I never noticed it was that Anne, on Angel...

Ragondux | March 15, 11:30 CET

This was beautifully written.

ThorpeWithoutShrimp | March 15, 13:32 CET

The exchange between Anne and Gunn in NFA:

Gunn: What if I told you it doesn't help? What would you do if you found out that none of it matters? That it's all controlled by forces more powerful and uncaring than we can conceive and they will never let it get better down here? What would you do?

Anne Steele: I'd get this truck packed before the new stuff gets here. Wanna give me a hand?

jaxn | March 15, 14:58 CET

That's a well-written essay. I've always been really impressed with Anne's character arc. Happy to know other people feel the same way.

daedreams | March 15, 15:07 CET

One thing that I love about Anne's appearances on ANGEL is that they don't underscore the fact that she had been on BUFFY. Nor do they reveal that Anne and Angel had met before and even had a conversation. Which kind of surprised me since Angel talks about having a perfect memory. They resisted letting Angel know what an important role Buffy played in Anne's life. We, as viewers, know more than Angel or Anne know. A less well written show would have felt compelled to do a big reveal. I love that many Buffy and/or Angel fans don't always recognize her connection to the two shows. Whedon and Co. leave some of the work to the viewer.

BTW, the other piece to appear today is the Joss Whedon 101 essay on Fray, written by Pat Shand, who I see posts here.

Njal | March 15, 15:07 CET

Very nicely written about one of the best minor characters in the 'verse. Kudos.

| March 15, 15:18 CET

@jaxn: That exchange fits in perfectly with the theme of Angel (to quote him in Epiphany): If nothing we do matters...then all that matters is what we do.

SpendTheNightAlone | March 15, 15:21 CET

Great essay, in the character of Anne the ordinary have definitely not failed. And that "if nothing we do..." quote is, to me, the core of Angel and to some extent Buffy, it's amazing in it's simplicity.

Satai (with Punsch) | March 15, 15:29 CET

Nope, the only thing it may indicate is that the show's creators see things that way, it says nothing at all about whether it's true or not because it's a work of fiction.

Aside from that, worth reading. I'm not particularly enamoured of all the identity jargon (not only does it seem a bit speculative to me, it also seems a bit like an answer in search of a question in the sense that a lot of it is surely fairly apparent to anyone who's gone through it i.e. most people) but the gist rings true and Anne herself is worth celebrating as a character if for no other reason then for the quoted exchange in 'Not Fade Away' (which is one of the not a few bits in that episode that get me slightly misty eyed).

Wonder what it is about 'Joan' (a Hebrew name apparently meaning "God is gracious [or merciful]") that screams "ordinary girl" to Joss et al ? Somebody's friend/sister ? Or maybe it's the "...of Arc" connection ?

Saje | March 15, 17:07 CET

One of my very favorite minor characters. I love that they kept bringing her back; that's depth of continuity for you.

I always figured Angel and Anne didn't recognize each other -- and good points, Njal.

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | March 15, 19:28 CET