Nicholas Brendon
Mar. 22nd, 2026 09:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
setsuledNicholas Brendon has died at just 54 years old. Some may find it odd that I mention his death when I didn't mention Chuck Norris. I've never been a Chuck Norris fan and it seems like most of his fans are ironic fans anyway. Even now they're sharing memes showing Norris readying for some smackdown in Heaven. The underlying joke generally seems always to have been, "Isn't it funny that this guy's supposed to be a badass?" I'm not a Chuck Norris fan but I can't get onboard the irony train.
Now, Nicholas Brendon was not among my favourite actors. He was one of the stars of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of my favourite TV series, which aired for seven seasons starting almost thirty years ago. He was probably my least favourite character but only by default. I didn't hate him. He played Xander, one of the core group of high school friends around Buffy who helped her slay vampires. Xander was generally seen as a stand-in for series creator Joss Whedon, who was cancelled a few years ago. In a video streamed a few days before his death, Brendon condemned the recent attempt at a reboot for trying to start the show up again without Whedon, whom Brendon said had been "punished enough". Brendon did voice some support for Charisma Carpenter when she made allegations about Whedon's "toxic" behaviour.
Brendon himself was guilty of unambiguously worse behaviour, having been arrested for domestic assault at least three times, in one case even attempting to strangle his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to charges at the time. But to-day, Brendon's Buffy co-stars are publishing odes to the actor. Charisma Carpenter qualified her statement by saying, "I will miss the version of the man I once knew."
Meanwhile, I haven't found one article that even mentions attempting to contact Whedon for a comment on Brendon's death.
Sonnet 1985
As shadow shipment passed inspection late.
No citizen arranged the go between.
The crucial figures met, discussing fate.
Some story actions truth cannot redeem.
The tea was poured but all the cups were gone.
And now the table's wet and no-one knows.
The sketchy hostess holds an extra pawn.
His heart, beholding her, now warmly glows.
Some strings of garlic line the kitchen walls.
The water flowing out the door is deep.
Beyond the hills, a cloudy monster calls.
A stolen watch was really very cheap.
Mistaken thieves were taken back in time.
The markets now are all bereft of lime.
Now, Nicholas Brendon was not among my favourite actors. He was one of the stars of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of my favourite TV series, which aired for seven seasons starting almost thirty years ago. He was probably my least favourite character but only by default. I didn't hate him. He played Xander, one of the core group of high school friends around Buffy who helped her slay vampires. Xander was generally seen as a stand-in for series creator Joss Whedon, who was cancelled a few years ago. In a video streamed a few days before his death, Brendon condemned the recent attempt at a reboot for trying to start the show up again without Whedon, whom Brendon said had been "punished enough". Brendon did voice some support for Charisma Carpenter when she made allegations about Whedon's "toxic" behaviour.
Brendon himself was guilty of unambiguously worse behaviour, having been arrested for domestic assault at least three times, in one case even attempting to strangle his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty to charges at the time. But to-day, Brendon's Buffy co-stars are publishing odes to the actor. Charisma Carpenter qualified her statement by saying, "I will miss the version of the man I once knew."
Meanwhile, I haven't found one article that even mentions attempting to contact Whedon for a comment on Brendon's death.
Sonnet 1985
As shadow shipment passed inspection late.
No citizen arranged the go between.
The crucial figures met, discussing fate.
Some story actions truth cannot redeem.
The tea was poured but all the cups were gone.
And now the table's wet and no-one knows.
The sketchy hostess holds an extra pawn.
His heart, beholding her, now warmly glows.
Some strings of garlic line the kitchen walls.
The water flowing out the door is deep.
Beyond the hills, a cloudy monster calls.
A stolen watch was really very cheap.
Mistaken thieves were taken back in time.
The markets now are all bereft of lime.
