Once again...I am astounded at how thoroughly decent and pleasant these people all seem to be...good luck on the sitcom, Nick...

Chris inVirginia | March 14, 01:13 CET

I wish I stuttered...

Cole Searr | March 14, 02:52 CET

What a sweetie!

pezwitch | March 14, 04:03 CET

Seconded on the "what a sweetie" sentiment. Now I just can't wait to meet him next week at the Con in NJ.

nychick | March 14, 04:19 CET

"There is still talk of the cast coming together for a big-screen version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", something Brendon is definitely open to."

Love to hear that the idea of a big movie hasn't been dismissed. I've always felt SMG would be willing to do the movie... after some time had passed. From what I understand, her only reluctantcy was doing the movie while the show was still on the air. And I agree, it sounds silly. I also think, once she's done a few different things, she'll be happy to reprise her role as Buffy again for a major movie. *keeps her fingers crossed*

Also agree with that 'what a sweetie' thought. He seems like the absolute nicest person around. I can't wait to see him play more roles.

Greyflowers | March 14, 07:05 CET

``Joss (Whedon, executive producer) didn't ask me to be on `Angel' because Xander and Angel don't get along. But there's not enough conflict to have it make any sense.''

Contrary to what many others have said, it in fact was not NB choice not to go to Angel..After reading several interviews after Buffy finished I got the impression that NB would have liked to continue in the role as Xander and he seemed a little bitter...Poor guy!

Simpleba | March 14, 08:44 CET

I didn't sense any bitterness in the Boston Herald review - NB seemed quite gracious and happy for the chance to try a new role. YMMV.

Saturn Girl | March 14, 08:53 CET

I thought, "145 episodes?" then I remembered the unaired pilot, which I guess they are counting.

It's a shame - I really wouldn't have minded him on Angel. If they can find a way to fit Harmony in, they could shoehorn Xander in.

I just hope his career picks up. Psycho Beach Party was ... quirky fun, but Survival Island left me wincing. It's a shame, too - the guy seems to have real integrity as a human being.

Ocular | March 14, 10:52 CET

Not to quibble to much but out of 145 episodes (including the unaired pilot)- Nick was in 144 - he was not in CWDP at all.

RavenU | March 14, 18:16 CET

Very true but he could have been in CWDP, there a Xander meeting Jesse plotline mooted for that episode.

Simon | March 14, 18:47 CET

[quote]Nick was in 144 - he was not in CWDP at all. [/quote]

I never understood that either, that has to be a first where a main character was totally written out of a episode for no reason, he wasn't on Saturday Night Live or off filming a movie, they just totally dropped him, it was a kind of slap in the face to someone who loyally played a character on a series for 7 years by pretty much saying your character is so un-important now we aren't even bothering putting him this episode.

Xander meeting the first Jesse would have been great, and I think would have been as dramatic as if Amber Benson came back as Tara for the Willow segment, they really dropped the ball on that one, and was very low company wise on how they treated a loyal employee.

Nuke | March 14, 19:27 CET

Agreed that Xander should have been in CwDP, def with Jesse, but it wasnt the first time.

Cordy wasnt in The Pack
Cordy wasnt in I Robot You Jane
Angel wasnt in Inca Mummy Girl
Spike wasnt in the body.
Cordelia wasnt in Loyalty, Sleeptight and The Price (reasons unknown)
Anya wasnt in Normal Again
Anya wasnt in Help (her scene was cut due to length)
Anya wasnt in CwDP

other missing regs

Oz wasnt in Bad Girls (SG was shooting Enemy of the state)
Anya wasnt in Dirty Girls (EC was shooting Bandwagon)
Wes wasnt in Destiny (AD was on his honeymoon)

[ edited by Ocipital on 2004-03-14 17:47 ]

Ocipital | March 14, 19:46 CET

You're right - I forgot all about CwDP. His absence, at the time, irked me to no end, especially given how very drawn out some of the scenes in that episode were. They couldn't find just a little time? Just more marginalization of the character.

Ocular | March 14, 20:21 CET

I don't see how not having Xander in one episode was somehow an insult to NB. Part of the point of the whole episode was that none of the regulars interacted with any of the others, and I don't think there was enough time to have an entire fifth parallel plot thread for Xander, without something seeming rushed. And a token appearance would just have emphasized that he didn't really have anything to do.

As for whether a Xander/Jesse story could have been as dramatic as even the Willow/Cassie one, I really doubt that. First, Jesse had died over 6 years ago, and we barely got to know him at all, so his death was not all that shocking. On the other hand, Cassie's story was central to the episode just a few weeks earlier, and she was a much better developed character.

Second, "Cassie" could credibly claim to be speaking for Tara. While I'm sure Xander was upset over losing Jesse at the time, his reaction simply didn't compare to Willow's (and our) grief over Tara, a character we had gotten to know intimately. Even though AB didn't appear, the casual references to singing and Amazons made it quite believable that she was just off-screen, talking through Cassie.

Finally, the First had very good reason to try to eliminate Willow from the equation, and could well have succeeded in getting her to kill herself in her vulnerable state. On the other hand, I think "Jesse" would have had a much harder time to credibly convince Xander to commit suicide or turn against Buffy, without brute-force mind control (like Dracula). An adversary who can acheive its goals just by subtle manipulation of our heroes is much more terrifying than one who takes over peoples' minds wholesale.

bovik | March 14, 21:05 CET

I agree with everything that bovik said. It's nice to hear about the comraderie on the Buffy set, and I will die and go to heaven if there's a big screen BTVS movie someday. I can be patient. :)

MindPieces | March 14, 22:50 CET

If Jesse had been in the episode, I don't think he would have needed to be The First trying to manipulate Xander, he would just have to have been dead. And he is, so...
But I agree that there wasn't enough time for a fifth (well, actually 6th, if you include Spike's fraction of the episode), plot. I think this episode is so well paced and timed as it is, (I'm sorry Ocular but I have to disagree that some of the scenes were very drawn out- I mean, they didn't seem drawn out to me), and adding another story to that would ruin it.
Honestly, it seems perfect to me just the way it is, and I wouldn't want to change it- it's one of my very favorite episodes.

forcorreo | March 15, 17:54 CET

NB was in all but one of the Buffy eps. I hardly think that's a 'slap in the face'. Plenty of others were not in other episodes. There is a whole array of regular and recurring characters and the writers try to do different things with different characters in different episodes. What's the big deal? The ep already had enough plotlines going.

And yeah Buffy/Angel movie! Maybe when Joss' 'Serenity' is a success he'll get more clout and manage to get that off the ground too.

And I was at the LA rally and they called and said Nick and his brother Kelly were on their way to say hi. Stuck in traffic though and it got dark so we never saw them. Damn. Would've been cool.

EdDantes | March 15, 23:23 CET

Awww, I loved this interview! What an amazing guy.

About Cw/DP, I agree with what Bovik says - you made great points and I love that episode the way it is. I liked the extended lengths of the scenes because it seemed like time was truly suspended and otherworldly. But at the same time, I'm curious about the kind of scene we might have had between Jesse and Xander if there had been more time. Xander's sensitive point was always that he didn't seem as integral to the Scoobies as Buffy or Willow or Giles. That's similar to the way that Jesse played such a brief and peripheral part in the beginning of the show, so it might have been interesting to make some parallels there. (Plus, it's not like we knew anything about Holden but the episode did a good job with him.) Anyways, I don't think the First would have disregarded Xander's importance considering how he brought Willow back from the dark side and saved the world and all.

irish | March 16, 06:33 CET