The last ten seconds of the Season 2 finale

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LazyDolphin

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Okay - am I the only one who hated how Angel season two ended? I just finished watching the second season on DVD, and the last shot of the last episode is bothering me. I'm a huge Buffy fan and didn't really like Angel season one at all when I saw it a few months ago, so I bought Angel season two with little-to-no expectation (I hadn't seen any of it before I got the DVD) and was really surprised at how much better it was than Angel's first season. But the ending left me flat.

The season finale was a great episode, and it felt really odd to me to end it with Willow sitting in the lobby looking distraught over Buffy's death. If it had happened in Angel season one, it would've made sense - they talked about Buffy a great deal, and she appeared in a few episodes.
But Buffy doesn't appear and isn't even really mentioned in season 2. Angel season 2 was so much better than the first, I think the show had kinda earned the right to exist on it's own merits and ending it on an oblique reference to Buffy felt like an insult to all the great Angel regulars. Angel and Gunn and Cordy and Fred and Wesley and Lorne didn't deserve to be overshadowed at the last minute by the spectre of Buffy.

Anybody out there agree with me, or am I having too many thoughts?
 
I think that they HAD to show it...something had to be said...Buffy couldn't just die without Angel finding out until next season....it woulda been weird.
 
I think it made sense Buffy and Angel had been through so much i dont think a phone call telling him this..wouldnt be nice...it was better that she came in person...Willow understood Buffys love for Angel...and she prob knew that Buffy would want Angel to know...Yesh it would of been better in S1 but it didnt happen there...it was just the way the story was told...I think Joss sees Buffy and Angel as soulmates...so he gave fans the bit in the season finale...wouldnt you want to know if your ex love who you still cared for had die?
 
Well, okay - point taken, Angel's_Girl. Couldn't have happened in season one cause buffy wasn't dead. 🙂 But I guess my point was that Buffy wasn't a part of season 2, so it didn't make any sense to end it focused on her death. Buffy was Angel's one true love, no argument there (even if this season was all Darla, Darla Darla). Starting season 3 dealing with her death (not sure if they do, haven't seen it yet but I'll assume they deal with it) makes sense, but ending season 2 that way felt kinda unearned. And if you hadn't seen Buffy's season 5 finale (or watch Angel but not Buffy), ending the season on a closeup of Willow looking bummed but not speaking has no context and no emotional impact whatsoever.
 
I totally agree they should done something with the Angel cast at the end. Now I don't remember the ending or timelines exactly near the end but I think they could have done it an episode earlier.
 
I think it made sense that they didnt talk about her, becuase Joss, obviously knew where he was going through season 5 with Buffy's death!
I think the fact that Angel and the gang didnt talk about Buffy, added to the shock factor...
 
AhaHa...Something did happen in S2 to do with Buffy and Angel it just wasnt brought up and Angel i dont think...he went to go see her when her mother died..
 
Willow's appearence at the end of Angels second year was so powerful to me.
No words needed to be spoken, I felt the sorrow of Angel's realisation (of what Willow had made her presence
known for) in my own beating heart.

Did you not feel the powerful forces at work?
 
Sorry, Poet. I guess I didn't.

Of course, this may have a lot to do with the fact that I didn't discover Buffy until I bought the Season One DVD set about four months ago (and have been kicking myself for my prolonged ignorance ever since). If it isn't out on DVD in the US yet I probably haven't seen it. I don't get home from work early enough to catch reruns on FX (damn commute!). Angel Season 2 is out on DVD. Buffy Season 5 isn't yet. So it's hard to feel Angel's anguish without actually watching Buffy snuff it.

I really haven't seen any of the season 5, 6 or 7 episodes of Buffy. Except the musical. Which I absolutely did not obtain by buying a bootleg dvd on eBay. Honest.
 
I agree LazyDolphin that the season two finale overshadowed the other characters of Angel but I think the ending is more focused on the fans that have watched it from the start and know the significance. I know that seems unfair especially for fans that don't even watch Buffy, but it would have been a big let down for the other fans not to see Angel's reaction to Buffy's death.
 
Originally posted by Zander8472
I totally agree they should done something with the Angel cast at the end. Now I don't remember the ending or timelines exactly near the end but I think they could have done it an episode earlier.
Click to expand...

Given that Angel and the gang were in Pylea they couldn't have done it an episode earlier. Angel went to see Buffy after the death of Joyce (Buffy's mum) in Season 5 Episode Forever. The separation of the shows was good for Angel with Season 2 being really good (not so good for Buffy as Season 5 with the exception of a couple of episodes really sucked IMHO). But there will always be a link between Buffy and Angel, and they couldn't ignore Buffy dying and since they decided to do the Pylea arc to end the season they couldn't have done it any earlier. I think the fact that Willow didn't need to say anything was really powerful like The Poet said. It is interesting to note that Buffy Season 6 was the only season of Buffy not to have Angel in as far as I remember.

LazyDolphin - In a way I get what you are saying but the end of Angel Season 2 and the Pylea arc was going to be a happy one, remember Angel's enthusiasm before he saw Willow, and I don't think Joss could allow that, with the possible exception of Season 4 which is odd. I think there would have been outrage if it had ended on a happy note whilst Buffy was dead.

Does anybody else think its weird that the UK has Three Seasons of Angel and 6 of Buffy out on DVD set already whilst the US only has 2 of Angel and 4 of Buffy. You get better covers for your box sets but its strange.
 
Yeah, Shimmer - the DVD release timeline in the US really sucks. I'm vaguely aware that it has something to do with US intellectual property laws and syndication/re-run rights that don't apply to releasing the sets in the UK. I'm not sure of the specifics, just that it has something to do with the studios trying to maximize their profits.
 
Originally posted by LazyDolphin
Yeah, Shimmer - the DVD release timeline in the US really sucks. I'm vaguely aware that it has something to do with US intellectual property laws and syndication/re-run rights that don't apply to releasing the sets in the UK. I'm not sure of the specifics, just that it has something to do with the studios trying to maximize their profits.
Click to expand...

I see I didn't know that thank you. You have a slight bonus of having better covers for the dvds, not enough to offset the time difference but the US releases look much better than the UK ones🙂
 
I agree with LazyDolphin. Something has always sat a little uncomfortably with me about Willow's sudden appearance at the end of the season. I think it detracted from the whole Pylea thing and the fact that they got back safely, but I guess as others have said they couldn't let Buffy's death go completely unnoticed....
 
Do you think sending Angel and company to another dimension at that time was an intentional party by ME to explain why Angel wouldn't help in the fight against Glory? I mean Spike almost made it up the tower in time to help Dawn, and I imagine Angel would've had an ever better chance.
 
buffy was mentioned

Originally posted by LazyDolphin
Well, okay - point taken, Angel's_Girl. Couldn't have happened in season one cause buffy wasn't dead. 🙂 But I guess my point was that Buffy wasn't a part of season 2, so it didn't make any sense to end it focused on her death. Buffy was Angel's one true love, no argument there (even if this season was all Darla, Darla Darla). Starting season 3 dealing with her death (not sure if they do, haven't seen it yet but I'll assume they deal with it) makes sense, but ending season 2 that way felt kinda unearned. And if you hadn't seen Buffy's season 5 finale (or watch Angel but not Buffy), ending the season on a closeup of Willow looking bummed but not speaking has no context and no emotional impact whatsoever.
Click to expand...
okay, buffy never crossed over in season 2 but angel did and also the episode "Dear boy" where angel saw darla for the first time and when he mentioned to wesley and cordelia that "she's" in town, cordelia said buffy's name and again when angel and darla had that comfrontation to each other about love and bliss or perfect happiness (per say didn't exactly said buffy but "the cheerleader") and darla was disgusted about buffy causing angel to have that perfect happiness and angel mentioned that she wouldn't know about it ...but anywa'z i really do think that 10 secconds at the end ( i was hoping longer) was worth it..that's my 2 cents so don't get upset if you didn't like what i said..
 
LazyDolphin-you are having way too many thoughts!

j/k I really see the point that you are making along with all those who have commented on this thread. I can see both sides very easily.

I think that ending it with the Angel cast would of been great. It would have tied them all together and really finalized the huge connection they all made during that season. (which was great)

However, I think that the way they actually ended S2 of Angel worked too. For those aware of the Angel/Buffy situation I think it was intense. It was a total edge cutting ending and coincided with what happend on Buffy.

I personally luv the cross over's and the one that Angel did on Buffy was great! When Angel came to Buffy after Joyce's passed away-that brought back all sorts of crazy and heart touching moments. Since Buffy never crossed over onto Angel, I think them ending it with her was very powerful and justly done.

I don't know if I have made any sense...in short I would of been happy either way they went.
 
aaaah, the last words "buffy"!!

Okay, I never saw the last 2 hour ep. of 'angel' s2, I just fnished watching "through the looking glass" and omg! Is Willow there to say that Buffy is dead? Why is she there!!? Is that even a big deal? Well, y should it be, it is Angel's show ( I gotta keep telling myself that...")

Do you ever find out why willow was there? AAAAh, TELL ME!!!

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