News Buffy the Vampire Slayer Chloé Zhao Recreated an Iconic Prop From One of Her Favorite Buffy Episodes and Gave it To Sarah Michelle Gellar Zhao also shares some thoughts about her preferred Buffy love interests. By Matthew Byrd | Published on November 26, 2025 Screenshot: 20th Century Fox Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: 20th Century Fox The crew behind the Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival (reportedly titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale), have been doing an excellent job of keeping the show’s most important details a secret. Every now and then, though, one of the members of the revival can’t help but say a little something about the highly-anticipated series. This time around, it was showrunner Chloé Zhao who shared a small (but absolutely adorable) story from the shoot. In an interview with Lauren Veneziani that was posted to Instagram, Zhao revealed that one her favorite Buffy episodes is Season 3’s “The Prom.” It’s the episode that ends with Jonathan giving a passionate speech in which he becomes one of the few Sunnydale High students to acknowledge and appreciate what Buffy does for everyone on a regular basis. Buffy then receives the “Class Protector” award: a kind of parasol affixed to a golden base. The award has come to symbolize one of the sweetest and most powerful moments in the series. Yet, Zhao says she learned that Sarah Michelle Gellar never kept the Class Protector award prop from that episode. So, she hatched a plan. “On the day of the wrap, we made a replica of that [award] and then I memorized the speech,” Zhao says. “So, I went up there to say, ‘Some of us didn’t know you,’ you know there’s that speech… I did the whole thing. And then we presented her with the [Class Protector award]. It was amazing. Some of the crew members were like, ‘What’s happening?’ But the ones that know the speech… I had such a good time doing that.” There is sadly no media of the recreated prop available at the moment, though we’ll hopefully get a peek of that soon now that Zhao has shared the story. And while that prop will (likely) not make an appearance in the revival, it’s always fascinating to hear Zhao reminisce about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Those memories not only solidify her super fan status but offer a window into her thoughts about the series that perhaps reveal little things about what we can expect from the show. So far as that goes, Zhao also took he time to talk about her favorite Buffy love interests and give a little respect to one of the slayer’s more “boring” beaus. “In my 40s, I appreciate Riley more,” Zhao says of the one that got away (in a military helicopter). “When I was younger I thought he was kind of boring and I preferred Spike. Now, I’m like ‘maybe a little less Spike and a little more Riley.’” But don’t worry fans and friends. Zhao admits that Buffy and Angel had the best chemistry despite him being a “runner.” [end-mark] The post Chloé Zhao Recreated an Iconic Prop From One of Her Favorite <i>Buffy</i> Episodes and Gave it To Sarah Michelle Gellar appeared first on Reactor.