Friday, August 23, 2013

When The Universe Drags You Back Home

The name of the current (and final) arc in Angel & Faith is "What You Want, Not What You Need". Near as I can tell, it's all about pitting the characters with that choice between the two, wants against needs.

Sophie and Lavinia have to decide whether to bail out on the whole conflict or not. Despite not being fighters, or having any magic to draw from, they opt to help, rather than thinking strictly of themselves. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they can't find a way to get the various altered citizens to lend a hand against Whistler.

Alasdir is presented with the chance to regain some of his past prominence, and Giles with a chance to be an adult. each of them sees a chance to get something they want, but recognizes the risk, and passes. I mean, they blew by dithering around for so long Nash could steal the orb back, but they came to a decision at least to not use it recklessly for their own benefit.

Angel confronted Whistler with the cost of his plan, hoping to make him abandon his plan. Angel's contention is Whistler just wants his pain to stop, and the plan Whistler's set on, with its considerable death toll, isn't necessary to save the world. So far, Whistler is unmoved, still believing this is the only way. Both of them think they're acting on a needs basis, and that the other is doing what they want. Angel thinks Whistler wants to end his pain, Whistler thinks Angel isn't willing to do what it takes, so to speak.

Pearl and Nash are after their mother's goal of a world with people and demons combined, and it's right there. But Nash dies, and that's the cost. The siblings always had each other, and if they'd stuck to more gradual, quieter plans, they might still have each other, and still be working toward their goal.

All that's preamble, because Faith is the one I'm really interested in. Her moment of clarity in #24 was recognizing that she ought to have been more concerned with stopping Pearl and Nash (and Whistler, I suppose), rather than on Angel's latest attempt to, in one big act, Fix Everything he screwed up the last time he tried to Fix Everything. Well, she only says she ought to have been after P & N, I'm editorializing about Angel, but that is what she's been concentrating on. Instead of stopping the people putting together a plan that will kill billions, or even helping the young Slayers under her tutelage, she's been helping Angel sort through his depression by resurrecting someone who would not have wanted to be resurrected.

Because she felt she owed it Angel, and because she wanted Giles back. For better or worse, she's a Slayer, she's supposed to protect the world by killing monsters that threaten humanity. I don't imagine she could handle Whistler, given how strong he seems to be, but if she'd worked with her Slayers, I think they could have dispatched Pearl & Nash. And maybe doing that while Nadira still had a support network would have stopped her self-destruction.

It's disappointing for Faith, though. For her, it always seems to come down to killing. That's what people see her as, and that's part of why she started trying to help other Slayers, and part of why she helped Angel. It's nice to do something that wasn't about death. So this is a rude reminder that she's still a Slayer, and there are certain responsibilities that come with it. She can try and step away from it, like her proteges, but it's too much a part of her to ignore it entirely. Trying to do so just makes things worse. I worry where this is going to leave her for the next season. The Slayers are gone, I'm not sure what's going to happen with Giles, so that's leaves Faith with what, Angel? Given I expect he'll have some new mess to clean up, and I think she'd be better off getting well away from him for awhile. Focus on herself.

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