The WBs Angel turns 25!

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-Considered one of the best spin-offs in Spin-off herstory, the vampire Angel (David Boreanaz) tries to get a fresh start in Los Angeles after leaving his true love, Buffy, behind in Sunnydale. Instead, he finds a whole 'nother breed of fiends waiting to bring out his dark side. Along the way, he joins forces

Comments

[frelling_tralk]

Same with season 3! Everyone always talks about season 4 being the downfall of Cordelia’s character (and not without justification of course), but even in season 3 I felt like something was off. After she was blonde she barely felt like Cordelia any more, it was just weird seeing her in those matronly white dresses and comforting Connor like a mother figure, talking all the time about how Angel was her only priority, and then turning her into a saintly figure almost for the end of the year?!

It’s interesting too because David Greenwalt was still around then, and he’s always credited with knowing Cordelia’s character the best and Charisma herself has talked about feeling like Cordelia no longer had a cheerleader after he left at the end of season 3, but honestly it felt like the snarky brunette that we all loved had already changed a bit too much in the second half of season 3. I’d say that Birthday was the last great Cordelia episode, but when she and Groo came back after her break she almost felt like a different character.

You’re Welcome was an excellent return to form though I agree, but I don’t know who they were writing for in seasons 3 and 4 half the time, it didn’t resemble the Cordelia from the earlier seasons very much

[buries]

10000% agree.

I have to rewatch the series to pick the specific episodes, but I agree that when she turned blonde, her character fell apart. Groo wasn't an interesting addition or love interest, either, and didn't advance her character at all. I think I had a hard time believing she'd be so head over heels for him because he was so dull. (I was a big Angel/Cordelia shipper, so I hated how season 3 teased Cangel and then seemed to forget about them?)

That's interesting re: David Greenwalt (I didn't know this stuff-I don't think I dug very deep when I was watching 10 years ago; I only ever watched Charisma at Comic Con speak about Whedon's treatment of her for You're Welcome) and it's really sad that such a great and iconic character became some caricature of herself. Like, sure, maybe she'd be kind toward Connor, but I feel like she lost her tough love around that time, too.

I liked the idea of her becoming a higher being, but I hated the execution since it offered her no growth like her receiving the visions did, and I feel like it undermined the fact she was never a Buffy character who was meant to be some Big Supernatural Being. (She was the heart of Angel and I hated how they seemed to forget it was because of her humanity.)

It's crazy to me to think they had no idea what to do with Cordelia Chase of all characters.