Angel taking orders

[Lyri]

I've just been watching 'Graduation Day' and I noticed the part in the hospital where Giles orders Angel to leave before the sun comes up...and he goes.

It got me to thinking about the earlier seasons, S3 especially. Angel seems to take orders from Giles a lot. He always seems to do what the Watcher suggests, or what Giles tells him to do. So my question is...

Why?

Why Giles? What makes him different from everybody else? I know the rest of them are teenagers, and that's a key point, but Angel's also over 200 years old, more than 8 times Giles' age, so to him, Giles is basically a teenager.

He doesn't let anyone else speak to him the way Giles speaks to him, so what's so special about Giles?

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

just the first thought that comes to my head is because of jenny. his killing of her as angelus, and the way he tortured giles about it afterwards, not to mention the later torture by way of dru in becoming, probably makes him feel the most guilty. he didnt actually kill anyone else that close to any of the other scoobies. he probably feels bad about it, and knows giles has a hard time trusting him because of it, even after the fact (as in 'amends'). xander kind of always hated him, buffy loves him, etc. i guess he could be trying to show giles that hes not the same bad guy that angelus is, and do what he does best: repent and atone.

[Blondie Bear]

Maybe it's because Angel's not a great leader and Giles is very authoritative. He has the presence and force of personality to make even Angel follow his advice. Could explain why he was so angry when Buffy stopped listening to him; he'd gotten used to even the undead following his orders.

[white avenger]

Maybe it's because Angel's not a great leader and Giles is very authoritative. He has the presence and force of personality to make even Angel follow his advice. Could explain why he was so angry when Buffy stopped listening to him; he'd gotten used to even the undead following his orders.


Giles was certainly the most self confident person on the show at that time, and probably the one most trained to lead. In theory, the watcher directs the Slayer, so he would be trained in the skills required for that task: strategy, logistics, probably things like troop deployment (even though he would normally have only one troop to deploy) and even the proper procedures for "getting around" the interference of local authorities. Angel was just deferring to the de facto leader, and possibly studying Giles' methods so that he could assume the same role if he could ever convince Joss to give him his own show.

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

I think Angel also knew the extent to which Giles cared for Buffy and felt that Giles' decisions would be in Buffy's best interest, or would fall in line with his own since they both cared so much about her.

[Dlou444]

Well, what's he gonna say, "No, stupid british guy...I wanna leave at high noon, that is a MUCH better plan"??

Although, I DO think it's partly because Giles is a good leader and because Giles is obviously the leader of the REST of them and if Angel wants to work WITH them, he kind of has to recognize Gile's authority.
Still, it's easy to take orders when there isn't really a better option...like leaving before sunrise.

[Lyri]

But he wanted to stay with Buffy, he wasn't really concerned with what the sun was doing with that particular moment. He didn't leave because he decided that Giles had a point about the sun, he left because Giles TOLD him to go.

[Dlou444]

But he wanted to stay with Buffy, he wasn't really concerned with what the sun was doing with that particular moment. He didn't leave because he decided that Giles had a point about the sun, he left because Giles TOLD him to go.

I don't think so. I think he DID want to stay, but he left not just because Giles told him to, but because he knew it made more sense than staying and paying for it later, perhaps not being able to HELP later.

[palabravampiress]

Umm... I'd listen to Giles. Giles could tell me to balance a book on my head and walk in a straight line, both of which are basically impossible for me to do, and I'd find a way. lol.

Okay... more seriously, now (although only slightly) -- couldn't it also have something to do with Angel's affection for Buffy? It's kind of like in Something Blue, when Spike was under Willow's botched spell, he explained his reasoning for helping Giles as being that Giles is like his father-in-law. You don't wanna go around making enemies with your girl's dad; that's not exactly a good way to stay in her favor. You gotta be nice to him. Gotta help him out. Gotta treat the lady's family like family if you want to have any hope of eventually joining that family. If Angel had tried to wrest control away from Giles rather than to fit into Buffy's inner circle, it almost certainly would have caused problems in the already tense Buffy/Angel relationship. Buffy's suitors always respected Joyce and Giles. If they didn't, they would be very bad suitors.

(Sidenote: I imagine that had Hank ever come back, they woulda treated him with a fair bit of animosity for abandoning Buffy and Dawn. But since Giles stepped in and took on that role voluntarily, I think Angel felt that respect was due.)

Also, it's a man thing. When men come sniffing around a guy's daughter, they automatically defer to that man. There are some exceptions, of course, and maybe it helps that my dad is 6'4", but still. It's a definite phenomenon. My mom and I used to observe this dynamic occurring between my father and the guys I brought home (and the guys my sister brings home) all the time. We thought it was pretty darn amusing. One guy even prepped another guy in advance for my dad, who is apparently very intimidating. Even funnier, my dad's name became a threat/curse word amongst a group of 20-somethings back home. Heck, to this day, my husband still kinda does the deference thing. It's all uproariously funny. My mom and I always half expect them to start grunting and stuff. And Buffy, well, she's got freakin' RIPPER/Book Man as a father figure. If he can't split you in two with a giant sword or test your theories with scary magic, then he can cite ancient texts and make you feel like a moron. There is a reason for which Angel and Spike both defer to Giles even though they're both stronger and older: Giles is the father figure and a mighty intimidating one at that, which gives him authority in testosterone land.

[Blondie Bear]

Oh, and also it could be because he was feeling guilty for biting Buffy and the looks he was getting, especially from Giles and Xander, just made him not want to be there.

[LifeIsJustThis]

Very good point, Spirit of Fred.
I'm sure Angel feels bad for what he did.

Also, I think Angel just respects Giles. His knowledge and all, what he's done for Buffy.

[Tranquillity]

I agree with Blondie Bear ^ that it is Guilt with a capital G that makes Angel defer to Giles. He was totally ashamed of biting Buffy and putting her life in danger.

[Kaylee Frye]

I don't have a massive amount of time, as I am at work...But I believe this is because Angel sees Giles as not only a watcher, but a father to Buffy. And most gentleman try a little harder to impress the father....Something along those lines...;)

[yellowcrayon]

I think there are many reasons behind it.

Angel certainly feels guilty about what happened with Jenny and knows the Giles probably still hates him and so he wants to do his best to make things as right as he can.

Secondly, Giles is Buffy's Watcher, and he realises that it's not good to piss of a Watcher. ;)

Thirdly, Giles is Buffy's father figure, and if he wants a good shot at the girl, he better respect her "father." With a father figure like Giles, if Angel wasn't respectful and even obedient, Giles would kick him right out of town. ;)

And fourthly, Giles was the de facto leader of the Scoobies, and Angel understood that authority is set up for a reason, and as such, he needs to follow along with it. Angel's not stupid, and without clear authority, things tend to get all mushy and confusing. Also, if he's objecting to Giles all the time, the other Scoobies would most probably tend not to trust him as much, including and especially, Buffy.