I have been thinking about why Angel left Sunnydale for L.A. at the end of season 3 (apart from the obvious reason that DB had signed a contract for a spin-off that took place in L.A.).
As we all know Angel broke up with Buffy in The Prom and he mentions that he will leave Sunnydale during their breakup conversation in the sewers for the first time. This is what he says:
Buffy: How am I supposed to stay away from you?
Angel: I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go.
Buffy: Where?
Angel: I don't know.
So, he basically says he will leave to make it easier for Buffy to get over him. We see shortly thereafter how Buffy reacts to bumping into him in the meat factory and Sunnydale is a small town (okay, with a dock, an airport, a university ...) where you are very likely to meet your ex by chance every other day.
However, I don't think the reason Angel gives is completely honest.
I was thinking if the reason why leaves Buffy and Sunnydale might actually be that he is afraid he could experience happiness if he stayed and not because he had sex with Buffy again but simply because he is around her, sees her, talks to her, and basks in her light, so to say. I don't think he is afraid of not being able to control himself when it comes to sex. If I remember correctly he doesn't have sex on AtS until five years later apart from IWRY (but that doesn't count because he was human and losing the soul wasn't an issue) and Darla (and that also doesn't count because the whole point of having sex with Darla was to lose his soul).
So, what I think is that he can control his sexual desires well enough. Otherwise, I am sure he would not have allowed things to get as far as for Buffy to stay over at the mansion for the night.
But what he fears is that being near Buffy, being in her circle, being around her, and being a part of her life might make him happy. Happy enough to lose his soul again. The one thing he has to make sure doesn't happen again and the only way he can do that is by not only breaking up with Buffy but by leaving Sunnydale altogether.
That's why it makes sense that he doesn't even know where he will be going when he tells her he is leaving. It doesn't matter to him because the important thing is not where to go but to get away from her.
What do you think?
flow
As we all know Angel broke up with Buffy in The Prom and he mentions that he will leave Sunnydale during their breakup conversation in the sewers for the first time. This is what he says:
Buffy: How am I supposed to stay away from you?
Angel: I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go.
Buffy: Where?
Angel: I don't know.
So, he basically says he will leave to make it easier for Buffy to get over him. We see shortly thereafter how Buffy reacts to bumping into him in the meat factory and Sunnydale is a small town (okay, with a dock, an airport, a university ...) where you are very likely to meet your ex by chance every other day.
However, I don't think the reason Angel gives is completely honest.
I was thinking if the reason why leaves Buffy and Sunnydale might actually be that he is afraid he could experience happiness if he stayed and not because he had sex with Buffy again but simply because he is around her, sees her, talks to her, and basks in her light, so to say. I don't think he is afraid of not being able to control himself when it comes to sex. If I remember correctly he doesn't have sex on AtS until five years later apart from IWRY (but that doesn't count because he was human and losing the soul wasn't an issue) and Darla (and that also doesn't count because the whole point of having sex with Darla was to lose his soul).
So, what I think is that he can control his sexual desires well enough. Otherwise, I am sure he would not have allowed things to get as far as for Buffy to stay over at the mansion for the night.
But what he fears is that being near Buffy, being in her circle, being around her, and being a part of her life might make him happy. Happy enough to lose his soul again. The one thing he has to make sure doesn't happen again and the only way he can do that is by not only breaking up with Buffy but by leaving Sunnydale altogether.
That's why it makes sense that he doesn't even know where he will be going when he tells her he is leaving. It doesn't matter to him because the important thing is not where to go but to get away from her.
What do you think?
flow
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