For my first opinion piece, I am going to be writing about my love for Kennedy. No, this is not a troll post and I am completely sober! I'm a Kennedy fan, an unapologetic one at that. Should I write it bolder? I AM A KENNEDY FAN! Quite frankly, she is my favourite side character and my favourite love interest of Willow's.
In all seriousness, though, what I love about her is what the majority of "Buffy" fans seem to hate about her. The second she arrived on screen, she stood out to me from the other potentials, not because she didn't have a bad accent either (hello, Molly!), but because of her swagger when she first met Buffy. The first thing she said was, "This is a Slayer?", and she didn't hide her displeasure. Kennedy was significantly quieter than the other potentials, she only ever really spoke when she had something that she felt was important to share. Immediately, she was established as a character who didn't care about superficial conversation and who was more interested in getting important things done. What was also transparent, was that she was far more experienced than the other girls, so naturally, she was going to have a big ego over it.
As the episodes went by, Kennedy became more and more distrustful of Buffy, so she voiced her opinions more frequently. She was one of the few who dared to stand up to Buffy and point out things that she perceived to be wrong. Although Kennedy may not have always been correct, she had the backbone to speak her mind. An important thing to remember is that we, the audience, had the benefit of watching Buffy and co's character progression over the course of seven years. Kennedy and the other potentials were outsiders who barely knew Buffy, yet they were expected to follow her blindly. That, coupled with the fact that they were all frightened, and Buffy had a strict attitude towards them made an easy recipe for them to almost resent her. The potentials were also a fair bit younger than the main characters.
Perhaps the biggest criticism directed towards Kennedy is not just her relationship with Willow, but how she pursued the relationship. Many fans feel as though Kennedy was pushy and predatory. I disagree. Kennedy never tried to hide her attraction towards Willow, there was no coy blushing, no pussyfooting around, she was direct. Being direct and being predatory are completely different things. I adore the way Kennedy pursued Willow, it was refreshing to see a beautiful lesbian character act in a more butch way. The males in the show often showed their attraction to the females in a direct fashion, so what is wrong with Kennedy doing the same thing?
I would also argue that Kennedy's eagerness to be with Willow was essential at that point in the show's timeline. The battle with The First Evil was on the horizon and there was absolutely no time to spare. I believe that those factors played a huge part in why Kennedy pursued Willow the way she did. It was clear that Kennedy adored Willow (see "The Killer in Me" for more details), and no doubt, Kennedy was sure that everybody was going to die. Naturally, she had to move fast. Though Willow seemed more hesitant, she evidently wanted to be with Kennedy, since she consented to being in a relationship with her. Willow's hesitant nature was not exclusive to her interactions with Kennedy, either, she had always spoken demurely, even to her friends.
In all seriousness, though, what I love about her is what the majority of "Buffy" fans seem to hate about her. The second she arrived on screen, she stood out to me from the other potentials, not because she didn't have a bad accent either (hello, Molly!), but because of her swagger when she first met Buffy. The first thing she said was, "This is a Slayer?", and she didn't hide her displeasure. Kennedy was significantly quieter than the other potentials, she only ever really spoke when she had something that she felt was important to share. Immediately, she was established as a character who didn't care about superficial conversation and who was more interested in getting important things done. What was also transparent, was that she was far more experienced than the other girls, so naturally, she was going to have a big ego over it.
As the episodes went by, Kennedy became more and more distrustful of Buffy, so she voiced her opinions more frequently. She was one of the few who dared to stand up to Buffy and point out things that she perceived to be wrong. Although Kennedy may not have always been correct, she had the backbone to speak her mind. An important thing to remember is that we, the audience, had the benefit of watching Buffy and co's character progression over the course of seven years. Kennedy and the other potentials were outsiders who barely knew Buffy, yet they were expected to follow her blindly. That, coupled with the fact that they were all frightened, and Buffy had a strict attitude towards them made an easy recipe for them to almost resent her. The potentials were also a fair bit younger than the main characters.
Perhaps the biggest criticism directed towards Kennedy is not just her relationship with Willow, but how she pursued the relationship. Many fans feel as though Kennedy was pushy and predatory. I disagree. Kennedy never tried to hide her attraction towards Willow, there was no coy blushing, no pussyfooting around, she was direct. Being direct and being predatory are completely different things. I adore the way Kennedy pursued Willow, it was refreshing to see a beautiful lesbian character act in a more butch way. The males in the show often showed their attraction to the females in a direct fashion, so what is wrong with Kennedy doing the same thing?
I would also argue that Kennedy's eagerness to be with Willow was essential at that point in the show's timeline. The battle with The First Evil was on the horizon and there was absolutely no time to spare. I believe that those factors played a huge part in why Kennedy pursued Willow the way she did. It was clear that Kennedy adored Willow (see "The Killer in Me" for more details), and no doubt, Kennedy was sure that everybody was going to die. Naturally, she had to move fast. Though Willow seemed more hesitant, she evidently wanted to be with Kennedy, since she consented to being in a relationship with her. Willow's hesitant nature was not exclusive to her interactions with Kennedy, either, she had always spoken demurely, even to her friends.
Something else that I loved about Kennedy, was how introspective she seemed. She apologised when she realised she made a mistake (nobody ever had to tell her to say sorry), and she freely admitted her flaws about her being, in her own words, "a brat". There was no epic speech beforehand, no moping, she just outright came out with it to Willow with a big smile on her face. Introspective qualities aside, Kennedy was also protective. Not just of her girlfriend, but of the other potentials too. It was her protectiveness that caused her to clash with Buffy the majority of the time. Kennedy was actually looking out for the others, in her own way. Though she was sure of herself, she wasn't particularly boastful. Displaying confidence does not equate to arrogance, and there is nothing wrong with it. It almost seems to me that some members of the BTVS community chastise a gay woman of colour like Kennedy (for her confidence), yet they make no comment about say, Spike's confident demeanor. Though Spike did redeem himself, and I very much love his character, Kennedy didn't try to rape Willow and she didn't have a murderous past.
No, Kennedy wasn't Tara. Was she supposed to be? Of course she wasn't. I don't know about anybody else, but I loved Tara's character, and I didn't want to see Tara 2.0. That would have been a massive disservice to Tara's character and to Amber Benson. Fans would also complain (and rightly so), because who would want to see a Tara wannabe? It would have made no sense in the show, or for that point in Willow's life. What I'm going to say next is possibly the most controversial part of this piece, but I preferred Kennedy's character to Tara in general. I'm not saying I dislike Tara, absolutely not, but I found Kennedy's background more interesting and I preferred her assertive and forward personality.
No, Kennedy wasn't Tara. Was she supposed to be? Of course she wasn't. I don't know about anybody else, but I loved Tara's character, and I didn't want to see Tara 2.0. That would have been a massive disservice to Tara's character and to Amber Benson. Fans would also complain (and rightly so), because who would want to see a Tara wannabe? It would have made no sense in the show, or for that point in Willow's life. What I'm going to say next is possibly the most controversial part of this piece, but I preferred Kennedy's character to Tara in general. I'm not saying I dislike Tara, absolutely not, but I found Kennedy's background more interesting and I preferred her assertive and forward personality.
Another point I would like to make about the seemingly forced relationship between Willow and Kennedy is that the writers themselves had very little time. The show was going to end soon and they had to think and work fast. Willow's previous relationships developed a lot slower, but her previous partners were also more on the bashful side of the spectrum. I am a big fan of Willow and Kennedy's relationship because Kennedy constantly proved that she was a brilliant girlfriend. Kennedy was Willow's anchor (or the kite string to Willow's kite) and she did nothing but show compassion and support to her girlfriend. Ultimately, it was Kennedy who played a key part in helping Willow overcome her grief for Tara and eventually transcend to become extremely powerful, and in Kennedy's own words, a "Goddess" in "Chosen". The only (very brief) problem they ever had was in "Get It Done" where Willow accidentally sucked some of Kennedy's energy when performing a spell. However, it was quickly resolved and Kennedy was understanding, she was just initially frightened, which is understandable. Though I believe that Tara was Willow's soulmate, Kennedy was certainly not by any stretch of the imagination bad for Willow.
Kennedy's relationship with Willow aside, I found her to be an interesting character in her own right. Due to time constraints, not a great deal was revealed about her background, other than she came from an affluent family, she had a half sister, and she was the oldest potential Slayer. The latter is what I find so interesting, and I have often found myself asking, how did it impact her? I propose that she would have felt isolated. It was a well-known fact in the series that Slayers led lonely lives. But Kennedy was older than Buffy and Faith when she was activated at 19, she had even thought that it was too late for her. Regarding her feelings of isolation, she hadn't once alluded to having any friends or previous lovers. I believe that it is also worth mentioning that coming from an affluent family doesn't automatically mean that one has a perfect life. For all we know, Kennedy could have had a terrible upbringing, perhaps she had even lied about being spoilt.
In addition to time constraints (both in context of the show's timeline and the series ending soon), Kennedy's feelings of isolation could have also played a factor in why she wanted Willow so desperately. Willow was consistently portrayed as a sweet, nurturing and approachable character. In "The Killer in Me", Kennedy has asked Willow if she could stay just to "hang out". Yes, she was undoubtedly trying to flirt with Willow, but I also believe that she truly did want a confidant.
Kennedy's relationship with Willow aside, I found her to be an interesting character in her own right. Due to time constraints, not a great deal was revealed about her background, other than she came from an affluent family, she had a half sister, and she was the oldest potential Slayer. The latter is what I find so interesting, and I have often found myself asking, how did it impact her? I propose that she would have felt isolated. It was a well-known fact in the series that Slayers led lonely lives. But Kennedy was older than Buffy and Faith when she was activated at 19, she had even thought that it was too late for her. Regarding her feelings of isolation, she hadn't once alluded to having any friends or previous lovers. I believe that it is also worth mentioning that coming from an affluent family doesn't automatically mean that one has a perfect life. For all we know, Kennedy could have had a terrible upbringing, perhaps she had even lied about being spoilt.
In addition to time constraints (both in context of the show's timeline and the series ending soon), Kennedy's feelings of isolation could have also played a factor in why she wanted Willow so desperately. Willow was consistently portrayed as a sweet, nurturing and approachable character. In "The Killer in Me", Kennedy has asked Willow if she could stay just to "hang out". Yes, she was undoubtedly trying to flirt with Willow, but I also believe that she truly did want a confidant.
Iyari Limón had an extremely difficult job to perform. I'm sure she was aware that Kennedy wasn't going to be a popular character, simply because she wasn't Tara. So I truly do applaud her for her portrayal of Kennedy. Most criticism is directed at Kennedy's character, not Iyari's performance. I would suggest that she must be a great actress since so many fans have very strong opinions about Kennedy. Amber and Iyari needn't be compared to each other, they were both great actresses who contributed to the wonderful Buffyverse in their own, unique ways.
There you have it! That is how I feel about Kennedy. Are there any other Kennedy fans around? I know we're not a very common bunch, but surely some of us must be out there! Let me know what you think.
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