Had Angel never left

[VampireJason]

My love for Bangel increases every day, but it still doesn't compare to Dangel IMO. Anyways, if Angel never left do you think Bangel would've still broke up in the long run? Or would it be an on again-off again relationship?

Personally I think they would've lasted and Spuffy or Cangel would've never existed had Angel never left

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

God, if he never left.. it would be just.. awful. I see Buffy as this silly little girl who can't live without her man, and Angel as this depressed vampire who thinks Buffy could never be happy with him only because of one thing - sun. She would never be with Riley, so no one would proove to her that she's not ordinary, and that she can't have ordinary life. Special people shouldn't have to live ordinary life. That's their blessing. After dying Angel would be even more depressed, and when she would come back, she would totally shut him out and do something stupid, like maybe sleep with Spike. They would never have a real long running relathionship, they would have this dramatic thing that would stand in one place.

As I love Bangel, God help me, I love them so much, but Angel leaving, that was the best thing he did. I never describe them as immature High School relathionship, and I hate that term, but they both needed to grow up. To experience things. To do things. Just to see they're meant together. Now, they could be together, with no regrets. But he needed to go, and she needed him to leave.

 

[Taake]

I looove Bangel.

But I like him leaving. Just like PB said - they needed to experience things - be on their own and meet others and go through all those things they went through...

That said... I would love for Angel to come back.
I don't think we would have seen a very interesting couple had Angel stuck around, partly because his character never got a real chance to grow on the show (eventually he would most likely have been killed off again... for good TV y'know. Happy couples = poor ratings)

So I much prefer him leaving and returning.
More mature, more independent I think they'll make a fantastic couple (and in my head they are or will be, regardless of what Joss and Co prints comic-wise) 😀

 

[BibliophileAnn]

Oh boy as much as I wanted him to stay I think it would have led to the end of Bangel possibly and it might not have been as good. Having them live apart and then come back together at times was the best thing for them and was a brilliant strategy on the part of the writers because we got to see their renewal and and they came back even stronger with the love still there and the connection as strong as it ever was. Not only that Buffy and Angel experienced similar things in their lives so when they do get back together they won't be total strangers and oh the stories and laughs they will share.

 

[white avenger]

Assuming that Angel had stayed in Sunnydale instead of leaving at the end of Season 3, the entire rest of the series would have had to be rewritten, not to mention the fact that we would lose the entire Angel series and everything that happened there. I can't see any way that we would not lose far more than we could ever gain by keeping Angel in Sunnydale.

 

[VampireJason]

Yeah, I was just thinking about how much would've changed. Like if Spike were the ensouled vampire instead of Angel when the Series started. I love the Angel series a hell of a lot more than I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And had Angel never left, Darla would've never came back and Connor would've never existed, just the thought of that is terrifying.

 

[BibliophileAnn]

I started out watching the Buffy series and started watching Angel mainly the Angel character. I like them both equally but because I started with Buffy it will always have more nostalgia for me and will always be special. What drew me to Buffy was the fact that she is a female who can take care of herself but because Buffy is deceptive in that she doesn't look as strong as she is so she catches the bad guy off guard. I like that.

 

[NY State of Mind]

Well Angel would of stayed killed off I think or atleast eventually killed...even Spike was killed off..they brought him back for ATV..same as Angel

 

[Marisa]

I don't know I am a fan of the show Angel, I think without it he would have just always been Buffy's Angel instead of having his own identity so I am glad he left.
If he had stayed on I don't think they could have lasted.

 

[racheltng]

If he'd stayed, it would have been a very torrid relationship. Lots of fighting, lots of crying, lots of breaking up and getting back together - even without the curse. Buffy needed to have some other experiences to mature and to understand herself better. Now, in S8, I think they're really ready to be together.

 

[caritas08]

I think the only way to keep angel on the show would be to turn him evil again only permanently and have him be a constant arch nemesis to buffy much like wolfram hart was to him. Thank goodness things happened the way they did though.

 

[BuffangelLovE]

As much as I wished for Angel to stay... at this point of the series, it was a necessary thing to do.

Buffy had to go through a normal relationship (Riley), to understand what she ultimately wants in life. And also to discover who she really is and what she can expect from her not-so-normal life as a slayer. If Angel had not gone, she would never have had the chance to find out, which would probably lead to serious problems between the two of them. And I certainly didn't want to watch that happen. In Season 7, the conversation between Angel and Buffy in the cemetery has shown that both have made their peace with the situation (separation of the two), but at the same time both are certain enough, that (viewed from this standpoint) someday - as soon Buffy's done baking and Angel still wants to taste her cookies 😛 - they may well be together again. And I will always hope for it, too. 😀

Besides, Angel wasn't really gone. In the most important moments of her life (such as Joyce's Death, Buffys return after Heaven etc.) HE was the one she needed to comfort her - not Riley, not her sister, not her watcher, not the peroxyde blonde wannabe badass vamp who actually did no good for her especially in S5 & 6. Angel was always one of the very few people she still could rely on and confide in most.

 

[Willow My Love]

I rather enjoy the cookie analogy in Chosen. It seems Buffy and Angel both needed to bake a bit, and maybe, he'll be the milk to her cookie, or something else that wouldn't make her crumble... Now I see the danger in that analogy... Back on topic, Angel needed to go, as heartbreaking as it was. Buffy grew immensely. The love was always there.

I don't know if everyone's had a relationship like that, but the love never leaves. Even if you find out you really can't be with that person, the love is there. If it's as deep and meaningful as Buffy and Angel's was, it'll never die. I do believe they were soul mates. He had the soul to prove it. But they couldn't work.

 

[Willow My Love]

miromurr agrees: You've seen the "Got milk" ad with Angel?

Actually, I have not... *goes to google* That is awesome!

 

[BibliophileAnn]

I just saw it and the weird thing is that I felt like I needed to drink more milk.

 

[A Flawed Fashion]

I kind of like that Angel left the show even though I prefer Buffy/Angel to the rest of their relationships. The idea that Buffy and Angel are soulmates who are truly destined to be separated by fate is an intriguing way to look at their lives.

The on again /off again relationship that they would have developed had he stayed wouldn't have had the same impact. The way I see it, Buffy and Angel are the loves of each other's lives, but this isn't Romeo and Juliet; they don't get to die and end it in romantic fan fair. Buffy's life is what happens when you keep on living (and even loving) when you are separated from your soulmate at 18.

Buffy's story is one of optimistic tragedy. She lived through the tragic destiny she was handed as a slayer and again by falling in love with a vampire. She defied fate by even living to 22 years old and maybe she will defy it again and be with Angel or maybe she will go on to something else entirely, but her love life and her ultimate destiny have been left open to interpretation. I really like that.

Angel could see that they were hurting each other by being together and that in this case, no matter how deep their love was, it just wasn't enough between a teenage girl and a vampire. She needed to grow up before they could ever be together. She needed to experience real life. He gave her that opportunity. They could possibly have the future, but they could never have that period of their lives. They weren't ready.

Angel kind of had to leave the show because there wasn't anywhere else to take to doomed lovers if they are constantly together. Angel coming back in season 7 to say he was there when she was ready gives hope that they can be together in the future and I think that is all we needed. Otherwise, there would have been love triangles with Spike and the entire show would be completely different... including the fact that Cordelia would not have left. With these two extra characters, things would be quite different. I think both Buffy and Angel needed time to develop apart from each other and figure out who they were. They got so caught up in their love affair, that they lost sight of who they were apart from each other. Time spent separated gives them time to figure themselves out.

 

[Brandonxx93]

I am so happy that Angel left. It was time for him to move on. The whole Bangel relationship was starting to get a little bit ridiculous. They just wouldnt of been able to work it out. Plus once Angel got his own series we got introduced to the CANGEL love which was just epic!

CANGEL forever.

 

[Aloverssoulz]

I think they would have stayed together and been happy. Angel left to give Buffy that normal happy life she needed, but she never got to have it. Instead she started dating Riley, an army guy that works on killing demons and then started sleeping with Spike, whom she used when she was depressed. She never got to have what Angel wanted her to have, so if he stayed I think things would have been better for both of them. Though all the people Angel saved in LA would have died, Wesley might have also, Gunn, Fred would have never gotten back to Earth, Cordy would have been killed by the old vamp in City Of.

So while I believe Angel and Buffy's lives would have been much better if they stayed together I think it's good for a lot of people that they didn't.

I do hope they get together one day though and then the Buffyverse can end ^_^

 

[VampireJason]

wow, it really has been a while since I left. I was absent for a while because I went through several psychologist for Depression. I'm getting better now fortunately. And I've also read the horrid Buffy #39 that reminded me why Angel left in the first place. I think Joss might be losing his touch with the Angel character. Anyways, I'm just gonna finish with this:

Bangel Forever, they'll make it work one day