Angel 5-5

[Henry]

I was very disappointed with the jacket, they could have at least repaired his, but instead they just toss some new one's and he's happy?

He killed a slayer for that jacket!

I believe he was just bull about the jacket; I'm pretty sure that duster's been destroyed before, and isn't the original. I'm just impressed the italian lady managed to find the same style 30 years later!

 

[Felon]

I love their chemistry. Absolutely great. "But not too happy, cause then I'd have to stake ya! Nevermind.. Have at it!"

Spike's played out IMO. Heck, he was played-out back when he was on Buffy season after season. "Wanker this", "wanker that". Got anything else? If not, shut the hell up already. Now rather than being this badass rebel warrior he's a spoiled bratty slacker who sits around mooching off of Wolfram & Hart while everyone else actually does work. I don't like people like that in real life, so why wouldn't I hate that in a TV show character?

For myself, it felt like Angel and Spike were too silly, not acting like they should have. Add to that the creation of "the immortal", which is just another bad plot device, no continuity, just toss him in and then drop him out. For someone so "powerful" he has had little impact on the world, especially given his supposed neutrality. Linking Buffy with him was assinine IMO.

Well, if he's neutral that's a good reason for him not to have a dramatic impact upon the world. Then again, maybe he does and we just don't know it. Sounds like if anything he's a force for balance.

I only hope *I* can be such a brilliant evil guy when I grow up.

Tut-tut. Only possibly evil.

Where's my build up?????? Only 2 episodes left. There should have been some build up to a finale in there. If this episode had happened earlier in the season, i would have liked it more. But, it just felt like nothing went on.

True, even bearing in mind that Whedon got the cancellation sprung on him unexpectedly (and he really should have been expecting it--payback's a mother!) at the very least there should be some build-up to at least wrapping up that season. Illyria's a loose end that I guess we won't see closure on. Someone care to explain what the point is of bringing in a godess character and then de-godessing her a couple of episodes later so that she's just one more strong fighter-type on the cast? As the brains of the group, Fred served a much better function. Illyria doesn't seem to serve a purpose except to be some bombastic straight-man (and don't that wouldn't have gotten old quick).

If nothing else, this is just not the right time for yet another light-hearted episode. "Smile Time" wasn't that many episodes ago (and there's that Harmony episode before that, and the Lorn's inner demon episode before that). I'd rather have seen some more of that hulking new liason (is that the same guy who played the demon Skip previously?), if for no other reason than to get some satisfaction out of his imminent demise.

 

[ConnorSB]

Man, didn't anyone else notice Andrew's Strong Bad Tshirt when he was first introduced?

And as for me, I'm satisfied. And as for not checking the good... its Italy! Its hilarious!

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'm of two minds about this episode.

Once again, we have an episode of Angel that's more focused on the events of it's sister show than it's own. This would have been more forgivable were this earlier in the season, but as the third to last episode it's simply not. Even if there were to be another season, it wouldn't be forgivable. This run of episodes is supposed to be bringing the events of this season of Angel to a head, not resolve stuff from Buffy.

Of course, I came down hard on them the last time this happened... but that was because it was more focused on Buffy than this one was. There were a number of reasons I resented that episode more, and still do, and I'll explain why in a bit.

The other thing that really bothered me about this episode is that it's not doing anything. It's blatantly obvious at this point that the season finale would have been (and still is) a cliffhanger, which is okay. The problem is I'm just not feeling any tension at all, and this episode did absolutely nothing to help that. You need to have tension to have a good cliffhanger, whereas right now tonight's episode really felt like filler, like it added nothing to the coming cliffhanger.

Now, on to what I liked. The writing was pretty good, and I even laughed at a few of the blatant Buffy references. I didn't feel like they were being crammed down my throat this time... perhaps in part to interjecting the Fred/Wesley B-plot, but I think more because of better writing this time around. Especially notable, IMO, was the joke about Spike's jacket. I don't know any of the story behind him getting it, but it was written in such a way that if you didn't, you could tell it had some value to him, and why. And all it took was a line or two.

Illyria as Fred was creepy as hell, and *gasp* actually made me miss Fred as a character. While I certainly have my... issues with the way they treat Fred as a character, it was nice to see her again. J. August Richards is great ("Will somebody just get on the jet!"), still underused but oh well. Banter between Angel and Spike was great... I'm really glad they found their groove in using Spike. As most of you know I was really worried about his addition to the cast at the beginning of this season, but it worked out in the end.

So like I said, I'm ambivalent. On the one hand I wasn't too pleased, on the other I thought it was a good episode. I think if it were earlier in the season I wouldn't be so torn, but given it's placement in the season it causes me some degree of dislike.

 

[Steverooo]

Lorenzo Lamas Guest Stars?

"The Immortal" was his show, wasn't it? Demon-slayer, and all that? Next week, Angel goes bad... again. (YAWN!) Hopefully, Spike will GET to stake him. Then Lorenzo can show up, and stake Spike, and we can have a kinda-sorta do-over of last week's show!

Hey, I always enjoy seeing vamps get dusted! What can I say?

Hmmm! Then what? Wolf, Ram, and (Mary) Hart step out, and reveal their big-bad plans to Wes, Illyria, and Gunn, who either have to tackle them, alone, or convince Lorenzo Lamas and/or Buffy and the Scoobie Gang to join in...

Personally, I'm not expecting much from the ending. It'll probably be ambiguous, and a bundle of frayed plot threads, leaving open the option for later movies... I don't expect even closure, let alone resolution.

Yawn!

Let Spike and Angelos stake each other, I say. Or let Angelos stake Spike, and Buffy take him out in the movie, after he bakes her cookies...

 

[Mouseferatu]

It's blatantly obvious at this point that the season finale would have been (and still is) a cliffhanger, which is okay.

Despite net rumors that aree with you, I pray you're wrong. I'm not a fan of season-ending cliffhangers to begin with. The idea of ending a series on a cliffhanger that they know may never be resolved--and it's been pretty well established by now that the talk of Angel TV movies was bunk--well, I can't imagine anything that would so completely sour me on what has been, to date, one of my favorite shows of all time.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Despite net rumors that aree with you, I pray you're wrong. I'm not a fan of season-ending cliffhangers to begin with. The idea of ending a series on a cliffhanger that they know may never be resolved--and it's been pretty well established by now that the talk of Angel TV movies was bunk--well, I can't imagine anything that would so completely sour me on what has been, to date, one of my favorite shows of all time.

To be fair, it's not like Joss and crew had any advance warning. Sure, the show was almost cancelled last season, but the fact that they picked it up despite that could easily be interpreted as the WB having some degree of faith in it. The way I understand it was a situation eerily similar to Farscape, in that they had already wrapped shooting for the most part when they were told - too late to do anything about it. Worst case, it was a instance of supreme ego on the part of ME that they would be picked up again.

That's no reason to let it sour the series though.

 

[RangerWickett]

I loved everything about this episode. As a viewer who likes the characters and loves the fun of the Buffyverse, I don't really mind that this is the way its ending. I mind that it is ending, but as long as the individual episodes are fun to watch, as this one certainly was, I'm content.

I wish you guys wouldn't be so hard on the show. If it were being renewed for another season, wouldn't you just be able to enjoy the pure silliness of this episode? I mean, this episode is to Angel what "Bad Blood" was to The X-Files. It's just really really fun.

And I was hoping Adrian Paul would be the Immortal, and that he'd fight them with a katana. It would almost even fit with the timeline.

 

[John Crichton]

I loved everything about this episode. As a viewer who likes the characters and loves the fun of the Buffyverse, I don't really mind that this is the way its ending. I mind that it is ending, but as long as the individual episodes are fun to watch, as this one certainly was, I'm content.

This episode was everything that is good about the Buffyverse. Sure, it can be dank, dark and moody but it is also funny, silly and irreverantly immature. All the Buffy references, the cameos and the Angel/Spike interactions were classic. I think too many of you went in with expectations that weren't fulfilled and ignored what was cool about the episode. Which was just about everything.

I wish you guys wouldn't be so hard on the show. If it were being renewed for another season, wouldn't you just be able to enjoy the pure silliness of this episode? I mean, this episode is to Angel what "Bad Blood" was to The X-Files. It's just really really fun.

Too true!

Yes, it may not have been the best episode to have with only 3 remaining but the fact is that it was funny and entertaining episode. And isn't that the point? We got the dark and disturbing plotline along with the cool, silly one. Both worked well. Viva Angel.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I was very disappointed with the jacket, they could have at least repaired his, but instead they just toss some new one's and he's happy?

He killed a slayer for that jacket!

Spike has been know to lie, how do we know Spike has been wearing that jacket for 30 years...did he go back to Sunnydale to get it? I don't even think he was wearing it when he moved into the light.