What character do you think was given the best and least break by the writers?

[TamsinValencia]

basically which character do you think was treated the best and worst by the writers?

 

[Priceless]

Cordy was treated the worst. She was turned into a monster, had to commit faux-incest and was then killed off. Her character was destroyed.

It's much harder to say who had the best break from the writers because everyone suffered. I guess I would say Dru. She seemed to suffer the least of the characters, and survived 11 seasons being evil and not being staked, so I think she's done quite well.

 

[Bop]

I feel like the writers had affection for Harmony, Jonathan, and Andrew.
Cordy and Riley didn't seem too cared for in the end.

 

[flow]

I feel like the writers had affection for Harmony, Jonathan, and Andrew.

Jonathan ? He was brutally murdered and his murderer got all cosy with Buffy and the Scoobies. Don`t get me wrong, I really like Andrew. But the writers did brush a bit over Jonathans death to make Andrew a likeable character.

I always thought, that Amy was treated badly by the writers. She was a wonderful character with so much potential and then she spent years as a rat and after that was evil. But not a three-dimensional intriguing evil character but just the disposable villain.

flow

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Willow from Bargaining onwards just cannot catch a break. The worst thing is: I kinda like it.

But the writers did brush a bit over Jonathans death to make Andrew a likeable character.

Really? Andrew kills Jonathan in the same season Andrew "becomes good." They devote an entire episode for Andrew to realise the seriousness of what he has done. Also, they give Jonathan that moving speech just before he dies.

 

[flow]

Also, they give Jonathan that moving speech just before he dies.

Yes, but in that moving speech he happens to mention how much he loves to live.....

flow

 

[EarthLogic]

If we're counting the comics then I'd say Angel. Joss should have been staked with his own pencil for that one.

Show-wise, it's gotta be Cordy for worst treated. She really did not deserve that (Actually Joss deserves an equal staking for this too).
For best, probably Spike in terms of how invested the writing team was in his story and so how much screentime he was given, but for best written character arc my vote would go to Wesley. I think he probably had the most perfect (tragic) arc of either show.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Yes, but in that moving speech he happens to mention how much he loves to live.....

flow

What I meant was: The speech makes his death more tragic, because unlike Andrew, Jonathan has really changed.

 

[Bop]

Jonathan ? He was brutally murdered and his murderer got all cosy with Buffy and the Scoobies. Don`t get me wrong, I really like Andrew. But the writers did brush a bit over Jonathans death to make Andrew a likeable character.

Still, even though Jonathan was a minor character orignally they upgraded him and gave him 'Superstar' and then a main part in season 6. They had to have liked Jonathan, they just apparently liked Andrew more.

 

[ChaseRules]

If we're counting the comics then I'd say Angel. Joss should have been staked with his own pencil for that one.

Show-wise, it's gotta be Cordy for worst treated. She really did not deserve that (Actually Joss deserves an equal staking for this too).
For best, probably Spike in terms of how invested the writing team was in his story and so how much screentime he was given, but for best written character arc my vote would go to Wesley. I think he probably had the most perfect (tragic) arc of either show.

I agree that they really screw Cordy over . First they destroy her character & then .......well I not going to talk about what they did to her . Joss has a lot to answer for that.

I think Spike was treated nice since at first he was just a Big Bad that was going to be killed but they kept him around . They liked him so much they brought him back for Angel 😀

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

I am somewhat confused. Are we discussing which characters suffered the most/least or who got the most/least interesting story lines?

 

[ChaseRules]

I am somewhat confused. Are we discussing which characters suffered the most/least or who got the most/least interesting story lines?

I thought it was the characters who got the worst treatment by the writers . Wesely suffered a lot in the series but he turned out v a lot better for it .

 

[EarthLogic]

I thought it was the characters who got the worst treatment by the writers . Wesely suffered a lot in the series but he turned out v a lot better for it .

That's what I thought. Wesley's 'suffering' counts as 'good' treatment because it was good,thoughtful writing...right??

 

[ChaseRules]

Agreed . Look at what he was like in Buffy & how much more of a person he was at the end of Angel.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Buffy was given plot armour in Season 7 that was the equivalent of modern active armour on a tank (the kind that explodes as the projectile hits it). Nowhere else could such an unbroken string of dumb moves not result in annihilation. buffy had a rise and fall from effective general in the battle against the Mayor to irrational ditz in Season 7.

Spike was given star treatment - all the best lines, the majority of screentime and a hero's death (which was reversed on AtS).

Cordelia got even worse than "terminate with extreme prejudice" - she was degraded before she died.

Willow got the most complete transformation of anyone, from geeky straight computer nerd to powerful gay Wiccan and if you go through the comics, she got the most sex partners as well.

Angel also had a rise and fall from rat-eater to protector of Buffy to Buffy's lover to Angelus to Angel again to former love interest to detective to head of a detective agency to firing all employees to getting hired back on as an underling to locking the best and brightest of Wolfram & Hart in with two vampires to turning into Angelus again to overcome a problem with a demon to reverting to Angel to joining Wolfram & Hart to killing the Drogyn to killing off the entire Circle of the Black Thorn to unleashing hell on earth in LA and having no human survive employment at Angel Investigations.

 

[ChaseRules]

I agree . You were think that something would have happened but I guess since the show was over they had to keep her alive but not look like she would.

And don't forgot Spike had a great back story as well as getting over getting his soul back in a few months unlike Angel who needed close to a hundred years . Plus in the Comics he wins Buffy heart even thought he had started out as her Emmy.

Also Cordelia didn't die so much as destroyed . Which was so wrong for them to do to her .

And I guessing some one hated Angel since he let a army in LA in Season 7 & in Season 8 was the Big Bag for no reason.

 

[Blaze]

Spike definitely got the best treatment. All that was missing was the writers feeding grapes to a half naked Spike on a throne.

And they definitely did Cordy very dirty.

 

[Carrie Hopewell]

Best treatment:

All of the characters suffered and the last BtVS seasons were hard on all them - many were partially "character assassinated" but there were some characters that clearly had the writers attention.

Spike: the writers got so invested in him that they forgot not all dialogue/storylines were supposed to be about him.
Wesley: the writers were definitely very invested in his story and in the character, which is why he got so many brilliant storylines and one of the best character arcs ever.
Faith: I think she was beloved by everyone, which is why despite ED unavailability to play the character full time she still had some kickass storylines and made it to the very end of the show.
Harmony: it seemed like the writers really liked her character because she kept being squeezed in everything and left W&H with a recommendation letter even after betraying the boss.
Andrew: the writers were in love with Tom Lenk (and who can blame them?) and as such the character got a lot of good (bad) material.

Worst treatment:

At first glance, that's 90% of the characters so I'll try to narrow it down.

Buffy: I mean, pain and loss were always part of Buffy's journey, but after season 5, it was just plain harsh. Between Buffy's season 6 and 7, she was resurrected, abused, in a depression, nearly raped, forced to coexist and forgive the rapist, became a metaphorical zombie, etc.
Cordelia: obviously, season 4 and being killed off in season 5 weren't great for Queen C.
Fred: despite being a beloved character and the fact that Joss loved her, the writers were terrible to her. They had her stuck between two men half of the time, and invaded her body with an Old One in the last season. Not good.
Gunn: the writers didn't give a shit about him, to be quite honest.
Lorne: I think they just gave up on the character at a certain point.
Kendra: RIP Kendra

That's my list... interesting to look at the female to male ratio...

 

[BuffyBot22]

Best Treatment: Easily Spike. He should have been staked ages ago, or just been a badass recurring villain.

Worst Treatment: That's a tough one; but Cordy (they completely annihilated her all because Charisma was pregnant in real life) This didn't just destroy the character, but also the story in s4 got all kinds of wacky and wonky

 

[Fool for Buffy]

Poor Lorne was demoted from being a wise and funny advisor to Angel who had some really important and valuable contributions to the show to being a forgotten employee who occasionally got injured. And nobody really talks about him that much. The way the writers wrote him in season 5 is definitely the most disappointing part of that season for me. Agree with @Carrie Hopewell they gave up on him, and they shouldn't have.

I realize it's been said a lot but Cordy was definitely ruined, and for me it's not just season 4, she was ruined the first time their was any romantic interest with Angel.

The writers adored Wesley, and it makes sense, but it really makes Gunn look way worse than he actually was.

I think the writers give Xander a lot better storylines some times than he deserves and completely screw him ooc at other times. They cannot decide whether they like him or not.