ANGEL ROCKED!!
Feb. 26th, 2004 12:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabid1stI know it did! It was the BEST EPISODE of S5!
Problem is..I didn't have to actually WATCH it to know this! Joss Whedon wrote it...it was bound to make strong men weepy and the common writers stand around all slack-jawed. The man CAN WRITE...no doubt about it.
Of course, that said, there are things I can tell you about the eppy...all sight unseen...and unspoiled...I didn't even watch a single preview...or read the TVGuide blurb...but...still...I know...
It was beyond clever...there were quips and running gags and visual metaphors galore...there was also loads of homo-erotic subtext...Fred and Wes consummated their love (whoops, I DO know that W/F kissed last week...) and so one of them had to die or otherwise betray...and did (ala S2 Angel...ala Season 4 Joyce...ala Season 6 Tara...ala Cordy...ala Buffy). The surviving person will go crazy ala Willow after Tara died (sadly without the contact lens or big truck). I say this because both Wes and Fred have the nerdy/powerful vibe going on. This is the turning point for the season so Spike bonds to the gang a bit(ala Spike in S4 and S5 and S6...ala OZ in S2...ala Tara...ala Andrew...ala Gunn)...but there is a gut blow to all (She's not a demon she's a GOD...Oh, Faith has killed a man...Evil Angel...has killed Jenny...Joyce dies suddenly...Spike is killing again)...possibly the death/betrayal...more likely some revelation...things are looking mighty dark...still there's an open end to the storyline...our heroes rise to the occasion.
Uhm...what else? Oh, yes...there were vague references that could "mean something" but probably don't...(ala...any Whedon episode)...
...and people wonder why the show is in trouble...well...it's because we don't HAVE to watch it anymore...we've seen it all before...and now...it's kind of a Jossian cliche.
All that said...let me further say...there really is nothing wrong with the gut blow part...other than it being exactly where it should be...it is clinical storytelling to put your turning point at this exact moment in the season. Further, there are things about the ARC this season (as I understand it from the previous weeks' re-cap posts on my FL anyway) that please me. I think the direction now shows some effort on the part of the creative people to retain continuity of theme. I am glad to see that return to basic storytelling.
As I see it, the theme this year is "the fundamentalist-like punishment for their sins." And, oh, how Jossian is that sharply black and white view! However, it is the SAME theme I would have chosen in JW's place (Though, I would have gone with slightly more pain...because I would have maintained a consistent line out of Buffy and put James into the EVE role...and made a few signature changes to keep the audience awake). Loads of retribution will be visited on Angel & Company for their taking the easy way out last year...I can see them all sent to hell by the end of the season (they were ALL sinners by the end of LAST season)...as the devil gets his due.
Ah...there's a happy! Though...again...not exactly a SURPRISE!
And I apologize to those people on my FL who I either offended with my blasphemy...or more importantly SPOILED with my guesses. I have only given you what I knew would occur without any reference to the text or show this week.
Don't expect that I am right and consider yourself SPOILED by my remarks. I could just as easily be totally wrong. And I hope, for JW's sake, I am.
Problem is..I didn't have to actually WATCH it to know this! Joss Whedon wrote it...it was bound to make strong men weepy and the common writers stand around all slack-jawed. The man CAN WRITE...no doubt about it.
Of course, that said, there are things I can tell you about the eppy...all sight unseen...and unspoiled...I didn't even watch a single preview...or read the TVGuide blurb...but...still...I know...
It was beyond clever...there were quips and running gags and visual metaphors galore...there was also loads of homo-erotic subtext...Fred and Wes consummated their love (whoops, I DO know that W/F kissed last week...) and so one of them had to die or otherwise betray...and did (ala S2 Angel...ala Season 4 Joyce...ala Season 6 Tara...ala Cordy...ala Buffy). The surviving person will go crazy ala Willow after Tara died (sadly without the contact lens or big truck). I say this because both Wes and Fred have the nerdy/powerful vibe going on. This is the turning point for the season so Spike bonds to the gang a bit(ala Spike in S4 and S5 and S6...ala OZ in S2...ala Tara...ala Andrew...ala Gunn)...but there is a gut blow to all (She's not a demon she's a GOD...Oh, Faith has killed a man...Evil Angel...has killed Jenny...Joyce dies suddenly...Spike is killing again)...possibly the death/betrayal...more likely some revelation...things are looking mighty dark...still there's an open end to the storyline...our heroes rise to the occasion.
Uhm...what else? Oh, yes...there were vague references that could "mean something" but probably don't...(ala...any Whedon episode)...
...and people wonder why the show is in trouble...well...it's because we don't HAVE to watch it anymore...we've seen it all before...and now...it's kind of a Jossian cliche.
All that said...let me further say...there really is nothing wrong with the gut blow part...other than it being exactly where it should be...it is clinical storytelling to put your turning point at this exact moment in the season. Further, there are things about the ARC this season (as I understand it from the previous weeks' re-cap posts on my FL anyway) that please me. I think the direction now shows some effort on the part of the creative people to retain continuity of theme. I am glad to see that return to basic storytelling.
As I see it, the theme this year is "the fundamentalist-like punishment for their sins." And, oh, how Jossian is that sharply black and white view! However, it is the SAME theme I would have chosen in JW's place (Though, I would have gone with slightly more pain...because I would have maintained a consistent line out of Buffy and put James into the EVE role...and made a few signature changes to keep the audience awake). Loads of retribution will be visited on Angel & Company for their taking the easy way out last year...I can see them all sent to hell by the end of the season (they were ALL sinners by the end of LAST season)...as the devil gets his due.
Ah...there's a happy! Though...again...not exactly a SURPRISE!
And I apologize to those people on my FL who I either offended with my blasphemy...or more importantly SPOILED with my guesses. I have only given you what I knew would occur without any reference to the text or show this week.
Don't expect that I am right and consider yourself SPOILED by my remarks. I could just as easily be totally wrong. And I hope, for JW's sake, I am.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-26 01:31 am (UTC)AHA...
Date: 2004-02-26 05:12 am (UTC)So, I will do as you ask...I nearly did it anyway...because there was no doubt in my mind we would see anything different...
Sorry, if you get spoiled by my guesses...but really...just because I am certain...don't worry, I could just as easily be wrong...and I hope for Joss' sake I am.
Rae
Re: AHA...
Date: 2004-02-26 06:31 am (UTC)Are you psychic?
Please tell us how the season ends oh wise one
I can tell you how it SHOULD end..
Date: 2004-02-26 08:16 am (UTC)www.geocities.com/rabid1st/safidy01.htm
As to how it WILL end...
Okay, I think Angel will do something heroic to save his people and will be sucked into the White Room version of HELL. Spike, who will appear to be AGAINST Angel will actually turn out to be working FOR him...and at the last second try to save ANGEL...but he will be too late...and it will all appear to be OVER...and Spike will be left "in charge" of the gang. Ideally there will be one of those W&H in RUIN shots with the gang on the street looking in shock and awe at the ruin.
This sets up NEXT season where Spike has an eppy or two in charge and then everyone sets off to save ANGEL. The beauty of this scenario is you could easily expand it to a movie where Buffy and the Scoobies are called in and THEY ALL set off to rescue Angel. Anyway...lots of demonic ass kicking by our crew as they try to bring Angel out of the W&H infernal clutches.
Let me know if I am right...
Rae