Buffy the Vampire Slayer Article: Buffy vs. Angel

1

posted by bendaimmortal

If Buffy had died while Faith was in a coma...they wouldn't have called on another Slayer?? I mean, according to the tradition it would've required Faith's death to bring the next one along.

But then again, they don't really follow the Slayer "rules" anyway and whatever they do doesn't follow logic. Like, Kendra and Faith were good and experienced as a Slayers when they were sent to Sunnydale though it was long known that Buffy was alive after all. And even with those duos happening they still took five more seasons to realize that hey, why not make all the potential ones active and thus be more efficient.
Also, judging by the potentials in the last season, they don't care enough to actually train the potentials BEFORE they're activated even though for some reason they are given watchers and knowledge beforehand.

Aso, the famous bit "to every generation is born a Chosen One", she alone can..:" - Yet apparently every generation has a whole bunch of chosen ones - that is completely contradicting the scripture, and they exist long before the previously active Chosen One dies and at points more than one of them were together - as in no one is actually the onlly one capable in any way.

It's a great series, I love it, but it surely would be so much stronger if the very premise wasn't this full of contradictions and lack of logic. It could've been written much better in itself. This remarkable sloppiness of writing has lessened the series' shine for me.

But I anyway enjoy it mostly for its hilarious, interesting and witty dialogue, and some brilliant characters and relatiosnhips such as Buffy and Giles.

But "Angel" the TV series is so much more pulled-together about its premise and more "grown up" with its darkness and themes, and thus somewhat better as a whole. Yet I still end up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer" more often because of the dialogue and relationships between some of the characters.

In my opinion;
As a whole & premise: "Angel" wins.
Dialogue and character relationshios: Buffy the Vampire Slayer wins. The only relationship that really interests me in "Angel" is that of him and his son Connor.

Kaydie likes this

Flickerflame It's finally explained in season 7 that only Buffy's first death could call another Slayer. You're right, it'd have taken Faith dying to activate someone new. That's why there wasn't yet another new Slayer after season 5 (that and not wanting to repeat a story). Kendra was sent to Sunnydale only after her Watcher learned of an increased threat there. It was like she was meant to be back-up for Buffy. Faith wasn't sent - she ran there after Kakistos killed her first Watcher. You're right in pointing out about the potentials' lack of training though; they're generally all over the place about the whole idea of training Slayers pre-choosing. It was never explained why a lot are known about by the Watcher's Council but both Buffy and Faith were missed. Initially, I think it was just meant to be another contrast between Buffy and Kendra. Wasn't the "one born in each generation" line only used once, in the first or second episode? Then they decided that they liked it so much they used it as a tagline to promote the series and introduce episodes, for a while. They changed the rules because they must have realised that a Slayer wouldn't always live for a full generation.

bendaimmortal Yeah. And I forgot to mention a couple of things: - The whole concept of there being just one single active Slayer in [i]all the world[/i] is ludicurous. Especially after they decided that there is more than one Hell Mouth as in that sending the only Slayer in all the world to guard one, doesn't really minimize the danger of apocalypse much at all. - Except when for some crazy reason every evil guy who ever tried to open the Hell Mouth, tried to do so with the very same one. Like, why not ever the one in Clieveland instead?.Especially when the Slayer is guarding the one in Sunnydale. ...Dumbasses. - Also, whenever it was known to happen the good guys somehow always knew which one was about to be opened. (Yes, I understand that it would've been costly and so on to move the set to a different location, but if the second Hell Mouth was never to be used for real - then why have it exist at all?) - May or may not be an issue, but...So what if Sunnydale collapsed to the ground? At the end they make it sound like the event closed that Hell Mouth forever. How would it do that? The Hell beasties could just clear the way and/or the town be rebuilt by humans which it more than likely would be eventually. So, yeah. There indeed are a whoooole bunch of maaaajor illoginesses requiring way too much suspencion of disbelief. Good thing that the series is so brilliant and entertaining with its characters, side plots and dialogue that in the end those major, major flaws didn't end up killing it. :D And again, it could've been something so much more than it is today, if also the premise and everything related to it was better thought out/through. I guess Joss realized the major flaws in BTVS when he started writing "Angel". Well, I haven't actually thought of "Angel" or looked into it all that much, so I'm sure it has its flaws as well. But over-all it seems much more pulled-together and logical than its source. :)

Flickerflame I did often find myself wondering why the vampires and demons wouldn't just go where the Slayer wasn't. Especially centuries in the past, when it'd have been so much harder to get her to move to a Hellmouth if she didn't already live near it. The idea that the draw of the Hellmouth and the ability to use it's energy would outweigh the Slayer risk makes a little more sense. I do think the second Hellmouth was just thought up at the end though.... I've seen in one fanfic a suggestion that it's dormant. Maybe that could be why all the evil goes to Sunnydale. It was the power of the amulet Spike used which killed all the ubervamps (I've forgotten their real name). The destruction of Sunnydale was just collateral damage, though symbolic. And it only defeated the First's plan temporarily.

bendaimmortal Yeah, and that, too. Hmm...An actual Hellmouth in Clieveland was mentioned only in the very last line in the show, I think. But Cleaveland having a lot of demonic acticity was mentioned early on, in the episode where Cordelia wished that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale causing the town to be over-run by vampires. Season 2, I think? Giles mentions it during a phone call where he was trying to get the Slayer to Sunnydale. I think Giles said something along the line "Yes, I realize there's a lot of demonic activity in Clieveland but it just so happens that Sunnydale is standing on a Hellmouth." Note also the phrasing "[i]a[/i] Hellmouth" instead of "the". So, that seems to indicate that they may have thought of a Hellmouth in Clieveland early on, and that if Buffy didn't come to Sunnydale she would've gone to Clieveland. At least in that alternate reality, in which also btoh Hellmouths were active. I don't know. Maybe the original intent was to have it exist only in that alternate reality but then at the end thought it would be a funny line to end the show with if it actually existed after all. At least I don't remember it being mentioned at any other points.

Flickerflame Those are the only two mentions of Cleveland in the entire series. The mention at the ending was meant to give a little hint of continuing, I think, so you wouldn't have absolutely no clue of where they might go next (though then the comics aren't in Cleveland...)

bendaimmortal I forgot how dark and grown-up Season 5 and further seasons got, especially in comparison to any other season, even the fourth. But still, I think "Angel" is over-all darker.

Flickerflame Angel was meant to be more adult - the premise was a supernatural version of the problems people face in their early twenties, compared to Buffy where it was supernatural teenage/high school problems. That would probably translate to darker.