Was the interviewer 14? It was kinda fangirly (even if the article was written by a man). In my mind, the article read something like "OMG!!!! they dissd u! WTF!!!!! UR so kewl!!!1!!!"

That aside, as much as I would love a Buffy movie in a couple of years, I won't be holding my breath. I tend to think of one task at a time, so I'm keeping all of my hope on Firefly for now.

lalaa | January 07, 13:44 CET

The review made me a little sad. I never felt that the character of Xander was "played out." It was pretty clear that the writers just didn't feel very motivated to find something to do with the guy after high school. Part of that may have been the extensive watering-down of Whedontime as other projects arose.

It's a shame he hasn't had any big breaks yet.

Ocular | January 07, 18:41 CET

If Joss thought most fans would rather see new uninteresting characters like the slayerettes instead of a beloved character like Xander he was sadly mistaken.

Xander basically had 3 important scenes the whole last season, the conversation with Dawn about being normal, getting his eye gouged out to make Caleb a badass, and providing the only sorrow about Anya's death.

prufrock | January 07, 20:26 CET

He also saved the day much more than Buffy before CWDP.

LudditeRobot | January 07, 20:39 CET

prufrock, I would add to that list the speech in which he lionized Buffy to the SITs. Also, I think Caleb's bad-assedness was never in question!

I hope he gets something good soon. One of my favorite TV characters of all time, beautifully portrayed.

Chris in Virginia | January 07, 20:45 CET

Folks, it's TV Guide. The interviewers either have the IQ of boiled cod, or they're pretending they do, because that's what they assume their readership is like.

I have so many reasons to hate Rupert Murdoch...

bookrats | January 07, 20:54 CET

Joss tried to create a 'clever' ending to BtVS, with Buffy empowering girls everywhere, etc etc. I think he forgot that the viewers had invested in the Scoobies for 7 seasons and couldn't care less about Potentials and what not. I didn't care about them anyway, nor do I care about empowering the female of the species. I would rather have seen a story that involved Xander (and Giles and Anya and Willow). Pity, that.

Caroline | January 07, 21:15 CET

Pity for you, maybe. My favorite element of Joss' work is the underlying feminism, and seeing that manifest itself so clearly in the final episode was a phenominal ending to a very important narrative. In my opinion the message of BtVS was always more important than individual character relations.

It's too bad the rest of Season 7 didn't have such clarity.

[ edited by ringworm on 2004-01-07 19:20 ]

ringworm | January 07, 21:19 CET

Dammit, just put the guy on Angel or give Xander a show where he travels the globe as a "Slayer Scout" for the Watcher's Council or SOMETHING. Of all the Buffy characters, he got the shaft more than anyone else in the final season and, frankly, he DESERVES to play a much larger role in the on-going Whedonverse.

I'd honestly be more interested in seeing him come back than I would Buffy.

DarqueGuy | January 07, 21:38 CET

Nick Brendon is a good actor and comedian, he'll get work soon. Has anybody seen him in Psycho Beach Party where he played a romantic lead?

vpecoraro | January 07, 21:54 CET

Psycho Beach Party was great, a hilarious parody, and Nick was good in it. The scene on the beach where he describes to Chiclet how to perform a certain sex act made me laugh so hard I cried. Plus there is a ton of slashiness in this film.

chickenbird | January 07, 22:27 CET

Wow, am I the only one who didn't like Xander much? Ever since he started the Angel hating, then continued with the Spike hating.....I just couldn't get behind his character. He conveniently forgot that Willow dated a beast who would have torn him to pieces given the chance and the right moon. He didn't seem to mind that he himself was in love with a Anya who had been an unapologetic souled killer/torturer/demon. (Then when she was a demon again, he still loved her) But if Buffy decides to get involved with, in essence, good demons, it's a high crime because Xander wanted Buffy first.

I began to like him a bit more in season 7 when he was less of an a$$hole to Spike. I know, he was the everyman, but I didn't watch Buffy to see normal guys, I watched it to see supernatural butt-kicking action. Well, not solely, but you know what I mean. Xander and Riley had the same problem for me, just too normal. Nice guys, but hey, I meet nice guys everyday. Gimme a bloodsucking fiend anyday.

I do, however, completely agree that too much focus was put on the potentials. Did anyone REALLY care about them? Just made for a messy, hectic season, if you ask me. They could have focused more on the regulars, even Xander!

Rogue Slayer | January 07, 23:07 CET

I would love to see him show up as a one-eyed LA baddie on Angel. Couldn't you just see it? A big mysterious unseen baddie turns LA upside down for an episode or two until the final reveal is Angel, brought to bow before the baddie, looking up, surprised, saying:

"Xander?"

...

See, this is why I don't write for television.

[ edited by fraying on 2004-01-07 21:11 ]

fraying | January 07, 23:10 CET

Rogue Slayer - I agree with you about what you said about Xander and his hypocritical ways but at the same time I loved the character too. A lot of people in real life can be very hot and cold when it comes to certain subjects. He did seem to mellow as his character became older and more mature. I would've loved to have seen more Xander, heck, just more of an interaction between the four key characters the last season but it didn't happen. But I loved the scene in the hallway of the school as Buffy and Xander walk down the hall gently holding hands and slowly release and look at each other right before the battle. That said a lot to me, not a romantic thing, just a deep caring between the characters.

I think the potentials were important to the end conclusion but I wish they could've had the same ending but with less whining and bitching from the potentials (and a lot less of Kennedy). And a lot less of them during the season. They opened a lot of issues between Buffy and the Scoobies that they just glossed over when she came back after they all kicked her out. They all just acted like nothing happened. I would've loved to have seen some heart to heart talks and some making up.

Nick Brendan would be great in a comedy as the lead. I'll never forget how great he was in Bewitched, bothered and bewildered. The scene with him walking down the hall and all the girls (and some guys) ogling him was a riot! Especially the lunch lady!!!

Firefly Flanatic | January 07, 23:28 CET

I'm in agreement with Rogue Slayer & Blwessels...I too drifted from Xander because of the Angel hating...and when he did not relay Willow's message in Season 2...that did it. BUT...that is not to say that I did not laugh at his funnies and enjoy all that was to come...I just did it with a grudge...one that I hold to this day! ;)

P.S.---would love to see Nick in a sitcom. It's Xander that I hold the above grudge...not Nick.

I need therapy for this subject!!!

Coll | January 07, 23:37 CET

I know this probably will never happen (and I'm spoiler-free when it comes to Angel episodes), but I've always hoped that Xander and Cordelia would reunite someday. I adored their season 2-3 banter, and they complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses nicely. Once Xander worked through his grief about Anya, and Cordy, um, shook off that nasty coma and any residual memories of Connor, giving birth to Jasmine, the bad frosted hair, etc., the two of them could give a healthy adult relationship a try. (And if I can't see that scenario come to pass, I'll settle for Cordy and Doyle getting together in the afterlife....)

jc | January 07, 23:49 CET

I thought the Angel hating was just a completely natural reaction for an insecure guy who's still pinching himself he gets to hang out with pretty girls. And I think he had a point too.

Caroline | January 08, 00:27 CET

From what I understand there was at least three alternate plot lines for Xander in season 7:

1) Buffy and Xander were to get together but Joss nixed this cause he thought it was better that Buffy was alone.

2) Xander be killed off and be come back as a monster but Joss and co decided this was too drastic.

3) Xander not Giles was to betray Buffy by convincing Wood to kill Spike.

The first two have been confirmed by Nick in previous interviews, the third is a strong rumour.

Simon | January 08, 00:54 CET

Any actor who can make a line like the "master...bater" joke from "Buffy vs. Dracula" work TWICE, is some kind of a genius. May he work much.

bobster | January 08, 05:43 CET

Jc - I'd love for Cordy and Xander to get back together too. He was immature when they were together and didn't appreciate her and was too busy looking around and missing what he had until she almost got killed. It would've been nice to see her reaction to him now being so successful in the construction business and him seeing her not so stuck up anymore.

I'm glad it wasn't Xander who betrayed Buffy because that would've been more like the younger Xander and it would've seemed more like revenge. Giles doing it was more him feeling he was doing the right thing for Buffy. Xander seemed to accept Spike that last season even agreeing to let him live with him. I'm also glad the first two things didn't happen either. I couldn't imagine no Xander if there was a Buffy movie and we can still hope that he ends up on Angel as a guest star (of course if Cordy was a regular that would've been more interesting).

Firefly Flanatic | January 08, 07:45 CET

bobster, amen...that is such an ace in my back pocket when I'm trying, desperately, sometimes, to get people to understand how damnably clever and funny the show is...I try, however dreadfully, to imitate Nick in that second segment...but occasionally I do well enough to engender a laugh or two...and then a loan of the Season One DVD set...and, invariably, a new convert....

Chris inVirginia | January 08, 07:51 CET

Chose the Potentials over Xander??? So there were some people that enjoyed the mess that was season seven! I think NB did a wonderful job portraying Xander and I sincerely wish he would get picked up by AtS (contrary to what NB was forced to say after ME didn't offer him any other work).

Simpleba | January 08, 09:59 CET

Hmmm, I didn't get the impression from anyone posting that they chose the Potentials over Xander. It seemed more that everyone felt they were way over done and wanted more of the core group. Got why they were needed to be there for the ending but there were just too many scenes with them. I did enjoy some of season 7, thought it could've been better though. I thought it really dragged in the middle there when they introduced the potentials up until Caleb showed up. Too many scenes with Kennedy and Rona complaining and too many scenes with Kennedy and the Scoobys, like she had a right to be there. When Willow was involved with Tara, it took a long time before Tara became a part of the group but even then, she still didn't try to push her way in and take over like the way Kennedy did.

Firefly Flanatic | January 08, 10:15 CET

I never cared much for Xander myself. I never hated him or anything, and he was often funny (If slightly reminiscent of Friends' Chandler sometimes in style and delivery).
But I am always surprised to see how many people who can't forgive Spike or Angel for their transgressions (even though they were soulless) think of Xander as this sweet and perfectly nice guy, even though he's pulled some pretty low and nasty things over the course of the show, and rarely felt sorry for it.

And yeah both Spike and Angel were my favorites from the start and he treated them like dirt no matter what they did. And it always felt ot me like it wasn't out of him being wary of them as much as being petty. (Buffy loving Angel instead of him, etc.)

And I think NB said he had no interest in going on Angel long before Buffy ended? Besides AtS has plenty characters to focus on already, and all of them fit better in that show than Xander would.

As for S7 not having enough Xander....I didn't feel it but then he's not my favorite character. And let's not forget he got more than his share of the spotlight in S6. (More screentime, lines and episodes around him than Spike, in spite of what people often say. Really.)

EdDantes | January 08, 12:09 CET

I think what everyone is missing about Xander's character is that he's not simply jealous, he's also something of an apolitical rightwinger at heart -- if you follow me. Therefore, yeah, he's occasionally hypocritical and prone to double standards. He has kind of gotten off scott free (though AH did a lovely reaction in, I think, Season 7 or was it Season 6, when the "kick his ass" lie was finally revealed), but that happens in real life.

This is actually a good thing. Perfect characters are boring.

bobster | January 09, 08:22 CET