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Date Posted: 09:25:09 11/20/03 Thu
Author: Kuzibah
Author Host/IP: 12.175.117.195
Subject: Angel episode 5/8 *SPOILERS*

-Wherein the subtext comes ever closer to text-

***starring James Marsters as Deux ex Machina Man

Okay, clearly ME were out of ideas on how to integrate Spike into the show while he was still insubstantial, so all attempt at quasi-scientific or quasi-mystical explanation was thrown out like so many used coffee grounds in favor of another magic box come in the mail. Poof, and Spike is all solid again. I can't really complain, though, since I was perfectly happy with Angel dropping out of hell for no good reason in season 3 of Buffy, so let's move on.

But before we move on, let's look at that opening flashback sequence. There will be a bit of paraphrasing (but not much):

Angelus: I mean, I enjoy the company of the ladies, but I always wondered what it would be like to share the slaughter of innocents with another man.
Kuzibah: Is that what the kids are calling it these days...
Angelus: That doesn't make me a deviant... does it?
Kuzibah: Holy crap!
(All further comment is drowned out by the stampede of thousands of slash-writers racing for their computers.)

I mean, come ON! Is it not completely obvious that little "Willy" is about to learn a whole new vocabulary the second Angelus can hold him down? I mean, they've had fun hinting at this sort of thing before, but dang!

Okay, now we'll move on the the meat of the episode. *ahem*

Apparently Spike's magical return to the world of the almost living is not without consequences. There's some mumbo-jumbo about prophecies and souls and "champions," the upshot of which leads Spike and Angel to a fight in a ruined Opera House in the desert over who gets to be the Shanshu poster boy.

During this fight, some very important issues are raised:

Did Spike win his soul because it was the right thing to do, or to get into Buffy's pants?

Did Angel betray his ideals by taking over Wolfram & Hart, or is he using a tool of evil to do good?

Did Angelus make Spike a monster, or was that potential always within him?

Is Shanshu a reward, or a burden?

As Spike says, probably a little of each.

Of course, the entire problem of having two souled vampire champions is again magically solved by those cosmic fairy godmothers, The Senior Partners, if the whole thing wasn't a red herring in the first place. That wasn't entirely clear.

Anyway, no Wesley this week. I hope Alexis and Alyson had a lovely honeymoon.

Have to mention Harmony- Loved the hair, loved the dress, thought her resolve about Spike falling like a house of cards was hysterical. What a dish she's become, and I never thought I'd say that. I also thought it interesting that side trip to Nevada aside, Spike's primary interests upon becoming un-ghosty were 1)Food, 2)Sex, and 3)Liquor, in that order. He is a creature of appetites, our Spike.

Big shrug for Fred, Gunn, and Lorne.

Eve... is still annoying. And did she really think she was fooling anybody with her poor little lost kitten act? On the other hand... that final scene? Again, I say, Holy Crap! The pocket-sized lawyer is back! And Spike isn't the smallest guy on the show anymore! When's the next episode again?

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Replies:

[> Having seen only 20 minutes...again, I will post my thoughts tomorrow. -- Grim ,_,_), 09:34:01 11/20/03 Thu (66.95.229.84)


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[> Re: Angel episode 5/8 *SPOILERS* -- Mcookies, 15:33:19 11/20/03 Thu (66.28.244.34)

I missed the first 25 minutes but put it on anyway. It wasn't as great as it would've been if I watched it from the start; looking forward to reruns.

As for the end, I dang near fell off the couch when we saw who Eve was hooking up with. I was expecting the guy who "interpreted" the prophecy, not the blast from the past!


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[> Okay, the whole Angelus and Little Willy... -- Delirium, 17:34:06 11/20/03 Thu (68.122.144.62)

was sooooo totally slasherific. ;) I was like "Whoa, they WENT THERE!" Heh, heh, heh.

I think they brought up some interesting issues, but the episode was uneven, it's like they get Spike right half the time, then he feels off, then he's on. The flashback sequences were the clearest ones with maybe a bit of the fight scenes actually also hitting at the complex emotions between the two.

Uh, and since when can Spike fly now too?

There were some very good bits, some ehh bits, hope Drew Goddard comes back for more. Wesley, we missed you (A and A hope you had a lovely honeymoon) and look forward to your return.

So what's up with Gunn's "and I'm just a mild-mannered lawyer" retort to Eve? Had the big ominous Dun, Dun, DUN! clang around it.

-Del


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[> [> I'm with you. -- Mo, 19:17:02 11/20/03 Thu (169.152.251.99)

Some good, some bad. Not as great as the last few episodes have been, but not a bad episode. I also want Drew Goddard to come back, and soon. The things I enjoyed most were the flashbacks (though we could have used more Dru, in my opinion), and Spike and Angel's attempts at goading each other during their fight at the end.

Overall though, a bit less than what I was expecting.


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[> I enjoyed it -- GG, 05:52:50 11/21/03 Fri (62.254.32.4)

did think the 'corporial (sp?) in a box' was a bit silly, but I have to agree with Kuzibah that I didn't really mind it, I was getting a little sick of Spike the way he was.

Nice twist at the end...but was that Lindsey? Cuz wasn't he suppose to have left cuz he was all good again? I don't think sleeping with Eve = good, somehow.

I did like the way they used Wesley being gone (happy honeymoon A&A!), since he never would have interpurted the Shanshu that way, obviously...or maybe he would have and then...hmmm, interesting idea...


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[> [> There are some theories about that. -- Grim ,_,_), 08:53:52 11/21/03 Fri (66.95.229.84)

One theory is that Eve isn't the big bad she wants everyone to think she is. That Lindsey is back to take down W&H (so what if Angel happens to be at the helm currently).


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