Alternatives to Kennedy

[midwesternwatcher]

Most of us don't like Willow-Kennedy. That includes me (it's nice to be in the majority for a change). My personal reason for not liking it is that it doesn't make sense to me in terms of the Willow character. I know why Willow liked Oz, and why she liked Tara, but I don't know why she should find Kennedy attractive.

Playing the devil's advocate, though, I think I know why the writers put her in there. They needed a story line for Willow, something for Willow to do, that would develop the Willow character and also appeal to the fans (or so they must've hoped).

I don't think it worked well for them. I don't remember that it either advanced the main plot line or played into anything going on with the other characters.

I'd like some thoughts about other possibilities. Could they have given Willow a love interest, but somebody other than Kennedy? What would that other person have been like? Or could they have tempted Willow with a chance at love that she wouldn't be able to follow up, perhaps because she can't let Tara go? Could Willow wind up breaking some girl's (or boy's) heart?

Or could Willow spend a season in celibate mode and have some other kind of story line altogether?

[astranger]

Here, I must agree with you wholeheartedly. I hated Kennedy and despised her role in the story. I hated her for a great variety of reasons. There are the obvious, he annoying personality and pushy, hypocritical behaviour. In addition to this her relationship with Willow was utterly nonsensical, it was built on basically nothing, yet still managed to be bloody obvious (I actually face palmed when she started talking to Willow).

But to dance with you, I was never satisfied with the explanation behind Kennedy. I think Joss said something like "I don't want to have a celibate gay stereotype" which is odd because he wasn't so convened when he was making Seeing Red. I think that Joss completely misjudged the public outcry over Tara's death. He seemed to think the point of anger was denying Willow a girlfriend, but it was more complicated than that. Tara was a character who still had growth potential at a time when other characters were going in circles.

To get to the meat of your post, I think that Season 7 would be better off without Kennedy, or another love interest for Willow. Tara's death was far too shocking and traumatic for both the audience and the character and getting Willow into a relationship cheapens that. Like you say it wouldn't have changed much about the main story and I'd rather see Willow actually come to terms with the events of Season 6, where as they seemed to be mostly swept under the rug after that.

[VampSlayer]

I don't like Kennedy much, but I don't hate her either. I'll always love Willow/Tara, but I respect Willow/Kennedy.

Why did the writers do this? My guess is: Because it's morally wrong to keep someone weeping over their lover's death forever. Although I'm not a huge fan of Willow's current relationship, I'm glad she's moved on from Tara. Tara isn't coming back, and Willow knows this. Kennedy was, and is, able to keep Willow moving forward, keep her grounded.

I wouldn't mind if Willow and Kennedy split up, but for that to happen I think there needs to be a good reason, not just: "Oh, the fans don't like Kennedy too much, let's break her from Willow." I could see Kennedy cheating on Willow, because of how distant she is recently (With growing her powers and all); I would actually like that plot. I think it'd add to both characters, and put them in interesting situations... Also, Kennedy could possibly be cheating with Satsu. ;D Yes, no? Maybe, so?

[Hallow Thorn]

Willow/Kennedy will never do anything for me. I don't like her and never will.

[jtmaster13]

I know why the writers decided to add Kennedy in the mix, they wanted to add a character with the complete polar opposite personality than Tara, and I can understand and respect that. It added a new dimension to the show as well as Willow's character. But I did not like that whole relationship and if you ask me, it completely came out of nowhere. Willow did not even show an interest in Kennedy at all until that episode and I have some people telling me that is was gradual...I think not. Willow and Tara, that was gradual. Willow and Oz, that was gradual. But not Willow and Kennedy. I think maybe they either should have not set Willow up with anyone for season 7, or they should have had someone who maybe shared some of the same qualities as Tara but different as well.

[Miss. Rogueh]

Willow needed someone to help her overcome her fears of using magic again. She needed someone that was over confident. Someone that would push her. I don't like the Kennedy Willow relationship but I liked that it helped Willow come out of her shell more after what she had done.

[The Night Lord]

Alternative to Kennedy.....kill her. Simple, quick and easy

[astranger]

Oct 19, 2010 23:56:14 GMT -5 Miss. Rogueh said:

Willow needed someone to help her overcome her fears of using magic again. She needed someone that was over confident. Someone that would push her. I don't like the Kennedy Willow relationship but I liked that it helped Willow come out of her shell more after what she had done.

I'm going to have to disagree with this. Kennedy is the worst possible candidate for this role. Note that she shows almost no real appreciation, understanding or awareness of the power of dark magic or how dangerous Willow can be. Case in point, she is remarkably unfazed by the knowledge of Willow as a killer. Second of all she doesn't realize that magic is dangerous until it hurts her personally and even then she wants an emotionally fragile Willow to usurp the group over her best friend of Seven Years.

If anything, Kennedy's rough attitude would run roughshod over Willows fragile emotional state. The end result would be a Willow dominated by Kennedy, something she appeared to be pushing in the series proper.

[jtmaster13]

Kennedy never really helped Willow "come out of her shell" so to speak in my opinion. I think that it was Willow herself that was able to over come that along with Buffy's confidence in her. This is just how I viewed it but Kennedy I felt never really took Willow and the power that she had seriously, which put me off a little. If you remember in the episode "The Killer In Me" Kennedy even says she thinks it's all "fairytale crap" to her. Kennedy just thought that Willow could do anything sort of magic and it would have no repercussions or consequences. The only time Kennedy took Willow's power seriously was when she was personally affected by it. She doesn't understand how dangerous it really is and has no idea of what Willow is really capable of.

[Josh]

Ignoring the fact that Kennedy constantly came off as a completely obnoxious brat, I think the fact that Tara was murdered at the very end of Season 6 makes Season 7 way too soon for Willow to just jump back into another relationship. Maybe if there had been another television Season after the seventh one, it would have been okay to start seeing a relationship for Willow develop at the VERY end of Season 7, but to have it start almost immediately after Kennedy is introduced with Kennedy trying to push her way into Willow's life just felt wrong for me.

[buffyfan21]

I think the reason the writers' chose Kennedy for Willow is because she is the complete antithesis of Tara. Many fans (myself included) found their relationship jarring in Season 7. Willow kills for the woman she loves and then find herself in a relationship the very next season? it just doesn't make sense, and frankly it's a slap in the face to fans. I think the right thing to do would have been to give Willow the season to mourn her relationship. Honestly, it blows my mind that she and Kennedy are STILL together in season 8. Is this like the longest running relationship in the Whedonverse or what?! I don't necessarily wish for Kennedy to die, I just wish the two would break up already!

[Skytteflickan88]

I don't know why you would assume that Willow didn't find something attractive about Kennedy. She was hot, said nice things (to Willow) and was a good listener and supported Willow, when Willow thought she was a disgusting low being. I definitly get while Willow was open for a girl like Kennedy. No sure if she liked that Kennedy was a brat though. Maybe she just feel for the whole package: brattiness, looks, kind, warrior, etc etc.

I always thought Kennedy was a rebound girl though and am suprised they're still dating. Maybe they're still dating because they haven't had the living-together-every-day kind of phase in their relationship yet, which might have broken them up. They do seem to spend a lot of time apart.

Hopefully their relationship will be explored more so we can find out what makes their relationship work. Maybe it's just the chemistry, not that they "match" that makes it work.

I would also like to see if Kennedy has any more sides. I'm actually dying to see them, since other than the though warrior and good listener part, there's not much I like about her. I don't loathe her anymore, but I definitly don't like her.

I used to be angry with Willow for getting into a new relationship so soon (and a bit unfair to Kennedy, since it was clear that Willow was still hung up on Tara*), and thought it cheapened Tara's death, but that was sadistic of me. Tara and she hadn't been dating for months, then they got together for a short time, Tara died, and Willow has been depressed/grieving/evil about it ever since. She had the right to move on, and needed to do so to survive, and Kennedy was just what she needed. It was a good way for the writers to give Willow a new direction in life, and to show she wasn't just grieving anymore. Not sure if she could have done it another way. I admire her for moving on, instead fo wearing black for a year and not dating for years out of guilt, like I would have.

But yes, a less annoying nicer girlfriend would have been more desireable, both for the viewers and Willow's friends. But who knows, maybe after the maggot-incident, and Chosen, she has actually grown. Maybe...

Something about Kennedy that several of your has mentioned is that Kennedy didn't respect magic. That used to annoy me, but now I figured out how that was a good plot device to show that Willow had finally come to respect magic herself, when explaining it to Kennedy (pretty sure Kennedy gets the danger of magic now though, since she'a slayer probably fighting magical creatures and spells from time to time).

That all being said: I think it's time for them to break up. But only if it's good for the story, not to please the fans. In case Willow has been cheating, I think that would be a great time for there to be a mini series about it, exploring Kennedy finding out about it, her getting all EMO, lots of "voice overs" or whatever they're called with Willow's feelings about it, then a big fight with something evil, then Kennedy yelling at Willow, who feels like hell and will never cheat again because of it. Then they seperate.

*Joss first wanted another ending for Chosen, but Amber Benson wasn't available or something. Tara came back to life and Willow and she got back together, so that fact, plus the ep The Killer In Me, clearly shows atleast a part of Willow's heart stilled belonged to Tara.

[buffyfan21]

^^ Kennedy may have been nice to Willow, but she certainly wasn't nice to the others (the Chloe "maggot" incident is springing to mind). I hated her disrespect of Buffy. She wanted to be in charge, run the show, and I couldn't stand how she seemed to turn her nose up at everybody, thinking she knew better than all of them. Come to think of it, she wasn't very nice to Willow at times either. Her ignorance of magic really annoyed me, too, but you make a good point that this was used as a plot device to show Willow's growth in this area. Still annoying, though. lol. And to be honest, Kennedy has never been very "hot" in my eyes either. I dunno, I guess her bad attitude just makes her very unattractive to me. I would agree with what you're saying about Kennedy being the rebound for Willow, but you are right that "rebounds" usually don't last so long. I agree that if Kennedy had a nicer personality, she may have been better received by fans (me included).

[Miss. Rogueh]

Well being that we don't know Kennedy's backround other then a rich kid. (im going off the show because I haven't read the comics.) I don't think we can really understand her as a person. Why she is the way she is... Rich kids have it hard too, granted they don't have to worry about scrounging for food, or paying for anything. As far as the "maggot" incident, she was trying to ready these girls for battle. Some had no training what so ever. It was boot camp, and she was the drill instructor. She didn't have time to try to teach them the nice, way. They had to be ready and they had to be ready yesterday... Though yes she did disrespect Buffy, but she was thrust out of her home and into a home with a dozen other women being led around and having no say in the matter... look at what the council was doing to Buffy early on. Buffy rebelled from them, just as Kennedy rebelled from Buffy. Kennedy had the most training out of the rest of the potentials, can you blame her for wanting to take charge and join the fight?

[buffyfan21]

^^ Yeah, I can see that Kennedy had the most experience out of all the girls, but why exactly does that automatically translate to her being in charge of the group? I know she was trying to prepare the girls for battle, but I also think she was worried about saving her own ass as much as (if not more than) theirs. I think what these girls needed was a morale boost, not someone tearing them down (which admittedly, Buffy was guilty off a time or two herself in S7). I think Kennedy calling Chloe maggot was just her chance to show off, and show her superiority, etc. She was supposed to be the girls' equal their peer, what gave her the right to put herself above them? A big mistake for someone already on a power trip, in my opinion. I dunno, I get what you're saying but I guess I just don't like Kennedy's tactics...

She was trying to rebel against Buffy, that's true. But unlike The Watchers' Council, Buffy was actually trying to protect these girls, keep them safe, keep them alive. Kennedy had little appreciation for that (though, to be fair, she was far from the only one).

It wasn't easy for the girls' to be thrust from their homes, granted. But let's not forget that Buffy's life was also turned upside down and disrupted by this. Surely it wasn't easy for her to have her home invaded by a bunch of young girls? To suddenly have even more responsibility on her shoulders?

Just another perspective...

[Miss. Rogueh]

Oct 20, 2010 14:12:05 GMT -5 Beaumonde said:

The whole storyline didn't add anything to the season, Willow should have just stayed single.

I disagree, without Kennedy to keep her grounded Willow would have never been able to do the large magic to make all the potentials, Slayers... Buffy couldn't do it because she was leading the charge. And as far as too soon, Willow grew leaps and bounds from when Tara died. She got all up in the evil and then she spent time in for lack of a better term rehab, though it didn't seem like that long to us it was at least a few months in Buffy world. Experinces like that rehab change people alot. Plus I am sure that the coven in England help Willow deal with the pain of losing Tara and see that she had to move on, Tara would have wanted her to find love and be happy...

[arcaneweirdo]

Like a lot of people I really just found Kennedy an annoying person, though I like her more in Season 8. I do think Willow shoul have stayed single for the seventh season, most people don't move on so quickly after seeing the love of their lives shot before their eyes.

[jtmaster13]

The whole Kennedy/Willow relationship came out of nowhere though, that's what cracks me up. I mean if you look at the beginning when Kennedy first came in, you could tell Kennedy was obviously into Willow. However, Willow did not seem interested in Kennedy at all. She wasn't even on the radar! How in one episode they are together is so mind boggling to me. It wasn't gradual like any of Willow's past relationships, it was just bang/boom they're dating.

[Jaz ♀♀]

Well i don't wanna repeat what a lot of you guys said, but i agree with the overall majority of whats posted.

Oct 20, 2010 11:37:43 GMT -5 Skytteflickan88 said:

I would also like to see if Kennedy has any more sides. I'm actually dying to see them, since other than the though warrior and good listener part, there's not much I like about her. I don't loathe her anymore, but I definitly don't like her.

Completely agree, I would like to see this too. Like others above i hated Kennedy with a passion when i was watching s7 (I wanted Tara back!), but now reading s8, I'm just kinda indifferent with my feelings toward her. Like you said, we've only really seen two sides of her and and i think that's why i don't like or care much about her.

My main reason why I don't like the Willow/Kennedy ship is because for me, I see it very off putting to watch/read a relationship that has a 2-dimensional character paired with a very well developed (main) character. (Especially when Willow is a favorite of mine) So i just can't take their relationship seriously.

The writers either need to show more of Kennedy, or let her go.

[astranger]

I don't think that Kennedy was nice to Willow at all. Several times she even outright verbally attacks her.

eg: “(turns and snaps at Willow) Why are you always standing up for her?” from Get it Done.

I also don't see how Kennedy was a good listener. TKIM basically consisted of Willow saying no while she prattled on. As for the Drill Sergeant bit, that was terrible. Either way you sliced it Kennedy was either humiliating someone for a power trip, or for the sake of a sick joke. P.S: Good Drill Sergeants are highly trained intuitive professionals. There is a reason for this Kennedy has no right to do this as she hasn't got the training. Actually, Wood would have been a much better choice.

I also disagree strongly with the notion that Willow has grown. Clearly she hasn't. She's still utterly traumatized up until TKIM when Tara is basically forgotten. Even to the end of the series she's still very nervous of doing magic and has retreated back to the shy Willow of earlier seasons.