that she is the heir of a legendary man that she is supposed to follow in the steps of, can happen to have more than a few things in common contrary to popular belief. With many plot points like an LGBTQ+ heroine, star-crossed lovers, and a town where no one is ever safe being used in both stories; it would be absurd to deny the similarities between Andras’ Wynonna Earp and Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer.