Angel In Season 7 Why?

[white avenger]

Other than the rather unnecessary plot device of delivering the magic amulet, what purpose did Angel's return in Season 7 really serve, other than to act as a reminder that Spike wasn't the first super powered boyfriend Buffy had ever had?

 

[GrrArghx]

It obviously wasn't unnecessary considering said amulet set the premise for winning the final battle, Spike's death & return, and then the whole Lindsey S/L in AtS S5.

Other than that, Angel had a right to be there. He was there from the beginning. BtVS was the reason AtS even happened. Of course he would be there for the series finale.

 

[ToShanshuInLA]

Just to mess with the Spuffers, obviously. 😉

It obviously wasn't unnecessary considering said amulet set the premise for winning the final battle, Spike's death & return, and then the whole Lindsey S/L in AtS S5.

Nah, none of that was important. The amulet should have fallen from the sky and in through Buffy's window and landed on her bed...or something. 😛

 

[Icarium]

Other than the rather unnecessary plot device of delivering the magic amulet, what purpose did Angel's return in Season 7 really serve, other than to act as a reminder that Spike wasn't the first super powered boyfriend Buffy had ever had?

To give a sop to the Bangel fans. The whole episode is "pick your own ending", 'shipping wise, which for me was possibly the most shameless pandering Joss had ever done but YMMV. 🙂

 

[Tome]

Actually I think they just wanted to tie in both series, Buffy was ending so they had Angel show up, just like they wanted Buffy to come on AtS at the end but RL issues made it impossible.

 

[Bungle Jerry]

The problem is, though, that it makes little sense from Angel's perspective. Angel still loves Cordy, is fresh from the shock of seeing Connor threatening to kill Cordy, agrees to taking over W&H more in order to seek help for Cordy (and Connor, of course) than for the amulet. Then, no time whatsoever passes and he's kissing Buffy and asking if he'll ever taste her cookie dough. Then it's back to L.A. and wolfgirl. It seems a bit random. And more to the point, as you could also say for the comic books, the Angel character is allowed to grow and expand to new parameters on his own show, but do a cameo on BtVS, and it's as it ever was, as if nothing happened while he was away. Strange.

It would have been right, storywise, for Angel to own up to Buffy for his feelings for Cordy.

 

[GrrArghx]

It would have been right, storywise, for Angel to own up to Buffy for his feelings for Cordy.

I disagree. Angel mentioning Cordelia in that scene would've just ruined it. I don't think Buffy would've taken the news lightly and then you have the entire scene shift to Buffy being jealous and hurt and then the whole focus is just ruined.

Besides that, even if Angel was upset with having to give up Connor and with Cordelia being in coma, it equally doesn't make much sense for him to go to Sunnydale to deliver the amulet and have him be all broody and complain-y.

I think it was very Angel-like for him to just not mention what was going on with him and focus on Buffy's stuff.

 

[Kelsey]

I agree with Bungle Jerry. It didn't make much sense from Angel's standpoint at all. He was shoved back into his Buffy box once he was back on her show. Be her first love, give her a kiss and the amulet, and ask if he's going to get another shot. It didn't fit right with all that was going on in his life.

However, whether it matched up with AtS, there are some things that go above plot. Having Angel back on the show that started it all just as it's about it end really was fitting, regardless of why he was there. It would have been much better if, like Faith, he'd had a reason for being there (other than "Hey, here's this necklace thing that might help! Alright, see ya!" I know the necklace ended up being a big deal, but... still). But despite not being a Bangel, I was glad to see him back since everything was coming to an end. Wasn't so happy about that kiss....

 

[Bungle Jerry]

I think it was very Angel-like for him to just not mention what was going on with him and focus on Buffy's stuff.

If 'Buffy's stuff' means the First and Caleb and the 'second front' and whatever, I completely agree.

If 'Buffy's stuff' means cookie dough and Captain Peroxide, then I'm not sure I agree. That's not 'being there for Buffy', that's 'keeping his options open'. I'm not sure how Angel-like that is.

 

[GrrArghx]

If 'Buffy's stuff' means the First and Caleb and the 'second front' and whatever, I completely agree.

If 'Buffy's stuff' means cookie dough and Captain Peroxide, then I'm not sure I agree. That's not 'being there for Buffy', that's 'keeping his options open'. I'm not sure how Angel-like that is.

By 'Buffy's stuff', I meant helping her with The First.

The Spike & Cookie Dough thing was brought up aside from that.

Obviously his intentions of visiting Sunnydale was to assist her in the fight.

 

[ToShanshuInLA]

"white avenger agrees: Yeah, the amulet could have fallen from the sky and hit kennedy on the head. Now, THAT would have been interesting!"

Or better yet, Rona. 🙂

 

[GrrArghx]

white avenger agrees: The amulet was only a plot device, an excuse to get Angel there. It could have come from anywhere that the writers and Joss chose to have it come from, it never HAD to be from Angel.

Plot device or no, it's happened in the show and it's canon. And technically, everything in the entire show is a plot device. Everything happens to further the story.

Either way, Wolfram & Hart, or more accurately Lindsey, sent it to Angel to give to Buffy. And that's what he did.

How could it have came from 'anywhere else' when it was deliberately from Lindsey to send to Wolfram & Hart for Angel? Or Spike. Or whatever. (I forget his exact plan, I've only seen S5 once. Working on a rewatch now.)

 

[white avenger]

Plot device or no, it's happened in the show and it's canon. And technically, everything in the entire show is a plot device. Everything happens to further the story.

Either way, Wolfram & Hart, or more accurately Lindsey, sent it to Angel to give to Buffy. And that's what he did.

How could it have came from 'anywhere else' when it was deliberately from Lindsey to send to Wolfram & Hart for Angel? Or Spike. Or whatever. (I forget his exact plan, I've only seen S5 once. Working on a rewatch now.)

My point is, the amulet only served as an excuse to get Angel back on the show. Canon or not as of now has nothing to do with the question. If it had never been there to begin with, it obviously would not have been canon.

And of course everything presented in every episode was a plot device. The amulet, and the fact that Buffy would need it in her fight, all were canon simply because the writer's used that particular way to explain Angel being in Sunnydale, which actually served no logical reason except to allow Buffy to give her "cookie dough" speech and inform him that Spike had regained his soul. And, of course, to remind everyone of Buffy's relationship with Angel. Beyond that, his appearance served no actual purpose whatsoever.

 

[Flannen]

Calling something a plot device is just a way of trying to reduce or dismiss or something. Just like is done with the AR. And using a plot device as an argument is really constricting and limited and not really the point of this type of discussion.

Angel was there because he would have been. Simple as that. He knew that Buffy was facing the possibility of her final battle and he was always going to be there to see her, whatever his feelings for Cordelia at the time. It's the type of person he was. He had a similar 'job' to Buffy and so he must have been able to relate to, or imagine, her feelings regarding going down into the Hellmouth and his purpose was to seek out a friend who was facing something they'd pretty much been building up to for the last seven years. I imagine a part of him would have loved to be there for the ride because he knew it was going to be a heck of a of battle.

Call it fan service or whatever, but Angel had every right to be there and it makes complete sense that he was.

There's plenty more instances of 'fan service' and times when certain characters had no 'purpose' but that's not for here.

 

[GrrArghx]

The amulet, and the fact that Buffy would need it in her fight, all were canon simply because the writer's used that particular way to explain Angel being in Sunnydale, which actually served no logical reason except to allow Buffy to give her "cookie dough" speech and inform him that Spike had regained his soul. And, of course, to remind everyone of Buffy's relationship with Angel. Beyond that, his appearance served no actual purpose whatsoever.

Yeah, but the amulet served a much greater purpose than just being a 'plot device' for Angel visiting Sunnydale.

But even if we go back to 'why did it have to be Angel?' I think I'll just stand by my theory that it was Angel because he had a right to appear in the series finale of the show that is the reason he has his own show and because he was in BtVS from the beginning.

 

[xaphania]

Fanservice. It made no sense, plot-wise, for Angel to be there. After everything that had gone on over in AtS, I found his scenes in BtVS completely out of character.

From an outside perspective, viewing it as a TV show - yes, it made sense to have Angel there for the very last episode ever.

But in-show? Very weird and pretty nonsensical.

Just a way of pandering to the fans.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Like DB said it in his interview, fans wanted it so bad. Joss left open spot for Bangel future. And also, what Angel had in mind, was him fighting side by side with Buffy, but she sent him home because she was too scared of loosing him and the battle.

 

[white avenger]

Calling something a plot device is just a way of trying to reduce or dismiss or something. Just like is done with the AR. And using a plot device as an argument is really constricting and limited and not really the point of this type of discussion.

No, calling something a plot device is simply a means to identifying it as being part of a story line, and is no more dismissive than calling one of those flat wooden things used to build a house, a plank. The entire amulet plot device, from the time that it was first introduced in "Angel" served the purposes of helping to entice Angel into taking W&H's offer, presenting Angel with an excuse to return to Sunnydale, providing a means to defeat the First Evil, and bringing Spike onto Angel's show the next season. It fulfilled its job quite nicely as such. My point was, beyond putting it in Buffy's hand and having Spike see them kissing, Angel served no real service to the ongoing story except to remind the fans that he and Buffy still had a connection.

But since my use of the term the term "plot device" seems to make people think that I am in some way trying to belittle something here, I will try to restrain from using it in the future.

My point is, beyond actually delivering the amulet, Angel's appearance served no real purpose beyond adding more fuel to the Angel/Buffy/Spike fire. Wes could have delivered it just as well.

 

[Kana]

Well, my personal feelings towards Bangel aside, it would have been atypical for Angel not to be there. I actually worked out that every season of Btvs has some sort of Bangel connection. Seasons 1-3 are the Bangel seasons and every season since then has had some sort of Bangel reference or connection. Why should Season 7 be any different?

In the larger sense, the rivalry between the vampires has been something that has been persistent since Season 2 of Btvs. Whether people believe it undermines both Spuffy and Bangel, it was there and this was another spoke in that wheel. Also the fact that Spike believed Buffy never really loved him and really loved Angel was another important but subtle element in both their rivalry and his insecurity.

I believe the subjectivity of the value of the appearance of a character or their purpose is an important one. Not many Bangel fans would simply say it's a plot device because the term by it's very definition implies the event of character only serves 'X' purpose.

The whole concept really implies "Bangel had no place in this episode" which is contrary to my theory that every season has a Bangel element. I'd say to all those who have a problem with it, 'deal with it'. If I'm honest, yeah I have issues with how it was handled but I think it would be atypical for Angel not to be there and to say it was only there to be a catalyst for the love triangle kind of undermines both ships.

 

[Wesley]

I actually really like your view on this Kana. The Angel addition at the end was for a lot of reasons other people have identified including,

- Bangel fan service, keep the kiddies talking past the end of the series.

- Highlight a very important character from the shows past that now helmed his own show and was expanding the universe himself.

- Remind people that 'Angel' on the WB would be back next season and their Buffyverse fix can still be had.

However I think it also helped to highlight the long running undercurrent between Spike and Buffy that he realized he was 'not good enough' for her. Spikes inferiority complex as it regards Angel/us is a large part of his character from his entrance in S2 all the way through After the Fall and beyond. His feelings on the subject affected Spuffy, Spike, Angel, Spangel, Buffy and everything else in between. Ultimately it was the front end of the 'No you don't but thanks for saying so' at the end of the episode.

Angel showing up gave a framing for the entirety of the Spangel relationship in S6/7. So although it was a tad contrived it certainly helped define Bangel and Spuffy a little more for everyone and I think it was certainly a good addition to the story.