Sort of Behind the Fanfic
Jan. 7th, 2003 12:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thebratqueenA few people have begged for hints re: some of the layers in the last Epiphany story, so if you had any questions about the very last scene, or about how I, at least, interpret the bits with Angel, this would be the post for you.
What was up in the last scene with Wes?
If you didn't know what was going on there, you're okay. That wasn't meant to be crystal clear. Basically all you're meant to know is that Angel wakes up, he's disoriented, he goes to find Wes, he finds Wes standing over a dead body with a just-fired gun in his hand. Angel smiles at Wes, Wes looks back in disgust, fade to black. So if that's all you got - you're golden. The rest will be explained in the next story, which will show what Wes did while Angel was off Trialing.
What was Angel's choice/Why did Whistler say Angel made the wrong choice?
Okay, basically the point of the trial was that Angel's good and evil sides were equally strong. Had he gone on in that state, he would have gone insane and Wes would've had to stake him.
But because he's such a key figure to the Powers, they decided to give him a chance. He had to do the trial to finally show, once and for all, which was stronger - Angel or Angelus. Was he on the side of Good or on the side of Evil?
Angel went into the battle with that in mind, initially trying to fight for himself and show that he was Good, but then giving up when he wondered if "Angel" was ever really anything at all, and if Angelus was all that he was.
So when Angelus is breaking his bones and beating him down, that's when Angel gave up. He didn't think his Good was strong enough or worth enough, and he thought that worst-case senario Angelus wins, Wes kills him, the world goes on a better place without any form of him in it.
But when Angel's just about down for the count, he has a sudden realization. And the realization is that during the entire fight, he remembered Angelus-y things. (Like the fighting style, like where he got the needles from, like killing the little girl, etc). And the reason why he remembered those things was because he is Angelus. There's no split. Angel=Angelus=Angel. And because of that, Angel realizes that the thing to do, the thing which will heal him and make him stronger, is to erase that split - to willingly accept Angelus into himself and become one person.
This isn't the answer that Whistler wanted, though. Because Whistler (ie the Powers) wanted Angel on a side. The Powers' if need be, but any when it boiled right down to it b/c at least then they would know where he stood.
But Angel didn't do what they wanted. He didn't pick good or bad. Neither "Angel" nor "Angelus" was destroyed in the battle, as the Powers were hoping. Instead both survived, in this new, integrated form. So Angel didn't pick A) Good or B) Bad. Instead he went for C) Both.
Or, to put it another way, the side Angel picked was his own. ;)
But bear in mind a lot of that will come out in future stories anyway. =)
What was up in the last scene with Wes?
If you didn't know what was going on there, you're okay. That wasn't meant to be crystal clear. Basically all you're meant to know is that Angel wakes up, he's disoriented, he goes to find Wes, he finds Wes standing over a dead body with a just-fired gun in his hand. Angel smiles at Wes, Wes looks back in disgust, fade to black. So if that's all you got - you're golden. The rest will be explained in the next story, which will show what Wes did while Angel was off Trialing.
What was Angel's choice/Why did Whistler say Angel made the wrong choice?
Okay, basically the point of the trial was that Angel's good and evil sides were equally strong. Had he gone on in that state, he would have gone insane and Wes would've had to stake him.
But because he's such a key figure to the Powers, they decided to give him a chance. He had to do the trial to finally show, once and for all, which was stronger - Angel or Angelus. Was he on the side of Good or on the side of Evil?
Angel went into the battle with that in mind, initially trying to fight for himself and show that he was Good, but then giving up when he wondered if "Angel" was ever really anything at all, and if Angelus was all that he was.
So when Angelus is breaking his bones and beating him down, that's when Angel gave up. He didn't think his Good was strong enough or worth enough, and he thought that worst-case senario Angelus wins, Wes kills him, the world goes on a better place without any form of him in it.
But when Angel's just about down for the count, he has a sudden realization. And the realization is that during the entire fight, he remembered Angelus-y things. (Like the fighting style, like where he got the needles from, like killing the little girl, etc). And the reason why he remembered those things was because he is Angelus. There's no split. Angel=Angelus=Angel. And because of that, Angel realizes that the thing to do, the thing which will heal him and make him stronger, is to erase that split - to willingly accept Angelus into himself and become one person.
This isn't the answer that Whistler wanted, though. Because Whistler (ie the Powers) wanted Angel on a side. The Powers' if need be, but any when it boiled right down to it b/c at least then they would know where he stood.
But Angel didn't do what they wanted. He didn't pick good or bad. Neither "Angel" nor "Angelus" was destroyed in the battle, as the Powers were hoping. Instead both survived, in this new, integrated form. So Angel didn't pick A) Good or B) Bad. Instead he went for C) Both.
Or, to put it another way, the side Angel picked was his own. ;)
But bear in mind a lot of that will come out in future stories anyway. =)
