incidents and accidents, hints and allegations

Whedon loves to play with the cliches and defy the viewers expectations. The first season is in some ways the weakest, as many of the episodes are of the basic Monster-of-the-Week variety. Later on the show develops a much richer texture with long story arcs and elements spanning multiple seasons. If I had to pigeonhole it into a genre, I'd say it's far closer to soap opera. The quality of individual episodes vary enormously, but when it hits its stride, it is hands down the best television has ever offered. Jennifer's book is one of dozens of books analyzing the show ranging from the frivolous to serious critical discourse. It is rare for television writing to have the intellectual depth to warrant the level of analysis and study Buffy has gotten.