Spike calling Angel Liam

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angeldork

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I'm not really sure but I think it's the episode where Spike is being haunted by the ghosts of Wolfram & Hart where he does this. But does anyone else think that it was weird that Spike called Angel by his human name 'Liam'. What I never really understood about it is that I think when they had done the whole flash back scenes of the past with Spike and Angelous is that I didn't think that Spike knew his actual name; I just thought that he had only known him as Angelous and Angel. Does anybody else think that this is weird.
 
angeldork said:
I'm not really sure but I think it's the episode where Spike is being haunted by the ghosts of Wolfram & Hart where he does this. But does anyone else think that it was weird that Spike called Angel by his human name 'Liam'. What I never really understood about it is that I think when they had done the whole flash back scenes of the past with Spike and Angelous is that I didn't think that Spike knew his actual name; I just thought that he had only known him as Angelous and Angel. Does anybody else think that this is weird.
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Those flashbacks we're mere moments for a century.

I'm not having a go but why do people find it so difficult to imagine that some stuff happened outside the flashbacks/episodes.

I mean in the real world, a week isn't 44 minutes long is it and a year isn't 22-24 weeks long and before 1998 weeks/days/eternity was shorter.

Maybe one night Angelus and Spike went down t'pub and have a brother to brother heart to heart over a frosty glass of serving wench?

Maybe Spike in his infinite wisdom did a little research on Angel/us.

Maybe Darla told him.

Maybe James Marsters read the script.

I really don't see things like this as odd and people that do and obsess about it have FAR too much free time.
 
H
Hello Cutie
You missed a crucial point... the spelling error of Angelus. :)
Karol
Karol
ahahahahahaaha that was great. It´s old, but it´s great
I agree with BotD (what a surprise). Just because you see flashbacks, it doesn't mean it's always like that! I mean, Angelus/Angel knows that Spike's real name is William, so why on earth wouldn't Spike know that Angel's name is Liam... it's not like he tries to hide it, it's more that no-one seems to want to know about it... you don't know how it came up- maybe they were discussing names over a pint of O neg, or maybe someone from Angel's past pops up at some point and uses it, or maybe he was just in a sharing mood.

Its ridiculous to assume that nothing happens outside of what we watch... instead, what we see is more an insight into a world that continues whether we're watching or not. People don't just freeze and do nothing, they carry on living, so why wouldn't everyone in Angel (and Buffy) do the same?

You just have to accept that things happen that we don't see, because they're not integral to the storyline- Spike knowing Angel's real name isn't integral to the storyline so we don't have to know why or how he knows it, just accept he does.
 
Does nobody find it weird that in the first episode of Buffy, we all just take it for granted that her name's Buffy?

We didn't SEE her birth certificate! And when she was at Hemery High, we all just took it for granted that her name is Buffy.

Isn't that soooo weird?!
 
I agree that Spike probably learned Angel's human name at some point in the past that wasn't covered by the flashbacks. The writers can't explain every minute detail concerning the history of each character, and don't worry about how much spare time you have or how you spend it. I've been accused of wasting quite a bit on one thing or another myself. It's called being a fan. If you look carefully, you might find a few more of us around here.
 
It's not so much that he knows Angel's human name, to me it's more interesting that he uses it at all. Why in that particular scene does he use the human name?

Spike: Never much cared for you, Liam, even when we were evil.
Angel: Cared for you less.
Spike: Fine.
Angel: Good. (beat) There was one thing about you...
Spike: Really?
Angel: Yeah, I never told anybody about this, but I—I liked your poems.
Spike: (frowns) You like Barry Manilow.

Spike uses Angel’s human name to get his attention, to claim intimacy, maybe even to flatter. And it works, because, to the audience’s amazement, Angel throws him a bone. He complements Spike’s poetry; something innately connected the human William. It’s not much of a complement; because Angel’s artistic appreciation is, well questionable, but still…
 
palabravampiress
palabravampiress
Agreed. This scene is all about reminding us that these two guys have a LONG history together.
Karol
Karol
I need to watch this again *_*
Yeah, but Angel's knowing Spike's real name isn't as weird as the other way around. Angel was already widely known as Angel when Dru sired William. William wasn't known as Spike right off, that came later. Didn't Dru introduce him as William (or maybe Willie)? He got his nickname after torturing people with railroad spikes (and personally, I think he only tortured that one guy, the one that said he'd rather have a railroad spike through his head than listen to William's poetry at the party. I'm sure "Spike" obliged him). I agree with Edmund also, there had to be a LOT that went on in their century long history that we didn't see (the "except for that one time" scene comes to mind!) Someone, either Angel himself or someone else, probably mentioned Angel's real name at some point.
 
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
beautiful banner :)
Besides, let's not forget that after the events of that episode where everyone become their 17-year-old selves again, all the gang knows for sure Angel's human name was Liam. Who knows, Fred might have told Spike. But I think he knew that before.

I'm glad Edmund Blackadder said what he said. Some questions seem to be asked just because of the habit of discussing anything Buffyversey and the lack of new things to say. But a lot happens offscreen, sometimes we just have to take for granted just because we haven't seen something doesn't mean it didn't happen. And on another subject, continuity errors happen. It's a shame but they do. Let's try to remember that before entering the Joss veneration and asking "why did this happen though that happened?", taking for granted there's an explanation for it - there isn't always one.
 
November
November
Happy Birthday!
JCC said:
Does nobody find it weird that in the first episode of Buffy, we all just take it for granted that her name's Buffy?

We didn't SEE her birth certificate! And when she was at Hemery High, we all just took it for granted that her name is Buffy.

Isn't that soooo weird?!
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Well Buffy can be short for Elisabeth and since her mom was already dead when Buffy died it would explain why her tombstone said here lies Buffy Anne Summers.
 
ItMustBeBunnies
ItMustBeBunnies
pretty banner:)
JCC said:
Does nobody find it weird that in the first episode of Buffy, we all just take it for granted that her name's Buffy?

We didn't SEE her birth certificate! And when she was at Hemery High, we all just took it for granted that her name is Buffy.

Isn't that soooo weird?!
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I hadn't read this before.

Yeah it is so weird though.

Its like the creator gave the character a name, called the show after her and then expected us to make the connection that it was her real name.

Now I'm all confused. Was Willows real full name Willow?
Could have been Fafangulawillow.

Faith too, damn - I think it was Gotahavfaith.
 
S
Scythus
its not like there aren't people in the real world with unusual names
Hey, they were intimate with each other at one point...I'm sure Angelus said "Call me Liam! Call me Liam! Say my name, bitch!"
 
cryptwarmer
cryptwarmer
too funny!
B
Blondie Bear
If I had been drinking anything, it would be all over the keyboard after having been sprayed out of my nose.
PurplePoof said:
Hey, they were intimate with each other at one point...I'm sure Angelus said "Call me Liam! Call me Liam! Say my name, bitch!"
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LMAO! I'm SO sure that's exactly how it went down. Or how he went down....or something like that. That must be the scene Spike's referring to when he said, "except for that one time."
 
It doesn't suprise me at all that Spike would know or call Angel by his human name. In fact it's a very Spike thing to do. They've got quite a history and I'm sure at some point Spike probably was on some rampage and uncovered what his name was so he could use it against him later....just a guess.
 
Edmund Blackadder said:
Now I'm all confused. Was Willows real full name Willow?
Could have been Fafangulawillow.

Faith too, damn - I think it was Gotahavfaith.
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At least Xander´s real name isn´t Xander. Which wasn´t clear to me from the start since I´ve met people who´s real name is Xander. Not sure of the spelling though.
 
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