Tobit - the link to TPTB....and Big Bad...

[Drew]

This thread is about the character that will be Angel's new official link to The Powers That Be.

For now, we are affectionately calling him Alan due to the fact that, from the very beginning, we have imagined Alan Tudyk (of Firefly fame) in this role. If you don't know who Alan Tudyk or Wash is, go buy the Firefly DVDs. You'll be glad you did.

Anyway, the first order of business should be naming him something other than Alan.

And what we have for this role so far is:

1) He may be the one to save Angel and Co. from the alley of doom.
2) He is there to set Angel on the path after the events of last season. TPTB are trying to balance things and, above all, they will do things their way. If Angel doesn't comply, then Alan and TPTB may get pissed. But we've been thinking things will go pretty smoothly.

That last sentance was a joke, of course.

3) Angel and Co. will trust him...for awhile, at least.
4) He does NOT have visions. (makes things hard on us - but we're sick of visions)
5) He will be the counterpoint to Grace. They are both working towards different goals. Eventually, around midseason, he will figure out who she is, and try to stop her.
6) very manipulative

So after naming him, another big question is: Who is this guy?

Where did he come from? He didn't just pop into existence. He needs a history. Like Doyle and Cordelia (no visions!). Is he a demon? Human? How long has he been linked to TPTB? How exactly is he linked to TPTB?

Let's go to work.

[Drew]

Oh, and when we get a name, I'll change the name of this thread to compensate.

I had an idea about him being the Big Bad of sorts. Since TPTB is trying to balance things and he is working on the side of good with Angel, then maybe we could have him working with some bad guys, too. Some demons.

We could do it this way:
For a few episodes Angel could be fighting a big group of demons or just a powerful demon with some lackeys. And we know this demon group is getting instructions from someone that we haven't seen. Maybe the leader is always in the shadows or something like that. But then we finally see that person - and it is Alan (end of an episode). That is the first time we know that Alan is not so great.

I haven't thought it through too much.

Oh yeah, and the reason he may not have visions is that they would do no good. Visions focused on single cases of demon violence, but since things are so disrupted, this calls for broader swoops to balance things out. So I don't know how that should manifest itself, but - does that make any sense?

Sorry, onto naming.

[PuppetCancer]

I was under the impression that the PTBs did not want Angel in their corner anymore. that they are upset for him unbalancing things

[Drew]

PuppetCancer said:

I was under the impression that the PTBs did not want Angel in their corner anymore. that they are upset for him unbalancing things

I think the way we are going is:
Grace sent the last Cordy vision, making Angel do the things he did.
TPTB are unhappy about that. But they are not going to come out and say that they did not send that vision. So they are unhappy with Angel, but they are also still going to use him to do what they want.
Tell me if that doesn't make sense.

[Dismas]

If Alan's character is a servant of the Powers he shouldn't be evil, in the sense that Wolfram & Hart or any of the previous villians are evil. The Powers That Be aren't evil, they just have a different agenda than what's best for mankind. Is this really the kind of character who will secretly lead a gang of demons? Do the Powers do that sort of thing?

We're choosing a Big Bad who is neither big nor bad. We've got our work cut out for us. How is this guy going to be a threat? We know he's manipulative but we haven't given him an agenda.

LA is plunged into chaos to start the season, so this character will probably do everything he can to help Angel quell the violence and restore order. The kind of order Alan tries to create might be different than what Angel has in mind. Maybe he'll let a new Black Circle assemble.

Maybe I should focus on the characterization of this guy instead of worrying about these bigger issues about the Power's master plan. Those belong in other threads.

PuppetCancer, your comment makes perfect sense to me. They won't tell Angel they didn't send the vision. Angel (and Grace) will have to figure that out themselves.

[chris]

I have to agree I don't like the idea of the powers' link being the big bad as they aren't really evil as u said. Sure make him shady so Angel doesn't really trust him and things but I think a different big bad would work better.

[Doyle]

Technically, the PTB are the big bad this season. With W&H out of the picture, the balance between order and chaos is out of whack.

The PTB worked the same as W&H: they manipulated people and events for their own cause. Just because they're "good" doesn't mean them having a run of things is a good thing. To much of anything isn't good.

[Drew]

The term "Big Bad" is just convenient. We could call him the "Big Problem" - that might be more accurate, but also really lame.

[LizaP]

This is probably really hokey but how about naming the Alan character something British - like Desmond or Clive - something that sounds vaguely foreign but is recognizable as English (which maybe could explain some of his background, somehow) - this kind of follows the pattern of having a knowlege source be English - Giles and Wes were both British. Not that this new guy is going to be a Watcher, but the tradition Joss set is that English guys have lots of knowlege.

[chris]

LizaP said:

This is probably really hokey but how about naming the Alan character something British - like Desmond or Clive

They're not really that British those names! Do like that point though. And British guys do make good bad guys hehe

[Drew]

Here are some names I came up with:

Tobias (nickname: Toby)
Atlas (nickname: At....las...)
Earnest
Ernest (nickname for both: Ernie)
Stuart (nickname: Stew or Stu)
Forrest
Chase

Of those, i like Earnest or Ernest the best (which is the best/correct spelling) - you know because his intentions aren't the best (at least according to Angel, once he finds out).
Tobias is also kind of nice. But for the lame reason that it has the word "bias" in the name. And it would be ironic that Alan doesn't have a bias for either side - good or evil. But that might be a stretch.
Also, Atlas is a good middle name. Probably too heavy-handed in terms of a first name. Possible last name.

[chris]

I like Stuart! For some reason I just think of Sesame Street when I hear Ernie but that's just me. What about giving him the name of a classic hero? Someone from old myths like Jason. A name of a hero for a doubtful hero?

[LizaP]

Keeping with the idea that the name is a reflection of the core of the character, I vote for Ernest. He could get stuck with all kinds of nicknames, Spike is really good at never calling people their name and maybe one of the nicknames would stick, in a friendly way, or maybe one of the nicknames would be for when he's going against them.

[LizaP]

Oh, one more comment -

In the Apocraphya (the books of the bible that the King James version deleted), the book of Tobit talks about Tobit walking with an angel .. and his little dog ... and not knowing it's an angel. So if Ernest doesnt' get the thumbs up, maybe Tobias (or Tobit) would work. OR maybe as a last name?

This is also a subtle tie in to my ideas of having animals' thoughts be vocal for one episode - and idea which was glossed over quickly thus telling me it stunk.

[Drew]

How do you pronounce that?

Toe-bit OR Taw-bit?

If it is Toe-bit, I think I kinda like it.

As for the talking animals - aren't a lot of animals in LA (I've never been but it's a big city) - it'd have to take place at the zoo or something.

If you're going to reply to the talking animals thing, go to Single Ep story ideas and we'll continue the discussion there. Thanks!

[chris]

Tobit is good, the meaning is really subtle but effective. It's also a fairly unusual name (in UK at least) which makes him stand out a bit more from your everyday person and does make you think there may be a bit more to him.

[LizaP]

I always pronounced it "Taw-bit".

And I'll punt the talking animals.

[chris]

LizaP said:

I always pronounced it "Taw-bit".

I think it's one of those situations where it depends where you're from, I thought it was 'toe-bit'!

[LizaP]

It probably is pronounced "toe-bit" - which come to think of it sounds much better.

And it is unusual - those who aren't part of the apocraphya cognoscenti wouldn't recognize it and those who are would appreciate the in-joke. Hopefully.

[Joss]

My ideas on "Alan"

First off I think that the name Tobit is good, but just to be safe I am going to call him "Alan" for the rest of this post.

Okay, so I guess the question here is, why do the PTB that were good suddenly go to being the big bads this time around?

You see, Angel eliminated the main players of evil, the big bad mojo behind evil. So he upset the balance, tipped the scales in a huge way. So all of a sudden tbe PTB go from having 50% of the power to having 95% of the power (trust me there's some evil left in the world). Now I think that they want to stay that way, to continue having power. But as they continue being in control the world begins to slip into chaos, things begin to go crazy and destuctive.

Of course the PTB don't give half a fuck about this, they have the power. They want to make sure that they continue having power, that the evil left in the world doesn't make a comeback.

Enter my man "Alan".

Now Angel, he has already been mainpulated for many years (and he did give the PTB all that delicious poweeeeeeeeeer) so I guess that they wouldn't mind to manipulate him for a few more months. They send "Alan" to meet with Angel, and to manipulate Angel into destroying even more evil.

Of course Angel and Gang are trilled to help out.

But of course as the season progresses the world begins to slip into chaos (and the PTB still don't give half a fuck). One of them, probably Grace, discovers that the more evil they destroy, the more that they give power to the PTB, the more chaosy the world gets.

Of course once that they get smart on "Alan" and his power-hungry plans my man can show off his true colors as a Caleb-like villian.

Of course for this to work it would have to be "Alan" and not Grace the one who sent Angel the vision in "You're Welcome"

Think of him as the clean-up guy. The PTB won the war, but there's still a few bodys squirming in the battlefield, so it's his job to put a rifle to their forhead and fire. Or even better, to get Angel to be the one who puts his gun to their forhead and fires.

That's all I have for now.

Let the hating/destuction of my ideas comence.