Angel ep by ep; rewatch and reviews

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by saturn5, Jun 28, 2010.

  1. I am not Spock

    I am not Spock Commodore Commodore

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    ^ It did not take them long to start bringing on the Buffy crossovers,but 'In The Dark' remains a very good ep of Angel. I love Spike mocking Angel in the teaser, too.

    Yes, Spike I think had a thing for Buffy right from the beginning. There's the 'hello, cutie' line in Becoming part 2, remember?

    You're right, no original Angel characters ever appear on Buffy, although Doyle and Fred are alluded to (Angel talks about the source from his friend with visions in Buffy season 4 'Pangs'; and Andrew picks up a phone call from an 'effeminate man' called Fred in season 7. But no guest appearances)
     
  2. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Ah, but was Willow ever really closeted? She just kind of discovered her attraction to Tara when she met her, rather than hiding an attraction to women all along.

    Oh, they weren't even trying to pretend it wasn't Batman at this point.

    This whole bit where Angel admits under torture that what he's looking for is forgiveness seemed a bit clumsy and obvious to me, but that's becuase it's specifically there to get the new people up to speed on Angel's character in case they weren't already Buffy veterans.
    Whereas this is to make sure the Buffy veterans were watching.

    Spike: Watch it! You're cutting off my circulation.
    Buffy: You don't have any circulation.
    Spike: Well, it pinches.
     
  3. Skellington

    Skellington Part-time poltergeist Rear Admiral

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    In The Dark isn't perfect, but it's a strong episode for Cordy. I liked the chemistry between Charisma Carpenter and Glenn Quinn;the former living up to her name. Plus, she looks dang good holding that crossbow!

    Didn't like Marcus quite so much; the actor's performance never really convinced me. The ring of whatever-it-was seemed a little premature,too, as much of the audinence would have been less than overly familiar with Angel's predicament. It would no doubt have meant more if introduced at a much later date.
     
  4. saturn5

    saturn5 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Charisma looks pretty good no matter what:)

    I fall to pieces

    The Good;
    Great horror concept, you could almost imagine a feature film based upon it, some excellent emotional stuff too and as always Cordy brings the funny. My favourite scene is where Meltzer throws his teeth at Angel and then recoils in pain as Angel smashes them against the wall.

    The Bad;
    The severed limbs scenes don't really convince, when you see Thing in The Adams Family it's much better

    Best line:
    Cordy; "Here's this poor girl, she hooks up with a doctor. That's supposed to be a good thing!"
    Jeez, how did they get away with that?
    Virtually all of the Beast with Five Fingers stuff

    Apocalypses: 4
    Angel Cliches
    Damsel in distress; yep, making 2. However, Doyle says there's 4 in total and 3 very much alive, Presumably the girl from City of Angels is the dead one and the girl from In the Dark is another making 2 more we don't see.
    Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
    In disguise; 1. Angel poses as a successful businessman but no disguise
    DB get's his shirt off; not this ep so still 1

    Fang Gang in bondage: no
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 4
    Wes: 1

    Fang gang knocked out: all of them
    Cordy: 7
    Angel: 7
    Wes: 1
    Doyle; 1

    Kills:
    Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
    Angel: 1 human for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans.

    Fang Gang go evil:
    Cordy: 1
    Angel: 1

    Alternate Fang Gang:
    Cordy: 1
    Angel: 3

    Characters killed: the poor cop Kate sends to guard the building
    10

    Total number of Angel Investigations:
    3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

    Angel Investigations shot: Angel with the tranquiliser gun (as with Dopplegangland in Buffy why not use that to knock vamps out then cut their heads off?)
    Angel: 5,

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
    Cordy: 1?
    Angel: 1;Buffy

    Kinky dinky:
    What the heck do Meltzer's hands do under the sheets?
    Captain Subtext;
    Doyle admits that Angel holds a certain attraction to him
    Know the face, different character; 1
    Andy Umberger who plays Dr Meltzer is also D'Hoffryn on Buffy.
    Parking garages; seemingly a staple of the series, one here and in COA
    2
    Questions and observations;
    This is the 4th ep of the series and we're told that Cordy has been working for him for a month so this suggests the series is in real time, one ep per week. Angel drinks coffee now, presumably to keep him up for his cases as he told Joyce he didn't drink it in The Prom. Isn't it a bit unpatriotic for Doyle to drink Scotch, shouldn't he drink whiskey with an e? Cordy gives the Angel Investigations motto 'We help the hopeless'. Oddly here Cordy 'Scullys' Angel, suggesting a non-Supernatural solution. He's actually open to the suggestion but points out correctly that Doyle has a vision. Angel just appears to be able to walk into Kate's police station no problem at all. Meltzer actually shows a lot of compassion for Angel's story of his wife. I don't know if it's deliberate but Scrubs has a character called Dr Zeltzer who's also a major weirdo and even looks quite like Dr Meltzer.
    It's noticeable that at this stage of Angel the Supernatural underworld is just that, it's not out in the open as it will be later, we're still dealing with the everyday clashing with the incredible.
    Marks out of 5; 4/5 one of the classic eps of season 1
     
  5. Mal

    Mal Commodore Commodore

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    my loins remains strangely unmoved my cordy. probably cause i can't stand her as a person. gimme fred (or smurf-fred!) any day!
     
  6. saturn5

    saturn5 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Oddly Fred/Illyria never did anything for me, she lacks the porn star good looks of the other scoobygirls. Surely CC grows on you?
     
  7. Skellington

    Skellington Part-time poltergeist Rear Admiral

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    [​IMG]
    Exhibit A.

    [​IMG]
    Exhibit B.
     
  8. AJBryant

    AJBryant Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Me, too.

    Umm.... that is, I'll be in MY bunk. Just to be clear. ;)
     
  9. Mal

    Mal Commodore Commodore

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    well, sometime in season 2 cordy does become tolerable, but by the end, i hate her so goddam much i can't believe i ever tolerated her. (to be clear, that point comes when she sleeps with Angel's son, which, yes, i get it, is because she is carrying evil in her belly, but frankly - it just ain't that far out of character).

    i hate cordy. deeply.
     
  10. saturn5

    saturn5 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Give the girl a break, we all do crazy things when the world is ending

    Rm w/a vu

    The Good;

    Everything, an emotional rollercoaster for Doyle and Cordy and the introduction of Phantom Dennis. Great performance from Beth Grant, a great actress you can also see in Speed, Six Foot Under, Donnie Darko etc

    The Bad;

    Bit of a reach that the ghost can do a perfect imitation of Angel's voice, is she the Terminator or something?

    Best line:

    Cordy (of Angel) "Do you have mousse? Of course you do!"


    Jeez, how did they get away with that?

    Doyle's hand getting jammed in the drawer, Cordy almost getting hanged, Maude Peirson walling her son up.

    Apocalypses: 4

    Angel Cliches

    Damsel in distress; nope, 2.

    Inverting the Hollywood cliche;

    In disguise; 1.

    DB get's his shirt off; wet, dripping and nearly naked 2

    Cordy's tatto; our first glimpse

    Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy almost hung, don't think thats counts
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 4
    Wes: 1

    Fang gang knocked out: yep, Cordy
    Cordy: 8
    Angel: 7
    Wes: 1
    Doyle; 1


    Kills:
    Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, � a demon from her time in Sunnydale
    Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 3 demons, 2 humans.

    Fang Gang go evil:
    Cordy: 1
    Angel: 1

    Alternate Fang Gang: possessed Cordy
    Cordy: 2
    Angel: 3

    Characters killed: Dennis and a trio of the flat residents offscreen

    14


    Total number of Angel Investigations:
    3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

    Angel Investigations shot: loads of gunplay but no
    Angel: 5,

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
    Cordy: 1?
    Angel: 1;Buffy

    Kinky dinky:

    Maude calls Cordy a tramp and streetwalker, good thing they didn't go through with the storyline of Corrupt huh?

    Captain Subtext;

    Know the face, different character; 1

    Parking garages;

    2

    Guantanamo bay;

    Once again Angel doesn't hesitate to beat his way to the answers

    Questions and observations;

    Excellent ep with loads of good scenes and some real emotional impact, easily one of the best of season 1. I for one find it heartbreaking that Cordy has only five names in her LA phonebook and 3 are crossed out. Aura, her Sunnydale friend is the girl who finds the corpse in her locker in Welcome to the Hellmouth on Buffy.

    Marks out of 5; 8/10
     
  11. Peridot

    Peridot Cadet Newbie

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    The Bad

    Weren't Winters and Lindsey at the Wolfram and Hart office? I'd always thought that's where they met.

    Kinky Dinky

    Winters is an evil soulless vampire. That means he enjoys the pain of others.

    Nods to Forever Knight
    Angel the series was partly inspired by a TV series called Forever Knight which ran from 1992-1996. Angel paid homage to FK in clothing style, vintage convertible, sleeping arrangements (no coffin) and occupation.

    :vulcan: Nick Knight was a vampire who could fly, so Angel's habit of hanging about on rooftops is inspired by Nick Knight's penchant for standing about on the top of buildings, prior to takeoff. Plus, it makes for great photography. :techman: Police detective Nick Knight was fabulously rich. Too bad Angel didn't take after Knight in that regard.

    Answers, Observations, and Quibbles

    Lindsey was a worthy villain.

    Re: the 'cure', the Ring, the blood of the Mohra demon, I get, but what was the third cure? :confused:
     
  12. Peridot

    Peridot Cadet Newbie

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    The Good

    Hello, Kate! A much-needed contact with the police opens up. Angel had no way to get much-needed information and here she comes. :beer: Huzzah!

    The Bad

    Creepy sex monster, yuck!

    Too bad we missed out on the darker version. Sounds like it would have been fun.

    Nods to Forever Knight

    Not in this episode...well, if you don't count the coat, the car and the brooding. Nick Knight invented angst, as well as a vampire who can survive on animal blood.


    Captain Subtext

    Cordy isn't the student of humanity she thinks she is. :rolleyes: She's missed out before.
     
  13. AJBryant

    AJBryant Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Guys -- you have to quote the WHOLE THING? ;)
     
  14. I am not Spock

    I am not Spock Commodore Commodore

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    I'm with you, man. I always was more of a Fred guy than a Cordelia guy. I suppose I tend to go for the more bookish Fred/Willow types IRL, rather than the valley girls! lol
     
  15. saturn5

    saturn5 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Apr 2, 2010
    The third way for a vamp to become human is the Shanshu prophecy

    Sense and sensitivity

    The Good;
    Very funny to watch the Cops acting supersensitive but also affecting to see Kate's father and all his little putdowns of her and her emotive speech is a heartbreaker if there ever was one

    The Bad;
    Hard to put your finger on it but sometimes this ep feels almost too clever for it's own good

    Best line:
    Angel "My parents were great, tasted a lot like chicken" (and as we later learn he's not joking)

    Jeez, how did they get away with that?
    Nasty the way little Tony keeps calling Kate a bitch

    Apocalypses: 4

    Angel Cliches
    Damsel in distress; yep 3.
    Inverting the Hollywood cliche; supersensitive Cops rather than the macho LAPD we're used to seeing
    In disguise; 2. yep, Herb Saunders from Baltimore again
    DB get's his shirt off; 2
    Cordy's tatto;2
    We see it when she's breaking into the police station.

    Fang Gang in bondage:
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 4
    Wes: 1

    Fang gang knocked out:
    Cordy: 8
    Angel: 7
    Wes: 1
    Doyle; 1

    Kills:
    Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
    Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans. It looks like the thing that attacks Fred in Supersymmetry

    Fang Gang go evil:
    Cordy: 1
    Angel: 1

    Alternate Fang Gang: supersensitive Angel
    Cordy: 2
    Angel: 4

    Characters killed: one cop shot although we don't know if he dies?
    14

    Total number of Angel Investigations:
    3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 5,

    Packing heat; unlike the Sunnydale Scoobies Angel Investigations periodically resort to firearms, here Doyle with a shotgun
    Doyle; 1

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
    Cordy: 1?
    Angel: 1;Buffy

    Kinky dinky:
    Kate wants to picture Angel in his underwear. Kate observes the crush of Doyle on Cordy. One of the Cops states that the stress of his job makes it impossible for him to make love to his wife. AI group hug.

    Captain Subtext;
    Kate's dad comments that its been so long since he's seen her with a guy he suspected she might be gay. Angel is once more referred to as a 'Nancy boy'. Angel calls CC 'precious'.

    Know the face, different character; 1

    Parking garages;
    2
    Guantanamo Bay; Kate's interrogation technique leaves a little something to be desired. Angel beats up another of WR&H's lackey. Trevor comments that in his day they didn't need sensitivity as anyone who read Elmore Leonard knows. Cordy's mum calls for her, one of the few references to her family in the series. Angel uses a mobile phone and night vision. Our first sight of WR&H's HQ and Lee. You've got to hand it to the sensitivity coach, he has a point about Kate and co. How lovely does Kate look in her dress? Rather similar to Dawn's in season 5?

    Questions and observations;
    Could have been great but just lacks that certain something? Nice to have Kate ask Angel for help and be the focus of the ep. First appearance of Lee. We're later told that WR&H 'own' the police but obviously not yet.
    Marks out of 5; 4/10
     
  16. The Borgified Corpse

    The Borgified Corpse Admiral Admiral

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    Ouch! Forgotten already? You were just down ther
    While some of that sounds way too dark (especially for the WB), I wish we'd gotten to see that scene of Cordelia trying and badly failing to blend in with a gaggle of street walkers.:guffaw:

    Pssssst! Willow's not really gay. It was all a publicity stunt!
     
  17. Mal

    Mal Commodore Commodore

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    her dad reminded me a little of Fraiser's dad, Martin Krane, in the early seasons on Fraiser.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2010
  18. saturn5

    saturn5 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Well she has sex with Tara and Kennedy and Got-sex with that female snake demon in the comics (as Buffy does with Satsu) so I think that makes them both officially at least bi. But check out my topic in the Buffy ep by ep reviews for in depth dsscussion on the matter.

    The Bachelor Party
    The Good; a lovely ep for Doyle adding a lot more depth to his character whilst providing some pretty gruesome comedy. Also like Doyle and Angel vetting CC's date, really gives them a sense of family.
    The Bad; SUCH a shame we never see Harry again, that would have been terrific. Does she even know Doyle died?
    Best line:
    Cordy; "Doyle taught 3rd grade. The kind with children. Are you sure he wasn't just held back and that was his cover story?"
    I also like Harry's aghast "Stripper! There was a stripper?"

    Jeez, how did they get away with that?
    Eating brains? Yuck! Would anyone really like Quails' tongues?
    Apocalypses: 4
    Angel Cliches
    Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
    Inverting the Hollywood cliche; friendly demons for the first time
    In disguise; 2.
    DB get's his shirt off; 2
    Cordy's tatto;2
    Cheap Angel; the first sign of Angel's notorious meaness as he refers to the resteraunt's suprisingly expensive windows

    Fang Gang in bondage: Doyle in the box
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 4
    Wes: 1
    Doyle; 1

    Fang gang knocked out: Angel
    Cordy: 8
    Angel: 8
    Wes: 1
    Doyle; 1

    Kills:
    Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
    Angel: 2 vamps for Angel. So that gives Angel 10 vamps, 3 demons, 2 humans.
    Doyle; 1 vamp
    What happens to the female vamp at the nest? Does she just run away? Note Cordy actually bites the vamp who attacks her?

    Fang Gang go evil:
    Cordy: 1
    Angel: 1

    Alternate Fang Gang:
    Cordy: 2
    Angel: 4

    Characters killed:
    14
    Total number of Angel Investigations:
    3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 5,
    Packing Heat
    Doyle; 1

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy has a date with Mr Armani but he doesn't even get a kiss
    Cordy: 1?
    Angel: 1;Buffy

    Kinky dinky:
    The stripper. Is she human or demon? Either way she wears WAAAYYYY too much eyeshadow. Also Harry has bought herself a a nightie for her honeymoon small enough to fit into a matchbox. The girls meanwhile play pornographic pictionary. Doyle asks if Buffy likes men with an Irish accent (has she ever met one?). Apparently the demon women have legs that can bend multipile ways and this is an aid in the sack?
    Captain Subtext;
    Doyle and Angel's charm seems to be gradually working on CC.
    Know the face, different character;
    2 Carlos Jacott who plays Richard was Ken in the Buffy ep Anne.
    Parking garages;
    2
    Guantanamo Bay;
    Questions and observations;
    A good episode, fun and fleshing out the characters. Cordy refers to Xander as a fixer-upper. Our first set of friendly demons but not THAT friendly. It seems very much that demons in the Buffyverse are slowly being won over to the ways of humanity (ESPN). Some great heroism from Doyle and a very nice double act from Cordy and Harry. Despite Doyle's relating Angel's lifestory to him in City of Angels it seems he's never actually seen Buffy.
    Marks out of 10; 6/10, good ep
     
  19. C_Miller

    C_Miller Captain Captain

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    Geneseo, NY
    If I remember correctly, Angel is supposedly Irish, although DB never got the accent right and I don't thin Buffy ever heard him with the accent.

    At the beginning of this episode, I actually thought he was Ken, until I looked it up. I know people re-use actors all the time, but this was quite possibly the most jarring example that I've ever seen, kind of took me out of the episode a bit.

    Earlier, I did a Buffy re-watch (I actually started when you did, but I finished very quickly as I hadn't started my summer job yet and my two close friends were out of the country on abroad trips) and now I'm onto Angel. I actually remember more from Angel than I did from Buffy, mostly because of the dinner time reruns that TNT played years ago. I've probably seen every episode a dozen times, but I never really payed too much attention. Now after the Buffy re-watch, I'm really into the whole mythology of it all and Angel became one of my favorite characters.

    Due to that, I'm really feeling this show. Because it was a spin off, it's not having trouble finding its feet like Buffy did and because of the small cast, every character gets the screen time I feel they deserve. I've also been intrigued by all the stories so far, even the weaker ones. I'm just really excited about the series at this point.
     
  20. saturn5

    saturn5 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Apr 2, 2010
    Cool, welcome aboard!:) And I was actually making fun of DB's appalling Irish accent, especially compared to Glenn Quinn's genuine brogue and James Marsters and Alexis Dennisof's excellent English accents
    As for streetwalker Cordy well we get her in her 'pet me I'm a whore' waitress outfit in season 2