While "BtVS" was airing initially I didn't care for Darla as she was Buffy's foe and then later on Angel's. However there were a few scenes when she was pregnant with Connor and giving birth to him (or trying to) that absolutely got to me. Once the show went into syndication and became available on DVD I could follow the thread of her story more easily and I grew to sympathize with Darla. We never learned how she ended up a prostitute but life wasn't easy for women back then (it's often not that much better now) and dying at such a young age would seem so unfair that any way out would be preferable. I think she truly loved her boy Angelus and was furious at herself for bringing about his "ruination" and took it out on Angel. Of course it's Julie Benz's performance that makes Darla so sympathetic even though you know how much evil she's done in her existance.
James Marsters in RL doesn't come across as a very vivid or imposing fellow and when he plays ordinary people (written by ordinary writers) the small roles he's had since BtVS, which are often little more than walk-ons, make him seem bland and colorless (I didn't see him in "Cool Money" where he was the major character and Prof. Fine/Brainiac was just a comic book character without depth). JM inhabited Spike so brilliantly that he was able to turn a half-season role into one that lasted until the end of BtVS and beyond. He inspired the writers of BtVS to create a flamboyant, multi-faceted character and unfortunately he may never get to play a character of such charisma again (though his Charlemagne Bolivar on "Andromeda" also had a bit of Spike's hotness). I look forward to his "Torchwood" appearance too which sadly you'll get to see before me :(
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branchandroot
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Date: 2007-10-20 05:55 pm (UTC)James Marsters in RL doesn't come across as a very vivid or imposing fellow and when he plays ordinary people (written by ordinary writers) the small roles he's had since BtVS, which are often little more than walk-ons, make him seem bland and colorless (I didn't see him in "Cool Money" where he was the major character and Prof. Fine/Brainiac was just a comic book character without depth). JM inhabited Spike so brilliantly that he was able to turn a half-season role into one that lasted until the end of BtVS and beyond. He inspired the writers of BtVS to create a flamboyant, multi-faceted character and unfortunately he may never get to play a character of such charisma again (though his Charlemagne Bolivar on "Andromeda" also had a bit of Spike's hotness). I look forward to his "Torchwood" appearance too which sadly you'll get to see before me :(
Shakatany