One of the cornerstones of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s enduring legacy is the incredible variety of villains that appeared across its 144 episodes. From haunting monsters-of-the-week like The Gentlemen through to season-spanning Big Bads like The Master, Buffy’s success was just as tied to its antagonists as it was the Slayer herself.
Many of those villains have aged remarkably well. Revisiting Buffy the Vampire Slayer today highlights just how iconic many of its single-episode monsters and Big Bads truly were. Unfortunately, it also reveals that not every villain has stood the test of time. Some have aged incredibly poorly, but none more so than the main villains from the first half of 2001’s season 6.
After five seasons of largely delivering memorable Big Bads for Buffy and the Scooby Gang to overcome, season 6 took a very different approach. Instead of facing an ancient evil or supernatural menace, Buffy and her friends found themselves battling The Trio. Warren (Adam Busch), Jonathan (Danny Strong), and Andrew (Tom Lenk) weren’t supernatural evils but three ordinary men whose greatest threat was toxic behavior. When rewatching Buffy today, it’s impossible to ignore just how much of a creative low point they truly were.
The Trio Were A Low Point For Buffy’s Big Bads
No Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan would argue that the show’s Big Bads were consistent. For every Mayor Wilkins and Dark Willow there’s an Adam or First Evil. However, none misfired like The Trio. Warren, Jonathan, and Andrew were conceived as a group of entitled men who used science and low-level magic to compensate for their lack of power. On paper, the idea was interesting, even ahead of its time. A Buffy villain rooted in toxic masculinity could have produced some sharp social commentary. The problem was the tone-deaf execution.
The clearest example of this problem came in the episode “Dead Things,” in which The Trio creates a cerebral dampener designed to strip women of their free will and force them into obedience. The storyline is deeply uncomfortable because it effectively revolves around planning severe sexual assault. Even when the episode first aired in 2002, the plot felt tasteless and unsettling. Revisiting it today only makes those issues more apparent.
What makes the episode particularly frustrating is that the narrative never fully grapples with the horrifying implications of what The Trio are attempting to do. The concept might have worked within a darker horror movie or psychological thriller, but within the established tongue-in-cheek tone of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it feels jarring. Rather than providing meaningful commentary about consent, the episode often seems strangely detached from the seriousness of the subject matter.
Ultimately, The Trio were villains who never should have occupied the Big Bad role. As monster-of-the-week antagonists, they could have been mildly entertaining. Stretched across an entire season, however, their weaknesses became impossible to ignore. The result was a frequently awkward storyline weighed down by moments that have aged far worse than anything else in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The Fact That The Trio Killed Off A Fan Favorite Buffy Character Is Insulting
As disappointing as The Trio were as season-long antagonists, their biggest offense may be their connection to one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the entire series. Not only are Warren, Jonathan, and Andrew widely regarded as Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s weakest Big Bads, but they are also responsible for the death of Tara (Amber Benson), one of the show’s most beloved characters.
Tara had become an essential member of the Scooby Gang by season 6. Over the years, she stood alongside Buffy through some of the series’ most dangerous conflicts. What’s more, her relationship with Willow made her a fan favorite and one of the show’s emotional anchors. Her death occurring due to Warren firing a gun through a window in an attempt to murder Buffy is beyond unsatisfying.
While her death is the catalyst for the incredible Dark Willow storyline, the fact remains that Tara deserved better. If the writers had decided her death was necessary, there were countless villains throughout Buffy’s history more worthy of being responsible for such a monumental loss.
That reality makes The Trio’s legacy even worse. Not only were they ill-suited to carry a season as a Big Bad, but they are forever tied to one of the most significant and tragic character losses in the show. Tara’s death remains heartbreaking, yet it is impossible to separate it from the fact that it was caused by villains who never felt deserving of the importance Buffy the Vampire Slayer ultimately gave them.
- Release Date
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1997 – 2003
- Network
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The WB