Maybe it's just because they don't actually have a lot of scenes in Buffy season 3 or Angel season 1 but I think the chemistry went up a lot for season 4.

I've been a fan of the Buffyverse for as long as I can remember and I can never understand Lindsey's endgame in "Soul Purpose", I know he wants to join the Circle of the Black Thorn, but why bring the amulet to Sunnydale hoping Angel wear it but Spike ended up wearing instead, and then Lindsey returns impersonating Doyle which gets Spike to be a champion fighting for the Powers That Be.

Idgi

What's in this Post comment is what I remember, my opinions, etc.

Most--really, almost all--TV shows and movies don't do 'chemistry tests'.

For TV, the only 'chemistry test' done that I'm aware of was during the casting of The Vampire Diaries for the choosing of the actor to play Stefan Salvatore after Nina Dobrev was cast as Elena Gilbert.

For movies, sometimes the director will have the lead actor or actress choose their on-screen romantic partner out of a bunch of choices. But even then, a 'chemistry test' is relatively rare.

For almost all movies and TV shows, actors are cast and then shoved together if the script pairs people in sexual, romantic, friendship, or familial relationships.

Regarding The Vampire Diaries, a 'chemistry test' wasn't done with Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder (who played Damon Salvatore).

Regarding Gossip Girl, 'chemistry tests' weren't done. It just happened that Blake Lively and Penn Badgely were childhood friends who had been home-schooled together. But they hadn't dated each other before being cast in the show as Serena van der Woodsen and Daniel Humphrey, respectively.

Regarding Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't have a 'chemistry test' with any of her potential on-screen love interests. The casting director saw David Boreanaz walking his dog and cast him effectively just because he looks like David Boreanaz.

Also regarding Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon intended for Juliet Landau to play the role of Drusilla. She didn't have to audition for the role. The casting came down to 3 Spike finalists and she effectively chose James Marsters out of the 3. But she didn't have casting power over that. And Julie and James didn't have a 'chemistry test'.

For Sex Education, it doesn't seem 'chemistry tests' were done. I think Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson were just offered the roles. The rest of the cast auditioned. But there wasn't a 'chemistry test' done between Asa Butterfield (Otis Milburn) and Emma Mackey (Maeve Wiley) and there wasn't one done between Asa and Mimi Keene (Ruby Matthews).

For movies, the months-long movie shoots and the filming locations meaning that people are 'away together' for months-straight can lead to costars getting into sexual or romantic relationships. And that can translate into great-to-superb on-screen chemistry because the feelings on-camera are real off-camera.

For a TV show, without having a successful 'chemistry test', it's extremely rare for a pairing to have great-to-superb on-screen chemistry because TV shows are 'just a job'. People go to work and then go home after. Given how long a TV show lasts, many don't want to have sexual relationships or romantic relationships with each other because breakups can make for awkwardness and such when you still have to work together for perhaps years longer.

Having on-screen 'friendship chemistry' is generally easier in a TV show or movie because actors generally have to get along enough to do the months-long movie or TV shoot. They are at least somewhat forced to be friendly with each other just to make the work tolerable enough. But even then, on-screen 'friendship chemistry' is generally better between those who are actual friends off-screen.

In conclusion, when people say 'on-screen chemistry' they mean that 'it looks real'. And that's why it's so special. Because it's so rare.

For movies, it happens generally because actors actually get or had gotten romantically involved. The only example I know of in which that didn't happen is Troy with Brad Pitt and Rose Bryne.

For TV shows, it may happen for that reason or it happens because a 'chemistry test' was done or it's just luck.

Serena van der Woodsen/Daniel Humphrey (Blake Lively and Penn Badgely) of Gossip Girl

Elena Gilbert, Katerina Petrova aka Katherine Pierce/Stefan Salvatore etc. (Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley aka 'Dobsely') of The Vampire Diaries

Otis Milburn/Ruby Matthews (Asa Butterfield and Mimi Keene) of Sex Education

Buffy Anne Summers/Angel (Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz) of the Buffyverse

Buffy Anne Summers/Spike (SMG and James Marsters) of the Buffyverse

Spike/Drusilla (James Marsters and Juliet Landau) of the Buffyverse

That level of on-screen romantic chemistry is extremely rare.

POLL: Best on-screen sexual or romantic chemistry in the Buffyverse (poll order based on this: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118276/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q)

If you could have written a hypothetical Fred-Centric episode on Angel, what would its' plot have been? She's such a cutie.

I’ve watched this show since it aired. When I was a kid, you could give me a season and episode number and I could tell you what the episode was called and what it was about.

It’s been about 6 years since I’ve rewatched last but something that keeps cracking me up is moments when Angel is like “I don’t breathe.”

But then he’s constantly shown out of breath 🤣😂. I love it.

just starting the show for the first time, but a long-time Buffy fan. im only halfway through season 1, no spoilers please!

Ive noticed that repeatedly they show Angel drinking coffee (or making allusions to it) and drinking beer. In the BTVS series, none of the vampires ever eat or drink anything besides blood, and its never even mentioned as an option. What is the lore behind this? It really pulls me out of the show every time he talks about drinking coffee, as silly as that sounds.

Honestly I had just always assumed human food/drinks would be detrimental to their health, as they are technically corpses with demons inhabiting their bodies, so their organs wouldnt be able to digest food properly (its mentioned multiple times in BTVS and ATS that their bodies/organs do not function as a human). Similar to in What We Do In The Shadows vampire lore.

EDIT: i wanted to respond to each comment individually, thanks everyone for clearing this up! despite watching BTVS probably 3 or 4 times over i somehow totally forgot spikes alcohol/onion/buffalo/weetabix consumption. which is wild to me as the scenes where those things happen are some of my favourite minor character moments, seeing a vampire desire a blooming onion is a really funny juxtaposition.

i think it makes sense to say that they can eat food, but it doesnt really offer much besides the ability to blend in or a very small amount of satisfaction from the taste/texture. someone mentioned that spikes food interests are usually things with strong tastes (alcohol/onions/buffalo wings) or interesting textures (weetabix). or angels coffee drinking. or they would smoke and drink alcohol for the chemical effects of doing so. it would make sense that the foods that vampires go for would be things with strong enough flavours to overpower their weak tastebuds.

i also have already come to terms with the fact that sometimes within BTVS/ATS (or any tv show for that matter) the lore will just have to bend to the plot in that moment sometimes, and we just have to suspend our disbelief to allow that.

Both are overpowered Mary Sues until they nerfed Illyria in Time Bomb, but if both of them with their fully powered selves fought each other what would the fight be like? Could Alice take Illyria?

Illyria fully powered

​

Alice in Resident Evil

Angel and Cordelia failed mentioned to Connor that Daniel Holtz purposely threatened to kill Connor by breaking his neck if Angel tried to save Connor from Daniel Holtz. Angel was unwilling reluctantly let Daniel Holtz kidnapped Connor to save Connor from nearly almost killed by Daniel and not let Wolfram And Hart Enterprise experiment on him and use him for personal gain. Connor's real family didn't tell Connor what's really happening about how Connor was kidnapped by Daniel Holtz from the beginning. Connor's surrogate mom Cordelia didn't mention anything happening to Connor because she failed him just like they failed Connor too.

I wish Connor's real family tells Connor what really happened of Connor got kidnapped by Daniel Holtz that tragic night same day he was kidnapped.

Oh God, I wish they tell Connor that at fanfiction.

They didn't have many interactions but when they did interact it was fun and I saw some chemistry. However, maybe I'm wrong about this, but I think they're often shipped just because they're both 'street' and similar for being the same class which is very unromantic and would make a terrible wedding speech so I've never been a real shipper for them.

I may be jealous of my flair, acquired ages ago, but what do all the Angel Investigation folks here say?

I'm halfway through season 4 in my rewatch, and I guess the only thing that makes it super hard for me to watch is how Charisma looks so uncomfortable and Cordelia as we know her is completely gone.

I am living for the drama between all of the characters! How none of them really like each other anymore at this point when they used to be family, except for Lorne who nobody could ever have beef with! Them going to the ballet is a whole lifetime ago! And yet they are still connected and committed to the mission, and I love that about them. I also feel like Wesley was way out of line kissing Fred and messing with Gunn, but I am LOVING the tension between Wes and Gunn rn. It's tragic in a delicious way.

( I don't even mind this time that Cordy slept with Connor because that really pissed Angel off and the tension between them was so good.)

I love how dark this season is, almost overwhelmingly so with the no sun thing, but the only thing I suppose is missing for me is Cordelia's personality or presence if that makes sense?

In rewatching Angel I am appalled by how often Cordelia is subjected to horrible, traumatizing experiences. She is kidnapped and tortured and assaulted and abused over and over and over again. It’s not subtle and kind of gross…

"I wish to do more violence," tickles me everytime. Sad that I've finished watching angel. Appreciated the journey though!