Angel created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt
Angel: 4.1 - 4.3
All right the Angel portion of the site has been sitting dormant for a while now. Here's the plan. I'll write comments about the current Angel Season. Nothing too structured or formal, just general ramblings about the direction and characters. Too beef up the page (and make it worth you while clicking on the link) I'll include the best comments I can find from message boards on the episodes - the one's that make me think, laugh or simply scratch my head in puzzlement.
First off all, let me say that I am a huge fan of the show. I still think Buffy was weakened when he left, but I accept the fact that having 2 shows set in the Buffyverse is better than 1. The first season was excellent to my eyes, self contained episodes with the Wolfram & Hart story arc bubbling away in the background. The extremely small cast made sure that everybody got screen time and all in all it was very enjoyable.
Season 2 focused mostly on the Angel/Darla relationship, sometimes at the cost of Wesley & Cordy. But it was great viewing and very exciting to watch Angel turn dark again. However, they completely fluffed the ending by wrapping up Darla's storyline way too early and having what I can only charitably call a fiasco involving dimension hopping into an SG-1 farming planet and a rather boring story.
Season 3 started off quite good with Darla being pregnant and Angel being a father. But the show seemed all over the place. Maybe I'm wrong here, but DB & CC looked rather…bored I feel last season. Angel looked slightly overweight and tired. Cordy had the hair-do from hell and seemed to vanish for episodes at a time. Her character also seemed to suffer and it's no surprise that there were rumours she was leaving. Throw in a tacky cliff hanger ending, a miscast actor playing an irritating teenage Connor and an almost incestuous forced relationship between Angel and Cordy and you had a car crash of a season (though not as bad as Buffy S6).
So here is season 4 and my hopes weren't high. Having watched the first 3 episodes however, I'm forced to change my mind. I really enjoyed these ep's. Let's take the characters in turn.
Angel is of course the star of the show and I wondered how he would be rescued. That Wesley would be the one to do it was completely unexpected. His reaction to Connor was also spot on. I've gotta say, the spoilers I've been reading about the upcoming story make me more excited about this show than I have been in a long time. DB seems re-energised, maybe because he realises next year his show will probably be the only Buffyverse show on TV and finally he'll truly be able to step out of the BtVS shadow.
Wes is probably the most interesting character. I thought he would turn evil then we would see an unlikely turnaround. He is very cold and has a ripper edge to him, but he's still on the side of the Angels. Just. He saved Angel and has helped to find Cordy. His relationship with Lilah is also inspired and I think he could be the dark horse for the season.
Cordy. Where to start? I think the character has effectively disappeared since she went to that crap dimension. Her hair got progressively worse and I hate to say it, but she's looking slightly tired and bored these days. I dunno, maybe CC is pissed off she isn't getting good stories these days and I'm not sure what her story is this year. I haven't read any rumours about her which suggests she doesn't have an arc this year. My advice - Get extensions in and start writing the character like she was in Season 1. Nuff said.
Fred has slowly grown on me and is quite likeable these days. She seems almost unrecognisable from last year's nervous wreck and that's a good thing. Nice character, but far from essential to the cast just yet.
But she's more essential than Gunn. Jesus, he's been in the show almost from the start almost but has had the least coverage. I want to like Gunn, but apart from some funny one liners there's nothing to him. Get some good story's for this guy or kill him off.
Anyway (as he hastily try's to get back on topic) the opening episodes were very good. Connor's still mostly absent (thank God since he's really annoying) and The Host is back in the fold. Plus Cordy seems to be back minus her weird powers. Still got the dodgy hair but hopefully Cordelia of old will be back.
Right that's my thoughts. Watch out for this section to be updated on a more regular basis as the Season starts to hopefully get very good indeed.
Fan 1: 'WOO TO THE HOO! This episode rocked. It's rare that season premieres really come out swinging like this, but I credit new ANGEL scribe Steven S. DeKnight. This script had a lot going on but it was all handled perfectly. Everyone got a piece of the action. - - - - - - - - - I'm going to make my points by character. First Wes. Can this guy BE any COOLER? It's hard to believe I was actively praying for his death back in his Sunnydale days. Look at him now. He's the best thing on the show. Keeping Justine in the closet was a pleasant surprise. And that bucket line was killer. He's dark, but not evil. I think he was the perfect choice to save Angel. Who else could have? Wes knew it had to be done, so he did it. He wasn't out looking for forgiveness, nor should he. He did his job and then left the bastards to their own devices. I can't wait to see Wes' and Angel's next encounter. - - - - - - - - Lilah. Just when I was beginning to worry about her she makes a bold and well calculated move to regain her footing in W&H. Another pleasantly shocking surprise. She made a play for a power position in an evil law firm. I wonder how she'll develop her relationship with Wes in the future. Eventually he'll return to AI's fold. Is Lilah going to turn on him? Or be the ultimate ally? - - - - - - - - - - - Connor didn't really make an impression on me one way or the other. I hope something cool is planned for his character now that he's a regular. This better not be it. - - - - - - - - - - - Where's Groo? - - - - - - - - - - It was good to see Lorne again during his brief appearance. He should be coming back soon. Maybe AI will blow up his LV club, too! lol - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gunn and Fred aren't as nauseating as last spring, but I still don't think they have romantic chemistry together. Gunn was pretty much Gunn, but Fred is developing into a much more stable and stronger woman. She doesn't seem afraid to speak her mind any longer nor to take action. Tazer! WORD, BRO! She still belongs with Wes, IMO. After he dumps Lilah. Though maybe they can share. WEG - - - - - - - - - - - Angel's dreams were cool. The entire episode was highly stylized. No two dreams had the same vibe or look. Any foreshadowing of events you think or just random gratuitous dreamy goodness? I liked his Buffy reference. - - - - - - - - I agree with BILN. JUSTINE SHOULD DIE! How in the hell did she survive this episode? Now that Connor is evicted is he going to run to her? Does anyone really have any interest in Justine? Why do they keep stringing her along??? - - - - - - - - Gavin is going to turn the tables on Lilah by Feb sweeps. Just you wait. - - - - - - - - - Cordy. True, we only really saw her at the very end, but I was struck at how much I was disinterested in her character. Hell, her romantic scenes with Angel were loathesome. I hate C/A! They, much like Gunn and Fred, have no romantic chemistry together. Ick. Just end it now. And I want Saint Cordy to die. Saint Cordy sucks black licorice. "God, I'm so bored!" Me, too, sister. Me, too. L8r ' Fan 2: 'A mixed bag, but much better than most. I agree, no chemistry between Gunn and Fred and their "guardianship" of Conor was pretty lame in the beginning. Until Fred tasered the shit out of him, that is. I think this show emasculates Gunn horribly, in general. He could be a lot more interesting and formidable. To say he is street wise...well, it just doesn't come off realistically. Especially because he's always getting his ass beat. Just about everything else on the show worked, though. I don't think we need to make a judgement on Cordy's character until we see more of the plot develop. And I think that kid that plays Conor totally kicks ass! He brings a level of energy to the show that really contributes. And yes, no doubt, Wes is the man! ' Fan 3: 'I hear what ur saying about angel's weird mood but ANGEL has never been that subtle. I don't believe they ever really build things up besides relationships. Everthing is just action-reaction. The characthers always have to do something(ie doyle having to be the hero for his previous inaction BTW best character/ep ever). I mean is it just me or is everone trying to hard to be good or a least stay in favor with tptb. Look at Wes he wasn't good enough of a watcher/for Cordelia/ for Fred. And instead of him just snapping saying enough is enough I'm sick of the lack of respect they have to derive a weird storyline to get him to leave( Angel goes crazy and all is forgiven, and Wes tries to protect a baby and is almost killed and the "champions of good" could care less) And now Wes is all "dark" b/c he is sleeping w/ D yet he is still fighting evil; u can't sleep with a murder(w/ a soul) and be a champion of justice. The writers try to hard to add twist and turns and end up having characters do thing u know they wouldn't. Well thats just my opinion. ' Fan 4: 'Within the space of 2 years Dawn found out that she isn't human, has only been alive for 2 years, had her mom die, her sister die, her surrogate mom die (Tara), her favorite person in the world nearly kill her three times (Willow), she's been ignored and treated like a little kid. I don't fault her one iota for how she's acted EVER. In fact, I'm surprised she's currently so well adjusted. :) As for Connor, I've never seen him whine and even if he did whine so what? He was the miracle baby whose mom sacrificed herself to save him and whose dad lost him to a nutcase. That said nutcase then raised him as his own son in a hell dimension and filled his mind with who knows what thoughts and agendas. Only to be brought back to Earth to discover that the thing he was brought up to hate most in the world is his real father. And his father is actually not such a bad guy afterall, despite what his faux pa (get it? hardy har har) has told him. Now Connor's living in a world/dimension that is completely foreign to him, the only father he has ever known was outsted as having an agenda and is now dead. His true father is a vampire with a checkered past whom Connor is supposed to hate but can't really deal with. I don't fault him for not warming up to Angel in the span of three episodes. That would have been really cheesy. I like how ME is taking their time bringing the two of them together. It's more realistic that way. Now, for the Cawn/Donner hook up down the line, I don't like that idea. That would be so 90210!!! lol L8r ' Fan 5: 'I have faith in ME because they've surprised me before and I'm willing to see where it goes and how it gets there. All the stuff you're talking about is all fine and dandy, but it all takes place BEFROE the inevitable reconcilliation where the two will be united. Its not hypocritical to like the Production Team, but not like the current story arc. Sure Conner could go bad for awhile, but if he stays that way, I'd publicly kiss Whedon's freckely ass. No matter what happens in the near future, eventually they'll get back together and love each other. Eventually Conner will learn the error of his current perceptions. The whole pregnancy thing shouldn't have happened, in my opinion. Of course, I think Angel should have stayed dead after season 2 of Buffy, but here we are. The one thing I pray they won't do is make him Angelus again. Please, no, I've had enough of that story. You see, this is why I think someone really needs to stake Angel. The Guy is a Ticking Timebomb. He drops some baby batter and look the fuck out, he's evil. The guy is a menace. My whole thing with Conner is the storyline holds no potential. "I hate you, I hate you, Dad." then after awhile "I was wrong, I love you." "I love you too, son." WAH WAHHH BOO HOO! BORING! I just see a long road that ends in an obvious conclusion. If they make him bad and he stays that way, cool, but I don't see it happening. Conner needs to go, somehow, someway, he needs to be gone. gone forever. ' |