#...or didn't

[oveliagirlhaditright]

I never gave this panel much thought, even though something I'm about to show/explain in a moment shows that Buffy didn't know about "Not Fade Away" in season 8. (The above panel is from season 9.) I just assumed Angel and Spike must have finally filled her in about it here in season 9.

So, yeah: the proof that Buffy didn't know about it in season 8, and isn't letting Angel tell her about it at the time (though Buffy is definitely justified in her anger here atm and in not wanting to talk/listen):

But now I'm thinking that when she does finally learn about it in season 9, it was probably just Spike who just told her about it--which is really kind of sad, when that whole thing was Angel's whole idea and major sacrifice, really--since she and Angel aren't talking at the time.

But, yeah... everyone in the comics who didn't live in L.A. didn't know about "Not Fade Away." For months, the entire city gets sucked into Hell at the end of that episode. At the end of "Angel: After the Fall," which covers that whole thing, Connor dies. And Angel is unwilling to accept that, of course. And he and Wesley very cleverly realize that Wolfram & Hart want him for their plans and won't just accept his death and will be willing to do anything to stop it, should it happen. So, he then kills himself. And then in order to save him/bring him back, the Senior Partners have to undo the past months, and they essentially make it so everything that happened in "Not Fade Away" (following the alleyway fight) never did. And because of this, only the people in L.A. who had gotten sucked into Hell remembered that L.A. had ever disappeared and that they'd been gone. So while Buffy probably did know that Angel and the crew were gone at the time it happened and mourned them, by the above part of S8 she no longer does.

And while we're at it... let's just talk about the comics hinting at the information that was passed along from the Buffy group to the Angel groups--and vice versa--as a whole. Because I've meant to discuss this for a long time:

So, Angel and Spike clearly told Buffy about Illyria. And since Buffy flat-out says Angel was part of that, this was undoubtedly in season 5 that that discussion happened.

Angel must have told Buffy stuff about Connor (who then told Xander). There can be no other explanation for the above scene, really.

I will say that one thing that kind of saddens... actually, even ticks me off a little (though at least where the shows were concerned, there were legal issues involved, in which it got to a point where Buffy and Angel couldn't appear on each other's shows anymore--at least not very easily--because they were on different networks), is that after Buffy and Angel breakup he shows up a number of times to help Buffy out with her apocalypses or to be moral support for her when she needs him. But Buffy only ever shows up to help Angel once. (Edit: And this is why, even though it's not the canon verse, I actually kind of prefer the "In Every Generation" timeline where Buffy took an army of Slayers to help Angel and the A.I. team in the "Not Fade Away" battle.)

I've seen the argument that it's because the one time she did go to help him (the Faith thing in "Sanctuary") it didn't go well, they were on two different sides of that argument, and just ended up fighting with each other. But that's not a good enough explanation for me. Really, I feel like that's just an excuse to try and justify it, when really it makes no sense and kind of paints Buffy in a bad light.

And we see in the comics that there were definitely times when Angel wanted Buffy's help/could've used her help, but didn't get it (though of course, once again, he goes to help her with one of her apocalypses in the comics. And is treated kind of badly while most people there while doing so. Which I do get after the whole Twilight thing, but sheesh!):

(In the above panel, Dawn's beginning to fade away--and people are starting to forget her--as the world no longer has magic in it anymore.)

Which is why I'm actually kind of glad we get this moment in season twelve, where Angel takes this apocalypse he needs help with to Buffy and is basically like, "Yeah, you're all going to help me with this, and I don't want to hear it."

Anyway...

Edit: However... in the classic comics, at least, Buffy went to help Angel a few times (which I so appreciate!). Thank God.

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[faeriekit]

"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

[inkskinned]

please i love you i'm begging you bring back suspension of disbelief bring back trusting the audience like. i cannot handle any more dialogue that sounds like a legal document. "hello, i am here to talk to you about the incident from a few minutes ago, because i feel you might be unwell, and i am invested in your personal wellbeing." "thank you, i am unwell because the incident was hurtful to me due to my childhood, which was bad." I CANT!!!!

do you know how many people are mad that authors use "growled" as a word for "said"? it's just poetics! they do not literally mean "growled," it's just a common replacement for "said with force but in a low tone." it's normal! do you hear me!! help me i love you please let me out of here!!!

[demonboyhalo]

collection of useful things tumblr has taught me:

even if you can't fall asleep, laying down with your eyes closed will still rest your body

you don't have to brush your teeth standing up

you don't have to do any chore standing up, from dishes to showering

you don't have to shower with the lights on

if you can't brush your teeth, flossing and a tongue scraper gets rid of plaque and bad breath

if you can't do that, mouthwash kills a lot of bacteria

eating "unhealthy" food is better than eating no food

you can make the same meal everyday for however long you still want it

some pills come in syrups or chewables if you can't swallow them

kids nutritional shakes can be a quick way to get fuel if you can't eat/don't have time

if walking hurts/exhausts you on a regular basis, canes and rollers are for you, no matter how young you are

we have free will—if doing something "out of the ordinary" makes life easier for you, do it

if you have even a dollar to spare, please consider donating to Alaikum's family.

they're a large family at only 10% of their goal to evacuate, and could use any help you can give!!

[goldrogerstits]

[posalis]

[heph]

Yall ever think about how Ford had to relearn how to be a normal human being after 30 years of isolation

[czerwonywilk]

a great change and a great way to execute the idea

[theblob1958]

people are saying do it scared, but you also gotta do it alone. you'll miss out on so much you want to do if you wait til someone will do it with you. do it scared and do it alone.

[atissi]

locked the fuck back in

[daclium]

Researcher

[unsung-idiot]

some quick drawings of little Soos I made a while ago

[limelemonchi]

freak Pines

[gwydionae]

Behold, one of my best friend's Halloween costumes, recorded and uploaded by a complete stranger with over a million views on tiktok! (I'm so proud!!)

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again