The Sadness of Finishing Angel and the Buffyverse

[Goby]

Wow, I just watched Season 5, Episode 7. I was really, really sad when I finished Buffy, and now I'm almost done with Angel. 🙁

There a special sadness because this ends the Buffyverse and Whedonverse for me (unless I start reading the comics).

BTW, I am really loving Wesley. I think the character I hated most in the Buffyverse was Wesley when he first appeared in Buffy. The "bumbling fool" was just not funny. The wimp and his silly fighting skills.... YUCK!!! He was much irritating than Connor and Dawn combined!!

But Wesley on Angel is amazing!!! I love his tormented soul, his love for Fred, his brilliance, and his bravery. He character development may be even better than Spike, and more dramatic. How did Joss take the Jar Jar Binks of the Buffyverse and make him so incredible?

Ok, time for Episode 8. I am savoring each episode... knowing it will all be over soon. 🙁

 

[Christopher]

I felt the same. You'll feel even sadder when the season gets going too. 🙁

My advice: don't read the comics.

 

[Spikefan31]

I too felt the same.

Badass Wesley is so cool!

I second Christopher's advice to avoid the comics.

 

[prophecygrrl]

I remember feeling really sad when I finished watching Buffy and Angel. I was comforted a little knowing that there were still the comics, but it's still not the same as the televised series. 🙁 But hey, you can always do a re-watch. 😀

 

[Firefly]

It took me five or so weeks to finish Buffy Season Seven 🙁

I was saying to myself "what happens to this person after the fall?. Did/Could they retrieve a certain someones body?. Wonder if Wood would join Faith if she had her own show"

 

[zobothehobo]

it is a sad thing. I cried really hard and felt so empty. I had to start over. So as soon as I finished Not Fade Away, I started over again with Welcome to the Hellmouth.

 

[Hale Caesar]

I was really sad! I was more sad to see Angel finish because I always thought of The Fang Gang as a family, as opposed to the Scoobies who fell apart in the end. Angel gets really, really good towards the end of season 5, especially if you love Wesley, he has some astounding moments

 

[Marisa]

I know how you feel during my first real watch of both shows it was so sad. I felt the saddest when Angel ended though. I was excited to see the finale yet sad at the same time. I think Spike being in season five made the show complete and then it ended. I cried of course but like Zobo I just did another Angel re-watch.

 

[TheFirstSlayer]

I finished Buffy there about a year and a half ago, SO sad!couldn't believe that I'd never see a new episode of Buffy again! I'm only near the end of Angel Season 1 though at the moment. Don't want ttat to end either!

 

[BuffyElevated]

When BtVS ended, I cried like a baby. My husband didn't get it, 'cause he only started watching BtVS with me as Season 6 was airing, but now that he's seen the whole series and the journey I went through with these characters, he gets why I love them all so much and why I'm still such a huge fan of the show.
I waited til just a couple years ago to finish watching "Angel". I stopped watching during Season 4's first run, because I was absolutely disgusted with the direction Joss was taking these characters. But I finally did finish Season 4 (which I still hate) and watched Season 5. I really liked Season 5, although I thought they tried to pack too much into the final episodes of the show. I wasn't as sad to see "Angel" end as I was BtVS, but I was still sad because it meant I wasn't going to get to see these characters on TV anymore.

BTW, I am really loving Wesley. I think the character I hated most in the Buffyverse was Wesley when he first appeared in Buffy. The "bumbling fool" was just not funny. The wimp and his silly fighting skills.... YUCK!!! He was much irritating than Connor and Dawn combined!!

But Wesley on Angel is amazing!!! I love his tormented soul, his love for Fred, his brilliance, and his bravery. He character development may be even better than Spike, and more dramatic. How did Joss take the Jar Jar Binks of the Buffyverse and make him so incredible?
🙁

Wesley's evolution is my favorite of all the characters in the 'Verse. I thought he was funny in an adorably goofy way in BtVS, but on Angel he morphed into this amazing badass. I love it, and I'm glad Wesley became such an important part of the Angel team.

 

[spikecakes]

Wesley's evolution is my favorite of all the characters in the 'Verse. I thought he was funny in an adorably goofy way in BtVS, but on Angel he morphed into this amazing badass. I love it, and I'm glad Wesley became such an important part of the Angel team.

You're so right. If Wesley had never been on Angel, it would have been a lot harder for me to enjoy. The evolution of his character was a huge part of the show for me, even when he wasn't on the forefront, you could see him evolving into this total badass of a guy. I love both of Wesley's personalities, it was nice to see him combine his two sides in series 5 of Angel.

On topic though, I've just finished Angel season 5. It's one of those moments where you think your life has actually ended, to be dramatic about it. I cried at the end for Fred, for Wesley and realising it was actually the end. I'm planning on getting the comics but it will never be the same. The only thing left to do is re-watch, but I'm scared of overwatching it, if you understand? I don't want the show to become too "comfortable" to me.

 

[mayfever]

I'm dragging it out. I've watched most of Angel (last ep I've seen was "Shells" almost two weeks ago) but I don't want it to end... It's ridiculous, but it won't be just the show that's over, it will be my student life. I've watched all the Whedon shows with my (now former) flatmate, and now that we don't live together anymore, it truly will be the end of an era.

 

[Scarlett Blade]

I was soooo very very sad when I finished Buffy. I had watched 6 seasons in the space of two months (vacations, mind you), but I dragged out season 7 as loooooong as I could...LOL. I started Angel like two months ago, and I'm on season 5, but I'm not as engrossed with it as I was with Buffy. I definately cried at the end of season 7, and not just because of that touching Spuffy scence in Chosen 😛

 

[Goby]

I was soooo very very sad when I finished Buffy. I had watched 6 seasons in the space of two months (vacations, mind you), but I dragged out season 7 as loooooong as I could...LOL. I started Angel like two months ago, and I'm on season 5, but I'm not as engrossed with it as I was with Buffy. I definately cried at the end of season 7, and not just because of that touching Spuffy scence in Chosen 😛

And I bet you cried during the ultimate Spuffy scene in End of Days. I know I did.

I'm also dragging out Season 5. It's not as good as Buffy, but if Buffy was a 100, Angel is a solid 95. And I'm loving Spike.

I hope Joss doesn't give up on TV. Watching Joss for 2 hours every year or so will be so sad. 🙁

 

[flyingturtle]

Hey all. I just joined this message board and glad to see Buffy/Angel/Whedon fans here, too.

Anyway, like others here, I just finished watching the entire Buffy-verse. I've been a casual fan of Whedon from Firefly and the movie, but only saw a few Buffy and Angel episodes when they aired, liking them but not enough to be a loyal viewer at the time. On a whim, I recently decided to watch both seasons of the Dollhouse, and despite some of the mixed reviews of the show, I was completely pulled into the show, so much so that I decide to watch everything by Whedon and that meant 12 seasons of Angel and Buffy.

I just finished and my appreciation for Whedon has gone up tenfold. He and his writing crew are fabulous (really like Drew Goddard's episodes). My only sadness is that it's over. The wikipedia guide that lists both the Buffy and Angel airings was really helpful as I watched Angel and Buffy together, when their seasons were happening at the same time. It made a lot of the events and crossovers make more sense.

While I won't give any spoilers, I am really shocked and surprised that Angel did not continue. It made sense that Buffy ended since Sarah Michelle Geller wanted to finally give the show a rest, but Angel seemed to be on a rise, especially with increased ratings in season 5. Oh well.

While I really like Buffy, the neat thing about Angel is seeing how previously shallow characters in Cordelia (although I did like her bluntness in Buffy) and Wesley really came to their own in Angel. Wesley, Cordelia and Winifred were by far my favorite characters in Angel, and in my top-ten list of favorite Buffy characters. Glad to see both Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof in Dollhouse and I hope Whedon uses them again and again.

Anyway, it is sad that it's all over for me so I can relate to all of you who watched it when it was airing and your feeling when it concluded. It must have been much more sad, particularly in the case of Angel as it seemed that weird shenanigans at WB prevented Angel from being renewed. I'm especially saddened because I just adore Amy Acker and season 6 sounded like a big year for her.

Hopefully one day Whedon will get another TV show that will go on for more than a season or two...

 

[VisionGirl]

So, Goby, you've already watched Firefly/Serenity/Dollhouse/Dr. Horrible, right? Then this really is the end for you. 🙁 I did it in opposite order: Buffy/ATS first, then the other shows. When I finished Dollhouse recently, I was really, really sad. No more Whedon to watch, at least for right now.

I'll buck the trend and DO recommend that you read the comics. Well, I have not read the IDW comics although I'd like to. And yes, season 8 was controversial, but there's also some good stuff in there. The most fun part though is being able to discuss it here with other fans while it happens, something I didn't get to do with Buffy/ATS' original airing (not even Dollhouse, as I only watched it now). And most of us season 8 readers (even those who didn't particularly like it) are looking forward to season 9 because of the things we're hearing about it. I suggest to at least give it a try. Read the first couple of TPBs & see what you think.

I know Joss is really busy right now with the Avengers (which I am excited about), I really hope he eventually returns to TV even though he's been a bit burned by it.

 

[sisterofmercy]

I know how you feel OP, I'm trying to drag out Firefly for as long as I can so it doesn't have to end. The fact that it only got 1 series is bad enough!

As far as the comics go, if you take them as separate entities from the show then they're worth reading. I can't take the plot all that seriously, but then I think of it as fanfiction almost so it helps suspend disbelief. Still, it's better than not having anything.

 

[Goby]

I know how you feel OP, I'm trying to drag out Firefly for as long as I can so it doesn't have to end. The fact that it only got 1 series is bad enough!

As far as the comics go, if you take them as separate entities from the show then they're worth reading. I can't take the plot all that seriously, but then I think of it as fanfiction almost so it helps suspend disbelief. Still, it's better than not having anything.

I feel your pain. I don't think it's a secret/spoiler that Joss didn't know they were getting canceled, so there is no big finale. The finale episode is just another great episode.

Thank goodness for Serenity. It really is a great movie, and a great tribute to a great show.

 

[Goby]

Two more episodes. 🙁

The worse part is that although Buffy is my favorite show of all time, by Season 7 it was burning out. There are great episodes in Season 7, but there were some duds. It ended at the right time.

Angel is different. I am absolutely loving EVERY episode. There is so much life in this season. I'm finally appreciating Harmony (she's great in small doses), Wesley is brilliant, Andrew is great when he appears, Spike is a great addition, and what can I say about Amy Acker? She is amazing. And of course the writing is the best of any season.

I was sad when Buffy ended, but this is a bit worse. Angel's story is not done. And it's the end of the Buffyverse for me.