S04.E10: Awakening

[Joe Hellandback]

AWAKENING

The Good; Love Wes beating up the shamen's guard, he's really come a long way from the fop we first met in Buffy season 3. CC's little talk with Angel is excellent, manipulating him shamelessly.

The Bad; It seems a bit silly all the hassle they go to in order to take Angel's soul away. Either give him some of the drug from 'Eternity' or invite Buffy down for a one night stand. Why not just destroy the wooden swords or cut the belts and bells?

Best line: Angel; "Wood, why does did it have to be wood?" (Harrison Ford is in Clear and Present Danger with Harris Yeulin so in 2)

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Spike through Wes' hand anyone? Stabbing the Beast up through the chin also isn't nice but you'd do it if you had to.

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés Inverting the Hollywood cliché; Connor more than willing to kill his father.

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6

Fang Gang in bondage: Angel tied to the table Cordy: 5 Angel: 13 Wes: 6 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 4 Fred; 2

Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 13 Angel: 16 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1 Lorne; 4 Groo; 1

Kills: Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 8 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 12 demons+3 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 humans Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 12 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies Connor; 8 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

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

Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 4 Angel: 10 Fred; 2 Wes; 1 Gunn; 1

Characters killed: 250

Recurring characters killed; 8;

Total number of Angel Investigations: Cordy back in Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, CC

Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 11 Wes; 1

Packing heat; Wes; 7 Doyle; 1 Angel; 3 Gunn; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: this ep is a Cangelers delight but alas 

Spoiler

it was never to be.

Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor 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 a bit bashful over shining the torch over the Shamen's body. CC refers to the belts and bells as an S&M bondage party, has she been to many? CC tells her breasts that she knew they'd get her in trouble one day. But in fairness they've done a great deal for her over the years.

Know the face, different character; 4

Parking garages; 6,

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

Questions and observations; Gwen has skipped town and I don't blame her. Kolchak the Nightstalker referred to, the inspiration for the X-files (Darren McGavin was in The X-files with Seth Green so in 2).

I'm afraid here we have the definitive end of Cangel. When Angel lost his soul in Surprise everything was going to hell and Buffy alone was all it took to give him the happy. In this it takes a number of factors, killing the Beast, bringing the sun back, Wes back in the fold, Connor losing his resentment AND sex with CC. What's more watch it with the subtitles on. As Angel, ahem, has his pleasure moment, he says 'Buffy'. Sorry CC he wasn't thinking of you. What exactly is the plan? Why does the Beast want to turn day into night?

Marks out of 10; 8/10

[Spartan Girl]

Honestly, the first red flag that it was all a dream was Wesley apologizing.  The very idea of it is laughable; he's too prideful to ever utter one lousy mea culpa.

Anyhoo, is it wrong that I liked Angel's curt "Get over it" to Connor blaming him for his horrible life?  I mean, Angel's put up with Connor's hate all season.  And really, it's hard to feel any sympathy for Connor being used by Cordelia when he was all too happy to rub AmnesiaCordy preferring him in Angel's face.  Let's face it, a lot of Connor's love/lust for her is motivated by his hate for his father.

 

7 hours ago, Joe Hellandback said:

As Angel, ahem, has his pleasure moment, he says 'Buffy'.

Yup.  Although to be fair for most of the season Cordy was acting more like a Buffy clone and less like her usual brutally honest take-crap-from-no one awesome self.

[Joe Hellandback]

16 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Honestly, the first red flag that it was all a dream was Wesley apologizing.  The very idea of it is laughable; he's too prideful to ever utter one lousy mea culpa.

Anyhoo, is it wrong that I liked Angel's curt "Get over it" to Connor blaming him for his horrible life?  I mean, Angel's put up with Connor's hate all season.  And really, it's hard to feel any sympathy for Connor being used by Cordelia when he was all too happy to rub AmnesiaCordy preferring him in Angel's face.  Let's face it, a lot of Connor's love/lust for her is motivated by his hate for his father.

 

Yup.  Although to be fair for most of the season Cordy was acting more like a Buffy clone and less like her usual brutally honest take-crap-from-no one awesome self.

I think in the heat of the moment with all going on around him it was quite realistic. Connor was a nasty character and it was nice when Angel tells him to get over it but I don't think Connor beds CC as revenge, more as comfort or just as someone for himself. 

Good point, right down to her cheerleader lessons. 

[Spartan Girl]

7 hours ago, Joe Hellandback said:

Connor was a nasty character

Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying this.  I always feel alone in my Connor hate.  Everyone always makes excuses for the way he is, ranging from his shitty childhood to the fact that Angel messed up his own chance to earn his trust by playing right into Holtz's hands.  At some point, you have to acknowledge that having a horrible childhood and parent issues doesn't absolve you from your faults.

[Joe Hellandback]

18 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying this.  I always feel alone in my Connor hate.  Everyone always makes excuses for the way he is, ranging from his shitty childhood to the fact that Angel messed up his own chance to earn his trust by playing right into Holtz's hands.  At some point, you have to acknowledge that having a horrible childhood and parent issues doesn't absolve you from your faults.

Really because I thought Connor hate was near universal? Dawn got more popular as the series went along, Connor was the reverse.