When main idea gets undermined by setting (or Why I dislike Angel finale)
I strongly dislike „Not Fade Away”, but I never took the time to pinpoint why exactly. It’s not just because I hate cliffhanger endings. That cliffhanger ending fits main idea of „Angel” pretty well... And then it hit me - the main idea. Fighting the Good Fight. That’s the problem.
Buffyverse exists in the modern world not much different from ours. As far as we know most historical events are the same, as well as social institutions, religions, governments...
Basically, world where demons exist and Senior Partners rule, isn’t worse than the one, where they are absent.
Wolf, Ram and Hart ruled the Earth for the thousands of years, and Earth is - more or less - ok. There were no major apocalyptic events and humans effortlessly co-existed with with non-humans. (I guess Slayers and other hunters cull out the raving crazies, while the rest - and the most - of the demons are pretty harmless.)
Yeah, Angel is afraid that Wolf, Ram and Hart will eventually destroy the world, but I don’t see any reason why they would suddenly do it. Other than „because they are evil, and that’s what evil does”. They seem to be perfectly ok with the world like it is. They didn’t change anything for the worse in the thousands of years, why suddenly start now? Just to piss Angel off?
And realization that Wolf, Ram and Hart doesn’t actually add any evil to the Buffyverse world turns Grand Finale of AtS into nothing. It turns heroes into terrorists. Because, that’s exactly how violent fight for the greater good turns out in our world. „We are heroes, they are villains, we have God given right to kill them all, and the hell with the bystanders!”
Ouch... Never thought that „Angel” finale could make me feel more uncomfortable, but now it does.
Buffyverse exists in the modern world not much different from ours. As far as we know most historical events are the same, as well as social institutions, religions, governments...
Basically, world where demons exist and Senior Partners rule, isn’t worse than the one, where they are absent.
Wolf, Ram and Hart ruled the Earth for the thousands of years, and Earth is - more or less - ok. There were no major apocalyptic events and humans effortlessly co-existed with with non-humans. (I guess Slayers and other hunters cull out the raving crazies, while the rest - and the most - of the demons are pretty harmless.)
Yeah, Angel is afraid that Wolf, Ram and Hart will eventually destroy the world, but I don’t see any reason why they would suddenly do it. Other than „because they are evil, and that’s what evil does”. They seem to be perfectly ok with the world like it is. They didn’t change anything for the worse in the thousands of years, why suddenly start now? Just to piss Angel off?
And realization that Wolf, Ram and Hart doesn’t actually add any evil to the Buffyverse world turns Grand Finale of AtS into nothing. It turns heroes into terrorists. Because, that’s exactly how violent fight for the greater good turns out in our world. „We are heroes, they are villains, we have God given right to kill them all, and the hell with the bystanders!”
Ouch... Never thought that „Angel” finale could make me feel more uncomfortable, but now it does.