As far as supernatural TV shows go, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most beloved and well-known. Premiering in the late ’90s, the show brought powerful female protagonist Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to the forefront of mainstream television and allowed her to take the reins for herself. To this day, Buffy remains one of the most influential characters ever created. Her strength, style, and sense of humor all blend to create an unforgettable heroine. While many shows have tried to replicate the lightning-in-a-bottle effect that Buffy the Vampire Slayer captured during its run, none have come quite as close as the supernatural Western series Wynonna Earp. In fact, if you find yourself missing Buffy and the rest of the Scooby Gang’s shenanigans, Wynonna Earp is your next ideal binge-watch.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Wynonna Earp’ Follow Similar Plots
It’s easy to compare Buffy the Vampire Slayer to any supernatural series with a prominent female main character, but Wynonna Earp actually shares a lot of plot similarities to Buffy that makes it a perfect modern-day companion piece.Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows Buffy, a teenage girl who is deemed “the chosen one,” or, more fittingly, “the Slayer.” It’s explained that in every generation, one girl is chosen by fate to battle demons, vampires, and other dark entities in an effort to keep the world safe from evil.
Wynonna Earp follows the titular Wynonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano), who is the great-great-granddaughter of the legendary Wyatt Earp. On her 27th birthday, she returns to her hometown and inherits a power that has been passed down through generations of Earps. Her role is to return revenants – the reincarnated outlaws that were killed by Wyatt Earp – to Hell. Accompanied by her sister and the immortal best friend of her great-great-grandfather, Doc Holliday, Wynonna attempts to keep the revenants from taking over the world.
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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Wynonna Earp’ Have Similar Structures
Both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Wynonna Earp follow “monster-of-the-week” arcs, meaning each episode focuses on a different villain. However, there is usually a larger storyline that unfolds throughout the season and often gets wrapped up in the season finale. This format is used often in television, especially when it comes to supernatural TV shows. Popular series like Charmed, The X-Files, and Supernatural have all embraced the format, delivering eerie villains that appear for a singular episode to mess with the main characters. Given that Buffy is the Slayer, this format was a no-brainer for the show, and Wynonna Earp adapts it just as well, bringing in creative demons ready to be taken down all over again.
But don’t worry about needing to know the Wyatt Earp lore to understand and enjoy Wynonna Earp. You’re in luck, because much like in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the setting is pretty much a character in itself, and it helps to fill in a lot of narrative blanks. In Buffy, the town of Sunnydale resides on the Hellmouth, making it the hottest spot in town for supernatural activity. This is a huge plot point from the beginning to the end of the show, since there is quite literally no way around it. Similarly, Wynonna Earp’s setting of Purgatory has a deep-rooted history, going all the way back to when Wynonna’s great-great-grandfather was alive. Because of this, the show often reveals details about the past, and Wynonna’s struggle with feeling like her family’s legacy is haunting her, easing the way for any viewer not well versed in the history of Wyatt Earp.
‘Wynonna Earp’ Is the Modern-Day ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
The shows’ major difference is in the ages of their protagonists; Buffy is a teenager when the show begins, while Wynonna is a fully grown woman during hers. Despite this age gap, they still have the same woes and apprehension. Throughout Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s run, Buffy struggles with her fate as the Slayer while still trying to find herself as a young woman and make the most of her youth. Meanwhile, Wynonna, despite being older than Buffy, finds it difficult to accept the fate handed down to her by her ancestors. Both struggle to make personal sacrifices and accept their “chosen one” status, and throughout the respective series, they grapple with their roles and slowly learn to embrace them.
There is also the obvious difference in genres: Wynonna Earp is a supernatural Western, whereas Buffy the Vampire Slayer is more of a supernatural coming-of-age series, while also being far more comedic in tone. But those slight differences help make them such great companion pieces to one another. So, if you’re a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and have been looking for a series that captures the same feeling, Wynonna Earp may just be exactly what you’ve been craving.
Wynonna Earp is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Based on a comic book series by Beau Smith, Wynonna Earp tells the story of the titular heroine who is the great-great-granddaughter of Wyatt Earp. The series follows Wynonna’s return to her hometown, where she must do battle with the reanimated criminals previously killed by Earp. Aided by her sister, her great-great-grandfather’s immortal partner Doc Holiday, and a member of the US Marshals, Wynonna works to keep Purgatory safe from the revenants.
- Release Date
- April 1, 2016
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 4
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