What If: Jonathan died in Earshot

[nightshade]

What if his plan was followed through and Buffy wasn't there to talk him out of it, or she was but didn't succeed? How would that have impacted the show going forward?

 

[NotASlayer]

This might have been inconvenient for the Graduation Day battle, as it seemed that he and Larry played a major role in setting the bomb up. Only inconvenient, though, as this was probably an easy to delegate job.

Superstar would not have happened, but that is an irrelevant episode anyway, so no fallout from that.

The Trio would have been the Duo and, with any luck, wiped themselves out before they did anything. Jonathan seemed to be the Only Sane Man of the three.

 

[garfan]

This might have been inconvenient for the Graduation Day battle, as it seemed that he and Larry played a major role in setting the bomb up. Only inconvenient, though, as this was probably an easy to delegate job.

Superstar would not have happened, but that is an irrelevant episode anyway, so no fallout from that.

The Trio would have been the Duo and, with any luck, wiped themselves out before they did anything. Jonathan seemed to be the Only Sane Man of the three.

Superstar was where Adam's weakness was revealed

 

[NotASlayer]

Superstar was where Adam's weakness was revealed

Good point, I forgot about that. Yes, that could have had a significant difference.

 

[VampireSlayer07]

Good point, I forgot about that. Yes, that could have had a significant difference.

I feel like they could have found another way to reveal that weakness, so I wouldn't call it a significant difference.

And they probably would have found someone else to replace Jonathon in the Trio. They did after all literally pull Andrew from out of nowhere

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Superstar would not have happened, but that is an irrelevant episode anyway, so no fallout from that.

The Trio would have been the Duo and, with any luck, wiped themselves out before they did anything. Jonathan seemed to be the Only Sane Man of the three.

The "Superstar" could easily have been Tucker, and he would have kept the Trio a Trio. Tucker would have served the same purpose as Jonathan.

 

[NotASlayer]

The "Superstar" could easily have been Tucker, and he would have kept the Trio a Trio. Tucker would have served the same purpose as Jonathan.

In "Superstar", Jonathan became a paragon of all that is ideal and good, which meant an opposing force for evil also had to be created. Okay, perhaps it did not go like Jonathan had hoped, but I cannot see Tucker having that motivation. Or Andrew or Warren for that matter.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I cannot see Tucker having that motivation.

Sure. After the Prom thing and this and that happening he really had an epiphany moment and turned the corner. Superstar could have been about his redemption and his desire to be a better person. Then Andrew pulls him into Warren's circle and Tucker's newfound mindset is constantly placed at odds with wanting to be liked by his brother and his smarter friend and starts sliding down that slippery slope.

 

[Stake fodder]

What if his plan was followed through and Buffy wasn't there to talk him out of it, or she was but didn't succeed? How would that have impacted the show going forward?

I think the main ramification would be Buffy feeling post-traumatic guilt. She shouldn't feel guilty, but being the Slayer, she would. She would feel like she should have made some super-human effort to save Jonathan. It might affect her the way getting pulled out of heaven did. I think if writers show a suicide on a show aimed at teens, they would have to treat it seriously and show how it affects others, to do everything possible not to make it something any young viewer would want to try. Nowadays, they always have a "trigger" warning before and after episodes referencing suicide, but even then, I don't think they could have dismissed it after one episode. Which is all to say, it would have been a major buzzkill for the upbeat, witty mood of the show!

 

[Cohen]

I feel like they could have found another way to reveal that weakness, so I wouldn't call it a significant difference.

Or used another character. Honestly, they could have done the same episode with Xander as the “Jonathan” character and it would have worked just as well, if not better. Because Xander was feeling inadequate during the season, and if he did these actions, the whole gang would be affected. And these would lead directly to the split in The Yoko Factor.

And they probably would have found someone else to replace Jonathon in the Trio. They did after all literally pull Andrew from out of nowhere

Could have been that nerdy guy they saved from Ford’s vampire cult. Like how they brought Anne/Lily in from that. Would have a been a cool callback to an earlier season.

The "Superstar" could easily have been Tucker, and he would have kept the Trio a Trio. Tucker would have served the same purpose as Jonathan.

Tucker wasn’t as sympathetic of a character as Jonathan. Though I see where the themes of wishing everyone would “see me” in both characters holds true. I don’t think Andrew would be Tucker’s brother though, if Tucker was there. But maybe he could still have had a backstory that goes back to high school off screen.

I don't think they could have dismissed it after one episode. Which is all to say, it would have been a major buzzkill for the upbeat, witty mood of the show!

I agree. I think that it would have had to have been a multi-episode thread. But I don’t think that would have fit with the end of the season, and would have been a better idea for like a season 4 episode, but the character would have needed to be interwoven with the cast more to have a better impact.

 

[NotASlayer]

Tucker wasn’t as sympathetic of a character as Jonathan. Though I see where the themes of wishing everyone would “see me” in both characters holds true. I don’t think Andrew would be Tucker’s brother though, if Tucker was there. But maybe he could still have had a backstory that goes back to high school off screen.

Or perhaps we would not have had Andrew at all. Now, there is a thought!

(I doubt that would have been the case unless the Trio were completely removed; also a pleasing thought.)

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Andrew could have been as he started out: one of Harmony's minions. That was him in the story where the minions were threatening to mutiny. But as Buffy once said, "Harmony has minions?" Good for a laugh until Dawn inadvertently invited her in.

 

[nightshade]

I think the main ramification would be Buffy feeling post-traumatic guilt. She shouldn't feel guilty, but being the Slayer, she would. She would feel like she should have made some super-human effort to save Jonathan. It might affect her the way getting pulled out of heaven did. I think if writers show a suicide on a show aimed at teens, they would have to treat it seriously and show how it affects others, to do everything possible not to make it something any young viewer would want to try. Nowadays, they always have a "trigger" warning before and after episodes referencing suicide, but even then, I don't think they could have dismissed it after one episode. Which is all to say, it would have been a major buzzkill for the upbeat, witty mood of the show!

This was more my thinking, how do they show that Buffy couldn't save a student, not from the supernatural but from themselves.