Buffy the Vampire Slayer - In Celebration Of Those Characters Who Aren't 'Special'

**Callace** · 10-01-2007, 02:53 PM

Xander in Potential
You thought you were all special. Miss Sunndale 2003. And the moment you found out you were`nt, you handed the crown to Amanda without a moments pause. You gave her your power.

Dawn
the power wasnt mine

Xander
they`ll never know how tough it is Dawnie, to be the one who isnt chosen. To live so near the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realises, because nobody`s watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here tonight. You`re not special. You`re extraordinary!"

When I (and presumeably most of us) turn on the telly to watch Buffy, its the Great Magical characters - Buffy, Willow, Angel, Spike we yearn for and notice the best.

But this thread is dedicated to those others. the ones who arent special. the normal, not mythologically powerful ones. To Xander, Dawn, Giles and even Riley, who adds so much humour, gravity and realism to the show, and help the stars to shine.

Lets all get together to drag them into the spotlight, in a celebration of all those buffymoments that wouldnt have been the same without them.

**Jaime Bee** · 10-01-2007, 07:05 PM

I can give you all of them except Riley.

wilywiccan · 10-01-2007, 07:18 PM

I always hated that quote in Potential.

**Jaime Bee** · 10-01-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilywiccan (View Post)

I always hated that quote in Potential.

Why?

wilywiccan · 10-01-2007, 08:01 PM

I remember explaining this before.

I'll look for my previous quote on it instead of trying to explain it again. ha ha

Berengaria · 10-01-2007, 08:43 PM

Oz was only looking through Giles' record collection...which wasn't of any help at all. But when Xander turned on the tv, everyone could see where there had been a huge cave-in in Sunnydale and that's how they knew that Spike was tunneling to find the Gem of Amara! Good going.Xan. Sometimes its better to be lucky than smart.

Night Nymph · 10-01-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilywiccan (View Post)

I always hated that quote in Potential.

I thought I was the only one who didn't like it all that much. I'm glad to see that I have some company.

Rogue · 10-02-2007, 01:01 AM

I didn't hate the quote...But I do think it kind've suggested that Buffy and the other "special" ones were incredibly gifted to be given the chance to never be able to have a normal life and risk their lives for the fate of the world....what now? Please. Xander and Dawn should really be thanking their lucky stars they are not chosen to die at the hands of some twisted demonic force. That's what always really infuriated me about Anya's rant in 'Empty Places' (though everything infuriated me about that ep) where she goes on about how Buffy didn't really 'DESERVE' to be the Slayer, yada yada.

But I get what you actually mean behind this thread...that we should celebrate what Xander and Dawn and the like contributed as the people they were...non mythical. And I love those characters, so I like this thread

**Callace** · 10-02-2007, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roguebailey (View Post)

I didn't hate the quote...But I do think it kind've suggested that Buffy and the other "special" ones were incredibly gifted to be given the chance to never be able to have a normal life and risk their lives for the fate of the world....what now? Please. Xander and Dawn should really be thanking their lucky stars they are not chosen to die at the hands of some twisted demonic force. That's what always really infuriated me about Anya's rant in 'Empty Places' (though everything infuriated me about that ep) where she goes on about how Buffy didn't really 'DESERVE' to be the Slayer, yada yada.

But I get what you actually mean behind this thread...that we should celebrate what Xander and Dawn and the like contributed as the people they were...non mythical. And I love those characters, so I like this thread

thank you for liking it!

I think the fact that they were non-mythical is a really great thing in itself, showstructurally. if all buffycharacters were part of the mythology, I think that would be kind of an overkill - loosing touch with the real world.

In (only) this aspect, I actually really like Riley too. Biley shows us beautyfully how beeing the Slayer separates Buffy from the world of normal dating. All the secret keeping in the beginning, and the strain on them in that he doesnt understand her, and has trouble dealing with her strenght. A guy who is special by normal standards, like secret agent Riley, makes a nice contrast to the mythological specialness of Buffy and her vampire boyfriends.

As to the quote, it is so long that I didnt feel it appropriate to quote it in full, but before the qouted bit, they do actually talk about how dangerous and difficult it is to be the chosen ones.

Dawn
whats up?

Xander
I was just thinking about the girls. Its a harsh gig, being a potiential. Being picked out of the crowd. Danger, destiny. Plus, if you act now, death.

they dont really glorify it... Its about beeing chosen, more or less against own will. the special ones are just as much - or more - cursed than gifted. but they are still special. the others dont have that obious specialness. they have to find it in their own personality instead.

jerkstore · 10-05-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roguebailey (View Post)

I didn't hate the quote...But I do think it kind've suggested that Buffy and the other "special" ones were incredibly gifted to be given the chance to never be able to have a normal life and risk their lives for the fate of the world....what now? Please. Xander and Dawn should really be thanking their lucky stars they are not chosen to die at the hands of some twisted demonic force.

That's always been my feeling about Xander's little speech, but that rant belongs on the Anti-Xander thread.

Topic:

Let's here it for Xander's fellow workers, the crew at Doublemeat Palace, the teachers at Sunnydale High (the non demonic ones anyway) and everyone else who carried on with their normal lives on the hellmouth.

**Callace** · 10-05-2007, 01:54 PM

I have a little soft spot for Jonathan in this way. an originally very small part, and surely noone special - just an extra, credited in his first ep as just "Student". then they kept bringing him back for beeing such a great damsel in distress. then he grows to get his own character traits, then an own ep (superstar) before actually becoming the Big Bad of season 6

BtVS have a special way of taking throwavay characters and develope them into something great and lasting!

but that is perhaps a little off topic. he did after all learn some magic eventually

lets rather speak about the really unspecial ones.

the guy from Xanders workplace, who they tried to hook buffy up with. I know this is meant to be an appreciation thread, but I just have to ask: If they had really hooked up, do you think that would have beat Biley in unattractiveness?

the DMPgang. I feel kind of sorry for them. what poor existance. lifers in a burger place! my deepest sympathy

***Scythe*** · 10-06-2007, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roguebailey (View Post)

I didn't hate the quote...But I do think it kind've suggested that Buffy and the other "special" ones were incredibly gifted to be given the chance to never be able to have a normal life and risk their lives for the fate of the world....what now? Please. Xander and Dawn should really be thanking their lucky stars they are not chosen to die at the hands of some twisted demonic force. That's what always really infuriated me about Anya's rant in 'Empty Places' (though everything infuriated me about that ep) where she goes on about how Buffy didn't really 'DESERVE' to be the Slayer, yada yada.

I never really thought about it, but you're right

Emmaliza · 05-01-2009, 12:47 AM

...except the whole thing where Dawn was kinda chosen to die at the hands of a twisted demonic force.

That always kinda infuriated me about Potential, does no-one remember anything that happened in season 5?

**ashleyt** · 05-01-2009, 08:42 PM

Have you watched S7?

Dawn was normal by then, so maybe that's what they mean

Emmaliza · 05-01-2009, 10:03 PM

Maybe, but then, she already had her turn in the spotlight, so w/e. And I still don't get how she just "became" normal after season 5.