Angel Crew vs. Buffy Extended Family by dietcoke

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Angel Crew vs. Buffy Extended Family

POSTED BY: DIETCOKE
UPDATED: Saturday, November 13, 2004 23:35
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Wednesday, November 10, 2004 5:15 AM

I have been rewatching the episodes of both shows and I am struck by the difference in group dynamics.

The Buffy group is an extended family for each of the characters. Some have lost their biological family, while others have disfunctional ones. Their relationship with each other is an emotional one, filled with deep caring and understanding. I think of a Thanksgiving episode where Tara's father and siblings try to take her home and Buffy stands in the way. Tara's father says something like, "Who do you think you all are?" and Buffy responds, "We're family."

On the other hand, the Angel crew is just that, a crew. What keeps them together is the mission. Some of the members of the group don't even like each other. There's not the close, warm, fuzzy relationship like Buffy's but there is a commitment to each other because of the mission.

It's interesting in the finale of Angel, they all go there separate ways before the night of the battle.

The Angel crew is like a highly functional work group. They may have differences, they may not have a lot in common, but they have one thing that holds them together. They are all working toward the same goal. The mission.

I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts on the group dynamics.

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Wednesday, November 10, 2004 5:43 AM

GROUNDED

I think you're simplifying the Angel situation a little. Yes they are a 'crew' but there is definitely a 'family' loyalty there too.

To be quite honest, the nicely balanced Buffy dynamic went right out the window at the start of S5.

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Thursday, November 11, 2004 12:02 AM

MINIME

Up until now I've been a reader (of this forum, not brains), but that interesting comment moved me to be a participator.
Here's what i think: both of the shows (and firefly, too) are about both alone-ness and together-ness. And Buffy is at a place (small-ish town, younger people etc) where there is more togetherness, and Angel is at a place (big-city LA, more adult etc) where there is more alone-ness.
firefly is in some ways about one person (Mal) who feels incredibly alone and abandoned after SV who deals with that by taking into his crew/family a bunch of other people who are alone in the 'verse.

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Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:28 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Welcome to the site Minime! Or should that be "Welcome from Lurk mode"?

I agree w/ you to a point DietCoke, but Minime has a point as well.

Buffy and the Scooby gang were close because they started out as friends, grew up together in a high school enviroment (Willow & Xander having known each other since they were small children) and Buffy being a young woman tended to allow their relationship dynamics to be more intimate and emotional. Being in a small town helped to foster these bonds.

Angel, being a vampire bent on redemption, meant he kept people at arms length. Buffy was the only one he ever let in, and he eventually had to push her away to prevent the return of Angelus. The people that made up Angel's team did not have the benefit of growing up together. They were from far different walks of life, brought together because of a common goal. LA being a large city helped to harden the individuals, causing there to be less ties to one another thus preventing the level of relationships we saw on BtVS.

I too think of Buffy & the Scoobies as a family who fights for one another, and Angel & team as more of a combat unit who cares about one another.

The Firefly dynamic to me is far more interesting and complex. Mal is not only the captain, but the glue that holds them together. He would do anything for his crew, and we have seen that they will do anything for him. They have the structure of a family, though not as tight as Buffy and gang, but they are still separated by secrets and walks of life. They are there for each other when things get bad, but they are still individuals.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Meet Up:
http://firefly.meetup.com/9/boards/

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Friday, November 12, 2004 1:01 AM

MINIME

Thanks! Nice to be part of the extended family! or is that the crew...
Anyway,I agree with you Browncoat about Mal and the crew - as tight as they are, they still have secrets, and things that keep them apart and alone.
I wonder if the reason Joss' shows have such an on-line fan base is because there are similar aspects of alone-ness and together-ness in a forum? (for instance)... slightly off topic, my bad.

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Friday, November 12, 2004 4:36 AM

MAUGWAI

One thing that definitely highlights that aloneness is actually something that always bothered me. Until Dawn came along, the characters on Buffy were all only children. The only sibling on the show was invented by magic monks. And on Angel, the only sibling was Gunn's sister, who was killed right off the bat. Unless you count Lorne's weird family dynamic, I guess. Being an only child is kind of a lonely life, or so I've been told. So they come together to be brothers and sisters to each other.

Of course, the opposite is true on Firefly, since Simon and his sister are so close. But we don't know about the family of the rest of the crew.

"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

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Friday, November 12, 2004 5:03 AM

DIETCOKE

Quote:
Originally posted by minime:
Up until now I've been a reader (of this forum, not brains), but that interesting comment moved me to be a participator.
Here's what i think: both of the shows (and firefly, too) are about both alone-ness and together-ness. And Buffy is at a place (small-ish town, younger people etc) where there is more togetherness, and Angel is at a place (big-city LA, more adult etc) where there is more alone-ness.
firefly is in some ways about one person (Mal) who feels incredibly alone and abandoned after SV who deals with that by taking into his crew/family a bunch of other people who are alone in the 'verse.

Welcome Minime, hope to see you here more often! I think that's a very good point -- small town vs. large city and the age being a factor too.

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Friday, November 12, 2004 5:12 AM

DIETCOKE

Browncoat 1, I agree, I think those are all additional factors as well.

Clearly the Firefly crew is the most complex of the three groups. Unlike the Angel crew that at least had the mission in common, the crew of Firefly has no common mission but very personal, individual reasons for being on Serenity.

But as time went on they began to find the common threads that holds them together.

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Friday, November 12, 2004 2:53 PM

HJERMSTED

Whedon has stated in countless interviews that he is fascinated by groups of people that are thrown together by circumstance and the bonds/alliances that form as a result.

He seems to find these "families" more interesting than those we are born into.

mattro

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Saturday, November 13, 2004 11:35 PM

MINIME

I have also heard Whedon comment (admittedly mostly on dvd commentaries) that alone-ness (is that a word? cause i keep using it) is a major theme of a lot of his work.
I think it's a fascinating mix that makes it all intesting and keeps us coming back for more! I mean, who can't relate to both the isolation themes and the 'stonger when we're together' themes? (I think that's a rhetorical question, but it doesn't have to be)

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