The origins of the Council

[Tueuse de Vampires]

Has anyone else ever wondered about that? We know from some episodes in which the first slayer appeared that the original "watchers" or whoever made her were more like African medicine men.

How did the Council as we know it form? And why did it end up in England, with everyone we've seen in the shows so clearly British?


So, between those two things we know for sure, what happened?

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I've always wondered how they ended up in England.

I would imagine that the original 'medicine men' were the base of the council, they would have told their sons about what they did and it got passed on generation to generation - this is still something that seems to be in place, Wesleys Father was a watcher before him, and Giles Mother or Father (I can't remember which) was a watcher and his grandmother right?

I'd guess that when England was at the hight of it's power they'd have formed the more recognisable council, as they would have seen themselves as the ones to control the slayer and that tradition would have carried forward till their destruction.

It's kinda a pity they didn't explore the council more, they probably have a really interesting history, but to keep them being the bad guys couldn't make them more human.

 

[crazysoulless]

I think that the three community Elders "Shadow Men" met up on an annual basis to discuss the Slayer or the remaining demonic threats, trained adepts in dealing with the Slayer and handling the mystickal threats to their villages, and a makeshift organization was formed out of those meetings and decisions.

I bet that the world headquarters would change locations throughout the centuries. It would center in whichever country seemed most advanced. It probably spent time in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, maybe Persia or India. I do wonder why it didn't make the jump from the UK to the USA. Maybe because not much in the organization would actually change and it seemed pointless to set up shop somewhere else?

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I think that the three community Elders "Shadow Men" met up on an annual basis to discuss the Slayer or the remaining demonic threats, trained adepts in dealing with the Slayer and handling the mystickal threats to their villages, and a makeshift organization was formed out of those meetings and decisions.

I bet that the world headquarters would change locations throughout the centuries. It would center in whichever country seemed most advanced. It probably spent time in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, maybe Persia or India. I do wonder why it didn't make the jump from the UK to the USA. Maybe because not much in the organization would actually change and it seemed pointless to set up shop somewhere else?

I think it makes sense that it would have moved around allot while power was changing going from like Egypt or Rome, but I don't think they'd choose to move around for the sake of moving around, they seemed like they were rooted in tradition, very English I'd imagine they'd want to keep it very closed off and not change much.

 

[crazysoulless]

I agree that they wouldn't move around simply for a new location.

Civilizations fall, plagues abound, human wars and enemy occupations, forced slavery of entire communities. There are a lot of reasons for them to be forced to find new places.

I bet that the places with the most recruits and money are the ones they stay at the longest. They value stability and are practical.

I wonder how long the WC headquarters was stationed in England. Definitely several centuries at least.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

There were plans for four spinoffs, Angel, Spike, Faith and Ripper, the story of Giles' early years. If Ripper had gone ahead, we would have had a fascinating story of how an out-of-control dabbler in the magic arts could get enrolled in a stodgy society like the Watchers' Council. It might have been a better show than Angel, although Angel had a lot of fans as a prime character in Buffy. It would have shown family connections, the rebellion towards magic (in a totally different way from Willow) and the structure and accomplishments of the Watchers' Council and its magicians. (How did they know that Buffy had died at the hands of the Master when she was revived two minutes later? Probably the witches who later taught Willow.)

 

[Tueuse de Vampires]

Yes, the story of Giles' early years would've shed some more light on the organisation. It's pretty clear how he got into the council, his 'dark' phase probably passed at a point and he followed his families footsteps.
But it definitely would've showed more of the watcher's academy, and stuff like that.

 

[crazysoulless]

Since they train Watchers so young and for so many years, the academy is in England, and it is paranormal, I can't help but picture Hogwarts. But filmed and written in a BtVS/AtS style.

 

[white avenger]

There could be a story of kings conquerors, kingdoms and empires here. Maybe someone somehow managed to kill off the Shadow Men or their descendants and take control of the Slayer for themselves. Surely anyone could recognize what a valuable resource she might be. (Gilgamesh, Alexander, Genghis Kahn, or someone of that nature) Over the decades and centuries, whoever controls the most power controls the Slayer until, finally, she comes under the authority of the British, and there she has stayed, despite the collapse of the British Empire, to this very day. Or, at least, until Cale and his gang blew it up.

 

[fredthe3rd]

I always thought Ripper would have been about Giles after Buffy rather than his early years.

Didn't Joss say something about the show being about loneliness?

 

[Tueuse de Vampires]

I always thought Ripper would have been about Giles after Buffy rather than his early years.

Didn't Joss say something about the show being about loneliness?

Since Ripper was his teen nickname, I'd assume it's about his youth. it could still be about lonliness, we don't know what drove Giles into the dark arts.

 

[fredthe3rd]

From Wikipedia: "Giles himself has been gone for many years. He was surrounded by a de facto family that he no longer has. And [he is] sort of picking up his life all alone, and then getting involved in the underbelly of other people's lives, and finding out all about them."

There's all sorts of interesting (and infuriating) information on this page: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undeveloped_Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_spinoffs#section_4