Re: OT: Potentials

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Quick sketch, off the top of my head:

1.  Turkish Girl.  Appears at the start of "Lessons" (7.01), and is
killed.
2.  German Girl.  Appears in Buffy's Slayer dream at the start of
"Beneath You" (7.02), and is killed, but tells Buffy "from beneath you,
it devours."
3.  Amanda.  A student at Sunnydale High, we first meet her in "Help"
(7.04), but her Potential status is not revealed until "Potential"
(7.12).  Once violently beat up a boy who was harassing her, but this
was later retconned into a Spuffy-blessing "violence against women is a
sign of true passion" bit of crap.  Used to participate in her school's
Model U.N. program.  Dies in battle against the First in "Chosen" (7.22)
4.  Nora (English).  Seen dead in the flat of her Watcher (Robson) in
"Sleeper" (7.08).  Robson appears to be killed, but in fact survives.
5.  Annabel (English, upper class).  Arrives with Giles in "Bring On The
Night" (7.10).  Very precise and obedient.  Vegetarian. Panics, runs
away, is killed by the Ubervamp in that episode.
6.  Molly (English, lower class).  Arrives with Giles in 7.10.  Large
appetite, horrible fashion sense.  Killed by Caleb in "Dirty Girls"
(7.18)
7.  Kennedy (American, but played by a Mexican actress).  Arrives with
Giles in 7.10.  Extremely upper class (had a wing all to herself at her
home).  Trained with her Watcher from the age of 8 onwards.  Lesbian,
hits on Willow from the get-go, kisses her in "The Killer in Me" (7.13),
has sex with her in "Touched" (7.20).  Fights the final battle with the
First and survives.
8.  Rona (African-American).  Arrives in "Showtime" (7.11) and is
rescued by Buffy at the bus depot.  Didn't know she was a Potential
until very recently, never had a Watcher.  Stuffed Molly in the trunk of
Giles's car so she could drive the Potentials to the desert in 7.13.
Angry, bitter, scared, generally a pain.  Has her arm broken by Caleb in
7.18.  One of the leaders in getting Buffy booted from her house in
"Empty Places" (7.19), griping about Buffy's obsession with Spike, and
thus earning back some points.  Fights the final battle with the first
and survives.
9.  Eve (American, southern).  Appears to have arrived in 7.11, but is
actually dead and being impersonated by the First
10.  Chloe (American, latina).  Has arrived in 7.11.  Quiet, enjoys
"Winnie the Pooh".  Seen crying in Buffy's Slayer dream at the start of
"Get it Done" (7.15) but is ignored by Buffyafter all, Chloe's not
named Spike, so why should Buffy pay attention to her?and commits
suicide shortly thereafter, hanging herself (from what?) in the
bathroom.
11.  Vi (American, appears midwestern).  Has arrived in 7.11.
Redhaired, studious, scrupulous note-taker.  Wears a horrible knit cap
for her first few appearances, but stops that, mercifully.  Fights in
the final battle with the first, and survives.
12.   Chao Ahn (Chinese, although Vietnamese in the original script for
"First Date" [7.14]).  Sought by Giles in Shanghai during 7.12, she
presumably arrived with him before 7.13 and went on the retreat with
him, although this is not mentioned.  First seen on-screen with him in
7.14.  Speaks no English;   is lactose-intolerant.  Dies in battle with
the First in 7.22.
13.   Caridad (American, Latina).  First seen in Xander's fantasy in
7.18, she does in fact exist, and fights and IIRC, survives the final
battle with the First.  However, I don't recall seeing her on the bus at
the end. 
14.   Colleen (American).  Appears only in Xander's fantasy in 7.18, so
may not actually be real.
15.   Shannon (American).  Intercepted by Caleb in 7.18 before she can
reach Buffy;   burned and stabbed by him, but survives.  Unknown what
happened to her, since the hospital she was in was shown to be deserted
in "End of Days" (7.21), but it's not like the show gives a shit about
continuity, so...

Also:
A.  Unnamed Potentials (Sunnydale):  Dozens of them, crowding up the
house.  We're supposed to be upset that Buffy isn't taking care of them,
that she doesn't even know their names, and WE don't know there names.
These random extras really dilute the emotional impact of the story,
IMO.  One is killed by Caleb in 7.18, and some others may die in the
finale.

B.  Unnamed Potentials (Global).  Hey, remember how the whole season is
about the First trying to kill all the Potentials and wipe out the
Slayer line?  Remember how there are only a very few Potentials left, so
it's vital that Buffy protect them or Evil will triumph?  Yeah?  Well,
forget that.  Joss has this rilly, rilly kewl idea about **thousands**
of Potentials around the world powering up, so forget about the plot,
even if it is the *season-long arc and the basis for the entire final
year*.  Plots are for weenies, I tell ya!  This is all about Girl Power!
(And that bit where being the only true Slayer was a metaphor for
Buffy's identity, for finding out what's special about yourself and
coming to terms with it, drawing strength from it?  Forget that, too.
Buffy's slayerdom is a crippling burden that she wants to lay down,
never mind that she grew out of that stage waaay back in "What's My
Line".   She's not unique or special or anything important at all.
Totally pissing on Buffy's identity and sense of self is way totally
empowering, oh yeah!)

(What, you expected me to discuss "A Gigantic Piece of Unwatchable
Shit"...er, "Chosen"...and NOT be bitter?  Really?)

General classifications of Potentials:

Dead before reaching Buffy:   Turkish Girl, German Girl, Nora, Eve.

Dead in Sunnydale, before the final fight:  Annabel (Ubervamp), Chloe
(suicide), Molly (Caleb), an unnamed girl (Caleb).

Dead in Sunnydale, during the final fight:  Amanda, Chao-Ahn, probably
some random girls.

Unknown fate during the final fight:  Caridad, various random girls (not
seen dying, but not seen on bus, either.)

Unknown fate, generally:  Shannon.

Survived the final fight:  Kennedy, Rona, Vi.

This is doubtless incomplete, but it's the best I can do from memory.
As you may have guessed, it's not like I was rewatching the Season 7
eps.

Dan


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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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