'Course it wasn't. It was all very calm, subtle and understated. I mean, it's not like anyone ever burst into song and made hyperbolic declarations of love into the depths of the night...oh wait:
But that at least tried to be cool...
I loved the mocking - it was part of both shows' ironic self-awareness. It doesn't dull my interest in the pairing because the couple's actual private interactions provide a nice counterpoint to their perceived melodrama - remember the mocking moments reflect the viewpoint of outsiders: Xander in 'The Zeppo', and Wes/Cordy in 'Fredless'. Yes, there's some drama (especially with 16-year-old Buffy) but then we also get very quiet moments like in 'Earshot' or 'Forever' which shows they have a genuine bond that's more than just 'OMGIloveyoustarcrossedlovers4eva!'.
I dunno. I just wonder why that is the only thing that is really mocked. Every relationship she is in there's that melodrama, but Bangel was the only one mocked for it, thus, lowering it beyond everything else in much of the audiences' eyes.
Good question. I guees it's because of the 'forbidden love' angle: the fact that their situation is more extreme than others - no sex because perfect happiness equals Angelus reign of terror. Whereas Buffy's other relationships were allowed to kind of play through because the physical intimacy wasn't fraught with such far-reaching consequences. If Angel hadn't left and they'd found a way to make it work, I think the relationship wouldn't be seen as that overly dramatic - or at least, to have moved past the dramatic phase - because they would have been able to relax into an easy dynamic.
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