Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw its titular heroine have a few romantic partners, including a problematic one that would never work in today's world.

Back in the late 90s, television was still largely episodic. Some shows, like The X-Files, dabbled in long-form storytelling, but Buffy took it to another level. The series popularized season-long arcs, weaving monster-of-the-week plots with deeply serialized narratives.