Connor/Cordelia: Age Gap?

[itsnotmymind]

I'm stilling rewatching AtS season four, finished Awakening. Here's something I don't understand: why do people keeping making comments as if Cordelia is so much older than Connor? If she's Buffy's age, she's 21-22 to Connor's 18. That's only three or four years. Connor/Cordelia is squicky because she used to change his diapers and has a thing for his dad, but there isn't match of an age gap there.

Comments

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I think part of it is that because Charisma Carpenter looks like she's in her thirties (since she is), it's easy to forget Cordelia is supposed to be in her early twenties. The other younger characters at least kind of pass for being twenty-somethings, and Willow, Tara and Buffy are also in college, and Anya and Xander are their peers, so it makes it a bit easier to buy them being young. Whereas Cordelia doesn't have any of that.

I still think it's a bit icky because it IS her best friend's son. but you remember the twist, right? However, the fact that she looks 35 makes it even weirder, IMHO. If Jewel Staite had played Cordelia (totally random example) it would be easier to buy her as 21, 22.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

I do remember the twist - STILL SQUICKY.

But yes, good point about Charisma's age.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I agree with what author_by_night said, people tend to forget what the ages of the characters were supposed to be due to the actual ages of the actors/or how they seemed to be. Charisma didn't look like she was in her early twenties, whereas Vincent did look rather youngish at that time so it was easier to buy that he was portraying a teenager. Regardless of the twist reveal from the whole situation, I can understand why people would think there's a massive age gap, even if there really wasn't.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

I was referring to characters on the show, not even fans. But yeah, Charisma does seem a lot older than Vincent.

[kikimay]

Agreed on Charisma looking in her thirties. I believe that the writers forgot too about Cordelia's age, because Fred should be older but it seems that Cordelia is the older one.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

Fred seems younger because she can be cutesy.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Agreeing with other comments that Charisma looked like she was in her mid 30’s by then which added a creepier element, and also I think within the show they subtly retconned Cordelia’s age? Ats was heavily promoted as being about 20 somethings, and in the first season Cordelia was actually referred to by another character as being in in her 20’s from what I recall, so I think they were hoping that Ats viewers would forget that Charisma was actually meant to be played a teenager at the beginning? I mean it was already starting to look ridiculous on season 3 of Bts when they threw in the in-joke of Wesley assuming that she was a teacher at first

It definitely felt to me like they aged her up slightly, Expecting also implies that Cordelia had had sex plenty of times before when she has a one night stand with Wilson, even though Bts was always very clear that she and Xander never slept together during their year-long relationship as his first time wasn’t until Faith. Aspects of her character came across as older and more experienced imo in order to better fit with with what Ats wanted to say about characters struggles in their 20’s

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in Apocalypse, Nowish, Cordy tells Connor: "It's called being 18. If you make it past 21, things get a lot better." That doesn't really sound like the words of someone who is barely 22.