Warning...All Characters on AtS Will Self-Destruct...

[sisabet]

I'm a much happier fangirl, I have found, when I scroll my friendslist and just *don't* click on the latest episode cut-tags, unless I already have formed a basic fandom relationship with the reviewer and feel comfortable that even if I disagree, sanity will prevail and we can discuss, analyze and pick apart the show until the cows come home or I have to answer the phone at work. Whichever comes first.

Also - thebratqueen - with whom I have decided that I share a brain, except she got all of the exceptionally functioning cells, said this today in her LJ and it made me happy:

...We had meta problems up Charisma's uterus...

And I love her for that phrase alone. Yes - "Angel" is my show. I love it. Do I love every episode? No. It is still my show, now and forever, amen. "Buffy" was also my show. Do I feel the same way about both shows? Eh...no. They are different. Same parents. Different kids. But in my eyes both kids are gifted. Just differently.

So you don't have to like Buffy to like Angel and you don't have to like Angel to like Buffy. Some people like me and don't like Dawn at all. Some people really dig Dawn and find me creepy. That is fine. We are different people and your reaction to either of us does not have to be the same. However, if you say shit about my Mama, I will have to kick your ass. Fair warning --just cause one or both of us suck, does not mean it is our mother's fault. Joss Whedon? Well, he ain't my mama, so you can say what you like about him, and I will reserve the right to agree/disagree.

And this is fine and dandy and we can all go off skipping into the sunset, hoding hands and buying the world a Coke: except for one thing. The Spike Card.

Aside: When I actually read "The Spike Card" aloud up there - I'm saying it like in the intro to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" - where he says:

Dearly beloved
we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life
electric word - life
it means forever and that´s a mighty long time
but I´m here to tell you
there´s something else...
the afterworld

I'm saying "The Spike Card" in the exact same way Prince says "the afterworld" - just so you know.

Spike has fans. People adore/love/worship/worry and feel for him. That is special. Seriously. I get it. I do.

I also understand that there are people that feel Spike is the worst thing to ever happen to network television since Steve Urkel hiked up his pants and sauntered into your living rooms. This is not so special - but emotions are valid and I get it. I see where you are coming from as well. I do.

If you are a Spike fan and you absolutely hated what happened to his character on BtVS last year, or sixth season, or fifth season or really - name your season - you are probably not going to like Angel. Trust me. It's my show - I think it is peachy-keen and bowl full of cherries and everything good and pure in the world if everything that was good and pure was actually really bad and nasty, but I'm funny that way. I liked the last season of Buffy. I wanted more to be sure, but eh, I liked it.

See, Spike is still in the same family - he is just hanging with a different sister. And you may or may not dig this chick, but she has a lot in common with the other sibling - Fury, DeKnight, Goddard... you see where I am going with this. But she is a different show. Different goals, different values, different tastes and aesthetics. Similar history and sense of humor - but different.

But wait! I said if you hated what "Buffy" did to Spike, you will probably hate "Angel" as well and then I turned around and pointed out that these are entirely different shows. Well - how can that be bad? One show fucked Spike over - this show can't treat him any worse, right?

Wrong. This show treats everyone like shit. Seriously. Look what has happened to Angel in the past 4 years and he is the freakin' lead. To really enjoy Angel - ya gotta like watching the pain. Ya gotta get into your favorite characters getting really up close and personal with their dark sides. If Season 6 Depresso!Buffy was a turnoff to you, then you are just gonna be in agony every single week. This show is the bad sister - trust me. She is a man-eater. While I don't wish to be spoiled and I am not spoiled I can say this with utter certainty: What ever happens to any character on Angel ain't gonna be pretty. Unless they happen to be naked.

Why do I say this...Hmmm, I don't know - let's see:

Doyle
Cordelia
Lilah
Kate
Connor

I could go on. I don't think I need to. So, if you're not happy with bringing the pain and heroes acting less-than-heroic and sometimes downright petty, and undeserved, ignoble endings, don't watch.

I like messy. I like dark. I'm a happy fangirl. You may not be. It's okay.

Comments

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

Dude, how come my posts don't have Prince soundtracks?

I got the sucky non-musical part of the brain.

[pout]

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

You *know* you can do that with me, right? ;)

Oh, absolutely - we disagree about Spike, but that is no biggie. It's not that I will only read reviews from people who see the exact same show as I do and it is not that I only want happy positive thoughts. I just dislike constant *so and so is ruining my show* or *this show sucks because they are ruining so-and-so* when we are 3 freakin' eps in.

I'm also sincerely worried about some of my Spike-Fen friends - they seem extremely upset and while I am not going to be spoiled if I can help it - just knowing my show I can guess why. So maybe AtS is not a good match for them.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

Hahah! See, I liiiiiike the pain, too. Yes. (Not so much the omgwerethewriterssmokingcrack? pain, but I like my boys angswusend ambiguous and very, very tortured. Yum.)

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

... angswusend? No angst wusses, please. The hell, LJ?

[minim_calibre]

From where I'm standing, I'd say it sounds like you both got the brains.

[flowery-twat.livejournal.com]

I get it. I do.

Yup. I would say you do.

The thought of anyone being so confused as to think something good and nice might happen to a character on Angel makes me laugh so hard I might just pee my pants.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

The thought of anyone being so confused as to think something good and nice might happen to a character on Angel makes me laugh so hard I might just pee my pants.

Or to think that all of the "good" characters on AtS will always be fair and decent and upstanding and treat one another as they would want to be treated. There is absolutely no canonical basis for for that assumption.

[just-eunice.livejournal.com]

Wrong. This show treats everyone like shit. Seriously. Look what has happened to Angel in the past 4 years and he is the freakin' lead. To really enjoy Angel - ya gotta like watching the pain

I'm all over the pain. Seriously. And I adore AtS with or without Spike. I also fully expect my boy to take massive, serious, lumps...and I don't have the faintest idea how or if he's going to come out of that. Certainly not without some brand new gaping bleeding wounds.

The rising frustration I feel is not because Spike isn't getting treated with fuzzy wuzzys on the show. It's the flip side of the "I'm only going to watch the thirty seconds Spike is on and then talk about how much the rest of the show and all it's characters suck.". Which is that nothing Spike does, says, or thinks adds any value to the show...and in fact everything he does and every second of screen time he gets is nothing more than a shoehorned in pandering to us pathetic wittle Spike fans...which I, blinded by my utter lack of good taste, fail to see for the awful show ruination that it is.

I'm tired of having to constantly qualify and apologize for my Spike love. Or for daring to enjoy his characterization and presence. I love the Jossverse...all characters included under that umbrella. I love this show. And I'm not simpleminded just because that love includes Spike.

Wow, I'm seriously cranky today.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Man, see I am so excited that Spike is there. I feel like I must have done something very very right in a past life to deserve this.

But beyond just my wanting of the Ho!Yay, I think that Spike will absolutely bring something deeper to the show overall and especially to Angel. And for once I don't mean that all perverted. Both Jossverse vamps with a soul together - this is of the good. The themes they can play with now are so incredibly rich and yeah - I'd watch with Spike, I'd watch without Spike, and I'd watch over here and I'd watch over there and I like Green Eggs and Ham - but my show is gonna rock so very hard this year that I'm spinning in place.

Ignore the belly-achin' and get on with the analysis.

[elke-tanzer.livejournal.com]

[elz.livejournal.com]

Mmm, pain. *hugs AtS and its barbed-wire edges*

It's a mixed blessing; I want lots of people to watch the show so that it'll stay on the air, and I'm really happy that new fans are being drawn in via Spike. On the other hand, I know that some of them aren't going to be happy with the way things turn out. But what can you do? There are unhappy fans every year.

[hairissofunny.livejournal.com]

I added you to my friends list because you make the *rockinest* vids.

I absolutely adore Cowboy and Without Me. Hmmm, and that new B/J one you did was great.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Thank you very muchly.

[caille.livejournal.com]

sisabet, my smart, funny, insightful, yummy LJ pal. You can always click on me. I'll beg if necessary.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

I always do click on you sweet caille. You make me think in that good, nice way. Plus your journal always has the most interesting discussions that I can't help myself from occasionally settling in and staying for a good while.

*tries not to be a nuisance*

[postcardjunkie.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to thank you, because your post almost single-handedly renewed my hope in this season. (Almost as in, there are one or two other influences as well, not as in, almost hopeful.)

I love the messy, dark, complicated world of Angel. I love the insane corners the writers paint themselves into and the genius twists and turns they take to claw and slash themselves out. The darker the better, I say.

After last night, I was feeling disheartened because everyone seems a little too pat and happy and comfortable with themselves and each other. It's too light and happy. But you've reminded me that perhaps the Chinese food meal is akin to Angel's dream dinner at the start of season 4. We've got wild, strange roads ahead.

I hope. Thanks!

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Dude - they went way dark handing over that guy to the Diner's Club and not even batting an eye. Soon, I believe, shit will not just hit the fan - it will fucking break it.

[postcardjunkie.livejournal.com]

That's true. The strangely happy ending, with everyone all happpy just threw me off. It kind of seemed like it was supposed to be harkening back to some made-up "good ol'days" when they were all happy. They were never all happy, or at least not for a moment. So in hindsight, it was annoying but clearly setting up for something painful. I hope.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Maybe the ending was just so Wes could give Angel that *look* - everything was justified in my eyes in that moment.

[thenyxie.livejournal.com]

I love Angel. I love Spike. Okay, I love Angel a little more than Spike, but still, I love them both. I loved BtVS, I love AtS. Like you, for different reasons, in different ways. Sometimes I'm annoyed, or unhappy with choices made, sometimes I'm impatient with plotting and just want them to get to the freaking point already, but it doesn't undermine my love for the show. Either one. I'm ecstatic that Spike is on AtS, but even if he weren't, I'd still be watching, because I love Angel. Hell, I love all the characters from both shows, despite all their perceived flaws. Hell, Spike could end up with Angel, or Buffy, or Angel could be with Buffy, or Cordelia or whatever--my point is, I'm not going to complain for the sake of complaining because "my" character is being maligned or whatever. My criticisms are grounded in how I would like to see more depth of character, or more consistency of character, not that I think any of them suck. I feel my criticisms are valid, regardless, and I reserve the right to them. It doesn't lessen my love of character, or of show, regardless. And I certainly don't begrudge others thier love or hate of a particular character or episode or whatever, though sometimes I may not understand the heat that arises from such love or hate. I know who the characters are and what they mean to me, regardless of what the show does with them.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I'm with you on everything you said.

I think the upset with some people right now lies in the fact that, for them, Spike is *the* character. Which is not a wrong or right reaction to a show. I can think of several shows in the past where I have only been invested in a singular character's storyline. So it is fine to watch Angel now solely for the Spike scenes if that floats your boat. It's just - well, it would not be easy for me. If kick-the-Spike really wounds you, then perhaps it would be better not to watch. Cause everyone will get kicked, not just Spike, but if you don't care about any of the other characters, then that kick will really hurt. Some people don't like to be hurt, apparently. It's very strange to me, but there you have it.

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

LMAO!! You make my world a better place.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Your icon brought peace to my heart.

hi, love your work

[poorplayer.livejournal.com]

"in order to really enjoy Angel - ya gotta like watching the pain. Ya gotta get into your favorite characters getting really up close and personal with their dark sides. If Season 6 Depresso!Buffy was a turnoff to you, then you are just gonna be in agony every single week."

This sentiment warms my heart. I am a Spike fan. I LOVE him and his story, his whole story. I seem to be one of the lucky few adoring spike fans who hasn't been utterly disgusted at some point in his storyline. Or at least, not so disgusted that it made me want to stop watching. I like the pain. I like the not getting what I want. So long as Spike, in all his fucked up cruel sensitive glory is on the tv.

Anyway, I have been a btvs fan from the beginning, but not an ats fan and I've been weary of whether or not the show would really do it for me. So for I'm on the fence, but when things turn out like you say they will, I'm sure I'll be in heaven. I loved the darkness of season six. I loved the gist of season seven. Thanks for confirming that I will love season five of angel.