Soaking in the apocalypse
Every once in a while, I'll come across something that describes nearly exactly how I look at the world when I'm being my most honest and probably my most pessimistic. This happened this week, while watching Angel, of all things.
This season, 'the senior partners' at the law firm that's been their principal enemy for years have offered top positions to Angel and his buddies. They took the positions thinking they could change things from the inside. Make a difference. Save the world.
Sound familiar? Sounds like every recent generation's ethos to me.
Most of the season has been quite monotonous, with no great enemies to fight. Just them making one perfectly reasonable compromise after another.
*Spoilers ahead*
Through the course of her work, one of the gang - the most innocent of them - has been taken over by an evil demon. She's no longer the same person. She's bitter, angry and hates the world.
Another has been trapped in a suburban hell dimension where every day is the same (literally) and he goes off to be tortured (literally) after breakfast with the wife and kid.
The following conversation takes place between Angel and Lindsey. Angel & co. have just rescued Lindsey from that hell dimension - leaving the team member behind in a trade - so he can give them information about the 'coming apocalypse.'
L: Look around. The world's a cesspool filled with selfish, ingratiating beasts. We live. We die...
A: Yeah. Hell's on Earth. Holland Manners tried to sell me that line three years ago.
L: Did you ever prove him wrong?
A: All how you look at the glass. You know Lindsey, we can philosophize all night. Hell, we can do it forever. I don't need to eat, sleep, [or] drink. How about you?
L: That's what I like to see. Angel of yore. Takes no prisoners. Suffers no fools. How about this? It's here. It's been here all along. Underneath. You're just too damn stupid to see it.
A: See what?
L: The apocalypse, man. You're soaking in it.
Spike: I've seen an apocalypse or two in my time. I'd know if one was under my nose.
L: Not AN apocalypse. THE apocalypse. What, did you think a gong was going to sound? Time to jump on your horses and fight the big fight? Starting pistol went off a long time ago boys. You're playing for the bad guys. Every day you sit behind your desk and you learn a little more how to 'accept the world the way it is.' Here's the rub: heroes don't do that. Heroes don't ACCEPT the way it is. They fight it.
A: You're saying, everything we do... It's a distraction to keep us from looking underneath the surface.
L: Bing. We have a winner. The world keeps sliding towards entropy and degradation and what do you do? You sit in your big chair and sign your cheques. Just like the senior partners planned.
Any big surprise the big boys at the WB have cancelled Angel?
This season, 'the senior partners' at the law firm that's been their principal enemy for years have offered top positions to Angel and his buddies. They took the positions thinking they could change things from the inside. Make a difference. Save the world.
Sound familiar? Sounds like every recent generation's ethos to me.
Most of the season has been quite monotonous, with no great enemies to fight. Just them making one perfectly reasonable compromise after another.
*Spoilers ahead*
Through the course of her work, one of the gang - the most innocent of them - has been taken over by an evil demon. She's no longer the same person. She's bitter, angry and hates the world.
Another has been trapped in a suburban hell dimension where every day is the same (literally) and he goes off to be tortured (literally) after breakfast with the wife and kid.
The following conversation takes place between Angel and Lindsey. Angel & co. have just rescued Lindsey from that hell dimension - leaving the team member behind in a trade - so he can give them information about the 'coming apocalypse.'
L: Look around. The world's a cesspool filled with selfish, ingratiating beasts. We live. We die...
A: Yeah. Hell's on Earth. Holland Manners tried to sell me that line three years ago.
L: Did you ever prove him wrong?
A: All how you look at the glass. You know Lindsey, we can philosophize all night. Hell, we can do it forever. I don't need to eat, sleep, [or] drink. How about you?
L: That's what I like to see. Angel of yore. Takes no prisoners. Suffers no fools. How about this? It's here. It's been here all along. Underneath. You're just too damn stupid to see it.
A: See what?
L: The apocalypse, man. You're soaking in it.
Spike: I've seen an apocalypse or two in my time. I'd know if one was under my nose.
L: Not AN apocalypse. THE apocalypse. What, did you think a gong was going to sound? Time to jump on your horses and fight the big fight? Starting pistol went off a long time ago boys. You're playing for the bad guys. Every day you sit behind your desk and you learn a little more how to 'accept the world the way it is.' Here's the rub: heroes don't do that. Heroes don't ACCEPT the way it is. They fight it.
A: You're saying, everything we do... It's a distraction to keep us from looking underneath the surface.
L: Bing. We have a winner. The world keeps sliding towards entropy and degradation and what do you do? You sit in your big chair and sign your cheques. Just like the senior partners planned.
Any big surprise the big boys at the WB have cancelled Angel?
