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Same Character

What I meant by saying Buffy and Cordelia are the same character is Cordelia at the beginning of the TV series is the same is Buffy at the beginning of the movie.  They have the same background and represent the same world view.  They were both the lead cheerleaders for their schools, for example.

During the course of the movie (script at least, leaving the actual film out of it) Buffy moves from level 2 to 3.  She is forced into a larger world and must change accordingly.

For the TV show, Whedon chose to start after the events of the movie, not from the very beginning.  She shows up already the Slayer and already at level 3, even though she would prefer to return to her previous life.  Therefore Whedon couldn't use the Buffy character to show that progression.

Thus, he created Cordelia.  Cordelia as a character is exactly like Buffy before she became the Slayer.  So now we get to see Cordelia go through the same growth.

If the TV show started from the beginning I doubt there would be a Cordelia character.   There would be no need as Buffy herself could show this journey.  Instead, we would have Harmony, almost a third copy of the same starting character (though not as smart), who never makes that journey in High School.  (Once vamped, Harmony eventually, sort of makes that journey on Angel, but only barely.)

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by: Mark Matson @ Sat Jul 04, 2009 at 14:20:56 PM CDT