"In 243 years I've loved exactly one person"
"In all that time, no one ever mattered, not like she did"
Faith
I know some people ship Angel with Faith, but I see their relationship as a friendship, almost sibling-like. I like it that way. Keep it that way.
Darla & Drusilla
I'll rate both these pairings at once because it's the same things I can say about both.
I like some of their interactions, but in the long term either pairing would need Angel to revert to Angelus. And I don't want that. Angel needs to be the champion!
Cordelia
Warning: this may become a rant.
I liked the friendship between Cordy and Angel, same as with Faith. It annoys me that the writers of Angel tried to turn it into a romantic ship. It felt forced. It felt like they thought they needed the standard main hero/main heroine pairing.
I didn't notice this pairing before Waiting In The Wings, since I interpreted earlier mentions as jokes (e.g. when Beth the telekinetic girl asks) and I thought Cordy's response to Darla's pregnancy was about the risk and Angel lying by omission, not jealousy. As a result, the episode felt cringe-worthy. Going from nothing/only friends to serious making out? Creepy! I like IOHEWY, in comparison, because Bangel by that point were a couple and it was a much milder and cuter kiss.
Also, the whole reasons for leaving Buffy existed for Cordy. Risk of perfect happiness. Sunlight. Ageing and inability to have children. Wouldn't they break up the same way? It couldn't go anywhere.
Speaking of perfect happiness, Angel needed an illusion to make him lose his soul in Angel the Series. In that illusion, he'd also saved the day and fixed his relationship with Connor. And he called out Buffy's name! I can think of no other way to interpret that.
Lastly, Angel's behaviour in the last 2 episodes of BtVS. By this point, Cordy is comatose and dying. If he loved her, you'd think he'd be worrying over her. Instead, when he comes to Sunnydale he kisses Buffy intensely, gets jealous about Spike and replies to her cookie dough speech by saying "I'm not getting any older" which practically implies he'll wait for her.
"In all that time, no one ever mattered, not like she did"
Faith
I know some people ship Angel with Faith, but I see their relationship as a friendship, almost sibling-like. I like it that way. Keep it that way.
Darla & Drusilla
I'll rate both these pairings at once because it's the same things I can say about both.
I like some of their interactions, but in the long term either pairing would need Angel to revert to Angelus. And I don't want that. Angel needs to be the champion!
Cordelia
Warning: this may become a rant.
I liked the friendship between Cordy and Angel, same as with Faith. It annoys me that the writers of Angel tried to turn it into a romantic ship. It felt forced. It felt like they thought they needed the standard main hero/main heroine pairing.
I didn't notice this pairing before Waiting In The Wings, since I interpreted earlier mentions as jokes (e.g. when Beth the telekinetic girl asks) and I thought Cordy's response to Darla's pregnancy was about the risk and Angel lying by omission, not jealousy. As a result, the episode felt cringe-worthy. Going from nothing/only friends to serious making out? Creepy! I like IOHEWY, in comparison, because Bangel by that point were a couple and it was a much milder and cuter kiss.
Also, the whole reasons for leaving Buffy existed for Cordy. Risk of perfect happiness. Sunlight. Ageing and inability to have children. Wouldn't they break up the same way? It couldn't go anywhere.
Speaking of perfect happiness, Angel needed an illusion to make him lose his soul in Angel the Series. In that illusion, he'd also saved the day and fixed his relationship with Connor. And he called out Buffy's name! I can think of no other way to interpret that.
Lastly, Angel's behaviour in the last 2 episodes of BtVS. By this point, Cordy is comatose and dying. If he loved her, you'd think he'd be worrying over her. Instead, when he comes to Sunnydale he kisses Buffy intensely, gets jealous about Spike and replies to her cookie dough speech by saying "I'm not getting any older" which practically implies he'll wait for her.
