Angel - Season 2 impressions (episode 11)
Jan. 6th, 2006 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodRedefinition
A summary can be found here.
- The episode reminded me a bit of Passion where Angel(us) also narrates his thoughts.
- The story starts immediately after Reunion. Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn still can't believe that Angel has just fired them. The three of them go their separate ways when Wesley has voiced his opinion that maybe Angel needs to be alone right now.
(This is one of the times where I don't agree with Wesley. Sure, Angel *wants* to be alone, but he shouldn't be alone. He'll just enter ultra-dangerous brooding mode.)
- In the meantime, Angel tries to leave his past behind once more. He burns all the pictures he drew of Darla - which foreshadows what will happen by the end of the episode. He also starts training for the war he believes he has to fight by himself.
- Lindsey: "There has to be a reason - why I'm the only one left alive."
Must be tough to find out he's not that special after all and Lilah was spared as well. *smirks*
- So nice to see Wesley and Virginia are still together. I like seeing Wesley in a domestic setting for once. It's the first time, we get to see his apartment.
- Darla and Drusilla show up at Wolfram & Hart. I wonder how they got inside considering they have vampire detectors and would be altert after what happened to Holland. Nevertheless, what Darla says is fascinating as it gives us more insight into her. Darla doesn't only hate being used, she also wants to be in control of things. I'm sure this is a character trait Darla also had when she was human - otherwise she wouldn't have become a wealthy prostitute. She also wants to be independent as can be seen when she points out that she spent 250 years without Angel. Despite this, Darla's definitely still attached to Angel. She hates it when his name is brought up and she is forced to think about him.
Darla: "Power. See, Lindsey, during my stint as Wolfram and Hart's puppet, something occurred to me. I *loathe* being used. If I recall I sent you a fifteen-body-memo to that effect. We plan on being big players in this town, Dru and I. - And while you can't give me what I want, you have the things I need to get it. Money. Connections."
[...]
Lindsey steps closer to Darla: "This power - that you want - does it have a target? - You going after Angel?"
Darla jumps off the desk: "Don't say that! - Not *everything* is about Angel, Lindsey. I just want to have some fun."
Lindsey: "Well, you see, I'm surprised. Because I thought that you would make him your top priority."
Darla: "I spent two-hundred and fifty years without Angel. You think just because I went through a little human phase I'd go all gooey?"
Lindsey: "No. - No, I thought you'd kill him."
Darla: "All in good time, my love. All in good time."
- One of my favorite scenes in this episode is Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn meeting each other at Lorne's bar. So funny. And it made me very happy that they are getting together again. Love their bickering, love them singing "We are the champions".
Cut to the three of them arm in arm on the stage singing "We Are the Champions" by Queen.
Cut to the three of them sitting around a table, the only ones left in the bar.
Cordy: "Vampires, sloth demons - you what's really, really evil? - Tequila."
Wesley pushes some glasses to the side, making a face.
Wesley: "I need to be dead now."
Host: "Well, well, I can see the maudlin segment of tonight's binge is in full swing. (Takes off his jacket) Now, don't be blue. (Walks around the table) I was *very* impressed with your musical recitation of pain earlier. And when I say pain, I mean mine. (Comes to stand behind Cordy) Although props for singing your little hearts out."
Cordy: "Yeah. Our hearts were out. You, Mr. Big - Mojo-guy, are supposed to, uhm, give us guidance now."
Wesley: "She's right. We came, we sang, we... fought the urge to regurgitate."
Cordy: "So spill already. (To Wesley) Not you.
After this scene I was hooked by the possibilities of a new OT3, i.e. Cordy/Wes/Gunn. I don't know what it is, but the Jossverse manages to draw me into pairings with more than two characters. Buffy/Angel/Spike is also full of shiny possibilities and there are also, of course, the Fanged Four Darla, Angel, Drusilla and Spike that can be combined in various intriguing ways.
- Love Merl's take on the names of Darla and Drusilla.
Merl: "All right, all right. Alright. I heard about your girls, Godzilla, Darcilla, whatever.
- Don't approve of the way Angel treats his informant Merl. Yep, Angel, life has been tough, but get a grip. You're not the only one who has been hurt what happened.
- Yes, Darla still feels very deeply for Angel. She's definitely shaken when she's confronted with thoughts of what might have been.
Dru: "Eyes like needles."
Darla: "Dru, I'm working here?"
Dru: "He sees you. Sees what you were. (Gasps and takes a step closer to Darla) You'll never be alone again."
Darla: "Stop! - J-just don't."
Dru: "He's watching you, my sweet, right now."
Darla spins around and looks at the crowd of demons.
Darla: "Angel."
Darla pushes into the crowd.
Dru: "He wants to punish us. He thinks we've been naughty. - He remembers when you were warm."
Darla spins around to face Dru: "Shut up, Drusilla!"
Dru turns away and Darla gives herself a little shake.
- Poor Drusilla. She has all these visions, but they don't necessarily prove to be helpful. If they were, she would know that the fire is meant for her and Darla:
Dru laughing: "And pain. So much suffering. (Begins to sway) The flames are lovely. They dance, and the fire licks like a cat. And the screams, oh, it's like star music."
- Wesley, Cordy and Gunn winning a fight against a demon and rescuing a young woman without Angel's help. I cheered for them!
- Another bit of dialogue between Dru and Darla that I cherish:
Dru looks at the building: "Oh, it's beautiful! Dank and dark. It reeks of death."
Darla with a smile: "That's motor oil, Dru."
Dru: "Can we buy it? It could be our castle."
Darla: "There's no view. Plus we're broke. Though I suppose Lindsey could help out in that respect, if they haven't killed him yet."
Dru: "I like the girl. She's wicked."
Darla: "They're sweet kids. Naïve, but they're only human. I doubt they even know what Wolfram and Hart's true plan for Angel is.
Drusilla definitely follows a different logic when she gets excited about the ugly warehouse she and Darla are visiting. What I love is that Darla doesn't refuse her outright despite the building has no view. :-)
It's interesting to see Lindsey and Lilah through their eyes. Lindsey and Lilah may think they are two successful players in the world of W&H, but for vampires like Darla and Dru they are just amusing little kids.
- Angel setting Darla and Dru on fire.
Angel really has cut all his ties to the past right now. In this regard, Darla's and Dru's perception make perfect sense:
Darla: "Shh. Shh. That wasn't Angel."
Dru: "He's gone. He's all gone. Oh - it hurts! It hurts!"
Darla: "Wasn't Angelus either."
Angelus wouldn't have hurt Darla and Dru like that - they were his family - and Angel as we have seen him since his appearance on Buffy wouldn't have done so either. Nevertheless, what he is now is part of his personality. He's giving his inner darkness free reign and refuses to be held back by his conscience. We have seen him act in this way before: During the fifties when he told the paranoia demon to take everyone in the hotel. Then again when he locks the W&H lawyers in a room with Darla and Dru. The twist here is that Darla and Dru are dangerous and that they need to be stopped. It's just surprising that Angel actually goes through with such a plan. And then when he does, he doesn't go through with it to the end. After all, he doesn't stay around and make sure they really die. So I guess this means that he hasn't managed to leave all of his past feelings behind after all. Or it means that right now he doesn't care about anything any longer.
- Lindsey and Lilah both move up in the hierarchy of W&H.
As for your relationship to one another: your competition has been - vicious, destructive and - healthy. We think you keep each other on your toes. Which is why we have decided to appoint you both - as joint acting co-vice-presidents until such time as we see fit to - narrow it down. - Congratulations. This is a big step. The Senior Partners - will be watching you."
- And once again a very nice final scene:
Angel is in the basement of the Hyperion, throwing knives at a target, and hitting the bullseye every time.
He retrieves the knives and gets ready to do it again as Wesley appears on the basement steps.
Wesley: "I thought you might like to know we're keeping the agency open - with or without you."
Angel stands with his back to Wesley, facing the target, silent.
Wesley: "You may have turned your back on your mission, but we haven't."
There is still no reaction from Angel, so Wesley turns to walk back up the stairs.
Wesley: "Someone has to fight the good fight."
Angel throws the knife and barely hits the target.
He blinks his eyes, then closes them.
Angel voice-over: "Let them fight the good fight. - Someone has to fight the war."
He opens his eyes, throws - Bullseye.
A summary can be found here.
- The episode reminded me a bit of Passion where Angel(us) also narrates his thoughts.
- The story starts immediately after Reunion. Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn still can't believe that Angel has just fired them. The three of them go their separate ways when Wesley has voiced his opinion that maybe Angel needs to be alone right now.
(This is one of the times where I don't agree with Wesley. Sure, Angel *wants* to be alone, but he shouldn't be alone. He'll just enter ultra-dangerous brooding mode.)
- In the meantime, Angel tries to leave his past behind once more. He burns all the pictures he drew of Darla - which foreshadows what will happen by the end of the episode. He also starts training for the war he believes he has to fight by himself.
- Lindsey: "There has to be a reason - why I'm the only one left alive."
Must be tough to find out he's not that special after all and Lilah was spared as well. *smirks*
- So nice to see Wesley and Virginia are still together. I like seeing Wesley in a domestic setting for once. It's the first time, we get to see his apartment.
- Darla and Drusilla show up at Wolfram & Hart. I wonder how they got inside considering they have vampire detectors and would be altert after what happened to Holland. Nevertheless, what Darla says is fascinating as it gives us more insight into her. Darla doesn't only hate being used, she also wants to be in control of things. I'm sure this is a character trait Darla also had when she was human - otherwise she wouldn't have become a wealthy prostitute. She also wants to be independent as can be seen when she points out that she spent 250 years without Angel. Despite this, Darla's definitely still attached to Angel. She hates it when his name is brought up and she is forced to think about him.
Darla: "Power. See, Lindsey, during my stint as Wolfram and Hart's puppet, something occurred to me. I *loathe* being used. If I recall I sent you a fifteen-body-memo to that effect. We plan on being big players in this town, Dru and I. - And while you can't give me what I want, you have the things I need to get it. Money. Connections."
[...]
Lindsey steps closer to Darla: "This power - that you want - does it have a target? - You going after Angel?"
Darla jumps off the desk: "Don't say that! - Not *everything* is about Angel, Lindsey. I just want to have some fun."
Lindsey: "Well, you see, I'm surprised. Because I thought that you would make him your top priority."
Darla: "I spent two-hundred and fifty years without Angel. You think just because I went through a little human phase I'd go all gooey?"
Lindsey: "No. - No, I thought you'd kill him."
Darla: "All in good time, my love. All in good time."
- One of my favorite scenes in this episode is Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn meeting each other at Lorne's bar. So funny. And it made me very happy that they are getting together again. Love their bickering, love them singing "We are the champions".
Cut to the three of them arm in arm on the stage singing "We Are the Champions" by Queen.
Cut to the three of them sitting around a table, the only ones left in the bar.
Cordy: "Vampires, sloth demons - you what's really, really evil? - Tequila."
Wesley pushes some glasses to the side, making a face.
Wesley: "I need to be dead now."
Host: "Well, well, I can see the maudlin segment of tonight's binge is in full swing. (Takes off his jacket) Now, don't be blue. (Walks around the table) I was *very* impressed with your musical recitation of pain earlier. And when I say pain, I mean mine. (Comes to stand behind Cordy) Although props for singing your little hearts out."
Cordy: "Yeah. Our hearts were out. You, Mr. Big - Mojo-guy, are supposed to, uhm, give us guidance now."
Wesley: "She's right. We came, we sang, we... fought the urge to regurgitate."
Cordy: "So spill already. (To Wesley) Not you.
After this scene I was hooked by the possibilities of a new OT3, i.e. Cordy/Wes/Gunn. I don't know what it is, but the Jossverse manages to draw me into pairings with more than two characters. Buffy/Angel/Spike is also full of shiny possibilities and there are also, of course, the Fanged Four Darla, Angel, Drusilla and Spike that can be combined in various intriguing ways.
- Love Merl's take on the names of Darla and Drusilla.
Merl: "All right, all right. Alright. I heard about your girls, Godzilla, Darcilla, whatever.
- Don't approve of the way Angel treats his informant Merl. Yep, Angel, life has been tough, but get a grip. You're not the only one who has been hurt what happened.
- Yes, Darla still feels very deeply for Angel. She's definitely shaken when she's confronted with thoughts of what might have been.
Dru: "Eyes like needles."
Darla: "Dru, I'm working here?"
Dru: "He sees you. Sees what you were. (Gasps and takes a step closer to Darla) You'll never be alone again."
Darla: "Stop! - J-just don't."
Dru: "He's watching you, my sweet, right now."
Darla spins around and looks at the crowd of demons.
Darla: "Angel."
Darla pushes into the crowd.
Dru: "He wants to punish us. He thinks we've been naughty. - He remembers when you were warm."
Darla spins around to face Dru: "Shut up, Drusilla!"
Dru turns away and Darla gives herself a little shake.
- Poor Drusilla. She has all these visions, but they don't necessarily prove to be helpful. If they were, she would know that the fire is meant for her and Darla:
Dru laughing: "And pain. So much suffering. (Begins to sway) The flames are lovely. They dance, and the fire licks like a cat. And the screams, oh, it's like star music."
- Wesley, Cordy and Gunn winning a fight against a demon and rescuing a young woman without Angel's help. I cheered for them!
- Another bit of dialogue between Dru and Darla that I cherish:
Dru looks at the building: "Oh, it's beautiful! Dank and dark. It reeks of death."
Darla with a smile: "That's motor oil, Dru."
Dru: "Can we buy it? It could be our castle."
Darla: "There's no view. Plus we're broke. Though I suppose Lindsey could help out in that respect, if they haven't killed him yet."
Dru: "I like the girl. She's wicked."
Darla: "They're sweet kids. Naïve, but they're only human. I doubt they even know what Wolfram and Hart's true plan for Angel is.
Drusilla definitely follows a different logic when she gets excited about the ugly warehouse she and Darla are visiting. What I love is that Darla doesn't refuse her outright despite the building has no view. :-)
It's interesting to see Lindsey and Lilah through their eyes. Lindsey and Lilah may think they are two successful players in the world of W&H, but for vampires like Darla and Dru they are just amusing little kids.
- Angel setting Darla and Dru on fire.
Angel really has cut all his ties to the past right now. In this regard, Darla's and Dru's perception make perfect sense:
Darla: "Shh. Shh. That wasn't Angel."
Dru: "He's gone. He's all gone. Oh - it hurts! It hurts!"
Darla: "Wasn't Angelus either."
Angelus wouldn't have hurt Darla and Dru like that - they were his family - and Angel as we have seen him since his appearance on Buffy wouldn't have done so either. Nevertheless, what he is now is part of his personality. He's giving his inner darkness free reign and refuses to be held back by his conscience. We have seen him act in this way before: During the fifties when he told the paranoia demon to take everyone in the hotel. Then again when he locks the W&H lawyers in a room with Darla and Dru. The twist here is that Darla and Dru are dangerous and that they need to be stopped. It's just surprising that Angel actually goes through with such a plan. And then when he does, he doesn't go through with it to the end. After all, he doesn't stay around and make sure they really die. So I guess this means that he hasn't managed to leave all of his past feelings behind after all. Or it means that right now he doesn't care about anything any longer.
- Lindsey and Lilah both move up in the hierarchy of W&H.
As for your relationship to one another: your competition has been - vicious, destructive and - healthy. We think you keep each other on your toes. Which is why we have decided to appoint you both - as joint acting co-vice-presidents until such time as we see fit to - narrow it down. - Congratulations. This is a big step. The Senior Partners - will be watching you."
- And once again a very nice final scene:
Angel is in the basement of the Hyperion, throwing knives at a target, and hitting the bullseye every time.
He retrieves the knives and gets ready to do it again as Wesley appears on the basement steps.
Wesley: "I thought you might like to know we're keeping the agency open - with or without you."
Angel stands with his back to Wesley, facing the target, silent.
Wesley: "You may have turned your back on your mission, but we haven't."
There is still no reaction from Angel, so Wesley turns to walk back up the stairs.
Wesley: "Someone has to fight the good fight."
Angel throws the knife and barely hits the target.
He blinks his eyes, then closes them.
Angel voice-over: "Let them fight the good fight. - Someone has to fight the war."
He opens his eyes, throws - Bullseye.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 07:44 am (UTC)So nice to see Wesley and Virginia are still together. I like seeing Wesley in a domestic setting for once. It's the first time, we get to see his apartment.
And not the last, I'm happy to report. Amen to Virginia not just dissappearing after "Guise will be Guise".
Wolfram and Hart: it becomes an ongoing joke, until in season 5 a vampire enters the building asks (name withheld for spoiler reasons) whether he isn't surprised, and (name withheld) replies "not really. This place is like a bus station".
Darla: looses her cool each time someone mentions Angel's name. Because after sharing that brief time of closeness, the awareness they're separated by the soul once more is even worse.
Don't approve of the way Angel treats his informant Merl.
Me neither. Nor to the writers. There is follow-up on that.
Drusilla definitely follows a different logic when she gets excited about the ugly warehouse she and Darla are visiting. What I love is that Darla doesn't refuse her outright despite the building has no view. :-)
Yes. Darla is exasparated with Dru quite often, but in a family way, with underlying affection, and that scene illustrates why.
Angel burning Darla and Dru: the thing is, as "Happy Anniversary" makes clear, he KNOWS that they survived the fire. Which means he did stay long enough to notice that. He wanted to stop them and punish them in a cruel way, but not to execute them. Very, very dark ep. Well, except for the Wes, Cordy, Gunn parts. They basically provide the light side throughout the next episodes.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 09:37 am (UTC)Definitely very dark. What's fascinating about some vampire relationships is that they may hurt one another in the extreme, yet still continue loving one another.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 08:46 am (UTC)I'm pretty sure there are many more season 2 quotes out there that suggest she prefers Angelus to Spike, because he hurts her more.
Vampires...
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 07:17 pm (UTC)It just occurred to me, this parallels Obi-Wan deciding not to finish Anakin off in RotS -- though possibly for different reasons? I felt like OW figured he would die anyway and couldn't bring himself to apply the coup de grace -- while maybe Angel thinks they'll suffer more like this? (as he certainly has reason to know, assuming he's got a bit of death wish himself)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 07:39 pm (UTC)As for Angel, given that little game he and young William played, holding their hand in the sunlight, I'd say yes, he knows how much it hurts. If I had to write fanfic and use his thought process, I'd probably interpret it thusly: he wanted to scare them away from Los Angeles so he could concentrate on taking W&H down - remember, he was trying to get himself into war mentality - and he knew if Darla (and Dru) were around permanently, he couldn't. And yes, despite all the talk about discarding every attachment, he couldn't bring himself to do the surefire thing, stake them.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 07:14 pm (UTC)(This is one of the times where I don't agree with Wesley. Sure, Angel *wants* to be alone, but he shouldn't be alone. He'll just enter ultra-dangerous brooding mode.)
There's an interesting continuing thread in this arc, where i think that what Wesley says about Angel doesn't really match up with what he thinks. In a sense, I think he's the most hurt by Angel leaving them, but he goes out of his way to show it the least. Partly, I think this is because he knows what Cordy & Gunn will say, so somehow this lets Wes be the good guy (not as though Angel can hear, anyway)
I wonder how they got inside considering they have vampire detectors and would be altert after what happened to Holland.
that's a recurring theme -- after a point, the writers ignore the need to circumvent these, as it would get tiresome!
Wes/Gunn/Cordy is THE OT3. I haven't actually read any fic, but i know it's out there --
I've always been intrigued that Angel doesn't finish them off (and, ooh! I just thought of this but it's a parallel to Obi-Wan/Anakin, yes?)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 08:43 am (UTC)Interesting parallel! In both cases, there used to be a very strong bond between the characters, but now they stand on opposing sides. So yes, it fits. The difference is that Obi-Wan hopes Anakin will die whereas Angel seems to intend his actions as a strong warning.