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Connor (Buffyverse)
Encyclopedia
Connor is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon
and Tim Minear
for the television series Angel
. The character is portrayed as an infant by the triplets Connor, Jake and Trenton Tupen and as a teenager by Vincent Kartheiser
. Connor has a recurring role in season three, becomes a regular in season four, and has his last television appearance in the series finale as a guest star. He continues his story in the canonical
comic book series Angel: After the Fall
.
Within the series, Connor is the superhuman
son of the titular character Angel who is a vampire
. Introduced in the third season as a newborn, Connor is kidnapped and taken to hell
in an act of revenge against his father. He returns as a battle hardened, disturbed teenager who has been raised to hate Angel. His consequent violent and estranged relationship with his father and increasing internal conflict making him shift alliances between protagonists and antagonists forms the storyline for his character. Towards the end of season four, events take their toll on Connor's sanity and his memories are rewritten to give him a normal life. The next time he's seen in season five, Connor is a well-adjusted person; and at the return of his memories finally reconcile with Angel in the series finale. The comic book series follows Connor accepting his abilities and role of a hero.
Created to give Angel an "emotional" connection, the infant character was used to develop other characters. After he grows up, he initially becomes a "tragic figure" and "foil
" for the protagonists and eventually evolves to a protagonist himself. Connor has received attention in academic texts
related to family studies and masculinity in fiction. The character proved to be controversial among fans and critics reception has been mixed.
including Wesley
and Cordelia
, but is constantly targeted by different factions. Conner is prophesied to destroy the time-shifting demon lord Sahjhan. In attempt to negate the prophecy, he time travels and rewrites the prophecy to read "The father will kill the son" in reference to Angel and Connor. Wesley kidnaps the baby in a misguided effort to save his life from Angel, conveniently leading him into the hands of Daniel Holtz
whose family Angel killed centuries ago. Holtz inturn steals the baby and is forced to escape to the hell dimension 'Quor'Toth: Darkest of the dark worlds'.
Holtz raises Connor as his son and instills a deep hatred of Angel within him. Time runs more quickly in Quor'Toth, so Connor ages at an accelerated rate in relation to time on Earth. Surviving the hell, a teenaged Connor returns with the goal to avenge Holtz family by killing Angel. However, after failing in his first attempt on Angel's life tentatively begins to reconcile with him. Fearful of the development, Holtz has himself killed by Justine Cooper in a manner that frames Angel for the action. In the finale "Tomorrow", an enraged Connor in revenge seals Angel in a metal box and sinks him to the bottom of the ocean.
Jasmine arrives as a grown women and immediately enthralls everyone to bask in immense joy and do her bidding. Connor is the only one left in misery because of sharing blood link with her resulting in his further isolation. As Jasmine enacts her plans for world domination, Angel & his team breaks free from her thrall. Caught inbetween his father and daughter, Connor initially supports Jasmine against Angel, but this conflict, combined with the believe that neither truly cares about him eventually makes him completely snap. When Jasmine's hold over the city is broken by Angel but he is unable to kill her, Connor kills her himself. An emotional wreck, he attempts to suicide by wiring himself, a comatose Cordelia and shop full of innocents to explosives. Desperate to save his son, the season finale "Home" sees Angel agreeing to take over Wolfram & Hart
in exchange for Connor's life. As per the agreement, Connor is to have a whole new existence as an ordinary boy raised in a happy family. Other than Angel, everyone's memories are rewritten to accommodate this new reality.
In "Not Fade Away" the finale of the series, Angel visits Connor for coffee on the eve of his final battle with the Circle of the Black Thorn. Connor reveals that he remembered Angel is his father and is grateful for all he has done for him, but prefers to leave it at that. When Angel fights Marcus Hamilton
, Connor shows up to fight by his father's side, saving Angel from being staked by Hamilton and helping him gain the upper hand. As the Senior Partners begin to exact their vengeance, Angel tells Connor to go home to his foster parents assuring him that as long as Connor is safe, the Partners can never destroy Angel.
, picks up immediately after the events of television series. As Connor sprints home as ordered by Angel, he debates going back before invariably drawn into the battle when the whole city is sent to hell by Senior Partners. A veteran of hell already, he takes it on himself to provide humans and good demons sanctuary. Along to help him are the benevolent werewolf Nina Ash, the mutant Gwen Raiden and the vampire Spike. Connor also becomes much closer to his father as he joins Angel's newest battle to wrestle back control of the city from Demon Lords. Part of his story surrounds a romance between him and Gwen, which ends when he discovers Gwen has betrayed the team.
Following the event, Gunn
causes Illyria to revert to her demonic form and she decides to wholly collapse time - and with it all existence. In an attempt to prevent Angel and his team from stopping Illyria, Gunn mortally wounds Connor. Connor pleads with Angel not to let the Senior Partners win and assures him that he is a good person whether or not he is a vampire and dies in Angel's arms. He is restored to life when Angel provokes Gunn into killing him, forcing the Senior Partners to turn back time to the moment of the original alleyway fight in the television finale. Thus restoring all those who have died since the city was sent to hell, but with all their memories of the intervening time intact.
.
explained in his decision to introduce Angel’s son The character was given the Irish name Connor, meaning ‘counselor’ or 'helping warrior', to match Angel's Irish ancestry. Three different babies, Connor, Jake and Trenton Tupen, who are triplets were chosen to portray Connor, so that neither of them has to remain on the set for very long.
Baby Connor was one of the main focuses of season three, but the creators were well aware of the limitations of a baby character. So with Connor’s initial role in plot decided upon, they came up with the concept of 'teenage' version for further appearances.
23 years old Vincent Kartheiser
, at that time was looking for something stable to work on from usual feature movies. He was send the role by his agent, along with tapes of all previous seasons and decided to audition. The producers wanted the character to be a surprise to audience, so not even Kartheiser was informed that he was trying out for Angel's son. Instead he auditioned for a character created for the purpose of audition, ‘the Street Kid’, a normal teenager who has Angel as his guardian. "Right away everyone kind of had a good feeling about me joining the cast" Vincent said. "It seemed that I just fit right in." After he was told his real role 'Angel's son, a demon killer from Quor'toth’ Kartheiser was excited, but confused about his portrayal thinking that the character's to have a "living-in-the-brush kind of ‘failed being’ attitude"; until he was corrected to just "stand up straight, normal voice" and let a regular boy come on. Connor's role of a formidable fighter, however, required rigorous physical work from the actor and Kartheiser joked he did not know he "had to be 'Jackie Chan
'", but admitted that it is great to play a "truly badass" character. Vincent Kartheiser was contracted for three episodes at the end of season three, with an option to pick him up further.
Connor, despite being the son of two ‘vampires’ is meant to be ‘human’, with otherwise super powers. Due to this, he wasn’t given the vampire makeup of the series. Kartheiser expressed his simultaneous joy and dismay at this, considering makeup an added benefit for the character and agreeing that the lack of it saved him much time. Initially clad in animal skin, and then in different pairs of jeans, t-shirts and jackets, the concept behind Connor’s wardrobe was that, unconcerned with this world’s fashion sense he 'just took whatever was available'. Yet, one interviewer notices his clothing to be "conservative [..] for somebody who's never seen an advert". Kartheiser was critical of Connor's hair style calling it 'David Cassidy
hair-do' and feeling it was a 'little bit heavy'.
transform from a goofy sidekick to a brooding anti-hero. Once these developments came in fruition, the creators choose to upgrade Connor to a teen. Taking advantage of the fantasy genre they were able to accelerate his growth within a few weeks of the show's normal timeline. Thus unaffecting the ages of the rest of the characters and setting up stage for the next act. The mid of season three sees the infant kidnapped by Angel's long-term adversary Holtz
and taken to a hell dimension, where "time moves differently" explained David Greenwalt
, "we didn't want to raise a baby for 18 years."
Connor returns towards the end of the season as an angry, intense and volatile teenager who is "quite the hunter, quite the killer" and vindictive towards Angel. Mere Smith
elaborated "Holtz has brought up Connor to hate his father, his father is the devil as far as Holtz is concerned and he tells Connor that" This development allowed the writers to explore, in Connor, a unique 'foil' to protagonists because he was established to be "deep down" much like Angel himself. Tim Minear
further characterized Connor by his strong need for family "because he's never had one" and "conflicted" personality triggered by his upbringing. As such, much of the development Connor has in season three to four is his continuous shifting alliances between protagonists and antagonists unable to decide where he belong or find his purpose for being. Another running theme through these seasons was his alienation of this world "All the worsts parts of our world kind of attacks him at the same time that gives him the idea that this is a hell dimension too." Vincent Kartheiser explained, further saying that he thinks Connor's constant conflict was because Angel and he did not get time to deal with their issues leaving Connor vulnerable to manipulation against him by outside parties.
The season four also sees the writers exploring teenage sexually through him; in a small arc with Faith with whom Steven S. DeKnight
compared him in their characterization of misguided youth with superpowers; and the overarching arc with his father's love Cordelia
. Later in the series, Connor's attraction to women senior his age becomes a running gag. "I've always had a thing for older women" He sheepishly explains his attention towards Illyria in "Origin." For the Connor-Cordelia-Angel triangle Jeffrey Bell talked about taking inspiration from Arthurian Legend's
Mordred
. Whedon noted that while he already have decided that Cordelia and Connor were going to have sex, the story had to be changed and move faster because Charisma Carpenter
became pregnant. The Cordelia plotline in addition gave writers opportunity to explain Connor's birth via Jasmine; a character brought in to replace Carpenter as final villain. Taking Jasmine as a base point the writers started connecting back the dots they've set up in previous seasons. In words of DeKnight "Its always been the big mystery of, how and why does Darla and Angel have a child, 'cause vampires are sterile. We find out this miracle birth was created kind of like a secret ingredient all planned out to sleep with Cordelia and create this superbeing."
Regarding the resolution of the character at season four and dropping of Kartheiser from regular cast, Minear said that they had an idea at the conception of teenage Connor that he would only last a season. But changed his original "violent, morbid" send-off to a relatively happy one, citing their likability of actor and character the reason; also because it was "nice to give someone a happy ending for once." Kartheiser was satisfied with his character's resolution because the issue between Angel and Connor was finally confronted:
, "I've given up my child. I see my child is happy, and does not know me, and I'm happy. That is the thing that made Stella Darlas the greatest, the thing that made this episode work."
Despite Whedon claim that fourth season is a ‘final statement' for Connor, the character makes a return for the fifth. Connor undergoes huge changes this season. He is a polar opposite of his earlier persona. He's a well adjusted, prosperous, sweet young man now, cue to his fake memories of a happy childhood. This season also sees a big development with the long-due reconciliation of father and son; Connor is able to accept and appreciate all Angel had done for him even after his memories return. Minear and Bell were open to and talked about the possibility of character's return to Kartheiser at the end of season four and he has assured them he will be available if the script was good. Following his return, though, Kartheiser isn't sure if the character re-appearance was not only due to the necessity of tying up loose ends after the series cancellation was confirmed.
Connor again returns for After the Fall. Brian Lynch was initially confused about how to incorporate Connor into the story. It was Whedon who hit upon the arc that Connor would follow in the series "Connor's a young kid, he's got powers, he doesn't have any of the bad things, he's not a vampire, so maybe he would enjoy it, and maybe he would be the closest thing to a superhero hell has". So Connor goes onto "fully embracing his qualities and role of a hero" in this comic series. Originally Lynch had planned for Angel’s former girlfriend Nina Ash to be more involved in his storyline, but with time it became clear to him that Connor's story is more about his relationship with Angel. So Nina fell to the wayside and Connor-Angel went on to become a much closer father-son unit. Connor also went from the character Lynch had the most trouble with to the character he enjoys writing most with series progression.
Regarding Connor's upcoming role in Angel & Faith, Whedon joked about time traveling him to the early '60s and making him an ad executive, referencing Kartheiser 's recent role
in the critically acclaimed television series Mad Men
. Author Christos Gage
described the necessity of Connor's appearance with "otherwise Angel is just a deadbeat Dad!"
series, featuring Connor have been released. These merchandise includes a few action figures, but more prominently novels and spin-off comic books. Connor stars as a regular in After the Falls spin-off Aftermath and one-shot Angel Yearbook. He is the title character of Connor: Spotlight. Continuing his appearances in other media, Connor stars in novels Dark Mirror
, Love and Death
, and Monolith
. These appearances, though a part of official merchandise, are not considered canon
.
. Producer Tim Minear, described Vincent, one of the main reasons of their avoidance of giving the character a ghastly send-off as planned before, “We’ve all grown so fond of the character and the actor that we didn’t want do that.” Although fans and critics reception to Vincent’s portrayal of the disturbed teen was also very positive, the character himself and his storylines, turned out to be controversial.
His story arc with 'Cordelia' particularly evoked attention. This sexual relation with his surrogate mother, coupled with his struggles to kill his father, led to speculations that mythical Greek figure Oedipus
, was the inspiration for the character. and references to Arthurian Legend were also made. Most responses to this couple were negative. Darkworlds.coms columnist Amy Berner declared them a "finalist in the Most Disturbing Couple In Television History“. Jennifer Crusie
in her academic essay "The Assassination of Cordelia Chase" complained that this plotline led to the destruction of Cordelia's character. Charisma Carpenter herself, despite previously noted to have fun portraying the role, became critical of the storyline overtime declaring her character’s seduction of a teenage boy creepy. Yet, few gave a positive response. Liz Gasto of Moviefreak.com included the Angel-Cordelia-Connor triangle in the plus points of fourth season. Underland.com praised the plotline as a "very King Arthur like tale of love and betrayal." Another group was neutral towards the development. Jes Battis in his book Blood Relations: Chosen Families in Buffy and Angel, simply observed that the relationship completes the already present “circuit of erotic incest within Buffy and Angel”. Jean Lorrah
in her academic essay "A World Without Love: The Failure of Family in Angel" agreed with previous statement, further noting that Connor himself is the product of a relationship with incestuous tones ”Angel is seduced by Darla, formerly his sire (mother), now his granddaughter [..] Connor’s life, unbeknownst to either parent, has begun.”
Connor’s main storyline, his relationship with his father, received mixed to positive reviews. Ben from thescifichristian.com was not fond of the initial episodes with baby Connor because Angel wasted time “baby-talking”, but loved the development with teenage Connor “The [third] season ends with a great storyline as Connor returns [..] and betrays Angel.” Jes Battis, praised the father/son dynamics to be “highly dramatic and (engagingly perverse)”. Journalist Sarah D. Bunting
was a little critical, calling Connor "a frustrating character" she wrote that while his ”twitchy, PTSD-ish" interactions sounds genuine, they become old too quick because of lack of real development in Angel and Connor's relationship in most of season four. Kartheiser himself expressed a similar concern "There were parts of the season [..] it felt like I was doing the same scene over and over. Towards the end of the season I was really happy about the chances I was getting." This last statement is echoed in Jamie Pool's review, who called the “ending” to Connor "emotionally satisfying", despite noting him to not have been particularly endearing through most of the rest of the season. S.Wiebe of eclipsemagazine.com, however, described Connor’s overall characterization "sharp" with "really intriguing sub-textual material’ and among the saving graces of the season. Strega of Television Without Pity, also praised the character's psychology, "The thing I like most is that they've not only created a teenager who doesn't just feel like he's the most alienated person in the world -- he actually is," and " I love how unloved Connor [thinks he] is…” Jean Lorrah, said: "The Darla-Angel-Connor-Jasmine arc [is] surely one of the most ambitious story arcs any television show has ever attempted“ Cityofangels.coms Tara DiLullo summed up:
Revamped Connor’s few appearances in "Angels" final season were generally praised. Phoenix from cityofangel.com, declared his return “triumphant”, saying that this “shy, sweet, happy young man” is the kid Angel always wanted and “for the audience, a version of the character finally worth liking and supporting.” Roz Kaveney in his essay "A Sense of the Ending: Schrödinger's Angel" praised the new Connor as a “heroic youth”. Writer Brian Lynch admitted that he did not love season four's Connor, but "really liked him" in season five "when he came back and he was well adjusted."
Connor's name is often mentioned with Buffy the Vampire Slayers, Dawn Summers
, younger sister to Buffy Summers
similarly created to give a strong emotional connection to the titular character. Four years after the cancellation of the Angel, IGN
included 'Connor' alongwith 'Dawn’ in their list of classic TV cliché of ‘Adding a Kid’ as a last ditch effort to save a dying show. However they refused to comment if his addition was a good or bad choice in order to avoid swamping themselves from irate fans of either side. David Hofstede in his book What Were They Thinking? openly criticized Connor and Dawn’s addition, appointing them number No.98 in his list of "100 Dumbest Events in Television History".
Connor has also been analyzed and compared with other male characters of the series in terms of the presentation and evolution of masculinity in fiction. In Erin B. Waggoner's book "Sexual rhetoric in the works of Joss Whedon" he found it interesting that the ancient Oedipus complex
continue to be used as a way to underscore ones masculinity, but added that "Connor is not the only one [..] Angel, Wes, Spike and even Fred
(through Gunn
) kill father or father figures inorder to come into their own as individuals." Further citing Gwen's role among Connor and Gunn in the comic series triangle, he observed the unrelenting use of women as a device for men to shore up. Stacey Abbott of PopMatters
said that taken alone Connor may seem a stereotypical teen boy, but considered together with rest of the cast offers a complex image of modern masculinity. He also compared Connor's journey with others interms of 'identity', which he considers a poignant theme within the series. He found it ironic that Connor "initially the most damaged of all the characters" conflicted from his many different identities in addition to being the peculiar case of spawn of two vampires and growing up in hell, was the only one able to "reconcile his actions and new man existence together" and be at peace with himself in the end.
Connor's appearance as a regular in After the Fall, was initially met with dismay by some fans. IDW
representative Chris Ryall
, responded to these complaints with optimism assuring the fans that they will be “won over” by the character, just the way he has been, by the time the series will end. True to his words, After The Fall’s, Connor was received much positively. Brian Lynch confirmed this in an interview, stating that Connor has not only been the most pleasantly surprising character for him to write, he has been the most surprising for the fans as well, ”Connor was a great character on the TV show but, I don’t think he was ever a favorite. But he’s slowly but surely become one of the most popular characters in After The Fall, which is wonderful.”
Further saying that he himself like the character so much now, he wants to do a book called 'Son of Angel' based on him.
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
and Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
for the television series Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. The character is portrayed as an infant by the triplets Connor, Jake and Trenton Tupen and as a teenager by Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Paul Kartheiser is an American actor known for playing Connor in Angel and Pete Campbell in Mad Men.-Early life:Kartheiser was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Janet Marie and James Ralph Kartheiser...
. Connor has a recurring role in season three, becomes a regular in season four, and has his last television appearance in the series finale as a guest star. He continues his story in the canonical
Canon
-Culture and arts:*Canon , material that is considered to be genuine*Western canon, the books, music, and art that have been the most influential in shaping Western cultureMusic...
comic book series Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
.
Within the series, Connor is the superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
son of the titular character Angel who is a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
. Introduced in the third season as a newborn, Connor is kidnapped and taken to hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
in an act of revenge against his father. He returns as a battle hardened, disturbed teenager who has been raised to hate Angel. His consequent violent and estranged relationship with his father and increasing internal conflict making him shift alliances between protagonists and antagonists forms the storyline for his character. Towards the end of season four, events take their toll on Connor's sanity and his memories are rewritten to give him a normal life. The next time he's seen in season five, Connor is a well-adjusted person; and at the return of his memories finally reconcile with Angel in the series finale. The comic book series follows Connor accepting his abilities and role of a hero.
Created to give Angel an "emotional" connection, the infant character was used to develop other characters. After he grows up, he initially becomes a "tragic figure" and "foil
Foil (literature)
In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....
" for the protagonists and eventually evolves to a protagonist himself. Connor has received attention in academic texts
Buffy studies
Buffy Studies is a term applied to the collection of written works about, and the university courses that discuss aspects of, the television program Buffy the Vampire Slayer and, to a lesser extent, its spin-off program Angel. It explores issues related to gender and other philosophical issues as...
related to family studies and masculinity in fiction. The character proved to be controversial among fans and critics reception has been mixed.
Season three
In an event which was thought impossible, two vampires Angel and Darla reproduced, the end result being Connor, a human with superhuman abilities. He is introduced in episode "Lullaby" when Darla sacrifices herself to give birth to him. For the first few months of his life, Connor is jointly raised by Angel and his teamAngel Investigations
Angel Investigations is a fictional detective agency run by the title character Angel previously on the WB television series Angel . It is sometimes abbreviated as AI...
including Wesley
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel...
and Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
, but is constantly targeted by different factions. Conner is prophesied to destroy the time-shifting demon lord Sahjhan. In attempt to negate the prophecy, he time travels and rewrites the prophecy to read "The father will kill the son" in reference to Angel and Connor. Wesley kidnaps the baby in a misguided effort to save his life from Angel, conveniently leading him into the hands of Daniel Holtz
Daniel Holtz
Daniel Holtz is a fictional character on the television series Angel. He was played by Keith Szarabajka.-Character history:Holtz was an 18th century English vampire hunter who chased Angelus and Darla through much of Europe and North Africa. He had connections to an elite order of Inquisitors...
whose family Angel killed centuries ago. Holtz inturn steals the baby and is forced to escape to the hell dimension 'Quor'Toth: Darkest of the dark worlds'.
Holtz raises Connor as his son and instills a deep hatred of Angel within him. Time runs more quickly in Quor'Toth, so Connor ages at an accelerated rate in relation to time on Earth. Surviving the hell, a teenaged Connor returns with the goal to avenge Holtz family by killing Angel. However, after failing in his first attempt on Angel's life tentatively begins to reconcile with him. Fearful of the development, Holtz has himself killed by Justine Cooper in a manner that frames Angel for the action. In the finale "Tomorrow", an enraged Connor in revenge seals Angel in a metal box and sinks him to the bottom of the ocean.
Season four
The opening episode "Deep Down" picks up three months after last season. Angel returns and Holtz deception comes out in light, but relations are shaky as Angel kicks Connor out of the house in punishment for sinking him, yet unknownst to him keeps a protective eye on him from afar. Stricken by the betrayal of his adoptive father and abandoned by his real one, Connor seeks solace in Cordelia's arms. When an all-powerful demon lord The Beast rises from the ground at the place he was born, Connor feels responsible. As The Beast makes fire rain from the sky in an apparent apocalypse, Cordelia sleeps with Connor to give him some happiness before the end. Apocalypse does not occur but Angel also in love with Cordelia doesn't take kindly to the development, causing another rift between him & Connor. Unbeknownst to all, Cordelia is possessed to be with Connor by a cosmic entity 'Jasmine' looking to give herself birth in this world through their union. As Cordelia becomes pregnant and manipulates Connor into helping her sacrifice an innocent girl for their child, his inhuman actions begins conflicting with his inner good; accelerating his already deteriorating mental health.Jasmine arrives as a grown women and immediately enthralls everyone to bask in immense joy and do her bidding. Connor is the only one left in misery because of sharing blood link with her resulting in his further isolation. As Jasmine enacts her plans for world domination, Angel & his team breaks free from her thrall. Caught inbetween his father and daughter, Connor initially supports Jasmine against Angel, but this conflict, combined with the believe that neither truly cares about him eventually makes him completely snap. When Jasmine's hold over the city is broken by Angel but he is unable to kill her, Connor kills her himself. An emotional wreck, he attempts to suicide by wiring himself, a comatose Cordelia and shop full of innocents to explosives. Desperate to save his son, the season finale "Home" sees Angel agreeing to take over Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart − Attorneys at Law is a fictional international, and interdimensional law firm featured in the television series Angel, as well as other extended materials in Joss Whedon's Buffyverse.-Fictional history:...
in exchange for Connor's life. As per the agreement, Connor is to have a whole new existence as an ordinary boy raised in a happy family. Other than Angel, everyone's memories are rewritten to accommodate this new reality.
Season five
Few months after the events of last season, episode "Origin" sees Connor as the son of Laurence and Colleen Reilly. He crosses path with Angel when a demon warlock Cyvus Vail, draws him out to make him fulfill his destiny of killing Sahjhan. Angel informs Connor of his special abilities and helps prepare him for the fight, but leaves out the fact that he is his father. As the duel with Sahjhan begins, Connor is outmatched due to having forgotten his formidable fighting skills. Meanwhile, Wesley discovers Angel's deception of altering reality and no longer trusting him shatters Orlon Window, which restores Connor's memories along with Wesley's and Illyria's. Remembering himself, Connor slips to his original persona of 'demon-killer' and dispatches Sahjhan with ease.In "Not Fade Away" the finale of the series, Angel visits Connor for coffee on the eve of his final battle with the Circle of the Black Thorn. Connor reveals that he remembered Angel is his father and is grateful for all he has done for him, but prefers to leave it at that. When Angel fights Marcus Hamilton
Marcus Hamilton
Marcus Hamilton is a fictional character that appeared on the final season of the TV series Angel. The character is played by actor Adam Baldwin, who also worked with Angel creator Joss Whedon in the series Firefly, playing mercenary Jayne Cobb....
, Connor shows up to fight by his father's side, saving Angel from being staked by Hamilton and helping him gain the upper hand. As the Senior Partners begin to exact their vengeance, Angel tells Connor to go home to his foster parents assuring him that as long as Connor is safe, the Partners can never destroy Angel.
Angel: After the Fall
The comic series Angel: After the FallAngel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
, picks up immediately after the events of television series. As Connor sprints home as ordered by Angel, he debates going back before invariably drawn into the battle when the whole city is sent to hell by Senior Partners. A veteran of hell already, he takes it on himself to provide humans and good demons sanctuary. Along to help him are the benevolent werewolf Nina Ash, the mutant Gwen Raiden and the vampire Spike. Connor also becomes much closer to his father as he joins Angel's newest battle to wrestle back control of the city from Demon Lords. Part of his story surrounds a romance between him and Gwen, which ends when he discovers Gwen has betrayed the team.
Following the event, Gunn
Charles Gunn
Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon...
causes Illyria to revert to her demonic form and she decides to wholly collapse time - and with it all existence. In an attempt to prevent Angel and his team from stopping Illyria, Gunn mortally wounds Connor. Connor pleads with Angel not to let the Senior Partners win and assures him that he is a good person whether or not he is a vampire and dies in Angel's arms. He is restored to life when Angel provokes Gunn into killing him, forcing the Senior Partners to turn back time to the moment of the original alleyway fight in the television finale. Thus restoring all those who have died since the city was sent to hell, but with all their memories of the intervening time intact.
Spike: After the Fall
Spike: After the Fall, a companion piece to Angel: After the Fall, shows how Connor came about to form his alliance with Spike shortly after Los Angelus went to hell. Connor appears when Spike and Illyria are in a violent showdown with a group of demonic women. Catching the demonic leader off-guard, he rescues the last human hostage and then has to be rescued by Spike. On their second encounter, the two strikes up a connection immediately leading to their joint crusade of saving the remaining humans.Future appearances
Connor is set to appear in the future arcs of Angel and Faith, not necessarily as a regular. Report also imply his appearance in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season NineBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine is the sequel to the Season Eight comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
.
Creation and casting
The intent for Conner's character was to put "Angel in an emotional space." He was meant to give Angel more to live for than just the usual "day to day" living he was experiencing. "Plus, I just love the idea of this embarrassing effect of a one-night stand” Joss WhedonJoss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
explained in his decision to introduce Angel’s son The character was given the Irish name Connor, meaning ‘counselor’ or 'helping warrior', to match Angel's Irish ancestry. Three different babies, Connor, Jake and Trenton Tupen, who are triplets were chosen to portray Connor, so that neither of them has to remain on the set for very long.
Baby Connor was one of the main focuses of season three, but the creators were well aware of the limitations of a baby character. So with Connor’s initial role in plot decided upon, they came up with the concept of 'teenage' version for further appearances.
23 years old Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Paul Kartheiser is an American actor known for playing Connor in Angel and Pete Campbell in Mad Men.-Early life:Kartheiser was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Janet Marie and James Ralph Kartheiser...
, at that time was looking for something stable to work on from usual feature movies. He was send the role by his agent, along with tapes of all previous seasons and decided to audition. The producers wanted the character to be a surprise to audience, so not even Kartheiser was informed that he was trying out for Angel's son. Instead he auditioned for a character created for the purpose of audition, ‘the Street Kid’, a normal teenager who has Angel as his guardian. "Right away everyone kind of had a good feeling about me joining the cast" Vincent said. "It seemed that I just fit right in." After he was told his real role 'Angel's son, a demon killer from Quor'toth’ Kartheiser was excited, but confused about his portrayal thinking that the character's to have a "living-in-the-brush kind of ‘failed being’ attitude"; until he was corrected to just "stand up straight, normal voice" and let a regular boy come on. Connor's role of a formidable fighter, however, required rigorous physical work from the actor and Kartheiser joked he did not know he "had to be 'Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
'", but admitted that it is great to play a "truly badass" character. Vincent Kartheiser was contracted for three episodes at the end of season three, with an option to pick him up further.
Connor, despite being the son of two ‘vampires’ is meant to be ‘human’, with otherwise super powers. Due to this, he wasn’t given the vampire makeup of the series. Kartheiser expressed his simultaneous joy and dismay at this, considering makeup an added benefit for the character and agreeing that the lack of it saved him much time. Initially clad in animal skin, and then in different pairs of jeans, t-shirts and jackets, the concept behind Connor’s wardrobe was that, unconcerned with this world’s fashion sense he 'just took whatever was available'. Yet, one interviewer notices his clothing to be "conservative [..] for somebody who's never seen an advert". Kartheiser was critical of Connor's hair style calling it 'David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
hair-do' and feeling it was a 'little bit heavy'.
Development
Characteristic to Josh Whedon's characters, Connor goes through drastic changes with the series progression. Introduced as an 'impossible birth' at the start of season three, as an infant, the character still had little chance of his own development. So he became an agent for evolution of others; Darla through him, redeems herself of her villainous acts spanning over two television series, and WesleyWesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel...
transform from a goofy sidekick to a brooding anti-hero. Once these developments came in fruition, the creators choose to upgrade Connor to a teen. Taking advantage of the fantasy genre they were able to accelerate his growth within a few weeks of the show's normal timeline. Thus unaffecting the ages of the rest of the characters and setting up stage for the next act. The mid of season three sees the infant kidnapped by Angel's long-term adversary Holtz
Daniel Holtz
Daniel Holtz is a fictional character on the television series Angel. He was played by Keith Szarabajka.-Character history:Holtz was an 18th century English vampire hunter who chased Angelus and Darla through much of Europe and North Africa. He had connections to an elite order of Inquisitors...
and taken to a hell dimension, where "time moves differently" explained David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt is an American screenwriter, director and producer.He was the co-executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-creator of its spinoff, Angel. He is also co-creator of the short-lived cult television show Profit...
, "we didn't want to raise a baby for 18 years."
Connor returns towards the end of the season as an angry, intense and volatile teenager who is "quite the hunter, quite the killer" and vindictive towards Angel. Mere Smith
Mere Smith
Mere Smith is a American television script-writer who wrote a number of episodes of the series Angel. She was also the executive story editor and script coordinator for 66 episodes from 1999 to 2003....
elaborated "Holtz has brought up Connor to hate his father, his father is the devil as far as Holtz is concerned and he tells Connor that" This development allowed the writers to explore, in Connor, a unique 'foil' to protagonists because he was established to be "deep down" much like Angel himself. Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
further characterized Connor by his strong need for family "because he's never had one" and "conflicted" personality triggered by his upbringing. As such, much of the development Connor has in season three to four is his continuous shifting alliances between protagonists and antagonists unable to decide where he belong or find his purpose for being. Another running theme through these seasons was his alienation of this world "All the worsts parts of our world kind of attacks him at the same time that gives him the idea that this is a hell dimension too." Vincent Kartheiser explained, further saying that he thinks Connor's constant conflict was because Angel and he did not get time to deal with their issues leaving Connor vulnerable to manipulation against him by outside parties.
The season four also sees the writers exploring teenage sexually through him; in a small arc with Faith with whom Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for working on Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. He has also written "Swell", a story in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight comic series, and served as a consulting producer...
compared him in their characterization of misguided youth with superpowers; and the overarching arc with his father's love Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
. Later in the series, Connor's attraction to women senior his age becomes a running gag. "I've always had a thing for older women" He sheepishly explains his attention towards Illyria in "Origin." For the Connor-Cordelia-Angel triangle Jeffrey Bell talked about taking inspiration from Arthurian Legend's
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
. Whedon noted that while he already have decided that Cordelia and Connor were going to have sex, the story had to be changed and move faster because Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Carpenter
Charisma Lee Carpenter is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cordelia Chase in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. In her most recent film she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason...
became pregnant. The Cordelia plotline in addition gave writers opportunity to explain Connor's birth via Jasmine; a character brought in to replace Carpenter as final villain. Taking Jasmine as a base point the writers started connecting back the dots they've set up in previous seasons. In words of DeKnight "Its always been the big mystery of, how and why does Darla and Angel have a child, 'cause vampires are sterile. We find out this miracle birth was created kind of like a secret ingredient all planned out to sleep with Cordelia and create this superbeing."
Regarding the resolution of the character at season four and dropping of Kartheiser from regular cast, Minear said that they had an idea at the conception of teenage Connor that he would only last a season. But changed his original "violent, morbid" send-off to a relatively happy one, citing their likability of actor and character the reason; also because it was "nice to give someone a happy ending for once." Kartheiser was satisfied with his character's resolution because the issue between Angel and Connor was finally confronted:
"That to me is the soul of the character. The name of the show is Angel so it all comes back to him. For Connor, everything stems from this place with Angel and Holtz, and when we got the opportunity for him to let that out, I think he came out of his tough shell and showed a little bit of his sensitivity. He showed that he was hurt by his father and that he was hurt by Holtz."The last scene of Angel watching memory wiped Connor dine with his new family and slipping away quietly was Whedon's idea, derived from 1937's classic movie Stella Dallas
Stella Dallas (1937 film)
Stella Dallas is a 1937 film based on the Olive Higgins Prouty novel of the same name. It was directed by King Vidor, and stars Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, and Anne Shirley. Stanwyck was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Shirley for Best Actress in a Supporting Role...
, "I've given up my child. I see my child is happy, and does not know me, and I'm happy. That is the thing that made Stella Darlas the greatest, the thing that made this episode work."
Despite Whedon claim that fourth season is a ‘final statement' for Connor, the character makes a return for the fifth. Connor undergoes huge changes this season. He is a polar opposite of his earlier persona. He's a well adjusted, prosperous, sweet young man now, cue to his fake memories of a happy childhood. This season also sees a big development with the long-due reconciliation of father and son; Connor is able to accept and appreciate all Angel had done for him even after his memories return. Minear and Bell were open to and talked about the possibility of character's return to Kartheiser at the end of season four and he has assured them he will be available if the script was good. Following his return, though, Kartheiser isn't sure if the character re-appearance was not only due to the necessity of tying up loose ends after the series cancellation was confirmed.
Connor again returns for After the Fall. Brian Lynch was initially confused about how to incorporate Connor into the story. It was Whedon who hit upon the arc that Connor would follow in the series "Connor's a young kid, he's got powers, he doesn't have any of the bad things, he's not a vampire, so maybe he would enjoy it, and maybe he would be the closest thing to a superhero hell has". So Connor goes onto "fully embracing his qualities and role of a hero" in this comic series. Originally Lynch had planned for Angel’s former girlfriend Nina Ash to be more involved in his storyline, but with time it became clear to him that Connor's story is more about his relationship with Angel. So Nina fell to the wayside and Connor-Angel went on to become a much closer father-son unit. Connor also went from the character Lynch had the most trouble with to the character he enjoys writing most with series progression.
Regarding Connor's upcoming role in Angel & Faith, Whedon joked about time traveling him to the early '60s and making him an ad executive, referencing Kartheiser 's recent role
Pete Campbell
Peter "Pete" Campbell is a fictional character on AMC's television series Mad Men. He is portrayed by Vincent Kartheiser.-Biography:...
in the critically acclaimed television series Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
. Author Christos Gage
Christos Gage
Christos N. "Chris" Gage is an American comic book writer and screenwriter.-Early life:Gage is the son of author and journalist Nicholas Gage. He was born in New York, and grew up in Athens, Greece, and then North Grafton, Massachusetts...
described the necessity of Connor's appearance with "otherwise Angel is just a deadbeat Dad!"
Merchandising
Several pieces of merchandise, based on Angel television and comicAngel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
series, featuring Connor have been released. These merchandise includes a few action figures, but more prominently novels and spin-off comic books. Connor stars as a regular in After the Falls spin-off Aftermath and one-shot Angel Yearbook. He is the title character of Connor: Spotlight. Continuing his appearances in other media, Connor stars in novels Dark Mirror
Dark Mirror (Angel novel)
Dark Mirror is an original novel based on the U.S. television series Angel. Tagline: "What is the true reflection of a champion?" .-Plot summary:...
, Love and Death
Love and Death (Angel novel)
Love and Death is an original novel based on the U.S. television series Angel. Tagline: "It's open season on monsters."-Plot summary:Huge numbers of demon-killers are descending upon L.A., provoked by outspoken radio host Mac Lindley...
, and Monolith
Monolith (Angel novel)
Monolith is a novel by John Passarella set in the fictional universe of the U.S. television series Angel. Tagline:'The two in opposition must agree.'-Plot summary:Like other parents, Angel wishes he could understand his son, Connor...
. These appearances, though a part of official merchandise, are not considered canon
Buffyverse canon
The Buffyverse canon consists of materials that are thought to be genuine and those events, characters, settings, etc., that are considered to have inarguable existence within the fictional universe established by the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
.
Reviews and analysis
Vincent Kartheiser received repeated compliments for his professionalism and ability to bring much to his character by the shows cast and crew "You can bet the family fortune on this kid, he can really do it," stated director Vern GillumVern Gillum
Vern Gillum is an American television director.His most notable directorial work includes a number of episodes from each of the television series The Big Easy, The Untouchables, Miami Vice, Angel, Profiler, Law & Order and Pros and Cons...
. Producer Tim Minear, described Vincent, one of the main reasons of their avoidance of giving the character a ghastly send-off as planned before, “We’ve all grown so fond of the character and the actor that we didn’t want do that.” Although fans and critics reception to Vincent’s portrayal of the disturbed teen was also very positive, the character himself and his storylines, turned out to be controversial.
His story arc with 'Cordelia' particularly evoked attention. This sexual relation with his surrogate mother, coupled with his struggles to kill his father, led to speculations that mythical Greek figure Oedipus
Oedipus
Oedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. He fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, and thus brought disaster on his city and family...
, was the inspiration for the character. and references to Arthurian Legend were also made. Most responses to this couple were negative. Darkworlds.coms columnist Amy Berner declared them a "finalist in the Most Disturbing Couple In Television History“. Jennifer Crusie
Jennifer Crusie
Jennifer Crusie is a pseudonym for Jennifer Smith, a bestselling and award winning author of contemporary romance novels. She has written over 15 novels, which have been published in 20 countries.-Biography:...
in her academic essay "The Assassination of Cordelia Chase" complained that this plotline led to the destruction of Cordelia's character. Charisma Carpenter herself, despite previously noted to have fun portraying the role, became critical of the storyline overtime declaring her character’s seduction of a teenage boy creepy. Yet, few gave a positive response. Liz Gasto of Moviefreak.com included the Angel-Cordelia-Connor triangle in the plus points of fourth season. Underland.com praised the plotline as a "very King Arthur like tale of love and betrayal." Another group was neutral towards the development. Jes Battis in his book Blood Relations: Chosen Families in Buffy and Angel, simply observed that the relationship completes the already present “circuit of erotic incest within Buffy and Angel”. Jean Lorrah
Jean Lorrah
Jean Lorrah is a science fiction and fantasy author. She has produced several Star Trek novels and often collaborated with Jacqueline Lichtenberg. Her most recent work with Lichtenberg is on the Sime - Gen Universe...
in her academic essay "A World Without Love: The Failure of Family in Angel" agreed with previous statement, further noting that Connor himself is the product of a relationship with incestuous tones ”Angel is seduced by Darla, formerly his sire (mother), now his granddaughter [..] Connor’s life, unbeknownst to either parent, has begun.”
Connor’s main storyline, his relationship with his father, received mixed to positive reviews. Ben from thescifichristian.com was not fond of the initial episodes with baby Connor because Angel wasted time “baby-talking”, but loved the development with teenage Connor “The [third] season ends with a great storyline as Connor returns [..] and betrays Angel.” Jes Battis, praised the father/son dynamics to be “highly dramatic and (engagingly perverse)”. Journalist Sarah D. Bunting
Sarah D. Bunting
Sarah D. Bunting, also known online as Sars, is an American blogger and journalist, co-founder of Television without Pity...
was a little critical, calling Connor "a frustrating character" she wrote that while his ”twitchy, PTSD-ish" interactions sounds genuine, they become old too quick because of lack of real development in Angel and Connor's relationship in most of season four. Kartheiser himself expressed a similar concern "There were parts of the season [..] it felt like I was doing the same scene over and over. Towards the end of the season I was really happy about the chances I was getting." This last statement is echoed in Jamie Pool's review, who called the “ending” to Connor "emotionally satisfying", despite noting him to not have been particularly endearing through most of the rest of the season. S.Wiebe of eclipsemagazine.com, however, described Connor’s overall characterization "sharp" with "really intriguing sub-textual material’ and among the saving graces of the season. Strega of Television Without Pity, also praised the character's psychology, "The thing I like most is that they've not only created a teenager who doesn't just feel like he's the most alienated person in the world -- he actually is," and " I love how unloved Connor [thinks he] is…” Jean Lorrah, said: "The Darla-Angel-Connor-Jasmine arc [is] surely one of the most ambitious story arcs any television show has ever attempted“ Cityofangels.coms Tara DiLullo summed up:
"Vincent Kartheiser [Connor] had a challenging year playing Angel’s errant son, to say the least. While audiences may have hoped for a reconciliation between the two, it was never meant to be. Connor instead started and remained [..] as petulant and unsympathetic as many teens are in real life. [His pairing with] Cordelia completely fouled just about everyone and made him the whipping boy for fan ire. But [Vincent] earns serious kudos for his amazing last inning transformation of Connor from brat to tragic figure worthy of pity and understanding in Peace Out and Home. That Vincent was able to redeem Connor in such a short time is a true feat in itself and it was singularly responsible for making the finale as heartbreaking and haunting as it ended up being."
Revamped Connor’s few appearances in "Angels" final season were generally praised. Phoenix from cityofangel.com, declared his return “triumphant”, saying that this “shy, sweet, happy young man” is the kid Angel always wanted and “for the audience, a version of the character finally worth liking and supporting.” Roz Kaveney in his essay "A Sense of the Ending: Schrödinger's Angel" praised the new Connor as a “heroic youth”. Writer Brian Lynch admitted that he did not love season four's Connor, but "really liked him" in season five "when he came back and he was well adjusted."
Connor's name is often mentioned with Buffy the Vampire Slayers, Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...
, younger sister to Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
similarly created to give a strong emotional connection to the titular character. Four years after the cancellation of the Angel, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
included 'Connor' alongwith 'Dawn’ in their list of classic TV cliché of ‘Adding a Kid’ as a last ditch effort to save a dying show. However they refused to comment if his addition was a good or bad choice in order to avoid swamping themselves from irate fans of either side. David Hofstede in his book What Were They Thinking? openly criticized Connor and Dawn’s addition, appointing them number No.98 in his list of "100 Dumbest Events in Television History".
Connor has also been analyzed and compared with other male characters of the series in terms of the presentation and evolution of masculinity in fiction. In Erin B. Waggoner's book "Sexual rhetoric in the works of Joss Whedon" he found it interesting that the ancient Oedipus complex
Oedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
continue to be used as a way to underscore ones masculinity, but added that "Connor is not the only one [..] Angel, Wes, Spike and even Fred
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...
(through Gunn
Charles Gunn
Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon...
) kill father or father figures inorder to come into their own as individuals." Further citing Gwen's role among Connor and Gunn in the comic series triangle, he observed the unrelenting use of women as a device for men to shore up. Stacey Abbott of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
said that taken alone Connor may seem a stereotypical teen boy, but considered together with rest of the cast offers a complex image of modern masculinity. He also compared Connor's journey with others interms of 'identity', which he considers a poignant theme within the series. He found it ironic that Connor "initially the most damaged of all the characters" conflicted from his many different identities in addition to being the peculiar case of spawn of two vampires and growing up in hell, was the only one able to "reconcile his actions and new man existence together" and be at peace with himself in the end.
Connor's appearance as a regular in After the Fall, was initially met with dismay by some fans. IDW
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
representative Chris Ryall
Chris Ryall
Christopher "Chris" Ryall is best known as the Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief of IDW Publishing , and as a writer in the comic book industry. In February 2011, his Eisner Award-nominated series, Zombies vs. Robots, co-created with artist Ashley Wood, was optioned by Sony Pictures for...
, responded to these complaints with optimism assuring the fans that they will be “won over” by the character, just the way he has been, by the time the series will end. True to his words, After The Fall’s, Connor was received much positively. Brian Lynch confirmed this in an interview, stating that Connor has not only been the most pleasantly surprising character for him to write, he has been the most surprising for the fans as well, ”Connor was a great character on the TV show but, I don’t think he was ever a favorite. But he’s slowly but surely become one of the most popular characters in After The Fall, which is wonderful.”
Further saying that he himself like the character so much now, he wants to do a book called 'Son of Angel' based on him.
External Links
- Connor at the Buffyverse WikiWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...