Buffy/Angel update

[rm]

Angel 1.10 "Parting Gifts" - I new that demon was bad news when he showed up, but I actually thought he was leading someone to Angel; especially when we first saw that cross boy. Oh Wesley! You fucking dork. And you can't weather leather pants _and_ a leather jacket. Fabulous suit though when that reappeared on the scene. I also got the first glimmer of why people say I will identify with this character, but gee, I hope there's more to it than the self-hatred defense mechanism thing. Also the eye stuff was really hard to watch.

So did Doyle really give his gift to Cordelia or was this just one of those things that TPTB decided on and everyone is being romantic and making it about Doyle? That all was handled in a really lovely way.

Once again: we may be pissed at Whedon for who he kills, but he walks us through the aftermath process. On one hand, we can argue that that's both good, and responsible, TV. On the other hand, I feel like it does keep us at a distance. Whedon deaths are never deaths that happen to us, because we watch the aftermath for those who get left behind. Not us. I'll need to watch this episode again for my paper even though it wasn't all that -- because Doyle had no possessions to leave behind, and that gets discussed that all that is tangible in his death is his absence.

Angel/Cordelia/Wesley is my new OT3.

Also, I thought Angel's initial confrontation with the Oracles at the beginning was interesting, because jeez, that's one of the conversations we've been having about Ianto in Torchwood fandom, isn't it?

Buffy 4.10 "Hush" - I'd actually seen this episode randomly long ago and far away. I'm not even sure I knew it was Buffy. It's creepy and well done, and I imagine it was a PitA to film, in terms of getting people to remain quiet and move their mouths clearly enough that non lip-readers could get it. Also the camera work and effects for the Gentlemen was probably a big hassle too. Great TV, and I loved that Buffy's scream was a girl's scream and it was powerful, but ultimately, this wasn't necessarily about the themes that move me.

But I did like that Giles's girlfriend was back, but wow I was surprised she wasn't in some way connected to the occult/the Watchers or SOMETHING. I didn't expect her to be a mundane sort of bad girl (because she does give off the vibe of totally being able to keep up with Ripper's ways).

Buffy 4.11 "Doomed" - While this episode advances the larger arcs in a meaningful way, it's just not very good. Especially at the end there where we know the demons are the sacrifices, and Buffy jumps into the hellmouth and then whatever happens happens off-screen and all we get it a shot of Riley pulling on some rope. It's really a TERRIBLE episode, and only isn't widely regarded as TERRIBLE because it's not "Inca Mummy Girl" which will live in infamy FOREVER.

Buffy 4.12 "A New Man" - I love when random people know random demon languages on these shows! I also love Spike leaning against walls and smoking cigarettes and pouting like he's a rent-boy. And no matter how many times I"ve almost decided I like Buffy's psych teacher, no, no I actually hate her. When demon!GIles chased her, I literally exclaimed "go paunchy middle-aged demon Giles!"

Also, Ethan Rayne, what the fuck?

1. You never have more than half a plan.
2. You never have more than half a reason for your plan.
3. You can actually throw a decent punch, but won't at Giles.
4. THAT SHIRT.
5. Dude, you're like John Hart if John Hart was a pathetic washed-up impotent drunk.

Also, interesting to see we have a potential Gitmo narrative long before 9/11 actually happened.

Comments

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

Also, I thought Angel's initial confrontation with the Oracles at the beginning was interesting, because jeez, that's one of the conversations we've been having about Ianto in Torchwood fandom, isn't it?

Yeah, it is. I also think it highlights something about what many of us expect from stories as opposed to what many of us expect from real life. I know when I watched the episodes about Doyle's death a few months ago, I was struck by how satisfying I found it, because Doyle's sacrifice really meant something; he saved people. When TPTB refused to bring Doyle back because it would cheapen his sacrifice, it made sense to me. I thought about why I couldn't feel the same way about Ianto, and to me personally, it's because I expect stories to be meaningful, and if I invest in a character and they die, I want them to die in a way that is meaningful to me -- and Ianto's death simply wasn't meaningful to me. And I know that sometimes (maybe most of the time) death in real life is meaningless too, and I know that meaningless death can be the point of a story (and, in fact, I think that Joss Whedon does that extremely well, as I think you will see in S5 of Buffy) -- but I suppose Ianto's death didn't make enough sense to me on a Doylist level for me to appreciate its meaninglessness on a Watsonian level (and there's the added stab that Ianto's supposedly heroic sacrifice was a failure and he actually got people killed rather than saving anyone). I know that Ianto's death was meaningful to you on both those levels, and to many others, so I can see why for you, that argument made by TPTB in Angel would resonate.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you respond to Wesley's character arc. It is, IMO, the best character arc in Angel. It does go to some very dark places though, and yeah, there are a lot of self-hatred issues, but it's also very much an arc of becoming.

Btw, did you finish White Collar yet?

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

Wesley's character arc. It is, IMO, the best character arc in Angel. - agreed!

[ithinkitisayit.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to seeing how you respond to Wesley's character arc. It is, IMO, the best character arc in Angel.

I agree! It's also the most depressing. I cried for him after the series finale :(

Wesley's the best character arc, but I definitely think my favourite character arc is Cordelia.

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

I loved what they did with Cordelia up to about the middle of S3, but after that... well, I won't comment on it because I don't want to spoil rm. :)

[ithinkitisayit.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Have totally not finished White Collar yet. Patty liked the one episode we watched together well enough, but she's not all over it like I am, so we've been focusing on Buffy and Angel although I really should get to it.

Also, thanks for the warning re: Wesley's character arc. I suspect I'm going to find this unpleasant.