SPOILER! Wesley After Angel
POSTED BY: roguedemonhuntr8
UPDATED: Thursday, October 12, 2006 00:53
VIEWED: 14873
PAGE 5 of 5
Pulling this thread up because i love Wes. Since Billy (3.06) woke me up to what an amazing alent Alexis Denisof is i've been a complete and adamant Wes fan. While a times it seems the writers were at a loss at what direction to take characters in Buffy and Angel, Wesley's arch doesn't suffer from that feel. It was done so well that it seemed, in hindsight, inevitable. I love how ME build a character than could ruthlessly and remorsely stab a person that was at one point in time his best friend, then turn around have him thinking of ways to get that person out of a hell dimension. That rates himself on all his failures, real or percieved, and doesn't get the easy clean cut wins.
As to bringing Wes back, i loved Wes's death scene. When i think about it i cry. I think his was the only Jossverse death that i cried more for the person dying then the person(s) reacting to the death. Which made it hurt even more since i could identify with Illyria's pain. So let me get this out of the way, i love his death, and if his arch has to end as is, then its the perfect a note they could end it on. As both winner (with Illyria's awakened humanity inherited from Fred) and loser (with his defeat by Vail).
Any way that brings him back better be damn good and work inside his characterization, arch, canon and serve a purpose besides just wanting him to be there. One of my favorite pieces of fanfiction does just that. Angel No Limits is an amazing season of fanfiction that i highly recommend. IMO it only cops out in the end and undermines everything they established before, to go in a direction so bizarre it finally feels like fanfiction. Sometimes the dialogue is stilted, and some of the writers are better than others, but on the whole it written so well and works so much in continuity that it made it hard for me to separate it from canon.
They started their season not with the fight of NFA or with Buffy and crew coming to save the day thus undermining every Angel characters' journey, but with Angel licking his wounds in bed and obsessing in over why they're still alive and where he goes from here. They didn't get overrun or beat the advancing army into submission. They were fighting and losing when the army just disbursed. (Me being of the firm opinion that Buffy is one of the main characters that just doesn't cross over well into the themes and morality of Angel i really loved this take on how to continue the series. Giles, Willow, Faith, Andrew, and obviously Spike would cross over well. Buffy, Xander, and Dawn not really.)
But i think their best work came in how to continue Wesley's arch without undermining the importance of his death; I think its Joss Whedon good. About three episodes establishing the new premise of reconstruction and Wes absence being felt. Then at the end of one episode they have him stroll, lean casually against a doorframe and say, "So, How have you been?" Then they quickly establish that he is dead, Wolfram & Hart did bring him back, no he doesn't remember signing a contract, but he made sure that it couldn't happen to the rest of them. But for a all intent's and purposes they're looking at an employee of Wolfram & Hart. Though he'll always be on the Fang Gang's side. He later tells Angel privately that yes, Angel did hurt the Senior Partners, they are no longer top dog when it comes to the Apocalypse, yes they are very upset with him, he's right to be paranoid, they want him to suffer, and Wes is their chosen instrument. When Angel asks Wes if he thinks he can stop that from happening, Wes says simply, "No, but i hope i can be of some help before that happens. If you'll have me." Then Angel speaking for me and i guess any other Wes fan, claps him on the shoulder and says, "It wouldn't be the same without you."
Already that worked in canon since season 2 had Holland Manners being brought back. Then season 4 had Lilah. So if there was a season 6 is the perfect way to bring back a major character. It also works well as a metaphor of Wes being dead inside, the loyal betray
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