Cast listings in the closing credits in TV shows are usually reserved only for background characters with unimportant parts, or those with no speaking roles, but occasionally main characters are listed there when their appearance is to be a surprise. Examples of this in the Buffyverse are in 6.21 Two To Go, in which Giles makes a dramatic entrance at the end of the episode; the Angel episode 2.01 Judgement, in which Faith (Eliza Dushku) is visited by Angel; and 2.22 There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb, in which Willow appears at at the very end of the episode. In 5.08 Destiny, Christian Kane’s name was omitted from the opening credits to make his character Lindey’s arrival a surprise.
Related episodes: 2.01 Judgement, 2.22 There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb, 5.08 Destiny, 6.21 Two To Go
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MissKittyFantastico on January 18th, 2006 at 12:58 am
Ah, I always wondered about this!! Thanx for clearing it up for me Jess, I can always rely on you!
Wynter on June 16th, 2006 at 11:35 am
They also did this in The Harsh Light of Day aswell didn’t they? Name James Marsters at the end as a special guest star, so the surprise return of Spike wasn’t ruined. Am I right in thinking that or am I getting mixed up?
TwoToGo-Grave on June 16th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
They did for the first airing (of course, the commercials leading up to it were so unavoidable as to make it impossible to know that he was in it). After the first run, his name was at the front, and it is also at the front on the DVD (at least here).
Abby M. on June 16th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
I loved it whenever Joss would do this because it was such an awesome moment when you would see the character when you weren’t expecting to. Giles’ appearance in Two To Go is personally my favorite. It was so dramatic and he came in right at the end of the episode so as soon as the camera cuts off him, you see in big font, “Anthony Stewart Head.” Like, you were still in shock to see Giles and the credit just came right at you. Good stuff.
bunnybeaner on April 29th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Of course, Juliet Landau is in flashbacks in “The Trial”, so we assume she’s in the guest stars list for this reason only. Tricky, tricky, as present-day Drusilla shows up at the the end to sire Darla!
That shocked me so much when it aired!
HarFang on May 1st, 2008 at 1:58 am
Just think how many migraines they must have had over those credits ! Who to put first, who to list along with the name of the character… and then they realised that people actually knew the actors well enough that the credits would be spoilers in themselves, and they had to find a way around that to still get the impact of surprise returns !
I vote the same way as Abby M. I swear I shouted “WOW YES!!” when I saw Giles appear in Two To Go.
And Wynter, James Marsters’s name did appear at the beginning of the Harsh Light of Day, he was even listed “as Spike”. I remember that when I first saw the episode, I was terribly disappointed that they hadn’t kept it for a surprise.
By the way, I have a complaint to make about the credits in the 5th season of Angel. Right from Conviction, James Marsters was credited just after David Boreanaz, even though he only appeared some 5 secs before the end. As much as I love Spike, I always feel bad for the rest of the cast of Angel, who had been there for years and found themselves brutally downgraded to make room for the newcomer !
Now I guess that Spike’s transfer to Angel wasn’t much of a secret, but couldn’t Whedon have made a token effort to keep it a surprise ? he might have arrived in later episodes, after all.
bunnybeaner on May 1st, 2008 at 6:00 am
I’m with you, HarFang. I was a little peeved that he got credited before Alexis or J. or Amy or Andy. I mean, they’ve been Angel regulars WAY longer than James…
Not that I’m lacking in the Marsters love department, but seriously.
Jess on May 1st, 2008 at 9:33 am
I agree too, he should have been credited at the end.
bunnybeaner on May 2nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
What about an “and…as” for him, like Giles or Willow got? That would have been fine with me, then he would have been special still, but not by bumping other cast members.
HarFang on May 3rd, 2008 at 12:33 am
That would have been perfect, especially since his arrival was a lot like Giles’s in Two to Go ; but it would only have been for Conviction . Afterwards, Spike became a major member of the cast, so it was only fair to put him in the “real” credits.
bunnybeaner on May 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
No no, I just mean at the end of the regular credits, but with a special “And James Marsters as Spike”, a la the credit that Alyson got during 6th and 7th season and the one that Giles had before her.
I agree that a spot in the guest stars list is completely inappropriate, of course, that’s definitely not what I meant! :)
HarFang on May 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Sorry, I hadn’t understood that. I totally agree, then.
And since you those “X as ‘…’” credits, what do they imply exactly ? Are they meant so set someone apart from the rest of the “regular cast” ? If so, it’s quite unfair. I can understand that Willow has a different status in season 7, but why is Giles always credited that way throughout Buffy ? If he isn’t a core Scooby, I don’t know who is! And I think Wesley is credited the same way in season 5 of Angel, without any specific reason.
So wondered if they were not actually a way to put emphasis on a really important character ?
loosecannonrocktheboat on November 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
They did this with Julie Benz in 1.22 To Shanshu in LA.
bunnybeaner on November 4th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Yeah…I don’t really get the “and…as” either. It seems kind of unnecessary in general. DUH we know Alyson plays Willow. The whole world pretty much knows that, Buffy fans or not.