Will Jonathan Ever Get Any Credit?

[Jonathan Levinson]

Maybe, I'm not the first to have noticed this, but remember in "Bring On the Night" when they head to the High School basement to see the "Seal of Something-or-other"-- no one seems to notice or even care that Jonathan's body is missing. Even when Principal Wood runs into them with a shovel, they don't seem to think anything of it!

That's so sadly typical with what's happened to the character of Jonathan. It was bad enough that JL was killed when trying to redeem himself, but he's not even given a second thought by anyone. Or even acknowledged that he tried to do the right thing.

Jonathan Levinson over the years has become one of the most loved and endearing characters on "Buffy". (Certainly more popular than Tara or Riley) I mean here was a character who was meaker than Willow; geekier than Xander; faaaar more unnoticed than Dawn ever claimed; and ultimately more tragic than Angel or Faith.

The modus operandi of his character was the desire for acknowledgement and respect. In "Earshot" this is what leads to his near suicide. And in "Superstar" he gets a chance to fufill all of his dreams--including becoming a Scooby. Just think, if Buffy and Co. had invited Jonathan over to their group at the end of "Superstar" than just have him shuffle away never to be seen until he falls into a bad crowd with Warren and Andrew.

Do you think Joss has any future plans for the character of Jonathan Levinson, if only to have the Scoobies give him a *little* acknowledgement? Will his character get any real closure other than getting murdered and forgotten?

I'm kind of hoping that if there is a corresponding First Good (who I believe is appearing as the images of Joyce and Giles) that it might appear as Jonathan, who finally got to be the hero--even after dying. 🙂

 

[Tyra]

I think the "credit" Jonathan got was in his relatively sympathetic and intelligent potrayal. And he clearly intended to contact Buffy after they dug up the pentagram in the school basement. (Who knows, he might have achieved his dream of being one of the Scoobies after all if it hadn't been for Andrew's treachery.)

Also, Buffy and the Scoobies were noticeably angry at Andrew for killing Jonathan -- more, it seemed to me, than they would have been just out of principle. As for his body being missing, the FE had corporeal minions who could do "clean up"; they probably assumed that's what happened.

I wonder about Principal Wood's motivation in burying Jonathan:
Was he just another of the FE's minion's?
Did he want to give Jonathan a "decent burial" without putting anyone else in danger?
Or was he just getting rid of the evidence so the school wouldn't be involved in a murder case?

 

[Allycat]

Good point about them not noticing, but he was less loved than Tara ... (at least by me)!

Great idea for a alt. reality, Jonathan becoming a Scoobie, but then we would have never met Andrew!

 

[Andros]

His complete name is Jonathan Levinston?
Does anybody have read the book: "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"
Maybe something in "our" Jonathan was inspired by Jonathan the seagull?? Their name is almost the same and the book is a popular one... so maybe there is a link??

 

[BeefChickenPie]

Poor Jon. His character was the guy who didn't get noticed. Joss has been able to make every character grow and evolve, but Jon dies the same way he entered, with no one noticing.

 

[Buffy Ann Summers]

Oooooh... I like the idea of a "First Good." something to counter balance the evil. you might say that it would be Buffy or Angel, but this is a different level. Buffy is human, and is supposed to counter vamps and some demons... but the First Evil is like the embodiment of evil, it would be cool if there was also a First Good to counter it!

 

[Diminished_9th]

I too, had hopes of Jonathan working his way into the scoobie gang. My friend, who adores Jonathan, and I had a descussion the other day, about how she was upset when Jonathan died, but she understood that Joss killed him and kept Andrew because Andrew was a much more conflicted character. In her mind, and I agree with this, Jonathan had already traveled the road to redemption. True, he never got to do anything to redeem himself, but he had already decided to do what he could to help Buffy, and so in my mind, he died a hero even if he never got to do anything particulary heroic.

I was watching "Showtime" the other day and wondering how Jonathan would have acted if he were alive and with the scoobies. (He wouldn't have been captured, because he wouldn't have killed Andrew.) I think the gang may have been as harsh with him as first, but Jonathan would have taken his lumps, because he felt like he deserved them (didn't he say, "I don't care if they like us, I just want to help?") but he would have done what he could to help. I think slowly, as he proved his devotion and usefulness to the gang (Andrew is all talk and no use...Jonathan would talk less and be more useful) they would have accepted him.