Sunday, February 27, 2011

Cordelia, Doyle, and the 'love stuff' in "Hero"

Aside from the heroic acts and the great discussions about Angel and Doyle, something I've been thinking about from this episode is both the beginning and end of Cordelia and Doyle.

Cordelia and Angel (at least not yet) aren't romantically linked, so that leaves Cordelia single and ready to...well, you know. Doyle shows interest in her but never quite worked up the nerve. In "Hero," he attempts to ask her out but is rudely interrupted by the usual demon chaos. We see their first and final kiss before Doyle's martyr act.

My question is: had Doyle not died, would Doyle and Cordelia have worked out based on what we know about their characters? Or, is their kiss and prematurely ended relationship solely a way for Whedon to transfer the power of visions to Cordelia since Doyle isn't sticking around? As seasoned or new viewers of Angel, would we stand behind the relationship if it got to happen?

Though it's mostly speculation, I'm curious about how Whedon is using the love interest elements in Angel compared to other Whedon shows. For example, Buffy had just made an appearance in the show to highlight Angel's relationship woes, but Cordelia as the main female character hasn't gotten much of a love connection. I believe some people noted in class how Cordelia is growing as a character after "Hero." Still, I feel like Cordelia is in an interesting position as the female lead in Angel up to this point.

2 comments:

Corinne said...

I think there may have been potential for Doyle and Cordelia to get together, but not anytime soon. If Doyle hadn't died, Cordelia still would have had to grow up a lot before being able to be in a deep relationship. She still seems too immature and self-centered to be able to be committed to someone else. But sure, eventually I could see that happening if Doyle hadn't passed away.

Heidi said...

I love hypothetical questions like this one!