Whose Blood Is It Anyway?

[Kana]

Ok after a rather heated discussion on one of the other forums, I was wondering if I could pick your brains on a few things.

Now the first question is very simple.

When Angel is trying to perform the ritual for Acathla Giles said that Angel is the key. Now I always assumed that Angelus had to use his own blood because he was the one performing the ritual. That is to say whoever is performing the ritual has to use their own blood.

The other person on the forum suggested that it has to be Angelus' blood because he's the only one who can open Acathla.

Possible but I thought it was unlikely that Angelus had special apocalyptic blood, but that's my opinion.

So my first question is do you guys think Angelus was the only person who could open Acathla?

My second question or bunch of questions.

Now we are discussing the events of Season 2 and he suggested that most of the things Angelus did in said season is because Drusilla wanted him to do it. He also said having Angelus kill Buffy was part of Drusilla's plan as well.

This person also said and I quote:

"Drusilla wanted to use the Judge and Angelus went along"

"Drusilla wanted to use Acathla and Angelus went along."

He goes to say that Angelus was bringing forth Acathla because it's what Drusilla wants and refers to him as Dru's glorified muscle.

He also argues that killing Jenny Calender was another thing that Angelus was doing because Drusilla wanted.

Now I'm as open minded as the next person, but I found these arguments to be "interesting" to say the least, but in the interest of diplomacy I can't assume he's wrong, but what are your opinions?

What Did Giles mean by saying "Angel's the key"?

Did Angelus do what Drusilla wanted him to do?

 

[Kean]

In terms of "Angelus being the key", I agree with you. It wasn't Angelus' specific blood. It was specific to the blood of the individual performing the ritual.

As for the Drusilla thing, well I can see how it could be viewed that way, but I always took it as Dru having visions and Angelus using them to his own advantage.

 

[Taake]

Well... I was gonna say something but Kean pretty much just said it 🙂
But yeah, I think Angelus was incidental. It had to be his blood because he was trying to open it, not because he had special blood in any way tied to Acathla (that would have had to been further explained if you ask me... why was he tied to Acathla in such a case? What would their connection had been?) Had it any other vamp tried the ritual it would have been their blood. A bit of self-sacrifice I suppose, blood payment for the magical forces they were channeling through the ritual.

As for Angelus being Dru's muscle... I'm gonna say nah. I think at that time in the show Dru was shown as quite mad and impulsive, a lot like a child (the impulsive part) with little thought to consequences. She wanted to do things for the moment but rarely thought of their effect and certainly didn't have it in her to 'plan' evil very well.

Angelus obviously had more planning and cunning as a part of his brand of evil so if anything I think he was the one using her as a tool, not vice versa. Her visions helped him to get ideas, but once she gave him the 'spark' of the idea he took it and ran with it. Had she really thought about it, I suspect that Dru - much like Spike - wouldn't really have wanted the world to end. She just wanted to have fun... and in her warped mind I suspect she viewed the whole thing as a bit of a bonding experience, she finally had her family back together after all. That is what seems important to her throughout the course of the show, not the end of the world, but the fang gang back together again.

 

[WWGD]

Angel had to use his own blood because he was the one performing the ritual - yes. However, it was also said that the blood had to be from someone worthy, so not any vampire could have done the ritual. In that aspect, Angel's blood was special.

With the Dru thing I have to agree with what was already said. Angelus was using Dru not the other way around.

 

[Taake]

However, it was also said that the blood had to be from someone worthy, so not any vampire could have done the ritual. In that aspect, Angel's blood was special.

Fair enough, probably not any vampire (or demon, not sure it would be limited to only vampires, and anyway doubt that) but someone just as evil as Angelus could have pulled it off. 🙂

 

[Abby27]

I chimed on this in the other thread and this is what I put:

"I think it was predestined that Angel's blood would open Acathla. I think Whistler alludes to destiny/fate having some role in Angel being the one to open Acathla. He mentions to Buffy, "I thought Angel was here to stop Acathla, not bring him forth." And then something like, "We never saw you coming." Angel has always had his story line tie in with destiny and fate. Whistler was sent to get Angel together because the PTB knew Angel was important and would play a bigger role in everything. And in fact, I think they thought Angel would be the one to stop Acathla (which, again, might be a bit of a stretch because if Angel never became evil, who knows if Spike and Drusilla would have ever even cared to dig up Acathla). They didn't see Buffy and Angel falling in love. And they didn't see him becoming evil, and they didn't see Angel being important in Acathla with regards to having the blood worthy enough to open up; they thought he was the one destined to stop him, not open him up. Angelus was the most gruesome and sadistic vampires. I think that earned him the title of being worthy to release hell upon Earth. Jenny/Dru even says, "Angel himself...he's the key?" as if to imply that it needed to specifically be Angel. I think that earned him the title of being worthy to release hell upon Earth."

So, I mean, yea, I think there is enough evidence to support that it needed to be Angel and his blood himself.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Did Angelus do what Drusilla wanted? To a certain degree, yes. But only that which fitted into his own agenda. That was to make wheels p'd off at how friendly he and Dru were.