Question How much love for AtS?

[The Thirst Evil]

During a watch-through (I'm currently on one) of both shows, I come here after each episode to view the discussion threads for said episode. In doing this, I've noticed that there is significantly less discussion for Angel episodes than there is for Buffy episodes.

I understand that it is primarily a Buffy discussion board, so I can understand but I'm just curious to know: how many people here watch both Buffy AND Angel, How many people watch one but not the other?

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Interesting topic, I've always wondered the same, there has always been less discussion of Angel, even though most fans have watched both.

I've watched both.

I have a weird thing, were I think Angel is a better series then Buffy in a lot of cases, but there's something about Buffy that makes it more...more, ya know?

I've never been a big fan of discussing episode by episode, I prefer to discuss overall themes or issues, which tend to span more then a single episode. I find it more difficult with shows like Buffy, Angel, Supernatural etc, which have really broad stories, compared to, say like SHIELD which has relied more on an episode by episode feel (at the moment), which I think makes it easier to to discuss episode by episode.


I think it's the mythology as well, both Angel and BtVS have a lot of mythology, but I think BtVS's is a juicier mythology to sink your teeth into for discussions. The whole slayer line and the history of it, and how it changes over the course of the series is so interesting to me.

I think BtVS also had worse character development. Like team Angel are a group of grown ups who make mistake but manage to work together well.
There are a lot more holes, contradictions and and history between the characters actions on BtVS, which allows you to get into some really gritty discussions of the characters ( for example; holes in the plot, can't just be holes in the plot, then end up being part of that character).

I think BtVS is also a little more subjective, like art, people can see what they see in in, but others wont. I think Angel is a more linear story of a main character who has done wrong and is looking to redeem that, whereas the scoobies are in the middle of their mistakes - which is not to put down Angels storylines, he's one of my favourite characters and I think Angel is a better show, but there's something about Buffy!

 

[thetopher]

Personally I think Angel is the more consistant show in terms of quality and tone, its characters are usually a darker shade than those on Buffy (and the writers know how to write 'dark/adult' a lot better).
But Buffy has... more highs, more truly great episodes/moments. It also has a lot more lows, some real stinkers.
I like both shows for different reasons, they both have great characters and story lines. I don't really think of one as better than the other, but when we're talking favourite episodes or moments, I usually think of Buffy.

 

[Kurai]

I love both shows, and Angel does have elements that I prefer, but I prefer Buffy overall.

 

[PassionBecoming]

I just finished my first watch of AtS and I do enjoy it a lot. It's a much different tone than BtVS - more adult and dark, with more advanced character development, IMO.

 

[Robb Stark]

Angel has always been my favorite character, and I absolutely love his series. The feel of it, the themes, the message is sends, all of it just five star (give or take a "She" episode). In terms of consistency and observing it's own continuity, I personally find it vastly superior to BTVS.

That said, S2 and S3 of BTVS are two of my favorite seasons of any television I've ever watched, and it's those two seasons I always think of first when someone mentions the series to me.

 

[Blaze]

I think Angel is the superior show, but I like BtVS better. Like BEG said, there's just something special about Buffy, something that I don't think any other show has. I also like discussing the show at large rather than ep by ep, so that could be another contributing factor. Overall, I just think there might be more to discuss with BtVS.

I also think there's just more disagreement when it comes to Buffy than Angel concerning the characters and the storylines. There's more point of views if you will, so more room for discussions.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

With Buffy, you are looking at the lives of people who met in high school and pursue a calling of demon hunting. With Angel, you are looking at a company, Angel Investigations, as they go up against another company, Wolfram & Hart. During the time both ran concurrently, it was quite common for the Angel episode to be better than the Buffy episode that aired at the same time and watercooler talk confirmed it. But there was always an openness, an implied invitation with Buffy to see what they were doing whereas with Angel, it was taking care of the business side of demon-hunting and going against another corporation. And corporations really are not inviting places to be - they are quick to let on that they don't like being watched.

I watched both series when they aired and have rewatched Buffy several times but Angel only once.

The storylines in Buffy seemed to be what you would expect of normal people and a slayer forced to deal with the supernatural whereas with Angel, the storylines of Pylea (which I thought was good) and the Beast and most of Season 4 were too far removed from reazlity to even comprehend. The Jasmine arc did not have to involve Cordelia at all - but they wrote it that way and it sucked.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Well, I've seen Angel many times, but I tend to re-watch Buffy more frequently than Angel.

I'm always down to discuss Angel. It's definitely one of my all-time favorite shows.

 

[Xin Rong]

I too think Angel is the better show, but I think Buffy has more controversial topics for a Fan to discuss. Angel is more consistent, and their is much less to argue over.

With Buffy, Fans can argue over a variety of topics, such as Bangel/Spuffy, who is THE slayer in season 7, was Buffy right when she..., should Willow be punished for her actions in season 6 etc.

Whereas in Angel, it seems that there is less stuff that is open to debate, which is why it doesn't get discussed as much.

 

[AnthonyCordova]

To answer your question, I'm watching both shows (at the same time) for the first time! I'm glad I'm watching them together too. Not just because of cross-overs and whatnot, but it allows me to compare the two shows side-by-side. For the record, I like both shows a lot. They both are far, far better than average television.

I'll say a few words about my comparison of the two shows. I'm going to repeat a lot of what others have said, but here is my opinion to this point:

Angel is a consistently good show. More consistent than Buffy. I don't think there are any truly bad episodes on Angel.
Buffy reaches heights that Angel does not. My 10 favorite episodes of the Buffy-verse would all be Buffy episodes I think.

I don't know which I would choose if I was asked which is the better show. And according to many of the fans here on the forum, I'm already long past Buffy's peak seasons, whereas apparently Angel seasons 3-5 are even better than what I've seen so far. So maybe in the end Angel will prove to be the better show objectively. But favorite show...that's a different matter. I can acknowledge one show as better than another, but still prefer the weaker show. I think in the final analysis, this might end up being my feeling about the two shows: Btvs a little worse, but nevertheless preferred.

Why?

Well, I personally find the characters on Buffy to be more compelling. The most important (and interesting) characters from Angel can also be found on Buffy. The Angel-only characters are good, but not compelling in the way Buffy's main characters are. At least to me.

I also think there is more drama on the average episode of Btvs than on AtS. More people going through more eventful and tumultuous situations in their lives. At least through 2 seasons of Angel, the average episode usually doesn't deal with much character life-drama (other than Angel himself, but even then...). I like that (the plentiful drama I mean). It makes watching Btvs really feel like being a voyeur; like looking into a window of the completely detailed lives of all these people. I really feel like I'm getting to know all of Buffy's main characters in every life-detail and in their full light. For the most part, (again, at least through 2 seasons) Angel is just more or less about work.

Btvs seems to bring out more imagination on the part of the writers. My favorite Buffy episodes are all incredibly imaginative and sometimes try things I haven't seen in television before. Something about the show really encourages it, but I don't exactly know what it is. AtS is much more standard fare. Really well done, but for the most part it's all been done before.

AtS has its own things going for it of course. It's a darker show for one. I like the contrast of Buffy's more tongue-in-cheek feel next to AtS, but AtS does dark and gritty (and even disturbing) much better on the whole I think. It's also more mature. Most everyone on Angel is an adult obviously, and they deal with mature issues. Sometimes it's nice to meet a show that addresses themes that I can identify with in my own adult life. By contrast, Btvs at its very worst can be melodramatic juvenilia, in the pejorative sense.

 

[Hale Caesar]

Both are fantastic shows, I feel there is more discussion on Buffy because it became a cultural phenomenon so people have strong feelings towards it and it has varying levels of quality (season 4 being "meh", etc) so it naturally generates conversation. Angel is more consistent, so I feel there is less to talk about

 

[Xin Rong]

Both are fantastic shows, I feel there is more discussion on Buffy because it became a cultural phenomenon so people have strong feelings towards it and it has varying levels of quality (season 4 being "meh", etc) so it naturally generates conversation. Angel is more consistent, so I feel there is less to talk about

Good point, Buffy changed the shape of tv and film since it's conception, and it's still discussed academically for that reason, whereas, Angel was less genre challenging, which might be why it isn't discussed as much.

 

[Jeff86]

For me, Buffy is a little more engaging than Angel. Also Angel doesn't quite reach the heights that Buffy reaches. I absolutely love Angel of course, and it does have some amazing episodes. Its just that nothing can quite beat the punch of an amazing Buffy episode. (Although Birthday and Hero come close. Birthday for showing how much of a hero Cordy is, and Hero for being so gut-wrenchingly sad.) I guess its also that we've seen the Scoobies grow from high schoolers into adults, so we feel closer to them. For me, it also has to do with Buffy herself. I've said it before, but I cry when she cries. I agree Angel can be more consistent, but Buffy tends to draw out more emotions.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

When they were airing I was more of an Angel fan, because I really like season 2 vs season 5 of btvs. Now I think I like Buffy more overall. It has more comedic moments which I really love. Angel is more consistent and darker, but yea it does get a little bit more supernatural at times. It's still a great show though, but I'd rather rewatch an episode of Buffy over Angel. Depending on the episode though.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I like both shows, but I definitely love BtVS a lot more. I don't know, I respect the darker, more adult tone on "Angel", but I think I prefer the humor and wit in Buffy. Most of the shows I like have the supernatural twist to them, but the reason I like the show ends up being the writing. I always enjoy a little snark and sarcasm in a show. 🙂 And

 

[Robb Stark]

The only time I felt that BTVS was better than AtS was during S2-3 of Buffy

 

[Still a Scoobie]

A lot of love for it here! I watched both shows when they first aired but I think somewhere along the line (possibly in S1) I stopped watching Angel, and I haven't seen it since, so the re-watch I'm currently doing is like a first time watch for me. I'm not into comparing them because to me they're the same show just kinda split up. Watching S4 of Buffy last year during my first re-watch since it aired, I hated it, but this time watching it alongside Angel, it was so much better. The way the shows complement each other and give you things that the other can't... well, to me they're two halves of one whole, just like Buffy and Angel the characters (sorry Spuffies*).

It's true though, that Buffy gives you more to get your teeth into, discussion-wise.









*No really, sorry. I'm actually not even that much of a Bangel and don't go in for 'ship wars but I can never resist the temptation to wind up 'shippers of almost every hue, except Tillows, who are of course correct and just generally better people. 😛😉

 

[IntoTheDust]

I actually prefer ATS over BTVS so i agree that i would love to see more ATS discussion. But i do agree that there's probably more to discuss with BTVS.