Partcynic's Angel Review Thread

[partcynic]

2x13 "Happy Anniversary"

Following four dark and emotionally heavy episodes, "Happy Anniversary" is a nice change of pace that provides just enough of a reprieve from the oppressiveness of the arc. Though its plot is typical sci-fi mumbo-jumbo, the episode makes up for it with an abundance of superb material for Lorne and the clearest statement of Angel's worldview yet.

Likes

- Lorne. If you want to enjoy this ep, discard eighty percent of it and just focus on him. In exchange, you get some of the most consistently excellent dialogue/characterisation of the season. Every single thing he said was either witty, clever or insightful (his material is this ep was probably better than everything he got in S4-5 put together), and Andy Hallett stole every scene he was in. The odd couple set-up with he and Angel also worked, but moved beyond predictability due to Lorne's ability to succeed both as a comedic character and a dramatic guide.

- Angel has been getting a bit too dark, so it's good to have him lighten ever so slightly. His chat with Lorne in the car clearly and concisely explained why he's become so cruel and bitter - I'd already gotten it, but it was good to receive a firm declaration.

- Gene was okay. I can't say I was overly concerned with his troubles (if he's such a sad-sack, how did he even get a girlfriend in the first place, let alone keep her for a whole year? It might have been good for him to show some more appealing qualities, and perhaps say that the relationship had petered out due to his dedication to his research), but I understood that he felt pain, and thus got why he did what he did. Amusing final scene, too, with his profuse apologies to Angel and Lorne, as well as Angel finding a bond (of sorts) with him.

- Nice parallels with Gene and Angel. Both are fundamentally decent individuals who are highly focused on work and tend to withdraw from other people. They're also hung-up regarding a specific woman, and when things don't go as they wanted, the solutions they create reveal their short-sightedness, despite not being actively evil. The parallels fall off after that (since Angel's sealing the lawyers in was pretty evil), but there's enough there to think about.

- The minor university characters. They didn't get much material, but what they did get established them as amusing and believable postgrads with distinct personalities.

- More good material for the Angel-less team Angel. They work very well as a group, provide comedy (loved the drawing-room detective bit) and a bit of emotion (brilliant ending with "[Angel]'s just a name").

Dislikes

- I could come down hard on the time-freezing plot, but there's little point, as the tech-speak is supposed to be 'sounds big, says nothing' gobbeldygook, and it doesn't really feel like we're expected to take it seriously. Of course, that's not to say it's good, nor that the physics talk was interesting/entertaining.

- The Lubber demons' plan is stupid. What benefit comes to them/demonkind from assisting Gene in his scheme? Breaching the containment field would result in a stalemate, as both humanity and demons would be frozen in place forever. Hard to see how they consider that a victory.

- I understand why the demons would be lurking at the university and at Gene's apartment block, but what was that group doing on that random street (bringing Angel/Lorne to a stop and attacking them)? I hope they'd been following them, and that it wasn't just due to chance.

Summary

A good, average ep. It doesn't inspire me to sing its praises, but I've no real issues with it, either.

[cyclica]

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Lorne. ... (his material is this ep was probably better than everything he got in S4-5 put together)

That's not difficult- he only has token appearances in about half the episodes in s5.

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Angel has been getting a bit too dark, so it's good to have him lighten ever so slightly. His chat with Lorne in the car clearly and concisely explained why he's become so cruel and bitter - I'd already gotten it, but it was good to receive a firm declaration.

After he set Darla and dru on fire earlier, I was expecting angel to go down a darker path. By this episode, he is already practically back to his old self. Sure, he hasn't had his epiphany yet, but personality-wise he seems little different to how he's always been on the show.

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Gene was okay. I can't say I was overly concerned with his troubles

Me neither. His parts weren't painful to watch, but they were the weakest part of the episode for me.

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- More good material for the Angel-less team Angel. They work very well as a group, provide comedy (loved the drawing-room detective bit) and a bit of emotion (brilliant ending with "[Angel]'s just a name").

I'm surprised they kept angel's name. You'd think they want to name their group after someone they don't like.

The gang doesn't know what angel is up to now, or what side he's on. What if the person who needs help knows who angel is and the bad he has done, or is currently doing? They're not likely to call 'Angel Investigations' for help.

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- I could come down hard on the time-freezing plot, but there's little point, as the tech-speak is supposed to be 'sounds big, says nothing' gobbeldygook, and it doesn't really feel like we're expected to take it seriously. Of course, that's not to say it's good, nor that the physics talk was interesting/entertaining.

- The Lubber demons' plan is stupid. What benefit comes to them/demonkind from assisting Gene in his scheme? Breaching the containment field would result in a stalemate, as both humanity and demons would be frozen in place forever. Hard to see how they consider that a victory.

Agreed.

The story was a bit too science-fiction for me anyway (not that I dislike science fiction, but it doesn't always work in a fantasy setting).

I can buy that demons would want to end the world even at the expense of their own lives, there is precedent in the buffyverse for that, but why such a specific method? Have they been waiting all their lives for someone to invent something that will freeze time? Do they have a religious code that commanded them to freeze time? Why not try to build the machine themselves? What will become of them after the episode is over?

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- I understand why the demons would be lurking at the university and at Gene's apartment block, but what was that group doing on that random street (bringing Angel/Lorne to a stop and attacking them)? I hope they'd been following them, and that it wasn't just due to chance.

They must have been following, though stopping them in the middle of a random street was a bit odd.

Aug 18, 2014 15:42:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

A good, average ep. It doesn't inspire me to sing its praises, but I've no real issues with it, either.

Yup.

[partcynic]

That's not difficult- he only has token appearances in about half the episodes in s5.

I should have thrown S3 in there too. That's when they really boxed the poor guy in to the quipping coward role - I much preferred the Lorne who had his own place (and a backbone).

After he set Darla and dru on fire earlier, I was expecting angel to go down a darker path. By this episode, he is already practically back to his old self. Sure, he hasn't had his epiphany yet, but personality-wise he seems little different to how he's always been on the show.

Yes! In my forthcoming review of "Reprise", I note that it's weird to go back to grey Angel after this ep (and the next) lightened him up.

I'm surprised they kept angel's name. You'd think they want to name their group after someone they don't like.

The gang doesn't know what angel is up to now, or what side he's on. What if the person who needs help knows who angel is and the bad he has done, or is currently doing? They're not likely to call 'Angel Investigations' for help.

Very true. Maybe Cordy's a spendthrift and didn't want to have to design and print up a new batch of lobster cards.

Agreed.

The story was a bit too science-fiction for me anyway (not that I dislike science fiction, but it doesn't always work in a fantasy setting).

I can buy that demons would want to end the world even at the expense of their own lives, there is precedent in the buffyverse for that, but why such a specific method? Have they been waiting all their lives for someone to invent something that will freeze time? Do they have a religious code that commanded them to freeze time? Why not try to build the machine themselves? What will become of them after the episode is over?

Agreed in turn! They really didn't want us to think about the plot with this one.

[partcynic]

2x14 "The Thin Dead Line"

Like "First Impressions", this ep aspires to be much more than it is. Remove its big dramatic moment (Wesley getting shot), and you're left with a generic 'good guys vs bad guys' story that doesn't offer much in the way of theme or development. Like many of the weaker eps in S2, "The Thin Dead Line" is some distance from badness, but it can't help but feel disappointing following so many heavy hitters.

Likes

- The zombie-cop story is fine. I think more could have been made of the grey area (do the benefits to the rest of the populace justify the harm done to the most vulnerable people in the neighbourhood?), but what we got was okay.

- Introducing the Skilosh (no idea how that's spelled - the eye in the back of the head things) story. Virginia bringing rich clients to her boyfriend's firm helps make the fledgling business' survival more believable, and it sets up a character-developing subplot for "Reprise" and "Epiphany".

- I'm happy to see Anne again, though more of a tie to "Blood Money" would have been appreciated. Even though she'd never tell anyone else what she did with the cash, it would be cool for the audience to know.

- This isn't strong enough to be a true like, but Kate is getting more tolerable. I still don't care about her issues or her character arc, but there were a few decent exchanges between she and Angel, and for once, her continued mourning for her father made sense and was relevant to the story (huge plus that he wasn't one of the zombies, as I never want to see that character again).

- Wesley getting shot. A major moment that made the episode far more interesting than it would've been otherwise. Nice to see some major injury obtained in the fight against evil (makes up for the silliness of taking out the fire-breathing giant in "Blood Money"), and the ensuing scenes between Gunn and Wesley are excellent, especially when Gunn confronts the drug dealer/gang member(?) at the shelter.

- Cordelia telling Angel to get out at the hospital. Well-played by both actors, and a good reminder that Cordelia maintains her backbone and sharp tongue despite her shift to being more considerate.

Dislikes

- Lost potential. There are lots of parallels in this story (vigilante cops/vigilante Angel; Angel and Gunn both abandoning their former crews), but none of them say anything. That failure turned what could have been a great, character-developing story into something really generic.

- It's good that the show is bringing up Gunn having ditched his old friends, but the writers still haven't come up with a believable reason for him to have done so. Are we really supposed to believe that a ride-or-die warrior/leader like Gunn would abandon people he's known for years as soon as a few small cheques rolled in? Yes, it's not inconceivable in the real world, but if that's what he's done, then it's poor and unbelievable development.

- I'm not particularly interested in Gunn's issues with his gang, and most of the street kids' dialogue sounded caricatured - it seemed to cram in every Nineties 'urban' soundbite/catchphrase possible.

- Gunn's plan to film himself being approached/attacked by the cops is really stupid.

- Gunn taking Wesley to Anne's instead of the hospital. He had a good lead on the cops, and there was no reason he couldn't have gotten Wes there. The whole bit was contrived to force a zombie attack on the shelter.

- The paramedic stating that Wesley 'may' have internal bleeding. He's been shot - of course he has internal bleeding!

Summary

Quasi-filler made to feel like more than it is via Wesley's injury, but still engaging. It says a lot that even S2's weakest entries are only below-average for the show.

[cyclica]

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- The zombie-cop story is fine. I think more could have been made of the grey area (do the benefits to the rest of the populace justify the harm done to the most vulnerable people in the neighbourhood?)

I would like to have seen more of the populace. The way the episode plays out, you'd think cops, teens and criminals are the only people who live in this part of town, and that no one but the cops benefit from what the zombie cops are doing.

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- I'm happy to see Anne again

Me too, and Virginia. I never expected to see either character again.

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- This isn't strong enough to be a true like, but Kate is getting more tolerable. I still don't care about her issues or her character arc, but there were a few decent exchanges between she and Angel, and for once, her continued mourning for her father made sense and was relevant to the story (huge plus that he wasn't one of the zombies, as I never want to see that character again).

This is kate's best 'use' in the season, and the only time she was given the importance she had in season 1.

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Wesley getting shot. A major moment that made the episode far more interesting than it would've been otherwise. Nice to see some major injury obtained in the fight against evil (makes up for the silliness of taking out the fire-breathing giant in "Blood Money"), and the ensuing scenes between Gunn and Wesley are excellent, especially when Gunn confronts the drug dealer/gang member(?) at the shelter.

I liked that the drug dealer didn't learn his lesson. Too often tv shows have a villainous character 'learn a lesson' and become good by the end, when realistically it wouldn't work like that.

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Lost potential. There are lots of parallels in this story (vigilante cops/vigilante Angel; Angel and Gunn both abandoning their former crews), but none of them say anything. That failure turned what could have been a great, character-developing story into something really generic.

That's a good point, and it hadn't occurred to me.

... I enjoyed this episode a bit more than you did. I took this ep as an action-drama, and it worked fine on that level, but you're right in thinking a little more insight would have improved it.

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- It's good that the show is bringing up Gunn having ditched his old friends, but the writers still haven't come up with a believable reason for him to have done so. Are we really supposed to believe that a ride-or-die warrior/leader like Gunn would abandon people he's known for years as soon as a few small cheques rolled in? Yes, it's not inconceivable in the real world, but if that's what he's done, then it's poor and unbelievable development.

I had thought gunn left his crew because he realised they didn't need him, and working with team angel gave him not only money, but purpose, stability and a degree of safety he wouldn't have on the street. And he didn't 'abandon' his crew, its more that his new life 'pulled him in' and kept him busy so much that he forgot his old life.

Though I suppose this is a case of me mentally filling in the plot holes myself. It would have been better if we had been given a clearer picture of the situation, and more insight into gunn's motivations, rather than leaving them up to guesswork.

Sept 3, 2014 16:36:28 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Gunn's plan to film himself being approached/attacked by the cops is really stupid.

Yeah, who is he planning on showing that tape to anyway? The cops?

[partcynic]

Me too, and Virginia. I never expected to see either character again.

I know that sometimes the shows go overboard in continuity (though mainly in the later seasons), but little touches like these are so nice. And you're right, most television trains you to expact characters who last one episode and then disappear, no matter how important they were supposed to be.

This is kate's best 'use' in the season, and the only time she was given the importance she had in season 1.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I would have been quite happy with Kate being an occasionally used police insider character, rather than having all these failed attempts at development. As is, she's the weakest part of the first two seasons.

I liked that the drug dealer didn't learn his lesson. Too often tv shows have a villainous character 'learn a lesson' and become good by the end, when realistically it wouldn't work like that.

Agreed again. It's much more realistic that way.

That's a good point, and it hadn't occurred to me.

... I enjoyed this episode a bit more than you did. I took this ep as an action-drama, and it worked fine on that level, but you're right in thinking a little more insight would have improved it.

Yeah, I see this as a fun adventure ep a la something like "The Ring". Enjoyable, but not at "Angel"'s top level. But to be fair, you sometimes need to have something less complex/challenging, and this ep is still pretty enjoyable. There's nothing in S2 that I think of as poor (though Pylea needs better pacing).

I had thought gunn left his crew because he realised they didn't need him, and working with team angel gave him not only money, but purpose, stability and a degree of safety he wouldn't have on the street. And he didn't 'abandon' his crew, its more that his new life 'pulled him in' and kept him busy so much that he forgot his old life.

Though I suppose this is a case of me mentally filling in the plot holes myself. It would have been better if we had been given a clearer picture of the situation, and more insight into gunn's motivations, rather than leaving them up to guesswork.

I always dislike 'you don't need me anymore' as a character motivation, but it's the closest thing we've got with Gunn. And I still can't buy that Gunn would up and leave his friends of years to hang with Angel and co. S1 Gunn would have at least ensured that some of the money he was earning was going to help his friends.

Yeah, who is he planning on showing that tape to anyway? The cops?

Lol! Precisely - and if the cops were corrupt, there's no reason to think that their higher-ups/management might not be in on it too.

[partcynic]

2x15 "Reprise"

The third top-notch edition of S2, and a fine conclusion to both the year's main story and Angel's character arc (granted, "Epiphany" is the proper ending, but the core of the narrative lies here, a bit like the distinction between "Five By Five" and "Sanctuary"). "Reprise" has action, drama, dark comedy and some excellent philosophy, and fully cements Tim Minear's position as the show's (then) best writer.

Likes

- Theme. I love that the show finally states that humans are the primary source of human suffering, and that evil will exist as long as people do. Almost all of the characters experienced significant pain during this episode (Wesley suffering from his injury and being dumped by Virginia; Team Angel not getting paid for their hard work; Kate being fired), and none of it had anything to do with the wicked schemes of malevolent forces - sometimes, life just sucks.

- Wolfram and Hart desperation. Lots of humour (goat sacrifices with IKEA-style instructions; Lilah's lines about the sacking using "actual sacks" and wishing she'd had children so she could offer them up; Lorne's observations at Caritas), and it's neat to get a glimpse-of-sorts at a Senior Partner. Lindsey also continues to be cool, being the only individual astute enough to realise that last-minute pandering isn't going to change anyone's fate.

- Nice to see Darla again - she was a central part of the story for so long, but if felt like the burning in "Redefinition" was used as a cover-all to completely change its direction. Using Lindsey for info and killing Denver were good, even though her plan didn't make much sense (see negatives section).

- Angel and Denver. A really nice reprise of the character, and a strong compare/contrast moment for Angel. Fifty years before, his actions had completely changed Denver's life and given him hope, but here, he's willing to shoot that down. A great way of showing just how far he's fallen in the hero stakes.

- Angel and Holland in the elevator. The scene's beautifully written - Holland has just the right amounts of smugness and condescension, and the message is spot-on. Angel's reaction to realising that he's never going to be able to 'win' is very believable, and given that his vendetta was the final thing he was clinging to, you can understand why this caused him to be willing to endanger his soul.

- Angel's character development. Going into his own series, the character had two major lessons to learn, and he's now had both. S1 taught him that he should do good out of the desire to help (and not for redemption/forgiveness), and S2 has him learn that the real way to do so is not by waging a farcical war against clear-cut figures of evil (*cough* "Buffy" S7 *cough*), but instead helping people one at a time. It's all great - in a way, this is the conclusion of Angel's original arc, and somewhat justifies the decision to push the character in a brand new direction in S3 (whether fatherhood was the best idea will be discussed later).

- Angel's empty sex with Darla. I like how the episode's ending sets you up for thinking that he's going to lose his soul (see also Cordy's comment about him not being able to 'get laid'), but there was no way perfect happiness was ever going to enter the equation. What happened there was despair with a desire just to feel something, and it's good that the show has finally clarified the 'souls and sex' issue.

Dislikes

- Angel's nasty/uncaring approach would have made perfect sense if this ep came immediately after "Blood Money", but fits less well after the last two episodes softened him up.

- Enough with the rare, one-of-a-kind artefacts that just drop into our heroes' laps. Denver saying he'd been using that sacred glove as an oven mitt showed the writers using humour to alleviate the coincidence, but it would be best if such contrivances simply didn't happen.

- Drusilla's just gone. Yes, I know she went to Sunnydale and fled after Spike offered to kill her for Buffy, but she was a major player in this arc, and needs to be given proper closure.

- I'd have liked more on Darla's own plan for the ring. And how was she able to get into the summoning chamber/meeting room without any vamp detector issues? We know from the next episode that Lindsey wasn't in on it.

Summary

Another classic "Angel" episode, "Reprise" not only does a brilliant job of bringing S2's big issues to a quasi-conclusion, but inadvertantly emphasises just how weak the last two seasons of "Buffy" were, incorporating elements of both of their main arcs and doing them far more effectively. This is probably my third favourite "Angel" ep, and a significant player in helping "Angel" S2 stand as one of the strongest Buffyverse years.

[cyclica]

Sept 21, 2014 13:29:32 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Angel and Denver. A really nice reprise of the character, and a strong compare/contrast moment for Angel. Fifty years before, his actions had completely changed Denver's life and given him hope, but here, he's willing to shoot that down. A great way of showing just how far he's fallen in the hero stakes.

They did a really good job too of finding such similar looking actors to play the older and younger versions of the character.

Sept 21, 2014 13:29:32 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Angel and Holland in the elevator. The scene's beautifully written - Holland has just the right amounts of smugness and condescension, and the message is spot-on. Angel's reaction to realising that he's never going to be able to 'win' is very believable, and given that his vendetta was the final thing he was clinging to, you can understand why this caused him to be willing to endanger his soul.

This is the highlight of the episode for me, and it's good to see Holland again, and in a way that doesn't feel like bringing someone back just for the sake of bringing someone back.

I especially liked angel's post-conversation wander, as he looked around at the people as though he were seeing them for the first time, now that his single-minded focus on wolfram & hart has gone.

Sept 21, 2014 13:29:32 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Angel's character development. Going into his own series, the character had two major lessons to learn, and he's now had both. S1 taught him that he should do good out of the desire to help (and not for redemption/forgiveness), and S2 has him learn that the real way to do so is not by waging a farcical war against clear-cut figures of evil (*cough* "Buffy" S7 *cough*), but instead helping people one at a time. It's all great - in a way, this is the conclusion of Angel's original arc, and somewhat justifies the decision to push the character in a brand new direction in S3 (whether fatherhood was the best idea will be discussed later).

I'm glad this revelation came mid-season so we could see the impact this has on angel straight away. You'd almost expect a character-changing 'event' like this one to be saved for the end of year.

Sept 21, 2014 13:29:32 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Angel's empty sex with Darla. I like how the episode's ending sets you up for thinking that he's going to lose his soul (see also Cordy's comment about him not being able to 'get laid'), but there was no way perfect happiness was ever going to enter the equation. What happened there was despair with a desire just to feel something, and it's good that the show has finally clarified the 'souls and sex' issue.

Yep. Up to this point sex has been synonymous with perfect happiness (and loosing your soul), for angel anyway. It's good to know that this isn't necessarily the case, and angel is capable of having sex, which is something I'd suspected from the start but wasn't confirmed until now.

You could almost say this 'twist ending' filling in a plot gap and makes that the story as we knew it make more sense. As opposed to most tv/movie twist endings, which usually have the opposite effect.

Sept 21, 2014 13:29:32 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Enough with the rare, one-of-a-kind artefacts that just drop into our heroes' laps. Denver saying he'd been using that sacred glove as an oven mitt showed the writers using humour to alleviate the coincidence, but it would be best if such contrivances simply didn't happen.

Its very fortunate that so many ancient items are found in America, let alone los angeles.

You'd think wolfram & hart would be aware of it's existence and try to take it/destroy it long before now.

[partcynic]

This is the highlight of the episode for me, and it's good to see Holland again, and in a way that doesn't feel like bringing someone back just for the sake of bringing someone back.

I especially liked angel's post-conversation wander, as he looked around at the people as though he were seeing them for the first time, now that his single-minded focus on wolfram & hart has gone.

Looking back, I think this is one of my favourite scenes in all of "Angel". Everything about it is excellent, and Holland proves himself worth a thousand Linwoods.

I'm glad this revelation came mid-season so we could see the impact this has on angel straight away. You'd almost expect a character-changing 'event' like this one to be saved for the end of year.

Really good point! Yes, you'd usually expect something like this as the year capper. That said, it almost is - if you're like me and consider Pylea its own subseason, then S2 proper ends in only three episodes.

You could almost say this 'twist ending' filling in a plot gap and makes that the story as we knew it make more sense. As opposed to most tv/movie twist endings, which usually have the opposite effect.

Yes! I like that it made sense in terms of the plot, while also working regarding the characters' own beliefs. It's a twist that makes sense while being surprising to both them and the viewers.

Its very fortunate that so many ancient items are found in America, let alone los angeles.

You'd think wolfram & hart would be aware of it's existence and try to take it/destroy it long before now.

Kind of like how Sunnydale seemed to have a super-powerful artifact in every second crypt. And in LA, we haven't even gotten to the giant, talking hamburger yet.

[partcynic]

2x16 "Epiphany"

This ep has a tendency to be held up as one of the best "Angel" offerings, but as much as I personally like it, I can't help but find that a bit strange. Almost everything that happens here is good, but the true guts of this story/development are found in "Reprise" - and with the exception of the Angel/Darla and Angel/Kate scenes, this ep plays rather predictably, leading to the Angel team's inevitable reunion.

Likes

- Excellent opening scenes with Angel and Darla. The explanation for Angel not losing his soul makes sense, and works as a conceivable 'rock bottom' moment for him; sparking his realising just how low he's sunk. Beyond the character progression, we also get some great dialogue from Darla (refusing to accept that the sex wasn't perfect, and suggesting they go again).

- Angel and Lorne. Every one of the latter's lines is funny, and he's in just the right position to chastise Angel, having no bitterness or resentment to cloud his arguments.

- Generally good pacing and action. Even though the major story points were telegraphed, I still enjoyed watching them unfold.

- David Boreanaz is very good at playing Angel as uncomfortable/remorseful. He's consistently amusing ("wake up and bang" actually being the other way round), and occasionally touching. Angel's closing request to work for the others is a good one, and having him catch Cordy was a nice indicator of his resumed trustworthiness.

- Wesley, Gunn and Cordy being angry and upset with Angel. Good that he can't just waltz back into their lives like nothing happened. I liked it when Wes took Angel to task in the office (about Cordelia) - it was a revealing character moment.

- The Lindsey/Angel fight. Lindsey's behaviour is stupid, but given his own obsession with Darla, it's not inconceivable that he'd do something so rash. Loved Angel smashing his plastic hand, then telling him to be grateful for his epiphany, else he'd have destroyed the other one.

- Kate's final scene. Angel's analysis of his newfound realisations is great, and there's a lovely "Amends"-like moment with her reveal that she'd never invited him in. Nice that her last appearance has her portrayed sympathetically, and introduces some healing.

Dislikes

- As a whole, the ep is linear and rather obvious.

- The Skilosh demons look cool, but they aren't that interesting. And enough with the demonic impregnations of Cordelia.

- Kate not needing to go to the hospital after an overdose attempt. Television shows have a nasty tendency to focus only on the 'tragic glamour' of this kind of thing, and always conveniently forget the major medical aftermath of trying to overload and destroy your vital organs.

- What happened to the Skilosh demons after Lindsey arrived? Sure, they moved to evade the truck, but what happened after? I take it they decided to ignore Angel so they could better pursue Gunn and 'the wheeled one'?

Summary

A respectable conclusion (or as the case may be, post-script) to the S2 arc, with some decent thematic points, humour, action and character development - my only real issue is that it gets credit that should really go to "Reprise".

[cyclica]

Oct 13, 2014 16:41:12 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Excellent opening scenes with Angel and Darla. The explanation for Angel not losing his soul makes sense, and works as a conceivable 'rock bottom' moment for him; sparking his realising just how low he's sunk.

I found it odd that the writers chose to give angel an epiphany so soon after his conversation-with-Holland epiphany. It makes sense given what is going on, but having two in a row comes across as a little redundant.

Oct 13, 2014 16:41:12 GMT -5 partcynic said:

Angel's closing request to work for the others is a good one

I love that the show would shake things up like that.

It's a shame Wesley became the leader off screen though. It seemed unresolved who would lead the team, then suddenly Wesley is in charge with no complaint from the others.

Oct 13, 2014 16:41:12 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Kate's final scene. Angel's analysis of his newfound realisations is great, and there's a lovely "Amends"-like moment with her reveal that she'd never invited him in. Nice that her last appearance has her portrayed sympathetically, and introduces some healing.

It was very nice of jasmine to let angel into kate's apartment. At least I assume in retrospect it was jasmine, it's either her or 'divine influence', and the situation doesn't seem 'important' enough for that.

As much as I disliked kate at times, I do wish we would have seen more of her later on. There is some conclusion to her arc, but we don't know what became of her, and as such her story seems half-finished.

I wonder what the original plan for her was. She could easily have fit into the Justine role in season 3, with holtz training her to fight demons.

Oct 13, 2014 16:41:12 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- Kate not needing to go to the hospital after an overdose attempt. Television shows have a nasty tendency to focus only on the 'tragic glamour' of this kind of thing, and always conveniently forget the major medical aftermath of trying to overload and destroy your vital organs.

Tragic glamour- I like that, that's a good way of putting it.

[partcynic]

I found it odd that the writers chose to give angel an epiphany so soon after his conversation-with-Holland epiphany. It makes sense given what is going on, but having two in a row comes across as a little redundant.

I see them more as two halves of the same whole; the realisation that his vendetta was fruitless finally broke him, and the moment of perfect despair he had with Darla began the healing. Kind of like how they say that sometimes, you have to let people hit rock bottom if they're ever to truly recover from their vices/problems.

I love that the show would shake things up like that.

It's a shame Wesley became the leader off screen though. It seemed unresolved who would lead the team, then suddenly Wesley is in charge with no complaint from the others.

I think it fits with the more confident Wesley we got as a result of "Guise Will Be Guise", but you're right, it would have been more interesting to see a fully democratic Angel Investigations.

It was very nice of jasmine to let angel into kate's apartment. At least I assume in retrospect it was jasmine, it's either her or 'divine influence', and the situation doesn't seem 'important' enough for that.

As much as I disliked kate at times, I do wish we would have seen more of her later on. There is some conclusion to her arc, but we don't know what became of her, and as such her story seems half-finished.

I wonder what the original plan for her was. She could easily have fit into the Justine role in season 3, with holtz training her to fight demons.

Hmm, Jasmine is this show's "a wizard did it", isn't she? I wouldn't have minded seeing more of Kate if she continued to be like her portrayal in this episode; she was done in by all the 'tough female cop' cliches they slapped on her (I think Trevor Lockley's death is one of the all-time Buffyverse 'am I supposed to care about this?' moments).

Tragic glamour- I like that, that's a good way of putting it.

Thank you! I had soap operas in mind when I wrote that; thinking of old-school Kat Slater guzzling pills and vodka with her mascara screaming down her face. Bad TV shows love that kind of melodrama.

[partcynic]

2x17 "Disharmony"

One of "Angel"'s rare pure comedy eps, "Disharmony" is a much-welcome bit of levity, and one that's executed remarkably well. Adding to its quality is the fact that the humour works without compromising or neglecting the current complexities of Angel's relationships with the rest of the gang.

Likes

- Harmony is the centrepiece here, and she (and everyone's reactions to her) are consistently hilarious. Loved the Harmony/Cordelia catch-up; the brilliant lesbian/vampire confusion (and that phone call to Willow!); Harmony being scared of Phantom Dennis; all of the interplay at the office (bubblegum in Wes' book; Gunn flirting; pig's blood going to the hips; Angel's reaction to the human blood talk); Harmony doing karaoke... let's just say that whenever she was about, the ep was great - and since that counts for most of it, I'm left a happy viewer.

- Cordelia/Harmony contrast. While Cordelia was too smart to ever be identical to Harmony, it's impressive to look at the two of them now, and see how much Cordy has grown since we first met her.

- Angel and Wesley bursting in to 'save' Cordelia. Reminds me of the similar scene in "Expecting".

- Good handling of the gang's internal tensions. I liked seeing Wes show a little smugness in assigning Angel gruntwork, as well as his frank comments about Angel not being able to buy Cordelia's friendship. Cordy herself is believable in her hurt and confusion (especially when bluntly telling Angel that things are not okay between them), and though I'm slightly annoyed that the 'clothes' ending papered over the conflict, there's no denying that it was funny and believable.

- The pyramid scheme is simplistic and silly, but you have to laugh at 'Selective Slaughter'.

Dislikes

- How did Harmony know where Cordelia works? She turns up at the hotel with no explanation.

- Wesley's comment to Angel about a 'shot in the gut bouquet' was a low blow. Since he got hurt, the show's been insinuating that Angel's responsible for it, and that's completely false.

- How much time has passed between "Epiphany" and this ep? Last time we saw Wesley, he couldn't stand up without risking toppling over, but now he's fine except for the occasional wince.

- Angel talks about Harmony being dangerous because she's a soulless vampire, but the truth is that she's dangerous because she's only interested in herself. Turning the gang in to the vamps wasn't about her lack of soul, but her self-centredness - the pyramid scheme was exactly the type of thing she'd go for.

- The gang wins the big vampire battle too easily. I know most of them fled, but with Cordy focused on Harmony, Angel dealing with the leader, and Wesley still injured, there should been a few tense moments.

Summary

A thin plot more than made up for by the quality of its comedy, as well as some of its characterisation. I don't quite know if I can call "Disharmony" a classic, but it's certainly one of the series' funniest editions, which could very well make it so.

[cyclica]

Disharmony is one of my favourite episodes, and probably my favourite in season 2. Harmony is one of my favourite characters, and while I did enjoy seeing her appear on buffy, having her not only appear on angel but to be the star of the episode was a very welcome treat (not to mention having her appear throughout season 5, even if she often didn't have much to do).

It's hard to be a fair judge of a comedy episode. If you like the comedy, and I did, then you are going to enjoy the episode as a whole, regardless of the plot and any problems it might have. Fortunately the plot was decent enough, though I did find the pyramid scheme a little too silly for my liking. After all, vampires will kill as many people as they want, whenever they want, it's not benefit to them to join this scheme, and harmony aside, vamps are rarely portrayed as the kind of people who would take part in this sort of thing anyway.

But that was just a small complaint in an otherwise very enjoyable episode.

Nov 4, 2014 17:57:01 GMT -5 partcynic said:

Loved the Harmony/Cordelia catch-up ... (and that phone call to Willow!);

The interactions between cordy and 'harm' were the highlight for me. I loved how they went right back to being friends as soon as they met, even though they weren't friends during much of season 2 and 3 of buffy. But they have both changed a lot since then (not least of which is cordy aligning herself with good and harmony with evil), and so their renewed friendship as adults is doomed to fail.

A willow cameo is appreciated too. I love any time the two shows 'interact', it make the buffyverse feel like one big show, rather than a 'main' show and a spinoff.

Nov 4, 2014 17:57:01 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- How did Harmony know where Cordelia works? She turns up at the hotel with no explanation.

Good question.

Perhaps angel told the buffy gang at some point, and harmony found out?

Nov 4, 2014 17:57:01 GMT -5 partcynic said:

- How much time has passed between "Epiphany" and this ep? Last time we saw Wesley, he couldn't stand up without risking toppling over, but now he's fine except for the occasional wince.

I always assumed the show was in 'real time', or at least no significantly large amount of time would pass between episodes unless we were told so.

Still, it's tv, and injuries and illnesses rarely last long. It's like a baby on a soap opera who becomes a 5 year old after a couple of years, it's a forgivable and necessary to get the story moving forward.

[partcynic]

It's hard to be a fair judge of a comedy episode. If you like the comedy, and I did, then you are going to enjoy the episode as a whole, regardless of the plot and any problems it might have.

Good point. The plot in this episode is very thin, but not a problem when you accept that it's just a frame for some great character-based comedy (and a few moments of emotional substance).

I always assumed the show was in 'real time', or at least no significantly large amount of time would pass between episodes unless we were told so.

Still, it's tv, and injuries and illnesses rarely last long. It's like a baby on a soap opera who becomes a 5 year old after a couple of years, it's a forgivable and necessary to get the story moving forward.

Quite true, especially when considering little sister keys and vampire babies that get aged up 17-odd years! I'm still a big fan of these shows, but they were audacious in their badness by the end.