Who do you think the donors are?

[Weredog]

In "Buffy #8," Buffy and Willow have this exchange:

Willow: I'm all for the shiny new gizmodos, but... how the heck can we afford all this stuff?
Buffy: We have friends with pockets deeper than the ones in Dawnie's giant pants, Will. But some donors like to stay anonymous, you know?
Willow: And what happens when the soldier boys behind this twilight thing actually breach our mystery benefactor's not-inexpensive defenses?

Alright, so if Willow is impressed by the expensive setup that Buffy, Xander and company have, you know they have the good stuff.

Question is, who are these anonymous donors? Who has enough money to donate, and I'm presuming, also install all of this in an abandoned Scottish castle?

My guess is Riley and the Initiative (or however they're called these days.) The weapons, the computers, the cameras, the helicopters -- I keep flashbacking to "The I in Team," "Into the Woods" and "As You Were."

Any other thoughts?

[ciderdrinker]

I think Riley is too obvious, and any how why would the government (for want of a better word) suddenly offer funding, when they never did before.

It's got me thinking though about the watcher's council. In Lineage on AtS it was played as if the retired council members were re-instating the council. We know that the council has/had huge resources, and even though Caleb's bomb wiped out most of the members there would be some (like the retired) who still believed in it ethic and would want to see it started up again. Caleb's bomb wouldn't have wiped out their financial resources, unless he blew up their bank, now would it?

I imagine that the council had funding from some very influential people, and those people would help the new band of slayers out - sleeping partners if you will - hence the wanting to stay anonymous. I believe that the watcher's council has reformed, but is now at Buffy's command rather than the other way round.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

I would personally offer up my first born to a demon of Joss's choice if he reveals that David Nabbit is one of the donors. I've been dreaming that he'd help fund the slayers for years. I love the idea of him setting up an alternative, ethical corporation to balance out Wolfram and Hart.

Realistically? Hmm, not sure. Riley seems plausible, though only if he's working for a different outfit, considering that the guy who recruited him said it was high risk, low pay...unless they just don't pay the soldiers much but have a big budge for other things? Possible, given their fancy gadgets.

Other options:

Old friends of Giles.

Connections of the Coven in Devon (the Cevon? The Deven? The Doven?).

Former Watchers who didn't get offed by Caleb.

Stephen Fry (what? He would SO fund that. He loves gadgets for starters. Has a column in the paper about them and everything)

Alan Moore (the bearded wizard of Northampton!)

Nato (though "donors" makes me think it's individuals rather than organisations)

[tangent]

I sort of assumed that Giles and perhaps a few of his close personals (And Morore and Fry are so in that circle) managed to get the key to the councils old vaults and are spending the money that has been horded by them on the gizmos and whatnot.

Connections of the Coven in Devon (the Cevon? The Deven? The Doven?).

The dirty doven?

[KingofCretins]

I would personally offer up my first born to a demon of Joss's choice if he reveals that David Nabbit is one of the donors. I've been dreaming that he'd help fund the slayers for years. I love the idea of him setting up an alternative, ethical corporation to balance out Wolfram and Hart.

I said David Nabbit, too I mean, he doesn't have any good guys to fund lately, so it would make sense. Of course, I also thought it would be great if he had turned out to be the Immortal

The corporation idea is giving me all kinds of cool "Dark Tower" memories

The dirty doven?

THWAPPPPP!

The sound you just heard? Was that name. STICKING.

[Weredog]

David Who-bbit?

[KingofCretins]

David Nabbit is the dorky rich guy who becomes a saving the world groupie of Angel's back in Season 1 of "Angel". He also is the one that laid out the capital so that Angel would have the Hyperion for use.

[bishopcruz]

I'm glad that so many of us think alike. David Nabbit FTW!!!! That would rock.

I had though Wolfram and Hart (just before Angel left) but that is friggen impossible because of the fact that he would have no idea who to donate to.

[Maggie]

David Nabbit *does* have very deep pockets. Best suggestion I've heard so far!

[ciderdrinker]

I totally LOVE the idea of David Nabbit, but it would take a lot of explaining to the non AtS watching side of the fanbase wouldn't it?

Also I always thought that Joss wanted to keep Angel's and Buffy's world as seperate as possible - no mention of LA being turned into hell as an example?

[some spykie ship]

While I'm sure that The Watcher's Council can cover at least half of the expenses (they probably didn't buy all the tech stuff before because there wasn't any need for it), I agree that someone like David Nabbit could be getting tapped for funding here and there.

You know what would be funny? If Spike had some kind of unused inheritance somewhere and he's been funding The Scoobies for a while.

The reason why I think that The Watcher's Council could be taking care of their own is because I don't buy into Giles' line about him being the Council personified. Buffy and Faith's conversation in the end of Issue 8 is proof of Giles' lying and how Buffy doesn't trust him like she used to.

[ThePoet's<3]

My gut goes with the remainder of the Council. In the first few episodes we see Giles meeting with all kinds of demons - wouldn't surprise me if there has been an inner group of the Council who were going to "take over" at some point or another. Now is the time.

[Kold]

Didn't Caleb only blow up the Watchers HQ? Would they really keep their vast gargantuan wealth under the floorboards of that place? Surely there's a vault of gold somewhere safe, and several bank accounts with masses of money. Giles surely was able to tap into those, you know?

David Nabbit's certainly a good idea, although I wonder how he found out about it (maybe Angel went low profile).

Further options --
Angel, on leaving Wolfram and Hart, put the firms assets into a different bank account, one day transported it to Buffy/Giles/Willow. But really not that likely...

I don't honestly think it's Riley. He's US military... if Voll took over all mystical-related operation in the US military, and he's desperately trying to track down Buffy, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that he'd know about Riley's connection to Buffy. I wonder what happened there...

[alexa]

I would personally offer up my first born to a demon of Joss's choice if he reveals that David Nabbit is one of the donors. I've been dreaming that he'd help fund the slayers for years. I love the idea of him setting up an alternative, ethical corporation to balance out Wolfram and Hart.

I'd love that also. Always wanted his character to show up again sometime.

But I'd assume it's not someone with entirely good intentions because that would be too boring. And I'm not sure why the Watchers Council would want to be anonymous. Could be someone with vested interests in the Twilight as well as Buffy's slayers.
I don't think Joss knows actually... or I suppose he could if it's a major part of the arc.

[KingofCretins]

I think Joss raised it so that we'd just be happy that there was an answer, I'm not sure it will be plot relevant who the donors are. David Nabbit would be too cool to hope for, probably. Maybe Hank struck it rich in Spain? They could use the opportunity to undo the retcon of Hank into a deadbeat dad.

[alexa]

Yeah I was thinking it seemed just like something to bring up, so the nosey fans will be quiet about it for a while
And uh, sometimes Dad's stay deadbeat Dads. At least ones like mine do, I like the reality

[KingofCretins]

Do they stay deadbeat dads even when they were only turned into deadbeat dads with no notification or justification in the plot about three seasons into the show? Hank was a role-model for divorced dads from all outward indications until "Helpless" -- and even cancelling on the birthday wasn't inexcusable, deadbeat making. Then, the next time he's brought up at all, he's a deadbeat that doesn't answer calls about his daughters' sick mother and skips off to Spain. That was so bogus. It's sad that "Charmed" had a more believable presentation of a divorced dad relating to his daughters.

[alexa]

Hmm yeah I suppose they did, and I've barely watched Charmed.
I just assumed there were steps that led to him caring more about himself then his girls. Seemed like he was in contact with Dawn at the beginning of 6, and just faded out again.. it happens.

[KingofCretins]

I think it was a shame. If you go back and watch "Nightmares", when he *really* shows up, and "When She Was Bad", how he and Joyce still talk about their daughter and worry about her together, he is clearly being presented to being about as good a divorced dad as one can ask for. Even the idea that he had been doing the icecapades thing with her on her birthdays. Plus, Dean Butler was a helluva actor in that role. Was great to have him back in "The Weight of the World" and "Normal Again".

[omri]

I think that the wrong question is being asked. Why do they donor? really, what is their motive? anyways... I don't think it's riley's team.. though it's not the army directly, it's founded by the country, isn't it? and I don't think the country will allow donation for an sort of enemy... Maybe contacts of the councler or something like that.