The pairing with the least fulfilled potential?

[Wesley Junior]

Which pairing in the Buffyverse do you think had the least fulfilled potential? And what do you think could have been done to change that?

 

[nightshade]

Doyle and Cordy, because Doyle died, but I don't know if I would want to change that storyline, yes I would love Doyle to stay alive but it's such a great ending for him and a big moment for Cordy too.

 

[thetopher]

I would've liked some Xander/Cordelia reconciliation post-S3. Just an episode where one of them cameo's on the other show, they see how the other has grown up and flourished and that leads into...

Cangel: This is a big one for me. I like Angel, I like Cordelia, I like how their friendship slowly grows and becomes the most important thing in both their lives at one point in time. I even like the idea of them together. But boy, the writers dropped the ball on this one. There should've been a beautiful moment where Angel just know- romantically- that he might have deeper feelings for Cordelia.
Instead we have Fred gushing Kyrumption and Lorne prodding at its most shallow and unsubtle (hey, don't you have a thing for ex-cheerleaders!' *shudder*).
I just kept rolling my eyes the whole time, and they also changed Cordelia too much and she lost her snark and spunk. They tried to make her Buffy-lite of whatever (even the blonde bob!). It was a disaster for most of S3 and obviously was just a red herring in S4 (since Cordy was actually Jasdelia). 'You're Welcome' does conjur up that 'could've been something special' feeling. Ah well.
They should've kept Cordelia the same as she was for most of S2 and had the 'special added demon-ness' be a major thing in her character develoment (not glowey, shiny super-cleansing powers...). Give it some downsides for her personally that would add a wrinkle to their possible relationship in the future.

Wesley/Fred: I think it would've been better if they got more than one friggin episode before Fred died. Give them two or three, all loved up in the background. and then brutally kill Fred off.

Faith/Buffy in the comics. I feel (and still do) that they could do so much more with this pairing. How they've both changed, how being the slayer affected their growth as people, finding the fun/becoming more responsible, etc. There's so much material from the show that they could use.

 

[sosa lola]

I'd say Xander/Anya. A lot could have been done with that ship, but it was just used for comic relief.

I find it interesting that the person Anya chose to take to the prom was Xander, the guy who caused her to lose her powers - if he hadn't cheated on Cordelia, Anya wouldn't have appeared to her for a wish against Xander. If it were me, I'd have Anya go for Xander because she'd be sure he'd slip up again and cheat on her or hurt her - he's a man, right? It's what they do. Plus, he already did it to Cordelia. So he's proven himself to be sleazy. She hopes that once he cheats on her, she'd get a visit from a vengeance demon and outdo her previous wish with Olaf - the one that got her the job as a vengeance demon, and then D'Haffrin will take her in again.

Problem is, Xander isn't interested in her because of her past. Their relationship is mostly physical. Incredible sex as it is, no feelings of love are forming. As she tries to win him over, she'll start falling for him so by the time of their big fight in Where the Wild Things Are, she'll realize she has feelings for him. Oh, Penis! Xander will take his time to fall in love with her as he can't get past her ugly past.

I'm rambling. I'm sorry. But that's just how unsatisfied I was with Xander/Anya. So much potential, but sadly wasted on cheap comedy.

 

[Buffy Summers]

I feel like Faith/Wood was over too soon as Faith was moved on to other things. But I think there was potential there.

I also think Buffy & Spike had more potential than what we actually got.

 

[vellavu]

Willow/Oz. The interaction between magical Willow and Oz would be interesting to watch.

Xander/Renee. Renee basically had a Doyle-type exit. It's not like there's an actress quitting or something. If she lives through a season her death will traumatize us much better.

 

[Taake]

I'd say Xander/Anya. A lot could have been done with that ship, but it was just used for comic relief.

I agree with this. There could've been more to this pairing, interesting stuff in both characters one could've played around with, yet it was just played for chuckles. It's a shame.

Cordy and Doyle as well for me.

Oz and Veruca, if she hadn't died that is. I think that could've been interesting to see for more than an episode.

 

[white avenger]

I'm probably the only one in the whole fandom who believes this, but I personally think that, if there had been a Season 6 of "Angel," Angel and Nina would have been an item. No, not the same kind of relationship that Angel had with either Buffy or Cordy, but I definitely think that there was a spark there. Also, and this would have been the kind of twist that I think that Joss would have loved, I could see the potential for a Spike/Illyria pair up. Just imagine, Fred and Illyria in the same body, switching back and forth like Banner and the Hulk, with Fred in love with Wes, and Illyria having the hots for Spike, and tell me that there wouldn't be material for one hell of a ship there.

 

[Taake]

I'm probably the only one in the whole fandom who believes this, but I personally think that, if there had been a Season 6 of "Angel," Angel and Nina would have been an item. No, not the same kind of relationship that Angel had with either Buffy or Cordy, but I definitely think that there was a spark there. Also, and this would have been the kind of twist that I think that Joss would have loved, I could see the potential for a Spike/Illyria pair up. Just imagine, Fred and Illyria in the same body, switching back and forth like Banner and the Hulk, with Fred in love with Wes, and Illyria having the hots for Spike, and tell me that there wouldn't be material for one hell of a ship there.

I agree with you on Angel and Nina. I'm a fan of them together.
Hadn't thought much about Spike and Illyria but the image you paint is really interesting and I like it. I would have enjoyed seeing that Fred/Illyria thing.

 

[gite63]

Angel and Cordelia - it coul have been really nice to see these two together, they both reached a point where they knew each other, they were good friends and if they were in love with each other would have been amazing to see the relationship develop.

Oz and Veruca - I would like to have seen more of Veruca, not necessarily with Oz, but it would be interesting to see Oz interested/in love with her, and Veruca bringing total chaos to the collected werewolf boy.

 

[GoSpuffy]

I'm probably the only one in the whole fandom who believes this, but I personally think that, if there had been a Season 6 of "Angel," Angel and Nina would have been an item. No, not the same kind of relationship that Angel had with either Buffy or Cordy, but I definitely think that there was a spark there. Also, and this would have been the kind of twist that I think that Joss would have loved, I could see the potential for a Spike/Illyria pair up. Just imagine, Fred and Illyria in the same body, switching back and forth like Banner and the Hulk, with Fred in love with Wes, and Illyria having the hots for Spike, and tell me that there wouldn't be material for one hell of a ship there.

I found Nina pretty boring in the sense of not a lot of sparkage with Angel but would love that Spike/Fred/Illyria/Wes scenario - that would be hilarious.

 

[white avenger]

I found Nina pretty boring in the sense of not a lot of sparkage with Angel but would love that Spike/Fred/Illyria/Wes scenario - that would be hilarious.

I think that Nina's character was deliberately written to be quite ordinary, even a bit dull, because she was, literally, a total outsider, dragged into Angel's world by an unthinkable incident, sort of like some other characters, namely, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia, who were all just about as ordinary as vanilla ice cream. I'm not saying that the intention all along was to bring a character like this into Angel's inner circle, or his bed, but the potential for such a development was definitely there, and, if the show hadn't been cancelled, we might very well have seen such a development. Angel no longer had either Buffy or Cordy to fill the role of his special friend, and Nina might have, with a little development and imagination, been the one to fill that role.

As for her intimate relationship with Angel, just think about this: Buffy and Angel, together, created, figuratively, a raging bonfire that damn near incinerated the world. Cordy and Angel could have been, arguably, pretty much the same thing. Angel and Nina could have been developed as more of a friend with benefits type relationship, a sort of soft warm glow, as opposed to the bonfires of Buffy or Cordy. And let's face it, it's been a long dry spell for Angel. A soft warm glow might be just what he needs.

As for

 

[bespangeled]

I'd say Xander/Anya. A lot could have been done with that ship, but it was just used for comic relief.

I find it interesting that the person Anya chose to take to the prom was Xander, the guy who caused her to lose her powers - if he hadn't cheated on Cordelia, Anya wouldn't have appeared to her for a wish against Xander. If it were me, I'd have Anya go for Xander because she'd be sure he'd slip up again and cheat on her or hurt her - he's a man, right? It's what they do. Plus, he already did it to Cordelia. So he's proven himself to be sleazy. She hopes that once he cheats on her, she'd get a visit from a vengeance demon and outdo her previous wish with Olaf - the one that got her the job as a vengeance demon, and then D'Haffrin will take her in again.

Problem is, Xander isn't interested in her because of her past. Their relationship is mostly physical. Incredible sex as it is, no feelings of love are forming. As she tries to win him over, she'll start falling for him so by the time of their big fight in Where the Wild Things Are, she'll realize she has feelings for him. Oh, Penis! Xander will take his time to fall in love with her as he can't get past her ugly past.

I'm rambling. I'm sorry. But that's just how unsatisfied I was with Xander/Anya. So much potential, but sadly wasted on cheap comedy.

I hated what they did with Anya in general - using her as a joke. She could have been such a rich character. Maybe that's what held Xander back - all the scenes when he had to correct (patronize) her. It really was once he was with Anya that I start to get annoyed - never put those two together.
 

Oz and Veruca, if she hadn't died that is. I think that could've been interesting to see for more than an episode.

That would have been interesting. I really dislike Veruca, but I would have loved to see more of her. Talk about tension, if Oz and Veruca stayed together.

. Just imagine, Fred and Illyria in the same body, switching back and forth like Banner and the Hulk, with Fred in love with Wes, and Illyria having the hots for Spike, and tell me that there wouldn't be material for one hell of a ship there.

Well, I like Spike and Wesley. Though it's usually newly souled Spike looking for Angel - and dark!Wesley. Some very chilling stories out there. But if they were all 3 involved - I'd be most interested in those two. I like any two characters who snark well together.

Angel and Nina could have been developed as more of a friend with benefits type relationship, a sort of soft warm glow, as opposed to the bonfires of Buffy or Cordy. And let's face it, it's been a long dry spell for Angel. A soft warm glow might be just what he needs.

Sorta the same thing - but I kinda figured Nina as proof that Angel isn't a eunuch to counteract Spike.

 

[sosa lola]

I hated what they did with Anya in general - using her as a joke. She could have been such a rich character. Maybe that's what held Xander back - all the scenes when he had to correct (patronize) her. It really was once he was with Anya that I start to get annoyed - never put those two together.

They do seem like a one note pairing, don't they? Anya says something insensitive, Xander tells her she shouldn't. Anya reveals something private about her relationship with Xander, he tells her she shouldn't.

 

[bespangeled]

I can only say I would have loved to have seen more Weslah - Liah instead of Eve would have brought a whole new level to season 5.