I think the show also viewed him as just being lonely, as that sentiment was obvious to me at least ever since my first watch. I wish the show gave him a proper backstory and explored his demon side more like having him help the gang, but of course you can't have it all. Great analysis!
You're more perceptive than I am 😆. It took me 20 rewatches to catch on to the fact that he might be lonely because he doesn't fully fit into either world. I also wish the show gave him more of a backstory. The actor who plays Clem, James C. Leary, did a Reddit AMA and one person asked if the writers gave him any backstory or detail for how he should play Clem, and James responded by saying "no, they didn't give me any information beyond what is on the show." Such a shame.
YAY CLEM!!!!! I love Clem! He is SUCH an adorable character, he truly has such a good and kind heart. It's really nice when we do see demons in the Buffyverse that are not "evil" (Clem, Lorne, Merle, Whistler, Doyle, just to name a few!) Keep these videos coming, love 'em! (character video suggestions: Halfrek, D'Hoffryn, Ethan Rayne, Harmony!)
Those are great suggestions! I want to do all of them. I had no idea until recently but turns out in the comics, Clem has a relationship with Harmony. I wonder if I should expand out to the comics.
I was always a Clem fan. Back when I used to write fanfic I loved to include him in my stories. It was never necessary to the plot. I just liked him. 😊
I'll just shamelessly promote "Small and scaly" on ao3 in which Xander finds an adorable baby demon, keeps it and Clem is helping him as main babysitter. It's super cute and so in character for Clem. But in case you don't like that ship, it's Spander.
Same, I've always liked Jonathan. I want to cover Jonathan eventually. He was a very interesting character. I have a lot of sympathy for him (even though he does make harmful decisions).
Clem is in the new SLAYERS audiobook!!! We get some further details about him (he collects cars and there's reasons for all the extra skin 😉) He remains delightful ❤
Clem is awesome. As to whether it was irresponsible for the Buffy to let Clem watch Dawn, I always kind of assumed that the gang hung out with Clem more often than we were shown on camera, so Buffy & the Scoobies were probably pretty comfortable with him by then. As far as Clem going on the search with Dawn- Dawn has always been pretty headstrong & Clem likely assumed that she was going to go on her search regardless & it’d be safer if he were with her, rather than her going alone (I recall Spike coming to a similar decision a time or two as well).
Clem is my favorite, and I agree that they propbly had a reason to trust him. I think as a character he was to show people that you cant judge a person/demon based on how they look..and I personally think he looks adorable.
Thanks for giving Clem the tribute he deserves! Are you considering making a video about Angel's Lorne? I've always felt he was continuing this fun kind demon vibe Clem initiated.
It is very likely that I will cover Lorne. I absolutely love Lorne. He is a pretty big character however, so I want to improve a little bit in my video making first (perhaps get a better microphone) and then focus on the larger characters.
@@PensiveWhiskersThis was really enjoyable. I just wish it went for longer, but I suppose you were really limited with Clem. I’d love to see you cover Ethan Rayne. He was one of my favourite secondary villains and definitely the one I feel was most under-utilised. Don’t get me wrong, each episode he was in was fantastic. However, it’s for that reason that I would’ve loved if they’d explored his character in greater depth and given him more plot lines.
I LOVE Ethan. He's on my list of characters that I want to cover on Buffy. I am all over the place with my list, I know who I want to talk about, just not in which order. With respect to the length of the video, I appreciate you saying that. ☺My original recordings tend to be longer because I go off script and just talk sometimes but then I end up cutting out a lot at the end because I am afraid of being too boring or going off topic. As I become more comfortable with the process, my videos will get longer.
@@PensiveWhiskersFirst of all, I love your name. Also I didn't find any fault with your video, as a listener I mean. As a creator it's probably quite normal to see issues that the listeners don't notice, unless it's something really egregious. I think that you're doing really well, and I look forward to the Lorne video whenever you feel ready to make and drop it.
Thanks for making this video. I adore Clem. He's such a sweetheart. And he was a much needed addition to the show. As you say, especially in contrast to Angel, who had Doyle, Lorne and many others (they even devoted a whole episode to this in "That old gang of mine"), Buffy took way to long to show neutral or friendly demons. Just people hanging out, living their lives. I don't mind him eating kittens at all. Most fans don't hate on the popular vampires for drinking people or animals. The majority of us outside of the show people eat meat and I don't see how there's a difference between a pig, a cat or a lamb. And why would it not be perfectly normal behavior for his species to kittens like we do chicken? Now I'm gonna take a look, what other underrated characters you did videos on.
I’ve always thought that Clem, while he wants to be liked, is kind because of how people judge him, and because he genuinely cares about everyone around him. Clem is the best friend everyone needs and everyone should be.
I love Clem! I'm so glad they brought him back for the Slayers audiobook- it was so fun to get new character development for him. I recommend listening to it for the added Clem content alone.
I'm team Clem and wish they had him in more storylines. Thrilled you're covering Buffy! Let's talk about Graham and how he was a better choice for Buffy than Riley next.
Hahahahaha, that's a hot take. 😂 I liked Graham, although he wasn't that big on the show. I also liked Forest in the beginning but they kept making his character worse and worse. I had this idea for a video discussing how I would "fix" Riley to make him a more interesting character on the show. It might take a while to get to that video though, as I have 3 Buffy video ideas that I want to cover first.
Nice video - the consistency with minor characters really helps the world building! I always thought Harmony was really interesting as an arc - and potentially at this stage a more interesting discussion character for whether a vampire can make moral choices than the ol' Spike/Angel conundrum (I get it, they are major characters with big arcs). I really enjoyed "Harm's Way" as an episode, definitely a minor character arc discussion worth having there...
I have been thinking about Harmony lately actually. She is a very interesting character, because as you said, she creates a conundrum when it comes to how we see vampires. Harmony seems to be the most harmless vampire on the show (not counting Spike with a chip) because she never seems truly evil, just more like a nuisance. I think she creates a more morally grey vampire world in the Buffyverse. I would definitely want to explore her in a video.
Welcome to the channel! There will absolutely be more Buffy. 😁I will likely focus on the smaller Buffy characters at first and then progress to the big ones (I want to improve my audio quality for the big ones). P.S. I like your profile picture.
The group doing research in S6 would fit other seasons, but not a season where everyone is only worried about themselves and failing to grow up. Clem is the one character we, as the audience, can identify with in S6. The fact that it's over the main cast at the time speaks volumes abot the season's theme and as well as for who Clem is personalty-wise. Clem representing the fact that BtVS is getting closer thematically to AtS (BtVS is thematically the same as AtS S1 in that it's about being grown up and not about coming of age) is perfect even more so when you realize his one mistake is in the season every character is making mistakes and is the season everyone is unidentifyable because of their mistakes and how they handle situations.
I don't think that there's many good demons in Sunnydale for two reasons. The first reason being that the majority of the good ones don't want to live anywhere near a Hellmouth, and the second is that any good demons that do reside there wouldn't want the Slayer to pay them any mind. I hope Clem had a happy and long life, one filled with many good friends who loved him very much. And Absolutely No Kittens!!!
He sure is! I also found out today that Buffy scholars have found meaning to Clem’s name. His name could also mean “clemency”, which would be appropriate for him given that he’s the only clearly good demon on the show (not counting vampires).
Clem is awesome. As to whether it was irresponsible for the Buffy to let Clem watch Dawn, I always kind of assumed that the gang hung out with Clem more often than we were shown on camera, so Buffy & the Scoobies were probably pretty comfortable with him by then. As far as Clem going on the search with Dawn- Dawn has always been pretty headstrong & Clem likely assumed that she was going to go on her search regardless & it’d be safer if he were with her, rather than her going alone (I believe Spike came to a similar decision a time or two as well).
That's a good explanation. I could see the gang hanging out with Clem offscreen. By the time that he was babysitting Dawn, it did somehow feel like he was very familiar with the group, it feels like they knew each other well at that point. With respect to Clem's decision to look for Rak: I could see your reasoning as well. It is entirely possible that he went because he sensed that Dawn would go with or without him. I am open to both theories.
Clem was the definition of "looks like they could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll."
Hahahahahaha, that is the best definition of Clem.
I think the show also viewed him as just being lonely, as that sentiment was obvious to me at least ever since my first watch. I wish the show gave him a proper backstory and explored his demon side more like having him help the gang, but of course you can't have it all. Great analysis!
You're more perceptive than I am 😆. It took me 20 rewatches to catch on to the fact that he might be lonely because he doesn't fully fit into either world. I also wish the show gave him more of a backstory. The actor who plays Clem, James C. Leary, did a Reddit AMA and one person asked if the writers gave him any backstory or detail for how he should play Clem, and James responded by saying "no, they didn't give me any information beyond what is on the show." Such a shame.
Clem’s that demon who plays kitten poker to be one of the guys but who would prefer to play DnD.
YAY CLEM!!!!! I love Clem! He is SUCH an adorable character, he truly has such a good and kind heart. It's really nice when we do see demons in the Buffyverse that are not "evil" (Clem, Lorne, Merle, Whistler, Doyle, just to name a few!)
Keep these videos coming, love 'em!
(character video suggestions: Halfrek, D'Hoffryn, Ethan Rayne, Harmony!)
Those are great suggestions! I want to do all of them. I had no idea until recently but turns out in the comics, Clem has a relationship with Harmony. I wonder if I should expand out to the comics.
Clem is ALL throughout the new Buffy story podcast thing, he's a major character in it
I must listen to it!
I was always a Clem fan. Back when I used to write fanfic I loved to include him in my stories. It was never necessary to the plot. I just liked him. 😊
Awww, I love that! 😁
I'll just shamelessly promote "Small and scaly" on ao3 in which Xander finds an adorable baby demon, keeps it and Clem is helping him as main babysitter. It's super cute and so in character for Clem.
But in case you don't like that ship, it's Spander.
I always liked Jonathan. His episodes, especially Superstar, were always fun.
Same, I've always liked Jonathan. I want to cover Jonathan eventually. He was a very interesting character. I have a lot of sympathy for him (even though he does make harmful decisions).
Clem is in the new SLAYERS audiobook!!!
We get some further details about him (he collects cars and there's reasons for all the extra skin 😉)
He remains delightful ❤
Ooh, I have to check that out! Thank you!
It was *SO* good! Worth every penny.
Clem is awesome. As to whether it was irresponsible for the Buffy to let Clem watch Dawn, I always kind of assumed that the gang hung out with Clem more often than we were shown on camera, so Buffy & the Scoobies were probably pretty comfortable with him by then. As far as Clem going on the search with Dawn- Dawn has always been pretty headstrong & Clem likely assumed that she was going to go on her search regardless & it’d be safer if he were with her, rather than her going alone (I recall Spike coming to a similar decision a time or two as well).
Clem is my favorite, and I agree that they propbly had a reason to trust him. I think as a character he was to show people that you cant judge a person/demon based on how they look..and I personally think he looks adorable.
Thanks for giving Clem the tribute he deserves! Are you considering making a video about Angel's Lorne? I've always felt he was continuing this fun kind demon vibe Clem initiated.
It is very likely that I will cover Lorne. I absolutely love Lorne. He is a pretty big character however, so I want to improve a little bit in my video making first (perhaps get a better microphone) and then focus on the larger characters.
Clem and Lorne episodes?! Hahah, yes, what a dream. I have such love for the both of them. I just wish we had more time with Clem.
@@PensiveWhiskersThis was really enjoyable. I just wish it went for longer, but I suppose you were really limited with Clem.
I’d love to see you cover Ethan Rayne. He was one of my favourite secondary villains and definitely the one I feel was most under-utilised. Don’t get me wrong, each episode he was in was fantastic. However, it’s for that reason that I would’ve loved if they’d explored his character in greater depth and given him more plot lines.
I LOVE Ethan. He's on my list of characters that I want to cover on Buffy. I am all over the place with my list, I know who I want to talk about, just not in which order.
With respect to the length of the video, I appreciate you saying that. ☺My original recordings tend to be longer because I go off script and just talk sometimes but then I end up cutting out a lot at the end because I am afraid of being too boring or going off topic. As I become more comfortable with the process, my videos will get longer.
@@PensiveWhiskersFirst of all, I love your name. Also I didn't find any fault with your video, as a listener I mean. As a creator it's probably quite normal to see issues that the listeners don't notice, unless it's something really egregious. I think that you're doing really well, and I look forward to the Lorne video whenever you feel ready to make and drop it.
Thanks for making this video.
I adore Clem. He's such a sweetheart. And he was a much needed addition to the show. As you say, especially in contrast to Angel, who had Doyle, Lorne and many others (they even devoted a whole episode to this in "That old gang of mine"), Buffy took way to long to show neutral or friendly demons. Just people hanging out, living their lives.
I don't mind him eating kittens at all. Most fans don't hate on the popular vampires for drinking people or animals. The majority of us outside of the show people eat meat and I don't see how there's a difference between a pig, a cat or a lamb.
And why would it not be perfectly normal behavior for his species to kittens like we do chicken?
Now I'm gonna take a look, what other underrated characters you did videos on.
Thank you for watching! I absolutely agree with you on the kitten topic. I see it in the same way.
I’ve always thought that Clem, while he wants to be liked, is kind because of how people judge him, and because he genuinely cares about everyone around him. Clem is the best friend everyone needs and everyone should be.
Agreed! I'd love to have a friend like Clem. I'm glad the gang took him in.
Aww Clem, who could hate him? Great video!
Thank you! I have seen some people complain about his diet of kittens but I don't hold it against him.
@@PensiveWhiskers No-one's perfect ;)
I love Clem! I'm so glad they brought him back for the Slayers audiobook- it was so fun to get new character development for him. I recommend listening to it for the added Clem content alone.
Thank you for the recommendation! Where can I find the audiobook?
I'm team Clem and wish they had him in more storylines. Thrilled you're covering Buffy! Let's talk about Graham and how he was a better choice for Buffy than Riley next.
Hahahahaha, that's a hot take. 😂 I liked Graham, although he wasn't that big on the show. I also liked Forest in the beginning but they kept making his character worse and worse. I had this idea for a video discussing how I would "fix" Riley to make him a more interesting character on the show. It might take a while to get to that video though, as I have 3 Buffy video ideas that I want to cover first.
Nice video - the consistency with minor characters really helps the world building!
I always thought Harmony was really interesting as an arc - and potentially at this stage a more interesting discussion character for whether a vampire can make moral choices than the ol' Spike/Angel conundrum (I get it, they are major characters with big arcs). I really enjoyed "Harm's Way" as an episode, definitely a minor character arc discussion worth having there...
I have been thinking about Harmony lately actually. She is a very interesting character, because as you said, she creates a conundrum when it comes to how we see vampires. Harmony seems to be the most harmless vampire on the show (not counting Spike with a chip) because she never seems truly evil, just more like a nuisance. I think she creates a more morally grey vampire world in the Buffyverse. I would definitely want to explore her in a video.
Please make more Buffy videos!
Welcome to the channel! There will absolutely be more Buffy. 😁I will likely focus on the smaller Buffy characters at first and then progress to the big ones (I want to improve my audio quality for the big ones).
P.S. I like your profile picture.
I would love to watch a video like this on Lorn, Cordy, Angel..... erm pretty much every Buffy/Angel character! Subscribing!
Thank you! I need to get back to Buffy characters. Your comment was good encouragement. :)
The group doing research in S6 would fit other seasons, but not a season where everyone is only worried about themselves and failing to grow up. Clem is the one character we, as the audience, can identify with in S6. The fact that it's over the main cast at the time speaks volumes abot the season's theme and as well as for who Clem is personalty-wise.
Clem representing the fact that BtVS is getting closer thematically to AtS (BtVS is thematically the same as AtS S1 in that it's about being grown up and not about coming of age) is perfect even more so when you realize his one mistake is in the season every character is making mistakes and is the season everyone is unidentifyable because of their mistakes and how they handle situations.
I'd love to see a video about Chanterelle/Lily/Anne and her arc from Lie to Me through to Not Fade Away. A minor character, but a lot of detail there
I'm definitely doing Chantarelle! My aspirational goal is to make a video on her by the end of this month.
I don't think that there's many good demons in Sunnydale for two reasons. The first reason being that the majority of the good ones don't want to live anywhere near a Hellmouth, and the second is that any good demons that do reside there wouldn't want the Slayer to pay them any mind. I hope Clem had a happy and long life, one filled with many good friends who loved him very much. And Absolutely No Kittens!!!
Oh, yeah, you gotta love Clem.
Clem is a sweetheart!
He sure is! I also found out today that Buffy scholars have found meaning to Clem’s name. His name could also mean “clemency”, which would be appropriate for him given that he’s the only clearly good demon on the show (not counting vampires).
@PensiveWhiskers I had to look up what clemency meant as it's not a word I hear often, but I agree with you.
Clem is awesome. As to whether it was irresponsible for the Buffy to let Clem watch Dawn, I always kind of assumed that the gang hung out with Clem more often than we were shown on camera, so Buffy & the Scoobies were probably pretty comfortable with him by then. As far as Clem going on the search with Dawn- Dawn has always been pretty headstrong & Clem likely assumed that she was going to go on her search regardless & it’d be safer if he were with her, rather than her going alone (I believe Spike came to a similar decision a time or two as well).
That's a good explanation. I could see the gang hanging out with Clem offscreen. By the time that he was babysitting Dawn, it did somehow feel like he was very familiar with the group, it feels like they knew each other well at that point. With respect to Clem's decision to look for Rak: I could see your reasoning as well. It is entirely possible that he went because he sensed that Dawn would go with or without him. I am open to both theories.