Then why didn't he tell them? You claim it's because he didn't want to involve them, but if he really believed they'd back him or understand, then why would they be affronted at being involved with this great betrayal and sin? Because he knew exactly how they'd react. He wasn't an idiot. He knew he was betraying all of them and the unfortunate effect of betrayal is people are left feeling betrayed.
Yes, Wesley could not want to involve his friends in his perceived obligation to move away from everything he's ever loved to protect Connor but still expect some compassion and effort to understand him when it went pear-shaped. That's completely understandable human nature. I don't think that your typical person is totally honest and walks through life expecting that if he ever lies (even with the best of the intentions) or make a mistake, he'll rationally expect that his friends/chosen family will all violently turn on him, condone any murder attempt made on him, abandon him in the middle of a serious injury, and spit on him whenever he tries to help and endanger themselves and the world to continue to isolate him. Most people that I know do lie or make mistakes, for reasons a lot more ignoble than Wesley's, but still expect some measure of compassion and efforts at justice from their best friends.
To analogize, it's like how Buffy hid Angel's re-appearance from hell, even when Buffy thought it was possible that Feral Angel was murdering students. And Buffy went around outting Willow and Giles to her guidance counselor and saying that she was justified in hiding Angel's whereabouts because goodness knows what terrible things they'd do to Angel. (Fuggetabout Xander.) However when news broke that she'd been hiding Angel, Buffy did expect her friends' compassion and high opinion of her to make them believe her that Angel was cured and to stand down and forgive her and Angel both. And when she didn't get that from Xander.....for a few hours, Buffy was pissed.
Or how Buffy ran away on the sly on her own and never phoned home and wrote where she was and abandoned her post, but she still expected her friends to be there for her when she got home and she was shocked, SHOCKED that Willow didn't want to go shopping with for serious girl-bonding the next day and tried avoiding Buffy at the party.
And you know, Buffy justifiably received forgiveness and love from her friends (despite their initial anger) because they're friends and they should be compassionate to one another.
He knows Angel and knows he's a hypocrite when it comes to redemption. Fred and Gunn, you summed them up yourself. It's like he kicked a bees nest and complained about getting stung. It's a self-imposed angst-fest.
This was the first time that Angel was really tested. Would Angel act on the whole "Never give up on a soul, that's what I do here. Must forgive people for mistakes. The smallest act of kindness can mean the most" speech if someone actually really hurt *Angel*. Thus far, the Scoobies (absent Xander's sniping) and AI were pretty perfect friends to Angel who never hurt him but just lined up to help him and befriend him. This situation with Wesley (and Connor next season) were two big first tests to see if Angel's got the forbearance that he so earnestly preaches about.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2015-02-10 02:07 pm (UTC)Yes, Wesley could not want to involve his friends in his perceived obligation to move away from everything he's ever loved to protect Connor but still expect some compassion and effort to understand him when it went pear-shaped. That's completely understandable human nature. I don't think that your typical person is totally honest and walks through life expecting that if he ever lies (even with the best of the intentions) or make a mistake, he'll rationally expect that his friends/chosen family will all violently turn on him, condone any murder attempt made on him, abandon him in the middle of a serious injury, and spit on him whenever he tries to help and endanger themselves and the world to continue to isolate him. Most people that I know do lie or make mistakes, for reasons a lot more ignoble than Wesley's, but still expect some measure of compassion and efforts at justice from their best friends.
To analogize, it's like how Buffy hid Angel's re-appearance from hell, even when Buffy thought it was possible that Feral Angel was murdering students. And Buffy went around outting Willow and Giles to her guidance counselor and saying that she was justified in hiding Angel's whereabouts because goodness knows what terrible things they'd do to Angel. (Fuggetabout Xander.) However when news broke that she'd been hiding Angel, Buffy did expect her friends' compassion and high opinion of her to make them believe her that Angel was cured and to stand down and forgive her and Angel both. And when she didn't get that from Xander.....for a few hours, Buffy was pissed.
Or how Buffy ran away on the sly on her own and never phoned home and wrote where she was and abandoned her post, but she still expected her friends to be there for her when she got home and she was shocked, SHOCKED that Willow didn't want to go shopping with for serious girl-bonding the next day and tried avoiding Buffy at the party.
And you know, Buffy justifiably received forgiveness and love from her friends (despite their initial anger) because they're friends and they should be compassionate to one another.
He knows Angel and knows he's a hypocrite when it comes to redemption. Fred and Gunn, you summed them up yourself. It's like he kicked a bees nest and complained about getting stung. It's a self-imposed angst-fest.
This was the first time that Angel was really tested. Would Angel act on the whole "Never give up on a soul, that's what I do here. Must forgive people for mistakes. The smallest act of kindness can mean the most" speech if someone actually really hurt *Angel*. Thus far, the Scoobies (absent Xander's sniping) and AI were pretty perfect friends to Angel who never hurt him but just lined up to help him and befriend him. This situation with Wesley (and Connor next season) were two big first tests to see if Angel's got the forbearance that he so earnestly preaches about.