peaceout

nosleepforme no, I haven't! Last ep I saw was in fact Soulless. The holidays were crazy busy and then some family stuff and work stuff popped up exactly around the same time and I honestly have not had the time. I had a real urge to want to go back to the show even up till late December but then I sort of just...forgot. Things have calmed down a bit now though, so I hope to complete the show at some point soon.

So far I'm about six or so eps into Season Four of Angel. I've enjoyed parts of it tremendously and some of its highs have been right up there with Buffy. But i find the stuff that I'm not that enthused about in Angel, I'm way less enthused about than any of the stuff ever on Buffy. Atleast so far.

Oh well, looks like I was completely wrong about my Cordelia theory. It's neither her nor Connor, but Angelus who fits the 'the answer is among you' bill. I think bringing Angelus forth was the worst idea ever but I guess it'd been a while since we saw him. I'm up to 'Soulless' now. Where is Lilah?! I enjoyed Gwen's return tremendously in 'Long Day's Journey.' I enjoyed the ep on the whole except for the Gunn-Fred-Wes nonsense, but I'm trying to just make peace with that now. I'm resigning myself to the fact that the show is determined to put Wes and Fred together. I also hated the Cordy and Angel conversation. Cordelia seems so incredibly unaware or delusional about her actions. I'm glad Angel told her the 'get over it' mantra is easier said than done although him trying to pettily evoke jealousy in Cordy through Gwen was ridiculous too. This whole romantic angle between them just makes my head hurt. But on the whole I enjoyed the episode. The beast's plan is pretty dark, no pun intended. With 'Awakening' I straight away thought something was up when Wes and Angel had their little apology moment with the cheesy smiles and all. Then progressively things just got schmaltzier and schmaltzier whatwith the declaration of love and making peace with Connor and even Gunn and Wes reconciling. And then of course sex with Cordelia which ended with Angel taking Buffy's name. I mean, lol. I can't tell you what a kick I got out of that if only because it appeased in a totally ridiculous and petty way the Angel and Buffy fan in me that despite everything that happened in his 'perfect' day, Angel still drew back to Buffy in that one moment there at the end. Although obviously, this is my interpretation of the ep. I could be wrong. In fact I'd really like to hear what you guys made of it. The way I saw it was that they set things up at the start with Cordy saying Angel was about as far removed from perfect happiness right now as he possibly could be. Hence then the shaman having to give Angel more than just a moment, but a series of developments that led to his perfect happiness, which included an apology from Wes, seeing all his friends happy and together, killing the beast, getting a declaration of love from Cordy, reconciling with Connor and then making love to Cordy. The Buffy thing was such, SUCH an unexpected surprise but in my opinion I really did see it as a shout out that even now, Angel's idea of perfection still subconsciously carries a notion of Buffy somewhere in there. Or I'm just a delusional 'shipper, lol. I am willing to concede that. I liked 'Soulless' though I mean, these people are incredibly dumb with how they're interacting with Angelus. And I am extremely confused about how Angelus managed to remove the soul with him still being locked in the cage. I'm beginning to get that awfully confused feeling I so often had during The First's storyline on Buffy season 7... Thanks for the info on Charisma's pregnancy, nosleepforme. Very sad news about Andy Hallet. That's now both him and Glenn Quinn. May they RIP. That's really interesting. I wish we would get some kind of return appearance, although I did like how she and Angel made peace with each other in her last ep. She had such a complex, layered arc. Yes, you're right, story or characters be damned, just get to that point.

Ok, NOW we're talking! I watched 'Apocalypse Nowish' and 'Habeas Corpses' last night and I am SO into things now. Yes, I am *completely* and beyond squicked out by Cordy and Connor, ( on which I have a theory. I'll come to it in just a bit) but I have loved the dramatic tension created in these last two eps as well as the action. The whole slow but sure buildup of something ominous in Apocalypse Nowish was so well done, resulting in that explosive climax. I thought the rooftop fight sequence was incredibly well orchestrated in establishing that finally in this new enemy, they've found a foe whose sheer physical might and power is just too strong to go up against. It was such a great case of 'show, not tell.' And then the rain of fire and Wesley telling Lilah that some kind of reckoning is coming and it was time to choose sides. It all felt like it was really leading somewhere big, and you can't get bigger than that beast. It literally looked as if it was made from hellfire. I also loved the scene where they finally figured out the W&H files and it seemed such a fitting reminder for Gunn to have figured things out, especially in the context of recent eps, that Gunn IS more than just the muscle. Another moment I really loved from this ep was the scene in which Angel decides to go and confront the creature and he's handing weapons to everyone and passes one to Wesley too. It was such a great and seamless way to bring Wesley back in to the fold. No speechifying, nothing schmaltzy just, this is it. The stakes are high. you in or out. Terrific. I loved Habeas Corpses too. Again, great use of that slow tension being built up. There were so many scenes that could have dragged or been boring but not a moment seemed filler. And it had some great character moments for Lilah too. Who I'm now really worried for. What I've really loved about these last two eps is the set up, which seems to genuinely be terrifying. We have a big bad whose agenda while unknown, so far seems to be getting rid of W&H as a player, which is very interesting. Not to mention the connection to Connor. Whatever that may be. And it's also interesting that it's not just the physical might of this thing, but it surely must be connected somehow to some kind of other even more powerful force to have taken out the 'little girl' in the White Room. I cannot wait to find out more. Now, about Cordelia. There is something now so obviously off about her that I can't help but wonder if it's purposeful. Are we meant to think something is off because it is? There's this strangeness to the way Charisma is even playing certain scenes (btw, was she pregnant at the time? Just curious) that makes me wonder if this creature is actually connected to her as well as Connor. Is Cordelia and Connor being together somehow bringing this creature to the fore... And obviously this would mean that Cordelia was either corrupted somehow during her time 'upstairs' or she's being manipulated somehow. Either way, I'm beginning to think that the demon who took her up, Skip, might be involved. Maybe this goes as far back to Cordy being made half demon. Skip was involved there too. I just can't seem to connect the dots or even understand the reasoning behind Cordelia sleeping with Connor, unless it was being done as part of a design for something greater, more sinister. This would also fit with the girl in the White Room telling them at the end that the answer was 'among them.' Or, I'm completely wrong and this thing will play out entirely differently, lol. I thought she was great fun. Had some nice chemistry with Angel too. Wouldn't mind seeing her back. Omg, that's so sad to hear. :( Did he pass away during the show's run??

Completely agreed. I miss her on the show, to be honest. :) I liked 'Deep Down!' Definitely the best premiere since the pilot. Exactly! And just in my opinion, but filled that quota really well. So that really is one of my most major annoyances with Cordy and Angel as a couple, that the forced epicness of it all just does.not.work. for me. I'm up till 'Spin the Bottle' so far. While I still have mixed feelings on the season even six eps in, I have to say that the desire to watch from one ep to the next is back. That urgency to watch one ep to the next had been missing since the Darla/Dru arc ended in Season 2 and only briefly returned for the Darla arc in Season 3. If there's that intangible 'enjoyability' factor one has with watching a season, it's back. So yay! I am so fascinated with the Lilah and Wesley dynamic. I think it hit me in ep 4, when Wesley confronts her about having played him and Lilah responds she never would have if he had trusted her, that I'm actually really invested in their relationship. It is so messed up and yet I can see their pull towards one another too. The thing is though, clearly I see Lilah being more invested in it than Wesley, who seems to be using this thing with her as a comfort place holder till he gets a way back in with the team. I've liked the way Angel has been handling Connor so far. It's again, beyond messed up, the entire dynamic. But David Boreanaz is playing that weary trepidation so well with regards to his son being in the mix. I also think the writing for Wesley is better this season than it was during the last half of season 3. Still HATING the triangle crap, but on the whole, I can see the motivations behind Wesley's actions a whole lot better so far. I think it's so obvious, his desperate desire to want to be accepted back in the fold. From rescuing Angel to helping with Cordelia, his resentment aside about being supposedly abandoned, all he wants is to be back with the team. I can believe that. And on some level, I really want that too. I've always been a bit meh on Lorne. No real strong feelings one way or the other but I am really enjoying his scenes so far this season. He has grown into a valuable player in the team and there's something about his presence that makes the team, I don't know, warmer? Especially in the wake of the now collapsed Wes and Gunn bond as well as Cordy circa season 1, early season 2. As much of a retread that Spin the Bottle was of Tabula Rasa, and even other elements I think like the cross as a bomb detector the way Xander used it in one ep of Buffy if I recall, I still thoroughly enjoyed parts of the episode. Terrific performances by everyone. Wesley and Cordelia were especially hilarious. In fact I enjoyed the funny bits so much I literally rewound to watch certain scenes again. Great stuff. But now here's the thing. I HATED the non whammied parts of the episode. I weep at what has become of Wes and Gunn. When Gunn asked him 'what happened to you man?' I wondered that too. I can see how from his point of view Wesley thinks he was abandoned but I don't like the feeling that the show is aligning with that point of view too. I hate the triangle. Supersymmetry seemed to have been constructed as an ep only to facilitate the contrivance of Fred gravitating towards Wes and away from Gunn. There goes my 'ship. And I still find nothing appealing about Wes and Fred together. I don't know what the hell is up with Cordy. Or what the writers are doing with her. I think I give up trying to make sense. I actually enjoyed parts of her return in 'Slouching Towards Bethleham' and 'Spin the Bottle' but I'm just so very confused with this higher being, then bored with it, then suddenly returning and then the flashes of what she saw. I mean, WTF is going on?? And oh my god. Do not even get me started on how squicked out I am by Cordy and Connor together. Just a WORLD of eww. I can't comprehend at all what would make the writers think this was a good idea, on any level.

Hope to start the season tonight! Another thing I forgot to mention earlier. How come more wasn't made of Angel's curse when pushing Cordy and Angel so hard as an epic luv? Or was it and I just missed it? Because shouldn't this be a thing? How would this relationship be functional without sex? And if they can have sex then how does the curse not get activated? I'm so fuzzy on the semantics of this 'true happiness in sex leads to loss of soul' thing. Always have been!

I finished Season 3 last night. I have very mixed feelings. There is a lot I loved about it. But a lot that I didn't love either. I've already gone over the stuff I liked and didn't care for up to this point so I'll just look at this last stretch of the season now. In terms of things that I continue to love, Lilah. She has become such an integral part of my pull towards this show. She could be so incredibly one note evil femme fatale so easily, but there is so much more one gets with her. She's decidedly unapologetic about her actions and yet she exists in a world where she must constantly evaluate her own lines of loyalty, ambition and morality by looking out for her pure survival, more than anything else. And what makes all of this so great is that punch and chutzpah she brings to the character on the whole. Love her. I saw her and Wesley together the minute they started sharing more scenes and I have to say, really enjoying their chemistry. I think my favourite exchange was when they're in bed and Lilah tells him to stop shooting her the dirty looks because that's what 'got her going' in the first place and then later not to think of her when she's gone to which Wesley, completely dead pan says, 'wasn't thinking of you even when you were here.' That about sums it up! I'm utterly intrigued by the idea of the two of them together but weary because surely something will have to give. I am also still really loving Fred and Gunn. They have this real grounded appeal about them as a couple that I love. Please, please let them survive the cursed death knell of relationships though I'm not holding out hope. Vincent Kartheiser is doing a great job as Connor and I could truly feel his pain and angst and it's completely understandable to see how fucked up his life has been and that its played a role in shaping who he's become. I am really looking forward to seeing how this dynamic plays out. Oddly, one element that I was completely hating on prior to to this last stretch of eps was Gru. And what do you know, the guy really grew (no pun of course) on me in these last few eps. I think his awareness of the Cordy Angel thing brought the funny in him as well as managing to elicit sympathy for him. I actually really started to enjoy his integration into the team. Now, for things that either fell totally flat or I flat out hated. Cordy's hair is right at the top of that list! But I'll move on... lol. But seriously. WTF?! So Cordy is now where exactly? Higher purpose? And again talk about the total lack of subtlety what with that ridiculous glowing and the white angelic dress. I'll admit. None of that made sense to me. What the hell just happened? And I just can't wrap my head around the fact that Cordy of all people wouldn't put up a fight to at least tell everyone first about what was going on. And I was right about her suddenly magically realizing she had feelings for Angel too. The whole thing is such a contrived mess in my opinion. I'm honestly trying to get on board because clearly the show is trying desperately to sell me the supposed epicness of their love but all the while I'm here just utterly bored and/or annoyed. And they literally have the romantic anti-chemistry, if that's a word. Wesley Wesley Wesley. I still think he was completely in the wrong not to tell Angel about the prophecy. I think his plan was incredibly stupid and ill concieved. He ended up isolating himself from everyone and is now blaming the others for not having his back. But they did. Angel trusted him literally with his child. Gunn stood up for him and championed him for as long as he realistically could. Fred was still open to the idea of keeping communication with him right till the end. Cordy's was the only reaction I found a little weird to be honest in that she didn't even try to talk to Wesley. Hate him all you want, but this is Wes and Cordy. I find it incomprehensible that she wouldn't have gone over to him if for nothing else than to give him a piece of her mind. The total cut off from her end was bizarre. But the others I can't blame. At the same time I'm so mad about the whole thing in general because I love Wes. I'm torn. Holtz, after an awesome build up, generally fell flat for me. His final act of revenge was chilling, no doubt, but he just sort of, was there, otherwise. Ultimately failing to resonate as a character the way I thought he would. So onwards to season 4 now. Please be more consistent(ly good!) Hate the mooning. Reeks of self entitlement. Season one is still my favourite so far. As far as Seasons two and three are concerned, they don't feel like cohesive wholes so I guess there are certain arcs of stretches of eps in both seasons that I both loved and hated.

I quite liked Birthday, the concept of it. Alternate reality eps are always fun. I'm not sure I buy the justification they had for Angel going mad, but the rest was OK. And part demon. Whoa. Well, can't say that doesn't solve the vision issue. Seems to have been done in an awfully throw away manner right now but I'm sure there will be more development on this at some point. I've seen up till 'Loyalty' now. Not the best stretch of eps for me, to be honest. After the high of the Darla mini arc, everything seems to be falling flat. Plus, as much as I have tried, I cannot get behind the Angel-Cordy forced romance, that seems to be being shoved down my throat, one ridiculous 'you two are meant to be each with other' and 'kyrumpstion' mention at a time. And now it's a frikkin triangle. I thought I'd seen the last of Gru but no, here he is again, clearly setting himself up as fodder to be sacrificed for that moment where Cordy too will magically out of nowhere realize that she loves Angel. I'm not sure I like the writing for Cordy being this oblivious to Angel's feelings for her. Cordy has mostly always been really smart and intuitive about these kind of things. Then there's again things like Lorne having to spell out Cordy's development with stuff like 'look at how much she's grown' instead of just letting us naturally see and know that. Just feels so very, forced, again for the lack of another, better word. And in 'Provider' as much as Angel was being over the top with the whole money thing, Cordy's saintly 'the mission is the only thing that matters' was getting on my nerves too. Which is why I was so glad at the end when she went back to Cordy at her best and said to take the money because they earned it. Speaking of that ep, Provider', my god. What a painfully boring ep. Hardly any redeeming features at all. I liked 'Dad' well enough though. But obviously 'Loyalty' is the big one here in terms of what I'm assuming is going to be the direction for the rest of the season. At this point, to be honest, I just want to smack Wesley for not even attempting to tell Angel. Share this big honking prophecy with him, for effs sake, after all, it involves Angel and his son. And with Wes being so weird about Fred and Gunn together, he's just isolating himself dangerously away from the group, I think. And now Cordy's off with Gru as well, I have a really bad feeling about this. So frustrating to see the way things are playing out right now, because it seems fairly obvious that Wes is being played. Especially with Sajhan and Lilah now in cahoots as well. Holtz has turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. His scenes are starting to drag to be honest. One of the saving graces for me anyway, for these past few eps has been Fred and Gunn. I am absolutely loving them so far, and really rooting for them. Which obviously means they will be shortlived as a couple, knowing my track record of couples I ship. Lol.

I watched Lullaby last night. What an amazing ep. One of my favourites of both the series, I think. As sad as I am to see Darla go, it was time. And what an arc! I feel like I truly got to know Darla, and Julie Benz was always so good in bringing Darla to such life. But I feel a real sense of loss, not having Darla or Darla and Angel scenes anymore. I loved everything about where the show took Darla's character in this ep, and Julie Benz just knocked it out of the park in every scene. Although props to David Boreanaz too because in so many scenes, especially the last one, he was just reacting and yet he made you feel for him so completely. Brilliant. And Holtz! He is going to be one helluva character. The bad guy you ca't help but feel for yet can't help but hate either. He is hardcore about showing Angel no mercy. This is not going to end well. I think it's an interesting twist to have had the scroll land up in W&H's hands. I grow to love watching Lilah more and more in every ep. This show would so much the lesser without her in it. Fantastic ep. I honestly can't fault it. Really got to me, emotionally.

Season 3 has been interesting so far. I'm up to 'Quickening.' The thing I find pretty fascinating about this season is that so far at least, I can't decide how I really feel about it. With literally almost every ep so far I've simultaneously loved and hated certain parts. To start with the good though, I did not see that Holtz twist coming and I have to say, I like it. I never imagined a character only referenced last season would come into play in such a major way this season but it opens up so many intriguing questions. What is the endgame here? Surely the demon who brought Holtz back, has some agenda here too? Not to mention, now that W&H are in the loop, could they and Holtz become allies? Plus as a villain, Holtz already has a deep history with Angel and Darla, so I can already feel the tension. Good casting here as well. I love Darla. So glad she's back. Never expected her to be pregnant obviously, and a part of me wonders if we really need a baby on the show, especially if sufficient enough reason is never provided for how two vampires were able to conceive. But having said that, I appreciate Julie Benz's Darla portrayal so very much, it's just a treat to have her back. She brings so much to the table as Darla, I feel, and honestly, there have been parts of 'Offspring' and 'Quickening' where I have actually found myself rooting for Angel and Darla to raise their baby...in a 'those two crazy kids, dammit' way, lol. I've always thought David Boreanaz and Julie Benz had terrific chemistry and they have really been working magic in their scenes this season. I miss Lindsay a lot but Lilah has really stepped up her game in his absence and I like it! She is evolving into a formidable foe. I continue to absolutely love W&H scenes, actively looking forward to them, even. I loved the twist that we got with Fred's parents, that hey, for a change, they were just normal and loved their daughter, unconditionally. There was this tiny little moment in 'Fredless' that I think Charisma Carpenter sold so well, when Cordy's hugging Fred and wistfully tells her she's jealous. I also loved how Fred saved the day there. It makes me realize she can be a valuable member of this group. I think, on the whole, Billy was an incredibly strong ep. That was a very, very legitimately creepy villain and premise and Alexis Denisof really knocked it out of the park. I was seriously fearing Wesley. I also appreciated that they made Lilah's brief 'switch' to the other side here, so to speak different that how it was with Lindsay. While with Lindsay it was more about how a largely irredeemable person like him can have some moral no-go zones, with Lilah, it was more this mix of self motivation, where it was obviously vengeance on one level but also just a realization that if this guy stays alive, she's going to have to keep cleaning his messes over and over. Lilah is nothing if not ambitious, and I think she realized that in this case, Billy meant more loss than gain. I also thought 'Billy' was a great ep for Cordy, not only in terms of character development but Charisma was excellent. Now, on to stuff I haven't quite liked, or in some cases, flat out hated. So they seem to be setting up a Wesley and Fred pairing but I just don't see the chemistry there. If anything, I actually see some chemistry there with Gunn and Fred. Not sure if the show might steer in that direction but I like the scenes the two characters have shared so far. They have this lovely, natural rapport and clearly seem at ease with one another. I've said it before and I'll say it again, hate Cordy's visions. Honestly wish she had never gotten them. Although I liked a lot of 'That Vision Thing' but it strikes me as so obvious now that it is so incredibly dumb how no-one is addressing the issue of Cordy's pain with visions getting progressively worse. Doyle was half demon and he used to get a bad pain hangover. Cordy's all human, naturally this is taking a toll on her. I have a really bad, sinking feeling about where they might go with this and I'm so afraid for it that I don't even want to type it, lol. I'm trying honestly, really hard to get behind Angel and Cordelia romantically, but I am having such a tough time. It's bad enough that I think they almost have anti-chemistry when it comes to non platonic tone scenes, but what's worse is the writing for these kind of scenes. I find it SO forced, this overly cutesy tone, with the overly big smiles and the grating cheerfulness with training and trying to create a 'moment.' I feel they are literally being forced down my throat as a potential couple by actually having third party characters like Fred try and build them up. I can't tell you how annoyed I was by her 'kyrumsion' and 'moyra' and what not nonsense, it just smacked of trying to sell me on something I'm not buying. Not to mention how bizarre. 'Two heroes meeting in battle and recognizing each other'.... 'the gut instinct of feeling for the other person'...I mean, really? We are talking about Angel and Cordelia here. I think if the show really wanted to go the Angel/Cordy way, a more subtle approach would have worked far better, something similar almost to the conversation Cordy and Wes had in 'Billy.' Basically, like an acknowledgment that they do live in a crazy, dysfunctional environment, and if they decide to take comfort in each other, it wouldn't be so wildly out of turn. But this approach, this 'oh, others can see how perfect you are for each other, only you can't' crap really isn't working for me. And don't even get me started on things like Angel jumping up and down gleefully to have his stab wounds checked out. That kinda thing. Ugh. I also thought the writing for Cordy was really off in her initial reaction to Darla. What was that?! I was almost like, good, she got bit a little, at least now she'll drop the florence nightingale plus wronged woman thing she had going on there. I think everything to do with Buffy's death and then return could have been handled better. I didn't care for the ridiculous, 'we try not to say the B word' nonsense, nor did I laugh (ok, not too much) at the Cordy/Wes re-enactment. I also felt the entire ep of 'Heartthrob' was set up just so that it could be rammed over our heads how 'over' Buffy, Angel is now. Except that I've just recently seen 'Chosen' and remember Angel and Buffy's scenes, and I can't quite help thinking this is being done to escalate Angel and Cordy. Which I find so bizarre, because one relationship history needn't be sacrificed at the altar of another burgeoning one. I haven't really warmed up to Gavin yet. With Linsday and Lilah, what made them so much fun was that underneath their overt loathing and constantly trying to get a one-up on the other, you actually felt a part of them respected the other, maybe even fond of the other on some level. But with Gavin and Lilah, there's just flat out disdain. Anyway. All said and done, looking forward to the rest of the season. God help me, but I'm actually quite invested in this baby plot, lol.

It was just one too many eps in Pylea. I mean, enough already. And most of it was so very boring, that's what made it even worse. I don't really have an opinion on Fred so far except that so far at least I've sort of zoned out during her scenes with Angel, which seemed to go on forever. I did enjoy Amy Acker in Dollhouse, so I'm hoping I will warm up to Fred. Now, Gunn, I just love. At this point, I think he's my favourite character probably, followed very closely by Wesley. It really did. And for someone like myself that thoroughly ended up enjoying the Darla ac, Drusilla, W&H and all, the season just ended so very anticlimactically. I think I began seeing hints towards Angel and Cordy from the ep, 'Belonging' onwards up until the season finale. And literally, out of nowhere, abrupt hints. Just small stuff like Angel being mistaken for Cordy's boyfriend, Angel's overt desperation to find Cordy after she went through the portal in contrast to Wesley's more muted response initially. Which, I HATED, because it really seemed to diminish Wesley and Cordy's relationship at the altar of Angel's sudden, I don't know, 'feelings?' Then there were lines like 'I just got her back' that seemed to have more of a romantic touch than just friendlike. And then of course, Angel's reaction when Cordy ridiculously declared she loved Grussalug. He actually liked the thought that she could have been declaring her love for him. Again, preposterous writing for both the characters. See, thing is, I ended up absolutely loving Buffy and Angel together after my viewing of Buffy. But. And because it's so fresh in memory since I recently watched, I genuinely did warm up to Buffy and Riley. To the point where I was actively rooting for her to catch him before he left with the Initiative and felt nostalgic when he returned in 'As You Were.' God help me, I even enjoyed the Buffy and Spike scenes in Season 5. And here on Angel, I actually enjoyed a lot of the Angel and Darla dynamic and wanted to see version of Angel and Kate together. None of this stops me from from appreciating Buffy and Angel or still firmly believing in them as my end game, but you need some romantic angle for the leads , I get that. But the reason I'm having such an averse reaction to Angel and Cordy is that (in my opinion anyway) the show has gone out of its way to establish a familial bond between the two, right from day one. To suddenly have this romantic angle thrown in seems not only ridiculous but a real disservice to a dynamic that was a refreshing change of pace, sans romance. Maybe they might have chemistry once the tone of their scenes shifts further. I guess I'll stay open to the idea. No, no. Please don't be sorry. I've rarely stopped watching or started watching a show because of the romantic relationships in them. So I will definitely stick this out. :)

Epic? Uh-oh. I am clearly not going to like this. Season 3 suddenly looks a lot less appealing and I haven't even begun watching... :(

So true. Great eps, all three, with those wonderful moments in them that you mention. Reprise really was a stunning look into Angel's psyche and delved so well into what he was feeling at that moment. I finished Season Two last night and, wow. These last few eps were...not good. Very little of the entire Pylia arc actually worked for me. It just seemed to be a different show altogether, and worse, with different characters. And I'm not talking about the Pylia folks, but mostly our characters. I thought the writing for Angel, Cordelia and even Wesley in certain parts was awful. Angel's overly giddy persona just wore on my nerves after a bit to be honest while Cordelia's waffling about i wanna go, i wanna stay, not to mention her sudden love for the Grussalug got pretty annoying, pretty fast, too. Cordy's nothing, if not smart in her observations. She didn't see the whole thing as a ruse? I get that the princess thing was meant to come off as cute but to me it just seemed desperate. And Wesley's sudden dramatic turn as the uncompromising leader felt a bit tacked on as well. I think he had been growing into a more leadership role just fine as it is without the help of these eps. But the worst part about this stretch of eps was that I found them to be boring. Literally, during entire scenes, like the Angel and Winefred (Fred?) ones, I kept looking at the time. The show seems to have shifted tonally post Belonging and that carried through till the season finale. The biggest tonal shift, in my eyes, seems to be this attempt to write Angel as feeling romantically for Cordy, which is just the antithesis of their sibling like dynamic that had been set up since as recent as the last ep I saw before Belonging. I get the need to have romantic interests for both these characters, in fact, I'm all for it. But each other? I'm having an extremely negative reaction, if indeed the show is going in an Angel and Cordy romantic direction. Also, this probably means I won't be seeing any Angel/Kate pairing that I was hoping to. Having said this, Cordy and the Grussalug have no chemistry whatsoever either. I hope he stays in Pylia. The ending of the final ep, with Willow was such a stark reminder of the hell that went down over on Buffy this season. Interesting choice though to have Angel's season finale end with nothing to do with Angel, the show. But of course, very much to do with Angel the character. It also got me thinking, at what point in Angel's season 2 did Angel go to Sunnydale? I remember him guesting on Buffy's 'Forever' ep, one of my favourite Buffy and Angel moments. I'm curious about the timeline though as I don't think him going to Sunnydale was mentioned in any of the eps here, or was it? Season Two was a bit of a mixed bag, although a mixed bag with a lot of really great highs. So there's that. Hope Season Three fares more consistently!

I was literally LOL-ing, I kid you not because I have been there. Great scene.

I'm up till 'Dead End' now. There's a lot I've loved about this stretch of eps, but again, with the shallow (I know, I'm horrible!), Cordy's hair...it just isn't getting any better. At all. The blonde highlights are particularly terrible. On to more positive stuff, can I just say how much I am loving Wesley and Gunn? I am really enjoying them as characters in their own right as well as their new bond. The two actors have great chemistry. I am also absolutely loving Wolfram and Hart Scenes. I think one of the series's greatest strengths so far has been in creating this overarching villainous entity that just won't quit. Its endgame is a little vague right now but thankfully not in a frustrating way, at least not yet. But moreso in an enigmatic, can't-wait-to-see-what-they-pull-next way. Two eps really stood out to me in this stretch of eps, Reprise and Dead End. Absolutely loved both. Reprise was almost haunting in a way, particularly the end where we see Angel broken down and giving in to his worst instinct. Seeing Holland again was fun, but I'm curious as to what he was exactly. I know he said he was Holland, only dead but does that mean Wolfram and Hart own their souls? Dead End was just terrific. I'm sad to see Lindsay go because I found his scenes, particularly with Lilah so fun, but if this was infact his last ep, it was just the way his character should go out. In a way, it made a lot of sense and for a supporting character, Lindsay was really developed quite nicely, with a lot of believable layers. Last season's Blind Date ep showed even someone as largely irredeemable as Lindsay has some moral boundaries and lines and this ep again reinforced that. Although I just as easily also believe Lindsy when he says he just got bored of this shit really, the one-upping on Angel, the mindgames, the competition with Lilah, frustration over his unrequited feelings for Darla. I can buy him wanting out because suddenly, the perks just aren't enough. He went out on his own terms and in that sense I found his advice to Angel very telling, 'don't play their game, make them play yours.' I have to assume this will be significant in someway, somewhere down the line because the way Lindsay got to know the inner workings of W&H, makes sense that he would say this. Also, that entire scene in the boardroom when Lindsay quits, with the whole 'evil hand' monologue, so, so fun! I will miss Lindsay. I will also miss how different Angel is around him than with anyone else, just incredibly petty almost, but in a very fun way. I found the Kate scenes in this stretch of eps to be really powerful too. There's a lot of pathos to this character but a lot of quiet strength too. I can totally believe her world crashing in around her and her entire world view being challenged, and as a result, her life getting utterly messed up. I've always liked Angel and Kate scenes together. I like their chemistry and on a lot of levels, I wouldn't mind seeing them in some kind of a relationship. I think the way they end up opening up to each other, they can't quite seem to do with others in their lives at the moment. I don't know of course if the show will ever pursue Angel and Kate romantically, but I wouldn't mind if they did. I think I'd learn to appreciate it the way I did aspects of Buffy and Riley. They may not be all consuming, great, epic loves but they work their purpose for the period of our heroes lives they happen to be in. Oddly enough, I got a really thrill out of seeing Harmony again, lol. Good enough ep, I'm assuming taking place sometime after 'Crush' in Buffy. Harmony is so the sheep, and she really likely always will be, as Cordy herself pointed out in Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered. She is just desperate to fit in. Loved seeing Willow again too, although I thought her and Cordy's convo was a little, off, a little over the top? I don't know. Wasn't the best written scene. With Cordy, again, with parts of these eps, I'm not exactly sure where the show is going with her or if I like it. I almost wish she hadn't gotten these visions because they seem to be sucking the life out of her character. And then there's really melodramatic dialogue like Wesley telling Angel in 'Epiphany' how Cordy was such a solitary girl and so burdened by the visions and because of who she is she can't help but feel. It just smacks of ramming something over our heads, when there's no need. We don't need to be told Cordelia's amazing and selfless, because a lot of us already love and admire her from her Buffy days. I love Cordelia's loyalty, ability to put all personal issues aside for the greater good and her ability to tell it like it is but actually in her own way, meaning well. But the visions and the overall writing for her now just seems overly focused on reinforcing her goodness while taking away a lot of the bite she had that made her such a great character to begin with. I know characters have to evolve obviously, but I just don't want an unnecessarily mellowed out or constantly in martryed pain Cordelia. I am very glad to see Angel back in the fold with his people. That familial bond has been set up so well, that it actually seems like it could be comparable to any other family sit, where the older sibling screws up in a major way and then has to grovel his way back with the younger siblings. The actors really help sell this as well, like in the scene where Gunn is mocking Angel's epiphany in the car or when Wesley reminds Angel he was shot in the gut, or when Cordy refuses help from Angel, because 'you really hurt my feelings.' Or my personal fave, when Angel buys Cordy clothes and suddenly everything is A-OK. Lol! Because that is literally my brother down to a T. When all else failed when he pissed us off he would just resort to buying us something. Still does it to this day and we are both in our 30's, heh. I am a little confused on the Darla front. First of all, I wonder if she's gone for good? I hope not because I enjoy the character. Secondly, so let me get this right. Angel after sleeping with Darla, had a moment of perfect despair, rather than happiness? So does this mean his soul was in danger of being eroded away, prior to sleeping with Darla One more thing. The actress who plays Anne, is she the same character from Buffy's season three opener? Because it's the same actress but I wasn't sure if we were meant to think if she was the same girl from that Buffy ep.