Angel - Season 2 impressions (episode 21)
Jan. 22nd, 2006 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodThrough the Looking Glass
A summary can be found here.
The problem with the Pylea arc is that the plot is way too convoluted. Some scenes are wonderfully funny, others just drag on and on. The arc could have been condensed to 2-3 episodes and would have been much more enjoyable that way.
Scenes I enjoyed
- Sorry, Cordelia, but beheading jokes are way too risky. What if the guards had been a tiny bit faster?! It wouldn't have been too funny then, would it?
Cordy: "Okay. - Off with their heads!"
Some of the guards draw their swords to obey as the guys flinch in the hold of the rest of them.
Cordy: "Just kidding."
The guards freeze with the blades only inches away from the guys' throats.
- I enjoyed the reunion scene with Wes, Gunn and Lorne heading for the food instead of hugging Cordelia:
Wes, Gunn and Lorne hurry towards Cordelia.
Wes: "Oh, thank god!"
Then past her.
Gunn: "Yes! Food!"
Lorne: "I thought we'd never see food again!"
They dig into the platters of fruit sitting on a shelf behind the throne.
- My favorite scene in this episode is Angel checking out his reflection:
Angel is looking at himself and feeling his hair, trying to push it down.
Angel: "Okay - this is because of going through the portal, right?"
Cordy: "No. It always looks like that."
Angel turns to look at them.
Wesley: "Angel, while we search for the proper incantation, it might save time if you go with the host. Hit the streets, see if you can document any - portal activity."
Angel: "I don't get it."
Wesley: "Well, the host knows this world, we need to ascertain if..."
Angel turns back to the mirror: "No, I mean why didn't anybody tell me about this? Look it's..."
Plays with his hair again.
Cordy: "Uh. You look good."
Angel checking himself out in the mirror again: "You're not just saying that, are you?"
Of course, Spike has ridiculed Angel's hair on several occasions, but I'm not sure he ever did it directly to Angel. And if he did, Angel wouldn't listen to him anyway. :-)
- Cordelia still believes she has won life's lottery, but we hear a bit more about the plans of her advisors and see she appears to be stuck in a no-win situation:
If the princess survives the Com-shuk, *then* you may have her head, Barshon. But not before.
- We get to meet Lorne's family. The humor in this scene strongly reminded me of Monty Python. My favorite bits:
Mom: "Your father was right. We ate the wrong son."
Lorne: "Well, enough of this sentimental reminiscing. Just a couple of quick questions, then I'll skeddadle. You remember back around five years ago when I first disappeared - did you notice anything - odd?"
Mom: "We noticed feasting and celebrations. Your brother Numfar did the dance of joy for three moons. Numfar! Do the dance of joy."
[...]
Mom: [...]Numfar! Do the dance of honor.
Okay, and I dig these dances. I dig them even more after I've read that they are performed by none other than Joss Whedon himself. *g*
- Angel is acting a lot like Liam in this episode: He becomes more outgoing and enjoys being at the centre of attention.
This makes a lot of sense when we learn a bit later on that in the Pylea dimension Angel's fully human when he's in human form and fully demon when he's in demon form.
- Angel is given the honorable task of beheading Winifred, but doesn't feel honoured and rescues Fred instead. Lorne helps with the rescue by bursting into song which makes the Pyleans faint in paint. (Yes, I do enjoy surreal moments like this. *g*)
- Fred seems to have a very generous personality. Or maybe she just got used to accepting whatever the universe throws at her.
Angel: "Oh. Cordy. No, she's fine. They made her a princess."
Fred: "They... Really? - Oh. (Looks down) When I got here they... They didn't do that. - Well. That's nice for her."
- The Groosalug arrives:
The double doors open and wheezing, bulky demon with horns shuffles in, a sack slung over it's shoulder.
Cordy to one of her attendants: "Kill me now."
She looks back to find a handsome warrior following the beast into the throne room. He claps the beast on the shoulder.
Groo to beast: "Just put those anywhere."
Groo walks up to the throne and kisses the back of Cordy's hand.
Groo: "Majesty."
Cordy: "Oh."
- Angel changes into his demon form and becomes fully demon. More about this further down.
- Love this scene:
Wes and Gunn are walking through the forest.
Gunn: "We're lost."
Wesley: "Nonsense. I've been following the sun. We're headed due west, back toward the village."
Gunn: "Which one?"
Wesley: "Which village?"
Gunn: "Which sun? There're two of them. Alternate dimension? We're lost."
Wesley stops and holds up a hand for silence.
Gunn: "You're having a Blair witch moment?"
- Fred has a lot of courage: Dipping her hand in blood to lure demon-Angel away from Gunn and Wes is not a job for the faint hearted. Am very impressed by her.
Interesting facts
- We learn that the Pylea dimension has a connection to Wolfram & Hart (aka Wolf, Ram and Hart).
- We see Angel in pure demon form.
This is very, very interesting. Asselenak has mentioned in a former comment, Angel's demon is like a beast. There doesn't appear to be any active planning or imagination. The demon is like an animal that purely acts on instinct. It doesn't strike me as evil in itself. It hunts and kills because it's hungry; it's not interested in killing everyone in its path.
This suggests that the evil acts vampires perform are born in their human imagination. The demon in them removes the restraint of the conscience and gives them a lust for hunting and savouring the kill. However, the demon inside does not define more closely how the prey is killed. Any eloborate planning comes from the human mind.
What a chilling revelation.
Small wonder Angel is deeply ashamed when he changes back to his human form.
Angel muttering: "They, they saw it. They, they looked right at it. They saw it..."
Fred: "Saw what?"
Angel: "The monster... They-they saw what I really am. - I can't go back. Not now. I can never go back. No..."
I'm wondering if he's more ashamed of having been seen in full demon form or because he realises that what he did as Angelus was strongly influenced by his human self.
A summary can be found here.
The problem with the Pylea arc is that the plot is way too convoluted. Some scenes are wonderfully funny, others just drag on and on. The arc could have been condensed to 2-3 episodes and would have been much more enjoyable that way.
Scenes I enjoyed
- Sorry, Cordelia, but beheading jokes are way too risky. What if the guards had been a tiny bit faster?! It wouldn't have been too funny then, would it?
Cordy: "Okay. - Off with their heads!"
Some of the guards draw their swords to obey as the guys flinch in the hold of the rest of them.
Cordy: "Just kidding."
The guards freeze with the blades only inches away from the guys' throats.
- I enjoyed the reunion scene with Wes, Gunn and Lorne heading for the food instead of hugging Cordelia:
Wes, Gunn and Lorne hurry towards Cordelia.
Wes: "Oh, thank god!"
Then past her.
Gunn: "Yes! Food!"
Lorne: "I thought we'd never see food again!"
They dig into the platters of fruit sitting on a shelf behind the throne.
- My favorite scene in this episode is Angel checking out his reflection:
Angel is looking at himself and feeling his hair, trying to push it down.
Angel: "Okay - this is because of going through the portal, right?"
Cordy: "No. It always looks like that."
Angel turns to look at them.
Wesley: "Angel, while we search for the proper incantation, it might save time if you go with the host. Hit the streets, see if you can document any - portal activity."
Angel: "I don't get it."
Wesley: "Well, the host knows this world, we need to ascertain if..."
Angel turns back to the mirror: "No, I mean why didn't anybody tell me about this? Look it's..."
Plays with his hair again.
Cordy: "Uh. You look good."
Angel checking himself out in the mirror again: "You're not just saying that, are you?"
Of course, Spike has ridiculed Angel's hair on several occasions, but I'm not sure he ever did it directly to Angel. And if he did, Angel wouldn't listen to him anyway. :-)
- Cordelia still believes she has won life's lottery, but we hear a bit more about the plans of her advisors and see she appears to be stuck in a no-win situation:
If the princess survives the Com-shuk, *then* you may have her head, Barshon. But not before.
- We get to meet Lorne's family. The humor in this scene strongly reminded me of Monty Python. My favorite bits:
Mom: "Your father was right. We ate the wrong son."
Lorne: "Well, enough of this sentimental reminiscing. Just a couple of quick questions, then I'll skeddadle. You remember back around five years ago when I first disappeared - did you notice anything - odd?"
Mom: "We noticed feasting and celebrations. Your brother Numfar did the dance of joy for three moons. Numfar! Do the dance of joy."
[...]
Mom: [...]Numfar! Do the dance of honor.
Okay, and I dig these dances. I dig them even more after I've read that they are performed by none other than Joss Whedon himself. *g*
- Angel is acting a lot like Liam in this episode: He becomes more outgoing and enjoys being at the centre of attention.
This makes a lot of sense when we learn a bit later on that in the Pylea dimension Angel's fully human when he's in human form and fully demon when he's in demon form.
- Angel is given the honorable task of beheading Winifred, but doesn't feel honoured and rescues Fred instead. Lorne helps with the rescue by bursting into song which makes the Pyleans faint in paint. (Yes, I do enjoy surreal moments like this. *g*)
- Fred seems to have a very generous personality. Or maybe she just got used to accepting whatever the universe throws at her.
Angel: "Oh. Cordy. No, she's fine. They made her a princess."
Fred: "They... Really? - Oh. (Looks down) When I got here they... They didn't do that. - Well. That's nice for her."
- The Groosalug arrives:
The double doors open and wheezing, bulky demon with horns shuffles in, a sack slung over it's shoulder.
Cordy to one of her attendants: "Kill me now."
She looks back to find a handsome warrior following the beast into the throne room. He claps the beast on the shoulder.
Groo to beast: "Just put those anywhere."
Groo walks up to the throne and kisses the back of Cordy's hand.
Groo: "Majesty."
Cordy: "Oh."
- Angel changes into his demon form and becomes fully demon. More about this further down.
- Love this scene:
Wes and Gunn are walking through the forest.
Gunn: "We're lost."
Wesley: "Nonsense. I've been following the sun. We're headed due west, back toward the village."
Gunn: "Which one?"
Wesley: "Which village?"
Gunn: "Which sun? There're two of them. Alternate dimension? We're lost."
Wesley stops and holds up a hand for silence.
Gunn: "You're having a Blair witch moment?"
- Fred has a lot of courage: Dipping her hand in blood to lure demon-Angel away from Gunn and Wes is not a job for the faint hearted. Am very impressed by her.
Interesting facts
- We learn that the Pylea dimension has a connection to Wolfram & Hart (aka Wolf, Ram and Hart).
- We see Angel in pure demon form.
This is very, very interesting. As
selenak has mentioned in a former comment, Angel's demon is like a beast. There doesn't appear to be any active planning or imagination. The demon is like an animal that purely acts on instinct. It doesn't strike me as evil in itself. It hunts and kills because it's hungry; it's not interested in killing everyone in its path.This suggests that the evil acts vampires perform are born in their human imagination. The demon in them removes the restraint of the conscience and gives them a lust for hunting and savouring the kill. However, the demon inside does not define more closely how the prey is killed. Any eloborate planning comes from the human mind.
What a chilling revelation.
Small wonder Angel is deeply ashamed when he changes back to his human form.
Angel muttering: "They, they saw it. They, they looked right at it. They saw it..."
Fred: "Saw what?"
Angel: "The monster... They-they saw what I really am. - I can't go back. Not now. I can never go back. No..."
I'm wondering if he's more ashamed of having been seen in full demon form or because he realises that what he did as Angelus was strongly influenced by his human self.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 12:53 pm (UTC)Angel checking his reflection: this gag isn't even ruined if you consider the big continuity mistake - he did see his reflection in I Remember You....
(Also, this kind of vanity and goofiness is why Angel is a three dimensional character. I find it rather endearing.)
Angel's Liam-ness: yes, that's true.
"Numfar! Dance the dance of joy!" has become proverbial all over lj.*g* And yes, that's Joss as Numfar.
Fred seems to have a very generous personality. Or maybe she just got used to accepting whatever the universe throws at her.
A bit of both, imo. On the other hand, she can hold a grudge against people she first liked and who then betrayed her, but more about that when it happens.
Fred's trick of luring Angel away: she's at her best when in a corner, and really quite inventive and clever in these kind of situations.
The demon is like an animal that purely acts on instinct. It doesn't strike me as evil in itself. It hunts and kills because it's hungry; it's not interested in killing everyone in its path.
This suggests that the evil acts vampires perform are born in their human imagination. The demon in them removes the restraint of the conscience and gives them a lust for hunting and savouring the kill. However, the demon inside does not define more closely how the prey is killed. Any eloborate planning comes from the human mind.
What a chilling revelation.
Yes indeed, and my big argument for the Watchers having it wrong in the credo Giles reiterates in Welcome to the Hellmouth regarding the demon/human split for vampires. Mind you, I'm not surprised that they believe it, or that this is what they tell their Slayers. Teaching teenage girls to kill their opponents is way easier when you can say there is nothing human left.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 01:10 pm (UTC)I agree with your theory - but saying people lose their conscience when turned is less dramatic than claiming they lose their souls :)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 04:21 pm (UTC)For Spike the soul is basically about impulse control; for Angel/Angelus and Darla it seems to be a bit more complicated and as for Harmony. . .well, that's a future discussion.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-23 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-24 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 04:20 pm (UTC)I'm also amused that Wesley's glasses disappear for no reason at some point in this ep, and it doesn't seem to cramp his style -- and his moment of seeing Fred across the field ("Look at that strange wild girl!") resonates later.
I'll say more about Angel & Wesley re: the last ep.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-23 05:21 am (UTC)I'm one of those who quite enjoys the Pylea arc without much complaint.
All of you on here have made some good points about the ep and the funny lines.
I like Lorne's at the end.
"That's it? Where's the extoling of my virtues? Where's the love?" And Wes, Gunn and Angel run away like sissies while Fred just stays there.
Did you catch how during the Fred rescue scene, Lorne starts out with 'Stop in the Name of Love' and then he gets to 'think it over' only it comes out 'think it ohh shi...' thanks to the soldiers coming.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-23 07:18 pm (UTC)Oh, yes, Lorne's head has some lovely scenes! More about it in the next review.