What if?? "Becoming Pt. 2"

[Icarium]

Buffy would have stalled Angel if she knew there was a chance of bringing him back. She did still love him, then why wouldn't she give that small chance of her lover to return if she knew it was possible?

I am confused. Who says she wouldn't give that small chance? The point is if she had held back in hope of waiting for the spell she could have lost the fight and doomed the world. That's the risk Xander didn't want to take.

 

[Chosen Enemy]

I am confused. Who says she wouldn't give that small chance? The point is if she had held back in hope of waiting for the spell she could have lost the fight and doomed the world. That's the risk Xander didn't want to take.

No problem. She'd wait until time runs out and she couldn't wait anymore, then kill him if he's still souless. Yes, she might lose. But she might have also lose if Xander had told her the truth anyway, or if he hadn't and it went just like it did. Either way, she could die, she could lose, the world could have sucked into hell. And if there is a chance that she will win plus Angel will stay alive plus the world will be safe from being sucken into hell.... Why not?

 

[The Unspoken]

No problem. She'd wait until time runs out and she couldn't wait anymore, then kill him if he's still souless. Yes, she might lose. But she might have also lose if Xander had told her the truth anyway, or if he hadn't and it went just like it did. Either way, she could die, she could lose, the world could have sucked into hell. And if there is a chance that she will win plus Angel will stay alive plus the world will be safe from being sucken into hell.... Why not?

Fighting him with the intent to stall would've been far more dangerous than fighting him with the intent to kill him.

Besides, the show practically spells it out that that lie needed to be told:

Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends... No hope. Take all that away... and what's left?

 

[Icarium]

No problem. She'd wait until time runs out and she couldn't wait anymore, then kill him if he's still souless. Yes, she might lose. But she might have also lose if Xander had told her the truth anyway, or if he hadn't and it went just like it did. Either way, she could die, she could lose, the world could have sucked into hell. And if there is a chance that she will win plus Angel will stay alive plus the world will be safe from being sucken into hell.... Why not?

Because sometimes it's better not to risk it all just for the small chance of winning everything. Also, Xander didn't know Spike had switched sides. Buffy stalling for time against Drusilla and Angel is a bit of a tall order.

 

[caitaintdead]

Okay, so after all the Xander bashing I've been doing I'm going to throw you all for a loop here and stick up for him in this thread. Why? Because I believe that Xander did the right thing by telling that lie. It's easy to dismiss it as him being spiteful, and I honestly believe that Xander could be spiteful when he wanted to. A lot of people can.

In this case though I believe he did the right thing. We can question his motives, sure. However, Xander made the right decision. I believe that Buffy should have been going after Angelus to kick his arse. Willow wasn't a pro witch like she is in later seasons, and there was no guarantee that it would work at all, never mind in time. The soul restoration was a great backup, but it definitely wasn't something to rely on. Jenny Calendar obviously knew this as well seeing as how she didn't tell anyone to not kill Angelus while she was working on the spell.

Looking at the situation rationally then Xander did the right thing. And as far as I'm concerned - Angelus is a monster - kick his arse.

 

[Himiko]

I'm going to agree that Xander did the right thing here. Look at the last episode- Buffy went into battle, hoping to stall for time while Willow restored Angel's soul. She stalls for time, he calls her on it, he can tell that her heart isn't really in the fight, and let's be honest, he doesn't seem to be in any rush to end it- he's stalling her from stopping Dru, as soon as enough time passes, he knows that all he has to do is tell her that her friends are in trouble and she'll leave him and run off back to the high school, as she does.

Now, Buffy's going against Angelus in Becoming Part 2- he's in his lair, there's other vampires around, she's directly interfering with his world destroying plan. He's going to go all out on attempting to kill her this time. Buffy loves Angel, Xander knows there's a very high probability she would stall for time rather than killing him at the first chance, and that could get her killed.

Now, he's never been very close to Angel, true. And perhaps that does influence his decision, in that he would rather Buffy makes it through the fight and they lose all chance of restoring Angel, than potentially lose Buffy, but get Angel back. But I don't think that makes him selfish, or jealous of Angel. I think he's angry about Jenny's death, all the other deaths, that Angelus has tried to kill both him and Willow, and, by this point, has caused Kendra's death, Willow's injury, and is probably torturing Giles. And, unlike Buffy, who loved him, and Willow, who got on with him, he didn't see things in an Angelus killing people vs never getting Angel back way, I think he saw things in a "Angelus is killing people, he deserves to die" sort of way.

 

[fly on the wall]

Several thoughts on the matter:

1. I don't think it would have changed much, since Buffy had been trying to KILL Angelus and he still managed to pull the sword out of Acathla. Had she just been trying to stall, I imagine he would have pulled the sword out sooner, or at least around the same point, and then everything would have ended up the same way.
2. It's lovely to assume that Xander's intentions are good in telling Buffy to "kick his ass," but that would be giving (S2) Xander too much credit. Early on in the show, he's still an immature, impulsive and naive teenager. Although he probably did help to keep Buffy alive by not telling her about Willow's spell, I can't be sure that was his main motivation, or even on his mind at all. I just don't think he's mature enough at this point in the show to be thinking of The Big Picture or Doing What's Best for Buffy and the World. I think it's more likely he saw an opportunity to get rid of Angel, and keeping Buffy on task and therefore alive was just a bonus. On that note...
3. His hatred of Angel, at this point, has more to do with the fact that Buffy chose Angel over him when he DID like her, rather than evidence of him still liking her. It still stings. S2 seems to be a journey for Xander of getting over Buffy, and by S3 I think he's completely over her. Still, I think part of him will forever resent Angel for stealing Buffy's heart when he had a crush on her, even if he doesn't like her in that way by the time "Becoming" rolls around. His hatred of all vampires amplifies this, obviously.

And this is why I have such a problem with what Xander did. The end may very well justify the means, but I don't believe for a second that's what Xander's reasoning was. He was blinded by his emotions, his resentment, his prejudice, his immaturity and overall hatred of Angel. He had always been unwilling to see Angel as a good, ensouled being, and when Angel turned it filled Xander with a righteous "I told you so!" attitude that's just...ugh. Had Giles, Willow, or anyone else more emotionally mature and less biased than Xander delivered the message, I would feel differently about it.

On top of that, the truth about what Willow was attempting to do was not Xander's truth to withhold from Buffy. She deserved to know what she was getting herself into. She could have prepared herself for the possibility that she might have to kill the Angel that she loved. And I'll even suggest that had she known, she may have had an easier time opening up to her friends, telling them the truth of what happened, and staying put in Sunnydale. I think the shock of Angel suddenly having a soul again made the whole ordeal so much worse.

 

[The Unspoken]

2. It's lovely to assume that Xander's intentions are good in telling Buffy to "kick his ass," but that would be giving (S2) Xander too much credit. Early on in the show, he's still an immature, impulsive and naive teenager. Although he probably did help to keep Buffy alive by not telling her about Willow's spell, I can't be sure that was his main motivation, or even on his mind at all. I just don't think he's mature enough at this point in the show to be thinking of The Big Picture or Doing What's Best for Buffy and the World. I think it's more likely he saw an opportunity to get rid of Angel, and keeping Buffy on task and therefore alive was just a bonus. On that note...
3. His hatred of Angel, at this point, has more to do with the fact that Buffy chose Angel over him when he DID like her, rather than evidence of him still liking her. It still stings. S2 seems to be a journey for Xander of getting over Buffy, and by S3 I think he's completely over her. Still, I think part of him will forever resent Angel for stealing Buffy's heart when he had a crush on her, even if he doesn't like her in that way by the time "Becoming" rolls around. His hatred of all vampires amplifies this, obviously.

If Xander valued his own feelings over Buffy's survival, she would've died in 'Prophecy Girl' and he would have spend season 2 hitting on Kendra. His hatred of Angel(us) had to do with the fact that for the last several months, he had tried killing and eating him and his friends - and sometimes succeeded (with Jenny). Do you really think feelings of romantic inadequacy were his primary reason for hating Angel(us)? Joss certainly doesn't:

"The Xander betrayal issue... hasn't come up with us, and here's why. Xander made a decision. Like a general going into battle, he had to keep Buffy's fighting spirit strong and he felt telling her the truth would blunt it. And Angel needed to be stopped. It was a tough decision, and an unpopular one, but I'm not sure it wasn't the right one. I'm on the fence, and that's what makes it FUN! So there."

And this is why I have such a problem with what Xander did. The end may very well justify the means, but I don't believe for a second that's what Xander's reasoning was. He was blinded by his emotions, his resentment, his prejudice, his immaturity and overall hatred of Angel. He had always been unwilling to see Angel as a good, ensouled being, and when Angel turned it filled Xander with a righteous "I told you so!" attitude that's just...ugh. Had Giles, Willow, or anyone else more emotionally mature and less biased than Xander delivered the message, I would feel differently about it.

Who wouldn't be worried if their friend started dating a centuries-old reanimated corpse with a bloody past? Willow romanticized it, but Xander's reaction was perfectly normal as well. And he had no intention of killing him before he lost his soul, he was just suspicious of him.

Kendra: Angel? But our priority is to stop Drusilla!
Xander: Angel's our friend! Except I don't like him.

When he lost his soul, Xander thought his suspicions confirmed. Wrong? Yes. But very understandable. And it actually took several months and the death of Jenny before Xander said 'I told you so'. He initially comforted Buffy rather than criticize her, and told her that 'He's not the same guy you knew'.

On top of that, the truth about what Willow was attempting to do was not Xander's truth to withhold from Buffy. She deserved to know what she was getting herself into. She could have prepared herself for the possibility that she might have to kill the Angel that she loved. And I'll even suggest that had she known, she may have had an easier time opening up to her friends, telling them the truth of what happened, and staying put in Sunnydale. I think the shock of Angel suddenly having a soul again made the whole ordeal so much worse.

She didn't deserve to know if it would endanger the fate of the world. I don't think she would try to stall, but the knowledge of the spell being done could've thrown her off her game.

 

[fly on the wall]

If Xander valued his own feelings over Buffy's survival, she would've died in 'Prophecy Girl' and he would have spend season 2 hitting on Kendra. His hatred of Angel(us) had to do with the fact that for the last several months, he had tried killing and eating him and his friends - and sometimes succeeded (with Jenny). Do you really think feelings of romantic inadequacy were his primary reason for hating Angel(us)? Joss certainly doesn't:

"The Xander betrayal issue... hasn't come up with us, and here's why. Xander made a decision. Like a general going into battle, he had to keep Buffy's fighting spirit strong and he felt telling her the truth would blunt it. And Angel needed to be stopped. It was a tough decision, and an unpopular one, but I'm not sure it wasn't the right one. I'm on the fence, and that's what makes it FUN! So there."

Well, no disrespect to Joss, but what a creator intended to say with a piece of art has absolutely no basis in what meaning I take from it. As soon as you create something, you pretty much surrender its meaning to your audience. That's why we watch TV shows, plays, read books...we assign meaning to what we see, depending on our own experiences and personalities and opinions. And that meaning is just a powerful and real and true as what the creator had intended.

But, on that note, Joss doesn't even say there what Xander's primary motivation was. He made a decision to stop Angel. Yes. He behaved like a general. Yes. But why, and for what cause, is still unclear.

Obviously, months of Angel terrorizing and killing people had further spurred Xander's hatred of him. But how that hatred had formed, and grew, is very important too.

Who wouldn't be worried if their friend started dating a centuries-old reanimated corpse with a bloody past? Willow romanticized it, but Xander's reaction was perfectly normal as well. And he had no intention of killing him before he lost his soul, he was just suspicious of him.

His initial reaction was understandable. But his continued hatred of Angel, even after fighting beside him, even after Angel saved Buffy's life time and time again, even though Angel had proved himself to be one of the good guys every day? Even Giles, who had been learning to fight vampires his entire life, and whose job it was to protect Buffy, was far, far more accepting of Buffy's relationship than Xander. It all boils down to maturity, which Xander just did not have at this point, and that is why I don't think he was mature enough to make such a selfless, for-the-greater-good decision.

Of course Xander didn't try to plan to kill Angel before he lost his soul. I don't think even Xander could justify killing the person Buffy was in love with. But the second he saw a reason (excuse) to kill him? He jumped all over it. Immediately.

When he lost his soul, Xander thought his suspicions confirmed. Wrong? Yes. But very understandable. And it actually took several months and the death of Jenny before Xander said 'I told you so'. He initially comforted Buffy rather than criticize her, and told her that 'He's not the same guy you knew'.

It doesn't matter how long it took him to say it; he was wrong and shouldn't have said it at all. In Xander's mind, there was very little difference between Angel and Angelus aside from the murders. His opinion of Angel didn't change, and that's what I find so very problematic.

It's a very slight difference in thought pattern we're talking about here. Xander lied...out of love and deliberation, or out of malice? We can't ever be sure. I'm just going by what we know about Xander at this point.

She didn't deserve to know if it would endanger the fate of the world. I don't think she would try to stall, but the knowledge of the spell being done could've thrown her off her game.

I disagree. I think Buffy had beyond proven herself by this point, enough to deserve to know exactly what battle she was getting herself into. We'd seen her walk herself to her destined death in order to save the world, yet she's too delicate for the truth of Willow's plan? This wasn't just about the battle. It was about Buffy's emotions, too, and unfortunately the two can't be mutually exclusive. At least not without extreme consequences.

 

[The Unspoken]

His initial reaction was understandable. But his continued hatred of Angel, even after fighting beside him, even after Angel saved Buffy's life time and time again, even though Angel had proved himself to be one of the good guys every day? Even Giles, who had been learning to fight vampires his entire life, and whose job it was to protect Buffy, was far, far more accepting of Buffy's relationship than Xander.

What hatred? Please, point me to it. They socialized just fine in several episodes before 'Innocence'. He only started hating him when he turned into Angelus and started killing people, notably Jenny Calendar.

It all boils down to maturity, which Xander just did not have at this point, and that is why I don't think he was mature enough to make such a selfless, for-the-greater-good decision.

Why wouldn't Xander want to prevent the world from being sucked into hell? And regardless of his maturity, I can't ever see him doing something that would endanger Buffy's survival. In fact, he almost told Buffy about Willow's spell and he had to interrupt his own sentence to lie to her, simply out of loyalty to his friend(s).

Of course Xander didn't try to plan to kill Angel before he lost his soul. I don't think even Xander could justify killing the person Buffy was in love with.

So you're saying Xander would have tried to kill Angel before 'Innocence' if he could find a justification, i.e. an excuse? If you believe him to be a sociopath hellbent on killing Buffy's love interests, why didn't he ever try to murder Scott Hope or Riley Finn? Here's a serious question: have you ever given any thought to Xander's feelings instead of simply dismissing them as jealousy?

But the second he saw a reason (excuse) to kill him? He jumped all over it. Immediately.

Immediately? It took several months and the death of Jenny Calender. And you're calling it an excuse? Angelus was killing people and hatching apocalyptic schemes. He should have been killed in 'Innocence'.
Xander jumped all over it because Angelus threatened to hurt the people he loves. You'll notice this is a pattern with the character. See for example his threat to Buffy in 'When She Was Bad', which had nothing to do with any romantic feelings. But hey, if you'd rather believe Xander is a sociopath out to murder Buffy's love interests, then so be it.

It doesn't matter how long it took him to say it; he was wrong and shouldn't have said it at all. In Xander's mind, there was very little difference between Angel and Angelus aside from the murders. His opinion of Angel didn't change, and that's what I find so very problematic.

Let's see: he didn't want to kill him before 'Innocence'; he wants to kill him after that. He doesn't try to kill him when he's re-ensouled again in season 3. I see plenty of difference.

I disagree. I think Buffy had beyond proven herself by this point, enough to deserve to know exactly what battle she was getting herself into. We'd seen her walk herself to her destined death in order to save the world,

I'd argue that killing your lover is harder. And besides, if according to you it couldn't possibly have affected Buffy, why should it be a problem that Xander didn't tell her?

yet she's too delicate for the truth of Willow's plan? This wasn't just about the battle. It was about Buffy's emotions, too,

Her emotions are completely and utterly irrelevant if they so much as threaten to endanger the fate of the world.

 

[fly on the wall]

What hatred? Please, point me to it. They socialized just fine in several episodes before 'Innocence'. He only started hating him when he turned into Angelus and started killing people, notably Jenny Calendar.

Well, I don't think I need to point out every instance of his jealousy, but there are a boat-load of them. Including some really nasty moments, like where he says to Buffy, "I guess a guy's gotta be undead to make time with you" in "Prophecy Girl." In the same episode, he confronts Angel with a cross and says, "I don't like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you're a vampire...But Buffy's got this big old yen for you. She thinks you're a real person. And right now I need you to prove her right."

He continually accuses Angel of wanting to eat everyone around him. Every scene between them is tense. Xander outright says, time and time again, that he doesn't like Angel. And, yeah, he has no reason not to like him aside from the fact that Angel is a vampire and his jealousy.

Why wouldn't Xander want to prevent the world from being sucked into hell? And regardless of his maturity, I can't ever see him doing something that would endanger Buffy's survival. In fact, he almost told Buffy about Willow's spell and he had to interrupt his own sentence to lie to her, simply out of loyalty to his friend(s).

But you're assuming that he lied to protect her, where we have no evidence of what his main motivation was. Of course he didn't want the world to be sucked into hell, but he wasn't too gung-ho about the restoration spell, was he? He didn't focus on that at all. His only bit of advice had always been, "Kill him." And maybe it was understandable and maybe it had nothing to do with his jealousy (which I doubt) but it was also incredibly insensitive, callous, and immature. And I can't believe that the "Kick his ass" comment was completely separate from that.

So you're saying Xander would have tried to kill Angel before 'Innocence' if he could find a justification, i.e. an excuse?

No, I never said that.

If you believe him to be a sociopath hellbent on killing Buffy's love interests, why didn't he ever try to murder Scott Hope or Riley Finn?

I've explained why. Angel got Buffy when Xander wanted her. Buffy's other love interests came around after he'd already gotten over her. But, yeah, never said he was a sociopath hellbent on killing Buffy's love interests.

Here's a serious question: have you ever given any thought to Xander's feelings instead of simply dismissing them as jealousy?

How am I dismissing them? Jealousy is a powerful, powerful emotion. When I think back to my first real crush, and the girl he chose over me, I remember how much it hurt. It's not dismissive at all. You seem to think that his reaction had NOTHING to do with his jealousy, which seems entirely dismissive of his emotions.

Let's see: he didn't want to kill him before 'Innocence'; he wants to kill him after that. He doesn't try to kill him when he's re-ensouled again in season 3. I see plenty of difference.

Um, except he sics Faith on Angel in S3 in an attempt to kill him. So...yeah, there's that.

I'd argue that killing your lover is harder. And besides, if according to you it couldn't possibly have affected Buffy, why should it be a problem that Xander didn't tell her?

If you're referring to where I said that his telling Buffy wouldn't have affected the OUTCOME of the fight (Buffy having to kill Angel) then no, it probably wouldn't have changed anything. Except, internally, for Buffy, it might have changed everything. It still would have been a devastating event to be sure, but she might have been able to prepare herself instead of going in blind. She wouldn't have been so shocked, so confused, and she might not have left Sunnydale.

But in any case, this thread has gotten wayy off topic, so I'm going to bow out now. 🙂

 

[The Unspoken]

He continually accuses Angel of wanting to eat everyone around him. Every scene between them is tense. Xander outright says, time and time again, that he doesn't like Angel. And, yeah, he has no reason not to like him aside from the fact that Angel is a vampire and his jealousy.

Most of those scenes are comedic. It certainly didn't amount to hatred, at least not how I saw it.

How am I dismissing them? Jealousy is a powerful, powerful emotion. When I think back to my first real crush, and the girl he chose over me, I remember how much it hurt. It's not dismissive at all. You seem to think that his reaction had NOTHING to do with his jealousy, which seems entirely dismissive of his emotions.

To be honest, no, I don't follow this train of thought at all. Xander is jealous of...a guy who's now eating and killing people and hatching apocalyptic schemes? As opposed to simply hating the guy because he kills and eats people and hatches apocalyptic schemes? Not to mention the fact that the idea that (part of) his motivation to kill Angelus is to win a romantic rivalry would give him the label of (semi-)sociopath, which is something I don't see in the character.

Um, except he sics Faith on Angel in S3 in an attempt to kill him. So...yeah, there's that.

Which happened after he witnessed Buffy making out with Angel, i.e. engaging in the same behavior that led to him losing his soul. He was afraid of Angelus 2.0 and his friends being killed and eaten, and he had every reason to, considering Buffy's irresponsible behavior.
And he backed out of it before it even reached the stage of attempted murder and doesn't try to murder him for the remainder of the season. Xander was worried about the danger that Angel presented, and rightly so, so I find it bizarre that you cite this as 'proof' that he wanted to kill Angel regardless of his soul. If anything, it only strengthens the argument that the lie was born out of pragmatic concerns.

If you're referring to where I said that his telling Buffy wouldn't have affected the OUTCOME of the fight (Buffy having to kill Angel) then no, it probably wouldn't have changed anything. Except, internally, for Buffy, it might have changed everything. It still would have been a devastating event to be sure, but she might have been able to prepare herself instead of going in blind. She wouldn't have been so shocked, so confused, and she might not have left Sunnydale.

It also might have endangered the fate of the world. Sounds like a fair trade-off.

 

[Icarium]

In the same episode, he confronts Angel with a cross and says, "I don't like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you're a vampire...But Buffy's got this big old yen for you. She thinks you're a real person. And right now I need you to prove her right."

Well, call me crazy but I think Xander is right to be upset with the guy who had just mocked him for daring to suggest that they should go rescue Buffy.

And, yeah, he has no reason not to like him aside from the fact that Angel is a vampire and his jealousy.

Him being a vampire is a very, very significant reason to dislike Angel. Vampires killed Xander's close friend Jesse and this soul deal is something that even Giles didn't know about before Angel revealed it. Does somebody who is, let's face it, a walking corpse who lusts for blood really deserves another chance? Is it really a good idea for the vampire Slayer to date a vampire? I don't think we should ignore all this and say it was mostly jealousy. Might as well claim that say judges shouldn't they gangsters are just jealous. 🙂

 

[kndizzle]

This, to me, this decision was loaded. He clearly struggled with his options and eventually trusted his heart over his head. The Bangel fan in me wants to hate Xander forever and ever for it, but I understand why he did it. Was it a mistake? To me... yes, it was. But it was a necessary one. A mistake that shapes the rest of Buffy and Angel's lives and not necessarily in a bad way. Maybe not a happy-go-lucky way, but a real one, anyway.

If Xander had told her the truth, Buffy would have been able to distract Angel and stop Acathla from activating. And, to say it's not possible for her to do so is simply wrong, because at the prospect of "her" Angel returning to her, Buffy would have done anything (not my shipdom talking, at this point in Buffy's life it's fact) and everything to see it become reality. Remember her first instinct in Innocence even after he's teamed up with Spike and Drusilla: "Curse him again. You did it before, you can do it now."

She could have engaged Angel directly after she arrived, and Spike (to uphold their agreement) could have taken care of a few more vamps before leaving with Drusilla. Willow would have re-ensouled Angel and Buffy would have gotten her love back. They probably would have stayed together from that point on, without deviation in my opinion. However, this is a scenario that Joss never would have accepted, because a very important event happens in this episode and specifically this scene, something she has been trying to escape since she was called as the Slayer -- The knowledge that she is truly alone, the Chosen One, and that she must put aside everything else and act. Which she does. Without Xander's interference, this important character event could not have happened, and thus it's necessary one.

This isn't to say that Xander's decision to lie to Buffy was completely for the benefit of humanity. You have to remember, Xander was in love with Buffy the first minute he saw her, and was also the first one to realize the extent of Buffy's feelings for Angel, even before Buffy herself was willing to accept it.

Episode 1.07 - Angel

"'Angel's a vampire. You're the Slayer. I think it's obvious what you have to do. I- I know you have feelings for this guy, Buffy, but it's not like you're in love with him. Right?' Buffy doesn't respond and looks away."

Though he grudgingly accepts and "trusts" Angel's presence in their lives, he does it out of loyalty to Buffy, and acceptance that though Xander loves Buffy, Angel is the one she loves and not him. His views of Angel as the bad guy have been affirmed by his recent actions as Angelus. This was a factor in his decision to lie to her, even though at this point he isn't in love with Buffy. One thing that Joss has always reminded us about his characters is that they are human. They error at times. They act from jealousy, spite, hatred, and passion. But it is their humanity that makes us love and relate to them so much. Xander made the decision he made. Not for completely the right reasons, but reasons that were justified to him nonetheless.

Xander is jealous of... a guy who's now eating and killing people and hatching apocalyptic schemes? As opposed to simply hating the guy because he kills and eats people and hatches apocalyptic schemes?

No, I would argue that he's jealous because in spite of all of this, Buffy still loves him and not Xander. Xander has always had a profound jealousy of Angel and how blindly Buffy trusts and loves him. The fact that she fell in love with Angel while Xander had feelings for her as well has always put a chip on Xander's shoulder and thus his view of Angel as the perpetual villain (which at the end of season 2 he is). But, all of this being said, I understand Xander's decision.

Did he want to save the world? Of course. Did he want to stick it to Angel, and not JUST because of the current end of the world situation they were in? Absolutely.

One of the things I love about Xander is that he is unapologetic for his actions. When he is wrong he accepts it, but he never backs down from the decisions he makes when he truly believes he is protecting the people he loves - which is what he was doing here. Though I don't believe he made the decision for the right reasons, and wished he had shown some remorse for it, especially after the toll it took on Buffy to have to kill him after watching him regain his soul... his decision was, in his mind, the one he had to make.