I used to have some big elaborate justification why it would work for Angel to be a tragedy, and why it wouldn't ultimately work for Buffy (and thus why I could never have accepted "The Gift" as a series finale), but, uh, I have completely forgotten it.
I think it may have something to do with Buffy being based on the idea of rewriting the sacrificial death of girls to give hope--so she had to live; and Angel being based on a more traditional idea of atonement, so that the proper tragic ending, where he dies but the torch is passed on, doesn't strike me as violating the precept of the series.
Okay, it's not much of a limb to go out on...
Well, it could have been. If you can call a neck a limb.
What is the origin of the phrase "show called Angel"?
I've been wondering about the origin of the phrase "TV's Angel" and I'm not too sure where I've heard it. Is there another Angel?
I think it may have something to do with Buffy being based on the idea of rewriting the sacrificial death of girls to give hope--so she had to live; and Angel being based on a more traditional idea of atonement, so that the proper tragic ending, where he dies but the torch is passed on, doesn't strike me as violating the precept of the series.
Right! Exactly! Well put.
Well, I didn't get that far into it. I think it was mostly that I find Buffy a fundamentally hopeful show--that explains a lot about my frustration with S6 and S7, really--whereas Angel, not so much. Angel says to me that there can be grace even in darkness; Buffy says to me that that you can get a damn generator and turn the lights on.
I've been wondering about the origin of the phrase "TV's Angel"
From "TV's Frank"? (On MST3K.)
this post intended to trigger the memory of someone who actually has one
I think the "Show called Angel" remark must have been a separate post. The multi-ethnic quote was a stand alone post.
And, no, I have no memory. But I do have a handy dandy Minear quote generator:
"Show not called 'Needy Multi-Ethnic-Street-Kids."
I think "Show called Angel" was actually an outgrowth of Tim's original quote.
I think the "Show called Angel" remark must have been a separate post.
It may have just been a riff off that post, as a natural conclusion. I'm just impressed with myself for remembering NMESK.
I'm just impressed with myself for remembering NMESK.
You should be. You even got it in the right order.
I'm also assuming that we would never have gotten any more backstory on [Hamilton & Frogyn's] relationship than that one line, because throwaway lines are useful in bringing the illusion of depth to world-building.
Sometimes. Other times they're just dangling threads left there to drive the fans crazy.
Signed, Still Bitter About Halfrek's "William?"