XANDER : "The Evil Eye" One thing that can always be expected of Xander is a witty line. In good times and bad, he usually has something funny to say about them. However, another thing that came to be expected of Xander toward the end of the series on television was… well, lack of Xander. He just didn't have much to do. With a house full of recurring characters, some of the regular cast members seemed to be put aside. Not that I'm bitter… Okay, maybe a little. C'mon! I want me some Xander and Anya before the show ends! Sad to say, I didn't really get it. In season 8 though, Xander is one of only four regular cast members. He is bound to get some good screen time. And there is a lot to do with it. At the end of season 7, Xander lost one of his eyes to the thumb of the evil former preacher, Caleb. A henchman of the First Evil, created by the Buffy writers to… well, give Nathan Fillion something to do after "Firefly" was canceled. Since Xander had always felt a little like an outcast in the group, being without any special power, you can imagine how this would make him feel. One of Xander's arcs has always been that feeling of not being able to help enough. From the time he followed Buffy into the sewers in "Welcome To The Hellmouth", to the time he got left out of the apocalyptic fun in "The Zeppo", and through the rest of the series. When I set out to write Xander an arc for season 8, this is what I wanted to address. Not only would it bring a little bit of closure to this matter for him, but it would also add a little arc that could play out before the main arc of the season really began, while still setting up yet another arc for Xander. When the season opens, we find Xander and Willow attempting to use magic to restore Xander's missing eye. A complicated spell, but Willow seems confident that she's capable of succeeding. However, three months of trying has taken it's toll on Xander and he's not feeling very hopeful at this point. After an encounter with some bug-like mini demons in the season premiere, and exposure to whatever venom that they carried in their bites, the magical attempts to grow a new eye take an interesting twist. Xander's eye is fully restored, and then some. As he begins to use his new eye, he discovers that he also has some special powers in that eye. From being able to see what others can't, to x-ray vision, to a rather destructive laser-like vision, the powers vary. At last, Xander has been endowed with super power. The only catch being that they become horribly painful to him, and are very random and uncontrollable. The special abilities that Xander has always wanted for himself have turned into a curse. The matter is finally resolved when Willow figures out the cause of these demonic abilities (the venom), and gets rid of them. Xander is left all but blind in his now-blue eye. However, that's good enough for him. His concern now is not that he lacks powers, it's that he lacks anything to do with his time. He's unable to find a job in construction, and can't seem to find anything else to do with himself. To keep himself busy, he takes on the task of restoring the backyard to it's former glory, as it has been overrun by weeds in the decades since anyone has lived in the house. He and Willow soon discover that the garden is full of mystical herbs, long thought extinct. As they explore this, and spend time together, Xander also finds himself growing closer and closer to Willow. Something which is obviously quite confusing for both of them. However, it does make sense. They have known each other all their lives, and have always loved each other on some level. His love brought her back from the dark side in season 6. There have always been hints of jealousy when either of them found a new boy/girlfriend. And of course, they did have a short, slightly disastrous fling back in season 3. The point is, there has always been something there. Whether it was big and obvious, or small and subtle, they have always had a certain spark that was bound to come out eventually. If the situation in season 3 had been different, perhaps it would have happened a long time ago. As the season plays out, Xander's relationship with Willow grows and eventually they begin to date. He becomes the person that she can talk to about the confusion surrounding her own arc, and he also grows more comfortable in his own skin, with or without powers. In the final episodes of the season, the Scooby Gang is faced with a newly rebuilt Sunnydale which is overrun with demons. Each member of the group is forced to take on their share of the fighting, and Xander gets a chance to show how much he has grown since his days in Sunnydale High. He even manages to defeat one of the Sisterhood Of Jhe demons that kicked his butt in "The Zeppo". When we leave Xander, he is a very capable man. While the ending isn't all smiles, Xander's future is looking bright. A woman who loves him, and the ability to take on whatever the world throws at him. He is no longer the boy that needs someone to come to his rescue when danger nears. One issue that I want to touch on here is the issues of Anya, and Xander's reaction to her death. A few people have said that there wasn't enough attention given to Anya in season 8, so I want to respond to that. From early on in the season, there are moments when Xander's mind will wander. Moments when someone is making a death joke or comment where Xander doesn't laugh. In "Cold Front" we see him smile when he finds Anya's picture in his yearbook. Finally, we see his reaction to her death directly after it happens in "Flashback". While he doesn't really make a grand point of Anya's death, I wanted to make it clear that it was still there with him on a deeper level.