Buffy The Vampire Star Rejects Wild Fan Theory & Demands An Explanation

Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s Charisma Carpenter rejects a revived fan theory, asking for an explanation. Though she’ll be known to generations of fans for Cordelia’s growth and evolution on the spinoff Angel, it is less appreciated that Cordelia was a part of what’s often thought of as Buffy‘s best era. It’s in those first three seasons, those high school years, that Cordelia is positioned alternatively as the frenemy and shadow self of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers.

While responding to comments on TikTok, Carpenter sounded doubtful about a fan’s idea that Cordy was a better friend to Buffy than her Scooby Gang, likely meaning Willow, Xander, and Giles. In the quote below, Carpenter refers to the idea as an “unpopular take” and asks commenters to provide evidence of Cordy being a good friend to Buffy. The quote is below:

Oh, this is such an unpopular take. This is gonna cause some controversy. You really think so? You think that Cordy was a better friend to Buffy than the Scoobies? Holy s–t. I’m gonna need a bullet point dissertation and all the ways you can prove that to be true. Get busy. I need to know. Tell me in the comments immediately. Immediately. You got to tell me all the ways that you can prove that Cordy was a better friend to Buffy than her Scooby Gang. Also, was Cordy a Scooby, a reluctant Scooby. a Scooby nonetheless? Give it to me in the comments. I need to know.

Cordelia’s Feelings About Buffy Explained & What It Actually Means

The Fan Opinion Actually Reveals More About Willow & Xander

There are three episodes of Buffy that put varying levels of focus on the Buffy and Cordy dynamic: “Out of Mind, Out of Sight” in season 1, “Reptile Boy” early in season 2 and “Homecoming”, similarly early in season 3. In each of these, the point is made that the two characters envy each other from a distance. Buffy wishes she could have a bit of Cordy’s seemingly carefree existence. Cordy, meanwhile, sort of wishes for a life of importance that she eventually gets in Angel. This is even made explicit when Cordy and Buffy have a conversation in “Homecoming.”

the two characters envy each other from a distance.

But the biggest evidence of Cordy supporting Buffy occurs in different episodes. In the season 3 episode “Dead Man’s Party”, when Willow and Xander are publicly attacking Buffy for leaving Sunnydal, Cordy tries clumsily to come to her defense. And then in “Helpless”, when Cordy sees that Buffy is distraught over Giles’ betrayal, she gives her a ride home without question and sans a snarky comment.

Some of this neat narrative is complicated by the fact that Cordy was sidelined after her break-up with Xander, appearing in relatively fewer scenes and going back to mocking Buffy and her friends, up until “The Prom.” But she mourns Buffy’s death and she’s genuinely happy to hear that she’s been resurrected, excitedly sharing the news with Angel. Still, the theory says more about how Willow and Xander treated Buffy in their most contentious moments. The idea is a shorthand way of dinging Xander, Willow, and Giles for their behavior in later seasons.

Our Take On The Cordy & Buffy Fan Ideas

Cordy Never Kicked Buffy Out Of Her Own House

There is definitely evidence that Buffy and Cordy could have been closer. There is no real animosity there, with Buffy even reaching out to Cordy after Xander cheats with Willow. But there is another theory that Tara was also a better friend to Buffy than her Scooby Gang. Both of these potential friendships were cut short, first by Cordy’s spinoff exit and then by Tara’s death.

But, ultimately, viewers are just crediting Cordy for not being the one to publicly berate Buffy like Xander did in “Dead Man’s Party” and other episodes. Cordy didn’t pull Buffy out of Heaven, and then provide little support, like Willow did in season 6. Cordy didn’t abandon Buffy like Giles did in season 6. And she didn’t kick Buffy out of her own home like they all did in the dreaded Buffy season 7 episode “Empty Places.” Buffy’s closest friends hurt her way worse than Cordy ever could. Weirdly, that’s what makes them friends.

Source: TikTok