What secondary character(s) should've been explored more?

[Weredog]

Okay, so we can all name episodes that are " (insert character) -centric". These are episodes that explore the characteristics that define the past, the present, and the future actions of the main guys: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn, Spike, and Angel.

However are there any secondary characters you wish had more (or any) episodes that explored their background?

I definitely wish Oz was further explored. I feel like if you put Willow and the werewolf aside, we know absolutely nothing about him. I can only think of four episodes that revolve around him: "Phases", "Beauty and the Beasts", "Wild at Heart", and "New Moon Rising." However, I would argue that the latter three revolve more around Willow and her concern with the werewolf in him. Let's face it: we were led to favour Willow over Oz, right?
I think an episode from Oz' point-of-views that focused away from his werewolf would've been very interesting. For example, season 3 could've had an episode where Oz is very self-conscious about repeating senior year -- making him question himself if he (a failure) is compatible for Willow (a victor), or for the Scoobies themselves.
I find it kinda unfortunate that "Phases" was the only episode that mainly had the viewers in Oz's shoes.

[Nina]

I think that the most love interests needed more exploring. Hence Angel getting his own series, where also Cordelia and Wesley got more depth. (and Spike as well, but I'm in the minority with my statement that Spike got a lot more development in his time on Ats than in his run on BtVS).

That leaves us with the characters who never went to Ats; Anya, Oz, Tara & Riley.

Anya; 4 seasons long she was used as comic relief and only Selfless touched the potential the character has. This girl is a massmurderer while she had a soul. She is more than an egocentric woman who loves sex. Still it's almost the only thing we saw for 4 seasons.

Riley and Tara aren't very complex people, they were the perfect boyfriend and girlfriend ... I think that we saw enough of them ... of course they deserved one or two episodes extra, especially Tara ... but there weren't a lot of mysteries or problems around those two.

I agree with you about Oz, it was very hard to understand how he felt and his role was the most of the time not more than saying funny lines and being a really cool boyfriend.


so, Anya gets my vote ... less funny Anya and more serious Anya.

[vampmogs]

I'm with Nina, Anya needed more time. It's not fair the vamps get so much time dedicated to their history when Anya's been around for 1000 years and only got one episode dealing with her past. She must have got up to some really interesting things, more could be explored. And as a comedic character we never got a lot of insight into her, it's unfortunate because characters like Angel and Spike were made to pay and feel guilty for their crimes but they let Anya get off with a lot.

Oz as well, it's weird because I never felt like I needed to know heaps more about him, but I agree it would be nice. I love his character though, he's fantastic, I love his dry wit.

Wouldn't mind even getting a bit more on Dru I gotta say, she's the least fleshed out character out of the "fang four" and yeah, maybe some more Tara but she never really interested me. She was sweet, a lovely warm person, but I'd have liked to see more.

[carousel_girl8]

I agree about Dru, I found her an interesting character because of her insanity and I would have liked to have seen the writers explore her history more. I find her and Angel/Angelus's past very blurry, we don't know much about his obsession with her when she was human and why he was so desperate to make her crazy. I would like to have seen more of her point of view in her history.

I don't know if this has been written about in Season 8 of Buffy but I would like to have seen more of Amy too, why she became so bitter towards Willow and also how she became involved with Rack in the first place because before she was a rat she didn't seem like she was that involved that she was a complete magic addict.

[icegemz]

The character I always wondered about and wish was explained more was Drusilla. I would like to have seen more of her personality before she got turned. In most of her flash backs where she is still human, she is in a paniciky state.

I also would love to know what happened to her after Buffy season 5. She only reappears after this point in flash backs. I mean out of the Fang four, we know what happens to the other three but Drusilla where abouts is never explain or discussed again. I just find it irrating.

I was kind of hoping she would reappear in real time in Angel season 5, just for a second. It would have been cool to see both Angels and Spike joint reaction to her. They would probly start blaming each other for her appearance...or compette who she came to see .... but I'm going off the point.

I do believe out of all the secondary characters in Buffy, Drusilla's character work was serious lacking and should have been worked on some more.

[Theresa Marie86]

I have two i would of liked to know about Jenny, and Olivia!! I mean what do we really know about either of them? Ecspecially Olivia! It wouldve been nice to have delved into Giles' backgrounds alittle more. Give him a little more screen time with his relationships. He barely ever got anytime with girlfriends the poor guy. It wouldve also been nice if they explained what actually happened between him and Olivia. I know she was saying she didnt know if she could live around all the demons and what nots but what was really said?

Oh and def more Oz! I looove Oz! And i agree with what has already been said he did deserve more of a background then what he got.

[watcher1006]

I certainly would have liked to have seen more of Amy. The Buffyverse's original witch. She was taken out of the picture when she turned herself into a rat in Season 3's "Gingerbread", not to return for almost three seasons (save for a few seconds appearance in S4 "Something Blue"). The rivalry/jealousy story we saw with her v. Willow in Seasons 6-7 gave a hint of what more we might have seen had she been brought back earlier or had the show gone on longer.

[RuFio]

Definitely ANYA. I also would've liked to have seen more serious anya. Granted, anyas comic relief was VERY welcome ,but being such a prominent character in the final 4 seasons, I feel she could've been explored much more.

We did see quite a bit of Dru's history, but it would've been nice to get in her head more-to see what makes her crazy brain tick.

Now, AMY definitely should've been explored more in seasons six and seven. With her being like she is now in season 8, there should've been much more backstory there- ESPECIALLY in season seven.

Other characters that had major potential that they didn't seem to ever reach : Joyce, Veruca, Halfrek

[bknick]

Most certainly Oz. I feel like there was much more to the character than people give credit for.

Jenny. I always loved Jenny. Poor, poor Jenny.

Drusilla for sure. With the (almost ridiculous) amount of back story we got with Darla (especially on AtS), I wish we could have gotten more Dru.

Ethan Rayne. In my opinion, one of the most underused characters in the verse. He really just served the purpose of a plot tool for "wacky hijinks that involve Giles" when he really could have had a more dramatic presence and depth of character.

Oh yeah, and Parker.

...no? Ok, that was a joke.

[buffyholic]

I?m not bothered about no more Drusilla backstory. It leaves much to the imagination, especially her with Angelus.

Tara and Oz deserved more development. At first, Tara was presented as sweet, naive but on S6 she started to step out on her own and I wanted more. Most of the time, she was just Willow?s girlfriend.
Oz was also interesting and exploring his werewolf instincts would have been great.

On Ats:
Wesley: It would have been cool to find out more about his childhood and how he was raised.
Fred: I just feel they could have done more about her.
Lilah: I would have loved to see how she became such a lovable bitch! I said it: she?s a bitch but we love her!

[Retrograde]

I definitely agree with all the people saying Anya. From a completely selfish point of view I think Oz's backstory would be good, but from a show perspective, Anya would definitely be the best to delve into her history. I mean, we saw a little in Selfless but it's not enough! Possibly some of her time as a human could be explored as well?

[XavierZane]

It would be cool to see more of Giles' past. We all know he was a rebellious youth, and it would be interesting to see what it was like for him to go back to the Watchers and his father humbled.

Darla, too, since she was one of the older characters on the show. And she was part of the early colonization of the Americas! How cool is that?

And, of course, Andrew!

[bknick]

Darla, too, since she was one of the older characters on the show. And she was part of the early colonization of the Americas! How cool is that?

Did you watch Angel? Cause seasons 2 & 3 make Darla almost a main cast member (at least in how much screen time and importance she receives).

[Bubblecat]

It wouldve also been nice if they explained what actually happened between him and Olivia. I know she was saying she didnt know if she could live around all the demons and what nots but what was really said?.

I totally agree Theresa - I would have loved to have had a little bit more of Olivia. I always wondered what her cameo in Restless was - with a upturned pram.

I would have liked to have known what The Guardians were all about. I mean, they came out of nowhere - very interested to know all about them!! Oh, and the Coven. Yeah, okay, my curiosities are a little out there!

[Rowan Hawthorn]

Tara. Kennedy. Oz. Giles and Willow, too, though they're both more than just secondary characters (the show always struck me as being nearly as much about Willow's journey as it was about Buffy's, yet we don't even know her birthday - possibly because she doesn't seem to place much importance on it.) Problem is, you can only spend just so much time exploring secondary characters until you push the main protagonists completely out of the picture.

[XavierZane]

Did you watch Angel? Cause seasons 2 & 3 make Darla almost a main cast member (at least in how much screen time and importance she receives).

Kinda. She received no more screentime than Anya or Giles. But we've seen very little of her life before the present, and only one scene that I can remember of her life before siring Angelus or before she was a vampire. That's what I would like to see.

[hawkedup]

I don't think you had to have an anybody centric episode. Cut two or three Buffy/Spike sex romps and show scenes where Buffy and Anya are hanging out together. It wouldn't have taken anything away from the Buffy/Spike storyline and would have added volumes to Anya and made her feel less periphery. (Not to mention, they would probably have been more fun and just plane old better television.) Instead of Riley/Buffy drama, show Riley and Tara scenes. The problem with the secondary stars of the show could have easily have been fixed with a few well placed scenes that the writers instead opted to fill with unneeded angst.

[hawkedup]

Also, Angel did a much better job with making recurring characters stand out in the foreground. Nobody was ignored.

[Nina]

I'm not sure. Yes, Angels team was more a team and not 3 friends with their love interests and the characters got more time because they were more than boy/girlfriend of [insert name] ... but Lorne never got much development, Gunn had not much to do until season 5 and Fred was not much until Illyria.

[doubleshiny]

I'd like to have seen more of Warren, especially the things that happened after I Was Made To Love You, and more of his backstory. I think there's a cool origins story in there which we didn't get to see. I would have liked to have seen him making the Buffybot!