Sunnydale, California, is the fictional setting for the U. S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fictional narratives (and works of art exist beyond their completion e Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror movies. Joseph Hill " Joss " Whedon ( born June 23, 1964 in New York City is an Academy Award -nominated and Hugo Award California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
Sunnydale is located on a "Hellmouth"; a portal "between this reality and the next", and convergence point of mystical energies. In the fictional universe established by the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, the Buffyverse, a Hellmouth [1]
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Sunnydale's size and surroundings are implausible but justified given its origins - to sustain a human population for supernatural evils to prey upon. The town's founder spared no expense to attract a populace, and Sunnydale thus contains many elements of a large city - which the show's writers utilized fully for comic effect and narrative convenience. During the first three seasons, Sunnydale's population is revealed to be 38,500,[2] very few high schools,[3] forty-three churches,[4] a small private college,[5], a zoo,[6] a museum,[7] and one modest main street. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Even so, it has twelve gothic cemeteries. Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. [8] These cemeteries are so heavily used that services are sometimes held at night. [9]
In later seasons it is revealed that Sunnydale contains a campus of the University of California system, as well as a profitable magic supply shop. The University of California ( UC) is a Public university system in the state of California. The town is also seen to include a large park containing a creek and a lake,[10] and one of its cemeteries is shown to be adjacent to a lake. [11] Sunnydale has a number of parks: Weatherly Park, Glebe Park, Radcliff Park and Nelson Park are just some of the examples. Sunnydale has a train station,[12] a bus station,[13] a small airport,[14] and a small military base. [15]
Directly beneath Sunnydale High School is a Hellmouth, a subterranean, mystical portal that attracts evil forces. In the fictional universe established by the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, the Buffyverse, a Hellmouth This functions as a major plot device in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as it explains why vampires and other demons are so prevalent in Sunnydale. In the fictional world of the Television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, a vampire is a species of demon In the fictional Buffyverse established by ''Buffy'' and ''Angel'', a Demon is a kind of nonhuman life form generally believed to be evil
Sunnydale possesses many common horror-movie characteristics, such as an abundance of dark alleyways, abandoned mansions and factories, and an adult population that is either clueless or perpetually in denial, in stark contrast to the demon-fighting, supernaturally aware teens.
By the show's seventh season, set in 2002-03, the city's population has fallen to 32,900. [16] In the spring, the town is almost completely evacuated before its destruction.
Sunnydale has a somewhat isolated location. [17]
The town is situated near several acres of woods and forest, including Miller's Woods. [18] Breaker's Woods is 45-minute drive from town. [19]
Sunnydale is located on or near the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions An ocean port with several docked ships is nearby[20]. Nearby, Kingman's Bluff stands on a tall cliff overlooking the sea. [21] There is a nearby beach. [22]
Near, or in Sunnydale is an old quarry house built beside a deep lake, located a few feet from a cliff edge. [23] In addition, there is a hydroelectric dam in the vicinity of Sunnydale. [24]
Within a day's drive of Sunnydale is a desert. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. [25] It is also stated several times to be approximately two hours drive from Los Angeles.
In the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Chosen"), and also in the first issue of the Buffy: Season Eight comic book, Sunnydale is depicted being surrounded by desert terrain. " Chosen " the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is Episode 22 of Season 7 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a Comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. [26] However, this appears to contradict information established earlier in the series about Sunnydale's surroundings.
Maps of Sunnydale have appeared at various times during the show:
Various southern California locations are used as stand-ins for Sunnydale:
Long before humans settled the area, an entrance to the Hellmouth existed at the site of the future town of Sunnydale. In the fictional universe established by the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, the Buffyverse, a Hellmouth
In ancient times, a magic scythe was used at the site of the Hellmouth "to kill the last pure demon that walked upon the Earth. For the ancient Sicilian tyrant see Scythes. A scythe (ˈsaɪð from Old English siðe. " After this, the scythe was hidden, and its last guardian remained, waiting in a pagan temple that would somehow remain unnoticed for centuries. [32]
Centuries later, Navajo and Chumash peoples lived in this area. The Navajo or Diné people (also spelled Navaho) of the Southwestern United States The Chumash are Native American people who historically inhabit chiefly central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what is now San One or more groups of monks or friars also settled in this area. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective A Friar is a member of one of the Mendicant orders. Friars and monks Friars differ from Monks in that they are called to a life of poverty in service [33] As in general California history, it can safely supposed those friars to be Spanish Franciscans, who arrived in California in the late 18th century. [34] In 1812, there was an earthquake in the Sunnydale region that caused a cave-in in which an entire mission was lost; the very existence of the mission was soon forgotten. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of Religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between [35].
Richard Wilkins arrived in California in the late 1800s, looking for gold. For the Australian television/entertainment personality see Richard Wilkins (TV presenter. He founded Sunnydale (after considering the alternate names "Happydale" and "Sunny Acres") in a demon infested valley after a Navajo Slayer died there. [36] He made a pact with the demons to found a town atop the Hellmouth for them "to feed on", in return for the promise of immortality by becoming a pure demon himself. Wilkins became Mayor of Sunnydale. [37]
In the 1930s, there was at least one more major earthquake in Sunnydale. This caused a cave-in that swallowed up The Master and his lair, as well as the temple on Kingman's Bluff. The Master is a Fictional character from the Television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel (The date of this earthquake is given as either 1932 or 1937, although it is possible these were two distinct quakes. )[38]
Sometime in the 1980s or 1990s, Richard Wilkins was again elected mayor, now under the name of "Richard Wilkins III", and served more than one term. [39]
By the 1990s, Sunnydale appeared to have become a typical town on the California coast, with a popular mayor, a police force, and a local newspaper (the Sunnydale Press[40]). However, Mayor Wilkins had instructed the police to cover up any supernatural or mysterious violence occurring in the city, and had instructed Principal Snyder to cover up supernatural violence occurring at Sunnydale High. [41]
The series begins in the winter of 1997, when Buffy Summers, the current vampire slayer, moves to 1630 Revello Drive, and Buffy begin attending Sunnydale High. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young Female bestowed with There she meets new friends, including Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, and Oz, as well as the vampire Angel and her new watcher, Rupert Giles. Willow Rosenberg is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the Television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris (born 1981 in Sunnydale, California) is a Fictional character in the cult Television series Cordelia Chase (born January 1981, in Sunnydale, California, Daniel "Oz" Osbourne (born 1980 in Sunnydale, California) is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult Angel is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the Television programs Buffy the Vampire Rupert Giles is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the Television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This "Scooby Gang" often hangs out at the Bronze, the Espresso Pump (a local coffee house with a retro gas station motif) and the Sun Cinema. The Bronze is a Fictional Nightclub in Sunnydale, the fictional setting for the Television series A filling station, fueling station, gas station, service station, petrol station, or gasbar, Retail Outlet Buffy's mother, Joyce, works in an art gallery in Sunnydale. Joyce Summers is a Fictional character played by Kristine Sutherland on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
During their time in high school, Buffy and her friends fight a number of vampires, most notably the Master, Spike, Drusilla, and (when he had lost his soul) Angel. The Master is a Fictional character from the Television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel Spike (aka William "the Bloody") played by James Marsters, is a Fictional character Drusilla, nicknamed "Dru" is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult Television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Another slayer, Faith, arrives in their senior year of high school (Season 3) and lives at the Downtowner Motel[42] until she joins forces with Mayor Wilkins. Faith
At the end of the third season (June 1999), Sunnydale High is destroyed in a great conflict that kills Mayor Wilkins and Principal Snyder. After this point, there is no mention in the television show of the political leaders of the city. The police occasionally appear, but the police chief does not. There is no further discussion of the police covering up supernatural evidence, although one newspaper headline suggests this may have continued. [43]
As the fourth season begins (fall 1999), Buffy and Willow begin attending the University of California, Sunnydale. There they discover that the United States government was operating a secret military complex, the Initiative, in a cavern beneath the UC Sunnydale campus. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The Initiative is closed down at the end of the season (spring 2000) after a climactic battle with the cyborg Adam. Adam is a Fictional character in the Television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by George Hertzberg. By this time, Tara Maclay and Anya have been added to the Scooby Gang. Tara Maclay is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult Television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins, born Aud (formerly Anyanka, the "patron saint of scorned women" is a Fictional character created by Later this same year, Giles purchases a magic shop named The Magic Box. In the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Magic Box is a magic shop in Sunnydale last owned and [44]
Sometime between the fourth and fifth seasons (during the summer of 2000), the mysterious "Key" is transformed into Buffy's younger "sister", Dawn Summers. Dawn Summers is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the Television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by The next year brings deaths of Joyce Summers and also of Buffy herself, although Buffy manages to return from the grave. After this point, Buffy and Dawn become co-owners of the family house. [45]
At the end of the sixth season (spring 2002), the Magic Box is destroyed in a battle between Willow and Buffy. At the beginning of the next season (fall 2002), Sunnydale High is rebuilt, on exactly the same location as before - directly over the Hellmouth.
By this time, knowledge of supernatural phenomena seems to be slowly growing in the town. [46] Sunnydale's population is also revealed to have dropped to 32,900. [47]
In the second half of the seventh season (early 2003), supernatural manifestations at Sunnydale High reach unprecedented levels. Within less than a month, virtually the entire population of the town flees in a mass evacuation. [48] Soon thereafter, the cataclysmic showdown between the Scooby Gang and The First Evil results in the complete obliteration of the town, which collapses into a giant pit, closing the entrance to the Hellmouth. The First Evil (also called The First) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. [49]
In fiction fandom, the name Sunnydale Syndrome has been coined to describe the common tendency of mundane characters in horror drama to fail to notice, or to reject as unreal or impossible, the unusual activities taking place under their noses, even when blindingly obvious. Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc
The town of Sunnydale is designed to parody this phenomenon, as its general population is largely oblivious to the ongoing conflict between the forces of good and evil. In the case of Sunnydale, the people are not completely unaware; often it is hinted that citizens realize vaguely that their town is unusual, but most merely do not try to find out why, and when presented with a cause tend to ignore it. For example, in one episode, a football player gushes, "This is our year . Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American franchise which spans several media and genres . . . if we can focus, keep discipline and not have quite as many mysterious deaths, Sunnydale is gonna rule. " When the character Oz learns of the existence of vampires, he remarks, "Actually, it explains a lot. Daniel "Oz" Osbourne (born 1980 in Sunnydale, California) is a Fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult " Later, Buffy's graduating high school class gives her an award as "class protector," explaining that they know she does something to save them all regularly, even if they don't know its exact nature. At the wedding of Xander and Anya, the human guests accept the fiction that Anya's demon friends are "circus people".
Even though Buffy popularised Sunnydale Syndrome, similar phenomena have preceded it in other works of fiction.
In Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, people come up with explanations for the presence of large alien space ships and police boxes, rather than accept aliens exist. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British Science fiction Television series produced by BBC Wales for CBBC, created The TARDIS ( T ime A nd R elative D imension(s I n S pace is a time machine and Spacecraft in the Used frequently is the idea of drugs causing hallucinations. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a Chemical substance that acts primarily upon the Central nervous system where it alters Brain Some characters, such as Donna Noble humorously completely fail to remember, having been "too drunk" or failed to see altogether, "scuba diving in Spain". Donna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who The Doctor refers to the phenomenon in the stories Remembrance of the Daleks and "Boom Town" as a result of human beings' "amazing capacity for self-deception". The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in Remembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast " Boom Town " is an episode in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy often features humans less than impressed when confronted with aliens and alien technology. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series Usually they do acknowledge the situation, but go to great lengths to treat it as normal even if a normal reaction is totally inappropriate. This feature of the sapient mind is used by a Somebody Else's Problem field.
In the roleplaying game Werewolf: the Apocalypse, humanity suffers from a condition called the Delirium, in which suppressed racial memories of werewolves cause them to either forget, rationalize away, or alter their memories of werewolf sightings and attacks. Werewolf The Apocalypse is a Role-playing game and series of novels from the old World of Darkness line by White Wolf. The werewolves refer to the limited protection this condition affords them as the Veil.
In the Harry Potter book series, regular humans (Muggles) tend to overlook magical things and occurrences by rationalising them to mean something else, usually when there is not already a spell in place to make them overlook it in the first place. Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J
In the Discworld novels, the character of Death is usually perceived as something other than what he is. Discworld is a comedic Fantasy Book series by the British author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat For example, in the novel Mort he was perceived as an undertaker. He explained that it wasn't magic, but that people chose to replace his image with something more preferable.