Podcast Review: The Rewatcher- Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Anyone who’s known me for more than… a week will quickly learn that I am a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. Watching the show religiously was a huge part of my teenage years. I couldn’t wait for Tuesday night where I would park myself in front of the TV and lose myself in the world of Sunnydale- monsters, witches, romance, banter, I loved all of it. While my family rolled their eyes and shrugged and counted down until the show was over. (At least until we had cable hooked up in the basement playroom TV and I could watch in peace, ha)

Every once in a while, I try to do a rewatch. I used to have the whole series on DVD but they were damaged in a basement flood. I bought the first 3 seasons used but half the discs were skippy and glitchy. So now I content myself with streaming the show on Hulu.

I was just about to start one of these watches when I heard an ad for a podcast called the Rewatcher. Two sisters, Ash and Alaina, watch and talk about each episode. Alaina, the older of the two, already watched the series growing up. So, this is Ash’s first time. (It’s never specified but there is apparently a fair age gap between the sisters) She predicts what’s going to happen, giving her best “Wooden Stake Stab.” They talk about what things in the show have aged well (like a vampire) or not so well (like a human) in the years since the show ended. They pick out their favorite moments, the best banter, and swoon over Giles in all his Tweed Magic. They even got Nerf Herder, the band who did the theme music for Buffy, to do their theme song! 

I do not recommend listening with Littles in the room. They are explicit with the language and don’t hold back, which I think makes them more entertaining. They definitely acknowledge and call out the now more problematic aspects of the show while appreciating the many good parts.

They’re just getting into season 3 right now. (At the time I’m writing this, they reviewed “Band Candy.” And they had Kristine Sutherland as a guest!) And, each episode goes live on Mondays.

I really want to catch up in my own rewatch so I’m on track with the show. A little hard to do since Peanut is way too young to watch with me and I’d probably never sleep if I binged it in the evenings. My own watch should go fairly quickly because there are some episodes I hate and cannot watch. I’ll listen to their episode about it and be reminded of why I won’t watch. (Sadly, that is a chunk of seasons 1 and 2) It’ll be interesting if they also include Angel in the series. We’ll find out after they finish season 3.

If you’re a fan of Buffy, definitely check out this show. They are produced through Wondery and are available on Apple and Spotify. It gives me all the nostalgia feels. I like to go back to listen to my favorite episodes when I need a laugh. Can’t wait to see what they have to say as they continue to make their way through the series.