Angel 4.5: SuperSymmetry
Nov. 4th, 2002 09:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thebratqueenUp very late with important cabal work. Can't promise this will be coherent. Especially if the cable guy comes and interrupts me. But, here goes:
Okay, I've got to get this out of the way:
MY EYES! MY EYES! OH MY GOD MY EYES!!!
Kee-rist! Wtf? Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. So did not need to see Amy Acker's un-ass while Fred was straddling Gunn. Ick. Ew. Sorry, no.
Look, I'm not saying AA isn't pretty. She is. Just that her actual tailbone is not what I personally would term her best feature. Less of that in future please, thank you.
Okay, that being said let's get my other shallow comments out of the way: I still don't like Fred. I'm sorry. I'm trying really really hard to get past this because the writers are trying really hard to make her a character, but if I have to hear AA simper again it'll be too soon. She can't act. Watching her on screen gives me physical pain. And putting me through yet another episode where she was this close to dying but gets saved (Damn you, Wesley!) is just cruel. Why do you do this to me guys, why? We had all that Wesley sex. I thought you loved me. [sniffle]
Anyhoo, if I put my AA issues aside it was a good ep. Especially because it dealt with some things that were handled so badly last year. Notice the scenes of Wes and Fred this season, compare them with Wes and Fred last season, and then tell me which ones actually convey the concept that Wes has feelings for Fred that you can believe in? The magic words as always are: Show, Don't Tell.
Likewise I enjoyed the small details - Angel taking care of Lorne, Angel actually acting like a friend to Fred and Gunn instead of grunting orders at them (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stakebait? I know you think Wes's management style lacks people skills but I'd take his way over Angel's anyday), Gunn believably acting like a boyfriend to Fred instead of a guy we're told loves her because she eats - things like that.
One great line that I loved was Gunn's comment of how a few years back he would have happily killed the prof. I thought that was a subtle way of handling what I've felt was always implied for Gunn's character, which is that he was your regular LA gangbanger until he found out about the vamps, and then becoming a vamp killer more or less "saved" him. So, yeah, of course gangbanger Gunn of a few years back most likely would have killed a guy who did him or somebody he loved wrong and not thought twice about it. Subtle detail, shades in his character, doesn't hit us over the head. Good job!
And props to our new writing team. For all that I hate having to watch Fred, they did do a good job of fleshing her out, working in things from before that were totally ignored post Fredless and - hardest of all - managed to balance that combination of Angel being a moron about some things while being deadly good on others. It's way too easy for people to dork Angel out, turn him into Rain Man, and then think they've covered it. Nope - Angel's got brains, he just has them in specific areas. Chatty rooms? Nope. But demons and revenge? Yep.
And thank you, thank you, THANK you to the writers for finally having Lilah point out that Angel sure talks a lot but never follows through. I still want to know why Lilah's alive after the Connor thing.jennyo? Things are looking good for your theory. Just sayin'.
TBQ's moment of huh? Um - much as I loved it (and subtly Manipulative!Wes in the SUV), why did Fred to go Wesley? How would she know that he was the guy who would support her in revenge?
All of those scenes, though, were another reason why I'm glad I read the wildfeed. Knowing that the Gunn plot twist coming up, I was able to savor all of those "Doing this will change you forever" speeches not as pretentious morality monologues, but rather hide in plain sight foreshadowing that (I assume, no spoilers here) we're going to see significant changes in Gunn now that he's done this. I think it would be interesting (again, no spoilers) to see if Fred ends up breaking up with him because of this - if she discovers that for all that she could do it, she can't cope with Gunn being able to.
Also, I liked the speech from Wes because, much like his "bag and baggage" speech from last year, listening to him talk to someone else gave you insight on what he must be thinking and feeling. Yeah, he enslaved Justine to save Angel, but he's not unaware of the price that he paid.
The Connor/Cordy/Angel stuff was whatever for me. Although I liked the handling of the first Connor/Angel scene which managed to convey a generation gap between two guys who really aren't that far apart, age-wise. Angel came off "feeling" like a 40 year old, if that makes sense.
As for the C/A stuff - I'm basically verykita0610-like in my attitude. Yes, it was a bad idea. Yes, we didn't want it. But we've got it now so let's at least have it be good. It's not New York Pizza, but it can possibly be a good food item in its own right.
Next week. Eep. Written and directed by Joss. Yeah, 'cause that goes so well on this show. God. I'm being optimistic, really I am. I mean at least we've got a premise which will help explain the fact that Joss can't write these characters for shit anymore. But it looks wacky. Joss and this show and wacky are three concepts that should never go together. I'll admit - I'm a little scared.
But - good thoughts. Thinking good thoughts. Fully expect to post next week and say how much I loved it. Good, good thoughts.
Okay, I've got to get this out of the way:
MY EYES! MY EYES! OH MY GOD MY EYES!!!
Kee-rist! Wtf? Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. So did not need to see Amy Acker's un-ass while Fred was straddling Gunn. Ick. Ew. Sorry, no.
Look, I'm not saying AA isn't pretty. She is. Just that her actual tailbone is not what I personally would term her best feature. Less of that in future please, thank you.
Okay, that being said let's get my other shallow comments out of the way: I still don't like Fred. I'm sorry. I'm trying really really hard to get past this because the writers are trying really hard to make her a character, but if I have to hear AA simper again it'll be too soon. She can't act. Watching her on screen gives me physical pain. And putting me through yet another episode where she was this close to dying but gets saved (Damn you, Wesley!) is just cruel. Why do you do this to me guys, why? We had all that Wesley sex. I thought you loved me. [sniffle]
Anyhoo, if I put my AA issues aside it was a good ep. Especially because it dealt with some things that were handled so badly last year. Notice the scenes of Wes and Fred this season, compare them with Wes and Fred last season, and then tell me which ones actually convey the concept that Wes has feelings for Fred that you can believe in? The magic words as always are: Show, Don't Tell.
Likewise I enjoyed the small details - Angel taking care of Lorne, Angel actually acting like a friend to Fred and Gunn instead of grunting orders at them (
stakebait? I know you think Wes's management style lacks people skills but I'd take his way over Angel's anyday), Gunn believably acting like a boyfriend to Fred instead of a guy we're told loves her because she eats - things like that.One great line that I loved was Gunn's comment of how a few years back he would have happily killed the prof. I thought that was a subtle way of handling what I've felt was always implied for Gunn's character, which is that he was your regular LA gangbanger until he found out about the vamps, and then becoming a vamp killer more or less "saved" him. So, yeah, of course gangbanger Gunn of a few years back most likely would have killed a guy who did him or somebody he loved wrong and not thought twice about it. Subtle detail, shades in his character, doesn't hit us over the head. Good job!
And props to our new writing team. For all that I hate having to watch Fred, they did do a good job of fleshing her out, working in things from before that were totally ignored post Fredless and - hardest of all - managed to balance that combination of Angel being a moron about some things while being deadly good on others. It's way too easy for people to dork Angel out, turn him into Rain Man, and then think they've covered it. Nope - Angel's got brains, he just has them in specific areas. Chatty rooms? Nope. But demons and revenge? Yep.
And thank you, thank you, THANK you to the writers for finally having Lilah point out that Angel sure talks a lot but never follows through. I still want to know why Lilah's alive after the Connor thing.
jennyo? Things are looking good for your theory. Just sayin'.TBQ's moment of huh? Um - much as I loved it (and subtly Manipulative!Wes in the SUV), why did Fred to go Wesley? How would she know that he was the guy who would support her in revenge?
All of those scenes, though, were another reason why I'm glad I read the wildfeed. Knowing that the Gunn plot twist coming up, I was able to savor all of those "Doing this will change you forever" speeches not as pretentious morality monologues, but rather hide in plain sight foreshadowing that (I assume, no spoilers here) we're going to see significant changes in Gunn now that he's done this. I think it would be interesting (again, no spoilers) to see if Fred ends up breaking up with him because of this - if she discovers that for all that she could do it, she can't cope with Gunn being able to.
Also, I liked the speech from Wes because, much like his "bag and baggage" speech from last year, listening to him talk to someone else gave you insight on what he must be thinking and feeling. Yeah, he enslaved Justine to save Angel, but he's not unaware of the price that he paid.
The Connor/Cordy/Angel stuff was whatever for me. Although I liked the handling of the first Connor/Angel scene which managed to convey a generation gap between two guys who really aren't that far apart, age-wise. Angel came off "feeling" like a 40 year old, if that makes sense.
As for the C/A stuff - I'm basically very
kita0610-like in my attitude. Yes, it was a bad idea. Yes, we didn't want it. But we've got it now so let's at least have it be good. It's not New York Pizza, but it can possibly be a good food item in its own right.Next week. Eep. Written and directed by Joss. Yeah, 'cause that goes so well on this show. God. I'm being optimistic, really I am. I mean at least we've got a premise which will help explain the fact that Joss can't write these characters for shit anymore. But it looks wacky. Joss and this show and wacky are three concepts that should never go together. I'll admit - I'm a little scared.
But - good thoughts. Thinking good thoughts. Fully expect to post next week and say how much I loved it. Good, good thoughts.
