"Angel" Episode-by-Episode: Season 5, Episode 22: Not Fade Away

411: Soulless

- The writers try to distract us by starting the teaser with a Connor action sequence, but the next scene is obviously all about the exposition and recapping of what?s going on.
- This one is directed by Sean Astin; that?s pretty cool actually. And he did a good enough job with it too.
- I appreciate how the show seems content with ignoring that Angelus was around for a brief moment back in season 1 and that Wesley even met him. This is one of those rare moments where I?m fine with some less than perfect continuity.
- Love that first scene with Angelus and Wesley. Of course Angelus knows about Wesley?s feelings for Fred.
- Nice mention of Faith here, setting us up for her return in a few episodes.
- Not sure how I feel about Angelus stating outright that Angel?s Perfect Happiness Fantasy was all Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-y.
- Angelus is really the best villain this show ever had. He?s incredible perceptive, he zeroes in on everyone?s weaknesses perfectly and he just so evil. Boreanaz is obviously really enjoying the less broody nature of the character.
- I love how this episode is just all about character. There?s no real plot here, beyond Angelus manipulating and pushing buttons. Just awesome.
- ?Doing your mom and trying to kill your dad; there should be a play.? ? hee
- At this point the word ?champion? is starting to bug me?
- Dead kids: that?s disturbing.
- Angel?s soul is gone! Oh no! Good, if a little predictable, cliffhanger.
- Love this one.

A

 

412: Calvary

- Good teaser.
- Lilah! Good return of that character here.
- The end of Fred and Gunn: hurrah! I actually liked their relationship as it was falling apart. Never really liked it before that though.
- ?The beast has a boss.?
- I like the explanation on why Angel has no memory of the beast.
- Orb of Thesula mention! Good continuity!
- I love how completely unremorseful Wesley is about Fred and Gunn breaking up.
- Boreanaz plays Angelus faking Angel just perfectly. There is enough there to make the viewers think that something is off, but not so much that the actual reveal that he?s still Angelus loses its effect.
- ?Can?t believe we didn?t crush you people years ago.? - hee
- ?I have to go save the world!? ? HA!
- Cordelia?s evil! Finally we have a reason for Cordelia being way too unlikable this season. And she kills Lilah! I always liked Lilah and I?m sad to see her go. It?s an effective way to establish Cordelia as a villain though.
- Solid episode.

B +

 

Season 4, Episode 11: Salvage
Writeravid Fury
Director:Jefferson Kibbee

After releasing Faith from prison, Wesley takes her to Los Angeles hoping she will be able to trap Angelus. Faith finds Angelus and The Beast.

I say this as an unabashed Faith fan but having Wes recruit Faith to stop Angelus has got to be one of the best ideas in the show. I love everything about it. From the fact that Faith gets attacked with a Bringer's knife in prison to her immediately crashing through the glass as soon as she learns Angel's gone showing she really is trying to redeem herself as she could've broken out anytime she wanted. I'm not sure which is my favorite part: the fact that she obviously loves Angel and absolutely refuses to kill him or the fact that she just puts Connor in his place in about 30 seconds. Someone had to do it. Just all around awesomness on her part. The Beast/Angelus/Faith fight is also really good. I love how excited and pleased with himself Angelus is when he was right about how to kill the Beast and then how disappointed he becomes when the sun comes back out. And the scene with Faith broken and bleeding in a shaft of light while Angelus taunts her from the shadows. Excellent. There's a couple things that stop me from giving this episode a perfect score and they all revolve around Evil Cordelia. The first is that it's never explained why she needs Angelus on her team. And the second is the creepiness of her kissing the Beast and Connor. This girl just told him she could never be with him again a few days ago and now she's kissing him? I'd be confused if I was him that's for sure.

Random Episode Fact:Angelus' line 'The question is, what do you do hotshot? What do you do?' is an homage to the film Speed. Joss Whedon wrote a draft of the screenplay for that film.

My Rating:A

Wesley: We need you.
Faith: Well, uh, hate to wet the paper for you Wes, but I'm kinda unavailable right now. Maybe you wanna check back in a few decades when my parole comes up.
Wesley: You need to know...
Faith: It's Armageddon again. I dig. Last thing you need's me in the mix. Besides, Angel comes shinin' through in the end like he always does.
Wesley: Angel's gone, Faith. Angelus is back.
[long pause]
Faith: Step away from the glass.

Faith: (after jumping from a 3-story window and smashing a car rooftop) You okay?
Wesley: Five by five.

Faith: I'm not gonna kill him, Wesley. Angelus. Don't care what you thought you sprung me for, Angel's the only one in my life that never gave up on me. There's no way I'm giving up on...
Wesley: I know. That's why it had to be you.

Cordelia: Faith? What the hell is she doing here?
Faith: Nice to see you too, Cor.
Wes: She's here to help.
Cordelia: Oh, gee! That's great. Oh, wait a sec. Wasn't she convicted of murder and sent to a state correctional facility for, like, a gazillion years?
Faith: Murder two, twenty-five to life, for the record.

Faith: He'll do what I tell him.
Connor: (sarcastically) Yeah, sure I will.
Faith: (after an exchange of blows) I get it, you're a super-being. (another flurry ensues ending with Faith's crossbow at Connor's throat) Are you a murderer? Cause I am. And if it comes down to you or Angelus, you haven't shown me a thing to want to take your side. (Connor reluctantly leaves)
Gunn: I like her.

Wesley: How do you expect to find Angelus without Connor?
Faith: The old-fashioned way. Kid's not the only tracker. Something'll turn up. Trail of bodies. A telltale clue.
[sees a big sign that says "Welcome Faith"]
Faith: Maybe a carpet fiber.

 

413: Salvage

- Okay teaser, but Angelus feeding on a dead Lilah seems a little forced. The gang could?ve thought he killed her without actually witnessing it.
- Don?t like how quickly we skip by Lorne reading Angelus wrong in the previous episode.
- Seeing Wesley reacting to the dead Lilah is good. Alexis Denisof rules.
- Oh yay, we?re back to whiny Connor. His reasoning that Angelus should be killed isn?t wrong of course; I just wish he presented it better and less annoyingly.
- Faith! Nifty crossover here with Faith being attacked in prison by a guy with a Bringer?s knife.
- EvilCordelia making out with the Beast: one of the most disturbing images ever on this show.
- Love that Faith, if she wants to, can break out the prison whenever she wants. The only reason she?s there is because she?s at a point in her life where she wants to be there.
- ?Five by five!? ? hee
- ?This is Faith; the vampire slayer.? ? Love how Wesley doesn?t say ?a vampire slayer? or ?the other vampire slayer?. Must be a great feeling for Faith to finally be the one she failed to be way back when.
- So, one thing that bothers me about this Angelus arc: he never kills anyone! The return of Angelus should have a body count attached to it. The snarkyness and manipulations are only half the fun. Killing demons and vampires doesn?t count, I want innocent human casualties!
- So happy to see Faith putting Connor?s in his place.
- I like Angelus killing the Beast, but it might be just a little too anticlimactic.
- So, here we got our second annual pregnancy plot. No strong feelings about that one right now.
- Another solid one.

B +

 

Season 4, Episode 14: Release
Writer:Steven S. DeKnight, Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain
Director:Jefferson Kibbee

Faith & Wesley continue to try and find Angelus. They want to capture him so they return Angel's soul. Meanwhile, Evil Cordy wants to bring Angelus over to her side of the apocalypse. Unfortunately for all of them, Angelus has some plans of his own. As he fights with Wes & Faith, he quickly gains the upper hand...

I love Faith being the hero for a change. She and Wes are an interesting team up. He's much darker now and she's desperately trying to not give into the dark. You get a sense of just how far he's fallen when he shocks Faith of all people with his brutality. And of course we get the scene where Wes confronts Faith about what she did to him in Season One. Very intense. It's sorta like Buffy trying to bring out the darkness in Spike but much more effective and more understandable as to why Wes wants to see that side of Faith. I gotta feel bad for her. She's trying so hard to save the guy who saved her and now she's being told that the only way to save him is to go back to being what he saved her from. Her scene where she freaks out in the shower just perfectly exemplifies the despair she's feeling. Then we have the sweet fight scene at the end with Faith and Angelus--good to see her using a knife again and I think Angelus is better with the hand to hand here then he was in Buffy. Him wielding the shotgun is one of my favorite moments. And of course the killer cliffhanger it ends on. Was Angelus gonna turn her? He said she'd become like him which makes me think he was gonna try and make her a vampire. Other good things include Gunn being understanding of Fred messing up also makes him somewhat likable again though I don't like their almost kiss. And Connor looking in the mirror to see if he can vamp out is pretty funny (though if he was a vamp he wouldn't have a reflection...) I gotta agree though that it's kinda disappointing that Angelus hasn't killed anyone (not even the shopkeeper? C'mon!) He just doesn't feel as evil as he did back on Buffy. And the Cordelia/Connor interaction still doesn't hold my interest at all. And I still have no idea what Cordelia needs Angelus for.

Random Episode Fact: Faith's voice is much different from what it was in Season One. That's because Eliza was told her naturally deep, husky voice was destroying her vocal chords so she went to a vocal coach to learn to speak in a higher register.

My Rating:A

Faith: So, what -- torturing humans is part of the new makeover?
Wesley: I did what I had to because you couldn't.
Faith: I hit her.
Wesley: You think that's something new to her?
Faith: You crossed it back there, Wes -- what'd you do back there --
Wesley: Oh, you have a problem with a little torture now? Seem to recall a time when you rather enjoyed it.
Faith: Yeah, well, it's not me anymore. You know that.
Wesley: (raises shotgun) Nice to have this along though, just in case. (speaking slowly) I remember what you did to me Faith: The broken glass, the shallow cuts, so I'd remain conscious.
Faith: You think I'd hurt you again?
Wesley: This the part where you tell me you've turned a new leaf, found God, Inner peace? We both know that isn't true. You haven't changed. You can't.
Faith: (turns away) Wes--
Wesley: (getting angry) Because you're sick. You've always been sick. It goes right down to the roots rotting your soul. That's why your friends turned on you in Sunnydale, why the Watcher's Council tried to kill you. No one trusts you Faith. You're just a rabid dog who should have been put down years ago! (Faith slams him up against the wall) See? Wasn't so hard, was it? (quietly) It's what you'll need to beat him.

Angelus: Uh oh, vampire with a gun!

Angelus: Oh. Don't tell me. The rousing stiff upper lip speech. Rah-rah. Good over evil. Do what must be done. Hang in there, Kitten, it's almost Friday. Is that what the scraggly little ponce armed you with to fight the big bad bogeyman?
Faith: Yeah. And this.
[thro

 

414: Release

- Excellent teaser with a really great feel to it. The Faith part of it is very powerful.
- Andy Hallett now joins the regular cast. About time!
- I like the symmetry of Wesley essentially becoming Faith?s watcher again here. Their relationship has evolved quite a bit over not that many actual episodes together. I love that.
- So uninterested in Connor/Cordelia scenes.
- While the Angelus scenes here are good, I still want there to be some actual consequence of Angelus being around. He doesn?t have to kill someone I like or even know. I just want some human casualties. When Angelus was around in Buffy season 2 it only took him five minutes to kill someone. Here; he doesn?t even get to kill that random occult shop owner.
- Why do we need the Fred/Gunn/kiss! scene?
- Best parts of this episode: the Wesley and Faith scenes. Easily.
- Love the location for the big Faith/Angelus fight. Suitably epic.
- And a great cliffhanger.
- The episode is probably just a B, but I?m loving having Faith back so much that I?ll add an extra +.

B +

 

Season 4, Episode 15: Orpheus
Writer:Mere Smith
Director:Terrance O'Hara

Fred calls in the big guns to help return Angel's soul to his body. While Willow casts her spell, Faith fights for her life in the hallucinations of Angelus.

This episode manages to fix everything I found lacking in the previous two--i.e. everything that didn't involve Faith--by adding Willow into the mix. I love her once again reuniting with Wes and Cordelia and their reactions to finding out she'd been an ultimate evil. And her scenes with Fred are almost an overload of adorableness. Plus it just makes so much sense for her to be there. Heck, Connor almost manages to be likable during bits of this episode when he's obviously worried about Faith and even tries to comfort Wes about his decision to let her dope up on Orpheus. The of course we have the mental journey that Angelus and Faith go on. I love Angelus' horror at watching Angel save the puppy and listen to Barry Manilow, Faith's realization that Angel's done some pretty bad stuff since getting his soul back, and the reveal that this mind trip was to help Faith get back and fight the good fight. The final scene in the alley with the three of them is excellent. I would've liked to see Faith return to the series during Season Five as I love her relationship with Angel, but as her last appearance at least it's a great one. Her beating the snot out of Connor without breaking a sweat might quite possibly be one of the most satisfying scenes of the series. Also, this episode helps to iron out the timeline of what Angel was doing after he got his soul a bit. My take on it is he slowly started being more involved with humanity until the incident in the Hyperion where he became jaded once again and started letting himself go a bit more. Then he ended up in the diner where he drank from the dead guy which was the final straw and he ended up in alley ways for 20 years. Not exactly how I imagined his past when I saw him on Buffy, but it works.

Random Episode Fact: Faith's voice is much different from what it was in Season One. That's because Eliza was told her naturally deep, husky voice was destroying her vocal chords so she went to a vocal coach to learn to speak in a higher register.

My Rating:A+

Wes: Did the call of magic draw you here?
Willow: Oh, no. More like the call of Fred.

Willow: How've you been?
Cordelia: Higher power. You?
Willow: Ultimate evil. But, I got better.

Willow: It had to be something specific. There's lots of jars in the world. Can't shatter 'em all. Oh, I mean you could, but, good things come in jars - peanut butter, jelly, those two-headed fetal pigs at the Natural History Museum.
[Wesley just looks at her]
Willow: Come on. Everybody loves fetal pigs!
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: A lot's happened. Not just Angelus. I've been... I've changed. I've seen a darkness in myself. I'm not sure you'd even begin to understand...
Willow: I flayed a guy alive and tried to destroy the world.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Oh. So...
Willow: Darkness. Been there.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Yeah. Well, I never flayed. I had a woman chained in a closet.
Willow: Oh, well hey!
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: No, it doesn't compare.
Willow: No, dark. That's dark. You've been to a place.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: You seem exactly the same as when I left. No other major changes I'm not up on?
Willow: Just little things. So, uh, Fred. What's her story?

Angelus: And why do you get to be Marley's ghost?
Faith: 'Cause I'm dying, dumbass.
Angelus: Not soon enough.
Faith: Way I figure, I got one last job. Baby-sit the psycho 'til they shove a soul up your...
Angelus: Not gonna happen.
Faith: Then I'm... whatever. Dust in the wind. Candle in the wind. There'll be a general wind theme.

Angelus: Oh, no. I remember this. I-I remember this place. I gotta get outta here.
Faith: Why? You freakin' out?
Angelus: It's coming, again.
Faith: What's coming?
Angelus: I can't do it again. I won't.
[Angel runs in front of a speeding car]
Faith: Angel, get out of the road!
Angelus: Arrrgh! No!
Faith: [laugh

 

415: Orpheus

- Again, I really like when there?s no obvious transition between the recap and the actual episode. I quite like how Faith drugs Angelus here. So pretty good teaser.
- Wesley carrying a bloody, bruised and unconscious Faith is an awesome visual.
- Flashbacks! With a twist! Seeing Faith and Angelus in Angel?s flashbacks is great. Love this device. Love Angelus freaking out about Angel rescuing a puppy.
- Willow! Gorgeous adorable Willow! This episode just earned itself an A.
- ?You must be Angel?s handsome yet androgynous son.? ? hee; I love my Willow
- Willow and Fred together in the same scene might just be the best thing ever.
- Love Angel?s hairdo in the seventies. The Barry Manilow continuity is good too.
- Had to be a scene with just Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof together; and it?s awesome. Love seeing Willow talk about different kinds of jars. I also love the two of them basically trying to out-evil each other.
- ?So, Fred, what?s her story?? ? hee
- The big scary head: not so scary and not so effective.
- Seeing Angel and Angelus fighting each other is pretty cool.
- Orb of Thesula!
- Seeing Faith kick Connor?s ass couldn?t be more satisfying.
- And some really enjoyable ending scenes. Lots of sentimentality, but no tears and no hugging (almost no hugging). And a final dose of awesome Willow: ?I?m seeing someone!?
- Creepy evil Cordelia with a huge belly! Wow, that?s creepy.
- Excellent episode and a solid ending to the Angelus arc. Without saying too much about my opinion of the next episodes, I think it?s safe to say that this season peaks with the Faith/Angelus arc.

A -

 

The title change was late...sorry.

 

Season 4, Episode 16: Players
Writer: Jeffrey Bell, Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain
Director:Michael Grossman

Team Angel is stunned to discover that Cordy is pregnant. She insists that her baby will be a blessing, but its rapid growth is worrying the others and they come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Gwen comes to the Hyperion for help on a case and teams up with Gunn.

So after the mainly excellent Angelus arc we get the rest of Season 4, which is a bit of a letdown to say the least. This is another episode where nothing happens that is of any significance except for the last minute where the Fang Gang traps Cordelia into showing her evil side. I liked Gwen's last two appearances so I was disappointing with this one. We never see her again after this episode so what was the point of having her steal that device?I think it's such a let down because she's teamed up with Gunn who I really dislike. Seriously, the guy just broke up with Fred what a week ago? And now he's jumping into bed with the first available girl. A girl, who I might add, hasn't ever been able to touch anyone before so is a bit overenthusiastic with the touchy-feely. I did like Wes and Fred discussing relationships and the final scene was good. And Connor finally starts to show he might have a bit of a brain when he figures out that "Hey! Willow wasn't evil. And putting Angel's soul back won't kill everyone," but other than that, not much good in this episode.

My Rating:C

[Alarm goes off]
Gunn: Uh, what... seems to be the problem?
Security guard: The electronic imprints on your invitations have been altered.
Gwen: I can explain that. I was struck by lightning. [off everyone else's looks] Really. [hisses at Gunn] See how my life sucks?

Lorne: Has Cordy been a bad, bad girl? (looks into the Magic 8-Ball for the answer)
Magic 8-Ball: Definitely.

 

416: Players

- Good teaser: Everybody, especially Lorne?s, reaction to the pregnancy is good. And seeing something move around inside there is very creepy.
- Gwen! I continue to be glad to see her when she reappears.
- Slow start to this one? I?m really just waiting for the gang to realize Cordelia?s evil. This has been going on for way too long at this point.
- The Gunn/Gwen stuff is decent, but nothing spectacular.
- Love that Fred/Wesley scene.
- Gwen double crossing Gunn is hardly the surprise the show thinks it is.
- I?m so done with the Cordelia/Connor Show.
- A great ending to this one with the gang setting up Cordelia: ?Has Cordy been a bad, bad girl?? Still think Cordelia as a villain was mishandled by the writers from the beginning and went on for way too long.
- Not enough interesting things going on here.

C +

 

Season 4, Episode 17: Inside Out
Writer: Steven S. DeKnight
Director: Steven S. DeKnight

Team Angel finally realizes that Cordelia's body has been taken over by some sort of demon. Before they can get any answers though, Conner arrives and drags Evil Cordy to safety. Frustrated and angry, Angel goes to question Skip, the demon who took Cordy to the Higher Plane. Meanwhile, Evil Cordy tells Conner that the baby must be born... NOW.

And here's where Angel loses me. The rest of Season 4 is probably my least favorite string of episodes in the entire series. This one has so much exposition in it that it's hard to follow the first time through and ruins any hope of Connor ever becoming a sympathetic character. Though I do think the scene with him and Darla is pretty tense because I actually thought he might listen to her and do the right thing, but no. Also a thought that was floating around is if Darla could really be the First. I don't think she is, but it would sorta make sense. Jasmine was bringing about world peace and the First wouldn't have wanted that and Jasmine is a massively powerful being that the First probably just wouldn't want around. Plus they turn Skip into a villain. I'm not a big fan over the reveal of the fact that everything been orchestrated by Jasmine all the way back to the beginning of the show. Heck, maybe into Buffy times as well. I think the best part of the episode was Wes shooting Skip. That guy knows how to handle a gun.

My Rating:D+

Angel: All this time it was you, wasn't it?
Cordelia: Took you long enough to figure it out. But nice turn with the Lorne bait. You know, there was a time I would've seen that one coming eons before it ever crossed your tiny little mind.
Angel: Because you're so clever.
Cordelia: On the scale of you to me? Pretty damn.

Gunn: No way. We make our own choices.
Skip: Yeah, sure. Cheese sandwich here, uh, when to floss. But the big stuff, like two vampires squeezing out a kid?
Angel: Connor.
Wesley: An impossible birth to make one possible.
Skip: That's what the kid was designed for.
Lorne: To sleep with mother love?
Angel: To create a vessel.
Skip: Look out. The monkey's thinking again.
Angel: Being inside a human makes it vulnerable, doesn't it? That's why it had to stay hidden. Why it needed to create something stronger to pour itself into.
Gunn: Wait. So the big nasty inside of Cordy is going to give birth... to itself?

Fred: Will it make a difference? We really are just pieces being moved around a board.
[Alarm goes off]
Gunn: The final score can't be rigged. I don't care how many players you grease, that last shot always comes up a question mark. But here's the thing, you never know when you're takin' it. It could be when your duking it out with the legion of doom, or just crossin' the street deciding where to have brunch. So you just treat it all like it was up to you, with the world in the balance, cause you never know when it is.

Gunn: You sayin' Pop and Mama threw you a beatin'?
Lorne: Kid Vicious did the heavy lifting. Cordy just "mwha-ha-ha-ed" at us.

Darla: [To Connor] You're the one good thing I ever did.

 

417: Inside Out

- Oh look! It?s Connor coming to EvilCordelia?s rescue to torment me with the Connor & Cordelia Show for even longer.
- I like all the brief flashbacks to stuff EvilCordelia?s been doing since 407.
- I don?t really have a problem with how Vincent Kartheiser plays it, but Connor is an incredibly stupid character. As in the character is just not that smart. Very frustrating to watch.
- Skip! Always happy to see him again. His fight here with Angel is solid.
- I like the reveal that Cordelia becoming a Higher Being was part of the whole evil plot. It makes that whole plot development at the end of season 3 a little easier to tolerate.
- Darla! I really enjoy this appearance of Darla. Too bad it continues to make Connor look incredibly dumb.
- I?m also willing to consent to many other parts of Cordy?s life having been manipulated throughout the run of the show to get us where we are now. But I do think the writers went too far by including Gunn?s sister and parts of the Pylea stuff. So I don?t quite believe Skip that everything was orchestrated, but it?s definitely a cool idea. I do like that this explains how Angel and Darla could have a baby, so that?s good. The miracle explanation was never enough for me.
- Looking past the unnecessary shoulder roll, Wesley is pretty badass when he kills Skip.
- Gina Torres! And she?s naked! Who wouldn?t kneel down before a naked Gina Torres?!
- Good, but not great.

B

 

Season 4, Episode 18: Shiny Happy People
Writer:Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain
Director:Marita Grabiak

When the demon Cordelia gives birth to turns out to be a saintly, beautiful woman, all who lay eyes on her become entranced by her spell. With Cordelia in a coma, Angel and the gang help the new, unnamed prophet create the perfect Utopian L.A. But as every spell is a deception, even the most peaceful and reasonable ideals may conceal the darkest of secrets.

So Jasmine's born. And Team Angel acts annoying for the rest of the episode. The utter worship of Jasmine got old real fast for me and I found pretty much this whole episode slow and tedious. There were a few decent bits: Gunn and Wes trying to decide on a name for Jasmine was pretty good and I'm glad the writers at least addressed Angel turning into Angelus what with all the happiness floating around. And I'm glad that it was Fred who's arguably the weakest of the team that discovered the truth about Jasmine. It makes for a better storyline than if it was Angel or Wes or Gunn. Plus it's sweet how her first instinct is to go to Wes for help. Too bad he betrayed her. Except for that I found the rest of the episode boring.

Random Episode Fact:The title of the episode is a reference to the R.E.M. song of the same name, off their 1991 album, Out of Time. The song was the biggest hit from the album and seems to echo Jasmine's message fairly well with lyrics like, "Everyone around love them, love them." Incidentally, the band hates the song and left it off their greatest hits collection. They have also never played the song live, barring the one time on Saturday Night Live.

My Rating: D

Gunn: OK, so what are we dealing with?
Fred: Eight legs, three heads, horns...?
Lorne: Hey!
Fred: No offense.
Connor: Two legs, one head, no horns.
Lorne: Lemme guess: green?
Angel: No. Kind of.... mocha.

Connor: Kill? No. No killing.
Gunn: Since when?
Angel: Since we've all been saved.
Fred: Oh, well, that's, uh, crazy talk.
Angel: (to Connor) They don't understand.
Connor: No.
Angel: We don't want to kill her. (takes the axe away from Wesley) We just want to find her so we can worship her. That's all.

Jasmine: Yes. In the beginning, before the time of man, great beings walked the earth. Untold power emanated from all quarters?the seeds of what would come to be known as good and evil. But the shadows stretched and became darkness, and the malevolent among us grew stronger. The earth became a demon realm. Those of us who had the will to resist left this place, but we remained ever-watchful.

Gunn: What about... Helen?
Wes: Helen.
Gunn: It's got a ring.
Wes: Yes, it does. However, something along the lines of... Dianthia or Iphigenia.
Gunn: Those are some long lines.
Wes: Or Aristophila, which means...
Jasmine: "Supreme lover of mankind." That's lovely.
Gunn: Well, Helen was my grandma's name.
Jasmine: Helen is beautiful as well.
Wes: All right. What about...
Fred: Clorox.
Gunn: "Clorox, she bleaches away the hate."
Wes: Probably best we avoid brand names.

 

418: Shiny Happy People

- Good teaser. I like Gina Torres and her performance here is just the right kind of unsettling.
- So now Cordelia?s in a coma. I guess that?s a decent way to get her out of the game, but still available for an eventual return. It worked for Faith.
- ?Kind of? mocha.? ? hee; love the gang reacting to Angel being under Jasmine?s spell.
- I?m so happy that we?re done with the Connor/Cordelia scenes.
- Nothing here I don?t like, just lots of enjoyable scenes.
- I like how Fred is the first one of the gang who can see Jasmine for what she really is. It gives Amy Acker some great stuff to play. Seeing Fred using her brains and resources to figure out what?s going on and keep herself alive is great.
- The gang casually talking about what possibly might be going on with Fred, why she?s evil an that they should kill her is a really nice scene. I just love how calm everything is. Very eerie.
- Another good one.

B

 

Season 4, Episode 19: The Magic Bullet
Writer: Jeffrey Bell
Director: Jeffrey Bell

When the demon Cordelia gives birth to turns out to be a saintly, beautiful woman, all who lay eyes on her become entranced by her spell. With Cordelia in a coma, Angel and the gang help the new, unnamed prophet create the perfect Utopian L.A. But as every spell is a deception, even the most peaceful and reasonable ideals may conceal the darkest of secrets.

I like this one better than the previous two, mainly because it's Fred centric I suppose and there's slightly less emphasis on the crazy Jasmine worship. They do a good job of portraying her isolation and the fear that goes with it as she tries to be a hero. The scene where Jasmine looks through her follower's eyes to find her is downright creepy. Also thought the teaser was pretty good with the Beach Boys playing and the Fred suddenly running into traffic. Watching Fred trying to figure out why everyone's acting the way they do is interesting as she comes to the realization that its Jasmine's blood that does it and thus she shoots Angel. I also liked Angel and Connor singing "Mandy" together and the little fact that Connor didn't know who Houdini was. Of course that'd be the song Angel picked. And anyone else notice that Angel's been forgoing his usual black and wearing lighter colored shirts since Jasmine entered the picture? Oh, and of course there's the fact that we find out Jamsine's been eating people meening she's not as benevolent as she appeared. On the downside I don't see why Cordy's blood cured Gunn, Lorne, and Wes without them looking at Jasmine. Angel and Fred both had to see her true face before they believed. And I feel like by this point the writers are just trying to make Connor as unlikable as possible. Everyone else snaps out of it but of course the kid has to go and betray them.

magical dwarfs...hobbits


My Rating: B-

Gunn: This close, and she pulled a Houdini.
Connor: What's a Houdini?
Wes: She escaped.

Shopkeeper: You want to fight fire with fire. Make sure the government and the other savages learn about Jasmine's love.
red: Exact? (plays along) that's exactly right. Why should we be the only shiny, happy people?
Shopkeeper: We don't need to use the evil tools of (with air quotes) the man when we have (with air quotes) the wo-man. We need to trust that Jasmine's love will reach the rest of the world just like it reached us
Fred: Oh, happy day.

Lorne: You know what they say about people who need people...
Connor: They're the luckiest people in the world.
Lorne the Host: You been sneaking peeks at my Streisand collection again, kiddo?
Connor: Just kinda popped out.

Lorne: Tonight the role of Judas Iscariot will be played by Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan.

Connor: I'll kill you.
Angel: It'll pass.
Lorne the Host: Yeah, 'cause Lord knows he's never tried that before.

 

419: The Magic Bullet

- Love the teaser with Fred and the rest of our gang breaking up the wonderful, happy, Jasmine enhanced, California atmosphere.
- The Jasmine scenes continue to be good.
- Oh, it?s Patrick Fischler as the shopkeeper. I?ve been seeing him an in several shows lately, such as Lost and Mad Men.
- Connor?s more likable without Cordelia around. I like him telling Angel about his time in Quor-Toth.
- My favorite scenes in this are the ones with Fred. It?s kind of nice seeing her being the only true protagonist of the episode. I love the concept of one person on the run from EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD!!
- Danny Woodburn as the executive demon! He?s always pretty good.
- ?Winifred Burkle is a monster. A siren hoping to lure you away from Jasmine and onto the rocks of heresy and destruction.? ? That whole scene is awesome. Love seeing Angel and Connor singing together.
- ?There was no second gunman. Oswald acted alone.? ? does this mean it is canon in the Buffyverse that Oswald acted alone? Hmm, in my own personal canon: Jasmine lied about that. I think I prefer there to be a conspiracy. It?s more fun that way.
- Love Fred?s method of getting Jasmine?s blood on Angel.
- Jasmine?s eating people: Yuck! And, even though I hate to agree with Connor, kinda cool.
- So now we?re back to our gang against Connor and [insert woman]. I guess it was inevitable?
- Solid episode.

B +

 

Season 4, Episode 20: Sacrifice
Writer: Ben Edlund
Director: David Straiton

Team Angel continues to fight against Jasmine's growing power. After escaping the Hyperion, they find themselves hiding in the sewers and trying to come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Conner continues to serve Jasmine, even after she has Cordy moved to an undisclosed location. When Wes finds out a few of Jasmine's secrets and she closes in on them, Team Angel has to split up so at least one of them will survive

So like the previous season and a half, we're back to The Fang Gang versus Connor. And just as I'm starting to forget the creepy Connor/Cordy stuff, we get some weird Connor/Jasmine scenes. The middle of this episode--once they enter the sewers and until Wes is alone with the demon--drags for me. I don't really care about the wannabe Gunn crew. And having a demon from another dimension randomly be there seems a little too deus ex machina for my taste though I don't see any other way for our heroes to destroy Jasmine since she is so powerful. There were a couple good bits, Gunn and Fred finally talk about killing the professor and all the people talking in Jasmine's voice is supremely creep as is the scene of her laughing while Team Angel starts their epic fight at the end, but other than that, there's nothing I want to rewatch in this episode.

Random Episode Fact: This is the first episode of Angel written by Ben Edlund. He was moved over to the series from Firefly and given a producer credit in order to help prepare for the fifth season, if WB allowed them another season.

My Rating: D

Radio Announcer: And in an impromptu speech today, the mayor?I really love that guy, don't you?? The mayor declared Los Angeles the first Citadel of Jasmine, a cradle of civilization which will usher in a new age for all of humanity. In related news, the L.A. Archdiocese has stated to the press that it will remove all false idols from its churches, replacing them with images of she who walks among us. Way to go, Catholic Church. Yes, it's a great day to be alive.
Lorne: Well, talk about media bias. Well, not that I wanna talk about media bias. It seems rather moot right now. Speakin' of moot, what about us? Anyone else feel like the last feisty wife in Stepford?

Jasmine: There's a part of you that you've kept from me, your pain.
Connor: I don't understand.
Jasmine: Pain has been the only constant in your life, the one thing that has never abandoned you. You think that pain is yours to keep and bear alone. But it's not. I want it. I want everything you are. Connor, father, let it go. Let me have it.

 

420: Sacrifice

- Good teaser.
- I?m kind of sad that Jasmine doesn?t literally eat people.
- I continue to enjoy this ?us against everybody? concept; I just wish it was used better here.
- This one got a little too slow a first half. It gets a little better once our gang meets the sewer gang. Too bad it then abandons the ?everyone is after us? thing for a while.
- The Jasmine/Connor scenes aren?t as bad as the old Connor/Cordelia scenes, but they?re not holding my attention as much as I?d prefer. I just wish there was something more dynamic and interesting going on.
- The scenes underground aren?t that spectacular either. Lots of slow and plodding. Not even Wesley figuring things out manages to hold my attention.
- This is so the wrong time for a Gunn/Fred talk. That just slowed the episode down completely.
- Good cliffhanger though. That shot of Angel in that cool CGI dimension is pretty awesome.
- A very disappointing episode, especially at this point in the season.

C -

 

Season 4, Episode 21: Sacrifice
Writer: David Fury
Director: Jefferson Kibbee

Angel arrives in Jasmine's old dimension, looking for a way to break her spell. Back on Earth, Team Angel is locked up in the Hyperion as Jasmine prepares to brainwash the world through a global media event. Conner goes searching for Cordelia.

We finally come to the conclusion of the storyline that's been building since Season two and much like Season 4 of BtVS we get our final fight with the Big Bad in the penultimate episode. I like the second half of this episode alright: once Angel reveals Jasmine's name to the world. The violence and destruction that LA dissolves into once Jasmine's hold is gone really makes you question if it was all as black and white as Angel was making it out to believe. Then he and Jasmine talk and you can almost see Jasmine's pov...then she decides to end the world thus revealing herself to be rather evil all along which means it's back to being black and white. Angel's fight with the demon was also pretty good and we start to see the utter despair Connor's sunk into. His explanation about why Jasmine's looks didn't matter to him actually make sense but if he was never under her thrall then why'd he fall to his knees at the very beginning? Wouldn't he have waited a little while to figure out what she wanted? And the fact that he knew it was a lie all along yet was getting along with Angel and everyone makes me think that he really does crave to be a part of their family. Best part of this episode though is undoubtedly Lilah showing up on the end. Great, great ending scene that I did not see coming.

Random Episode Fact: According to Tim Minear, they were originally going to have Cordelia wake up and kill Jasmine. However, Charisma Carpenter had just given birth in real life, so her doctors had not yet released her to do any physicality. The ending was then changed to Connor killing Jasmine.

My Rating: C

Angel: Jasmine, it's over. You've lost.
Jasmine: I've lost? Do you have any idea what you've done?
Angel: What I had to do.
Jasmine: No. No, Angel. There are no absolutes. No right and wrong. Haven't you learned anything working for the Powers? There are only choices. I offered paradise. You chose this!
Angel: Because I could. Because that's what you took away from us. Choice.
Jasmine: And look what free will has gotten you.
Angel: Hey, I didn't say we were smart. I said it's our right. It's what makes us human.
Jasmine: But you're not human.
Angel: Working on it.
[Jasmine turns to walk away]
Angel: Where you going?
Jasmine: Leave me alone.
Angel: Sorry, but... can't do that.
Jasmine: What? You've taken everything. You're gonna try to kill me now, as if you could.
Angel: Maybe not. But I'll die before I let you hurt anyone else.
Jasmine: You're already dead!
Angel: You know what I mean. It ends right here.
Jasmine: Why do you hate me so much?
Angel: Let's run down the list, huh? Rain of fire, blotting out the sun, enslaving mankind, and, yeah, oh, yeah, hey, you eat people!
Jasmine: Like you never have?
Angel: Thousands of people are dead because of what you've done.
Jasmine: And how many will die because of you? I could've stopped it, Angel. All of it. War, disease, poverty. How many precious, beautiful lives would've been saved in a handful of years? Yes, I murdered thousands to save billions. This world is doomed to drown in its own blood now.

Angel: Go to Hell.
Jasmine: You first, baby.

 

421: Peace Out

- Other than Angel in the CGI dimension the teaser isn?t very interesting.
- This episode is much more interesting than the last one. The previous one didn?t do a good job of separating the Gang from Jasmine, so their capture here is a good thing.
- I love that Connor sees Jasmine for what she really is, but still follows her. It actually makes him more interesting than if the blood mixing thing just hadn?t worked.
- As Connor questions Jasmine he instantly becomes more likable.
- ?So tell me and I?ll crush your windpipe!? ? hee
- Love the two grinning police officers.
- While I like Gina Torres? performance in these episodes, I definitely prefer her in Firefly.
- I enjoy Jasmine?s big final scene with Angel, but I?m not sure how satisfying an end it is. Connor being the one two kill Jasmine seems fitting though.
- Lilah! Awesome ending.
- Marked improvement over the previous one. Still not a spectacular episode though.

B

 

Season 4, Episode 22: Home
Writer: Tim Minear
Director: Tim Minear

Lilah returns from Hell to offer Angel Inv. the L.A. branch of Wolfram and Hart. They are given the option of going to see what it has to offer, which all of them decide to take. When on their tours, Fred is offered the Science Department. Gunn is taken to the White Room to see who replaced the Girl. Wesley is offered books with infinite knowledge, and Lorne is offered the Entertainment Department. If they accept, Angel would be the head honcho. In the end, Angel will accept, but only under one condition.

As we conclude Season Four, I have to say that I think this is an utterly brilliant way to end the season. We needed something to change and putting Angel in charge of Wolfram and Hart is a completely unexpected maneuver that changes the whole tone of the series. As a bonus, we get rid of Connor who imo is the most annoying "good guy" character in any of Whedon's shows. That being said, I'm not so sure I like how they wrote him off. It's utterly heartbreaking to watch Angel once again lose the thing he loves most (seriously, the guy can't get a break) but I hate the fact that he took it upon himself to erase his friends' memories. It's his decision to rewind time and cause Buffy to forget all over again. He doesn't have the right to do that. I also wonder if the fact that they don't remember certain things made it easier for Wes and Fred to join W&H. Angel joins to save his son, Gunn joins to essentially "level up," Lorne joins for the people he'll work with, but I don't see any real reason for Fred and Wes to join. Especially Wes. He only wanted to be there so he could burn Lilah's contract (which was another brilliant and heartbreaking scene.) I also liked that one guy being an ex-watcher and the nod to BtVS when they mentioned the council was destroyed. And of course Angel gets his amulet just in time to hop over to Sunnydale.

Random Episode Fact: This episode is the final appearance of Stephanie Romanov in the series. Also saying good-bye to their billed roles in this episode are Charisma Carpenter and Vincent Kartheiser.

My Rating: B+

Lilah: I have been authorized to make you kids an offer.
Fred: You can't possibly think there's anything we'd want from you.
Lilah: I don't think you'll want it, but you'll take it, because this is the offer of a lifetime. [pauses] Just not, you know, mine.

Gunn: You wanna give us your evil law firm? We ain't lawyers.
Fred: Or evil. Currently.

Fred: We ended a nefarious global domination scheme. Not "world peace". Right?

Lilah: What are you doing, Wesley?
Wesley: [takes a piece of paper out of the files] Standard in Perpetuity clause.
Lilah: You broke in here for my contract?
Wesley: I'm here to release you from it.
Lilah: Wesley?
Wesley: You've suffered enough! [he lights the paper on fire] I want you to find some peace.
Lilah: Gallant to the end... but I knew what I signed up for.
Wesley: It's done.
Lilah: Look in the drawer. [Wesley finds the same piece of paper in the file cabinet again, unscorched] Flames wouldn't be eternal if they actually consumed anything. But it means something that you tried.

 

422: Home

- Dying must?ve been good for LIlah; she looks great. I love how her posture is all different because of her decapitated head.
- The long silence after the credits is awesome. Love how nobody talks until we?re past Tim Minear?s credit.
- I?m totally on board with the Wolfram & Hart takeover. Genius development for the show!
- Love Lorne already in the limo with the German techno blasting.
- ?Good morning Mr. Angel.? ? hee
- Fred and the gun are adorable!
- Jonathan Woodward!
- I enjoy the acknowledgement that there?s no longer a Watcher?s council.
- Every scene at Wolfram & Hart: Awesome.
- Every scene with Connor: Okay, but hardly favorites of mine.
- Buffy finale crossover! Yay!
- I really like that final Lilah/Wesley scene. Those two had a fascinating relationship and I?m glad it didn?t end with Wesley decapitating her.
- That final Angel/Connor scene is pretty good. Knowing, in retrospect, that Angel is essentially giving up his son so that he?ll have a better existence is heartbreaking. My opinions of the Connor character at this point: While I?m not a huge fan of how the character was written, I do think Vincent Kartheiser did a solid job with him. His character arc is pretty good, but the character itself is not likable enough. More on that character next season.
- Angel watching Connor with his new family: Totally breaks my heart. Love how Kartheiser plays this version of Connor by the way.
- So, pretty much an excellent ending to an uneven season.

A -

------------

Looking at all my reviews for this season, the average grade is better than a B, but not quite a B +.

Highest rated episode: 406
Lowest rated episodes: 420

Looking at my average grade for all seasons, they rank like this:

Season 2: Strong B +
Season 1: Strong B +
Season 4: B (+)
Season 3: Almost B

-------------

 

Season 5, Episode 1: Home
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon

Angel and the gang adjust to life at Wolfram & Hart, while Angel lets loose the shocking contents of a package from Sunnydale.

Season 5 starts off with a bang get the introduction of Eve, the reappearance of Harmony, a return to the MoTW format of Season 1, and Gunn decides to "suit up," which will have massive repercussions later on. I like the beginning of this episode as it mirrors the beginning of the very first episode--Angel in a dark alley saving the girl (also Angel's now the only original cast member who's still on the show)--yet we see how different it is for the Fang Gang now. Right off the bat, we're introduced to the main theme of the season: our heroes trying to save the world from within the evil corporation without crossing the lines themselves, and Eve word their dilemma very succinctly. Gunn becoming a laywer was a good change for his character as otherwise he's pretty useless now. And I love Fred's angry rant to the scientists about dying with the only people who deserve it and Angel's giddiness over his cars. The actual plotline is nothing special (though I can't help but think one or two Initiative guys might've found their way into the commando team...) though we do see Angel kill 3 guys (bringing his total up to 23) which he didn't do at all in Season 4. So already he's growing darker again. And if no one remembers Connor then how is Jasmine and Cordy's coma explained since Connor played a role in both? As to Spike's entrance, I''ll say more about that next episode, but I love the differing reactions he gets.

Random Episode Fact: For most of the episode, Wesley is shot from his right side, with his left away from the camera. This is because during the majority of shooting, the left side of his face was mildly paralyzed.

My Rating: B+

Wes: Well, I'm still stuck back at, "Why on earth are we here?"
Fred: What, because we're crusaders against evil and now the law firm that represents most of the evil in the world has given us its LA branch to run however we want, probably in an attempt to corrupt, divide, or destroy us, and we all said yes in, like three minutes?
Wes: You're run-on sentences have got a lot less pointless.
Fred: That's so sweet - and a tad condescending.

Wes: Don't you think it's a bit unseemly adding Y's to the ends of people's names?
Gunn: Does that mean I have to call you 'Wesle'?

Angel: You like to make an entrance.
Eve: You always open both doors when you enter a room?

Angel: Harmony.
Harmony: Hey. Boss.
Angel: You're my secretary?
Harmony: [scoffs] Hello. Assistant.
Angel: Explain why I shouldn't kill you?
Harmony: Secretary's fine.
Angel: No, it's not fine. Where is it fine? You've been working here?
Harmony: Yeah-huh.
Angel: Why?
Harmony: Well, duh, I'm a single undead gal trying to make it in the big city. I have to start somewhere. And they're evil here. They don't judge. They've got the necro-tempered glass.
[does a little dance]
Harmony: No burning up. A great medical plan. And who needs dental more than us?

Fred: Y'all are tired, I know. I just want you to understand that in a few hours a virus is gonna start spreading in the city that'll kill every person in it. And when blood starts streaming out of our noses, eye sockets and fingernails, I'll have the intense satisfaction of knowing that I'm dying with the only people in the world that actually deserve it!

Wes: Spike!
Angel: Spike.
Harmony: Blondie Bear?