In this light I almost wonder if Wesley's not a cautionary tale about too much truth being a bad thing? A lot of research shows a little bit of self-deception as a healthy thing: to think a little better of yourself, to have a little more hope for the future than the present warrants. But a Watcher cannot afford to do that. And Wesley, having been molded his whole life into being the job, just can't afford that little veneer that softens reality, and maybe that's why he burns out so young.
By contrast, Angel lasts because both of his halves are illusions, and so he has this weird detente, and Cordelia, as you say, is the opposite of Wesley in her role-playing and overconfidence.
Yeah, I think cautionary tale is a good way to put it. Thinking a bit more on this, Illyria serves as another symbolic embodiment of 'good vs. evil'/'demon vs. humanity' (where the demons are invested in enslaving/killing people as opposed to the cuddly Lorne variety) and how Fred's soul being destroyed tips the scales towards humanity losing. Wesley's madness at the loss of Fred occurs after 'Origin' when he discovers Angel's duplicity, too. So it's like a one-two punch. I think Wesley can handle lots of hard truth, but in this instance it becomes too much. Wes is able to unveil the deception yet again in 'Origin' and reveal the truth, but it's disturbing to not only realize that he can't trust Angel but that he also can't completely trust the sanctity of his own mind. How tragic is that, that as a Watcher he's been fooled by an illusion for nearly an entire year. Fooled and, arguably, very happy to be deceived -- to think he's in fluffy bunny love with Fred and Angel's darkness isn't as immediately discernible to him. Angel
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That's why I see NFA and AtS as a tragedy and it's a tragedy of Angel's making. That by giving into the violence, by forsaking helping the helpless, he's abandoned his humanity. He's already tipped the scales by choosing the wrong side, the side that wants to "kill them all". It takes him back to his introduction in the BtVS pilot -- killing demons is his way. But for him to reclaim his humanity, he has to distance himself from killing, as opposed to Buffy who can be the Slayer because she's so very human at heart.
"Let's go to work" strikes me as this hollow battle cry.
"Let's go to work" strikes me as this hollow battle cry.I know we're not talking about the comics, but: this is exactly what bothered me when I saw that was Buffy's last line at the end of S8 (issue 40, after she's fought back an entire circle of her own sister Slayers and reaffirmed herself as THE Slayer.) I've also read from DH that they are trying to bring the worlds of AtS and BtVS closer together and the whole thing reads terribly wrong to me.) Buffy (the character and the series) was never about nihilism. Chosen ends in the light (without, I think, being sentimental, which I think gets overlooked a lot) filled with hope; NFA ends in hopelessness - to me, it's essentially a pissing contest
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Yeah, I have to say I'm less than pleased with how the merging of BtVS and AtS has affected the hopefulness of the Buffy side.
I think NFA is a better series finale, actually, at least in how it brings the character arcs to a close and what's more, allows the group to interact with each other and draw things to a close. Chosen really needed to be a 2-hour finale to do justice to the relationships between the Scoobies, imo. The reunion after Buffy being kicked out, after the season-long distance between them, it all felt too abrupt. So in that regard, NFA is better. But as a for a better ending? As in preferable for the world to go on existing? As a better message to take away? Chosen all the way. NFA is a great finale in such that its a great tragic ending.
Full disclosure: I haven't watched AtS beyond a couple of episodes *shifty eyes* I've read a good bit about it (aka spoilers don't bother me) and I've been encouraged to watch it; I even contemplated it when I watched one or two and thought that Cordy was becoming an interesting character (which had started in btvs s3 for me); THEN I read about what happens to her character, and Darla stakes herself, and Fred's soul is destroyed and there are no women at the end of the series in the fight - and you know what? I'll take a pass for the moment. I grew up with movies and tv that were entirely male-dominated so really, rather not. (I give you props for doing so, though.)
Chosen really needed to be a 2-hour finale to do justice to the relationships between the Scoobies, imo. The reunion after Buffy being kicked out, after the season-long distance between them, it all felt too abrupt.Very true, but in some ways AtS got to benefit (more than once, I think) from the fact that it was following in Buffy's footsteps; the writers could correct
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By contrast, Angel lasts because both of his halves are illusions, and so he has this weird detente, and Cordelia, as you say, is the opposite of Wesley in her role-playing and overconfidence.
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That's why I see NFA and AtS as a tragedy and it's a tragedy of Angel's making. That by giving into the violence, by forsaking helping the helpless, he's abandoned his humanity. He's already tipped the scales by choosing the wrong side, the side that wants to "kill them all". It takes him back to his introduction in the BtVS pilot -- killing demons is his way. But for him to reclaim his humanity, he has to distance himself from killing, as opposed to Buffy who can be the Slayer because she's so very human at heart.
"Let's go to work" strikes me as this hollow battle cry.
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I think NFA is a better series finale, actually, at least in how it brings the character arcs to a close and what's more, allows the group to interact with each other and draw things to a close. Chosen really needed to be a 2-hour finale to do justice to the relationships between the Scoobies, imo. The reunion after Buffy being kicked out, after the season-long distance between them, it all felt too abrupt. So in that regard, NFA is better. But as a for a better ending? As in preferable for the world to go on existing? As a better message to take away? Chosen all the way. NFA is a great finale in such that its a great tragic ending.
LOL to those and their TEH AWESOME reactions.
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Chosen really needed to be a 2-hour finale to do justice to the relationships between the Scoobies, imo. The reunion after Buffy being kicked out, after the season-long distance between them, it all felt too abrupt.Very true, but in some ways AtS got to benefit (more than once, I think) from the fact that it was following in Buffy's footsteps; the writers could correct ( ... )
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