Angel: Season Five Essay

Season Five: Saving the Best for Last

Angel, always good, hit a creative high in its final season. The cast was seasoned, the writers were outstanding and knew what they were doing, and the addition of popular character Spike (James Marsters) from Buffy was the icing on the cake.

Angel: Not Fade Away

Angel: "This may come out a little pretentious, but one of you will betray me."
Spike: "Can I deny you three times?"

I know Joss Whedon loves to break our hearts, but this is ridiculous.

Angel: Power Play

Lorne: "It's like Angel suddenly started channeling Leona Helmsley."

Sacrificing Fred... schmoozing with Marcus Hamilton... agreeing to Senator Bruckner's evil plan... the Fell and the baby sacrifice... even with all that, I knew immediately that Angel hadn't gone evil when he sent Nina and her family away instead of eating her. Dan figured it out even sooner than that.

Angel: The Girl in Question

Spike: "How do you say 'wank off' in Italian?"

I laughed out loud through most of this one, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Angel: Time Bomb

Spike: "I'm thinking that she cracked her engine block, and now she's leaking petrol all over the building."

Pinch me. Did Angel actually save Spike's un-life? How far they've come from the beginning of the season. When Illyria staked Spike the first time through, I was so shocked that I almost didn't register what happened.

Angel: Origin

Connor: "I went a little hard core there for a second. That guy made me really cranky."

When Connor was so beautifully written out of the show, several good-sized loose ends remained: (1) the possibility that Connor still had powers; (2) whether or not he would eventually remember who he was; and (3) the unfulfilled prophecy that Connor would kill Sahjhan. This episode took all of those loose ends, along with the unresolved emotional issues between Angel and Connor, and tied them up in the most satisfying way possible. It was perfect.

Angel: Underneath

Fred: "This is only the first layer. Don't you want to see how deep I go?"

Tonight's theme was what's underneath, hence the title: layers, scratching the surface, painting on happy faces, digging beneath... even the hell metaphor chewy center scene with Zack. (I kept thinking, "From beneath you it devours.")

Angel: Shells

Angel: "Death doesn't have to be the end. Not in our world."

I found "Shells" to be... well, hollow.

Angel: A Hole in the World

Fred: "Cavemen win. Of course the cavemen win."

Fred again a reluctant damsel in distress, her men all around her sickbed, Angel saying meaningfully, "Winifred Burkle," Wesley actually shooting that guy in the leg ... all very touching. Whedon's moving script and the sheer Buffy-ness of the dialogue were all quite satisfying. But to be honest, I can't help but feel manipulated; this is ground we have covered before.

Angel: Smile Time

Nina: "Are you okay?"
Angel: "I'm made of felt. Ad by doze cubs off."

Unique, and absolutely hilarious.

Angel: Why We Fight

Spike: "Don't ever go to a 'free virgin blood' party. Turns out it's probably a trap."

I assumed that World War II, Nazis, submarines, and vampires wouldn't mix. Wrong. This episode was a hoot and a half. Nazis experimenting on vampires? The United States launching a Demon Research Initiative (operative word, "initiative"), which must have been the forerunner of Riley's outfit in Buffy season four? Angel even reminded me of Riley a few times, looking all stark and turtlenecked and serious. It was a good look for him.

Angel: You're Welcome

Cordelia: "I'm just on a different road. And this is my off-ramp."

It was wonderful seeing the old "I take crap from no one" Cordelia again, the Cordelia we didn't see enough of in seasons three and four. They gave her an outstanding farewell episode, one of the best episodes of the series.

Angel: Damage

Andrew: "Check the view screen, Uhura. I got twelve vampire slayers behind me, and not one of them has ever dated you."

Lots of good stuff, but there were also beaucoup de possible boo-boos. And I could have done without my favorite character being dismembered.

Angel: Soul Purpose

Lindsey: "Hey, Spike. Get any interesting mail lately?"

Despite the fact that it had delusions of "Restless," I really loved this episode. There was a lot going on in it, and it was fascinating. Spike is now helping the helpless, actively pursuing the Shanshu prophecy, taking on Angel's destiny, while Angel speaks longingly of fighting evil as he gets more and more lost in moral shades of grey.

Angel: Harms Way

Harmony: "Ah ha! The smoking thermos!"

This one was all about Harmony's point of view, like "Storyteller" was about Andrew's and "The Zeppo" was about Xander's. (Some of the music even reminded me of "The Zeppo.")

Angel: Destiny

Spike: "It's... Mountain Dew."

This episode was absolutely orgasmic. And I'm not talking about the sex scenes, which were both interruptus, anyway.

Angel: Lineage

Fred: "It's like an M.C. Escher picture, but with wires and flesh instead of geese."

For the past four years, Wesley has made occasional offhand comments about his father, the man who put the "D" in Dysfunctional. I've often thought that Wesley's father should guest star some day and die a suitably gruesome death at the hands of some skanky demon. I must admit I never expected Wesley to empty an entire clip into him.

Angel: The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco

Gunn: "Notice no matter how uptown we go, we always wind up in some stanky hole in the middle of the night?

Today's theme is the nature of heroism.

This episode reminded me of the way I reacted to "The Zeppo." It was very good, but it was different; I had to think about how to take it. Heroic, dead Mexican wrestlers in masks who helped the helpless? How weird, and how delightful.

Angel: Life of the Party

Lorne: "Here's the snafu in a nutshell, Top Cat."

Let me be the first to say that an ongoing Angel/Spike nudity competition would be absolutely fine with me.

Angel: Hell Bound

Spike: "Vampire ghost here, you sod. I bloody well invented 'afraid of the dark.'"

Tonight's presentation contains graphic and disturbing violent images like chopped off fingers, and partial nudity in the form of naked Spike. Viewer discretion advised.

Angel: Unleashed

Gunn: "So. Werewolf girl. Think you got a shot?"
Angel: "She gave me a look."

This episode certainly held my interest, but I wasn't quite sure how to take it. Was it just your garden variety stand-alone werewolf episode, or is Nina Ash going to be a continuing character? Is she intended as a possible love interest for Angel, who has described his track record with "the whole man-woman thing" as a "tragic farce?" She's a supernatural blonde teenager, which is certainly his type, right?

Angel: Just Rewards

Angel: "I'm from Wolfram and Hart."
Spike: "I'm his date."

Spike is damned funny, and he makes Angel crazy. It's a match made in heaven. This episode wasn't quite as good as the season opener, but it was still great fun, and I think it successfully began the integration of Spike into the "Angel" cast.

Angel: Conviction

Angel: "There's something else you should know about me. I have no problem spanking men."

How do you fight evil when you're a part of it? It certainly won't be easy for Angel, whose own employees are monitoring his every move, following up and getting releases from the people he saves, and even trying to kill him.

Angel: Season Four Essay

Season Four: You're Soaking In It

Gunn: "Listen, I spent most of this year trapped in what I can only describe as a turgid supernatural soap opera."

This season was way over the top. It was riveting. It was outrageous. I absolutely loved it.

Angel: Home

Lilah: "This is the offer of a lifetime. Just not, you know, mine."

Since we still haven't gotten the definite word on renewal, this episode had to be two things -- a possible series finale, and a major change in direction for next season. It succeeded admirably on both counts.

Angel: Peace Out

Jasmine: "But you're not human!"
Angel: "Working on it!"

Jasmine's real name is "Ayooayuahhooou?"

Angel: Sacrifice

Lorne: "Speaking of moot, what about us? Anyone else feel like the last feisty wife in Stepford?"

Names are magic, as is blood. But discovering one magical weakness in a supernatural foe is too fairy tale for me. Rumpelstiltskin is my name? Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice? I'll try not to feel too disappointed until I see how it plays out.

Angel: The Magic Bullet

Lorne: "I thought Our Lady of the Perpetual Sea Breeze was the real deal, until the divine Miss J. walked right through that door and into my ass."

This episode served its purpose, since everyone (but Connor) is now back on board and aware of Jasmine not being God, but that's about it. And it was certainly not improved by the gross green people-eater with the miniscule bladder.

Angel: Shiny Happy People

Lorne: "Let me guess. Green?"
Angel: "No. Kind of... mocha."

I liked Gina Torres playing God more than I thought I would.

Angel: Inside Out

Lorne: "Kid Vicious did the heavy lifting. Cordy just muah-ha-ha'd at us."

I'm sorry, but this whole episode reminded me of that old joke about meeting God where the punchline is, "In the first place, she's black." Maybe now that she has finally given birth to Gina Torres, Cordelia won't be the unconvincing bad guy any more, and this is a good. Maybe Gina Torres will be a more convincing bad guy.

Angel: Players

Gunn: "Listen, I've spent most of this year trapped in what I can only describe as a turgid supernatural soap opera."

Gwen's back, and Gunn's got her. Didn't see that one coming.

Angel: Orpheus

Angel: "How are you feeling?"
Faith: "Like I did mushrooms and got eaten by a bear."

Faith, Angelus, and Angel took a magical mystery brain-tour together. The flashbacks were a hoot, although they lacked some of the resonance of flashbacks past:

Angel: Release

Angelus: "Hey, you're preaching to the guy who ate the choir."

Wesley was teaching Faith to be ruthless. Ironic, wouldn't you say?

Angel: Salvage

Faith: "You okay?"
Wesley: "Five by five."

This episode went so quickly that it seemed to be over in, like, five minutes. A lot happened in a very short period of time. Even the jail break took less than fifteen seconds: I timed it.

Angel: Calvary

Gunn: "That shaman shoulda never been brought here. Now instead of just worrying about the big bad rock eater, we got Darth Vampire living in the basement."

This might be stating the obvious, but hey -- do you think something might be wrong with Cordelia?

Angel: Soulless

Fred: "Remember, we can't believe anything Angelus says."
Gunn: "How 'bout the stuff that's true? Can we believe that?"

Angel has been simply outrageous this season. They've been taking big chances, setting characters against each other and creating some fascinating conflict, and now they've brought back the ultimate Mr. Hyde, Angelus himself, free once more to be master manipulator and button-pusher. How long did it take Angelus to goad Wesley and Gunn into a fistfight? Fifteen minutes?

Angel: Awakening

Cordelia: "What is it about evil that jacks up the IQ points?"

What an outstanding fake-out! It completely had me going until the Hallmark crapfest at the end, when the Beast was vanquished way too easily and things started getting extremely hokey. That's when I realized that all this just couldn't be happening.

Angel: Long Day's Journey

Wesley: "As far as evil plans go, it doesn't suck."

This week, the Beast was after the Five Totems of Ra-Tet, which would be a good name for a rock group. He wanted to blot out the sun and turn L.A. into a demon playground. I think he was a little late with that one.

Angel: Habeas Corpses

Fred: "What demony thing?"
Lorne: "Oh, I believe he's referring to the big, bad and possibly invincible demony thing that nearly killed us all before he ringmastered tonight's Cirque de Flambe."

I think it's safe to say the Wolfram & Hart is not the safest place to be during an apocalypse.

Angel: Apocalypse, Nowish

Lorne: (on the phone) "Well, it might take a couple of days; you're fifth on the bleeding-walls list. Spritz it with a little 409, we'll get back to you."

Okay. If Cordelia is now pregnant with Angel's grandchild, I'm really going to be pissed. Sure, she thought it was The End, but apocalypse, schmapocalypse!

Angel: Spin the Bottle

Gunn: "Oh, good. Symbols on the floor. That always goes well."

I loved this episode so much that I didn't even mind that it was part two of "Tabula Rasa." I have no objection to something being done again if it's done this well. Returning all of the characters to their teenage personas was inspired. Trust Joss Whedon to think of such a thing.

Angel: Supersymmetry

Fred: "You know what they say about payback? Well, I'm the bitch."

I was unenthused about a Fred-centered episode and wasn't wildly impressed with it -- until the last twenty minutes.

Angel: Slouching Toward Bethlehem

Angel: "Maybe we haven't been one hundred percent honest, because, well, we were afraid that the truth would scare you."
Cordelia: "Yeah, and the lying and deceit have been so comforting."

Cordelia and Connor shacking up??? I certainly didn't expect that.

Angel: The House Always Wins

Lorne: "Fluffy! Fluffy, the dog? The dog you don't have? The universally recognized code for 'I'm being held prisoner, send help'?"

As the big green guy himself would probably say, "Snooze-O-Rama!"

Angel: Ground State

Gwen: "I don't usually enjoy the hand-to-hand this much."
Angel: "Maybe you haven't been doing it right."

The Angel Powers That Be, or what's left of them, just introduced a workable love interest for Angel. Romantic sparks flew, pun intended.

Angel: Deep Down

Angel: "What you did to me was unbelievable, Connor. But then, I've been stuck in a hell dimension by my girlfriend one time for a hundred years, so a few months under the ocean actually gave me perspective."

This episode was way over the top. It was riveting. I absolutely loved it.

Angel: Season Three Essay

Season Three: There's Good News, and Bad News

This was a difficult season to review. There were some truly excellent episodes interspersed with some that were not so good, to put it gently. We had major plot twists a-poppin' up right and left. I think I really liked season three, but I'm not entirely sure.

Angel: Tomorrow

Angel: "Is this kid a chip off the old block, or what?"

Cordelia in white ascending into the heavens, Angel in black descending helplessly into the ocean's depths, and neither of them reachable by cell phone? Metaphor anvils, anyone?

Angel: Benediction

Connor: "Filthy demon."
Lorne: "Actually, that's uncle filthy demon to you."

You know, I actually believed for a few minutes that Holtz had changed? Silly me. Justine killing Holtz, with his permission, with an icepick... to the neck... twice... hey, that was freaking *evil.* Way to go, Holtz, you turkey; go out with a bang, why don't you? It showed that Holtz never truly loved Connor, no matter what he said. Leaving Angel out of it completely, if Holtz had really loved Connor, he wouldn't have set him up to commit patricide -- a crime that will surely have a lasting, negative effect on Connor if he actually carries it out.

Angel: A New World

Cordelia: "You know we can't all walk out of here when we have a cosmic crack hanging over us."

I take back every negative thing I ever said about the stupid baby plot, because I think Connor the Destroyer is absolutely terrific. I like the character -- half Peter Pan, half Mordred, a sort of supernatural boy-slayer, human-vampire kind of deal. Superb physical casting; blue eyes like Darla, dark like Angel, and small and sleek so that we can still see him as Angel's child. He has a distinctive face: innocent, but with way too much experience. Dan said jokingly that Connor looked "boyishly rugged."