Angel - Season 2 impressions (episode 13)
Jan. 7th, 2006 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodHappy Anniversary
A summary can be found here.
- Not one of my favorite episodes. The story line regarding Angel, Lorne and the scientist didn't really hold my interest. There are some good moments, but overall I wanted to see how Cordy, Wesley and Gunn are faring. Unfortunately, most of the episode centers around Angel and the scientist.
- Host: "Man, you just get darker and darker. And the weird thing is, your aura? Beige."
Actually, Lorne has a point here. Angel's aura is kind of beige. But apart from that I think he's a bit too flippant about Angel getting darker and darker.
- Found this bit of dialogue interesting:
Angel: "You want to know what my problem is? I'm screwed. That's my problem. I can't win. I'm trying to atone for a hundred
years of unthinkable evil. News flash! I never can! Never going to be enough. Now I got Wolfram and Hart dogging me, it's too
much! Two hundred highly intelligent law-school graduates working fulltime driving me crazy. Why the hell is everyone so surprised that it's working? But no, it's 'Angel, why you're so cranky?' 'Angel, you should lighten up. You should smile. You should wear a nice plaid.'"
Host: "Oh. Not this season, honey."
Angel: "Redemption. Darla had a shot at redemption. They took it from her. Now I have to hunt her down and kill her. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna kill her, and then I'm gonna burn that law firm to the ground. My crew - they couldn't handle that. That's good. It means that they're still human. It means their better off fired."
IMO, this scene shows that Angel knows that what he's doing is wrong. He isn't angry at his first for not following him into darkness, but is relieved they don't approve of what he's doing. Still I want to kick him in the shin. So he knows what he's doing isn't right, but he does it anyway - why? For a greater cause?! Not convinced by his argument.
I'm also miffed by how quickly Angel disregards redemption for Darla. He was given a second chance when he received his soul. Spike's second chance seems to be his chip. So there are at least two different options for Darla and Dru that are not staking them or setting them on fire. E.g. involve the Iniative and have them implanted with chips. Or try to adjust the gipsy curse and give them a soul. Now Darla and Dru would *hate* both options, but still it would be better than just killing them or allowing them to kill others.
Interestingly enough, Angel never considers Dru's fate at all. I believe that he's too ashamed of what he did to her and therefore just tries not to think about her *ever*.
- The scientist reminds me a bit of Jonathan. I liked the final scene between Angel, Lorne and Gene.
Angel: "Well, you know - love (lets out his breath) it's a fire."
Gene: "You've been there."
Angel: "It burns you. - Alive. (Gene frowns at him) Down to the bone. And then it turns the bone to ash..."
Yes, Angel definitely is still dwelling on what he did to Darla and Dru. Also extra points for giving perfectly gloomy advice to Gene.
- Really like this scene! Not only is the Cordy, Wes, Gunn interaction lovely, we see that Virginia is still around and takes an interest in Wesley's life.
Gunn: "Cordelia - stop trying."
Cordy: "Really?"
Wesley: "Join us."
Cordy sits down beside Gunn with a sigh.
Wesley: "Sometimes you need to wallow. Just let the depression settle in - silently."
The door opens and Virginia walks in carrying a gift basket and a bottle of champagne.
Virginia: "Hey! Wow. This place is great. I brought champagne. You guys must be so excited (takes in their looks) in that really dry, suicidal way."
- Love how Wesley solves the case in the style of Hercule Poirot and other famous detectives. Also fun how much Gunn is impressed by Wesley's brain power. *g*
- Great final scene with a shiny cut from Angel worrying about his team and they doing rather well without him:
Angel: "Well, the guy is a disaster at love, and nearly destroyed the world. I can relate. - Yeah, I guess I did kind of leave 'em
in the cold."
Host: "What, your buddies? By firing them?"
Angel: "Yeah. - Yeah, I guess I made it pretty hard for 'em."
Cut to Cordy, Wes and Gunn dancing. There is music playing and their candlelit office is filled with people.
And the last line rocks. What a contrast between Wesley trying to impersonate Angel and now dismissing him entirely. IMO, Wesley was really hurt by Angel's rejection. So making this statement must have been very hard for him.
Man: "I just - I need help. Is this Angel Investigations?"
[...]
Man: "Which one of you is Angel?"
The three of them exchange a glance.
Wesley: "It's just a name."
A summary can be found here.
- Not one of my favorite episodes. The story line regarding Angel, Lorne and the scientist didn't really hold my interest. There are some good moments, but overall I wanted to see how Cordy, Wesley and Gunn are faring. Unfortunately, most of the episode centers around Angel and the scientist.
- Host: "Man, you just get darker and darker. And the weird thing is, your aura? Beige."
Actually, Lorne has a point here. Angel's aura is kind of beige. But apart from that I think he's a bit too flippant about Angel getting darker and darker.
- Found this bit of dialogue interesting:
Angel: "You want to know what my problem is? I'm screwed. That's my problem. I can't win. I'm trying to atone for a hundred
years of unthinkable evil. News flash! I never can! Never going to be enough. Now I got Wolfram and Hart dogging me, it's too
much! Two hundred highly intelligent law-school graduates working fulltime driving me crazy. Why the hell is everyone so surprised that it's working? But no, it's 'Angel, why you're so cranky?' 'Angel, you should lighten up. You should smile. You should wear a nice plaid.'"
Host: "Oh. Not this season, honey."
Angel: "Redemption. Darla had a shot at redemption. They took it from her. Now I have to hunt her down and kill her. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna kill her, and then I'm gonna burn that law firm to the ground. My crew - they couldn't handle that. That's good. It means that they're still human. It means their better off fired."
IMO, this scene shows that Angel knows that what he's doing is wrong. He isn't angry at his first for not following him into darkness, but is relieved they don't approve of what he's doing. Still I want to kick him in the shin. So he knows what he's doing isn't right, but he does it anyway - why? For a greater cause?! Not convinced by his argument.
I'm also miffed by how quickly Angel disregards redemption for Darla. He was given a second chance when he received his soul. Spike's second chance seems to be his chip. So there are at least two different options for Darla and Dru that are not staking them or setting them on fire. E.g. involve the Iniative and have them implanted with chips. Or try to adjust the gipsy curse and give them a soul. Now Darla and Dru would *hate* both options, but still it would be better than just killing them or allowing them to kill others.
Interestingly enough, Angel never considers Dru's fate at all. I believe that he's too ashamed of what he did to her and therefore just tries not to think about her *ever*.
- The scientist reminds me a bit of Jonathan. I liked the final scene between Angel, Lorne and Gene.
Angel: "Well, you know - love (lets out his breath) it's a fire."
Gene: "You've been there."
Angel: "It burns you. - Alive. (Gene frowns at him) Down to the bone. And then it turns the bone to ash..."
Yes, Angel definitely is still dwelling on what he did to Darla and Dru. Also extra points for giving perfectly gloomy advice to Gene.
- Really like this scene! Not only is the Cordy, Wes, Gunn interaction lovely, we see that Virginia is still around and takes an interest in Wesley's life.
Gunn: "Cordelia - stop trying."
Cordy: "Really?"
Wesley: "Join us."
Cordy sits down beside Gunn with a sigh.
Wesley: "Sometimes you need to wallow. Just let the depression settle in - silently."
The door opens and Virginia walks in carrying a gift basket and a bottle of champagne.
Virginia: "Hey! Wow. This place is great. I brought champagne. You guys must be so excited (takes in their looks) in that really dry, suicidal way."
- Love how Wesley solves the case in the style of Hercule Poirot and other famous detectives. Also fun how much Gunn is impressed by Wesley's brain power. *g*
- Great final scene with a shiny cut from Angel worrying about his team and they doing rather well without him:
Angel: "Well, the guy is a disaster at love, and nearly destroyed the world. I can relate. - Yeah, I guess I did kind of leave 'em
in the cold."
Host: "What, your buddies? By firing them?"
Angel: "Yeah. - Yeah, I guess I made it pretty hard for 'em."
Cut to Cordy, Wes and Gunn dancing. There is music playing and their candlelit office is filled with people.
And the last line rocks. What a contrast between Wesley trying to impersonate Angel and now dismissing him entirely. IMO, Wesley was really hurt by Angel's rejection. So making this statement must have been very hard for him.
Man: "I just - I need help. Is this Angel Investigations?"
[...]
Man: "Which one of you is Angel?"
The three of them exchange a glance.
Wesley: "It's just a name."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-01-07 10:25 pm (UTC)the writers did themselves a bit of disservice when they split up the team this way; part of my preference of my OT3 (W/C/G) over Angel's stories springs out of episodes like this where the OT3 have each other to play with, and Angel only has Lorne to interact with. Now, I often like Lorne as a character but I think he bears way too much of burden in this run of episodes (and at certain points in S3) as Angel's only confidante. I kind of like the scientist plot, but it doesn't really have enough substance to carry this much of the show.
The OT3 stuff, on the other hand, is love *g*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 08:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 10:03 am (UTC)I'm also miffed by how quickly Angel disregards redemption for Darla. He was given a second chance when he received his soul. Spike's second chance seems to be his chip. So there are at least two different options for Darla and Dru that are not staking them or setting them on fire. E.g. involve the Iniative and have them implanted with chips. Or try to adjust the gipsy curse and give them a soul. Now Darla and Dru would *hate* both options, but still it would be better than just killing them or allowing them to kill others.
I can see why nobody, least of all Angel, would want to ensoul Dru, because recalling how she was just before she got sired, that would be sheer torture. Her vampire nature and madness actually protects her from pain. But it's interesting that neither the chip nor the curse option never occurs to anyone in regards to Darla.
My own fanwank:
1) The curse was specifically designed for Angelus. It would not work on any other vampire. (Yes, I know you know Spike eventually gets his soul, but trust me, it's done another way.)
2) Angel might not actually know about the chip option at this stage. Last time he talked to Buffy was during The Yoko Factor and they had other things to discuss.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 11:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 12:49 pm (UTC)Oh yeah. It could be a very dark sitcom.*g* (Given that Gunn was freaked out by Dru siring Darla when she's Darla's "granddaughter" already...) But seriously, yes, that would be a solution for Drusilla.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 01:12 pm (UTC)I would totally watch it. *g*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-08 07:39 pm (UTC)Angel is incredibly strong, and it played hell on him... and Spike wasn't exactly doing well, either.
She was the one of all of them that didn't want to become an evil thing and said as much, to know what she did would be too much for her. (and she lost her sanity, just from what Angelus had done) I don't see how it could viably happen, unless she forgot everything.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 08:00 pm (UTC)