Buffy in "Your Welcome"

[dexeded]

Buffy was originally supposed to get Angel back on track, but SMG wasn't available, so they wrote the episode for Cordelia instead. And that was how we got the awesomely awesome 100th episode of "Your Welcome", and personally, I'm really glad that Cordelia got the limelight and an amazing finish. But if they had gone along with Buffy instead of Cordelia, if SMG had been available, what would have happened? Naturally, the storyline would have been totally different, coz you know, coma and all. For example, why would Buffy have come to W&H? To confront Angel? On Slayer business? And if she had gone, what would've happened if she'd seen Spike? (Unless that was the reason she would've gone, like if Spike called her or Andrew spilled the beans, but then the episode would have been more Spike/Spuffy filled than Angel-Buffy interaction.) How would the Lindsey storyline have been changed, seeing as it was Cordelia's vision that told them about the tattoos? What about the battle between Angel and Lindsey, if Buffy had been there to help in combat? Speculate away!

 

[white avenger]

For example, why would Buffy have come to W&H? To confront Angel? On Slayer business? And if she had gone, what would've happened if she'd seen Spike? (Unless that was the reason she would've gone, like if Spike called her or Andrew spilled the beans, but then the episode would have been more Spike/Spuffy filled than Angel-Buffy interaction.)

Having Cordy come back for that episode was much better if, for no other reason, she was both aware of the pre-spell goings on with Angel and his people, primarily Connor and everything concerning him for the previous two years. Buffy would have had no clue about either that or even really how much Angel had drifted off track from his original mission. Cordy did, and could take him to task on it. Buffy couldn't.

As to why Buffy might have shown up there, Willow told Spike in IDW's last 8 part Spike miniseries that Buffy knew that Spike was back, which would seem to indicate that she always knew or at least hoped that he wasn't permanently destroyed there in the hellmouth. Given the facilities available at Wolfram & Hart, and the fact that she knew that Angel now ran the LA branch, or at least had contacts there, it would be logical to assume that she would have visited there to get help find out for sure, so there would be a logical explanation for her going there. (That's been the subject of literally dozens of fan fictions since the end of Season 7)

Whether or not Spike would try to avoid her, or whether or not Angel would have actively tried to conceal the fact that he was back, if she had shown up, is anybody's guess, but, once again, there have been more than a few fan fictions devoted to that question.

 

[Hale Caesar]

I always imagined it happening like this

Angel and Spike are arguing while coming up the W&H elevator about who just killed the demon. Harmony tries to tell Angel something, but he brushes her off. Spike and Angel keep fighting and open the doors to the office, and...see Buffy sitting at Angel's desk with her feet up.

I should have totally been a writer for the show...

 

[hazzard]

i didn't know it was originally supposed to be buffy!

the end of the episode makes me cry--i imagine it might have been even more emotional if it were buffy.

 

[dexeded]

i didn't know it was originally supposed to be buffy!

the end of the episode makes me cry--i imagine it might have been even more emotional if it were buffy.

I think it was better that they used Cordelia. I mean, they couldn't have the same end with Buffy, seeing as she wasn't in a coma and wouldn't have been killed off, so it would've just been the usual one-off visit from Buffy with the usual Bangel drama. But the writers gave Cordelia an amazing send-off with this episode, even giving Cangels the first (non spell influenced) kiss, and totally redeemed Cordelia's character from her last S4 appearance.

 

[The Scourge]

Buffy showing up wouldn't have had much of an impact on me. I mean she only showed up on Angel once or twice in season 1 and the longer AtS ran I felt that Buffy would fit in o his show less and less.

Her showing up and berating Angel about Wolfram & Hart would have felt cheap. Especially since the law firm wasn't even reference in her own series.

Cordelia's appearance actually made sense given the history of the character and the show. So I'm glad that Sarah Michelle Gellar had scheduling conflicts, as I doubt Your Welcome would be half as beloved with her in it instead of Cordelia.

 

[hazzard]

I think it was better that they used Cordelia. I mean, they couldn't have the same end with Buffy, seeing as she wasn't in a coma and wouldn't have been killed off, so it would've just been the usual one-off visit from Buffy with the usual Bangel drama. But the writers gave Cordelia an amazing send-off with this episode, even giving Cangels the first (non spell influenced) kiss, and totally redeemed Cordelia's character from her last S4 appearance.

yes, good points. i agree.

 

[Goby]

Wow, I didn't know that, and I'm so happy it didn't happen!!!

She was also supposed to be in "The Girl in Question" and she would have ruined that too. hehehe Angel Season 5 is great because Buffy isn't there.

As [MENTION=11302]The Scourge[/MENTION] said, the longer she was away, the less she fit into Angel's world.

 

[Taake]

She was also supposed to be in "The Girl in Question" and she would have ruined that too. hehehe Angel Season 5 is great because Buffy isn't there.

Hm couldn't disagree more. I would have loved to see Buffy visit in season 5 (if the writers had done her justice) but I would not have wanted her in "You're welcome", "The girl in question" sure, but "You're Welcome" is really perfect the way it is and they needed to wrap up Cordy's story in a better way than a mystical coma!

 

[dexeded]

Nice to read all the Cordy love, but get back to the topic, please? I was just asking what would the episode plot been like had Buffy been there instead of Cordy.

 

[Goby]

Hm couldn't disagree more. I would have loved to see Buffy visit in season 5 (if the writers had done her justice) but I would not have wanted her in "You're welcome", "The girl in question" sure, but "You're Welcome" is really perfect the way it is and they needed to wrap up Cordy's story in a better way than a mystical coma!

Really? I disagree more than you disagree! 😀

TGIQ is so funny and light-hearted. I love it! I cannot see how it would remain funny with SMG after everything that Bangel and Spuffy went through. Then again, if anyone could pull it off, it would be Joss & Company.

 

[Hale Caesar]

Hm couldn't disagree more. I would have loved to see Buffy visit in season 5 (if the writers had done her justice) but I would not have wanted her in "You're welcome", "The girl in question" sure, but "You're Welcome" is really perfect the way it is and they needed to wrap up Cordy's story in a better way than a mystical coma!

I agree, I definitely prefer having Cordelia in Season 5 more than Buffy. She was more important to the season and she needed to have her story wrapped up. Buffy would have been nice, but I didn't lose any sleep when she didn't appear

 

[Willow My Love]

Okay, y'all know I'm a HUGE Bangel, and I'm not a Cangel fan at all, but, if nothing else, for Cordelia's sake, it needed to end like that. Cordy kinda got the shaft by being in a coma. As I've heard it, Charisma really thought she was coming back for s5, but BAM! Nope! I'm glad it ended like that. We'd been with Cordy since she learned about vampires, and it seemed so lame for her not to have one last chance to be Cordelia again. I think it was a fitting tribute to the character. (Could've done without the kiss though 😛)

I don't think Buffy would've fit there. I don't think Angel would have taken her message to heart as much as he did Cordelia's. Buffy sent Andrew in her place because she didn't trust him. Angel was hurt by that. I don't think he would have trusted what Buffy said. Besides, Cordy was in the thick of it when Connor was born, stolen, and when he returned. She knew Angel, at that point, better than Buffy. It was the right choice.

I don't think the plot would have been as believable, or as emotional had it been Buffy and not Cordy. I don't think the events that occurred afterwards would have been the same. They still would've probably fought Lindsey, but it just wouldn't have been the same. Cordy KNEW Lindsey and what he was up to. To Buffy, he was just some guy Angel didn't like.

 

[Taake]

Nice to read all the Cordy love, but get back to the topic, please? I was just asking what would the episode plot been like had Buffy been there instead of Cordy.

Honestly I think it would have been much the same just with Buffyisms instead of Cordyisms. Buffy at this point would probaby have been as blunt as Cordy but also probably a bit more moralizing, more focused on the the evil of W&H than Angel getting back on his path.

Plus we wouldn't have gotten the emotional pathos and pay-off to "the first soldier down" since Buffy never really knew Doyle and therefore wouldn't have gotten that last season tie-in to the first, which I personally found very significant. Having Buffy back would only have tied into Angel's lie pre-L.A and would have done no service for the characters of Fred, Gunn, Wesley or Lorne (or even Harmony) who didn't have a particular emotional connection to the Slayer but did have one to Cordy.

In conclusion my opinion is that though Buffy's visit would have had an emotional impact on Angel's character, gotten him a bit more clear headed no doubt, but it would have robbed the other characters and the viewers of so much more. Also at this point I feel that Buffy was growing more black and white in her world view (playing for good or evil... W&H clearly representing evil) whereas Cordy took a more gray-area approach to it, more attuned to Angel's place of mind rather than his physical place of being. Not that she was pro-W&H mind you... just, perhaps, more believing in Angel's ability to do damage from within.

 

[Dagenspear]

God, this is really true, isn't it? They were really just gonna leave Cordelia's character, CHARISMA'S character, out in the cold like that? And the only reason they didn't, is because SMG COULDN'T?! How incredibly disrespectful! *vomits*

 

[BuffyElevated]

I have heard a lot over the years that SMG was the one they wanted for "You're Welcome". But personally, I'm really glad it was Cordelia and not Buffy that we got for this episode. It ended in a horribly sad and tragic way, but it was such an amazing episode and I think it was better for the AI team as a whole to have Cordelia there for those events and not Buffy.

 

[white avenger]

Something to consider here is that "You're Welcome," the way that it is written is, at least partially, Cordy saying goodbye to Angel. Call them friends, call them potential lovers, call them soul mates, or anything else that makes you happy, the point is, that "one for the road" kiss was closure to the Angel/Cordy relationship as far as the story went at that time. Later, when the comic book deal and "After The Fall" came along, there was brief mention of her, but still, that mention was totally in the past tense, with Angel in total acceptance of the fact that Cordy was, indeed, gone. And that acceptance goes so far as to NOT consider trying to bring her back or even to try and communicate with her in any sort of direct way. Maybe he had learned from Willow's bad example of resurrecting Buffy. Bringing back the dead isn't a kindness to them, and can quite possibly result in troubles for everyone concerned.

 

[shadcat]

I was just coming to this board about this very topic haha.

My question is..had Sarah Michelle Gellar been available...what was Joss' plan for Cordelia's character? They had to give her character closure at some point. Do you think she would of lived?

 

[nightshade]

I was just coming to this board about this very topic haha.

My question is..had Sarah Michelle Gellar been available...what was Joss' plan for Cordelia's character? They had to give her character closure at some point. Do you think she would of lived?

I don't think he would have done anything with her, just left her in the coma and hoped that fans forgot about her

 

[shadcat]

I don't think he would have done anything with her, just left her in the coma and hoped that fans forgot about her

Yeesh, that would of been terrible. She's my favorite. 😛 She would of probably lived in that case though. (Probably wake up from her coma in the comics) I've always considered Cordelia the second main character of Angel.

If that was the case and they wouldn't think to consider bringing her back torwards the end of the season, like for the finale - that'd be a shame. The actress and fans deserved it. So I'm glad it worked out.