Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Character Review: Kendra Young

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Read at your own risk if you have not watched one or both television series. In this series of character reviews, I will strictly be writing about the characters from the television series, not the 1992 film.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.

Art has a strange way of imitating life. Like in real life, some people are not meant to be around forever. They are just meant to be part of our lives for a short time before moving on. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kendra Young (Bianca Lawson) was only on the show for a brief time. In the world of BVTS and Angel, when one slayer dies, another one is immediately activated.

After Buffy is killed by The Master before being brought back to the life, Kendra is activated as the new slayer. Kendra’s entire world is being the slayer, while Buffy is balancing being a normal teenager with her slaying responsibilities. She nearly kills Angel (David Boreanaz), thinking that he is one of the baddies.

Over time, Kendra and Buffy become friends and learn from each other. That friendship is cut short when Kendra is killed by Drusilla (Juliet Landau).

To sum it up: We learn from everyone we meet and every experience we have. Though her time with Buffy is brief, Kendra teaches Buffy to accept her destiny as a slayer and Buffy teaches Kendra to enjoy life. When creating narratives and characters, no matter how far out the world maybe from the real world, there still has to be an element of reality. Buffy and Kendra’s friendship, as brief as it is, leads to life lessons that can only be learned from one another.

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Throwback Thursday-Mystery Diners (2012-2016)

When the cats away, the mice play. The same could be said for employees who act one way in front of their bosses and another way when the boss is not around.

Mystery Diners aired on Food Network from 2012-2016. The premise of the show was as follows: A restaurant owner was suspicious that something was going at his restaurant, but he couldn’t quite figure out what the problem was. Enter Charles Stiles and his team. The restaurant is rigged with hidden cameras. As Charles and the restaurant owner watch from a hidden control room, mystery diners are sent in as customers or new staff to get the lowdown from the unsuspecting employees. When there is enough proof, the cover is revealed and the owner of the restaurant makes a decision on what to do about the offending staff.

This is a typical reality show. But unlike other reality shows, there was a disclaimer at the end of the credits. From my perspective, even if it was not 100% “reality”, I still enjoyed it. The element of surprise, for both the audience and the restaurant owner was enough to keep me coming back for further episodes.

I recommend it.

Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience Book Review

It’s 2019. In an ideal world, we would judge each other as an individual, not by factors such as skin color, religion, sex, etc. But we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world where we judge each other based on external factors without knowing who the other person really is.

Anuradha Bhagwati knows all too well about the reality of the world we live in. The only child of strict Indian immigrants, Ms. Bhagwati was on the traditional academic track until she dropped out of grad school to join the Marines. She tells her story in her new memoir, Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience Book. Among the branches of the US Military, the Marines is by far the toughest. Especially for a bisexual woman of color who has the balls not only to succeed, but to stand up the misogynistic and racist men who make it clear that her presence in the Marines is not wanted.

After leaving the Marines, Ms. Bhagwati used her experience to break barriers. Her efforts opened the doors for women to be treated as equals by their commanders while speaking out about the pervasive sexual assault and sexual harassment that women in the military face every day.

 

This book, from my perspective, should be a must read for every woman. I find the author to be nothing short of inspiring. She could have taken the easy way out and followed the expected path in life. But she took the road less traveled, leading her to pave the way for other women to take the road less traveled.

I recommend it.