30 Days of Bangel

[Antho]

*For Bangel only*

I'm honest and I must admit that I stole the idea from our Spuffy friends 🙂. But hey they are nice they won't be angry to me (I hope) and they should have buy a licence haha 🙂. Plus, I change some questions !

Every day for the next month post your answer to the question asked (if you miss a day feel free to post more then 1 to catch up)

[Nov 6] Day 1 : Fav Bangel season ?
[Nov 7] Day 2 : Fav Bangel episode overall ?
[Nov 8] Day 3 : Least fav Bangel episode overall ?
[Nov 9] Day 4 : Fav Bangel episode in S2 ?
[Nov 10] Day 5 : Fav Bangel episode in S3 ?
[Nov 11] Day 6 : Fav Angel look ?
[Nov 12] Day 7 : Fav Buffy look ?
[Nov 13] Day 8 : Fav Bangel moment ?
[Nov 14] Day 9 : Favorite Sarah's quotes about Bangel ?
[Nov 15] Day 10 : Favorite David's quote about Bangel ?
[Nov 16] Day 11 : Fav Bangel sex scene ?
[Nov 17] Day 12 : Favorite Bangel kiss ?
[Nov 18] Day 13 : What episode was the first episode that made you know that your a Bangel fan ?
[Nov 19] Day 14 : When did Buffy start loving Angel ?
[Nov 20] Day 15 : Do you identify with the relationship ?
[Nov 21] Day 16 : What makes you love Bangel over Spuffy or Briley ?
[Nov 22] Day 17 : Do you want Bangel endgame ?
[Nov 23] Day 18 : Do you enjoy Bangel fanfic ?
[Nov 24] Day 19 : Does Angel or Buffy could live in a world where one of them is dead ?
[Nov 25] Day 20 : Imagine the scene between Buffy and Angel during season 6 of Buffy and 3 of Angel when they meet and we don't know more !
[Nov 26] Day 21 : According to you what is the most important thing that one has learned to the other ?
[Nov 27] Day 22 : According to you, was Angelus in love with Buffy ?
[Nov 28] Day 23 : Favorite Bangelus scene ?
[Nov 29] Day 24 : Most underrated Bangel episode ?
[Nov 30] Day 25 : Which character do you feel supports Bangel the most ?
[Dec 1] Day 26 : Name the thing you admire the most about them ?
[Dec 2]Day 27 : Do you think you could, one day, stop loving Bangel or become a Spuffy fan ?
[Dec 3]Day 28 : Favorite Buffy's quote about Angel ?
[Dec 4]Day 29 : Favorite Angel's quote about Buffy ?
[Dec 5]Day 30 : What do you think about the Bangel fandom ?

 

[MarlieTheSlayer]

So we'll start in December? 🙂

 

[Antho]

So we'll start in December? 🙂

Why can't we start now ? We can do from 6 november to 6 december no ?

 

[MarlieTheSlayer]

Why can't we start now ? We can do from 6 november to 6 december no ?

I was confused with the ''Every day for the next month''. 😳 Sounds good!
 
Day 1: Fav Bangel season ?
Season 2, so many beautiful and cute scenes between them in the first half of the season: the icerink scene, Mr. Gordo, Angel giving her the Claddagh ring,...
The second half is saaaad 🙁, but allows Buffy to grow and become a better slayer. Becoming is one of the best finales ever. It still hits me right in the feels!

 

[Antho]

Day 1 : Fav Bangel season ?

SEASON 3 !

I am going to be short by saying that what I like most about this season is that the Bangel is rebuilding itself on the ashes of the previous season.
It feels that the Angelus phase has had a dramatic effect on them and I like to see how they handle their emotions. I like the tension between them when they see each other in secret and deny their feelings whereas they know they still love each other. It give to us a lot of Tai-Chi scene and besides the fact that Angel is shirtless I really love the atmosphere between them, like they forced themselves to move on but can't not help coming back to each other, being closer, learning to trust each other !

 

[Taaroko]

Day 1: Favorite Buffy/Angel season?

S2 wins, but it's so hard to pick. I love everything about their interactions in S1, and S3 is also pretty great (the on-again off-again angst notwithstanding), but S2 is what really made Buffy/Angel into OTP material. In the first half of the season, they have no idea that they're playing with fire, and they love each other so much. A couple of minor highlights for me are Buffy curling up in Angel's bed when she's scared of the Order of Taraka and Angel holding Mr. Gordo.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

Day 1 : Favorite Buffy/Angel season?

Tough. But I think Season 3 wins out for me because it solidified the soulmate deal for me. He comes back feral and lost and she loves him and cares for him. She tries to stay away but she finds she can’t because she loves him. It elevated their love story. After hell and death their love was still there. I loved the casualness of late Season 3 - bad girls, interacting with her while on the job, the fighting vamps and the “sorry honey” the “I took you to that nest by the beach I thought that was different” it’s a little glimpse into the life they could have had as partners. Small bickering. Post slayage naps.

Part of me wants to say Season 4 because in a big way this Season was so much about them two, their inability to let go of each other, their continued sacrifice, their anger as a result of still having feelings for each other... but too much Riley here 🙂

 

[Taaroko]

Y'all are making a pretty good case for S3...

 

[Bop]

Favourite Bangel season:
Season 2 because it's the season of Bangel. Obviously the ending of Becoming part 2 is unforgettable and I've also always enjoyed the Bangel in 'Halloween', the way that Buffy is concerned that she pales in comparison to the girls Angel had in his past and of course Angel tells her differently 🙂
When someone thinks of Bangel, I think season 2 is what they think of!

 

[Antho]

I already love this thread 🙄

 

[NeonNightLight]

Ahh these are some really convincing arguments for season 2 vs season 3. Still, even though I think I enjoyed Bangel more as a couple in season 3 (they've gone through all these trials and made sacrifices, matured together and turned into stronger people, and had to come to a heartbreaking but necessary end), season 2 has those emotional highs and captivating storytelling that made me instinctively think of it as my favorite Bangel season.

 

[Grace]

This is too hard! I'm going with Season 2 because I love all the little moments leading up to Innocence -- the "I missed you" scene and the way Angel holds Buffy when she cries in WSWB, the walk home holding hands in SAR, Halloween kisses, the intensity of Lie to Me, Mr. Gordo and the ice skating in WML, that sweet little bandaging scene in Ted, pretty much all of Bad Eggs and then the beauty of Surprise. Their relationship is never not complicated but it's nice to see it when it's least weighted by grief and pain, though of course it's leading up to a whole lotta grief and pain. I also adore IOHEFY and Becoming, so that's extra points for S2.

I love them in Season 3, too, especially in Amends and Earshot, and everything about the episode Angel in S1 just knocks me out -- the cross kiss, the scene where Buffy offers Angel her neck, gah. And AtS S1 is so infused with Buffy, from the aftermath of the Graduation Day bite in City Of to the promise of the Shanshu in the finale, with the breathtaking beauty of IWRY in between.
 

dcai0830: LOL - so basically all seasons...

Having to choose just one favorite Bangel season is insane troll logic, anyway. 😛

 

[Mylie]

My favorite dynamic for them is a mix of season 3 and the following seasons, but since season 3 gave us so much more I’m going to have to go with that one. I love how much more complex their relationship is. There’s a sort of restreint between them because of the events and trauma of season 2 but underneath it all the love and support between them is still very much there. I love that they both have moments where they are honest with themselves about the future of the relationship but don’t want to let go of each other. It’s flawed and beautiful. They also have moments of good teamwork, funny conversations and while I’ll always have trouble with the break up scene in The Prom, Angel showing up for her represents the best of their relationship to me (see Forever as well).

 

[Jam]

It's funny, the other day I was considering making this kind of thread so I'm glad you did! Also, I would've just copy and pasted a '30 days of Bangel' challenge from tumblr, so your questions turned out much better 😉

I'm looking forward to the development of this thread!

Day 1: Favourite Buffy/Angel season

Season 3! I agree so much when @dcai0830 says that this season "elevated their love story." Buffy and Angel are very sweet in seasons 1 and 2 but if season 2 was where their story ended, I know that I wouldn't be nearly as invested in them as I am. As great as the drama and emotional beats are in season 2, I feel like we see a lot more dimension to their relationship in season 3 and that is very appealing to me; dealing with the trauma and aftermath of Angelus' reign in season 2 [Anne-Beauty and the Beast/Amends/Enemies], trying to be friends and failing [Homecoming-Amends], being there for each other/lifting the other up/trusting each other [Amends-Helpless/Consequences], talking through their problems [Earshot], the moments where they just do couple-y things [Helpless/Bad Girls/Enemies/Choices-The Prom], and of course the drama [Beauty and the Beasts/Amends/The Prom-Graduation Day]. Related: I also really like what we get in The Wish with the continuation of the Angel we saw in the flashbacks from Becoming Part 1 and seeing a much more hardened Buffy's reluctance to trust him to ultimately trusting him. To me, this also reiterates (in a small way) the importance they had on each other's journey.

Also, I've said it before but I loooove seeing them working together as a team in terms of fighting and tactics; the quick shot of them slaying a vampire together in Doppelgangland is weirdly endearing to me! Overall, they feel very evenly matched in this season.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

Also, I've said it before but I loooove seeing them working together as a team in terms of fighting and tactics; the quick shot of them slaying a vampire together in Doppelgangland is weirdly endearing to me! Overall, they feel very evenly matched in this season.

Love them in Doppelgangland. Its the small subtle things that show us how they are partners/equals like how they walk in sync, shoulder to shoulder leading the gang:

Credit to: nevergonnabemuchmorethanweather on tumblr for the gif

 

[Taaroko]

I never would've noticed the walking in sync thing if not for tumblr gifsets. Power couple! So awesome.

 

[Antho]

I don't know what time is it for you but for me it is 1:45 a.m so it's day 2 for me 😉

Day 2 : Fav Bangel episode overall ?

As much as I love "I Will Remember You" I'm going with "Amends" here ! I love a lot of things in that episode :
- The snow in the end,
- It's Christmas 🙂,
- the message of hope that is hiding behind Buffy's speech to Angel : "Strong is fighting, it's hard and it's painful and it's every day. It's what whe have to do and we can do it together" ! Philosophy of the life !
- Angel mentally tortured by the First, to see him sinking pursued by former victims,
- The sex scene in Angel's dreams. Lot of sexual desire and lot of good tension.
- Jenny is back
- The moment where Angel confronts Giles.. Lot of nervous tensions..

The more I talk about it the more I want to watch it 😉

 

[Taaroko]

Day 2: Favorite Buffy/Angel episode overall?

Man, if picking a whole season was hard...

I think I'm gonna go with "Surprise." Devastating twist aside, it's the very best of the cuteness before they learn about the happiness clause. We get the Claddagh rings, we get a hint of how many offscreen conversations Buffy and Angel must have ("Yeah, she hasn't been sleeping well, tossing and turning."), we get Buffy being super cute when she thanks Angel for the birthday party almost as if it was entirely his idea, we them fighting for each other. Gah. It's wonderful. And this is also the episode where Angel feels most like a part of the Scoobies. He's there for the research, he's there for the party. He never really gets back to that point after S2.

Runners up: IWRY, "Amends," "What's My Line: Part I," and "Angel."

 

[Jam]

Day 2: Favourite Buffy/Angel episode

Becoming, always! I'm just so fascinated by their paralleling stories and I'm also keen on examining how Buffy and Angel's relationship has an effect on them as individuals. Allow me to first communicate in gifs:

"Where 'Becoming Pt. 1' was mostly focused on Angel's backstory, 'Becoming Pt. 2' -- right from the start -- shifts our focus back to Buffy, with the entire episode barely ever cutting away from her point of view. Unlike Angel, who's story of 'becoming' has mostly already happened, we're witnessing Buffy's story unfolding right now." (source)

The first person Angel encounters after his soul is restored (the first time), he is told, "It hurts, yes? Good. It will hurt more. (...) The face of everyone you have killed will haunt you and you will know what true suffering is." and that pretty well sets the course for his undead life for the next ~100 years. He can walk like a man but he's not one; he's basically given up on humanity... until he sees the moment where Buffy's life is changed forever in such a drastic way and a way that is completely out of her control – something Angel can relate to all too well. He's inspired and when she quietly cries in front of the mirror, Angel decides that he doesn't want her to shoulder that responsibility on her own. Although by the end of Becoming, she's all alone again 🙁

And then of course, the "Close your eyes." scene is so powerful and heartbreaking. Sarah and David are amazing in the scene! The fact that one of the very first thing Angel notices is that Buffy's hurt 🙁 Sarah's face acting 🙁 Their tear-streaked faces, does Angel even know why he's crying?? 🙁

 

[Mrs Gordo]

Day 2: Favorite Buffy/Angel episode

I think I’m going to change my mind right after I make this decision but I’m going to go with IWRY. One of the things I love about this episode is how it shows Buffy and Angel have tried to move on but they admit to each other that they still feel and intense pull. And I like the acknowledgment canonically that the can feel each other’s presences maybe because of the blood drinking?

I love Buffy’s admissions in the sewer that being around Angel is confusing and Angel telling Buffy that it hurts every day when she isn’t around. In other words it re-emphasizes for me that while the couple is apart it is not for lack of wanting to be together. And this theme is carried throughout the show.

Then to see them if only temporarily happy in each other’s arms. I look back in all of the seasons of Buffy and I have never seen her as happy and at peace as she is here in his arms:

And this is of course the happiest I’ve ever seen Angel (up to this point). It is a moment of pure bliss and EVEN if we know it can’t last it’s beautiful.

I love after the fight with the Mora demon when Angel is lying on the ground, he can’t even freaking stand and he reaches back over to Buffy about to ask her if she is ok. And Buffy does her best to comfort him to tell them that it’s ok because they are together and that’s all that matters and it’s a nice moment even if we know what it means.

And I love the decision Angel makes because he basically sacrificed his life for her and for the people he swore to protect. And I love that Buffy eventually says “I understand” because she is the only other person in this world who knows the weight of having this sacred duty. In fact you might call thus kyrumption - as they realize their mutual fate, to sacrifice being with the one they love for their work.

And I love the desperation as they both prepare to let go of what may be their last hope at a life together in that final minute.