Xander the Slayer

[Xin Rong]

I have been recently researching an assignment I am doing for my English degree, and I have stumbled across something rather interesting in an interview with Steven S. DeKnight. He revealed that he got a his job as a Buffy writer on the back of a Buffy Spec script, 'where Xander accidentally absorbs Buffy's powers and why men can't be slayers' and that there was a chance that it was going to be incorporated into the animated show.

Joss must have like this idea if he hired DeKnight on the back of it, and if he had had it in reserve for the animated show.

Why do you think that this episode never happened?

I would assume that it's because DeKnight joined the staff of the show in season 5, and it may have been part way through, which means that the season's episode would have already been outlined. Obviously, post season 5 then this episode would have been less appropriate given the tones of season 6/7. However, it would have been a good early Buffy episode, so it makes sense that they wanted it for the animated show, which was meant to be set within season 1.

How would they have shown that men shouldn't be slayers?

I'd assume that they'd just have Xander do a poor job, and then for Buffy to eventually save the day, thus substantiating her position as slayer/leader. However, I would argue that this would not necessarily have illustrated why men shouldn't be slayers, it would have just illustrated why Xander shouldn't have been a slayer.

Thoughs/Feelings?

 

[fredthe3rd]

I can imagine him playing the superhero and using it to pick up girls. Sounds like it could have been a really funny episode.

 

[Xin Rong]

I can imagine him playing the superhero and using it to pick up girls. Sounds like it could have been a really funny episode.

I think it would have been good, but possibly similar to the Zeppo in some respects.

 

[Blaze]

In might head I see it as something like the demon power of a slayer actually either destroying the man, or corrupting him, either way making the episode pretty serious in that sense.

I would have loved to see/hear what they had in store though, could have been really interesting!

 

[EVIL UU]

Xander as a demon Hyena, Xander as a soldier and now Xander as a slayer?Repetitive, generic, boring. Anyway, why men shouldn't be slayers? Because the mages' spell wasn't designed to work with a male body, I guess. Or maybe the demon parts that juice up the slayer do not like boy parts? Witches use the powers of female deities, warlocks of the male ones for a reason, right? Now, of course if this franchise still had some balls left we would've already had a trans-man slayer or something.
[MENTION=5421]Xin Rong[/MENTION]

Obviously, post season 5 then this episode would have been less appropriate given the tones of season 6/7

Why? Season 6 is like the most ridiculous and out there of them all. I mean, singing demon, penis-head monster lady, invisible Buffy? Xander as a slayer seems to fit well enough. Season 1 on the other hand is the horror season, a story like this doesn't really sit well with the rest of it in my opinion, unless it'sThe Pack 2 electric boogaloo - now with more rape!!! Could work in animated series though.

 

[white avenger]

Maybe it would be something as simple as that the spell as it was originally cast by the Shadow Men wouldn't work on a body that produced testosterone. And maybe testosterone was actually what Giles injected Buffy with to mitigate her powers during that test that she had to undero.

 

[Xin Rong]

Maybe it would be something as simple as that the spell as it was originally cast by the Shadow Men wouldn't work on a body that produced testosterone. And maybe testosterone was actually what Giles injected Buffy with to mitigate her powers during that test that she had to undero.

Interesting theory, we should all rewatch the episodes following to see if Buffy starts growing extra hair in extra places as a result 🙂

 

[Black Eye Guy]

hmmm, It definitely sounds like an earlier season story then for something after season 4.

I'm not a fan of "switching powers" stories on shows, they feel cheap and predictable.

I also dont like the way thats worded, men can't be slayers becasue the shadow men chose a women, becasue they would have seen her as less then them, if Xander took in the power of a slayer I'd like the story to be that his body couldn't handle the power as he wasn't chosen for it.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

There would have been a logical place for it: near the end of Season 4 in "Primeval 4ABB21", where Willow, Xander and Giles join forces with Buffy to defeat Adam then we have "Restless 4ABB22", the rather strange dream sequence tied together by the man with the sliced cheese. You could replace "Restless" with a sequence showing some blowback from the merger to give Xander slayer powers temporarily. He would have to lose the powers in some way, which could be the interesting part of the drama.

 

[Mr Trick]

Its an interesting idea, but as pointed out they did something simliar and to greater effect in Zeppo. Plus Xander is far more interesting as the guy with identity issues, but who is still very human by providing strength to Buffy that way.