S04.E12: Calvary

[Joe Hellandback]

CALVARY

The Good; Angelus is so evil and conniving you wonder if Holtz and co had a point? Altogether a great episode with so many wonderful scenes

The Bad; ?

Best line: Cordelia; (stabbing Lilah) "Why do you think I let him out you stupid bitch?"

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Some nastily implied racism when Angelus goads Gunn (Liam of course was also pretty racist to Gunn and Wesley in 'Spin the Bottle'). The vamps killing the firemen is also nasty but worst of all the tragedy of the vamped little girl, you realise why Holtz killed his daughter.

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés Inverting the Hollywood cliché; Fred wants to continue her relationship with Gunn after she learns of Wes and Lilah. But he turns her down, obviously been getting lessons in quiet dignity from the Groo (Riley could have done with some).

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6

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

Fang gang knocked out: CC by Angelus Cordy: 14 Angel: 16 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1 Lorne; 4 Groo; 1

Kills: 1 demon for Gunn 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+ 13 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies Connor; 12 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

Fang Gang go evil: CC and how! Cordy: 3 Angel: 3 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

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

Characters killed: 255

Recurring characters killed; alas poor Lilah, she was evil but I always felt there was hope for her. 9;

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

Angel Investigations shot: Angelus by Lilah (if she still had her pistol why not use that when Wes enters her hideaway?). CC takes an arrow Angel: 12 Wes; 1

Packing heat; Gunn with the flamethrower we saw in 'Dad' Wes; 7 Doyle; 1 Angel; 3 Gunn; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Interestingly it's Gunn who breaks up with Fred rather than the other way around 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: Angelus threatens to rape Fred to death. He also tells an aghast Fred about Wes and Lilah. Angelus thinks Lilah wears a thong.

Captain Subtext; Angelus thinks Wes is quite the dish 'if I swung that way'. Lilah comments that Lorne's suits make him look like Liberace. Lilah calls Fred 'honey' and asks if CC is trying to 'turn her on?'.

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

What the fanficcers thought; read an interesting one once where Angelus wipes AI out but then Dru get's resouled and forms her own heroic gang with Lilah, Kate, Gwen, Oz, Justine, Bethany, Ethan Rayne etc

Questions and observations; Interestingly in this ep we're told a soul can be destroyed which I didn't think was possible. We learn that Angel always suspected that Gunn killed Sidel. The soul-stealer was buried by the Chumash who are the American Indian tribe also featured in 'Pangs'. Nice scene with Connor and Gunn bonding during the digging. Well, hands up who saw this twist coming? Liars! Shocking and all pretty damn brilliant. But you know what, it only get's better from now on! Nice scene at the end where CC and Lilah almost seem to bond a little. Lilah's 'he killed the...' speech appears to be part inspired by 'The Usual Suspects', could the Beast be in fact Keyser Soze? Or is that CC? (Gay Byrne is in Enemy of the State with Seth Green so in 2)

Marks out of 10; 9/10

[Spartan Girl]

I was shocked at the evil Cordelia reveal, but in retrospect, we should have seen in coming from the way she was acting like a pod person all season.

Angelus' threat to Fred to "rape her to death"...I have no idea how they got away with that line.

12 minutes ago, Joe Hellandback said:

Angel Clichés Inverting the Hollywood cliché; Fred wants to continue her relationship with Gunn after she learns of Wes and Lilah. But he turns her down, obviously been getting lessons in quiet dignity from the Groo (Riley could have done with some).

 

Served Fred right after the way she treated him all season, using the murder of the professor as an excuse to make fuck-me eyes at Wesley. And Wes -- wow you sure didn't waste time after finding out they broke up to make a move?! Asshole. And him telling Fred to apologize to Gunn for him about the fight was bullshit. He was just trying to look like the better man to Fred. Ugh. So glad Angelus outed him and Lilah, he deserved it.