“Death doesn’t have to be the end. Not in our world.”
Ain’t that the truth.
A very good follow up from last week, and I’m glad Illyria doesn’t appear to be a big bad. That plotline has been exhausted by mutant enemy, IMO. Stellar acting by Denisof and Richards and I’m especially surprised by Denisof, since I’ve always thought of him as a bit wooden, but then again, it could be the character.
I liked the fight scenes and the stopping of time. And I really liked seeing Amy Acker in a bad ass role. Fred, though sweet, has always been too wimpy for my taste. LeatherFred was cool.
I see that next week is pre-empted and it’s gonna be hard to wait for what’s coming. I really haven’t got the faintest clue where they’re going with this. Maybe Illyria will be an ally for the MoG, because I suspect the end of the season/series will deal with the final showdown with W&H and/or the Senior Partners. It would be the best way to end, since W&H has been the major foe of Angel since episode 1x01.
Wow ME has found a new way to tortue people emotionally.
“She’s entirely annihilated - except that fragments of her memories are in the terrible demon creature. She is going to be here, attempting to learn this world, looking like Fred and remembering some of her life but being a demon-warrior that is not her at all.” Welcome to a new kind of hell Wes and everybody else.
I’m really interested in seeing what’s next, and I think that the way that everything was handled was very good. ME has decided to play on the expectations it has built up and deftly moves through what could be very awkward places for other TV shows.
When is another new episode on? It is going to be a hard wait.
What torture for Wesley that Illyria can summon up elements of Fred. Will Illyria use her power over Wesley to ultimately destroy him and the rest of the gang?
Anyone catch what those papers were that Angel made Gun sign? Made me think that Angel was firing him.
Okay, on one hand, I thought this episode was well-acted and poignant, all things considered. Quite a few great moments, as well. On the other hand, isn’t Whedon’s obsession with destroying every character who has the tiniest chance of being happy in love getting a little ridiculous? I understand the idea of throwing all the shit you can find at your character and calling that a plot, but this is approaching the level of farce. Cordelia just died! I realize that really happened a long time ago in TV time, but still. Jeez. Can’t we have one relationship that doesn’t end with demonic and/or supernatural possession of some variety?
Well, at least Evil Fred is pretty hot, though that outfit was remarkably ugly for a skin-tight leather catsuit. Sad Fred is gone though–I know a lot of people didn’t like her, but I thought she was cool. I want to grow up and a be a sexy super-intelligent scientist in glasses! Though I think I’d wear fewer mini-skirt/high heel combos.
When she first, er, “put on” the suit I thought it was more like an outer shell that was like the Legend-Like Rock Devil that they had so much of a hard time fighting with Connor.
I’m still unsure of this new plot development though. sigh If the series was continuing, there might be a chance to let it really go somewhere. I’m a little dubious as is though. When Fred had to take charge, she could be really cool and resourceful (like in the ep. when men got the virus that made them beat up women). She was the McGuyver of the group.
I like the way the show worked out – the idea that Illyria wants to learn to be human is a very good one.
Note that (other than Fred – which was unavoidable given the premise), despite her supposed evil, Illyria didn’t kill anyone (Wesley did more of that this episode). She certainly could have used her time warp abilities and beheaded everyone in the room, but she just walked out.
It is a shame the show is going off – Illyria/Fred has some interesting possibilities.
I thought it was stupid. How many times are they going to turn a good little girl into a bad evil one and then have everyone angst over it? Willow, Cordelia… way to rehash an old idea for the third time.
It was pretty good, but the complete 180 evilFred did by the end of the episode was a bit hard to take. Angel and Spike were good fun as usual. Nice to see the return of bad-ass Wes. I though letting Gunn live was a cop-out of sorts, it would have been pretty ballsy to kill off Fred and Wes in back to back weeks.
Even with a few quibbles it is hard to understand why a show so much better then everything else is not being renewed. Even one more season would be great.
Like others above, I think the FG’s going to take on the Senior Partners in the end. If the show has to end, that would be the way to go.
When they went from the intense drama of the confrontation, to the LOL “Weren’t you even listening?” – a great example of what Joss does best! I can’t think of another show where my entire family burst out laughing over a single line. Wow!
Why Buff and Angel are (and were) among the best stuff on the tube.
Did anyone else catch the bizarre sound editing job? In the scene where Illyria tears Fred’s clothes off, places her hand on the sarcophagus, you get a reaction shot of Knox ogling naked Fred, and then they immediately cut to Angel saying “Himalayas?” Was that just me?
And also, Spike getting smashed on airline courtesy bottles… “It’s like, this is what a real bottle of Jack Daniel’s would look like, but ver-r-r-y far away.”
And also the incredible foot-stomping overuse of the word “gone”? I understand that we’re supposed to really really really understand that she’s not coming back, and maybe Joss wanted to make sure that nobody (Marti Noxon, are you listening?) would reverse one of his decisions later on in the show. Then again, all the use of “gone” kind of pales in comparison to the number of people who have come back from the dead in Angel’s lifetime.
What about the comment about the Wolf, Ram and Heart being below even the vampires back when the old ones ruled? I wonder if she’s pretending to want to change just to get back at them.
Too much angst, it’s really getting extremely tiresome. The episode was fairly well crafted, I just feel like they are laying it on with a trowel right now.
I also don’t think Wes would keep leather-Fred around just because she looks like Fred. That doesn’t seem in character, nor does the stabbing of Gunn. Shooting Cox was just perfectly in character, no complaints there.
No explanation about the destruction of Illyria’s temple/army. Could this be where Willow was astral projecting? It sounded like Giles wasn’t going to cooperate with Angel as long as he’s part of W&H. That seemed a bit lame as well, these characters are never that hidebound.
I’ve got a couple thoughts on last night’s episode:
Fred has now become a cross between early Anya, and Data from “Star Trek.” This does not bode well for continued characterization.
I am very impressed at the complete evolution of Wes. Mrs. Chastain and I were discussing it last night, and his evolution from the introduction of the character to right now is a massive change. However, thanks to good writing and AMAZING acting, the shift has never felt forced. Kudos to ME for knowing how to evolve a character like that.
RE: The Paperwork Gunn Filled Out, from his hospital bed. “Walking papers,” I assumed – I figured Angel simply fired him. Anyone else’s thoughts?
It’s an overused ME cliche to end a poignant episode with a song like that, but the Kim Richey tune didn’t seem right for the mood at all.