Hypothetically, if Angel had bombed...

[Robb Stark]

What would have happened? Now, clearly it didn't, but let's say that the Angel series never takes off, ratings tank and the show is cancelled either after one season or before S1 ends. What do you think happens with Angel, Cordy and Wes? Do they get brought back to Buffy (remember, they were on the same network back then, so there wouldn't have been any copyright entanglements)?

I think Angel would have been brought back, with the others for the occasional one-shot episodes. How that would have worked with the developing Spike/Buffy storyline and Riley (well, with Spike a regular and Angel returning, Riley probably would have just faded away)? Do you think Angel would have been a series regular again, a recurring character or none of the above?

 

[Evil Angelus 95]

First off, let me say that I'm glad the show didn't bomb 🙂

I could see them bringing Angel back as a regular, or at least as a frequent character like Tara was, although he would try to avoid coming into contact with Buffy for awhile, but he would probably still watch out for her, ex. helping her out here and there. Eventually, I could see him comforting Buffy when Riley leaves during Season 5, and that they would eventually get back together in a serious relationship, which would no doubt infuriate Spike to no end.

As for Cordy and Wes, I would go with them being, as you stated, guest stars for a few episodes, but not as main characters

 

[Jodast]

I think Angel would have been brought back in as a series regular. By this point Buffy and Angel were having trouble being within 100 miles of one another and she had moved on, so there could have been some interesting interactions, altohugh it could have got a little too soapy.

Cordy I couldn't really see coming back very often. She was in LA and trying to become an actress and she wasn't really a font of supernatural knowledge or heroic powers that they could call on often.

Wes was toast in Sunnydale, there's no way we would have seen him back. I think Wes in later seasons of AtS would actually have been really good on BtVS. Between them he and Giles make an awesome character, Giles the brain and Wes the man of action. But this is early Wes, who was lame.

 

[white avenger]

Probably,unless David could have worked something out differently with Joss, Angel would have returned to Sunnydale. Luckily for all of us, as well as the futures of the two shows, it never happened.

 

[dexeded]

Cordy would have stayed in LA; she hated Sunnydale so much. Wesley may have come back for guest spots--maybe in S7, to bring news of the Watchers' Council? Angel, I'm not so sure. Angel only left to get his own show, so the Bangel storyline for S3 would have changed to him just staying--no Riley, no Spike... just boring cardboard Angel... If we keep the S3 storyline the same, though, with Angel still leaving to LA, but no show for us, I think guest spots would work. But he wouldn't come back as a series regular, because wouldn't that just undermine the entire principle of staying away?

 

[brinkster130]

Didn't Joss tell both David and Charisma that if the show were to tank that he would find a way to bring them back to Sunnydale?

I think transitioning Angel back to Sunnydale could have been fairly easy; he could have gone back a couple times to help Buffy and slowly start to realize that the space between them wasn't necessary. Also, if he felt like he could do more good in Sunnydale than LA then that would have made his decision a lot easier. Of course the PTB could always step in and create a reason for his return.

As for Cordy, she would have been the more difficult of the two, but I suppose she could have gone back to Sunnydale to visit her father in jail or her mother, and after visiting maybe she realized that she was a failing actress who was poor and for financial reasons she moved back in with her mother. Maybe during her visit she helps the Scoobies out again and decides she wants to help fight the bad guys. She could have moved back to attend UC Sunnydale as that school could have been cheaper. Who knows, but without Angel in LA and the money she was getting from him I don't know that her staying in LA would have worked out.

Everyone in Sunnydale was put off by Wes so it's hard to imagine he would have returned, although maybe he, Angel, and Cordy returned as a package and stuck together.

All this would have changed is S5 onwards, so mostly Buffy's relationship with Spike. I think Spike would still fall hard for Buffy, but I don't think their sexual relationship or there destructive verbal and emotional abuse would have developed the same.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I think David and Charisma would have ended up back in Sunnydale, and maybe Wesley too. I'm glad "Angel" was a success, though, 'cause honestly, I feel like these characters were better off in L.A.

 

[Tome]

Like Britt said, I am glad that the show didn't tank; having those characters in their own show was a blessing. Cordelia and Wesley could have never gone through the awesome character development they had on AtS. As for Angel, like others have said he would probably have fit right back in, but it would have severely impacted the future Briley relationship, which I loved.

Doyle on BtVS could have been interesting, though. 😛

 

[white avenger]

Just think of the opportunity to turn Sunnydale into a full scale soap opera town if Angel and Cordy had returned:

Buffy, torn by her love for Angel and Spike,

Angel, torn by his love for Buffy and Cordy,

Cordy, torn by her love for Angel and Xander,

Xander, torn by his love for Cordy and Anya,

Anya, torn by her love for Xander and Spike,

Spike, torn by his love for Buffy and Dru,

Dru, torn by her love for Angel and Spike,

Giles, haunted and tortured by the loss of the two greatest loves in his life, Jenny and Joyce.

Meanwhile, Willow and Tara remain blissfully in love and completely oblivious to any and everything else.

Yep, it is far, FAR better that Angel and his crew managed to hang on for as long as they did.