superseniors series characters

Tony Vee

Tony is a SuperSenior, a student who's attended Buffalo State University more than four years. We never find out exactly how many semesters he's been there, but he's in no hurry to leave. Tony is the main character of the series, and the audience occasionally hears the first-person narration of his thoughts and feelings.

Since going to class is Tony's major social outing, he wears his best outfits and has great attendance. Tony has a good sense of humor, but is very shy. He doesn't date much, and hasn't had a serious girlfriend since high school. He always reminisces back to Williamsville High, where he insists that he was once 'cool'. Tony is still well-liked, but only has two close friends: John and Trena.

Tony still lives with his parents in the suburbs, and commutes to class every day. He puts himself through school by working at a local deli. He seems content with his life, but is always waiting for something exciting to happen to him.

John Ardott

John is Tony's best friend. They met on the first day of freshmen orientation at BSU. John is more vocal and outgoing than Tony, usually to a fault. He is a spoiled only-child whose parents financially support him (they only live 20 minutes from campus). Since John insisted on moving out of the house, his parents agreed to pay for it only if he lived in a dormitory. John inexplicably has a new roommate every episode.

John can be charming when he wants to, and goes on a lot of dates. His girlfriends never last more than one episode. He thinks he knows everything about women and relationships, and never hesitates to share his theories with Tony. Trena, who is never swayed by John's charms, usually is telling Tony the opposite of whatever John believes to be true about women.

John's major is never revealed to us, and it doesn't seem to matter. He's proud to be a SuperSenior, and appears to have no desire to go out and face the real world.

Trena

Unlike Tony and John, Trena's major is revealed to us: she is studying to be an elementary school teacher. She is a waitress at a local pizzeria, where Tony and John are frequent customers. Trena and Tony grew up in the same neighborhood, living only two houses apart. They went to the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade, but Trena went to a private all-girls high school.

Trena lives in an apartment a few blocks away from campus, and walks to school every day. She has one roommate, Rianna, whom John is infatuated with. Trena also has a cat, Lucky, that John likes to chase around the apartment and try to cuddle. John's behavior around her cat and roommate are more reasons Trena doesn't like him.

Trena's studies occupy a lot of her time, to the astonishment of Tony and John. She dates regularly, but hasn't been involved in many long-term relationships. Trena seems to have repressed feelings for Tony, but they're never acted upon. Tony still sees her as the little girl who lived in his neighborhood.

Mr. Richards

Mr. Richards was a freshmen teacher of Tony and John's. Tony still visits him to get advice, and usually drags John along. Mr. Richards is single, eccentric, paranoid, cheap, and his job is his life. Tony usually leaves Mr. Richards' office even more confused than when he arrived. Mr. Richards tries to relate Tony's problems to his own experiences, which usually leads to crazy, unrelated stories from his frenetic past. As students, Mr. Richards has always preferred Tony to John. John can't stand it when Tony goes to other people for advice, especially Mr. Richards.

Denis

Denis is a handsome, well-built, stylish, simple-minded rugby player. When people talk to him, he responds by repeating key phrases of whatever they said in a slow, deep voice. As dumb as he is, Tony and John think he is the pinnacle of COOL. All the girls worship him as he struts down the hall, Tony and John included. They never hang out with Denis, but always make a point to talk with him at school (just to be seen with him).

Rianna

As Trena's roommate, Rianna is rarely seen around the apartment. She's busy going to school and working at a health club. She also volunteers her time to numerous organizations, including BSU student government and the college newspaper. John has a big crush on her, which she could care less about. John is always pointing out things they both have in common, attempting to win her heart. She's the only girl who makes him turn into a bashful, cowering little boy.

Rianna comes from a big family, and learned not to take any crap from anyone. She is a strong woman, both mentally and physically. She's captain of the women's field hockey team. Very subtle clues are dropped occasionally which lead us to wonder if Rianna is a bi-sexual.

Chuck

Chuck is a cook at the pizzeria where Trena works. He is a lazy, smelly, terrible student. He spends his time partying when he should be studying. Chuck drinks too much, eats too much, and smokes too much. He's always inviting Tony and John to go out with him, but they always refuse. They can't stand him. Chuck has no real mind of his own he pretty much does whatever people tell him to do. Trena is always willing to help him with his schoolwork, hoping he'll change for the better. But Chuck always lets her down.

Stephanie

Stephanie has a small but significant role in the series. Unlike many of the other characters who go on dates, Stephanie lives with her boyfriend. She is a genuinely nice person with very low self-esteem. We are led to believe that her boyfriend doesn't treat her well. Stephanie feels trapped in her 'comfortable' relationship, and they need each other to split the rent.

Tony and John are always inviting her to go to lunch or meet them out, but she always politely rejects them, only to rush home. Her boyfriend doesn't like her out with other people, though he goes out with his friends all the time. We never see him, but we're told that he's a tall, muscular drunk.

The only person Stephanie connects with is Denis. She won't admit to anyone that she has a minor crush on him.

Caitlyn

Caitlyn is Tony's "dream girl" the girl he wants to marry. He's had a few classes with her, but never sees her out of school. Of course she has a boyfriend, but used to confide in Tony that her relationship wasn't a good one. Tony believes Caitlyn would be the perfect mate; she doesn't swear, drink, or smoke, and she just happens to be beautiful.

Against John's constant prodding, Tony never talks to Caitlyn anymore. He's afraid that he'll say something stupid. But he checks the wedding announcements in every Sunday's newspaper, waiting to see her name.

Nadine

Nadine is a rude, mean-spirited sorority girl. John has liked her since they met at freshmen orientation. He's attracted to her power and popularity. She doesn't play a big role in the series, but shows up occasionally to reject John's advances.

Mike and Maria Vee: Tony's Parents

Tony's parents are working-class people who live in a middle-class suburb outside the city of Buffalo. Mr. Vee is a cement finisher, and Mrs. Vee is a secretary at a local school.

They have two other children who are both older than Tony: Gina - a successful attorney, wife, and mother, and Mike Jr. - a swinging single fireman. Gina is the prize of the family, and the child Tony's parents speak of most. Tony's parents love him very much, but they really don't notice when he comes or goes. His parents are always seen sitting in front of the television, where his mom is either reading a book or sleeping. Watching TV prompts his father to tell stories of lost opportunities that could've made him a millionaire.

Barry and Betty Ardott: John's Parents

John's parents' whole lives revolve around their son. They always want to know what he's doing, with whom, where, and when. They treat John like a child, and his mom still refers to him as "My Baby!". Betty calls at least once a day, and Barry has been known to "stop by" at the most inopportune times. Even though his mother wants to know everything about all his friends, she can never remember any of their names.

Another reason Trena and John don't get along is because she hates the negative way he talks about his parents (Trena's are divorced, and apparently didn't care much for her). John's parents pay all his bills, and haven't pressured him at all to graduate (because they're afraid he'll get a job out of town).

Buffalo State University

Located in the city of Buffalo, New York, Buffalo State University is surrounded by a number of small shops, bars, and restaurants. BSU isn't known as one of the finer learning institutions; it's the butt of many jokes from other colleges around the area. With 10,000 students, BSU is famous for it's SuperSeniors who can never seem to graduate. In part because of backwards administration and academic procedures, at BSU it's difficult to register for classes, find a parking spot, get a decent meal, receive financial aid, and graduate in four years.

Series Summary

Characters

Professional Critique

	Tony Vee Tony is a SuperSenior, a student who's attended Buffalo State University more than four years. We never find out exactly how many semesters he's been there, but he's in no hurry to leave. Tony is the main character of the series, and the audience occasionally hears the first-person narration of his thoughts and feelings. Since going to class is Tony's major social outing, he wears his best outfits and has great attendance. Tony has a good sense of humor, but is very shy. He doesn't date much, and hasn't had a serious girlfriend since high school. He always reminisces back to Williamsville High, where he insists that he was once 'cool'. Tony is still well-liked, but only has two close friends: John and Trena. Tony still lives with his parents in the suburbs, and commutes to class every day. He puts himself through school by working at a local deli. He seems content with his life, but is always waiting for something exciting to happen to him.
	John Ardott John is Tony's best friend. They met on the first day of freshmen orientation at BSU. John is more vocal and outgoing than Tony, usually to a fault. He is a spoiled only-child whose parents financially support him (they only live 20 minutes from campus). Since John insisted on moving out of the house, his parents agreed to pay for it only if he lived in a dormitory. John inexplicably has a new roommate every episode. John can be charming when he wants to, and goes on a lot of dates. His girlfriends never last more than one episode. He thinks he knows everything about women and relationships, and never hesitates to share his theories with Tony. Trena, who is never swayed by John's charms, usually is telling Tony the opposite of whatever John believes to be true about women. John's major is never revealed to us, and it doesn't seem to matter. He's proud to be a SuperSenior, and appears to have no desire to go out and face the real world.
	Trena Unlike Tony and John, Trena's major is revealed to us: she is studying to be an elementary school teacher. She is a waitress at a local pizzeria, where Tony and John are frequent customers. Trena and Tony grew up in the same neighborhood, living only two houses apart. They went to the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade, but Trena went to a private all-girls high school. Trena lives in an apartment a few blocks away from campus, and walks to school every day. She has one roommate, Rianna, whom John is infatuated with. Trena also has a cat, Lucky, that John likes to chase around the apartment and try to cuddle. John's behavior around her cat and roommate are more reasons Trena doesn't like him. Trena's studies occupy a lot of her time, to the astonishment of Tony and John. She dates regularly, but hasn't been involved in many long-term relationships. Trena seems to have repressed feelings for Tony, but they're never acted upon. Tony still sees her as the little girl who lived in his neighborhood.
	Mr. Richards Mr. Richards was a freshmen teacher of Tony and John's. Tony still visits him to get advice, and usually drags John along. Mr. Richards is single, eccentric, paranoid, cheap, and his job is his life. Tony usually leaves Mr. Richards' office even more confused than when he arrived. Mr. Richards tries to relate Tony's problems to his own experiences, which usually leads to crazy, unrelated stories from his frenetic past. As students, Mr. Richards has always preferred Tony to John. John can't stand it when Tony goes to other people for advice, especially Mr. Richards.
	Denis Denis is a handsome, well-built, stylish, simple-minded rugby player. When people talk to him, he responds by repeating key phrases of whatever they said in a slow, deep voice. As dumb as he is, Tony and John think he is the pinnacle of COOL. All the girls worship him as he struts down the hall, Tony and John included. They never hang out with Denis, but always make a point to talk with him at school (just to be seen with him).
	Rianna As Trena's roommate, Rianna is rarely seen around the apartment. She's busy going to school and working at a health club. She also volunteers her time to numerous organizations, including BSU student government and the college newspaper. John has a big crush on her, which she could care less about. John is always pointing out things they both have in common, attempting to win her heart. She's the only girl who makes him turn into a bashful, cowering little boy. Rianna comes from a big family, and learned not to take any crap from anyone. She is a strong woman, both mentally and physically. She's captain of the women's field hockey team. Very subtle clues are dropped occasionally which lead us to wonder if Rianna is a bi-sexual.
	Chuck Chuck is a cook at the pizzeria where Trena works. He is a lazy, smelly, terrible student. He spends his time partying when he should be studying. Chuck drinks too much, eats too much, and smokes too much. He's always inviting Tony and John to go out with him, but they always refuse. They can't stand him. Chuck has no real mind of his own he pretty much does whatever people tell him to do. Trena is always willing to help him with his schoolwork, hoping he'll change for the better. But Chuck always lets her down.
	Stephanie Stephanie has a small but significant role in the series. Unlike many of the other characters who go on dates, Stephanie lives with her boyfriend. She is a genuinely nice person with very low self-esteem. We are led to believe that her boyfriend doesn't treat her well. Stephanie feels trapped in her 'comfortable' relationship, and they need each other to split the rent. Tony and John are always inviting her to go to lunch or meet them out, but she always politely rejects them, only to rush home. Her boyfriend doesn't like her out with other people, though he goes out with his friends all the time. We never see him, but we're told that he's a tall, muscular drunk. The only person Stephanie connects with is Denis. She won't admit to anyone that she has a minor crush on him.
	Caitlyn Caitlyn is Tony's "dream girl" the girl he wants to marry. He's had a few classes with her, but never sees her out of school. Of course she has a boyfriend, but used to confide in Tony that her relationship wasn't a good one. Tony believes Caitlyn would be the perfect mate; she doesn't swear, drink, or smoke, and she just happens to be beautiful. Against John's constant prodding, Tony never talks to Caitlyn anymore. He's afraid that he'll say something stupid. But he checks the wedding announcements in every Sunday's newspaper, waiting to see her name.
	Nadine Nadine is a rude, mean-spirited sorority girl. John has liked her since they met at freshmen orientation. He's attracted to her power and popularity. She doesn't play a big role in the series, but shows up occasionally to reject John's advances.