In a 1992 comedy flick, a carefree cheerleader learns about her destiny to hunt down and kill vampires. Although this teenage girl is initially flippant about her burgeoning abilities, a series of events forces her to take vampire-hunting seriously. Amid a botched prom and an antagonistic showdown in the school basement, the girl and her allies emerge victorious, having put an end to the tyranny of vampires hounding Hemery High School. Mostly unserious and wholly slapstick, this Fran Rubel Kuzui-helmed film received a negative to lukewarm reception on release. This comedy was none other than “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

But this isn’t the version of Buffy that entered the global pop culture DNA. After all, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the television series we know and love, is remembered through its enduring imagery: Black leather jackets, occult/religious iconography, passionate romance, and gothic architecture, to name just a few. At its center lies the horrors of approaching adulthood, and how the supernatural mingles with the mundanities of high school to create a heady, dangerous force tugging at its central characters.

Series creator Joss Whedon (who wrote the script for the 1992 film) decided to revamp the core premise into something more thrilling and serious, which led to one of the most influential teenage-centered shows ever created. Sure, “Buffy” sports its campy aspects like fangs glinting beneath the moonlight, but the series also unpacks some complex themes within the mold of an unconventional coming-of-age tale. Moreover, the crossover spin-off series “Angel” goes to some really dark places, allowing the connected stories and themes to weave in and out effortlessly.

As the “Buffy” and “Angel” viewing patterns can get pretty convoluted, here’s a complete watch order to make the most out of the Buffyverse.

Most parent shows and spin-offs are only connected through a shared universe, but “Buffy” and “Angel” make things a tad complicated by taking the crossover route. Interestingly, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) meets Angel (David Boreanaz) as early as the first season’s pilot, but the latter evolves into a complex character worthy of his own spin-off show, which started airing after season 3 of “Buffy” ended. With “Buffy” and “Angel” airing simultaneously, the storylines often bleed into one another. With that in mind, I’ve created this watch order in order of chronological events, with certain episodes meant to follow a specific viewing pattern if you want to understand the lore to the obsessive degree it demands. Here’s the watch order:

1. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 1

2. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 2

3. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 3

4. Watch every episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 4 and “Angel” season 1 in an alternate pattern. For example, after watching season 4, episode 1 of “Buffy” (“The Freshman”), follow it up with season 1, episode 1 of “Angel” (“City of…”). Follow this pattern, keeping the following exceptions in mind:

• “Buffy” season 4, episode 10: “Hush”

• “Buffy” season 4, episode 11: “Doomed”

• “Angel” season 1, episode 10: “Parting Gifts”

• “Angel” season 1, episode 11: “Somnambulist”

Then the alternate viewing pattern should resume until you hit this point:

• “Buffy” season 4, episode 18: “Where the Wild Things Are”

• “Buffy” season 4, episode 19: “New Moon Rising”

• “Angel” season 1, episode 18: “Five by Five”

• “Angel” season 1, episode 19: “Sanctuary”

The alternate viewing pattern should resume again.

5. Watch every episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 5 and “Angel” season 2 in an alternate pattern. Exceptions include:

• “Angel” season 2, episodes 14-16: “The Thin Dead Line,” “Reprise,” and “Epiphany”

• “Buffy” season 5, episode 14: “Crush”

• “Angel” season 2, episode 17: “Disharmony”

• “Buffy” season 5, episodes 14-17: “I Was Made to Love You,” “The Body,” “Forever”

The alternate viewing pattern should resume until you hit this point:

• “Buffy” season 5, episodes 20-22: “Spiral,” “The Weight of the World,” and “The Gift”

• “Angel” season 2, episodes 20-22: “Over the Rainbow,” “Through the Looking Glass,” and “There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb”

For the sake of everyone’s sanity, let’s take a breather here to discuss why this admittedly convoluted watch order works. The joint continuity of “Buffy” and “Angel” is more than just overlapping perspectives, as the crossover nature of the shows makes both Buffy and Angel’s individual story arcs relevant. The majority of the crossover episodes occur between seasons 4 and 6 of “Buffy” (and seasons 1 and 3 of “Angel”). Please be warned that things might get confusing from a timeline perspective, as there’s a lot of jumping around in terms of chronology and how the same events are perceived, especially in the next chunk of the watch order.

Let’s pick up right where we left off:

6. Watch every episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 6 and “Angel” season 3 in an alternate pattern. Exceptions include:

• “Angel” season 3, episodes 15-16: “Loyalty” and “Sleep Tight”

• “Buffy” season 6, episode 15: “As You Were”

• “Angel” season 3, episode 17: “Forgiving”

• “Buffy” season 6, episode 16: “Hell’s Bells”

• “Angel” season 3, episode 18: “Double or Nothing”

• “Buffy” season 6, episode 17: “Normal Again”

• “Angel” season 3, episode 19: “The Price”

• “Angel” season 3, episode 20: “A New World”

• “Buffy” season 6, episode 18: “Entropy”

• “Angel” season 3, episodes 21-22: “Benediction” and “Tomorrow”

• “Buffy” season 6, episodes 19-22: “Seeing Red,” “Villains,” “Two to Go,” and “Grave

7. Watch every episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” season 7 and “Angel” season 4 in an alternate pattern. Exceptions include:

• “Buffy” season 7, episodes 7-9: “Conversations with Dead People,” “Sleeper,” and “Never Leave Me”

• “Angel” season 4, episodes 7-8: “Apocalypse, Nowish” and “Habeas Corpses”

• “Buffy” season 7, episodes 10-11: “Bring on the Night” and “Showtime”

• “Angel” season 4, episodes 9-11: “Long Day’s Journey,” “Awakening,” and “Soulless”

• “Buffy” season 7, episodes 12-14: “Potential,” “The Killer in Me,” and “First Date”

• “Angel” season 4, episode 12: “Calvary”

• “Buffy” season 7, episodes 15-16: “Get It Done” and “Storyteller”

• “Angel” season 4, episodes 13-14: “Salvage” and “Release”

• “Buffy” season 7, episode 17: “Lies My Parents Told Me”

• “Angel” season 4, episodes 15-17: “Orpheus,” “Players,” and “Inside Out”

Resume the alternate viewing pattern until you hit these episodes:

• “Angel” season 4, episodes 20-22: “Sacrifice,” “Peace Out,” and “Home”

• “Buffy” season 7, episodes 20-22: “Touched,” “End of Days,” and “Chosen”

8. “Angel” season 5 (watch in chronological order, as “Buffy” ends with Season 7)

We’re (almost) done, as season 5 of “Angel” is also its final one, with the titular character gearing up for a fight that will determine the fate of the world with most of Los Angeles on the cusp of change. While these two shows are enough to relish the Buffyverse, you can also give the official comics a try, which includes “Angel: After the Fall” and “The Long Way Home.” Until then, immerse yourselves in this thrilling, campy world that features every being in the supernatural roster. After all, this is where a resilient teen slayer and her friends are forever ready to vanquish all evil while experiencing the most harrowing growing pains known to mankind.