Angel reviews

[lathany]

Watching Why We Fight I felt two things. On the one hand it seemed like a really good concept, whilst on the other it simply didn't work.

Angel with a soul embracing another vampire? Lovely notion. Good reason as well. But the outcome? Just deeply unsatisfying. He got a bit of a soul and consequently was depressed and wanted out of his vampiric existence. But out had to include one final exchange with Angel and a little threatening of his friends as well.

The circumstances of the flashback also seemed weak. Why didn't Angel kill all the other vampires? Because of Spike? It isn't exactly clear. And, let's face it, the plot works just as well if Spike is absent and Angel does kill the others 'cos it's the Nazi who fatally wounds Lawson.

Also there is a continuity problem (although I admit I haven't checked this). In The Trial Angel raises the possibility of embracing Darla saying that she might keep her soul because he has his. I believe he adds that he's never tried this before! On the right side of continuity, it is nice to have Eve and Lindsey name-checked and a little information (even if it amounts to "this plot is on pause"). It was also nice to have the Initiative from Buffy name-checked and given a little background as well (although, if they had info on vampires and Angel during the war, why hadn't they come across slayers before?).

One nice aside though, Gunn's obviously having problems with his upgrade. More on that in Smile Time.



Nice Smile Time episode. Lovely Angel puppet. Even better Angel-vampire puppet. Plus it was good to see some movement (in some cases, finally) on Nina, Fred and Wesley, Fred and Knox (up until now I had no idea they had split) and Gunn's implant.

What else can I say? Great idea, nicely executed. Pity that Gunn's choice seems to have gone the predictable way (although I hope to be proved wrong somehow) - but what else would he have done given there are still eight episodes to go?!

Comments

Smile Time

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

The one thing that makes me sad about Smile Time is that - exactly like Buffy's Once More With Feeling it's a completely format-breaking episode but is nonetheless going to end up being a favourite for most fans of the show.

(And one of my favourite Angel moments previously was the scene where Spike is on the roof doing a mock voiceover for Angel, who has just rescued some random girl. There's something wrong when taking the piss out of a show is so much more successful than its regular content.)

Re: Smile Time

[al-fruitbat.livejournal.com]

Why do you say it's format breaking? This episode, one of the Angel team was afflicted by a demonic baddie, which as a team they investigated and destroyed, thus restoring their compatriot to normality. Seems pretty standard plot-fare to me (although I loved it ;-)

Re: Smile Time

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

That's a reasonable point of view, but if you think that way the question then becomes: Why are all the other badguys/themes so desperately unimaginative ?

Re: Smile Time

[al-fruitbat.livejournal.com]

I liked Holtz, Jasmine (and the demon-thingie that preceded her - superb fight!), Pyliea and loads of others. Just cos this was an excellent episode doesn't cast the others in a worse light. But I am noticeably more tolerant of plot-errors in films / TV than I would be if they were in a book. I seem to accept video pieces even if they've only got a few 'key' excellent scenes (e.g. I still like DragonHeart because for 20 minutes Connery is the best dragon yet.)