Synder...What Was His Deal?

[CharmedSlayer85]

I'm going through my seven seasons of Buffy and it made me realize that they never really explained Synder like I think they should have. For example in like School Hard when he was talking to the cop at the end wondering what they were going to tell the media and stuff about the things that transpired at the school, the cop mentioned "Would you rather I tell them the truth," or something like that and Synder agreed to the lie they came up with, implying that he obviously knew they were vampires. Also all those times they mentioned the Mayor or the times Synder continuously called the Mayor, like in Becoming Part II after he expelled Buffy, but then when like Season Three happened and they actually introduced the Mayor Synder and the Mayor didn't really have a connection, as if all the stuff that happened in previous seasons didn't exist. I mean from what we gathered in like Seasons One and Two Synder knew more then what he was putting on and knew that Buffy was the Slayer and stuff, but then we get to Season Three all that information seemed to have been forgotten.

[mogwaid]

I always wondered what Snyder knew, and how he knew it. He obviously knew that vampires existed, and even the policeman knew! (Which makes me wonder, did a lot of authority type figures know what was going on?) I dont think he knew about the Mayor's ascension deal tho.

[Ashxking]

Odds are he knew about the Hellmouth and could have been working for the mayor to make sure nothing could ruin his plans.

[jruby82]

Snyder definitely knew about the Hellmouth, and he was actively helping to cover it up. This is from "I Only Have Eyes For You," after the snake incident in the cafeteria. Snyder meets Police Chief Bob outside as he drives up.

Police Chief Bob: Schoolboy pranks?
Snyder: Never sell.
PCB: The sewer got backed up.
S: Better. I could probably make that one fly. But this is getting out of hand. People will talk.
PCB: You'll take care of it.
S: I'm doing everything I can, but you people have to realize--
Teacher walking by: Snyder, what's going on here?
S: [loud enough for crowd to hear] Backed-up sewer line. Same thing happened in San Diego just last week. [to Police Chief Bob, quietly] We're on a Hellmouth. Sooner or later, people are gonna figure that out.
PCB: The city council was told that you could handle this job. If you feel that you can't, perhaps you'd like to take that up... [dramatic pause] with the Mayor.
S: [seems mildly startled by this] I'll handle it. [to himself, after Police Chief Bob walks away] I will.

I'm going through my seasons again and just saw that one, so I don't really have an opinion on the whole "what's Snyder's deal" issue for the time being. I've seen every episode, but I'll have to take a closer look at Snyder this time through.

[CharmedSlayer85]

Snyder definitely knew about the Hellmouth, and he was actively helping to cover it up. This is from "I Only Have Eyes For You," after the snake incident in the cafeteria. Snyder meets Police Chief Bob outside as he drives up.



I'm going through my seasons again and just saw that one, so I don't really have an opinion on the whole "what's Snyder's deal" issue for the time being. I've seen every episode, but I'll have to take a closer look at Snyder this time through.

And then it makes me wonder if he knew Buffy was the Slayer, and if so what was his problem with her..it's not like he didn't know there'd be a reason for her violence

[definition of insane]

It's probable that Snyder was working for the mayor and that would be part of the reason he seemed to dislike Buffy so much. He would have known she was the slayer and obviously on the other side of the fight so he may have just tried to make things for her as difficult as he could.

[Lily]

i'm still not sure that he knew 'for sure' that she was the slayer - the mayor could have spun him any number of stories to cover up

[CharmedSlayer85]

It's probable that Snyder was working for the mayor and that would be part of the reason he seemed to dislike Buffy so much. He would have known she was the slayer and obviously on the other side of the fight so he may have just tried to make things for her as difficult as he could.

Yeah but I don't think he was that close with the Mayor because he obviously didn't know about the Mayor's ascension...and plus throughout Season Three, you hardly saw any connection between the Mayor and him

[Randy Giles]

I think the idea that most of the authority figures in town probably know that Sunnydale sees quite a lot of supernatural activity. It makes it a little more realistic, IMO, rather than having them all completely oblivious. I always thought the show should have explored that more. *shrug*

[mogwaid]

I think it was in "school hard" in season 2, when they had the parent teacher night, Snyder didnt want to listen to Buffy, about the Vampires, so i dont think he knew she was the slayer. And he seemed to underestimate the power of the vampires or what they could do when he insisted on climbing out the window.

[blakelovesbuffy]

I don't think he KNEW they were vampires, I just think that like other Sunnydale residents, they knew wierd & unexplainable things were happening & wanted to cover that up. About him calling the mayor about Buffy, it could just be cuz the mayor talked to Snyder & told him to watch her, I guess Snyder didn't HAVE to know that she was the slayer or what was going to happen with the ascention. I'm just glad he got ate!! haha

Edit:

Thx, I like it 2 but I can't take credit for it. I just love it cuz it's true & simple. Buffy's love for Angel was pretty much the one thing in her life that stayed constant & never died which is why they both never could and never would let it go, even if they were apart, they knew they still loved each other more than life.

[LilMizPiper]

Heh heh. Snyder was cool. I was really annoyed when they didn't explain him. I thought he'd have some big storyline or something! Or at least a little one...

I think that all the authority figures of Sunnydale knew of the Hellmouth's evil. Although I doubt most of them ever came face to face with a vampire or demon. Their job was mainly to cover it all up.

[SARArb]

i think that he knew about the vampires but not about buffy being the slayer. When the mayor became a snake i was always thinking: 'It's now that he's going to know' or something like that... but then... the snake ate him! ?_? I think it was a bit stupid....:/

[Blondie Bear]

i think that he knew about the vampires but not about buffy being the slayer. When the mayor became a snake i was always thinking: 'It's now that he's going to know' or something like that... but then... the snake ate him! ?_? I think it was a bit stupid....:/

Well, what else were they going to do with Snyder? He'd have no point after the school blew up, and Xander was enough of a no-point character for the show, anyway. And it was kind of satisfying and ironic that the Mayor gave him that "you've been great at keeping control" speech, then Snyder tried to "keep control" of the big snake! And got munched. :lmao:

[meg]

synder was working for the mayor you find that out later on because the mayor asks him if he can handle the job he also knew who buffy was thats why he was so horrible coz he was working for the mayor

[Joyce Summers]

I think Snyde Man had like limited info. Coz, the Mayor? Hello? Evil. He's not gonna tell him the full story. I think he just knew about Sunnydale being on a Hellmouth, that there were evil creatures and what-not out there (and maybe in School Hard when he goes to go out the window, he does believe he can fight them off because whether he knows about them or not maybe he is naive about their strength and power), but because of the Mayor's insistant eye and natural hatred of Buffy, Snyder was left to presume that Buffy was on the bad side of things, you know?
But he finally clicks when he sees the Mayor turn into a huge snake thingy. I think he was like 'hang on.ooooh I see' and then he actually does try to develop some backbone and is like 'stop this instant' but like Blondie Bear said- the horrible little rodent man got eaten!

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

yeah i think Snyder only knew what the Mayor told him. But i will say, when we found out he was working for him (or at least being governed by him) i thought there was going to be a much bigger story line with Snyder or just with officials being somewhat aware in general, and i was really excited.. but really it was just a little foreshadowing of the big bad mayor.

[GATEGOD]

I always thought the mayor new more then he actually did .. when we find out he really new near nothing really... I was like ... wow.... okay, good thing what happened happened to you ^_^

[Xin Rong]

My friend had a theory that he was a demon until we got 2 series 3 and i got to laugh at her cos i was right and she was wrong lol

[faith oracle]

i would have to say.when he said "were living on a hellmouth"...it obviously means he knew,because unlike charmed buffy and its verse,dont need to hide magicks exposure.wich makes it all better.

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

I' m not sure he knew everything about living on a hellmouth though. mayor probably told him the basics... but he was still kept in the dark on a lot of things. but you know, you would think the authorities working there would need to know something, if just to know "if it looks like a vampire, demon, so-and-so case, you guys cant handle it." Which is why they always say don't bother with the police. It seems as if some of them, at least the chief has to know, but they wont risk themselves with things they can't handle. And everyone else thinks they just won't believe them.

[Fake Shemp]

total minion of the mayor, lol, monions dont need to know all the details he just had to try and legitimatley (or not) expell buffy so she would move out of town and not be a problem to the mayor, he might not have been told ooh shes the slayer, but that she is trouble and needs to be well gotten rid of like some sort of trash.... erm yeah.

and whats his name anywhos?

[The Kinslayer]

Well I´m pretty sure Snyder didn´t know as much as some seems to think. And I certainly don´t think he knew that Buffy was the slayer. And I don´t rule out the possibility that then "School hard" was written they didn´t know that the mayor was going to be the big bad for season three. They might, but I wouldn´t bet on it.

I got very excited then I first glanced at the name of the thread. I thought it was a swedish thread. No such "luck" though. Synder in swedish means sins... I don´t wanna make fun of it or anything. Hello! It´s not like I don´t spell things wrong. I just thought I´d learn you all your second swedish word. Oh, yeah that´s right. The first one only VH (and some other exclusive people) know. Sorry for going off topic. Back to Snyder.

[white avenger]

I think that the entire population of Sunnydale had some idea of just what was going on, but it was something like the Ben/Glory thing in Season 5. As soon as they formed the idea in their head, it disappeared again. As for all of the authority figures in the town actively covering up whatever happened, maybe that was somehow the influence of the First Evil trying to keep its presence and activities secret. Of course, if all of that is true, then we would have to come up with some reason why Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and the rest of the gang managed to break or be immune to the spell, but that might have something to do with their close association with the Slayer who is somehow immune to the spell, the way Spike, and I would assume, all other supernatural residents of Sunnydale, were immune to Glory's spell.

But then. how comw the Initiative wasn't effected?

[Blondie Bear]

^ I think you're mostly right, but I think that it's less a spell or effect and more an extreme example of people burying their heads in the sand. Buffy, after all, is all about extreme examples. I think the writers were subtly commenting on people who ignore what's going on in the world around them because it's not comfortable or they don't understand it or they don't think they can do anything about it.

[Superstar]

Synder in swedish means sins... Back to Snyder.
Funny enough, that is my last name. Don't hold it against me.
I am EVIL yaknow.

But, it is from my German side, which if I'm not mistaken means Tailor. The other side is Lockhart which seems to have Irish/Scottish and Germanic origins in meaning.

As for Snyder on the series, I think his name is actually a play on the word Snide, which fits his personality.

Back to Snyder.
Yeah, He knew about the Hellmouth. He knew about vampires (PCP? C'mon. He's not that dumb. He's proved that much if nothing else.). He knew the authorities were attempting to keep a lid on things and that he was an active part of it. I also think he knew Buffy's status. And, I'm certain that he knew the mayor was behind it all, and that the mayor wasn't quite what he appeared to be. "Won't that be interesting."

It is for sure that the mayor knew about Buffy, and let her run free to keep the city somewhat manageable for his own ends provided she not interfere with his own agenda.

I think that Snyder's personal issues with Buffy stem from his own past and knowing that a high school student was keeping better control, not him.

I think some of these issues are reflected in Band Candy with his desire is to hang out with Buffy and the gang, when he is reverted to his teenage years, is genuine. I think he sincerely wants to do the right thing and help but is incapable of the physical commitment. Growing up, he seems to have over-compensated for this shortcoming. My suspicions are it is related to something in his teen years and one of the reasons he really doesn't like teenagers.

[angelchick182]

I agree with what many others have mentioned. I think Snyder was just one pawn in The Mayor's big plan and, like many pawns, was only fed information on a "need-to-know" basis. I think The Mayor's placement of Snyder at Sunnydale High was a deliberate attempt to keep everything in check and keep people from asking too many questions. Snyder always put his spin on things that happened, even though he knew there was a Hellmouth. That said, it really helped me come to the conclusion that Snyder was a mere pawn in The Mayor's plan, during the hostage exchage scene in "Choices". Snyder was totally thrown by what happened when he walked in, proving that he had no clue as to The Mayor's true purpose. As for Snyder's knowledge of Buffy, I don't believe he knew that she was The Slayer. I think The Mayor probably just told him that she was a delinquent or a radical troublemaker, that would prove to cause nothing but problems and chaos. I actually think, in the end, that The Mayor had Snyder convinced that they were the good guys, and that everything that they were doing(trying to isolate Buffy and keep her in check, lying to the public about the reality of what was going on) was for a better, more prosperous Sunnydale. I don't think Snyder was evil by choice, but was doing so by being manipulated by The Mayor.