Even more interesting is that Jenny was sent to Sunnydale as soon as Angel revealed himself to Buffy and they started getting too close. At this point, her Kalderash backstory wasn’t even written, but the show got the greatest gift of the ultimate timing coincidence. There’s also the coincidence that Calendar has a vague similarity to Kalderash. Jenny arrived just then after being told that Angel’s pain was lessening and to separate him from the Slayer. Her infiltration one episode later from an in-canon perspective is not a coincidence.

At the time of Mutant Enemy finally deciding on Angelus as season 2’s Big Bad after Whedon’s underestimation of David Boreanaz’s ability to carry the role and the Anointed One as season 2’s originally-intended Big Bad not working out at all, the original intent was actually for Angelus to kill the new character of Oz. However, the popularity of Seth Green and the potential for the Willoz ‘ship eventually settled on Jenny being on the chopping block. It also was a greater emotional hit, as Angel had more of a connection to Jenny (saving her life), whereas he didn’t really know Oz at all. The audience also hadn’t known Oz for that long. There’s also the fact that Angel had saved Giles’ life (not to mention Xander and Willow’s) and a much more profound connection to him, even if Angel was also becoming fairly close to Willow before all that was snatched away.

It also gave Giles the most emotional storyline he ever had, on top of the extra cruelty was the fact that Giles actually liked Angel a lot prior to the Angelus arc, which Giles never forgave Angel for. It was Giles who originally told Xander that Jesse was no longer his friend, but rather the thing that killed him, but it becomes Giles who can’t make that separation between Angel and Angelus. And of course, Xander hated Angel long before Angelus ever showed up, as can be seen by his numerous jealous comments well before the reveal in 1x07.

They kept doing research together and Angel was one of the few other “adults” Giles could interact with. Giles was even fascinated by the maudlin romance of a vampire in love with a Slayer. He’s not against the relationship at all.

One of the non-canon tie-in novels even had Angel spending the entire summer saving Sunnydale with Giles and Jenny as Buffy’s replacement while she was at Hank’s house in L.A. That book tells us the probable context of how Angelus got that off-screen invite into Giles’ house.

After Angelus, Giles gave Angel some begrudging credit for having the mature foresight needed to leave Buffy, which was his criticism of Spike in Lies My Parents Told Me, but that is quickly dashed when it is Giles on the phone who Angel is begging for help to save Fred’s life, only to be utterly rejected and insulted with visits by Andrew. As much as I’m loathe to consider the comics canon, one of the few good calls was to have everything that came out of Andrew’s mouth be more lies that never came from Buffy, but unfortunately that doesn’t excuse Giles being on the phone call refusing to help Fred only because it’s Angel who made the call.

Again, as much as I’m loathe to acknowledge the comics, one of the only bright spots, despite the utter character-assassinating clusterfuck of how it got there (including Twilight!Angel killing Giles), was Angel saving Giles from having sold his soul to Eyghon, which also calls back to Angel (or, more accurately, Angelus) saving Jenny from Eyghon.

In later seasons, it’s interesting to go back to these early pre-Angelus interactions with Giles and Angel where they actually had a lot in common (two nerdy, well-educated bookworms, not unlike the relationship that developed between Angel and Wesley) and often had similar perspectives on what would be best for Buffy and Angel’s own impossible situation. Angel broadcast all his misgivings about the relationship in 1x07 and repeated all the reasons standing between them numerous times, so it really wasn’t just hearing it from Joyce (much is made of her having a better relationship with Spike and never getting past Angel taking her daughter’s virginity, despite the fact that they actually have more interests in common, most especially art and collecting, and were in complete agreement that the relationship was never a good idea) and the Mayor (a fellow immortal who lived out the same tragedy) that led to The Prom. It is Giles whom Angel tells concerning why he’s been so absent in Out of Mind, Out of Sight.

Angelus didn’t just destroy any future for Angel having a relationship with Buffy, but also destroyed most of the budding relationships he had in Sunnydale. Angel, Wesley and Cordy were thus the only characters at the end of season 3 who had nothing left to lose by leaving.

When Buffy couldn’t go to Giles for advice or use Willow as a kind sounding board (without Xander’s judgment), it was always Angel whom she ran to. Angel was whom Buffy ran to whenever what worried her was about her parents’ divorce, wanting to be a normal girl, not getting to live long enough to have a future (or the children Angel can’t have) or why they fight. Gingerbread has the philosophical precursor to the Epiphany speech. Buffy has an interesting history of replacement father figures (Giles being the most prominent) and Angel’s paternal tendencies are a huge part of his arc. He’s a Prodigal Son with another Prodigal Son, after all, not to mention his own often-paternal protector/provider relationship with his team at Angel Investigations. So, when Angel was taken from Buffy (blaming herself for killing the person she loved most, thus the connection of her to James Stanley), she also lost one of her biggest confidants. The whole season is having her relationships and reasons to stay in Sunnydale stripped from her.

Wesley, of course, was written entirely as Giles’ mirror when first introduced. He’s there to make Giles look cool and hip by comparison. He was even more of a bookworm than Giles ever was and had much faster recall, more readily having information without all-night research. The only character who challenges Angel for the character with the biggest eidetic memory database concerning history, languages and demonology is Wesley. It’s often Angel who has all the answers in the first season and a half that Giles often doesn’t (the Hellmouth, the Harvest, the Master, the Pergamum Codex, what the Anointed and his followers are up to, Spike, Drusilla, the Judge, etc…). Witch not only lies about Giles’ spell casting history, but it turns out Giles’ entire tweedy persona is a big lie and that he’s actually more street smart than book smart. Wesley is the exact opposite initially, though ends up so brutal that he gives Angel a run for his head-over-heart, big-picture-thinking tendencies. Wesley and Angel end up mirroring each other as well, and you can see the start of it as early as Wesley’s willingness to sacrifice Willow to stop the Mayor.

Buffy Rewatch Season 3 Episdoe 15 “Consequences” Fuffy Angst to the MAX

-Horrifying opening with Buffy’s ‘Faith’s drowning me’ nightmare’. Poor girl.

Wesley and Cordy meet for the first time! OMG! Angel feels! So weird that they were into each other at first. Don’t blame them though, they’re both so pretty.

-“But you can pretend Angel’s good when you have to protect him” Faith is jealous of Buffy’s ex. And Buffy wants to help her so bad. Poor Buffy.

-POOR SCORNED WILLOW. Willow-Buffy-Faith triangle vibes are so powerful here.

-Faith shows her humanity is still there. Buffy tries to understand and Faith gets defensive again. Oh boy. The tension.

-“that’s not your real face and i know it. I know what you’re feeling because I’m feeling it too”. WOWSA.

-This debate is so fascinating. Such a discussion of morality. It’s interesting. And speaks to Buffy and Faith’s different senses of morality at this point in the story.

-Faith is Buffy’s shadow self. Buffy tried to kill Ted last season, literally did. Faith does the same here. Losing control of her slayer power.

- 'Since when wouldn’t I understand’ The parallels between this this and Season 4’s Wilara conversation. And the Willow/Buffy feels are strong.

-The 'Faith lied to Giles’ scene HURTS. OMG Faith how could you. Thankfully Giles knows Buffy too well. The situation of how to help Faith too just hurts.

-Ooh Wes you’re about to screw up. I watched Orpheus recently. OMG WEs. You complicated tragic anti hero. Mistakes were made.

-Poor Xander thinks he has a connection with Faith. LOL Buffy’s “yeah she don’t really swing that way’.

-The Xander and Faith scene is pretty horrifying. Faith needs to learn when no means no. But Angel and Faith starting their epic platonic reformed anti-heroes connection is timeless.

-I forgot that Buffy asked Angel to talk to her! OMG Buffy you are so nice. She even tries to get Faith some stuff. THIS IS THE HARDEST BUFFY HAS EVER TRIED TO SAVE SOMEONE’S SOUL. Even Angel Buffy gave up on quicker.

-"We’re a lot alike, Faith. WE’ve both killed, we’re both cynical, we both love Buffy and long black cloaks. Let’s bond instead of fighting over her’.

-whoops Wesley dammit he was so close. Man this scene hits different after rewatching Orpheus.

-God Buffy is clinging onto the chance that FAith could be saved for so long. So desperate to save her.

-Wes and Angel’s first 'We didn’t save someone right’ fight. It last two seconds. And man I feel bad for Wes this season cause i know him from later years. He did screw up but damn.

- OMG this final conversation. Faith omg you’re losing it. And whoa there’s my girl. That line gets one hell of a callback later on.

- Faith still goes to help Buffy when the create falls on her. Buffy pushes her out of the way. Faith still saves her. Even now theyve got each other’s backs.

-Sweet Buffy and Giles scene where Buffy is still "Faith can be saved!”. But Faith betrays her to the mayor nooo Faith.

Lotsa daves

And they were friends! Oh my god they were friends….

Please don’t tag as ship!

Darktober day 4: Panic

The Mayor looking for Jack

I know they’re enemies in the lore (but that’s what AUs are for) but when watching The Mayor, all I could think of was Lucio and Symmetra. Y’know, famous music star turned unexpected political hero despite the fact many would think him too carefree for activism and control-freak with a heart of gold somewhere in all that who at least starts out helping someone on the opposite side. Someone should write this AU