Sunday, February 27, 2011

Smile, Angel!

The most interesting thing to me about “Hero” is that it seems the characters are trying to figure out what it really means to be a hero. Cordelia wants to do a commercial for their crime-fighting business and wants Doyle to be in it because he is “relatable” and Angel is not. Then she talks about putting Angel into some kind of costume, as if that’s what it means to be a super hero.

When I think about the super heroes in movies and TV shows, the one thing they always have in common is that they all seem like tortured souls. Angel is rarely happy and when he is, he gets punished for it. It’s like being unhappy comes hand in hand with being a super hero. I suppose being unhappy for the sake of saving others is a noble trait. Perhaps it drives heroes to risk everything they have because they really don’t have much to lose in the first place. In this episode, Angel recalls his decision to give up Buffy forever. He knew the consequences when he made the decision, yet, he is acting all depressed throughout this episode. Angel makes sacrifices then sulks around because of them. I would love to see Angel fight crime and save lives with a smile on his face. Maybe it comes in later episodes, but right now, it does not look very promising.

2 comments:

Heidi said...

Ah, yes...the tortured hero! It can get gloomy, can't it? That's why a show needs comic relief!

By the way, during the first season of _Bones_, it took some time for me to get used to seeing "Angel" smiling and laughing!

Unknown said...

But he is in a lovely suit, so it's not SO hard on the eyes :)