Shanshu

Skitty · Shanshu

I thought I'd post this in the main forum area of Angel because it kind of encompasses several seasons. I wanted to talk about the Shanshu and what it meant for Angel's character. Not Spike.

This is not a plea to discuss why Spike did or didn't deserve it or whatnot. No, just about Angel and the implications.

I really didn't like the shanshu. I liked the idea that Angel might get some kind of reward for being a good boy, but I wish that maybe he hadn't known about it. In the beginning, when he fought, it was all about fighting because of Buffy. But then we went to LA and he had his own thing going, and he fought because it was the right thing to do and he wanted that redemption. He even destroyed the ring of amarra because he knew that it wasn't the way to go. He had to fight for them, he had to do the right thing because it was right. But then the shanshu came to light and suddenly it wasn't about the people anymore. It was about getting his reward.

I was really glad, personally, when he signed it away. I thought it showed a real step towards doing the right thing again for him. It brought things full circle. And I do actually kind of think that he's still eligable. I mean, it's the ultimate sacrifice for him and nothing is more poetic than that, and the PTB are all about that sort of thing. When have they ever played by the rules anyway?

So, thoughts?

Rua1412

I think that Angel has a destiny.

There are many prophecies that claim to give the destiny of "the vampire with a soul".
Setting aside the complicating fact that there are two of them, and assuming the prophecies refer to Angel, what we know about it, is that at the end of season 1, Wesley found a prophecy that said that Angel would someday be rewarded with humanity after many battles and monsters. Angel took this to heart.
In season 2, Angel try to achieve his "destiny" and win his humanity. He decided that his destiny was to defeat Wolfram and Hart in an apocalyptic battle or die trying. But he didn't defeat them.
Instead, he discovered that Wolfram and Hart's evil was ancient, and perpetual.
Angel lost faith in the idea of a grand plan and of his own destiny in it. In a world where Wolfram and Hart could not be defeated, he decided, "the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world." and he give up his Shansu, and I loved him for this even more, just like Skitty.
While I understand the need to give Angel a reason to fight after he lived a such long life and he had lost so much during it, the matter that he choose to give up his reward made him even more special from my point of view.
Angel giving away his Shansu make him a hero more than anti-hero like he was until then for me.
Giving up the only hope to be redemeed was the last and bigger gift he could do to the humanity.