Fandom Snowflake Challenge - in a very weird order

[sophia_catherine]

I’ll be doing these in a weird order (I’m already late, after all), and cross-posting some to tumblr. Here’s my first: an attempt at Day 3:

In your own space, share a favorite piece of original canon (a TV episode, a song, a favorite interview, a book, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

From Angel: The Series - Angel’s fantastic speech on how “if nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do”

I was never as big an Angel: The Series fan as I was a BtVS fan, but something about the overarching arc of Angel caught my imagination, and this scene summed it up. I was going through a lot in my late teens/early 20s, and while Buffy was an amazing piece of work in many ways, the whole ‘chosen one/cosmic plan’ arc of Buffy didn’t work for me philosophically, especially in the light of the experiences I was having. Instead, I loved Angel’s ethos that: “If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now.” The show bravely followed the consequences of that philosophy right up to the incredible ending, which (not to spoil a 20-year-old show) showed just how far people might be willing to go for such an altruistic, free-will-asserting ethos... Angel was far from a perfect show--but this it got right. <3

(Full transcript below cut)

Angel: It doesn't.

Kate: Doesn't what?

Angel: Mean anything. In the greater scheme, in the big picture, nothing we do matters. There's no grand plan, no big win.

Kate: You seem kind of chipper about that.

Angel: Well, I guess I kinda worked it out. If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. I fought for so long, for redemption, for a reward, and finally just to beat the other guy, but I never got it.

Kate: And now you do?

Angel: Not all of it. All I wanna do is help. I wanna help because, I don't think people should suffer as they do. Because, if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world.

Kate: Yikes. It sounds like you've had an epiphany.

Angel: I keep saying that, but nobody's listening.

Crossposted to tumblr here.

Comments

[meridian_rose]

That's a great choice :)

[sophia_catherine]

Thanks! :)