Cordelia Chase, played by Charisma Carpenter, is one of Sunnydale High's popular rich girls on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Starting out as a foil to protagonist Buffy, Cordelia quickly becomes a reluctant member of the demon-fighting Scoobies. Three seasons later, she joins spin-off series Angel as Girl Friday to Angel's vampire detective. Throughout her development on both series, Cordelia goes through remarkable--and controversial--changes to emerge as one of writer/creator Joss Whedon's most intriguing female characters.
Cordelia's tendency to speak her mind gets her into trouble as often as it is her saving grace. Consider the following lines of Cordelia, the youngest daughter in King Lear: "I want that glib and oily art/To speak and purpose not; since what I well intend,/I'll do't before I speak." (I.i.231-3) Shakespeare's Cordelia loses her share of Lear's inheritance because she does not embellish her speech; similarly, Cordelia's brutal honesty wins her no friends, though she does have a clique.
In "Earshot" (Buffy 3x18), Buffy temporarily gains telepathic powers, through which she hears others' thoughts. The discrepancy between people's thoughts and their outward speech is shown for comic effect, but Cordelia's words and thoughts are identical. Although one may interpret this as a sign of Cordelia's unintelligence, her behaviour in other episodes indicates otherwise. Indeed, her habit of saying exactly what she thinks is a trait that she displays consistently on Buffy and Angel. As she tells Giles, "Tact is just not saying true stuff...I'll pass." (Buffy 2x18)
Joining the Scoobies
The first turning point for Cordelia comes when Marcie Ross tries to kill her (Buffy 1x11). This episode marks the first time she experiences the supernatural, and it also includes the first meaningful interaction she has with the Scoobies. She even thanks them for saving her life, prompting Xander to remark, "That's funny, 'cause she looks like Cordelia." Most importantly, the episode provides some insight into Cordelia's motivations. "It's not like any of [the clique] really know me," she tells Buffy. "I don't even know if they like me half the time. People just want to be in a popular zone. Sometimes when I talk, everyone's so busy agreeing with me, they don't hear a word I say."
Cordelia proves to be a loyal affiliate of the Scoobies, although friction continues to exist between her and the rest of the gang. Indeed, her role as a source of conflict within the Scoobies is not limited to snarky comments; her relationship with Xander becomes a contentious issue with both Willow and Buffy. By graduation, Cordelia becomes somewhat of an outsider: not being a 'core' Scoobie, and possessing no means to attend college, she moves to Los Angeles.
After Graduation: Angel Investigations
The first season of Angel shows both Cordelia and Angel struggling to find their place in the world, and in the process, re-inventing themselves. Indeed, Cordelia's transformation from damsel in distress to a hero prompts Wesley and Angel to state, on separate occasions, how she has become an "extraordinary woman".
Near-poverty and desperation are new experiences for Cordelia, and they allow her to truly empathise with others for the first time. After receiving Doyle's visions, she is literally able to feel others' pain, and starts to display the open compassion and wisdom that become her defining traits. She lifts Angel out of depression after Buffy's death by assuring him that he's a "good guy who's still fighting and trying to help people. That's not betraying [Buffy]; that's honouring her." (Angel 3x1) Though she initially tries to get rid of the visions--she didn't consent to receiving them, after all--she soon accepts them as part of her identity. One of her greatest deeds occurs in "Birthday" (Angel 3x11), when she reverses the alternative timeline that makes her a Hollywood star and Angel the recipient of the visions.
Ascension and Beyond
In the end, Cordelia's ascension and its aftermath are revealed to be part of a conspiracy to facilitate Jasmine's birth. In retrospect, this makes her uncharacteristic behaviour in season 4 somewhat easier to take--especially her much-reviled relationship with Connor. Unfortunately, most of the subsequent story arcs are predicated on the resulting pregnancy, eventually causing her death. The conspiracy also robs her of any agency. Cordelia's heroism--even the altruistic move of becoming part-demon--is somewhat undermined by the fact that she had been manipulated to birth Jasmine. It is disappointing that her character comes so far in eight years to end up being a mere pawn.
Cordelia's storyline comes to a close in her final appearance in "You're Welcome" (Angel 5x12). Instead of leaving her in a postpartum coma for the rest of the series, the episode brings closure for her and the pregnancy arc. "The Powers That Be owed me one," Cordelia tells Angel, "and I didn't waste it. I got my guy back on track." Self-sacrificing to the last, Cordelia's deal with The Powers That Be helps Angel defeat the Circle of the Black Thorn. For proponents of a Cordelia/Angel romance, and for those who might've wished for a more empowering end for their favourite ex-cheerleader, the episode is bittersweet. Cordelia dies soon after she and Angel share their first and only real kiss.
Final Thoughts on Cordelia
It's easy to misunderstand Cordelia. From her earliest appearances on Buffy to her astonishing maturation on Angel, Cordelia is in turn princess (literally, in alternative dimension Pylea), damsel in distress, champion, and pawn of evil. Her development over the years make her one of the most fascinating--and frustrating--characters in the Buffy and Angel universe.
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