Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters Could Be Gen Z’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Jenji Kohan simply does not miss. The creator of Orange Is the New Black is back again as the executive producer of Teenage Bounty Hunters, a new triumph in the world of Teen Dramas™.
Created by Kathleen Jordan, Teenage Bounty Hunters follows fraternal twin sisters Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair (Anjelica Bette Fellini), two Southern girls from a conservative, religious community who dive into the exhilarating world of bounty hunting after they unwittingly apprehend a bail skipper for seasoned hunter Bowser (Kadeem Hardison).
But for all their undercover ops and badassery, the show never strays from who these girls are: 16-year-olds. Blaire (“the slutty twin,” as she calls herself) is a virgin on a mission to fall in love because she wants to have sex for the first time while desperately trying to curb her clinical depression by presenting herself as provocative and unique. Sterling is popular and nominated to be her school’s faith leader, but feels stifled by her family and peers’ high expectations.
With each other’s help and almost unwavering support, the twins explore sexuality, depression, and their conflicting feelings about God and sex—all while kicking a little ass with their surly mentor, Bowser.
I may get my television critic’s card removed for saying this—or just a lot of hate on Twitter—but Teenage Bounty Hunters could be this generation’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A big swing, but hear me out: One facet of Buffy that I constantly think about is how the series utilized a mystical world to explore confusing adolescent feelings on love and friendship. (Spoiler alert?) The first time Buffy has sex with her vampire boyfriend, Angel, he instantly loses his soul—a devastating metaphor for the way many teenage boys treat their partners after sex.
Similarly, TBH employs an over-the-top premise, bonkers dialogue, and superbly executed twists to start conversations about mental health, sex, and religion. However, it’s clear these girls are living amongst a different generation than Buffy Summers: One full of lovable himbos, TikTok, and decapitations of Confederate statues.
There have been plenty of shows that have attempted a similar feat—think every single supernatural teen series on TV—but very few capture the actual essence, overwhelming emotions, and necessary frivolity of life as a teenage girl. Buffy, Sterling, and Blaire are just as likely to cry over a breakup or humiliating moment at school as they are over the consequences of leading a double life. That’s why we relate to them.
Which brings me to another delightful aspect of Teenage Bounty Hunters: Blair and Sterling are not chosen ones—they picked their own destiny. When it comes to bounty hunting, the sisters were in the right place at the right time…and, it turns out, good shots. They’re the main characters of their story because they decided to be. If they can do that, so can anyone.
Given the nature of Netflix’s 10-episode format and rare ventures past a third season, Teenage Bounty Hunters may never have the ability to experiment and break boundaries in the same way Buffy did. Still, if there’s any justice in the world, we’ll at least get a season two.
Teenage Bounty Hunters is available on Netflix now.
Emily Tannenbaum is a freelance contributor and the weekend editor at Glamour. Follow her on Twitter.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
