Clement, usually referred to as Clem, was a peaceful Loose-Skinned demon who lived in Sunnydale and later Los Angeles. He was a friend and ally to the Scooby Gang, as well as an occasional crypt-sitter and poker buddy of Spike, and eventually Harmony Kendall’s assistant.
Biography[]
Clem befriended Spike, with whom he regularly attended Kitten Poker, as he seemingly fed on them, and briefly met Buffy Summers during a game.[1] Due to his non-violent, gentle personality, Clem became an ally of the Scooby Gang.
When he and Spike crashed Buffy’s 21st birthday party, he became friendly with most of the gang,[2] and then was invited to the ultimately-aborted wedding of Alexander Harris and Anya Jenkins, sitting among the groom’s human friends and family.[3] He ended up taking care of Dawn Summers when her sister, the Slayer, needed to face the then dark Willow Rosenberg.[4] Later, he assisted Buffy when she was teaching the Potential Slayers.[5]
Clem left Sunnydale shortly before its destruction,[6] and established himself in Los Angeles. Months later, he became a cast member of Harmony Bites, a reality TV show starring vampire and former Sunnydale resident Harmony Kendall,[7] in his capacity as Harmony's low-paid personal assistant.[8]
Sometime after Harmony Bites was cancelled, Clem and Harmony relocated to London to continue pursuing her reality TV career, which then included a judging spot on Britain’s Got Talent. The pair later sought help from Angel and Faith Lehane after someone began blackmailing Harmony with a tape of her siring a lover. Angel and Faith eventually deduced that Clem was the blackmailer, and he confessed that his plan had been to make Harmony love him by solving the case himself. While Harmony rejected Clem’s romantic overtures outright, she forgave his betrayal and agreed to give him a raise — on the basis that his salary would be paid by Simon Cowell and not her.[9]
Personality and traits[]
Clem shows his “scary face”.
Clem had large, floppy ears, loose skin, and a benevolent disposition, despite being a demon who occasionally played poker with live kittens as antes. However, he later abstained from eating kittens for health and, ostensibly, moral reasons.
Unlike the other demons in Sunnydale, who are evil or consider Buffy Summers like their worst nightmare, Clem is one of the few demons who respects and supports the Slayer.
Though his appearance was typically marked by his mostly saggy skin, occasionally explained away as a "skin condition",[2] he did have the ability to open his face, revealing a number of frightening, multicolored tentacle appendages. Such an occasion frightened the Potential Slayers, proving Buffy’s point that that even the most harmless demon could be terrifying.[5] In another instance he is seen using the snakes which protrude from his face to protect himself and Harmony's dogs from vampires.[9]
Clem revealed that his kind of demon does not kill, as it feeds on emotion, particularly embarrassment. Many of his kind walk around naked for that reason, although Clem claims he has internalized Western beauty standards.[9]
Relationships[]
Romance[]
- Brigitta
- Harmony Kendall
Friendship[]
Clem and Spike.
- Spike — Both players of Kitten Poker,[1] it would seem that a friendship would develop between the two somewhat unusual demons. Clem would then accompany Spike to Buffy’s birthday party,[2] attempt to comfort a highly disturbed Spike after his attack against Buffy,[10] and be responsible for taking care of Spike’s crypt in his absence.[4]
- Buffy Summers — Buffy first met Clem when Spike had dragged her along to a game of Kitten Poker but had stayed out of it, instead choosing to be drunk. Given Clem’s pleasant and peaceful nature, she invited him to her birthday party and became friends with him.[2] She also trusted him enough to watch over her sister Dawn when Spike had already left.[4] When she was training potentials, they hugged like old friends.[5] Years later, Buffy said in their reunion that it was “almost worth” having Harmony in her apartment to see him.[11]
Behind the scenes[]
- He was portrayed by James C. Leary.
Appearances[]
Canon[]
Template:AppearancesBuffySeason6 Template:AppearancesBuffySeason7
- Harmonic Divergence
- Harmony Bites
- Always Darkest (Only in visions)
- In Perfect Harmony
- I Wish, Part One (Only mentioned)
- Day Off (or Harmony In My Head)
- In Pieces on the Ground, Part One
- Where Are They Now?
- One Girl in All the World
Other
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic
- The Death of Buffy, Part Two
- Novels
- "Chosen: The One"
- "The Darkening"
- "Spark and Burn"
- "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Picture Book"
References[]