Sure, Buffy and Angel are supposed to be like the tragic love story of our generation or whatever, but each character was much better when they weren't involved. First of all, the age thing is definitely an issue. Not to put down teenagers or anything, but a 16-year-old is just not mature enough to be in a relationship with a man who has a couple hundred years of experience on her. And what kind of 200+ year old man could find a relationship with a teenager even remotely fulfilling? It's creepy that he falls in love with her while he's stalking her, before she even moves to Sunnydale. Buffy's inconsistent and doesn't really know what she wants. Who can blame her? She's sixteen. But it creates a lot of tension in their relationship. She also struggles to come to terms with what Angel is. She frequently complains about Angel's vampirism, wishing things were different, but not realizing that's a huge part of who he is as a person. Angel doesn't really become a fleshed-out, emotionally complex character until he leaves Buffy and her entire show for Los Angeles. And in turn, Buffy is allowed to grow up and become more self-reliant after that toxic relationship is behind her.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
