oh, put your martyr away, Mahatma
I won’t lie, I have some pretty big issues with the use of Wesley’s injury as a metaphor, because the attempt to analogize wheelchair use with dysfunction and lack of wholeness has a pretty ugly history. NOTICE HOW WESLEY STANDS UP WHEN THEY ARE BACK TOGETHER? EVEN THOUGH HE HAS JUST BEEN ATTACKED TWICE IN ONE NIGHT AND SHOULD BY ALL RIGHTS BE HOME CRYING FOR MOMMY, OR AT LEAST TOO WHACKED-OUT ON VICODEN TO BE COHERENT? Because obviously he could not hold his own emotionally and intellectually in a wheelchair, even though he has just spent three episodes doing just that. GRRRR. There’s some not-terrible stuff in there about the equation of physical prowess with interpersonal power, but it’s critical, not metaphoric, so it doesn’t bother me so much. None of which even touches my issues with CORDELIA BEING BASICALLY GANG-RAPED SO THE MENFOLK CAN WORK OUT THEIR FEELINGS, REALLY THOUGH?
However, thematically it draws a pretty telling parallel with Angel’s return to Spike’n’Dru in S/I: the dark, bent-not-broken Seer he toyed with and then dropped, and the presumed protégé who has surpassed him (Spike as a vampire warrior - Angel isn’t the Slayer of Slayers, after all - and Wes in dedication to the helpless) temporarily rendered unthreatening. Angel is really best at playing nice with the other boys when they are literally unable to fight or get away from him. Because really, they all did just fine without him. They like him, but they don’t need him; they have to be artificially and temporarily dependent for Angel’s ego to let him take the risk of going back.
I know it’s supposed to be the moment that makes me love him, but really, this is exactly where Angel lost me for good. What, HE isn’t going to get what he wants, therefore there is NO GRAND PLAN ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE? THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD JUST REVOLVES AROUND YOU, DOESN’T IT, ANGELUS. But because this is put forth as the philosophical statement of the series, this kind of wallowing egocentrism is validated even as the statement itself is walked back by Kate’s observation of how the natural world bent itself for a moment to save her. Angel’s epiphany, in-universe, pretty much blows, given that we find out for sure that there are cosmic punishments and rewards granted by higher powers who like to yank all kinds of strings seen and unseen, so, good thing it only lasts for fifteen seconds. Wesley why do you have to go and be perfect and make me give a damn about this show.
Also, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM. Kate is FUCKING SUICIDAL and Angel throws NOTHING MATTERS in her face? GO TO HELL, ANGEL. OH, MY BAD, BACK TO HELL. I’m actually supposed to applaud and admire Angel in a moment where he makes another person’s suicide attempt all about himself? The smallest act of kindness is all that matters! UNLESS THERE IS POMPOUS LECTURING TO BE DONE. QUICKLY! TO THE ANGELMOBILE! AWAY!
HOWEVER IT IS NEVER AN INAPPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE GUNN LOVE. "No. No. I'm interested. You know, 'cause they could strike at any time. Could be the next time you see one of them lawyers, you get all epiphanied off right back at 'em." *splodey* ANY AND ALL GUNN SQUEE IS COMPLETELY ON TOPIC HERE.