Spoiler Slayer

AM Update

Nothing new in the way of spoilage, so I'll take a moment as promised and look at the possibility of a 'Big Scooby Death' (BSD).

First, I should probably narrow the field about who is and who isn't a Scooby (in terms of my own speculation). The following characters are in no danger of becoming the BSD. Most are what I wouldn't consider to be 'mainstream Scoobies', with a few obvious exceptions.

• Riley - He'll show up for one episode, then leave safely from what we've heard.
• Jonathan - I don't think he's at risk at this time.
• Amy - Why bring her back just to kill her, and what purpose would it serve?
• Giles - If he does come back, he still has his own show to film.
• Dawn - If you wanted to kill her, why not do it at the end of last season.
• Buffy - Been there, Done that.

Even in some of these cases, you could almost argue the chance that one of these characters could die. It could be argued that Dawn was brought in for demographic reasons, but with the current sexual tone, I'm not sure that's where they are aiming anymore. It might have been the original plan, but now they might have no need for her, so she's at risk. Amy could die as the result of a magic overdose and I still haven't heard that 'Ripper' is a go. I'm just thinking that these scenarios are 'unlikely' at best. It's much easier to build cases for the death being one of the core.

Tara or Willow: There are two spoiler sources that point to each of these characters being the BSD, one of them will end up being wrong. Since the characters kind of mirror each other, the argument for being the 'BSD' could apply to either one. Two witches are better than one, so you really couldn't kill one of them without weakening the team. Although they've only used their combined powers on rare occasions, it has been hinted at many times that, neither is as powerful when the other isn't around. Though both wield considerable power on their own, they still need to 'pair-up' at times. I wouldn't even consider them options, if it weren’t for the fact that a replacement appeared halfway through the season. Although she's been portrayed as more than a bit of the basket case, Amy could easily fill in the blank in a crunch. The question becomes 'Why did they bring back Amy?'; in terms of story arc, it really wasn't that crucial. Willow could have stumbled onto Rack any number of ways. In addition, did she really need Amy to give her that push? One thing the writers don't do is coast without a backup. Cordelia broke up with Xander, they pulled in Anya in the next episode. Oz broke up with Willow, suddenly we are introduced to Tara. Angel leaves for Los Angeles, the very next episode Riley appears. Giles goes off to England... Characters are brought into the mix for a reason, the trick is figuring out why. However, I don't see Amy becoming a major part of the show, so I have to be careful when I use her as an option. Which brings us to another issue, if you kill off either of the girls, how do you pair them up again? As I've pointed out, a replacement is usually close at hand, but I don't see how someone new could be worked in at this point.

Xander: Another candidate, if only because of the hints that were dropped throughout 'Restless' (note: don't read too much into that, every character had their fair share of sacrifice themes in their dreams). Xander, while one of the original Scoobies, is one of those that could be easily replaced. His role as the 'normal guy' means that almost anyone could take his spot in the Scooby Gang, but these are huge shoes to fill. Xander is the show's heart, his link to the audience. While bits of him are echoed in characters like Jonathan and Andrew, I don't know if they could replace him or if the writers would even consider it.

Anya: Much like Tara, Anya is more of a supporting Scooby than part of the main team. You could remove either character from the mix, and the core still survives. The interesting thing is that in terms of group dynamics, Anya fills a very important hole in the Scooby Gang. She's the 'tell it like it is' member that drives everyone else crazy, which was Cordelia's role in the gang before she went to Los Angeles. Her background also makes having her be the 'BSD' not really work as well as one of the others. She could easily turn back into a vengeance demon, which would cause the same amount of angst and heartache, while not actually killing off the character. If she goes, you also pretty much lose the 'Magic Box'. Which I think was the original purpose of Giles buying the store. If he did decide to step back in his role, Anya could easily maintain the store (and research location) in his absence. Much like Xander, though it might not seem like it, she is an important part of the show.

Spike: Would they kill him? I don't doubt it for a second. However, would they do it permanently, that's a much more difficult scenario. Angel was replaced by Riley, Riley was replaced by Spike, how are you going to top that? Although Buffy might talk about taking a break from guys, I don't see it really happening. She has to be in some kind of relationship, it is part of the show's dynamic. Could Giles come back and kill Spike, it's certainly within his character (as seen at the end of the 'The Gift'). If he views Spike as a threat to Buffy, I don't think he would hesitate for a moment. Yet Spike has a role outside of his relationship with Buffy, he's the backup for Buffy. Buffy and Angel, Buffy and Riley, Buffy and Spike; it's more than just a couple, it's a tag-team. If Spike dies, who's going to be able to fight alongside Buffy?

Faith: I'm throwing her into the mix, if only because if the show intends to continue past Season Seven, her death might be needed. As I've said in the past, considering that Buffy and Dawn are essentially the same person in terms of genetics, Dawn could easily have the 'Slayer Gene'. All it took was one little kick to a demon, and half the spoiler sites were speculating about her being the next slayer. I've been saying that since she was approached about staying with the show when SMG leaves. Faith dies, perhaps even on Angel or off-screen - prison riot perhaps, and Dawn becomes the next Slayer. It's an out-there theory, but the writers have certainly created that option. Though I would probably opt for the tease, kill off Faith and have a Slayer activated somewhere else in the world. Then at some point in Season Seven, have that Slayer die and then Dawn would become the new Slayer. Nevertheless, this is just wild speculation, but I can only presume that it would be a fun show to write. You get a fresh start, introduce a new group of Scoobies, and keep the others around for cameos. If was my call, I'd certainly try to work Spike into the 'Watcher' role, if only because there is some great chemistry between the two characters.

I've thrown out some ideas, and possibilities, but really haven't given any answers. In part two (either tonight or tomorrow morning), I'll look at the dynamics of the Scooby Gang, and how that might give us a further insight into who the BSD might be, if there will be one at all.