S04.E03: The House Always Wins

[Joe Hellandback]

THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS

The Good; Lorne's performance is wonderful and love Fred's excited squeal. The Vegas stuff is all great

The Bad; The actual story is not that good.

Best line: Angel; "Boy, Vegas was a lot friendlier when the mob ran it!"

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cordy's tatt; 10

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 12 Wes: 6 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 3 Fred; 2 Connor; 1

Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 12 Angel: 15 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1 Lorne; 3 Groo; 1 Fred; 1 Connor; 1

Kills: 1 vamp for Connor and another human for Angel Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 8 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 13 demons+3 vamps, 2 humans Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 11 demons. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamp Connor; 6 vamps and 1 demon

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 2 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang: Destinyless Angel Cordy: 2 Angel: 9 Fred; 1

Characters killed: 46

Recurring characters killed; 8;

Total number of Angel Investigations: 4 Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne

Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 11 Wes; 1

Packing heat; Angel uses the guard's gun to kill the casino owners' assistant Wes; 6 Doyle; 1 Angel; 3 Gunn; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 4 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah Gunn; 1 Fred Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy

Kinky dinky: Fred in her Lornette costume is a revelation. Hands up who else was thinking what a shame we don't get to see CC in the same? (and Charisma is a Vegas girl after all). Lilah and Wes have some pretty explicit phone sex.

Know the face, different character; 4

Parking garages; 5,

Buffy characters on Angel; 16 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony

What the fanficcers thought; Once read an interesting one where Angel introduces Elvis to the delights of wearing black leather whilst Elvis teachers him karate.

Questions and observations; Angel in pinstripes, interesting look for him. Good enough, especially the musical numbers, glad to have the gang back together and Gunn get's to achieve his ambition, as indeed does Lorne. But you want them to get back to LA and crack on with the season. Wes seems quite happy to take AI's business when they're out of town suggesting he was partly responsible for their lack of clients during the summer. Also Fred seems to win pretty good at the blackjack table which might explain why AI's money problems seem to be over. Weird to hear Andy Hallet's commentary

Spoiler

when you know he's no longer with us.

Marks out of 10; 6/10

[cleo]

Just watched this, it was ok not great. Nice to see Lorne again. 

Cordelia says Connor is like little boy lost or something. I don't see it. I feel like that is what we are supposed to feel- Connor's vulnerability- but it never comes across successfully to me.

The end, with Cordelia. Sigh. I don't like Season 4 much and especially what happens with Cordelia, thanks Joss.

The good- badass Wesley. Angel looked good in his suit. It was nice to see Lorne again.

[Joe Hellandback]

9 hours ago, cleo said:

Just watched this, it was ok not great. Nice to see Lorne again. 

Cordelia says Connor is like little boy lost or something. I don't see it. I feel like that is what we are supposed to feel- Connor's vulnerability- but it never comes across successfully to me.

The end, with Cordelia. Sigh. I don't like Season 4 much and especially what happens with Cordelia, thanks Joss.

The good- badass Wesley. Angel looked good in his suit. It was nice to see Lorne again.

He is, okay he's a little boy lost with superpowers and lethal combat training but emotionally he is little boy lost. Don't blame Joss too much, CC's pregnancy and her behaviour on set led to so little CC (she didn't even get to go to Las Vegas, her home town).