Everybody Likes a Gyro

This episode of Angel poses an interesting dilemma for me. I could rant about all the things in the episode that drove me crazy, or I can focus on one aspect and create a thoughtful (and less alienating) post. It is so tempting to do the former...

But I won't.
Is that heroic?

I digress: "Hero." As Cait asks in her post, what makes one?

Is Doyle a hero because he sacrifices himself for everyone? If we are defining heroism as behavior that minimizes the individual's well-being in favor of the group's, then yes, Doyle displays heroic behavior. But death by heroic act is a much easier feat than committing a sacrificial act and continuing on in life. I mean, you're done. It's over. It's everyone else that has to carry on.

I think it's an interesting idea to consider that heroism is often based off of guilt. If we are honest, most of us aren't compelled to risk our own safety, much less our lives, to help someone else, so it makes sense that Doyle is unwilling to assist his fellow half-demons. As viewers it's easy to be self-righteous and claim that we would have done something. And maybe some of us would. But maybe not.

One of the moments that stuck out to me is when Angel realizes he might have to be the one to commit heroic suicide. He. Doesn't. Want. To. Mr. Hero and he doesn't want to die. It's perfectly normal! In that moment, Angel became the most human and relate-able to me. Because I wouldn't have wanted to kill myself either! No one does. And the time lag Whedon gives him is almost like a sign that he's looking for a way out, and hoping for once, someone else will step up. In the end, Doyle is desperate to end his guilt and atone for what he didn't do and does exactly that.

Doyle is the epitome of reluctant savior, but his heroism then covers over all of his faults as a person. "Sure he's kind of a jerk, but he saved people!" Heroes (especially ones that die) are usually catapulted to larger-than-life status, and that is no less the case here.

Behavior like that comes from somewhere deep and conflicted. Cait points out in an earlier post that Angel is reluctant to connect with others yet saves their lives, like a "masochistic" sort of lifestyle. I think it's distinctly possible to love humanity and hate individuals. Interactions with others is just plain hard most of the time, as both Angel and Doyle demonstrate. It's much easier to save people one time then to have to deal with them on a consistent basis, (especially if you die doing it), which is why in this episode, Doyle represents the typical archetype of a hero, and Angel the more non-traditional, human version .

What's the name for that?