some details on the Watchers Council

[deird1]

This post by stormwreath got me back to thinking about something I always seem to disagree with people on.

That being, Potentials, Slayers, and the Watchers Council.



Scenario 1:
You're a fifteen year old girl called, uh... Guffy.

One day, an old creepy guy shows up, tells you you're the Chosen One, and teaches you how to fight vampires.


Scenario 2:
You're a two year old girl called... Yendra.

One day, a man shows up, tells your parents you might be the Chosen One, and adopts you so that he can devote the next decade to teaching you how to fight vampires.


Scenario 3:
You're a fifteen year old girl called... Rennedy.

For the last five years or so, you've been meeting up with this woman twice a week for vampire fighting lessons. Your parents don't know anything about it - they'd probably be freaked out.


Scenario 4:
You're a twenty year old woman called... Mydia.

After a full decade of twice-weekly training, your Watcher finally concludes that you'll never be the Slayer, and prepares for a new assignment. You ask "So, what do I do now? Just go to university and forget about all of this?" He smiles and says "You know, the Council is always in need of fresh blood..."



Or, to summarise:
- Buffy's situation isn't that unusual.
- Potentials growing up with their Watchers isn't that common.
- Why waste all those years of training?

I don't see why that's so implausible.




Besides that...

Doesn't the Council have massive amounts of money?
No, not really. They can afford some pretty expensive things... by not affording some less important stuff.


How are they paying all the Watchers, then?
They're not.
Most Watchers aren't in active service - instead, they get normal jobs (at a museum, for instance), and wait to be called up for duty. In the mean time, they keep an eye on supernatural happenings, and help finance those Watchers who are on assignment.


Aren't they just there to support the Slayer?
There's that.
Plus training Potentials.
Plus looking for new Potentials.
Plus tracking down magical artifacts.
Plus monitoring supernatural hotspots.
Plus taking on some vampires/monsters/etc by themselves.
Plus researching huge amounts of stuff.
Plus... well, an awful lot of stuff.


So, wait, if all those Potentials-who-don't-get-Called become Watchers, why isn't the Council overrun with ninja women?
Not all of them accept Council jobs. Not all of them are offered Council jobs. (Can you really see potential!Faith ending up in the standard issue tweed?)


Are they all stuffy and British?
Probably not. Currently the Council HQ is in England - holdover from British Empire days - but it tends to move every few centuries, and no doubt will again. Right now there are Watcher families all over the world; but the leadership tends to be majority-British.


Aren't the Council eeeevil with a capital E, and willing to do just about anything exploitationy to helpless little girls in their fight to become the ruling stodgy British people?
Bollocks to that. They're ruthless and heartless; they're not evil.



So ends my random thoughts on the Council.

Questions? Comments?

Comments

[beer_good_foamy]

After a full decade of twice-weekly training, your Watcher finally concludes that you'll never be the Slayer, and prepares for a new assignment. You ask "So, what do I do now? Just go to university and forget about all of this?" He smiles and says "You know, the Council is always in need of fresh blood..."

Works for me.

Can you really see potential!Faith ending up in the standard issue tweed?

...Now that you mention it, I sort of want someone to write that.

They're ruthless and heartless; they're not evil.

Amen. Well OK, depending on your definition of evil. They're not vampire evil, they're not in it for the evulz, but they're definitely representative of oppression. But quasiamen.

[snowpuppies]

Can you really see potential!Faith ending up in the standard issue tweed?

...Now that you mention it, I sort of want someone to write that.


I totally nominate you. :)

[velvetwhip]

I'm with beer_good_foamy. I want to see a fic where Faith is training to become a Watcher...


Gabrielle

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

Buffy's situation isn't that unusual.

I agree that it's not unheard of, but I don't think it can be as common as you imply. The "Slayer with a family and friends" was presented as something new and unusual and bizarre in the world of demon-fighting, and the source of Buffy's unique strength. If the majority of Slayers live a normal life until they're called, Buffy would be barely a blip on the radar.

I think you're right about the Council having a network of unassigned Watchers who are basically there to gather information and establish contacts, but the main work goes on at HQ with all the research and experimentation and politicking. Serving a twelve-year stint in the field as a Potential's Watcher is an essential career move to give you experience, but it also takes you away from where the real action is - the Council boardroom and water cooler and squash club and the all-important information network.

That's why you see rising stars like Wesley being given Watcherships, as a stepping stone to greater things; but anyone past 45 (Giles) who's still a field Watcher is probably going to stay one forever.

I still think there should be more ninja women than the show actually gives us... unless they really do carry out the Cruciamentum on non-Slayer Potentials as well...

[deird1]

The "Slayer with a family and friends" was presented as something new and unusual and bizarre in the world of demon-fighting, and the source of Buffy's unique strength.

True, but if you think back, Buffy was perfectly willing to go "Nope, won't tell my family, won't tell my friends, won't let my friends get involved, sorry guys..."

It was Xander and Willow's insistence (particularly Xander's) on getting involved anyway that made the difference. And it still took four seasons before Buffy stopped occasionally going "Nope, friends aren't supposed to be involved in slaying."

[snowpuppies]

V. Interesting thoughts, hon.

[rahirah]

IIRC Kendra said (or strongly implied) that her family had been involved with the Council for some time. So I've always thought that while the Council may track hundreds of Potentials. they probably have a much smaller number of Potentials who are considered most likely candidates to become Slayers - either because the signs and portents are favorable, or because they come from families with a history of turning out Slayers, or something. And it's those girls who get the Watcher from the age of two. The vast majority of Potentials, like Faith and Buffy, aren't given any sort of special training, and may never know who and what they are.