A Love Letter to the Not-So-Special

Today my guest is the fabulous Kristin McFarland. Seriously, you guys, this woman knows more about Buffy the Vampire Slayer than I ever will, and she can talk True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Rachel from The Hollows, or just about any other paranormal book or television series that you like. She also has an awesome ability to analyze what she's seen or read and make sense out of it. And then she posts it on her blog. How cool is that?

Now she's here, singing the praises of the other guy, the sidekick. You know, it's like a love letter to all the Xanders in the world. Enjoy!

 So, for all the heros and heroines out there, here’s why you should pat your Zeppo-friends on the back and thank them for their quiet existence:

They’ve always got your back. Need a body buried? Someone who will back up your alibi or light the candles for a spell? Well, your unspecial friend will be there for you. She may know she doesn’t quite merit her own soap opera, so she’ll be willing to play a small part in yours. Call her up the next time you need a computer hacked or a shoulder to cry on, and she’ll be there... and you should thank your lucky stars she’s willing to play second fiddle.

They won’t cause much drama. They may occasionally get their knickers in a twist because you’ve been neglecting them for your sexy vampire boyfriend, but they’ll forgive you. But the benefit of being, well, a little boring is that they just won’t inspire their own plotlines. You’ll always have someone there to back you up and help you shine. And if you need someone stable in your life, look for an uninspiring friend.

They’ll never stop loving you. Sure, you’re dating the undead, you accidentally helped cause the death of an innocent man, and you’re a surly teenager all around. But none of that will matter to your secondary friend. When your parents would feel “disappointed” or even kick you out, your friend will hold your hand and tell you it will all be okay. No matter how bad it gets, he’ll still love you. And you’re a very lucky heroine to have that love, because even when your attitude gets bigger than your control, he’ll still believe in you.

So here’s to the not-quite-so-sexy, the less-brooding, the mundanely-talented, and the just plain, untalented humans out there. Without you, our fabulous protagonists would get stuck up the proverbial fecal waterway with no paddle—and we readers and writers would have no hope of their rescue. To all those who carry the burdens on plot on their shoulders with no successful love story to make the journey easier: we thank you. You are, like Xander, the unsung, underappreciated hero of our tales.

Without you, how would we hide all those bodies?

Great question, Kristin! Thanks again for coming by the blog.

Peace,

Liv

If you want to read more of Kristin's astute analysis, check her out on KristinMcFarland.com. And keep an eye out for our series of joint posts comparing True Blood with the Southern Vampire Mysteries...

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