 The dynamic nature of the characters was a unique element of writing in the series at the time . Once they were established in the twelve episodes of the first season , characters began to change and relationships were developed in the second . This continued through the series to the point of unpredictability that sometimes became unsettling to fans . Buffy essayist Marguerite Krause asserts that the monsters and demons faced by the Scoobies are thin symbolism for the show 's true focus : relationships and how to maintain or ruin them . Common among most of these relationships — romantic , platonic , and familial — is , according to Krause , a " failure to communicate , lack of trust , [ and the ] inability to envision or create a viable future " . <unk> is worsened or sustained through multiple episodes and seasons , leading to overwhelming misunderstanding and critical turning points for the characters , some of whom do not recover . 
