Part 33: Spotlight on Robin Wood

Selected items from UNS Q&A session with Robin Wood-rah, circa September 2003. Camlin Tikri reporting.

Robin Wood's cool exterior does not betray the fierce intellect of his mind. He is a man who firmly believes in the mission of protecting humanity against all threats, of saving lives whenever and wherever possible, of holding back the forces of darkness that would destroy all he holds dear.

There is no doubt about his dedication and his overwhelming desire to provide Slayers with the right training, the right education, and the right tools that would allow them to perform at the top of their game and live lives that are as long as possible.

Even at this early date, one can see why the Council Educationary view him as their Founding Light and why his philosophies still carry much weight in many circles. His ideas are clearly thought out, well articulated, and carry the force that only a true believer can achieve.

Unlike his colleague, Alexander Harris-rah, he does not bear the -sen title. The Faithists have repeatedly rejected his philosophies through the centuries and have remained tightly allied with the Council Honoria, which itself sees Harris-rah as its Founding Light. The Buffistas, who are more closely allied with the Council Educationary, only grant the -sen title to Slayers who die in the line of duty. The Unitans, who have no particular preference for either Council, generally follow the lead of one or both sister sects.

This lack of the title does not make Wood-rah any less impressive. He is a man who is accomplished and confident, at ease with the role he plays as one of the first in a new generation of Watchers in the post-Sun'dayl world.

It will come as no shock that, unlike Buffy Summers-rah and Faith Lanoire-rah, tension exists between Wood-rah and Harris-rah. They both hold very strong views on the respective roles of Slayers and Watchers and have very different ideas of how to best support Slayers in fighting the good fight. They seem to agree on very little in fact, and both stubbornly hold fast to their beliefs. One is left wondering how these two men managed to work together at all while they both lived.

Yes, even at this early date the seeds of the differing philosophies that split the Taran United Watcher's Council apart after Wise Rupert Giles-rah's death from natural causes 2039, followed shortly by Wood-rah's death defending the Council's Cleveland headquarters from attack in 2043, and Harris-rah's death in Tibet while obtaining a cure for the Mystical Rayne Plague of 2046, can clearly be seen. The triple blow landed on the United Council within the span of seven years forced tensions between the differing factions to bubble to the surface. Lead Slayer Rona Goodkind-Alvarez was able to hold the bickering groups together, even after she retired, until her death in 2083.

Once the last of the Sun'dayl generation was gone, the competing tensions in the United Council finally exploded, leading to the Great Schism of 2092 and the beginnings of the Councils Honoria and Educationary that we know today.

This labyrinthine history has not yet come to pass, but the path has already been set and the actors are already standing on their marks as we paint a portrait of a man taking his first steps on the road to greatness in this exclusive interview with UNS.

UNS: I'm thrilled we finally got a chance to talk Robin.

RW: I'm surprised that you wanted to interview me.

UNS: Not at all, not at all. Please, don't feel like that. I want to talk to as many people as possible because this is the chance to set the record straight on so many things.

RW: [amused] A reporter interested in only the truth? You definitely aren't from earth.

UNS: {laughter}

RW: So what do you want to know?

UNS: It appears to me that you're the man in charge around here.

RW: Does that take you by surprise?

UNS: Why no, not at all. Records of your exemplary work here in Cleveland paint a very detailed picture of you as a leader and a thinker with some very clear philosophies about the respective roles Slayers and Watchers play in the mission to protect and serve.

RW: Funny you should mention that. It's something I've been thinking a lot about.

UNS: Yes. I have noticed the, shall we say, ad hoc atmosphere among your colleagues. It's a wonder anything gets done around here.

RW: It's not that bad. People are still recovering from Sunnydale, trying to get their lives in order, figuring out what they want to do, things like that. What we do is a calling and not everyone is comfortable with the discipline and dedication required to serve that calling. But we are starting down the right path now that Giles has decided to formalize a new Council membership.

UNS: [surprised] Really? I was completely unaware.I was under the impression from Alexander that Giles was the only Watcher and that there wasn't a new Council in place.

RW: I'm not surprised that he didn't know. Nothing against Xander mind, but he has been very, very busy trying to untangle the knot your visit caused, so I doubt he's heard anything at all. [leans forward and lowers voice] Truth to tell, Giles only spoke to me yesterday about becoming a Watcher.

UNS: How do you feel about that?

RW: [leans back and looks thoughtful] I'm honored. The Watcher's Council has a proud history and its loss was very much a blow. I understand that there are some scattered survivors even in England, but Giles is working hard to weed out the undesirable element.

UNS: 'Undesirable element?'

RW: [winces] It's no secret that some of the Watchers had a proprietary view of Slayers. To them, these women were just mystical weapons, not flesh and blood. Watchers who thought otherwise tended to not get far in the old organization.

UNS: I can't imagine anyone holding that view.

RW: That's because the paradigm changed in Sunnydale. When there was just One, you basically had a case of One against the many, a many that was responsible for training, educating, and providing research support for this extraordinary girl thrust into a singular role. Now we have a case of Many.

UNS: But only one Watcher. Sorry. I meant two Watchers.

RW: What I'm trying to say is that in numbers there is power. Now that there's more than the One or Two, Slayers can now get a seat at the table and have a true voice. I highly doubt that Slayers will ever be viewed as merely weapons again.

UNS: So you're saying some of the survivors of the original Council might be unable to adapt to this new paradigm.

RW: Exactly.

UNS: You made reference to the fact that you're thinking about the respective roles that Watchers and Slayers play in protecting humanity from the darkness, no doubt brought on Giles's offer. Care to share your thoughts on that?

RW: The simple fact is this: the Slayer or Slayers, if you will, stand on the frontlines. They are one of the most important, if not the most important piece on the chessboard. Think of them as the Queen, the Knight, and the Rook all rolled into one. They are responsible for protecting the King, in this case all of humanity. They are also responsible for leading the Pawns, which are the assorted people like witches or normal men and woman who choose to take up the sword to fight the good fight, into battle. The Watchers, of course, are the Bishops. They train and educate the Slayer who is still learning her own power, offering advice when called upon to give it, and in very rare instances, running interference against those things that might distract the Slayer from her sacred mission.

UNS: [checks MemePad for Council Educationary mission statement] What you're saying about Slayers. That's an awful lot to ask of one person.

RW: No, that's simply reality. My mother.

UNS: Nikki Wood.

RW: [surprised] You know about her?

UNS: [smiles knowingly] Like I said, I was desperately hoping to interview you, so I made sure to read up everything I could about you. [holds up MemePad] It has limited memory and limited files on the major players of this time period, but since we were planning to be in Moscow 2008 your complete Bio was recorded in here because I wanted to ask Alexander some questions about the differences in your philosophies for Watcher-Slayer interactions.

RW: [rolls eyes and shakes head in amusement] Now that I'd like to hear.

UNS: But I get to ask you directly instead. A much better arrangement, don't you think?

RW: {laughter} Oh, yeah.

UNS: Back to your mother. You were saying.

RW: Yes. My mother taught me the importance of 'the mission.'

UNS: The mission?

RW: The mission. The mission to save lives, to fight evil, to be willing to lay down your life to fight the good fight. The mission comes before everything else: before personal comfort, before family, before your own wants and desires. You have to be willing to put that aside and remain focused on doing what is right. It's a hard, difficult path, but it's one that must be followed to its bitter end. Because if the Slayer can't do it, who can? Who else is strong enough to bear such a heavy burden? There isn't anyone. Not really. That's why the Slayer or Slayers are so important. That's why they are the central figures in fighting anything that would threaten humanity.

UNS: [leans forward, frowns at MemePad, and re-reads RW's statement] No offense but, isn't this the same groupthink you accuse the original Council of holding?

RW: Fair enough question, but the answer is that it's not the same thing at all. The old Council viewed the Slayer as a tool, nothing more. In their view, she was a slave to her calling and her destiny. What I'm saying is completely different. What I'm saying is that the Slayer is the leader. She is the one who must make the final decision and act on that decision. It's the difference between being a hammer and being the carpenter who wields the hammer.

UNS: How does this jibe with the role you see for Watchers?

RW: To be blunt, my thoughts are still evolving on this so bear with me. Once I thought this sense of 'the mission' was an inbred thing with Slayers, something they instinctively knew when they came into their power. However, after Sunnydale, I see that is not necessarily the case. As you can see, many of the Slayers in our house are still just young girls who really don't understand what being a Slayer means, let alone how to responsibly use their abilities and wield their power. They need to be trained and taught, not just how to properly use a weapon, but what their gifts actually mean and how they fit into the grand scheme of things.

UNS: And it's the Watcher's job to do that.

RW: Precisely. The way I see it, the Watcher's authority lies in a completely different sphere from the Slayer's authority. When a Slayer is still young and newly into her power, the Watcher's authority is paramount as a teacher. Once a Slayer fully understands the role she plays and the ethical implications of that, then the Slayer should be paramount and the Watcher should step back and let her lead as she is meant to.

UNS: [looks down, plays with stylus] Sounds cold. There's no room there for any personal relationship between the Slayer and her Watcher.

RW: 'Personal relationship?'

UNS: [continues playing with stylus] For example, developing a mutual, supportive relationship such as the one that exists between a student and her teacher, or even a caring relationship such as the one that exists between friends and colleagues. Or, to look at an extreme example, an intimate relationship like the one you have with Faith. None of these fit in with the philosophy you've laid out about the respective roles Slayers and Watchers play. You're talking in terms of authority, who has it, and when they have it. There doesn't seem to be room for the give-and-take.

RW: [tenses] Faith is not a student and she's fully cognizant of her abilities and the role she plays as a Slayer. So I really don't see.

UNS: [leans back and looks confused] Please forgive me. I seem to be having some problems with my translation implant. [taps metal disc distractedly] It's just, I must admit, sometimes I have a difficult time following what everyone here is saying. There are some words that just don't translate very well into Colonial Common.

RW: [relaxes] That's all right. Take your time and find the right words.

UNS: [makes a thoughtful face] Let's backtrack. The path you lay out for Slayers is a very lonely one.

RW: The Slayer ultimately stands alone. She has to. As I said, she's the one who must make the final decision and must execute that decision. I saw it in the example of my mother and I've seen it in how Buffy conducted herself in Sunnydale, despite the fact that almost all of us tried to trip her up at some point or another with our personal concerns.

UNS: [crooked smile] I suspect there are some people in this very house who would vehemently disagree with you.

RW: [grins] You can make book on that. I'm 100 percent certain that, despite their years fighting by Buffy's side, both Xander and Willow would have serious issues with it. However, I honestly don't think they've faced reality on that point.

UNS: So you say they're wrong to think the way they do.

RW: [puffs out cheeks and looks thoughtful] Misguided is a better word. We've never discussed the issue formally understand, but I like to believe that I have a pretty good feel for Xander's views. Given how close Xander and Willow are, it's a fairly good bet that Willow agrees with him, although I've never heard her say so one way or the other.

UNS: And where does Alexander stand?

RW: To be honest, I don't always understand where Xander is coming from and how he thinks is an utter mystery to me most days, but I can tell you that he has a very strong protective instinct, very strong. I think that instinct blinds him to the fact that the Slayers are the ones who do the protecting and that they need to learn to stand on their own as quickly as possible.

UNS: But wouldn't that make him the ideal Watcher, at least for nurturing and training young Slayers who are still uncertain?

RW: If he were willing to limit himself to that, but I definitely get the impression that he believes a Slayer cannot truly succeed without a support network behind her. He is very enamored of the team Ruda has at her disposal and the specialized role each member plays in that team.

UNS: [chuckles] That's the Council Honoria for you. [good naturedly throws hands in the air] What can you do?

RW: [grins] I assume this other Council that Giles mentioned to me, the Council Educator? Disagrees.

UNS: [leans forward and lowers her voice] Educationary. Oh, hada, yes. I do believe they'll be thrilled to know that someone in this house actually agrees with their own stance on the role Slayers and Watchers play. [taps nose] Don't tell anyone I said anything, eh?

RW: Ahhhh, yes. This Temporal Prime Directive Andrew keeps telling everyone to remember. Don't worry, secret's safe with me.

UNS: [leans back] Thank you. Now, I have to play devil's advocate here: Buffy Summers did, in fact, have a support network in her early years as a Slayer from what I understand from my other interviews. It would seem to me that such a network helped keep her alive, which is a point in Alexander's favor, no?

RW: Ahhhh, but my mother lived to older than Buffy is now, and she didn't have such a support network.

UNS: Good point.

RW: And I do still have to point out that while fighting the First Evil in Sunnydale, Buffy did come to her own conclusions about the place the Slayer holds as the leader and decision-maker.

UNS: But the Great Awakening spell would argue against Buffy completely buying into 'the Slayer stands alone.'

RW: [shrugs] Honestly, you'd have to ask her about that. I can tell you that when she explained the whys and wherefores behind-the Great Awakening spell? A good term for it-empowering all Potentials, she spoke about changing the status quo, of giving Slayers, all Slayers, more than just the power to fight, but the power to decide their own future. To do that, as I said, you need numbers. It's very hard for a single Slayer, or even just two Slayers, to do.

UNS: Which brings us back to the role you see for Watchers as teachers, advice-givers, and consciences.

RW: [raises eyebrow] I'm pretty sure I didn't say consciences.

UNS: [scrolls back notes] You said, and I quote, "The Watchers, of course, are the Bishops. They train and educate the Slayer who is still learning her own power, offering advice when called upon to give it, and in very rare instances, running interference against those things that might distract the Slayer from her sacred mission."

RW: [thinks about it] I suppose you're right. Conscience is a better word. That'll teach me to cross swords with someone who writes for a living.

UNS: [smiles] And don't you forget it.

RW: {laughter}

UNS: Which leads me back to my earlier question: You see Watchers and Slayers having two distinct and equally important roles, but that those roles are separate. Aren't you afraid, for example that a personal, intimate relationship such as the one you have with Faith might interfere with that role?

RW: [silence for a few moments] I think I see where you're going, but maybe a little more clarification so I'm absolutely sure about the question.

UNS: Hmmmm. [taps stylus on chin thoughtfully] Let's remove from the equation the younger Slayers who are still being educated since they are young and underage. I think we can both agree that an intimate relationship in that case would be most certainly unwanted.

RW: [nods] I heartily agree. It's absolutely an abuse of authority. Certainly in my high school principal days I'd come down very hard on any teacher involved with a student.

UNS: So, let's go straight to a Slayer who is of age and operating in the field. In this scenario, you see the Watcher as offering advice and playing the role of conscience.

RW: Precisely.

UNS: [begins playing with stylus] If the Watcher in that role became intimately involved with his or her Slayer, aren't you concerned that the Watcher's judgment might be impaired? It would seem to me that any advisor worth his or her salt would have to present all the alternatives, including alternatives that might call upon the Slayer to give up her life to do what's right. In an intimate relationship, a Watcher might lose his or her objectivity, which might ultimately lead to endangering not just the Slayer, but the mission as well.

RW: [nods slowly] I think I see where you're heading. That such a relationship might compromise the Watcher or distract him or her from the mission.

UNS: Precisely.

RW: [leans back with a frown] To be honest, I hadn't thought of that. [quietly] That's a good point.

UNS: [quickly] Please, please, don't take it that seriously. I'm merely playing devil's advocate. It is my job, after all.

RW: [quietly] Doesn't make the point any less valid.

UNS: [taps stylus on the chin] Look, it's very obvious you're still working out your role in the post-Sun'dayl world, so please don't beat yourself up about this. After all, until yesterday you were just a Pawn.

RW: [narrows eyes at UNS]

UNS: [brightly] But you've moved beyond that because now you're more than just a Pawn. You're a Bishop!

RW: {laughter} Remind me to rethink my chess analogy.

UNS: What I'm saying still pretty much holds: you've just accepted the role of Watcher and all the responsibility that goes with it. [quickly adds] I'm assuming you've accepted.

RW: Of course.

UNS: So I suppose it's a matter of you thinking things through, figuring out what role you play and how you play it, and learning how to conduct yourself accordingly.

RW: [smiles] That would be fair to say.

UNS: Excellent!

RW: And let me just thank you for a most wonderful interview.

UNS: I believe that's my line.

RW: I'm being serious. You've given me food for thought. It's a lot to think about.

UNS: [smiles and softly adds] I thought I might.

RW: [sees UNS working MemePad with stylus] By the way, how does that thing work?

UNS: Oh, it allows me to do some minor editing on the fly. [erases interview after RW's line: "That would be fair to say."]

TBC.