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RSS FeedWhich Joss Whedon TV series was better: Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel?
Results so far:
| Buffy | 68% | 459 votes | Total: 673 votes | |
| Angel | 32% | 214 votes |
Buffy
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Add to FavoritesI can say that I was a fan of the Buffy show from it's conception which included the cheesy movie that starred Christy Swanson and Luke Perry. I have always admired a show that would take a female lead and make her not only beautiful but strong, intelligent and passionate about her "calling". The original episodes of Buffy were a little cheesy at times like the movie it was based on but they evolved into a show that had more intense story lines, special effects and higher quality as the seasons continued to hold us captive.
The romance between Buffy and Angel was another factor that fascinated me from the very beginning. The scene where she is walking along the darkened street and all of a sudden hears footsteps behind her was creepy but once she looked into his eyes you could tell that the sparks began to fly! Here she was, a vampire slayer whose calling was to slay every vampire and monster that came across her path and here he was a vampire who had lived for hundreds of years before he met the girl of his dreams. I really liked how the writers and Joss Whedon continued to torture us with the romance being on again and off again but the passion was always there whenever the two characters looked at each other. I tell you, it had me tuning in every week!
Even the evil characters in the Buffy show had me captivated. Spike for one became one of my favorite "evil" characters as he showed up all tough and scary in the first season and his character became infatuated with Buffy and eventually the romance between Spike and Buffy was brought forth in the final seasons. I know that they pushed the envelope a little much in the final seasons with the romance but it was another one that left me watching because of how much of a draw it was because you never knew if Buffy was just going to put a stake in his heart just to get rid of him once and for all. I did mourn the loss of Angel in the last couple of seasons as he left and went to LA after the high school was burned down.
All in all it is hard for me to say which show I liked the most. I know I watched Buffy the longest and got to a point were it felt that I knew every character like I know my best friend. That holds Buffy higher in my heart than anything. It will be a memory I pass on to my daughters when they are older and I am able to educate them on the importance of being beautiful, strong and intelligent in a world that will put many an obstacle in their paths but that they must remember that they can overcome them all!
Learn more about this author, Shannon Garrity.
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Angel
I am a big Joss Whedon fan. I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I loved Angel. But if I have to choose between the two, it would have to be Angel. Maybe it's because I'm a girl and David Boreanaz was more appealing to me than Sarah Michelle Gellar. Maybe it's because I saw Angel from the first episode to the last while I joined the Buffy party a little late.
Overall though, I think that I liked Angel better because it brought my favorite characters and personalities from Buffy into a very sharp, intelligent and funny show. I couldn't stand Wesley on Buffy (and I don't think we were supposed to) but he was excellent on Angel.
Then there was Cordy. She annoyed me but served as a good damsel in distress and some comic relief on Buffy. In contrast, on Angel her character developed in some interesting (crazy!) ways and she really came into her own.
And my favorite was Spike. I absolutely loved his character on Buffy but got a little tired of his on-again, off-again thing with her towards the end. So when he showed up on Angel I was thrilled. He brought some more great eye-candy, charisma and humor to an already entertaining and engaging show.
I've read that some felt Angel was a bit awkward and the humor wasn't there, but I really beg to differ. His dry wit and occasional awkwardness were highly entertaining and often hilarious. They made Angel a familiar and likable character. I still love David Boreanaz's wit. He's a great comedic actor.
There is also the plus that Angel dealt with none of the high school drama or teenage angst. Some Buffy episodes came across as a bit silly on that level - of course, that was mostly early on.
Bottom line, though, I know that I liked Angel better because of the way I felt when it ended. I missed Angel's characters and his story much more than I did Buffy's. Buffy's ending was expected - maybe partially because it almost came once before. Angel's ending was expected but unwanted so it left me wanting more in a good way. I miss a great show. I miss a great genre of shows from Joss Whedon. We need more shows like Angel AND Buffy!
Learn more about this author, Lorie Grant DeWorken.
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