Only TRUE Buffy Fans Know If This Happened On Buffy Or Angel
- by Lucas Wesley
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Luckily for fans of television everywhere, great shows are unlike Slayers in that far more than one is created per generation. That said, few shows reach the same status in popular culture occupied by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and in turn the landmark program’s spin-off, Angel. Thanks to the incredible work of Buffy creator Joss Whedon and his many brilliant writers, including Angel’s co-creator David Greenwalt, both series consistently entertained fans with their strong characters, who in turn were navigating through some of the most intense, action packed stories ever brought to life on the small screen.
While many of the same characters and themes transferred over from Buffy to Angel, the two shows nonetheless managed to develop entirely separate tones from one another. In many respects, Angel was a darker, more human show than Buffy, while the original series reached emotional heights the latter never even attempted. Sure, both shows deal with demons, vampires, and various other supernatural monsters, but the specifics of how the characters interact with these forces of evil vastly differed from one show to the other.
Most fans of Joss Whedon’s work has spent hours watching both Buffy and Angel, obsessively learning everything we can about each and every character on either show. However, the truth is, with so much incredible content all about vampires, it can be easy to mix the two up at times. Take our quiz and find out if you’re a real Whedon fan by telling us if these plotlines took place on Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel.
Which show calls its group of heroes the Scooby Gang?
Let’s start things off with an easy one. Powerful as Buffy Summers and her vampire boyfriend Angel happen to be, neither of them is strong enough to stand against the forces of evil all by their own. Even the two of them together could use a little help from their friends, which is why both of their shows includes a whole team of crime fighters working at their side. It also just so happens that most of Buffy and Angel’s friends are pretty pop culture savvy, so either bunch could feasibly name itself after Scooby Doo. Which one did?
Which show features an evil organization called Wolfram & Hart?
The flipside to having a bunch of friends would be having an equal number of enemies, an unfortunate reality faced by both Buffy’s Scooby Gang and the crew over at Angel Investigations. Perhaps the most professional, well-run band of thieves either group runs a foul of would be Wolfram & Hart, a vicious, cross-dimensional law firm always ready to represent the forces of chaos. After all, even demons need lawyers if they want to live in the modern world. Does Buffy need to brush up on her legal knowledge to take them down, or is it Angel who needs to hit the books?
Which show heavily focuses on the Shanshu Prophecy?
In television and in real life, the concept of fate has been heavily debated, with some skeptics thinking the idea of prophecies and the like are outright impossible. That may be true of the real world, but in the scripted reality of the Buffyverse, prophecies truly don’t lie, which is why the much heralded Shanshu Prophecy is so important. According to an ancient text, it’s believed that a vampire who commits enough good deeds will eventually become human again as his or her reward, an enticing idea to any bloodsucker in Buffy or Angel.
Which show saw the heroes team up with a ventriloquist’s dummy named Sid?
In the end, Buffy lasted seven seasons and 144 episodes, while Angel had five seasons and 110 episodes. Over this much content, the writers were bound to run out of ideas at some point and team up the heroes with some wacky gimmick characters, but you’d think they would’ve waited longer than one of the show’s first seasons to introduce them. Not so, as either Buffy or Angel featured a bizarre dummy come to live as early as season one. Which show introduced us to Sid?
Which hero gets cursed with the ability to read everyone’s thoughts?
Fighting vampires, demons, and whatever else goes bump in the night is obviously a gravely serious task, yet both Buffy and Angel are more than capable of performing it with little difficulty. Well, most of the time, anyway, as they would occasionally find themselves facing an unforeseen difficulty they had no reasonably way to prepare for, such as a demon that imbues anyone to touch it’s blood with an “element” of its power. Turns out this means they’ll gain the ability to read the minds of everyone around them, a gift that proves itself a much bigger curse than it is a blessing.
Which series features an arc where Angel intentionally loses his soul?
Arguably the most emotional moment on either Buffy or Angel took place when Angel lost his soul, moments after he and Buffy consummated their relationship for the first time. Once the idea of Angel turning evil was introduced, it was inevitable the show would return to that well again later on, yet fans probably never would have expected Angel to do so intentionally. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what he did, but did he do it on Buffy or after he spun off for his own series?
Which series introduces a secret government organization called The Initiative?
With vampires, demons, and monster wrecking havoc over multiple major American cities, one might expect the public at large would eventually catch on to these creatures existing. For whatever reason, though, most unimportant side characters on both Buffy and Angel choose to remain oblivious to the dark reality they live in. If nothing else, though, at least law enforcement and the government have taken notice of the trend. Of course, this could ultimately be a bad thing, as their Initiative might end up doing more harm than good.
On which series does one of the main characters live with a ghost?
Considering how busy they are constantly fighting vampires and the like, neither Buffy, Angel, nor any of their friends have all that much free time to spend relaxing at their homes. In fact, things get so hectic in both series that by the time they ended, practically all of the main characters were living under the same roof. Before that happened, though, they all obviously had their own homes, which occasionally were visited in the course of the action. Which series featured a main character who had a ghost named Dennis for a roommate?
On which series does Angel briefly become human again?
As one of very few vampires with a soul, Angel is unique amongst his kind from his introduction on Buffy. Once more about his character was revealed, fans learned Angel has been in this gifted/cursed state for well over 100 years, give or take a few eternities stuck in hell dimensions he got banished to for one reason or another. However, despite all this time brooding over his past sins, Angel is unable to ever achieve his goal of becoming human again…except for one episode, in which a demon temporarily brings him back to life. Which series was it on?
Which show sees the main character destroy the Gem of Amara?
Plenty of characters, running gags, and shared mythology crossed freely from Buffy to Angel or vice versa when the two were on the air, including a strange mystical artifact called the Gem of Amara. Far more than just a tiny stone crafted into a ring, this Gem grants immortality to any vampire who wears it around his or her fingers. Naturally, this means every bloodsucker in Sunnydale and Los Angeles desperately seek out the hottest accessory, until either Buffy or Angel puts an end to the chase by smashing it with a brick. Who destroyed it?
In which series did John Ritter portray a misogynistic robot?
One well that neither Buffy nor Angel dipped into all that often was the idea of big name celebrity guests suddenly winding up in the Buffyverse. Notwithstanding a few stars who weren’t famous until after they appeared (like Amy Adams or Kal Penn), Joss Whedon and his partners believed having huge celebrities appear in Sunnydale or Angel’s LA would distract from the plot too heavily for them to ever rely on it. The closest either show ever came was when TV icon John Ritter appeared as a vile misogynist named Ted, who it turns out is also an evil robot.
Which show sees a main character get possessed by the spirits of evil hyenas?
Though they aren’t particularly common, possessions are pretty much business as usual for both the characters of Buffy and Angel. That said, the idea of being possessed by an evil hyena is relatively unique even for the Buffyverse. We’ve heard about ghosts, goblins, and banshees, but literal green-eyed monsters? Regardless of how silly it sounds, either Buffy or Angel features an episode where the heroes hit the local zoo and runs afoul some angry hounds of hell. Naturally, a main character is one of the victims of the canine haunting. Was it one of Buffy’s friends, or Angel’s?
On which show does one of the main characters have children?
Long after they separate, Buffy and Angel both continue to have highly involved romantic lives with various partners throughout the course of their respective series. However, only one of the two goes so far as to actually have a child with one of their partners. Such is the tragic nature of their lives that the person in question is also a single parent, the other half of the couple dying instantly after their child is born. Is it Buffy or Angel that brings a child into their world?
On which series do the main characters purchase and occupy a hotel?
This quiz has already mentioned that both Buffy and Angel reach a point where all the characters basically end up living together, but we didn’t quite get into the specifics. As per usual, the method to our madness in this regard was to not give away the answer to this next question. By their final seasons, either show could have filled up a whole hotel with the many characters their heroes meet, yet only one chooses to do so in literal fashion. Does Buffy purchase the Hyperion Hotel to house her friends, or was it Angel?
Which show features terrifyingly silent monsters called The Gentlemen?
Across Buffy and Angel, it’s possible that well over 100 various types of demons, monsters, and otherwise evil species at some point terrorize Sunnydale or Los Angeles. Standing atop the rest as perhaps the most horrifying all were The Gentlemen, a whole cavalcade of eerily silent, constantly smiling, floating freaks who literally scared their victims to death before eating their hearts. The Gentlemen’s first move is stealing the voices of absolutely everyone in town, leading to an absolutely groundbreaking episode. Was it Buffy or Angel that took the world’s breath away?
On which show does a character’s psychic visions guide the action?
Being able to see the future would be a huge plus for either Buffy or Angel, or any crime fighter for that matter, so it makes sense the second one of them met a man who could do just that, he became an integral part of the team. Unfortunately, that man, named Doyle, didn’t last too long, but his ability to see glimpses of events that had yet to happen was passed on to another, and psychic visions remained an integral part of the Buffyverse for years to come.
Which series regularly features a demon-friendly karaoke bar?
Even demons need to relax from time to time, and nothing allows a person to be him or herself quite like a karaoke bar. If the owners have any taste (and knowing Lorne, they do), “Monster Mash” thankfully won’t be on the menu, but just about every other pop song known to man and demon-kind has been sang by the patrons of Caritas at one point or another. That even includes Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” belted out by either Buffy or Angel, because hey, it’s a darn pretty song. Was it the Slayer or her vampire boyfriend?
Which show features a gigantic snake-like demon that eats babies?
Every demon is horrible in its own right, which is why Buffy, Angel, and their dozens of friends fight so valiantly to stop them all. Even so, some demons are worse than others, like those who dwell in the sewers and feast solely on human babies. Somehow, these demons are also able to get vampires to work for them and steal newborns from a local hospital, forcing either the Scooby Gang or Angel Investigations to put a halt to their larger plans and immediately save those children.
On which show does every character once suffer a nightmare featuring a strange Cheese Man?
Dreams have a tendency to be pretty darn weird, and for this reason, a good portion of the real world ignores them altogether. However, in the Buffyverse, dreams can be extremely important signs of things to come, especially when the main characters are having them. Devote an entire episode to everyone’s dream sequences, and it goes without saying any connecting ties between them are of utmost importance. Or, you know, really silly running gags Joss Whedon through in for comedic value alone, which is about all the weird Cheese Man ever amounted to. Sure was funny, though.
Which series sees all the adults in town revert to their teenage selves after eating magic candy?
All right, so the “adult” part of this question might give the answer away, as Angel generally veered a bit older than the early days of Buffy. That said, Gunn, Fred, and of course Connor were all young enough they might not fit the term, and for all his vampiric ways, Angel wasn’t above eating a whole bunch of chocolate and acing silly from time to time. Therefore, “Band Candy” is the sort of episode that really could have appeared on either show, and in fact, fans got to see similar concepts on both in “Spin the Bottle” and “Tabula Rasa.”
On which show do the main characters visit an alternate dimension called Pylea?
Quietly bubbling beneath the surface from the moment Buffy introduced its first season was the fact more than one dimension existed in Joss Whedon’s magnum opus. As fans would later learn, all demons originate from various hell dimensions, sucked into the human world for one reason or another. It was only inevitable that the opposite would happen, and a group of humans got sucked into hell. Once in Pylea, either the heroes found a surprising number of new friends who went on to become major players in the series. Were they joining the Scooby Gang or Angel Investigations?
Which show sees the main characters turn into their Halloween costumes?
Believe it or not, Halloween is the one time of year when neither the Scooby Gang nor Angel Investigations have all that much to do. Since humans started making a mockery of their craft, vampires, demons, and other creatures of the night created an unofficial pact to never wreck havoc on All Hallows’ Eve. With this knowledge, the characters on one show decide to let loose and dress up in fun costumes just like anyone else, only to fall victim to a mystic spell turning them into whatever they dressed up as.
On which show does Spike get a chip inserted in his head, preventing him from being violent towards humans?
In addition to Angel himself, one of the few characters to get a run as a series regular on both Buffy and Angel was the vampire with a soul’s longtime friend turned rival, Spike. At first, Spike is as vicious as they come, gleefully killing other vampires and random humans with joyously reckless abandon. Over time, however, he reveals himself as perhaps the most emotional vampire of them all, a fact that slowly humanizes him by the time Angel was over. There’s also the fact scientists put a chip in Spike’s head and prevent him from harming humans. On what show did that happen?
Which series features a goddess who tries to rob humanity of free will?
Week in and week out, Buffy, Angel, and their many allies were bound to kill anywhere in the neighborhood to two or three dozens vampires without giving it much thought. Even when a demon or two popped up, it was no big deal. On the other hand, when a god or goddess joined the mix, that was a season long arc no matter which show it appeared on. Though her fashion sense lacked in comparison to Glory, Jasmine may have been the more memorable of the goddesses for her stated goal: a Utopia created by enslaving all mankind.
Which show sees the heroes team up with a band of Mexican luchadores?
The Scooby Gang and Angel Investigations were both rather diverse groups by the end, with humans, vampires, werewolves, and various demons of all species working together in harmony for the greater good of the world. Given their open-door policy for anyone willing to work for peace, it almost makes sense that one of them would wind up forming a working relationship with a group of five – make that cinco – masked Mexican luchadores. When these high flying wrestlers needed a little help, did Buffy tag in, or was Angel their mystery partner?
Which show features an evil magic dealing warlock named Rack?
When a bunch of regular humans are fighting against vampires, demons, and other such monsters, they might find themselves in need of a little magical assistance. Sure, Buffy has her Slayer superpowers, and Angel uses his vampiric super-strength to great advantage, but the average member of the Scoobies and Team Angel is just a regular human trying to help these heroes out. Early on, they realize that, as we said, magic can go a long way towards increasing their odds at survival, and after relying on this fact for some time, one character in particular seeks the help of a warlock named Rack to keep their magical addiction going.
On which show does Faith break out of prison?
Since way before either girl was called to become a Slayer, it could be said Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane lived polar opposite lives. While Buffy was a popular cheerleader type with a loving family, Faith was dark, alternative, and pretty much kept to herself. To put it simply, Faith was a bad girl in every way Buffy was a hero, and eventually her behavior caught up to her when she was sent to prison. Well, for a little while, anyway, as it was later decided both Buffy and Angel could benefit from her services after a brief stint in the pokey caused her reformation.
Which show features a cult filled with people who want to become vampires?
Despite the grey area that arises when Buffy meets Angel and falls in love with the vampire, one thing about bloodsuckers always holds true about how the characters feel about the undead—it’s way better to be a human than any type of demon. At least that’s what all rational character believe, anyway, as it turns out a small sect of insane/depressed teenagers are aching for the chance to day and then come back to existence as vampires. Calling themselves the Sunset Club, this cult tries to sacrifice either Buffy or Angel to achieve their goal. Which one was it?
On which series does a villain make a robot resembling the main character?
No matter how hard they try to conceal their semi-secret identities, both Buffy and Angel become extremely well known names throughout the underworld as their respective series go on. For this reason, were an evil organization, or maybe just a group of nerdy teenagers, able to create a robot version of these heroes, they would definitely be able to find a few uses for it. Not only would they strike fear into all other evildoers, making them the de facto top of the game, but they’d also get to confuse the hell out of the Slayer and vampire’s allies, a strategy that usually leads to chaos.
On which show do the heroes need to apprehend a mentally ill Slayer?
So, that whole thing about how there’s only one Slayer every generation? Yeah, turns out that’s one prophecy that did lie, because by the time Buffy is over, there are actually over a dozen of them. This is because the most famous Slayer of all had one of her friends cast a spell that awoke all Potential Slayers around the world – including those who would have been better left asleep, like the mentally unbalanced Dana. Now insane and possessing superpowers, Dana briefly goes on a murderous rampage until either the Scooby Gang or Team Angel can stop her. Who gets there first?
Which show sees Angel momentarily turn into a puppet?
Considering how horrible most spells cast on either Buffy, Angel, and their friends happen to be, in all honesty, getting turned into a puppet really doesn’t seem all the fact. Hell, the way Angel plays the situation, turning into a miniaturized felt version of himself almost looked fun. It was definitely funny at least, as were the various ways Angel’s friends and loved ones reacted to his strange new condition. Was it his own investigation squad that had to deal with the mess, or was he still dating Buffy, making this one a problem for the Slayer, as well?
What show contains a kind-hearted demon named Clem?
As it would turn out, not all demons are totally evil. In fact, some of them are even quite charming, aside from the fact they eat kittens. But hey, nobody’s perfect, and Clem’s unsavory diet alone is hardly enough to make either Buffy or Angel view him has an enemy. Either one of them could easily see the saggy-skinned demon as a friend, but only one of them gets the chance to ask him to babysit. Unsurprisingly, Clem is also a regular poker buddy of Spike’s. Did they shuffle they deck on Buffy or Angel?
Which show sees a main character turn into a centuries old demon named Illyria?
Considering the high mortality rate seen on both Buffy and Angel, it goes without saying the two shows experienced a significant number of cast changes over the years they were on the air. Only a small handful of characters survived from the beginning of Buffy to the end of Angel, let alone just one of the two series. Still, many fans would agree one of the saddest deaths of all was one when the actress in the role immediately returned as a demonic version of herself, now with brand new superpowers and a distinctly bizarre personality. Which show saw the transformation take place?
Which show features the main character getting a side job at a fast food restaurant?
Unfortunately, the Buffyverse doesn’t take place in the same universe as the Ghostbusters, and we’re not just saying this because a crossover would have been awesome (it would have, though). The real point we’re trying to make here is that the Scooby Gang never got paid all that well for their services, and even Angel Investigations seemed to struggle from a business perspective practically its entire existence. It gets so bad at one point that order to pay the bills and keep things afloat, either Buffy or Angel end up working at a fast food joint of all places. Who suffers the indignity?
Which series has a musical episode titled Once More, With Feeling?
Okay, we’re getting near the end of this one, so we figured it was time to throw out another freebie. From the opening bars of “Going Through the Motions” to the booming crescendo of “Walk Through the Fire,” many fans would agree with the assessment “Once More, with Feeling” is easily in the upper echelon of hours produced by the Buffyverse on either Buffy or Angel. Each character on the show gets a beautiful solo (with one exception, who is mostly just filler), as do a bunch of random extras, creating one of the most memorable experiences in TV history.
On which series does the main character briefly date a werewolf?
To prevent any confusion about this one, right off the bat, let’s make it clear we aren’t talking about Willow and Oz. While that coupling is indeed the first time a human dated a werewolf in the Buffyverse, it was hardly the last, as Oz no doubt went on to other women after parting ways with Will. Fans also went on to meet a handful of female werewolves over the years, who likewise seemed to prefer human partners to their own demi-human species. Did Buffy date Oz (or some other wolf), or did Angel meet a she-wolf?
Which show contained an episode taking place primarily in a submarine?
With 254 episodes in total across the two series, Buffy and Angel took viewers to practically every location possible short of outer space. There was even an episode that took place almost entirely underwater, sending either the Scooby Gang or Team Angel the proverbial 20,000 leagues under the sea. Naturally, the reason for the undersea adventure relates to a bunch of vampires getting loose on a submarine, and it’s up to either Buffy or Angel to stop them from killing everyone on board.
Which series suggests the entire Buffyverse may be a delusion of one of its characters?
Never one to shy away from evocative storylines, Joss Whedon once resorted to one of the most controversial tropes known to entertainment by suggesting the entire Buffyverse is merely a delusion. It would certainly explain how no one seems to notice vampires are destroying the world aside from the main characters, as anyone else would fall out of the narrative and disappear from the insane hallucination. However, Whedon himself says he was just playing with audience expectations and chooses to believe it’s all real, so there’s no reason to feel bad if you get this question wrong.
Which show ends with the hero remarking s/he wants to slay a dragon?
Regardless of the fact their respective series are both long over at this point, both Buffy and Angel end on a note that suggests the heroes will never truly be able to stop fighting. Sure, they all find their momentary peace at times, yet the continued existence of Buffy comics and Angel: After the Fall prove it’ll be a long time yet before the earth is truly saved. Not that either Buffy or Angel necessarily mind, as neither of them are ever willing to back down, a fact one of them sums up brilliantly in his/her final remark that they’d like to kill a dragon.
On which series do the characters actually attack the First Evil directly?
When a person is unwilling to give up, the only way for them to stop a given task is to beat it, defeat it, conquer it, or whatever else it means to win and achieve their goals. The only way or Buffy or Angel to reach this point would be to eradicate all evil from earth entirely, an end that may only be attainable by wiping the First Evil out of existence. Either the Scooby Gang or Angel Investigations goes for the jugular and does just that, and though their efforts are imperfect, the fact they even tried went a long way in assuring harmony for all mankind.