Angela's love for Brian?

General discussion about the nineteen episodes of "My So-Called Life". Note: Our episode guide can be found here.
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william bloke
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Angela's love for Brian?

Post by william bloke » Aug 14th 2002, 1:22 am

Maybe it's just my heavily biased opinion, but I get the feeling that Angela is in love with Brian, even before the "letter" in episode 19. It seems apparent that she in trying to repress her intimate feelings for Brian because her over-inflated obsession of Catalano.It's like her obsession with Jordan has taken, her true feelings for Brian, an hostage within herself.
For example, during the school dance scene(forget which episode), Brian says something like:
Krakow: "I just thought that if you wanted to dance or something..."
Chase: " WHY would...(pause)...we're not gonna dance!"
What the hell is that...(pause)...? It could be that she botched her sentence. But, I always get the feeling that she is in denial or in repression of a possibility?
"Really? Do you think she did? Really? You think she siliconed her lips? Really?"

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socalledfan
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Post by socalledfan » Aug 14th 2002, 10:49 am

Hmmm....interesting viewpoint, William! Never thought of it that way.

I could see your reasoning for this. Brian frustrates and annoys Angela SO much, SO often, that you have to wonder why she allows him to get under her skin that much! It's kind of like the way elementary school kids act towards each other when they really have crushes. For example, a little girl will roll her eyes at a boy, or a boy will say "eeewwww, I hate girls"...when they really are developing mini-crushes!

However, my opinion slightly differs on yours here...if she is "in love" with Brian, I don't think she is conscious of it at all yet. She is all-consumed with Jordan at the moment. That is not to say she doesn't have a confusing emotion when thinking about Brian, yet I don't think it has come to the surface yet. There IS a hint of this though at the very end of Episode 19.... that "confusing" emotion she has had about Brian finally makes a tiny bit of sense.

When she realizes Brian wrote the letter, a spark is lit but she's not quite sure how to process it. When Brian does that "nervous talking thing," trying to cover up his slip about writing the letter, you can see Angela's face change from annoyance to something else. Her look softens and it's like something just switches in her brain. Here's the lovely scene (from MSCL.com transcripts):


Angela : You proofread a love letter? Is this like a game to you?
Brian : Um, hardly.
Angela : But you admit that you were involved.
Brian : I'm not admitting anything.
Angela : This is a joke, right? That the, the two of... Oh God. I can't believe I fell for it. It's obviously a total lie.
Brian : No, I meant every word. [pause] I mean, the person who wrote it meant every word. Probably.
Angela : Brian?
Brian : I didn't write it.
Angela : But Brian, you said-
Brian : Forget what I said. Forget this whole conversation!
Angela : How?
Brian : [pause] You liked it, though, right? It made you, like, happy?
Angela : Yeah.
Brian : 'Cause that's probably all that, you know, matters.
Angela : To who?
Brian : To, you know, the person...who wrote it.
[Jordan crashes the scene]
Jordan : Angela. Hey.
Angela : Hey.
Jordan : Hey, Brain.
Brian : Hi. Hey.
Jordan : Come on, let's go. [she hesitates] Don't worry, your mom said it's okay. See ya, Brain.


This scene is just brilliant. When Brian says "Forget this whole conversation" and she says "How?"... I think we see the beginning of Angela's realization.

Feel free to debate me! :P I'm intrigued by this idea that you think she knew before that. Good topic.
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dTheater
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Post by dTheater » Aug 16th 2002, 12:55 am

No one was in "love" with anyone. People throw that word around too haphazardly.
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KrokRos
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Post by KrokRos » Aug 16th 2002, 5:49 am

I think Angela's "confusion" about Brian, in an obvious way would be because she knows he's in love with her and she don't want to confront it. She is set on Jordan and Brian would complicate things. But I guess she never realised how serious his feelings for her were before the letter. Or something.

I like the way Jordan tries so hard in the last episode to make up with Angela. He really show's his feelings, not just to Angela but to the viewers. And when he repeats Brian's words he ends it with "..or something." That is so cute. I mean, I think that would blow his cover. But he realises the power of his(Brian's) words. Angela is blinded with love.

Mankind1

Post by Mankind1 » Sep 3rd 2002, 2:55 am

I would say Angela loves Brian, but is not necessarily "in love" with him. In any case, at the end of that scene, her feelings toward him would never be the same.

jrob2486@cp.raritanval.ed

I agree with you. email me

Post by jrob2486@cp.raritanval.ed » Sep 3rd 2002, 7:41 pm

hi, i'm Jessica, and it turns out in the shows unaired 20# and 21# she does end up with briain and they kiss, aww. She does forgive rayanne. I'm in northern nj, would you ever want to do a my-so-called-life book together, I'm a writer and in college if your interested let me know. I don't know if your in hs or college, however I can tell your very intelligent. jrob2486@cp.raritanval.edu

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Megs
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Post by Megs » Sep 4th 2002, 9:47 am

HI, Jessica,

Where did you get that information about episodes 20 and 21? HOw do you know that Brian and Angela get together? I am very curious.

:D
"I have all these dreams where I know exactly what to say. And you tell me, you know, that you forgive me."

Kylie

Post by Kylie » Sep 7th 2002, 10:38 pm

I'd love to find out what happens to the characters in any unaired episodes. The characters relationships are so complex, especially Angela and Brian's relationship. I secretly hoped something more would develop in their relationship.

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Lost Ending

Post by Nostradamus » Sep 8th 2002, 2:51 am

In the last scene of the never-made series finale, Tino wakes up and realizes it was all a dream... :wink:
I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.
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I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.
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Post by Guest » Sep 8th 2002, 5:15 pm

Of all of the episode 20 and 21 fan-fics, there was one in particular that was, for some reason, mistaken as unaired episodes. Why, I don't know, 'cause they weren't very good.

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So-Called Loon
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Post by So-Called Loon » Oct 26th 2002, 3:46 am

socalledfan wrote:Brian frustrates and annoys Angela SO much, SO often, that you have to wonder why she allows him to get under her skin that much!
Something there alright, but....
She is all-consumed with Jordan at the moment. That is not to say she doesn't have a confusing emotion when thinking about Brian, yet I don't think it has come to the surface yet.
...is definitely on track.
When she realizes Brian wrote the letter, a spark is lit but she's not quite sure how to process it...

Angela : You proofread a love letter? Is this like a game to you?
Brian : Um, hardly.
Angela : But you admit that you were involved.
Brian : I'm not admitting anything.
Angela : This is a joke, right? That the, the two of... Oh God. I can't believe I fell for it. It's obviously a total lie.
Brian : No, I meant every word. [pause] I mean, the person who wrote it meant every word. Probably.
Angela : Brian?
Brian : I didn't write it.
Way too late to backpedal, but as bad as he wants to say straight out that he's totally obsessed with her, he feels the chasm of uncertainty he's about to step into. And so, the big step back, but he can't resist peering over the edge a bit more!
Angela : But Brian, you said-
Brian : Forget what I said. Forget this whole conversation!
Angela : How?
Brian : [pause] You liked it, though, right? It made you, like, happy?
Angela : Yeah.
Brian : 'Cause that's probably all that, you know, matters.
Angela : To who?
Brian : To, you know, the person...who wrote it.
[Jordan crashes the scene]
Jordan : Angela. Hey.
Angela : Hey.
Jordan : Hey, Brain.
Brian : Hi. Hey.
Jordan : Come on, let's go. [she hesitates] Don't worry, your mom said it's okay. See ya, Brian.

This scene is just brilliant. When Brian says "Forget this whole conversation" and she says "How?"... I think we see the beginning of Angela's realization.
Not the beginning, the full force slam! She's caught up in the intensity of the moment and the prospect of how drastically their relationship has just been altered. For her it's this strange beginning where she's seeing the relationship from a new perspective: his!

HOWEVER, for him it's the end. He fumbles on for a minute, but the door is shut. Something screams out that there's just no way they're getting together as other than friends. (maybe good ones) But as a couple, the possibility is nil for the forseeable future.

An absolutely incredible scene. It's also the most horrible, ugly, nasty, awful scene in the series because it's the last, and leaves the viewers hanging in the most cruel way possible! :x :(

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Post by emmie » Oct 28th 2002, 10:17 pm

I think everyone so far has made very good points for both sides of this debate. but I just can't be persuaded from my own opinion. I don't think that Angela was ever in love or even had feelings for Brian throughout the series. and I don't think that she was repressing or denying any feelings for Brian. to her, he was just an annoying neighbor/lifelong sometimes friend. I do have to agree though that the last scene changed her view of Brian. but do I think she suddenly realizes her feelings for him at that moment? no. their relationship will definitely be changed. she can no longer deny that Brian loves her and I think that will create some awkwardness. I think she would most likely be nicer to him in the future and see past his peskiness. I think there is a chance that they would have ended up together. but not for a long time. her emotions were still hung up on Jordan, and would be for a while, whether the relationship worked or not.


emmie

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Post by Guest » Oct 29th 2002, 2:39 am

emmie wrote:I think everyone so far has made very good points for both sides of this debate. but I just can't be persuaded from my own opinion. I don't think that Angela was ever in love or even had feelings for Brian throughout the series. and I don't think that she was repressing or denying any feelings for Brian. to her, he was just an annoying neighbor/lifelong sometimes friend. I do have to agree though that the last scene changed her view of Brian. but do I think she suddenly realizes her feelings for him at that moment? no. their relationship will definitely be changed. she can no longer deny that Brian loves her and I think that will create some awkwardness. I think she would most likely be nicer to him in the future and see past his peskiness. I think there is a chance that they would have ended up together. but not for a long time. her emotions were still hung up on Jordan, and would be for a while, whether the relationship worked or not.


emmie
Hmm. I thought that's basically what i said. :? Maybe it got lost in there with my metaphors.

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So-Called Loon
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Post by So-Called Loon » Oct 29th 2002, 2:46 am

So-Called Loon wrote:
emmie wrote:I think everyone so far has made very good points for both sides of this debate. but I just can't be persuaded from my own opinion. I don't think that Angela was ever in love or even had feelings for Brian throughout the series. and I don't think that she was repressing or denying any feelings for Brian. to her, he was just an annoying neighbor/lifelong sometimes friend. I do have to agree though that the last scene changed her view of Brian. but do I think she suddenly realizes her feelings for him at that moment? no. their relationship will definitely be changed. she can no longer deny that Brian loves her and I think that will create some awkwardness. I think she would most likely be nicer to him in the future and see past his peskiness. I think there is a chance that they would have ended up together. but not for a long time. her emotions were still hung up on Jordan, and would be for a while, whether the relationship worked or not.


emmie
Hmm. I thought that's basically what i said. :? Maybe it got lost in there with my metaphors.
That was me, of course. Forgot to log in.
Been a member since sometime BR (before Ross)

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