There have been plenty of romances central to the Buffyverse, but perhaps none quite so epic as the one between Buffy and Angel. The original vampire with a soul was the slayer’s first love and he left an indelible mark both on the series and in the hearts of fans. In high school, everything feels like the end of the world, but for Buffy Summers, it often almost was. We all can remember the dizzying highs and unbearably depressing lows of falling in love for the first time. However, imagine if, on top of those already intense emotions, the fate of the universe was hanging in the balance. Buffy was so strong that it was sometimes difficult to remember that she really was just a teenage girl with the weight of the entire world placed firmly upon her tiny shoulders.
Whether you feel that Buffy and Angel belong together or not, there is no denying that many of the show’s most heartbreaking or swoon-worthy moments in the early seasons resulted from their unforgettable love story. It truly was a romance for the ages. That being said, not everything about the poetic relationship between vampire and slayer always added up. Like any genre show - even one that transcends genre like Buffy the Vampire Slayer - a certain suspension of disbelief is required to properly enjoy the story. Point being, no matter how nonsensical certain elements of their relationship may have been, most fans wouldn’t trade it. Even the most ardent Spuffy shippers have to admit that Bangel is legendary.
Here are 20 Things That Make No Sense About Buffy and Angel’s Relationship.
Why Couldn’t She Sense He Was A Vampire From The Start?
It was established in the pilot that Buffy was capable of sensing whether or not someone was a vampire. So, how did she interact with Angel so many times and still have no clue that he was one until he revealed himself to be? Perhaps there is something different about him on account of his soul, but that was never stated.
The most likely explanation is that the writers weren’t immediately sure that Angel was going to be a vampire at all. It had been decided that he would be Buffy’s love interest, but that was kind of it. There were even thoughts of making him an actual angel. It seems crazy now, because Buffy and Angel’s “rather poetic” love story became such a huge part of the narrative during those early seasons.
Their Age Difference
If everyone’s being honest, the age difference between Buffy and Angel is kind of troubling based on his human age alone. He was turned at twenty-six and first met Buffy when she was sixteen. Ten years isn’t too big of a deal once a person’s out of high school, but most parents wouldn’t want their teenager dating someone who had a decade on them.
Making matters worse, Angel is actually two hundred twenty-four years older than Buffy. So, whether we’re talking about his human or vampire status, there is still quite a divide there. Buffy is obviously more mature than the average high school student and much of Angel’s development was stunted on account of living in sewers and eating rats for decades.
He Loved Her From The Moment He Saw Her
Speaking of the age gap between Buffy and Angel, it’s easy to swoon over the idea that Angel loved her from the moment he laid eyes on her…until you remember that she was fifteen. Even putting aside the Humbert vibe here though, the love built up between Buffy and Angel over the course of the series had real depth. So, the idea that this grown man fell head over heels for a teenager immediately kind of mars that a bit.
If anything, Angel was just interested, considering he didn’t know Buffy even a little bit. It probably kind of makes sense in terms of the fairy tale quality of their relationship.
Their (Lack Of) A Love Life
Angel’s one true moment of happiness happened the first time that he and Buffy were intimate and it cost him his soul. So, logic apparently dictated that the two could never get physical again. Sure, this was a way to keep them from falling into the trap of becoming a boring, happy couple. However, it doesn’t make all that much sense.
Once Angel became aware of the cost of a truly happy moment, it seems unlikely that the poor guy would ever be able to have another one. Seriously, no matter how many sparks continued to fly between vampire and slayer, how would his restored soul ever stop plaguing his thoughts again? Thankfully, the thought that Angel needed to be celibate was eventually abandoned, but the idea that he could find that bliss again with Buffy seems impossible.
The Network Restrictions
This issue isn’t the fault of the writers, but rather the networks airing Buffy and Angel. Once the vampire with a soul scored his own spinoff, he and Buffy continued to share the small screen for special crossover events. Whether it was the stars appearing on each other’s shows or side characters made little difference to fans who were delighted by every new plot point of this shared universe. However, after Buffy briefly left the mortal coil at the end of season 5, BtVS left the WB and headed over to UPN.
That was the end of the crossover events for quite some time. Even the meeting between Buffy and Angel after she was resurrected happened offscreen and barely warranted a mention on either series.
That Time The Birthed A New Universe
The canonical comic continuation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw the series through seasons 8-12, only wrapping up last year. As a whole, the comics were largely enjoyable, with amazing art and stories that the writers never could’ve done on a TV budget. Although there are plenty of cool plotlines to choose from, there are also some that make absolutely no sense at all.
In season 8, The villainous Twilight who’d been plaguing the Scoobies was revealed to be Angel. He was acting on a primal instinct to help Buffy ascend to a higher plane - or something. Buffy got Superman-esque powers and the two were intimate on some kind of cosmic level, resulting in the birth of a new universe. Did that make sense to you?
Their Failed Attempt At Friendship
We all know what it’s like to think that friendship with an ex is possible, even if you were never friends, to begin with - sometimes it is. Denial runs deep, and Buffy and Angel needed someone not so close to the situation to point out the ridiculousness of their attempt at a platonic friendship. Luckily, they had Spike to do just that. “Love isn’t brains, children, it’s blood…blood screaming inside you to work its will.”
It makes sense that Buffy and Angel were so desperate to remain in each other’s lives in some capacity that they were willing to try anything. Their denial of the situation is also understandable. It would seem though, that since the two never laid any foundation of friendship prior to becoming romantically involved, that such a relationship was never going to happen.
Only Buffy Understood The Dichotomy Within
When a person is a sired, their soul leaves the body and a demon “sets up shop” in its place. That demon has the memories of the body’s former resident, but it’s not the same person. Despite the fact that this was explained multiple times to multiple Scoobies, it doesn’t make much sense that Buffy was the only one who understood that Angel and Angelus were categorically different people.
Sure, Buffy was in love with him, which made it easier for her to cut him some slack. Plus, Angelus took the life of the woman that Giles loved, so he couldn’t really see straight on the matter. Xander’s vision was always clouded by jealousy. So, it makes sense that it would be a bitter pill and all, but it would seem that someone other than Buffy could’ve grasped the concept.
They Didn’t Really Have Anything In Common
As previously stated, Buffy and Angel had never been friends and never really could be. This is partially due to the epic nature of their love story, but it’s also hard to ignore the truth of the matter: those two had nothing in common. Age may not always be a factor, but with a divide that significant, it really kind of is.
The decade between them alone would’ve made matters difficult, but two hundred twenty-four years? Buffy and Angel were literally born in different centuries, came from vastly dissimilar backgrounds and really had no common interests, except perhaps for that whole saving the world thing. To be fair, that’s a pretty big one and sometimes people are drawn to one another regardless of whether or not they have much to discuss. Seriously though, what did they talk about?
They Never Truly Moved On From One Another
We all remember our first love: the undeniable melodrama, the unbearable emotional pain, and the palpable excitement. As intense as the experience is, most of us eventually leave it in our rearview mirror. Some people marry their high school sweethearts, but not many.
Bangel came to an end due to circumstances beyond their control, not because they fell out of love. This does make moving on more difficult, but neither of them ever truly did. Buffy had some unfortunate dating experiences, eventually winding up with “Captain Cardboard,” and Angel found himself shoehorned into a romance with Cordelia. Over time, Buffy developed a deeper relationship with Spike and Angel did care for Nina. However, nothing ever seemed to compare to the feelings that they had for each other.
He Kind Of Followed Her
If YOU has taught viewers anything, it’s that all of those rom-com tropes may seem dreamy in theory, but in practice, they’re incredibly unsettling. Everything often comes down to chemistry, because let’s all be honest, if it was Principal Snyder following Buffy in the shadows before actually ever speaking to her, no one would’ve found it even the tiniest bit romantic.
Buffy and Angel became such a legendary love story that it’s easy to forget that the vampire with a soul kind of followed the slayer from afar long before they met. Sure, it all worked out and Angel never had any ill intentions towards her. However, it wouldn’t be so well received today. The upcoming reboot likely won’t have a twenty-six-year-old man lurking in the shadows of a teenage girl.
She Initially Loves Him But Doesn’t Trust Him
In season 2 episode “Lie to Me” Buffy admits that she loves Angel, but doesn’t trust him. It’s fair that she’s unsure of the vampire. After all, the slayer is certain that he’s lying about his connection to Drusilla and doesn’t know exactly where she stands. Buffy is also pretty new to the whole love thing.
Even still, if Buffy doesn’t know him well enough to trust him, it seems a bit of a stretch that she’s confident enough to say that she loves him. In fact, at that point, Buffy really didn’t know Angel that well at all. Their relationship did deepen over time and was certainly bolstered by good writing and the undeniable chemistry between Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz. However, when Buffy made that statement, love without trust didn’t make too much sense.
Angel’s Character Development
Even the biggest Angel fans will tell you that Angelus is the more interesting character, at least during his stint on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It wasn’t until he headed to the mean streets of Los Angeles that Angel really came into his own.
Luckily, the vampire with a soul at the heart of Angel was clever, sincere and at times, even funny. The writers were able to let Angel take himself a bit less seriously and it really worked. His power level also seemed to increase over time, but that could be said of Buffy as well. The fact remains that the Angel of the spinoff was a very different character and it’s kind of a bummer that he only made brief and occasional appearances in Sunnydale after he left.
Their Relationship Was All Darkness And No Light
As previously mentioned, the vampire with a soul and the slayer didn’t have much in common. Perhaps this is why their romance, swoon-worthy though it may have been, was also kind of a downer. Seriously, what did they have to discuss besides the impending doom facing them at any given moment?
Despite her unconventional calling and it’s accompanying pressures, Buffy was seen enjoying herself with the Scoobies on plenty of occasions. Okay, so they mostly hung out at the Bronze, but that’s life in a small town. Buffy and Angel rarely seemed to have any actual fun together. Well, they did go ice skating that one time. Again, it’s easy to get wrapped up in their undeniably compelling romance, but how often did those two actually make each other smile?
Gellar Is Team Angel, But Boreanaz Thinks Angel’s Soulmate Is Darla
There has long been a fan divide over whether or not Buffy belonged with Angel or Spike - sorry, Riley. Both ensouled vampires have ardent supporters. Although Buffy wound up with Spike in the comics, at least for a time, the series wrapped up with no clear indication of who she chose. Gellar weighed in on the matter when BtVS turned twenty, stating that although Spike understood a different part of the slayer, that to her, Buffy’s true love would always be Angel.
Boreanaz, on the other hand, claimed that Angel’s soulmate was the woman that he spent over a hundred years with, Darla. At the time of the interview, Buffy and Angel were on different networks and Angel’s sire (and their child) were a large part of the season arc. It’s unclear if Boreanaz would still be Team Darla today.
Joss Whedon Is Team Spike, Despite Feeling That Bangel Is Epic
It’s no secret that Joss Whedon wasn’t a huge fan of Angel, finding it much easier to write for his soulless counterpart. Most fans know that he enjoyed writing for Spike. James Marsters’s incredible performance earned him a near permanent stay of execution - Spike was only supposed to last a few episodes. It’s not that Whedon doesn’t think that Buffy and Angel are a love story “for the ages.” However, Whedon finds Spike a bit more “evolved” and feels that he was the better choice for Buffy.
Whedon also stated that he recognizes it’s a bit like “like saying Juliet’s going to be so happy with Benvolio.” That may be true, but Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, after all.
She Trusted Him Not To Take Her Life But Barely Knew Him
Buffy couldn’t really see straight when it came to Angel. Anyone who’s ever been in love knows what that’s like. However, her pattern of losing all reason where he’s concerned stretches back to the very beginning. After the season 1 reveal that Angel was a vampire, he admitted to Buffy that he took the lives of his own family. On top of that, Darla had framed him for attacking Joyce.
What about any of that caused Buffy to drop her crossbow and walk toward him unarmed? Sure, he had told her about the Romani curse and happened to be a total dreamboat. No one’s saying she should’ve loosed an arrow right then. However, the two had shared a single kiss and barely knew each other, so perhaps that wasn’t the best time to take such a leap of faith.
He Has Terrible Timing
Putting aside his incredibly romantic prom entrance, Angel doesn’t have great timing. Perhaps breaking up with Buffy right before the dance that mattered so much to her wasn’t the right call, to begin with. Angel might not really get the prom, but he understands Buffy’s immense desire to be a normal girl.
As if all that wasn’t bad enough though, the guy then has to tell her he’s not going to say goodbye before leaving town - as they’re preparing for the fight of their life against the mayor. It seemed like that news could’ve waited. We get it, Angel was leaving Buffy for her own good and it was the right call. However, he could’ve thought it through a little more. His timely arrival at the prom almost makes up for it though.
Their Chemistry Is So Intense
Few fictional couples have lit up the screen quite as much as Buffy and Angel. Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz had amazing chemistry. If you’re wondering what about that doesn’t make sense, it’s that the actors were so incredible at their jobs that viewers had no idea about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans going on. According to Gellar, onscreen kissing is the “[most unattractive] thing in the world.”
Gellar and Boreanaz were very close and did their best to make those scenes more fun…by constantly pranking one another. They would try to one-up each other, eating tuna fish or pickles right before kiss scenes.
Their Shared Dream Experience
The slayer has prophetic dreams and is psychically linked to the rest of the line. However, in “Amends”, Buffy and Angel make guest appearances in each other’s dreams and how that happens is never expressly stated. The First Slayer has the ability to walk in the dreams of others, so it might be a power that Buffy possesses, but this was never really addressed.
The First could’ve also been responsible, but again, that was never clarified. “Amends” is a great episode, so no one really complains. Still, it’s interesting that this shared dream experience was never really explained or revisited.
Can you think of anything else about Buffy and Angel’s relationship that makes no sense? Let us know in the comments!
