The road not taken

Last night, I caught the tail end of Parting Gifts on TNT, where they've rescued Cordelia and then Wes gets his first real congratulatory comment, like, ever. Then the part where he keeps making like he's going off to continue on the path of the rogue demon hunter, hoping they'll invite him to stay. After Angel asks him if he wants breakfast, there's this little tableau just before it goes to black of the three of them at table, Angel standing and serving them food and Wes and Cordy sitting. I burst into tears. I managed to only weep a tiny bit during all the watchings of Not Fade Away, but this little set piece just hit me at exactly that sore spot, and I started to cry like a two-year-old who's just fallen down and cracked her head.

All I could think of was poor Wesley, poor Cordelia, and the choices they made after that, the paths that took them to such tragic places. All the torment as Wesley's life grew darker and lonelier, Cordelia's terrible gift and how it altered her life... waaaahhhh. What if Wes hadn't stayed right there at the end of Parting Gifts? What if he'd actually walked out that door? I mean, I know I wouldn't have had one of my favorite characters ever, but it hurts seeing him so innocent then -- the hint of the broken guy who failed at being a watcher already there, but not so important that it colors his existence -- and so willing to try to make amends, to want to be wanted. He's so desperate and alone, which is played with comic effect but which also becomes increasingly, operatically tragic. And then in a few short months he'll be tortured by Faith, and then he'll get fired by Angel, and then... arg. Poor sweet Wesley.

Okay, I really need to get back to work on that essay.

Posse up, vid thievery vigilantes!

So, my buddy corngirl_jo has had a pretty damn bad day -- she's discovered two situations where the evidence points pretty strongly to her edits being ripped off by separate individuals. She's joined some vid communities, but if you feel like helping her out in trying to get these folks to own up to their shenanigans, check out the URLs in her site. The vids in question are all Alias vids. The second of her posts is here; I forgot her journal is mostly friends-locked.

The thing that infuriates me more than all else about edit rip-offs is that in the long run, it makes the good vidders not want to share their work. We all lose because of these people who don't seem to have the common sense and understanding God gave a weevil.