Which characters overstayed their welcome?

[Robb Stark]

This isn't mean to be a "who do you like better" kind of thread. Which characters, on Buffy or Angel, did you feel lasted too long on either show? It can be main characters that the maybe the writers just ran out of things to do with or a recurring character arc that you felt just stretched on too long.

But to clarify, also try to consider the character's overall place on the show. For example, I thought they had very little for Dawn to do and almost nothing for Xander in S7, but killing off or having either of them leave wouldn't have worked.

My pick would be Parker. I get the angle they were going for, but I felt it dragged. A lot. Buffy being gloomy over him dragged the pace of the rest of the show down and it felt like a story that could be told in one or two episodes max, and instead it stretched out much longer than that.

Jasmine was another one, in Angel S4. It was an arc that just wasn't working and they just hammered it episode after episode.

 

[Icarium]

Spike, Spike, Spike and did I mention Spike? Let's write everyone out of character, so that Spike can stay in the show! What a splendid idea. Not.

Also, Andrew (he was annoying enough as a villain but making him a pseudo-Scooby made no sense whatsoever and he became twice as annoying), Faith, Harmony.

 

[Robb Stark]

Spike, Spike, Spike and did I mention Spike? Let's write everyone out of character, so that Spike can stay in the show! What a splendid idea. Not.

Also, Andrew (he was annoying enough as a villain but making him a pseudo-Scooby made no sense whatsoever and he became twice as annoying), Faith, Harmony.

Even if I don't agree with it, I can see why you would say Spike, Andrew and Harmony. Why Faith though?

 

[tec]

Connor Evil Cordy/Jasmine
The Hyperon Hotel

 

[Aloverssoulz]

Spike: There's no reason why he shouldn't have been dusted the second Buffy found out he had a chip. Throughout season 4 and season 5 he was put into a lot of scenes that made no sense just because they needed to give him screen time somehow.

Andrew: Never should have been in season 7, he stole screen time from main characters that needed it.

 

[iShower4free]

Dawn definitely could have been gone and I agree with Icarium about Spike not being essentially although I do like the season 7/ Angel Spike a lot. The story didnt need Spike in it, it would have been easy enough to find Buffy a different love interest.

 

[Robb Stark]

Dawn definitely could have been gone and I agree with Icarium about Spike not being essentially although I do like the season 7/ Angel Spike a lot. The story didnt need Spike in it, it would have been easy enough to find Buffy a different love interest.

See, by S7 I'm not so sure that they could have lessened Spike's presence on the show. By that point I think they'd really committed to pushing him as the male lead of BTVS and after all the effort they put into him during S5 and particularly S6, to have him not be the primary love interest for Buffy wouldn't have worked, especially since Angel obviously had his own show.

 

[Nix]

I'd say Conor as I did not like him very much but then I appreciate he was needed for the story lines in the show. I can't really fix on anyone as they all played their part even if they were there as a love to hate character. They were still needed imo.

 

[TotallySpiked]

I'd have to say Connor as well. Mostly because I did not like the inclusion of his character at all. Or Dawn. Preferably both.
And now for the reasoning.

Being that I like BTVS better as whole as opposed to Angel, I could never really get my head around to Angel having a child, let alone with someone who wasn't Buffy. As much as I know that it isn't something that could have possibly happened, I don't like to imagine it, let alone see it as a character I didn't particularly like. Not to mention that Angel had never told Buffy about the existence of Connor. It all just felt so wrong to me. Then the whole Connor and Cordelia fiasco...no need to go there...needless to say, I didn't enjoy Connor at all.

And Dawn. Hmm. I just found her annoying. I could never entirely move past her whiney season 5 entry. I have become more tolerant of her during my rewatches, but I wouldn't have missed her as a character if she had died.

T~S

 

[iShower4free]

See, by S7 I'm not so sure that they could have lessened Spike's presence on the show. By that point I think they'd really committed to pushing him as the male lead of BTVS and after all the effort they put into him during S5 and particularly S6, to have him not be the primary love interest for Buffy wouldn't have worked, especially since Angel obviously had his own show.

but I mean Spike didnt need to be developed in s05 or s06 either. I agree that given all they put into him by s07 that it would have just been a waste not giving him a more important roll.

 

[EVIL UU]

Willow

Willow in season 7 is just unbelievably lame and boring. She tried to destroy the world, can I have some actual character development that stems from that fact, like anything? No, of course not, she gets a boring girlfriend and casts some boring spells instead, that's it. You think all that power would make her more confident, right? No, she mindlessly follows Buffy's orders, even in "Empty Places" she barely questions her. Worthless and boring. Screw Willow, she should have died in season 6.

Dawn

No character development whatsoever since the end of season 5 ( except for "Potential" in season 7 ) There's nothing interesting about her, nothing, a freaking plot device in the form of an annoying teenager. Screw Dawn.

Giles

There's no reason for him to stay in Synnydale post season 4. He's useless, and incompetent. Screw Giles.

Angel

His return in season 3 completely ruins the storyline from the previous season. Everything Buffy goes through after sending that worm to hell, the character development, the underlying message becomes pointless. What a load of crap, just go masturbate in your own show already, screw you Angel!

I obviously agree about Spike, Harmony and Andrew.
[MENTION=11975]Always Bangel[/MENTION]

My pick would be Parker. I get the angle they were going for, but I felt it dragged. A lot. Buffy being gloomy over him dragged the pace of the rest of the show down and it felt like a story that could be told in one or two episodes max, and instead it stretched out much longer than that.

I kinda agree but you know, he was the first real guy she's ever slept with. Warm body, beating heart, pheromones, enjoyable sex, food delivered to bed the next day and whatnot, it had to hurt. Parker turned out to be an asshole but considering what kind of crap Buffy's partners go through, I'd say he was one lucky asshole.

 

[Jod]

All the potentials in my opinion outstayed their welcome - moaning far too much.

Ima stand by Spike (as other than buffy) he got me hooked on the show 🙂

---------- Post added at 07:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:53 PM ----------

Willow
Dawn
Giles
Angel
I obviously agree about Spike, Harmony and Andrew.

Ah what a shame that you dont like many of the main characters, i couldnt bear watching a show if i didnt like that many. Its interesting to hear other peoples opinions.

 

[EVIL UU]

Ah what a shame that you dont like many of the main characters, i couldnt bear watching a show if i didnt like that many.

What makes you think I don't like them?

I like season 2 Spike, before he's completely neutered and reduced to a lame ass pseudo-love interest, similarly to Angel. Spike was the vampire, a real ****ing rock star, booze, punk-rock, crazy girlfriend, nothing to fear, nothing to give a shit about, un-living the bloody dream and look what happened to him. Drinking pig's blood, watching "The Passions", ****ing a robot when he gets lucky, wanking off, sniffling stolen sweaters when he gets not. From killing a slayer to masturbating to her photos in his cave. Pathetic, just pathetic. Dawn? I don't mind Dawn in season 5 - she was willing to sacrifice herself in "The Gift", say what you want about her but that was incredibly badass. You think, Man, what a tough kid, Dawn's so gonna kick ass in the next season. No, of course not, she's even more annoying and childish, zero character development, nothing. Willow? I love Willow - OK, I despise her and her trite addiction storyline in season 6 but hey, at least she's important but then season 7 happens and I just can't stand her. She's a dumb minion, she's irrelevant, even more neutered than Spike in season 4. Lame, lame, lame, boring, lame. And look at her girlfriend, I'm not saying that Kennedy is ugly but she's just so plain, so utterly swag-less, you know, it's Spike and Harmony all over again.

Giles? You're right, never liked him.

 

[FaithsFollower]

Spike, Spike, Spike and did I mention Spike?

Hey! That was my line! 😉 😛

I totally agree.

 

[white avenger]

So much Spike hate! It's downright unhealthy, people Luckily, Adopt-A-Bangel is here to help all you poor, troubled souls into the truth and the light.

If I were going to actually eliminate or write any of the long term regulars out of either show, the name at the top of my list would be Andrew, A K A the Jar Jar Binks of Sunnydale. I would have had Jonathan knife him instead of the other way around.

And, while not actually eliminating the character, I would have had Robin Wood be an agent of the First Evil, not whatever his role actually was on the show. I have nothing against the character specifically, but he was wasted the way that he was played. Villains are much more interesting that amateur demon hunters with grudges against their parents' killers. It's a plot device that's been done way too many times in way too many story lines.

Giles should have left Sunnydale as soon as his library went up in smoke, and only return for brief, infrequent visits.

Xander should have left after Season 3, then returned about the middle of Season 4 as a new Initiative mercenary in Riley's squad. Riley himself would have been madly in love with Maggie Walsh, and they would have died in each others' arms, killed by Adam, only to become demonized and resurrected a couple of episodes later.

Willow should have gone away to the big fancy university she originally planned to attend, then came back mid Season 4 with Tara, with their relationship already established, to the amazement of everyone (they could have even gone for a few weeks suspicious that she was an agent of some evil power)

Faith should have come out of her coma reformed, with memories of some Presence instructing and educating her while she was in her coma, hung around Sunnydale long enough to make peace with Buffy, and, hopefully, reestablish the friendship that they were beginning to develop before the accident. After a few weeks, the Power that had contacted her would appear and announce that she was needed in another reality (maybe the Dreamverse) where the last Slayer had been killed by the Master. She would, of course, return to help out in Season 7.

I know that that's not exactly the answers to the original question, but all that Spike hate kinda distracted me.

 

[EVIL UU]

[MENTION=6758]white avenger[/MENTION]

So much Spike hate! It's downright unhealthy, people Luckily, Adopt-A-Bangel is here to help all you poor, troubled souls into the truth and the light.

Oh, stop being such a shipper. Hating Spike doesn't turn anybody into a "Bangel" ( Christ, those abbreviations are ridiculous, if Pike and Spike ever shag, how do you name it? Pike or Spike?! ) Most people who just like the show couldn't care less about shipping, I mean, you gotta admit that shipping is kinda, how shall I put it? Eccentric. People in this thread explained their dislike towards Spike, their reasons are generally sound and reasonable and mostly have nothing to do with shipping.

Andrew, A K A the Jar Jar Binks of Sunnydale

Mind blown.

 

[Aimee]

I'm gonna say Kate.
Every time Kate turned up in an episode of Angel I thought "Really? Her again? Are they trying to make her a regular? I can't get behind that." There was just nothing Whedonverse about her at all. No humour, no charm, no geek cred. It was like someone plucked her out of some cop show and dumped her in Angel's first season. So yeah, I reckon Kate should of just had one episode (being generous).

Parker out stayed his welcome too.

The potentials? I really just wish they were never there at all. I hated the whole annoying teenage girls training and whining and giving Buffy grief thing. I didn't like the whole power sharing thing either. But it was Joss's vision so who am I to question that? (I'm no one but I'm gonna question it anyway! I hate you potentials!)

 

[BuffyElevated]

On BtVS, Andrew- hands down. He annoyed the hell outta me way before he became part of Buffy's group.

On Angel, Kate , Connor, and Lila.

 

[Taake]

On Angel - Eve (she should have been out within the first episodes) and Harmony

On Buffy - Spike. Also (kind of) Principle Wood, it feels as though they could have condensed his plotline.

 

[itssmiletime]

I agree pretty much with Parker, Jasmine, evil Cordelia, Conner, Principal Wood, Spike in late season 6 and 7, the potentials, etc.

I think Professor Walsh overstayed her welcome. She had next to no charm, humour. Thank god they only gave Adam a handful of episodes - I actually rather liked the character, but if they went further, he would have suffered overkill. I kind of like my big bads with personality all over, such as Glory and The Mayor. At times I wanted to yell at initiative and The First to lighten up and crack a couple of jokes.

Also, pretty much all ''vampire hunters''- Horltz being the main one. The only exception is Gunn, who I really love. That season 3 arc in Angel really annoyed me.

Others include Knox (I can't get over the Conversations With Dead People connection).