Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Not all attitudes about religion have changed, of course. In the last arc of its final season, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is pitted against an evil Southern preacher.

In the past, Buffy fought a beau-turned-adversary, an adversary-turned-beau and the pall of death itself, all the while saving the world. A lot.

In its season-two heyday, "Buffy" emphasized girl power, friendship and the consequences of one’s actions. The show blended humor, drama, action and emotions effortlessly and so smartly that it became a popular series for study in academia.

"The one thing that really jazzes me in TV is change," said Joss Whedon, the show’s creator who wrote and directed the one-hour May 20 series ender. "Shows that really affected me, besides ’Masterpiece Theatre,’ was stuff like ’Hill Street Blues.’ I love seeing [characters] you know do things you don’t expect them to do. TV is so much about the same, the comfort of knowing what you’re going to get ... and I knew I didn’t want Buffy to stay static."

"Buffy" could never be accused of that. Though its recent two seasons have disappointed, it never fell as far from the grace of fans as, say, "The X-Files," which stayed on the air at least two seasons too long. "Buffy’s" seven-season legacy is assured by the quality of its early years, especially when the characters were in high school.

"The second season always stands out for me," Whedon said in a teleconference with reporters earlier this week. "It was the first time we, as a writing team, realized what we were capable of. It taught us what the show would be. ... We were trying to tell epic, timeless stories on a small emotional scale."

Although "Buffy" never rose beyond cult status during its run on The WB and now UPN, Whedon said its pop culture impact was greater than the ratings would attest.

"The character, as a concept, has affected the way people think about heroines and heroes and who can front a show and what boys will watch," Whedon said. He promises next month’s finale was written with fans in mind as it continues to explore the theme of Buffy’s power. "It deals specifically with how she decides to use that power and what she thinks of it and what it’s really for."

Locally, fans of "Buffy" can gather to watch the final episodes at Rumshakers, 1224 E. Carson St., South Side. Rumshakers is holding "Buffy Nights" on Tuesdays, including special activities on May 20, the night of the series finale.

Whedon said he expects "Buffy" spin-off "Angel" to be renewed by The WB next month. Talk of another "Buffy" spin-off, the long-discussed animated series or a series about Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), has cooled.

"Everything is pretty much in limbo," he said, adding he needs a break from the grind of overseeing multiple series.

Whedon said some of the "Buffy" characters may turn up on "Angel," though nothing is set in stone about whether they would visit or join the cast. And a return to Sunnydale — either for a new series or a movie — is not out of the question.

"We do not destroy the entire fabric of this universe at the end of the last episode, and some people even live, so there’s definitely an open door [for more stories]," Whedon said.

He also promised Buffy’s mood — sour and snappish of late — will improve or at least be explained, "assuming she lives."

Whedon’s already killed his leading lady twice — will the third time knock her off for good?

"You never know," he said. "I love killing folk."