What would Brian have said?

General discussion about the nineteen episodes of "My So-Called Life". Note: Our episode guide can be found here.
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just-likeKrakow
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What would Brian have said?

Post by just-likeKrakow » May 24th 2002, 8:10 am

I was re-watching the pilot episode recently; especially the end scene after Angela is dropped off by the cop. Brian is trying to understand what happened. Reading the transcript you really can’t appreciate the sincerity Brian is displaying. There are two instances in this scene where Brian calls “Angela…?” As if he wants to really tell her something.

What in your alls opinion was Brian going to say…or wanting to say if Angela had let him?

My first gut reaction is that he wants to apologize for earlier that evening, when he was sarcastically snapping at her. I think in the whirlwind of Angela’s sudden transformation from a good, predictable girl to a more adventurous, ‘searching for ones self’ girl, Brian needs to feel some sort of reassurance that she still…somehow…is the same. And, maybe in a way he wants to reassure her that it’s ok with him…just because she’s Angela.

I don’t know.

After giving it more thought however…which I tend to do…I think maybe, for some reason, he wanted to express how he really felt about her. In fear that if he waited much longer and she changed too much it would be too late. It just seems weird to think, after the next 18 episodes and really getting to know the Krakow Way…that he would declare or openly express any feelings for her so soon and really out of no where.

Have any of you ever wondered about this scene? Even the way this scene is so intimately shot…is some way portraying that there is indeed something between these two characters.

What would he have said?


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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by Lacy » May 24th 2002, 6:17 pm

The first time (maybe the 2nd) Brian said "Angela..." to Angela on the street, it was right after she saw her father talking to the mystery woman across the street. Brian saw it, too, so maybe he was going to say something like "That girl is probably no one, or "Don't worry about it." Just my reaction to the scene.

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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by dTheater » May 25th 2002, 12:04 am

It's a great scene and I know exactly what you mean, when he sounds like he's about to tell her something. I always thought he was going to reiterate what he said earlier, about Angela not really being this type of person and not being able to live like this, "on the edge" and in trouble with the law and whatnot, only he would've said it sincerely this time instead of lecturing her. But that's what he wanted to say. Brian never said what he wanted.

It's funny, this was the first episode and filmed sometime in 1993 (correct me if I'm wrong) and they were still kids a lot of them and kind of green when it came to acting, particularly Devon G, but he really nailed that scene.

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just-likeKrakow
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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by just-likeKrakow » May 25th 2002, 12:59 pm

That's a good point about how their acting was so "green" in this first episode. I think paticularly with Devon Gummersall...his acting greatly improved after the pilot. Though i do think he nailed this scene...his character became so much more in depth later...as in Guns and Gossip.

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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by Joanna » May 25th 2002, 1:51 pm

I think he wants to say something similar to what Angela wanted Jordan to say to her (in a later episode).....something like 'you must have me, as your own, no one else can posess me'....or something like that! He clearly has had a thing for Angela since they were kids which is why I think they eventually end up together!....like, in later life! Yes, he saw her dad with that girl - but who can say ANYTHING to that! I just think there was nothing to say - if someone said MY name the way he said hers to her - I would just melt! So much affection - it's clear from that one word how strong his feelings are for her......I think after he said 'An-gel-aaaaa'...he wanted to sweep her up into his arms (which is why he didn't say anything else because he would never have put his arms around her in the first place!).........and the story goes on..............

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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by Guest » May 25th 2002, 6:57 pm

I also think that he was going to say something in terms of his feelings for her, maybe an apology for having a go before, whatever. My view is that the first time he says "Angela" he hasn't seen her dad and the girl so he was definetely building up to something. Also, as has been mentioned; the way he says "Angela" is so full of emotion, I can't believe how good the acting was on this show.

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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by Lauria » May 28th 2002, 4:25 am

I too always assumed he was going to tell her something similar to what you said, Lacy, or,"It looks bad, but may-..., maybe it's not what it looked like. I'm sure it's ok." You know, trying to stumble through a reassurance for her, that her dad probably wasn't just doing what it looked like. But now I want to review it again and see for myself if he does actually see what was going around the corner with her dad. Maybe he was just trying to change the subject to stop her from running away upset.

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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by K-man » Jun 4th 2002, 1:35 pm

O.K. so I watched this ep again last night to try and make a somewhat educated post on the two times Brian calls "Angela" at the end of the show. My feeling is that brian is definitely using a different tone when he speaks to her in this scene. Possibly we won't see such a tone again from him till the very end of the series as they are standing under the streetlight. I think Brian is genuinely concerned about her in this scene; maybe more than just one friend/neighbor to another but I don't see any romantic intentions on his part. Brian is rattled by the fact that Angela is returned home in a police car. The first time he calls her name I think he is going to try and make sure she is really OK b/c he is not sure why/how she ended up in a patrol car. After they spy Graham on the street with the other woman, I think he again is just trying to be there for her and make sure she is alright. Obviously the sight of her father with a strange woman has shaken her as it would most people and I think Brian is just trying to be a friend.

So my feeling is, whatever happens, happens. K-man

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Re: What would have Brian said?

Post by just-likeKrakow » Jun 4th 2002, 4:33 pm

You have a point K-man...
Maybe that is why Angela cuts him off that second time before he can really say anything. She knows that he is going to bring up her father and she just doesn't want to talk about it...not so soon and not with him. In a way, maybe it was embarrasing for her to have Brian see that and that's another reason why she doesn't want him to approach the subject.
i didn't think that was the case at first...but i also rewatched the scene and now i think you are right.
That is why Brian dropped it so easily too. He probably doesn't really know what to say about her father, in the first place. Just saying her name in that tone was enough to let her know that she could talk to him about it...if she wanted.
just a thought :)

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Post by Arch Geek » Jul 11th 2005, 7:34 am

Here's the quote from the transcript:
Brian: So they picked a theme, for yearbook.

Angela: Who told you I liked Jordan Catalano?

Brian: Nobody... so do you?... Angela... ["Everybody Hurts" kicks in]
[Angela stops at the corner, seeing her father talking to a young woman
outside their cars. She turns back--Brian follows. She stumbles.]

Angela: These aren't my shoes.

Brian: It's the Year 2000. That's the theme. Just, what it'll be like.
Angela...
Angela: I gotta go.

Brian: Okay.

[Angela crosses the street and turns back.] [back of CD scene]

Angela: That's a pathetic theme.

Brian: I know.
I don't think he was really trying to say anything in particular. The first time he said it, she was walking away from him after he said "so... do you?" The second time she was walking across the street. I think there's no way he was going to suddenly tell her he was in love with her, especially after she had just basically confirmed that she liked Jordan Catalano. That would have been essentially the worst moment to suddenly confess his feelings, because she would be less likely to be receptive to them.
I just think he wants to continue the conversation. He wants to say anything to get her to say outside with him as long as possible because he really just enjoys being around her (especially when they are alone).
He uses the same tone again in Father Figures when he says, "Angela wait..." after she gets out of his car and starts walking away (once again after the conversation turned to Jordan Catalano). And he was also using a similar tone when he said her last name in this line:
Brian: So, what happened? Right, like you're not gonna tell me what happened. Chase?
It also makes sense for her to say "I gotta go" in response.

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Post by estherlo » Oct 5th 2006, 4:40 am

i don't think he's going to reveal his affection at that moment either. I see throughout the whole series he's doing his effert to avoid concealing an even slightest trace of his obssession towards Angela. it has no ground that he would act like so bravely, right?

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