Kennedy: What If...

[white avenger]

I know that the number of fans who actually like this little twit are in the minority here, but let's try and put that aside in considering this question:

What if, instead of Willow, Kennedy had immediately, upon arriving in Sunnydale, set her sights on Buffy? What would have been the result?

I could see some definite opportunities for comedic (and as such, totally offensive to the gay community) situations, as well as not a small amount of angst, but, beyond that, a total loss of time better spent on the actual story line of the season. Pretty much exactly how I see Kennedy anyhow, except for the offensive to the gay community part.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Hmmm... I don't know how I'd feel about it. I thought Kennedy was ok, but she was very pushy and arrogant and that bothered me about her. I don't think her going for Buffy would have made me like her any more, but it might have given us some interesting scenes.
Do you think we would have gotten a Buffy/Kennedy fling instead of Buffy/Satsu?

 

[Bexieh]

Definitely would have made for some interesting scenes! In some ways I think I would have preferred it, actually. I'm not a big fan of Kennedy to begin with but I think I might have preferred it story-line wise because one of my biggest pet peeves about Kennedy is the fact that I don't think Willow would have gone for a new girlfriend so soon. So I think if her attentions were focused on Buffy, it may have given me one less reason to be annoyed by her. Plus it could have been potentially comedic and I don't think that means it would be in an offensive way to homosexuals either. I think they could handle it without going OTT and offending people. Might have made for some nice angsty tension in the camp too! Well, more so.

 

[SlayerFest]

I like the sound of that. I really wish that this would have happened instead...it sounds interesting, and I could see Buffy making the same face that SMG did here: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=809qaPGvmMM"]SMG[/ame] (maybe slightly less thrilled), after realizing that Kennedy likes her. Something about Wennedy....ugh...has always bothered me. Maybe it's because I was so devastated by Tara's death :cry: or because I can't see Willow liking someone that annoying.

 

[white avenger]

Do you think we would have gotten a Buffy/Kennedy fling instead of Buffy/Satsu?

I don't think so, because the real reasons for the Buffy/Satsu affair was a combination of Buffy's loneliness, her admiration and affection for Satsu, and the prolonged pressure associated with Buffy's "Mama Slayer" role.

The loneliness wasn't manifest in Season 7. She was much closer to her friends in that season than she would be in Season 8 (which might have actually helped to explain her confused feelings for Xander. She no longer thought of him as a bumbling brother, so the possibility of a different sort of relationship became possible, much the same as Xander saw her in Season 1) plus, she had Spike in Season 7. Whatever you might think about the Spuffy relationship, there can be no arguing the fact that Buffy and Spike became much closer in Season 7, and she had NEVER seen him as a brother.

As for anything admirable about Kennedy, it is sufficient to say simply that it was well hidden during her time in Sunnydale.

And the pressures and isolation of leadership of a large group was actually so nearly overwhelming in Season 7 that there wasn't really time to feel the resulting loneliness until toward the end of the season, and, once more, she had Spike there to make it more bearable.

In short, I just can't see Bennedy or Kuffy, take your pick, have ever having a ghost of a chance, either in Season 7 or, hopefully, later. The conditions just didn't exist in Season 7, and Satsu would have twisted Kennedy's head off for even trying anything like that in Season 8. Strictly by accident while training, of course.