Expert: H Louise - 7/15/2008

Question
Hi, I have a three part question.  In what episode of angel did cordelia become part demon? and what happened in the episode? I have seen all the episode but i don't remember when this happened. question 2 do you know why cordys character was killed off of angel? why did they write her out of the series, i heard it was because she got pregnant but that dosent seem like a reason to write her off, unless there were behind the seens trouble.  question 3 in buffy, why is it that they needed a being like buffy that is super human to fight vampires but on many occasions the scooby gang was able to fight vampires, although not as effective as buffy but they would still get the job done.  even characters like team angel they all fight vampires??? oh one more question, sorry I just love talking about buffy angel and charmed.  anyway, did they end the buffy series because they just wanted to end it or because of SMG,i had heard that she was tired of doing the show? sorry one question about charmed, i heard that the actors was tired of doing the show was the reason they ended it, is this true? sorry about all the questions.

Answer
Hi Pb,

Thank you for your questions and I'm sorry for any delay in replying.

Cordy became part demon in the episode 'Birthday.'
In the lead up to this episode we see that the visions are taking a toll on her - the headaches more and more painful. In the episode after a particularly painful vision she falls into a coma. It is here that she is visited by the demon Skip who tells her that this vision or the next will most certainly kill her. He says that the TPTB have given her a choice for her good work - she has the chance to live her life as it could have been had she not met Angel at the party in season one. After seeing a glimpse of Angel arguing with a demon to save her - to which she hears the wrong part of his conversation and so believes that he thinks badly of her - she chooses to have her alternative life. Cordy in this alternate life, doesn't meet Angel, meets an Agent instead and becomes a successful and famous actress. However something in her life is missing and she goes searching for it. She finds the hotel, which is busy and still being used as a hotel and finds a message under the wallpaper, confirming her suspicion that something is wrong with her life. She eventually tracks down Wesley and Angel how are fighting evil in a dingy, run down apartment. Angel is forced to live his life chained and locked up after receiving the visions from Doyle, which have slowly driven him mad. Cordy kisses Angel and the visions go back to her. She confronts Skip after remembering everything that has happened and says that there has to be another way. He says there is - she has to become part demon in order to survive the visions. At the end of the episode she has another vision and it doesn't hurt, however she is floating a few inches of the floor.

Cordy was written out of the series, by a phasing out at the later half of season four, this was necessary as she was pregnant. So that is why she gives birth in the show as well. She is then killed off in the 100th episode. While some people believe she was killed off in order to make room for Spike, it was in fact a decision that both parties were happy to take. The character of Cordy could no longer go anywhere - she had gone from a shallow high school diva to a caring, sacrificing warrior. Her relationship with Angel had also grown to that they both loved one another. So it was felt that it was best to give her character the best send off they could make, by her being the one to save Angel and put him back on the right track with a vision filled kiss. It is also fitting with the series that she was killed off - Joss Whedon is known for killing off characters in order to make the stakes higher and to make their job of saving the world have consequences and real danger and emotion etc. This is even more so when the character is so well loved. So no, there wasn't any behind the scenes trouble or she wouldn't have returned to do the 100th episode. (Plus she then went on to do a great job in her appearances in Charmed!)

They needed a being like Buffy as she has the speed, skill and strength to fight them. While the scooby gang are also able to fight vampires it is after working with Buffy that they have been able to learn to fight and they rarely fight a vampire alone, whereas Buffy can take on several vampires single-handedly. The same is with team Angel as they also tend to fight as a group. However, while Buffy and Angel are surrounded by their teams and can rely on them etc, they are ultimately on their own and are capable of fighting alone - that's what heroes do.

They ended Buffy at seven years as they felt it was the right time and because that seems to be the average series lifespan. SMG and the cast were also ready for a well earned rest after seven years hard work and Joss Whedon was also juggling several other projects. If it didn't happen then, under their terms it would have happened like it did with Angel and they would have been given about 6 months to wrap up the series. The show had done well - each year they weren't sure if they would be renewed for another season and each year they eventually were. I guess they didn't want to push their luck and mutually finish on a high.
Plus you never know - they could revive the series like they have done with other shows and they could eventually have movies or miniseries etc (Which I am so hoping for!) as they have continued both series in comic book form - season 8 and 6 of Buffy and Angel can be found in this way.

As with Charmed, I believe that they got cancelled. The character of Leo got written out of the last season as they couldn't afford to keep him on - which is why he's hardly in the seventh season. Seven years seems to be the limit for some reason. As for the actors getting tired of doing the show - most actors are glad of the regular income and all actors have to love their characters - or they wouldn't last as long playing them. It is tiring making a series as its very long days for months on end, then there's promotion work etc to do.

I hope that helped, if you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask - I love talking about Buffy, Angel and Charmed etc too!

Yours H Louise.