I seriously can’t watch Joss Whedon shows anymore

Oh Buffy and Angel, you two are so full of ANGST

This post might be full of spoilers. Just so you know.

For Vampire Summer, and for my own curiosity, I decided to watch some Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was going just fine. I liked the quirky characters, the fun sense of humor, the light-heartedness. And I loved the relationship between Buffy and Angel, as everyone does I’m sure (unless you’re a hater, or you’ve never even seen Buffy). And then Angel got all evil. And the show got, quite frankly, WAY too dramatic.

I hate drama! I can’t stand it. You know how in chick flicks when the girl walks in on the guy comforting a friend (or a wench who is out to get him) and he’s hugging said friend (or wench) and the girl takes it all wrong and never gives him a chance to explain but instead runs out of the room and the guy is all confused and then at the end he chases her to tell her he loves her or some crap? SO MUCH STRESS. I can’t even stand it. I’m really sensitive to drama – when I was in high school I sailed through without looking anywhere but straight ahead because I couldn’t stand the whole “he said she said he broke up with her she broke up with him” drama.

And I think that as much as I hate it, Joss Whedon loves it.

I stopped watching Buffy because I couldn’t stand it. Then I decided to watch Angel. And man, I tell you. The POWERS THAT BE give Buffy/Angel EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE WAY TO BE TOGETHER and they’re just like, “No, it’s not worth it.” WHAT THE FRICK DO YOU WANT, BUFFY/ANGEL? They had the following options (so far, and I have only watched 1.5 seasons of Buffy and 0.5 seasons of Angel):

1. Be together and just deal with it. Darn, it means a life of virginity or something. At least you can BE together instead of angsting.
2. Find a solution together by hanging out with the gypsies. Look, the gypsies MADE THE CURSE – they were the ones that put on a stipulation that happiness removes it. So go figure out a way to be together, dummies.
3. Angel finds a magic ring that allows him to do whatever he wants without harm, but he destroys it because Spike wants it. “Oh man, Spike might someday sometime come after me. Despite the fact that I have to deal with baddies EVERY DAY, this is too stressful for me. I think I’ll destroy it.”
4. Angel is turned mortal for a day but he gives it up because Buffy MIGHT die. “If I can’t be with her for 80 years, I don’t even want to be with her for any time at all.”
5. Angel gives up his mortal powers to the POWERS THAT BE but doesn’t for an instant ask them if, while they’re turning him back into a warrior, they could also just make it so the curse is permanent. THIS NEVER CROSSED HIS MIND. All you have to do is ASK, people. The worst that can happen is they say NO.

I think Joss Whedon looooooooooves forbidden love. He loves it so much he’s willing to sacrifice RATIONALITY in his characters for it. It makes no sense. I get that Buffy and Angel is like, oh my god, so dramatic and stuff, and like, it’s just so beautiful, like, you know? But come on. I’d like to think they’re not idiots. I mean, I tried. But I just can’t keep suspending my disbelief anymore.

And don’t get me started on Dollhouse. It’s the same old story. “Oh, everyone wants to be with Mary Sue Echo because she’s just so perfect. They all want to be with her so much that they make stupid decisions right and left, sacrifice perfectly happy lives for her, and put themselves in danger.” I get that in real life people are dumb. But for once–JUST ONCE–I would like to watch a series with SMART PEOPLE.

Too bad, Joss Whedon. I wanted to like your stuff. You’re one of the few people with a quirky sense of fantasy and really good world building. You really should stick with concepts and let other people do the writing.