I just watched tonight’s episode. Man, what a stinker! What a magnificent waste of airtime! Afterwards I and my three co-watchers sat around ranting and foaming about the show for about ten minutes solid, in utter disbelief.
But then I check another messageboard, and find lots of people saying they enjoyed it. What gives, folks? Was this really the vomit-puddle I thought, or was I missing some clever subtext?
Daniel
Was it a Whedon episode? When I saw the credits scroll by, I didn’t see his name for either writing or directing (other names appeared, instead); in fact, I was kinda disappointed with it being the 100th episode and all and he not actually doing anything. (Or was it not the 100th and I got that confused with an upcoming episode?)
Oh, and for some reason I thought that, earlier today, I saw an advertisement for a Cordelia appearance. When she didn’t show up at the end of this Harmony-fest, I just assumed I had missed something.
It wasn’t bad, I don’t think; it was just… silly. Especially after the last episode.
Yeah, it looks like I got the episode numbering wrong. According to Tv Tome, this was episode #97. Also, it was written by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, and directed by Vern Gillum.
My assessment of tonight’s episode? Yawn. Harmony was always one of my least favorite characters, but this episode was just endless. The only mildly amusing bit was the vamp cat fight.
What, you didn’t like the chopstick-fu? 
As I watched that, I counted the minutes to when I could be the first to post:
Worst. Fight. Ever.
[sub]I mean, c’mon, at least Harmony and Xander’s hair-pulling fight was funny.[/sub]
I loved this episode.
I’m a big Harmony fan, so that might not come as much of a surprise, but still, I thought everything was really well done. Definitely my favorite Angel ep this season so far.
Personally, I loved the chop-stick fight. Just the right mix of comedy and action for me. Between that and Harmony’s slo-mo fight with Xander in Buffy s4, that girl just gets the best damn fight scenes.
Also, I don’t know exactly what you mean by a Whedon episode, since he didn’t write or direct. But if you mean worst episode of a Whedon show? Please. 99% of the last two season of Buffy was way worse than this.
Really?
I quite enjoyed it. Nice insight that rounded (a little) out what had been a one-note character. One of the strongest yet this season.
Chopstick fu was funny. It wasn’t “Objects in Space”, but what is?
There was no Eve. No mention of Cordy or Connor.
That puts it way, way, up on the list.
A cute little thing, unconnected to the main story arc that, from the shot of Eve in the promo (damn) will start up again next week.
I enjoyed it for what it was - a fun, predictable one-off. It’s still miles beyond the vast majority of the rest of TV.
I agree. While I certainly wouldn’t want Harmony to become the star of the show, I think she adds a light counterpoint to the general moroseness of most of the cast. And I like when shows set aside an episode or two to examine the lives of minor characters.
First a note: by “Whedon show,” I’m talking about the three shows he’s produced; I know he wasn’t really involved in this episode other than having his name on the credits. And yes, I never hated an episode of Buffy as much as I hated this one, not even close. Had this been an episode of Charmed, I might have considered it par for the course.
I’m fascinated by this! The four of us who watched it were wincing and groaning through the whole thing, cursing at the television and at Joss. I was sure that when I checked the Net, I’d find an outpouring of vituperation toward Whedon for allowing it on the air.
But some folks really enjoyed it. Go figure.
Questions:
-Was anyone surprised by the plot twists? The entire plot (minus specifics, like the particular villain) was pretty obvious by the time Harmony started maccing on the guy at the bar. One of the things I normally love about Whedon’s shows is that if his plot twists don’t catch me completely by surprise, it’s because I’ve been thinking my little butt off trying to anticipate them. These plot twists were telegraphed, obvious, and then insultingly explained in minute detail by the villain after we’d just watched them come up on the screen.
-I won’t ask if anyone found the wit witty, because apparently folks did. The chopstick fu, had it been handled in a deadpan manner, could’ve been great comedy; as it was, it was so stupidly overblown that the joke was tired before the fight began. The demon’s “I’m good” came across like a line written by someone who’d watched Angel before and who vaguely comprehended the linguistic wit at the show’s root, but who was completely incapable of adding to it.
-Why, oh why oh why, are they keeping Harmony around? I can barely, if I squint, understand Angel’s decision not to stake her, but what is he possibly thinking in not firing her? When the going got tough, she didn’t tell anyone what was up; instead, she assaulted and basically kidnapped three staff members, including two who were key to ending a war between rival demon clans. She’s obviously not remorseful for what she did; indeed, even after Angel told her that she should’ve come clean, she still feels justified in her actions. And she’s got no soul. If he’s not going to show her stake-mercy, he really ought to put her somewhere that she can’t be causing mass slaughters in the W&H building.
Man, the show makes me mad to think about! Stinky tv.
Daniel
I didn’t hate it, but it won’t make my list for best Angel episodes ever. Harmony is a bit harder to do a solo episode on because she has never been more than an occasional character on either show until recently. Unlike, say, Xander in “The Zeppo” or “The Replacement,” who was an established character.
I did find the little corporate promo video in the beginning to be pretty funny. It served no real purpose other than to introduce the zero-tolerance policy, but it was funny nonetheless.
I did like some of the moments with Fred. It was nice to see that she’s not totally blind to either Wes or Knox’s interest in her, even if she doesn’t know quite what to do about it. Fred dispensing advice on meeting men is a little strange, though.
Spike’s absence from an episode that featured easily offended demon clans was noticeable. It could have been quite entertaining, for example, to have Angel & Co. preparing so carefully and studying all the manners and customs, only to have Spike come in and act like, well, Spike (ill-mannered, not caring what others think, etc.) Even funnier if somehow Spike were the one that both clans accepted. His reasons for coming back were lame and contrived, too.
Pretty good, not great. It was intended as a light hearted one-off episode. As such, it suceeded in my opinion.
The growing pile of bound bodies in the closest was amusing. Also that the whole thing wasn’t a massive conspiracy, rather the petty jealousy of someone actually jealous of Harmony was funny as well.
subtitles: “works for me”
I thought it was pretty good, I’m a fairly die-hard Whedonverse fan.
Of course, the entire episode was sold to me within the first three minutes, when they were showing the Wolfram & Hart promotional video. Something about the way Angel uncomfortably delivered his only line, “Don’t kill people, and we won’t kill you” just made me laugh uncontrollably.
It was no “The Zeppo,” but it certainly wasn’t a waste of my time.
First a note: by “Whedon show,” I’m talking about the three shows he’s produced; I know he wasn’t really involved in this episode other than having his name on the credits. And yes, I never hated an episode of Buffy as much as I hated this one, not even close. Had this been an episode of Charmed, I might have considered it par for the course.
I’m fascinated by this! The four of us who watched it were wincing and groaning through the whole thing, cursing at the television and at Joss. I was sure that when I checked the Net, I’d find an outpouring of vituperation toward Whedon for allowing it on the air.
But some folks really enjoyed it. Go figure.
Questions:
-Was anyone surprised by the plot twists? The entire plot (minus specifics, like the particular villain) was pretty obvious by the time Harmony started maccing on the guy at the bar. One of the things I normally love about Whedon’s shows is that if his plot twists don’t catch me completely by surprise, it’s because I’ve been thinking my little butt off trying to anticipate them. These plot twists were telegraphed, obvious, and then insultingly explained in minute detail by the villain after we’d just watched them come up on the screen.
-I won’t ask if anyone found the wit witty, because apparently folks did. The chopstick fu, had it been handled in a deadpan manner, could’ve been great comedy; as it was, it was so stupidly overblown that the joke was tired before the fight began. The demon’s “I’m good” came across like a line written by someone who’d watched Angel before and who vaguely comprehended the linguistic wit at the show’s root, but who was completely incapable of adding to it.
-Why, oh why oh why, are they keeping Harmony around? I can barely, if I squint, understand Angel’s decision not to stake her, but what is he possibly thinking in not firing her? When the going got tough, she didn’t tell anyone what was up; instead, she assaulted and basically kidnapped three staff members, including two who were key to ending a war between rival demon clans. She’s obviously not remorseful for what she did; indeed, even after Angel told her that she should’ve come clean, she still feels justified in her actions. And she’s got no soul. If he’s not going to show her stake-mercy, he really ought to put her somewhere that she can’t be causing mass slaughters in the W&H building.
Man, the show makes me mad to think about! Stinky tv.
Daniel
I’m not a Harmony fan by any means of the imagination, but I didn’t hate this episode half as much as I thought I would. I actually kind of liked it. I liked the Fred parts particularly. I have no idea what is going on in the promo for next week, but it looks like they are returning to the main arc, which is good news in my mind.
Although it certainly wasn’t my favorite of the season, I don’t quite hate it. However, it seems odd that they’d return from hiatus and the cliffhanger with such a weak, non seasonal arc episode.
Since IANA Angel writer, I can only guess, but…
Harmony has shown in the past that, when left to her own devices, she has a propensity to do the wrong thing first. And, by “wrong thing,” I mean “the evil, human-drinking thing.”
I felt the whole point of taking over the evil law firm was that Angel has subscribed to the theory of, “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” By keeping Harmony employed, he prevents her from gallivanting around the city, trying to scare up vamps stupider than she is to be in her gang. This solves two problems – no need to hire another personal assistant, and no need to keep tabs on a potential problem-in-brewing.
Not the best ever, but not bad for a once-off, and a nice, light episode to come back from break with. As others have said, it rounds out a secondary character. Besides, I have always liked Harmony. It was good to see more of her.
“It couldn’t be me. I’m a Right-Biter!” 
Chopstick-fu made me laugh out loud. No, it wasn’t subtle…nothing involving Harmony ever is.
It was well worth the hour of my life I spent watching it. Hell, I’ll watch it again in reruns. Of course, I’m also one of those nutjobs who actually LIKES Eve, too. :eek: