The First Slayer’s Unbelievable Trauma

 

The first Slayer had no name on the series.

The first Slayer— Sineya according to the comic book yet listed as Primitive on IMDb—starts appearing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s season four finale, Restless written and directed by problematic showrunner Joss Whedon. Prior, the Scooby Gang (Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles) called forth on the Sineya’s ancient powers in order to defeat Adam (the show’s weakest Big Bad). Unfortunately, the consequences include conjuring up the original Slayer’s vengeance. Sineya comes to the four at their most vulnerable— in their dreams, attempting to kill them one by one. 

Buffy tells Sineya that she understands her role as a Slayer and that she is free in a newer world. Buffy doesn’t extend remorse or empathy for what Sineya has endured. Since Buffy’s speech saves the day, the gang wakes up nonchalant acting as though Sineya was just another Monster of the Week. No one considers showing gratitude for taking her powers. 

Than again, Slayerhood is a thankless calling. It’s another piece to add to Sineya’s already violent backstory. 

Sineya visits subconscious Buffy last and is defeated. Of course, Buffy insults Sineya’s hair before waking up. DP: Michael Gershman.

Set upon by the Shadowmen (the earliest incarnation of the Watcher’s Council pre-British headquarters), the defenseless woman is held against her will— chained in a cave. The negative connotations speak volumes. They can never stop imagining Black people bound up (see medieval Missandei in Game of Thrones). Then forced with the elements of evil in order to defeat the vampires and other harmful creatures that walk the earth, Sineya is no longer a normal girl. She’s become part demon. Although almost facing the same fate in season seven, episode fifteen’s Get It Done, Buffy outsmarts the Shadowmen unlike Sineya. Whereas the later Slayers will not scream in pain as these powers flow through their blood, Sineya’s sacrifice is an ingrained destiny unasked for— not as sacred or valiant as Giles made it out to be. Even the season three episode, Helpless shows that the Watchers Council prefers continuing to subject the Slayer to dangerous tactics without her knowledge. The patriarchal white male institution keenly invests themselves in their Slayer cargo versus the impact that the supernatural inflicts on the world.  

Thus, Sineya—the original— paid the ultimate price. 

According to the Buffy Wiki, Sineya’s far more advanced skills include superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, accelerated healing, astral projection into dreams, and foretelling the future. Although each Slayer has a somewhat diluted essence of her pronounced abilities, they still retain many factors. 

Sineya, however, does not have a Watcher. She’s an ostracized figure fighting alone and unguided. Revered and feared, no one in Sineya’s village wants her around. 

Sineya becomes Buffy’s guidance in season five, episode eighteen’s Intervention written by Jane Espenson and directed by the late DP Michael Gershman. 

During harrowing season five— which brings about significant changes to Buffy’s life— Sineya is again conjured by Giles. She’s the guide in Buffy’s vision quest, now fully representing the Magical Negro Trope. Sineya offers no explanation about herself because she and her past does not matter, has never mattered beyond what it can do for the core team. Sineya is not realized until comic books that take great liberties with prehistory. The television series often gives Black characters no purposes beyond helping the save the day and vanish into obscurity. 

Portrayer Jamaican born actress and dancer Sharon Ferguson outside of Sineya costume. 

Sineya’s physical appearance cements the running gag on the production’s limited scope of history. While Kendra hails from a made-up Jamaican village, the first Slayer comes from prehistoric Africa, likely the Sub Saharan region (since they’re not brave enough to be specific). The barefoot Sineya sports an awful wig— synthetic shoulder-length hair that tries to be locs and makes The Walking Dead’s Michonne look an A plus effort. Sineya dons white and black body paint and dresses in wispy fabric reminiscent of cobwebs. Although Sineya is buried beneath heavy makeup, the beautiful, talented actress and dancer Sharon Ferguson moves gracefully, persuading with her swaying. The way her bilious arms flex, her limber knees bend, she elevates the scripted material by her body’s natural inclination to exude fluid rhythm. 

Buffy teaches us that Slayers suffer in more ways than one. 

However, Sineya— the first to endure the pain and struggle with the external and internal beasts— withstood the greatest, most horrific torture of them all. 

The Tale of Two Nikki Woods’

Two actresses of different phenotypes depicted the 1970’s slain Slayer Nikki Wood. DP: Michael Gershman and Raymond Stella.

Nikki Wood, a Black Slayer with a last name, continued Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s problematic depiction of Black women. In season five, episode seven’s Fool For Love written by Douglas Petrie, Spike— Nikki’s own murderer— sheds his personal history with Buffy regarding killing the New York City based single mother. Spike feels comfortable sharing this story to a woman he’s nearly killed on various occasions. Initiative chip in the head or not, Buffy allows him to speak because she ironically enough respects the vampire, an uneasy truth to swallow. She knows her death is coming and wants to know (from the killer’s perspective) how other Slayers died. 

Nikki needed to tell her own narrative in her own words. She’s a Chosen One who has lived longer than usual for most Slayers. It’s a huge feat to balance between confronting the dual evils (racial and supernatural) of the gritty NYC landscape and raising a son Robin— the future principal of renovated Sunnydale High School. According to the Nikki Goes Down comic story, also written by Petrie, the black duster jacket she wears was her lover’s— a deceased police officer (ugh, no other profession exists?). 

After draining an Asian Slayer’s blood with Drusilla seventy plus years prior, Spike reduces Nikki as a chick he fought in an abandoned train, a playful source to take out his vampiric frustration. The blackout gives Spike the added momentum to overpower Nikki and snap her neck. He then steals her coat, proudly wearing the lengthy black duster as surely as George Washington smiled with all his slaves’ stolen teeth in his mouth. 

The first Nikki Wood (April Weeden-Washington, a stunt double) battles Spike (James Marsters) in Fool For Love. DP: Michael Gershman. 

The second version of Nikki Wood arrives in season seven, episode seventeen’s Lies My Parents Told Me written by Drew Goddard and David Fury. Production made sure she wore the same outfit as the first actress— long leather coat, oatmeal knitted sweater, and Afro wig. Before the tragic subway murder, Spike reveals that he’s been tracking Nikki for a while as they fight in a downpour. Nikki brought Robin— hiding behind a bench— to her supernatural realm, seeming to have no babysitter available.

The second Nikki Wood (former model K. D. Aubert) gets to speak, fight Spike in the rain, and act maternal in Lies My Parents Told Me. DP: Raymond Stella.

The watching young Robin (Damani Roberts) inadvertently saves his mother from certain death. DP: Raymond Stella. 

Wood’s first portrayer, April Weeden-Washington also stunt doubled for Bianca Lawson in What’s My Line Part 1 and stunted on various other series and films. In Doux Reviews, the actress reveals auditioning for the speaking role:

“I thought I was a shoo-in because I had already established the character. There weren't many lines. Then I got a phone call from casting stating that there was ‘a certain maturity’ about me now, and that I didn't get the part.”

Wow.

For a show that hired actors in their obvious late-twenties as teenagers, it’s pretty offensive that they felt that in two years, Weeden-Washington “matured too much” to resume playing the role. They preferred a lighter-skinned, lighter-eyed K. D. Aubert as Nikki, putting her in a 4C Afro textured TWA wig ala pre-Zoe Saldana’s portraying Nina Simone. Aubert also spoke whereas the unambiguous Black woman fought for her life and died on public transportation. Casting directors definitely know the difference between what they envision as the Black women who deserve a voice versus the ones who should remain silent and/or placed in limiting conditions.

Buffy may always be a pop culture staple, but it’s depiction of minority characters— especially Black women— were outdated and show blatant colorism. Thus, with history dooming to repeat itself, it was best that the intended reboot— which they hoped would star a Black Buffy— fell under the cracks. You cannot trust non-Black showrunners to tell caring, compassionate stories centering Black womanhood, not when they’re still making up deplorable fantasies riddled in harmful stereotypes. 

Nikki Wood is a prime example of that. 

The Wasted Potential of Kendra the Vampire Slayer

Promo of Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the next Slayer in line, Kendra (Bianca Lawson).

Almost twenty-seven years ago, just episodes after Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Inca Mummy Girl featured a nonwhite guest star Ara Celi (which did not age well), the two-parter What’s My Line saga featured the first appearance of the iconic Kendra (portrayed by the phenomenal Bianca Lawson). The no-surname-having second slayer was called after Buffy Summers’s short death in season one’s Prophecy Girl. It matters not that Buffy had been revived, let alone back to work in tip top shape. Her replacement is coming.

Mind you, six months later. 

The beautiful, mysterious Kendra had a feline grace in her fighting prowess. Of course, they wanted us to believe she was an Order of Taraka assassin, the jaguar card. DP: Michael Gershman.

Buffy promo that puts Angel in the center.

Kendra arrives to Sunnydale, California via hidden inside of an airplane cockpit— no tickets for a proper seat, no luggage. Her Watcher Sam Zabuto does not alert Rupert Giles of her arrival (then again this happened with Faith Lehane as well). It’s unclear on what Kendra’s done since knocking out an airport employee in the light of day. At night, however, Kendra sees Buffy and vamp faced Angel making out at the skate rink. Thus, she either has impressive vampire radar skills or the girl’s been tailing Buffy for reasons unknown. Kendra later fights Angel at Willy’s club and gains the upper hand, imprisoning Angel to meet the sunlight. Somehow, Kendra finds Angel’s apartment and almost kills a napping Buffy. In the midst of the battle, Buffy asks who her attacker is despite knowing that The Order of Taraka trails her (she doesn’t ask the other two assassins who they are). 

A gloomy Buffy is not a fan of Kendra and Giles sharing jokes. However, it’s nice to see Kendra laugh. Between diligent training and learning books on demonology, she’s probably ironed to ignore any emotion— fun and joy mainly. DP: Michael Gershman.

In the second part, Kendra shows that she’s quite the proficient Slayer, trained in both combat and inherent book knowledge. The studious Slayer bonds quickly with Giles, laughing over the footnotes and recommending readings that the Sunnydale Watcher finds useful. Meanwhile, Buffy’s minor jealousy comes crashing out as she nicknames the fellow Slayer, a She-Giles. Willow Rosenberg encourages Buffy with “you’re the real Slayer” and makes no attempts to befriend Kendra.

While she’s good at pouncing on Buffy’s friends and the slimy Willy, Kendra’s booksmarts do not fully prepare her for real-life field work. During the big showdown, helping Buffy and her team free a kidnapped Angel, Kendra’s easily bested by the advanced Spike, not managing to block his hits very well. It further proves that she should have stayed in town in order to learn more technique. Unless there’s a Hellmouth in Jamaica, why does Kendra need to return to the islands if prepared (or as prepared as she can be) to face the greater evils? 

Even though she’s only known her for a day, Kendra is brave enough to address certain things to Buffy that Giles doesn’t. Giles gives his Slayer a lot of freedom, an action that surprises Kendra. DP: Michael Gershman.

Most importantly, Kendra wisely remarks on the dangers of having the former villainous Angelus cloud Buffy’s judgment. This heavy foreshadowing indicates that her hormonal heart distracts Buffy from the main duties at hand— saving the world. If Angel had died during the ritual, less peril for the future. A few episodes later, Buffy and Angel grow closer (often making out like crazy during patrols), he then loses his soul, causing a devastated Buffy to wait many months to kill him, leaving a wake of bodies including her fellow classmates. So yes, it would have been beneficial if Kendra returned immediately after the events of Surprise and Innocence. Spike and Drusilla were confirmed to be still alive, especially with the addition of Angelus. Kendra could have aided in taking up the reigns (not Giles) as Buffy dealt with her depression in the middle of junior year.

“You talk about skating like it’s a job. It’s who you are”—Kendra to Buffy on reconsidering negative, defeatist attitude regarding being a Slayer. DP: Michael Gershman.

Another six months later, when Angelus seeks to destroy the world much like The Judge, Kendra finally returns for the another two-parter, the Becoming saga (well, for one episode). Kendra has evolved slightly in fashion, sporting an olive green tank top, black leather jacket, and a thin necklace. She’s also a bit more open, prone to infectious smiling, and tells a few wisecracks. Buffy’s American slang and demeanor has rubbed off, softening the robotic warrior undertones of Kendra’s earlier appearance. Again, this significant character arc would have been rewarding to see onscreen, seeing how Kendra progressed both as a person and a supernatural force. 

Kendra gives Buffy two gifts— a sword and a stake. The sword was blessed by monks that defeated Acathla’s first rise to power— a blessed heritage from Kendra’s own community. Although she’s an excellent swordswoman, Kendra is not meant to fight against Angelus. Whereas Angel’s weakness lies in harming humans as little as possible unless provoked, the remorseless Angelus would have outmaneuvered Kendra in a heartbeat. Plus, it’s less poetic. The battle is between lovers turned enemies. Mr. Pointy, a sophisticatedly carved stake, Buffy will have among her possessions for years. That’s humor in itself, a Slayer naming her weapon. It would have been so un-Kendra like. Still, it’s sad because not only does Kendra believe Buffy will kill Angelus with it, this intimate moment will be their final exchange in the series. 

Kendra gives Buffy Mr. Pointy. DP: Michael Gershman.

When it comes to the most tragic character deaths in the series, folks often highlight Buffy’s mother Joyce Summers’s demise in I Was Made To Love You / The Body or Buffy’s heroic self-sacrifice in The Gift. Kendra, however, embodied “gone too soon.” Kendra doesn’t stand a chance in a horrific trap (eccentric considering Buffy and her friends usually can sense these). Drusilla and her minions storm the library and hurt everyone in order to kidnap Giles. Unfortunately, as witnessed in an earlier battle with Spike, Kendra is no match for his superior girlfriend. Under the hypnosis, Drusilla slits Kendra’s throat, causing the young Slayer to fall to the ground, bleeding out. It’s as offensive as Spike’s own kill of Slayer Nikki Woods. According to Slayer lore, Slayer blood is the most alluring, most valued to drink from. In two instances, these two European vampires let them go untasted. 

Kendra is hypnotized to her death by full-strength vampire Drusilla (Juliet Landau). DP: Michael Gershman.

Poor Kendra.

An innocent woman trained to be a soldier via through the cold Watchers Council grew to find the value in a Slayer having friendships too late.

Furthermore, the glaring cons of Kendra’s characterization leaves a lot to process. Firstly, Kendra grew up isolated from her family and peers, having no friends, no connections other than fulfilling duty. She almost symbolizes the premiere minority student selected into a predominantly white gifted program (or a PWI institution) and seeing limited reflection of themselves among the students and staff. The purpose of Slayerhood is to operate alone. Sadly, Kendra represents why that often fails. The previous Jamaican accent was terrible, sounding as though latched on seconds before the cameras rolled. Portrayer Bianca Lawson said in SFX Magazine: 

“I really hated that accent! I got the part, and I didn't originally have an accent. Then, literally the night before, they said, ‘What about a Jamaican accent?’ I didn't have a chance to get comfortable with it. And the thing is, certain things - if you say it properly [in Jamaican patois], people don't really fully understand it, so they would change things. They'd say, "Well, say it like this" and it's like, "Would that be accurate in that accent though?" ‘It doesn't matter because no-one's going to understand you!’”

Why was it so important for production to force an accent and not make Kendra an American girl raised in the states like Faith and the others? Talk about the erasure of Black American women. It would have been better if they selected an actual Jamaican actress. This was an example of problematic portrayals regarding Caribbean/African peoples in their imaginations so hellbent on inventing narratives on cultures that already exist. 

Furthermore, Kendra arrived in one outfit— a long sleeved, midriff bearing top, fuchsia drawstring pants, a necklace, and choker. It looked an outdated perception on ethnic appearances than the reality of late 1990s Caribbean fashion. Maybe we’re supposed to believe that since raised by Zabuto, the Watcher lives in the dark ages, teaching her skills and not the clothes of the day. Imagine if Giles raised Buffy and enforced eccentric fashion habits on her. 

Kendra with the pivotal sword that will soon send Angel elsewhere. DP: Michael Gershman.

Lawson— like Sarah Michelle Gellar— would have been Cordelia Chase (meant to be killed off in season one). Lawson did a great job with the material the production required of her. She’s why we remain memorializing this character— a character that needed more time for viewers to know. It goes beyond the braided updo with the puffed out ponytail, the smoldering eyes, glossy lipstick, and the funny one-liner about losing her only shirt. She transcended the material of white writers who wrote about blackness with inauthentic depictions mixed in with the Chosen One folklore. Thus, it makes it all the more wonderful to see Lawson move onto more nuanced roles such as the frail, sobered Darla Sutton-Bordelon in Ava DuVernay’s poignant Queen Sugar.

Still, every time Kendra’s three episodes come on, you cannot help rewatching and wishing that this Slayer had as big of a role as Faith, the season three Slayer, the last of a unique line. Kendra deserved so much more. 

For starters, why did it take a comic book to give her a last name— a glimpse of her voice?