What was the point of Andrew?

[BuffyElevated]

Other than stabbing Jonathan to open the seal, all Andrew did was provide comedic relief, which I thought was the position Anya was already filling in The Scoobies. So why did the writers see the need to bring Andrew back?

 

[Hale Caesar]

Comedic relief...uh, that's about it lol. Season 7 made a lot of bad decisions, but for what it's worth I thought Andrew was funny and one of the few highlights of season 7 (Storyteller was a great episode).

And it's well known when Joss Whedon is friends with an actor he tends to keep them around.

 

[BuffyElevated]

And it's well known when Joss Whedon is friends with an actor he tends to keep them around.

I think that about sums it up, right there. 😉

 

[white avenger]

I think that he was about the same thing as Jar Jar Binks in the "Star Wars 1." A good idea in the early planning stage, but much more irritating than entertaining in the finished product. It would have been much better, in my opinion, to have just brought back Jonathan and his magic bone.

 

[Old Master 3.0]

^ I feel if they were gonna do something like that (bring in a new Scoob for comedic value), why not bring Jonathan in instead? I mean, he'd been around in one way or another since the beginning of the show, and had a bit of a history with the Scoobs. Seemed like a natural progression to bring him in. I never got that at all.

Also, he was tons less annoying than Andrew. xD




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[Ripper666]

Because they needed somene for the thin jokes. Warren was thought as Big-Bad and Jonathan was the looser and shy boy. So a new person for new kind of jokes was needed. Andrew!

 

[BuffyElevated]

^ I feel if they were gonna do something like that (bring in a new Scoob for comedic value), why not bring Jonathan in instead? I mean, he'd been around in one way or another since the beginning of the show, and had a bit of a history with the Scoobs. Seemed like a natural progression to bring him in. I never got that at all.

Also, he was tons less annoying than Andrew. xD




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Bringing in Jonathan would have made a LOT more sense than Andrew. I wouldn't have complained near as much if it had been Jonathan 'cause at least then I could kinda see where it would make sense that he might want to come back to Sunnydale to try to start over.

 

[xaphania]

Hmm, am I the only one who likes Andrew?

 

[Icarium]

To show us that sometimes Joss is an awful judge of acting. Yes, they kept Spike and Anya for much longer than initially planned but as much as I dislike the characters, the actors were competent. Tom Lenk is a truly terrible actor, his voice alone makes me want to strangle him.

Though, the character of Andrew was even worse than the actor. He is not funny at all and even if he were funny, the guy obviously needed professional help. Using mentally unstable people for comic relief is just not cool.

 

[Ojuice5001]

I liked Season Seven Andrew, and I definitely think he was more fun than that boring Jonathan. Jonathan wasn't funny the way Andrew was, and what are the good aspects that his character could have brought? The quest to redeem himself? Andrew did that, and brought his own unique version of a spiritual redemption in Storyteller. Jonathan's efforts to finally be accepted and fit in with the Scooby Gang? Andrew did that in Season Seven too, and just as well as Jonathan.

Don't get me wrong: I loved Superstar, and I think Jonathan's death was very sad. But I'd rather have everything that happened with Andrew and Jonathan in Season Seven; much better that way than if they tried to bring Jonathan back and make him a Scooby.

 

[AmelRIOT]

I thought season 7 made a lot of bad mistakes but they rushed it, I got bored watching some so when Andrew was there he cheered me up, I love Storyteller, I think they kept him cause the audience loved Jonathan so much and when Joss killed him off the audience were dissapointed as he was the comdey throughout the show and so they got Andrew to be the new Jonathan, I love Andrew but I wish they kept Jonathan as well 🙂

 

[dexeded]

For comic relief, mostly. Plus the whole Joss-friend thing. I never liked Andrew, except in Storyteller. Also, the acting is... questionable at best.

 

[WileyDairyGnome]

I like Andrew... I think he was a great addition, not just for comedic relief. I found he always brightened the scenes. 😛

 

[Gum Gnome33]

To play devil's advocate I'd argue that maybe there was a good reason: to have a constant reminder that evil isn't something that exists merely within the demon community. I mean, ok, that was the idea behind the Trio in season 6. But keeping Andrew around kept that thread of an idea around. Obvious? Yeah. But I didn't mind it.

And clearly at some point the writers decided that they really liked redemption arcs. Not that Andrew achieved his in season 7, but the potential was there. Personally, it didn't move me very much but I like the idea that he goes on to play such a big role in slayer training.

Honestly what bothered me the most about Andrew was the idea that he could be living in the house with them--with Willow--in the aftermath of what happened in SR. And the vengeance that followed.

As for Tom Lenk, I think he's an excellent comedic actor. Sure his lines were cheesy as all heck and the delivery was painfully whiny and annoying. But to that end, I think that's evidence that he's doing his job well! Also from a purely comedic perspective, how brilliant is this: apparently, the line "I have swimmer's ear!" in the final fight was improvised by him. I mean come on, that was hilarious...

 

[Icarium]

To play devil's advocate I'd argue that maybe there was a good reason: to have a constant reminder that evil isn't something that exists merely within the demon community. I mean, ok, that was the idea behind the Trio in season 6. But keeping Andrew around kept that thread of an idea around.

Kind of pointless when the Scooby gang already had Willow, who was herself on a "redemption" path, don't you think? And in event that's what villains of the week are for and Andrew's past was mostly swept under the carpet.

Personally, it didn't move me very much but I like the idea that he goes on to play such a big role in slayer training.

I don't. I really don't see why any Slayer (or anybody else for that matter) would listen to that total moron who was literally living in his own fantasy world. He should be in jail or a mental institution.

 

[Washburne]

I'm a fan of Andrew and Tom. That doesn't mean that I see him as a great actor. Not that I care. I prefer Andrew to Jonathan but not near on hating Jonathan. Both of them in Mexico. :: red ::

By killing Jonathan Andrews redemption/journey is stronge/bigger. Both wanted to belong but Andrew is weaker and more easily manipulated. Sure he can be annoying at times and I get if some don't like him. I'm just not one of them.

 

[Gum Gnome33]

Kind of pointless when the Scooby gang already had Willow, who was herself on a "redemption" path, don't you think? And in event that's what villains of the week are for and Andrew's past was mostly swept under the carpet

Actually I wouldn't count Willow because she is a powerful witch and, for the purposes of the "helpless humans vs powerful beings" on the show, that makes her not merely human. It was strongly suggested that it was directly because of her inherent powers and her misuse/abuse of the black arts that she turned evil and thus earned her redemption path in the first place. (Sure it's sort of corny but that's what I saw). These are, you know, the kinds of problems that come up among those with greater responsibilities and extra-human power, in the 'verse.

By contrast Andrew was just a regular kid without such a direct and obvious excuse for his actions. Hence we have a reminder of the "real world" in which we don't get to blame dark magic for personality changes or evil behavior.

Granted the inconsistency there is that they did, in season 6, make Willow out to be more of a regular girl with a drug problem than a witch who is legitimately facing the awful downsides of her craft. But I still think the intent with Willow in the later seasons was to make her actions and challenges super-human as opposed to the Trio.

I would say that Andrew's past wasn't really swept under the carpet in season 7; I think it's brought up a lot. I mean he's tied to a chair for the first half of the season because of it, and then there's "Storyteller." It's true that by the end of the season they'd mostly dropped it but I think that's because they needed all the hands they could get. I'd like to see what happened between "Chosen" and giving Andrew so much responsibility later on but it's probably a rather boring story. 🙂 But I do agree that the scoobies are often ridiculously too fast to forgive and forget, (we both know which instance of this I consider to be an exception!), and yes, at that point there was probably too much sweeping under carpets.

 

[Kairos]

Great question, and I can imagine it coming up within the 'verse, too. The Scoobies are all gathered around, and finally someone asks: "What's the point of Andrew?" Buffy looks at Willow, Willow looks at Xander, Xander looks at Giles.

Nobody speaks.

 

[Icarium]

Actually I wouldn't count Willow because she is a powerful witch and, for the purposes of the "helpless humans vs powerful beings" on the show, that makes her not merely human. It was strongly suggested that it was directly because of her inherent powers and her misuse/abuse of the black arts that she turned evil and thus earned her redemption path in the first place. (Sure it's sort of corny but that's what I saw). These are, you know, the kinds of problems that come up among those with greater responsibilities and extra-human power, in the 'verse.

By contrast Andrew was just a regular kid without such a direct and obvious excuse for his actions. Hence we have a reminder of the "real world" in which we don't get to blame dark magic for personality changes or evil behavior.

Andrew does have an excuse - he is crazy. Mentally unstable. Deranged. Lunatic. Stark raving mad, except without the stark raving part. We see in S9

Spoiler

that he is still living in a fantasy world of his own creation and this can lead to him being dangerous to those around him.

And this is why his "redemption" was never going to work even if it weren't treated like a joke and is also the reason why his painfully unfunny jokes are even more irritating. The guy needs professional help, period. There is a world of difference between someone who is a but too much into escapist fantasies and someone who actually can't always make the difference between those fantasies and reality. One is a waste of time at worst (like say posting thousands of posts on a message board as many of us have done), the other is a mental illness.

 

[brinkster130]

He is like a lost kitten that shows up on your door step and never leaves, eventually you feed him and before you know it you've adopted a pet.