I'll say it anyway. Winifred Burkle. Go.

[elisi]

Serendipity is a funny thing...

This whole Joss mess has come along exactly as I decided to finally delve back into the AtS 'verse and finish a WIP I abandoned years ago. (As it happens, it's the only fic I've ever properly planned out, so I found my extensive notes and actually know where the story is going!)

Now, before beginning to write I figured I should probably watch a few episodes, just to make sure I had their voices right in my head; so I watched A Hole in the World and Shells. And it's a fascinating exercise in doublethink (doubleview?).

Like, I love the 'verse. I love the characters. I love the story. I will always be grateful to Joss & co for creating this world.

But there is also the fact that (the very very special) Fred has SIX men standing around her bedside. All of them going to go out and try to SAVE her. (See subject line...)

As you know, the only other women (still standing) in the extended cast are Harmony (who is delightful, but mostly comic relief) and Eve, who is very powerful yet lost all agency the second she lost her boyfriend. ETA: Oh and there's Nina too. I like Nina. It's sad her role never extends beyond Being The Girlfriend.

The interesting thing is that the same week my girls decided to watch [the new movie version of] Les Mis.

And it was exactly the same thing:

- Men make things happen.

- Women have things happen to them.

This is why Buffy (and Wonder Woman, Rey, et al) are so special. They make things happen.

(Possibly more musings later, but this is a pretty well-trodden path, and I'm preaching to the choir...)


Also I'm realising this is probably a pretty awful way to try to get people to read my 'Spike & Angel & Illyria go on an epic quest to undo the power of W&H' story, as it's rather male-centric. AH WELL. It's not like LJ is teeming with people reading AtS fic anymore. Although I should probably point out that there's a good deal of Buffy & her Slayer army in it too...

For those who want to try (and the lovely handful which read the first few chapters back in 2013 when I started posting and might want to have another look), you can find the fic here (well, the first 7 chapters):

Divided Destiny

More chapters coming soon! :D (*crickets*)

Comments

[elisi]

Yeah, I don't think Tara's death is a great comparison, it's just the closest that BtVS has. But maybe it's still too different to be a helpful contrast.
I feel it OUGHT to be a better comparison than it is. *ponders* I guess the difference is that Tara died to push Willow over the edge, whereas Fred died so Amy Acker could do some different acting? And they couldn't save her...

I'm generally for stories that point out the problems with certain narratives by depicting them and then twisting them, but I'm not remembering AtS as having done that.
Depends on which bit you look at, but Buffy was subversive by its very nature, whereas Angel fell into every noir, 'Dark Hero' narrative you can think of. :)

We all have our shows like that. :)
So messed up. And brilliant for fic.

[greensword]

I feel it OUGHT to be a better comparison than it is. *ponders* I guess the difference is that Tara died to push Willow over the edge, whereas Fred died so Amy Acker could do some different acting? And they couldn't save her...

The main differences as far as I can tell are: (a) as you point out, Tara was the accidental victim of shots aimed at Buffy, rather than the intended target, although they were both victims of misogyny which ought to rescue the comparison a bit; (b) Tara dies immediately and unexpectedly instead of getting a long drawn-out death, so there is more focus on her death after it happens rather than before it; (c) Willow feels as though she must do something about what happened, even if it's too late to bring back Tara, even if it means destroying the world, which really drives the story, whereas in Angel they sort of accept the inevitability of the 'hole in the world' and grieve but don't necessarily try to change anything after she dies. (I may be misremembering what the AtS characters do, it's been a while.)

Depends on which bit you look at, but Buffy was subversive by its very nature, whereas Angel fell into every noir, 'Dark Hero' narrative you can think of. :)

I love the Buffy episode Anne where she runs away to LA and it seems like it's going to be noir and dark and depressing but she can't help being heroic, and she inspires Chantarelle/Lily/Anne with her heroism, and then years later Anne shows up in Angel the Series as, like, the most heroic and least noir character in the entire run. It's beautiful.

[elisi]

whereas in Angel they sort of accept the inevitability of the 'hole in the world' and grieve but don't necessarily try to change anything after she dies. (I may be misremembering what the AtS characters do, it's been a while.)
Yeah, Willow is re-active and vengeful, whereas Team Angel fight to save her, and are unsuccessful. Tara's death is sudden and shocking and the action unravels from there, furious grief propelling everything. Whereas with Fred the focus is her suffering (and the team's efforts), but once she's dead the focus changes to Illyria, and trying to stop her. (This is interesting, thank you!)

and then years later Anne shows up in Angel the Series as, like, the most heroic and least noir character in the entire run. It's beautiful.
I was thinking about that too! Anne shows up in the finale, and is just helping people. No fuss, no angsting, just doing what needs to be done. Anne > Angel.