Angel Review
Apr. 21st, 2004 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lathanyBy my estimation, this is episode fifteen. I understand it was written and directed by JW himself, so has a lot to live up to.
I liked this episode, but it ain't gonna be a favourite. Also it felt more like the first half of a two-parter, even though it doesn't have "Part One" in its name.
The trouble is, JW has done this too many times before. A happy couple appears and he removes a soul / shoots one in the heart / sinks one to the bottom of the ocean / etc. OK he was a little less drastic with Xander-Anya and Gunn-Fred but you knew, in your heart of hearts, that he was still making death threats and the rest of the writing team had tied him to chair and gagged him (and then made a complete mess of Seasons 6 and 4 respectively, but I digress).
However, A Hole in the World still has a lot going for it. Such as the hole itself (btw, have we met Drogyn, the keeper before?), the fight(s), the bit during the cavemen vs astronauts fight where Wesley says "Do the astronauts have weapons" and the vampires chorus "No!", Lorne's reaction when Fred sings, revisiting Fred's parents (although more for nostalgia sake, the flashback didn't really accomplish anything), Knox's treachery (hurrah, he isn't 2D) and the consequences of Gunn's choice from Smile Time. Also Wesley and Fred were a lot less sickly-sentimental than they might have been.
But overall? Not one of his best.
I liked this episode, but it ain't gonna be a favourite. Also it felt more like the first half of a two-parter, even though it doesn't have "Part One" in its name.
The trouble is, JW has done this too many times before. A happy couple appears and he removes a soul / shoots one in the heart / sinks one to the bottom of the ocean / etc. OK he was a little less drastic with Xander-Anya and Gunn-Fred but you knew, in your heart of hearts, that he was still making death threats and the rest of the writing team had tied him to chair and gagged him (and then made a complete mess of Seasons 6 and 4 respectively, but I digress).
However, A Hole in the World still has a lot going for it. Such as the hole itself (btw, have we met Drogyn, the keeper before?), the fight(s), the bit during the cavemen vs astronauts fight where Wesley says "Do the astronauts have weapons" and the vampires chorus "No!", Lorne's reaction when Fred sings, revisiting Fred's parents (although more for nostalgia sake, the flashback didn't really accomplish anything), Knox's treachery (hurrah, he isn't 2D) and the consequences of Gunn's choice from Smile Time. Also Wesley and Fred were a lot less sickly-sentimental than they might have been.
But overall? Not one of his best.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-04-22 02:35 am (UTC)I agree it's a shame there was no foreshadowing with Knox. And it seemed rather a plot dump with all the Old Ones (or whatever they were called), but I did think Drogyn was a great character :o)
And the cavemen/astronauts thing was funny.
And the scene on the stairs with Lorne was excellently directed.
So, on the whole there was plenty in this one for me to enjoy :o)
no subject
Date: 2004-04-22 05:22 am (UTC)Yeah. There's a lot of hints that JW suddenly re-read all his early notes for this series. AFAIR the Old Ones were mentioned back in Welcome to the Hellmouth / THe Harvest, but haven't been revisited since. Just as Why We Fight suddenly resurrected the "old vampires start to look less human" thing we've barely touched on since Kiss-whatever in Faith, Hope and Trick.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-22 05:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-22 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-22 06:26 am (UTC)