If Angel had remained connected to the Powers

[telperion66]

During "To Shanshu in LA", the season one finale of Angel, Voka states that it is his sole intention to "cut Angel off from the Powers that be".

This signifies the importance of remaining connected to the powers, in Angel's case.

What would have happened if Angel's direct link to the Powers had stayed in tact, and the Oracles hadn't been slaughtered?

Would he have taken missions from them directly? Would they have had a much greater involvement and direct influence in the later seasons?

Cordy's subsequent visions were always very vague, although that line to the powers was still open...

 

[November]

Jasmine might never have happened. So no Connor and his whole life might not have existed. Perhaps he may have been more of a puppet in more direct control, and he might have ended up fighting against that. The season 4 theme of fighting for free will might have occurred earlier.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

It's never really clear that the Powers that Be are the good guys. They appear to be more like the Fates of Greek mythology, knowing what is going to happen but not being particularly interested in the outcome. If Voka wants to cut Angel off from them, maybe it's because they know the future and could tell him how to avoid the evil that is being directed at him. But they are neutral - if Angel wanted to turn to the evil side, he could have gone to the Powers that Be and gotten advice on how to do that as well.

 

[telperion66]

It's never really clear that the Powers that Be are the good guys. They appear to be more like the Fates of Greek mythology, knowing what is going to happen but not being particularly interested in the outcome. If Voka wants to cut Angel off from them, maybe it's because they know the future and could tell him how to avoid the evil that is being directed at him. But they are neutral - if Angel wanted to turn to the evil side, he could have gone to the Powers that Be and gotten advice on how to do that as well.

There is a passage in an earlier episode where Angel pleads that the Mora demon had succeeded in "taking a champion from your cause"... This implies his personal misson's direct correlation to the will of the Powers.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

My guess is, a lot of the mystical exposition that was transferred to Lorne in Season 2 and to W&H in seasons 3 & 4 would have stayed with the Powers. Which I would have preferred, W&H became neutered when every other episode became “Lilah wants to get the one up on some toady, so she calls Angel, yada, yada, yada.” I mean, you can say the Powers aren’t trustworthy, but an expy-Angel is still a lot more trustworthy than Mesektet-Ra or Skeletor’s Cat. But again, Season two couldn’t be as dark as you needed it with Greek Gods wandering about shouting riddles.

As for trustworthiness, have you read mythology? Gods have their own agendas and their own causes. Zeus’s infidelity was due to his need for a Heracles to fight the Giants. Odin would start wars to recruit an army and deny Hel of the dead. The Great Grey Wolf watches the gates. Both were slaves of fate. In this World, the Old Ones pose a threat to man and god alike, trying to cultivate and recruit champions for their never ending struggle against he Demons.