Angel 4.10 Awakening
Jan. 30th, 2003 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thebratqueenMan. Busy day at work. Finally got some freetime, though, so let's talk about Angel!
LOVED this ep. LOVED it. Can't say how much I loved this ep. Which is amazing considering that Fury was one of the co-writers but honestly you needed him for an ep like this. Reason being, if you're trying to convince the audience that we need to voluntarily bring about Angelus, you need someone telling us what the thing is.
And they did their work. Lines were thrown, with nary a point dropped. Angel acknowledged that he remembered everything Angelus did. He sang for Lorne. He refused to do it - and kudos to Boreanaz for managing to convey that quiet terror Angel was feeling at going through with this (also props to our director, who managed to get a performance out of Charisma as well).
I haven't read many comments yet - so far I've just chatted with some folks on IRC and seen the spoiler whore conversations about this ep about a month ago, but lemme point out to those in doubt that it was not a continuity error when Angel said that Wes had never met Angelus. In Eternity, Wes himself theorized that Angel hadn't really lost his soul, merely his inhibitions. Angel's comments to Wes last night were simply confirming that - and explaining to the audience why they didn't drug Angel again to get the same effects. So, not a continuity error, actually a plot point.
Also, just because I saw spoiler whores bitching about this - y'all do understand that it wasn't just Cordy who was the perfect happiness, right? You remembered my warning from last week that the ENTIRE EPISODE was there for a reason? You get that Angel needed everything that happened and not just the big bang, right? RIGHT?? (She asked, looking warily at all the other sets of comments on LJ and hoping against hope that she's not going to relive the spoiler whore arguments again)
Honestly the whole ep was beautifully handled from every angle - to which let's give additional credit to DeKnight who co-wrote, as well as the ME team for coming up with the plotline. And the fact that Angel needed an entire day of everything going right in his life plus sex with Cordy to get perfect happiness was a great way of acknowledging that Cordy is no Buffy, but she could still be someone Angel cared about. No shipper was, IMO, betrayed. But then again I'm not a B/A or C/A shipper so maybe I shouldn't speak on this point ;)
But beyond the construction of the ep itself, I'm personally still squeeing over it because this satisfies my psych geek brain in a BIG way. An entire episode of seeing how Angel's psyche works? Bring it on, baby. Hell, I'll take more. Purr. Serious purr. A world of purr.
And let's talk about his psyche.
Last night was Angel's idea of a perfect day - or at least a believably perfect one. Buffy didn't suddenly show up wearing nothing but cling film and a smile, he didn't mysteriously turn human or anything like that (not that, IMO, Angel even wants to anymore), but, within the confines of reality, this is what Angel thinks is a way to right the world.
I can't help but feel that the order of events is significant. My gut instict is to say that Angel put things into the order that he felt were most obtainable. And I don't think starting off the dream with the shaman being a bad guy isn't part of the whole. After all, Angel didn't like having the guy there. In his perfect day, wouldn't he be proven right?
And of course, Angel being right was the theme of the day. Or at least one of them.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stakebait said in IRC last night - and for all I know in her LJ episode review as well - that at no time did Angel himself offer any apologies. Of course not. He doesn't think he needs to. He's hurt and he wants everyone else to make it better. Hell, his sense of entitlement extended all the way up until the end when he had somebody else clean up the lobby. It's spot-on characterization and I adored it.
The second theme of the day was family, and I'll admit to being a big sap for this. Especially since we saw quite clearly how Angel defines that word - him, Cordy, Wes and Connor. Fred, Gunn and Lorne were in the background, and that wasn't a coincidence. Not with Cordy saying lines like "I knew you two would get me into trouble". Angel likes the others, but Cordy and Wes were his family of choice. Throw in Connor and you've got yourself a deal.
It's fascinating to watch how Angel lets his relationships with the others unfold. Naturally yours truly loved all the Wesley stuff - including the "God damn it, Connor, they were about to KISS!" moment on the stairs ;)
But the Wes stuff goes beyond the quick fact that all Angel really wants is for Wes to apologize. Look at how Angel sees Wesley. They act in tandem, without words. Notice how many times they mirrored each other's poses. Notice how often Wesley is simply there backing up Angel, supporting him without Angel even having to ask (eg taking the sword, dragging Cordy out of the lobby, etc.) And from the expression on Wes's face we can see that this isn't because Angel wants Wes as a mindless slave, it's because this is how Angel sees their friendship. He wants Wes as a partner. One who's happy to help, because Angel helps him in return (notice how often Angel uses his muscle to assist Wes's brains, such as with the bells, or the wall - also without Wes needing to ask him).
I was fascinated too by what Angel was happy to give Wes in this dream. Let's face it - Angel basically wrote some fanfic with himself as the Mary Sue, up to and including the fact that everyone loved him when by all rights they shouldn't have to. But even with that he allowed Wes the spotlight. Wes translated the text on the shaman (and Angel's been watching The Pillow Book one too many times, methinks). Wes had to use his big brain to figure out the wall. Wes even picked up on Cordy being in danger.
All of this, of course, kept in check by what? Wes's old eagerness and clumbsiness. Wes saves Cordy but trips the bell himself. Wes figures out the wall but gets stabbed in the hand.
But - and here's the key thing - Angel still allows Wes to succeed. The thing that most struck me was the figuring out of the wall. First and foremost because Angel tied it back into the Bible - Hebrew, yes, but are we this surprised that Angel writes what he knows? Now I have to admit my own ignorance here and say I've got no idea if Wes was educating us about something real or if this was all just out of the famous mimble wumble version of the Old Testament, but either way it leaves us with interesting conclusions. Because either it was fake, in which case we can see that Angel likes to think of Wes as a smart guy who can figure stuff out through trial and error and who Angel wants to succeed and figure stuff out (which ties in with Angel's behavior towards Wes back in seasons 1 and 2) or not only that, but Angel knew the answer and let Wes have it anyway.
Because if what Wes was saying was true, then Wes only knew it because Angel knew it. And if Angel knew it then it's interesting to see that he doesn't mind giving Wes this moment. He wants to give Wes this moment. So yeah, Wes was always there backing Angel up without question, but Angel wasn't leaving him high and dry.
Next up, Cordy. Thank God Charisma was able to act in this ep (which makes me wonder if my theory about her being deliberately told to act badly might be true - not that I've got a lot of stock in this theory, mind you). Or actually, Cordy and Connor since the two of them were closely intertwined.
I love the fact that even in his perfect day, Angel carries the realistic expectation that he and Connor aren't going to be bosom buddies right away. Angel didn't ask for much - just the chance to knock his son down a peg (hey, whoever said he was a great dad?) and then for Connor to find a rapport with him. Frankly, I think Angel's moment of perfect Connor happiness was "His name is Angel". After all, even before the dream we could see that Angel wanted Connor to understand the difference between him and Angelus - and I am a girl and was totally touched by Angel reminding Connor that Angelus is not his dad.
But this could also be because I love the whole Angel/Angelus duality thing. ;)
And boy if you weren't spoiled for this being a dream would Cordy have given it away with the bursting into tears and damn near rending her garments as she begged for Angel's forgiveness. Even so, just as with Wes Angel's not that much of an ass here. Yeah, he is self-centered and doesn't see a need to apologize to everyone - or anyone, for that matter - but he doesn't see a need to totally degrade Cordy. Instead, he's just a big sap. He wants to be her action hero, up to and including the moment of her being in danger where he gets to swoop in and save her and they share that moment of being so close that's happened in countless TV shows and movies.
Frankly, I think this says a lot about the Angel/Cordy relationship - at least from the big A's point of view. He doesn't see Cordy as another Buffy (gasping out the wrong name in bed there not withstanding ;) ). He sees her as the female lead in the movie of his life. She gets good lines, moves the plot along, and is there to give him the big smooch at the end (although why Angel sees this after Cordy's head has been attacked by an egg beater I have no idea. I also don't understand why Angel thinks Cordy would also dress for the occasion by hitting the All Things Satin and Toga Shaped store)
If nothing else, the dream shows us what we've all known - Angel's a big dorky sap. He views the world as though it was an action movie, but in the end he wants his family close, the world saved and his friends happy. Even Lorne, Gunn and Fred were okay in the end - with Wes and Gunn making up as well. Throw in the last thing Angel ever thought he'd get - intimacy with Cordy - and boom, bye bye soul.
Purrrrrrrrrrrr.
Msc thoughts:
It cracked me up that whenever Angel couldn't figure out how to move the plot along, he just skipped over that bit. You know what this boy needs is a good beta-reader.
How fast did they get that cage there? Wes didn't even take his coat off. What, does LA have a 1-800-LOCKUPS?
Loved the ambiguous "I'm going to make some calls". Leaves lots of room for later plotlines.
Extremely well-handled script in how they set up future plotlines but without a single anvil. You spoiler whores probably know the one moment in particular that I'm thinking of.
Again loved how they showed the damage to LA. Esp creepy for me since I just got back from there. And once again you've got to give kudos to the show for actually doing damage that hurts the city, instead of the Buffy usual of only the Scoobies being affected.
I'm not 100% certain, but I think one of the shots of people looking up at the newly lit sky was done at the WB's outdoor cafeteria. It looked like how I remember it, but OTOH I could've sworn that Angel films on Paramount's lot. Anybody else able to field this one?
Where oh where is Wes's cool wrist thing? I miss the wrist thing!!
You know, even if the WB had allowed crossovers while this was filming, I doubt that Buffy would have made a cameo in Angel's dream. IMO it wouldn't have been believable, even to Angel himself.
Finally:
Did you notice?
Wes even talked like his old self in the dream. His voice was higher, and slightly more Sunnydale-Wes sounding. (Yes, I'm this much of a geek. You're only just figuring that out?)
Okay, now I can finally read what everyone else said.
LOVED this ep. LOVED it. Can't say how much I loved this ep. Which is amazing considering that Fury was one of the co-writers but honestly you needed him for an ep like this. Reason being, if you're trying to convince the audience that we need to voluntarily bring about Angelus, you need someone telling us what the thing is.
And they did their work. Lines were thrown, with nary a point dropped. Angel acknowledged that he remembered everything Angelus did. He sang for Lorne. He refused to do it - and kudos to Boreanaz for managing to convey that quiet terror Angel was feeling at going through with this (also props to our director, who managed to get a performance out of Charisma as well).
I haven't read many comments yet - so far I've just chatted with some folks on IRC and seen the spoiler whore conversations about this ep about a month ago, but lemme point out to those in doubt that it was not a continuity error when Angel said that Wes had never met Angelus. In Eternity, Wes himself theorized that Angel hadn't really lost his soul, merely his inhibitions. Angel's comments to Wes last night were simply confirming that - and explaining to the audience why they didn't drug Angel again to get the same effects. So, not a continuity error, actually a plot point.
Also, just because I saw spoiler whores bitching about this - y'all do understand that it wasn't just Cordy who was the perfect happiness, right? You remembered my warning from last week that the ENTIRE EPISODE was there for a reason? You get that Angel needed everything that happened and not just the big bang, right? RIGHT?? (She asked, looking warily at all the other sets of comments on LJ and hoping against hope that she's not going to relive the spoiler whore arguments again)
Honestly the whole ep was beautifully handled from every angle - to which let's give additional credit to DeKnight who co-wrote, as well as the ME team for coming up with the plotline. And the fact that Angel needed an entire day of everything going right in his life plus sex with Cordy to get perfect happiness was a great way of acknowledging that Cordy is no Buffy, but she could still be someone Angel cared about. No shipper was, IMO, betrayed. But then again I'm not a B/A or C/A shipper so maybe I shouldn't speak on this point ;)
But beyond the construction of the ep itself, I'm personally still squeeing over it because this satisfies my psych geek brain in a BIG way. An entire episode of seeing how Angel's psyche works? Bring it on, baby. Hell, I'll take more. Purr. Serious purr. A world of purr.
And let's talk about his psyche.
Last night was Angel's idea of a perfect day - or at least a believably perfect one. Buffy didn't suddenly show up wearing nothing but cling film and a smile, he didn't mysteriously turn human or anything like that (not that, IMO, Angel even wants to anymore), but, within the confines of reality, this is what Angel thinks is a way to right the world.
I can't help but feel that the order of events is significant. My gut instict is to say that Angel put things into the order that he felt were most obtainable. And I don't think starting off the dream with the shaman being a bad guy isn't part of the whole. After all, Angel didn't like having the guy there. In his perfect day, wouldn't he be proven right?
And of course, Angel being right was the theme of the day. Or at least one of them.
stakebait said in IRC last night - and for all I know in her LJ episode review as well - that at no time did Angel himself offer any apologies. Of course not. He doesn't think he needs to. He's hurt and he wants everyone else to make it better. Hell, his sense of entitlement extended all the way up until the end when he had somebody else clean up the lobby. It's spot-on characterization and I adored it.The second theme of the day was family, and I'll admit to being a big sap for this. Especially since we saw quite clearly how Angel defines that word - him, Cordy, Wes and Connor. Fred, Gunn and Lorne were in the background, and that wasn't a coincidence. Not with Cordy saying lines like "I knew you two would get me into trouble". Angel likes the others, but Cordy and Wes were his family of choice. Throw in Connor and you've got yourself a deal.
It's fascinating to watch how Angel lets his relationships with the others unfold. Naturally yours truly loved all the Wesley stuff - including the "God damn it, Connor, they were about to KISS!" moment on the stairs ;)
But the Wes stuff goes beyond the quick fact that all Angel really wants is for Wes to apologize. Look at how Angel sees Wesley. They act in tandem, without words. Notice how many times they mirrored each other's poses. Notice how often Wesley is simply there backing up Angel, supporting him without Angel even having to ask (eg taking the sword, dragging Cordy out of the lobby, etc.) And from the expression on Wes's face we can see that this isn't because Angel wants Wes as a mindless slave, it's because this is how Angel sees their friendship. He wants Wes as a partner. One who's happy to help, because Angel helps him in return (notice how often Angel uses his muscle to assist Wes's brains, such as with the bells, or the wall - also without Wes needing to ask him).
I was fascinated too by what Angel was happy to give Wes in this dream. Let's face it - Angel basically wrote some fanfic with himself as the Mary Sue, up to and including the fact that everyone loved him when by all rights they shouldn't have to. But even with that he allowed Wes the spotlight. Wes translated the text on the shaman (and Angel's been watching The Pillow Book one too many times, methinks). Wes had to use his big brain to figure out the wall. Wes even picked up on Cordy being in danger.
All of this, of course, kept in check by what? Wes's old eagerness and clumbsiness. Wes saves Cordy but trips the bell himself. Wes figures out the wall but gets stabbed in the hand.
But - and here's the key thing - Angel still allows Wes to succeed. The thing that most struck me was the figuring out of the wall. First and foremost because Angel tied it back into the Bible - Hebrew, yes, but are we this surprised that Angel writes what he knows? Now I have to admit my own ignorance here and say I've got no idea if Wes was educating us about something real or if this was all just out of the famous mimble wumble version of the Old Testament, but either way it leaves us with interesting conclusions. Because either it was fake, in which case we can see that Angel likes to think of Wes as a smart guy who can figure stuff out through trial and error and who Angel wants to succeed and figure stuff out (which ties in with Angel's behavior towards Wes back in seasons 1 and 2) or not only that, but Angel knew the answer and let Wes have it anyway.
Because if what Wes was saying was true, then Wes only knew it because Angel knew it. And if Angel knew it then it's interesting to see that he doesn't mind giving Wes this moment. He wants to give Wes this moment. So yeah, Wes was always there backing Angel up without question, but Angel wasn't leaving him high and dry.
Next up, Cordy. Thank God Charisma was able to act in this ep (which makes me wonder if my theory about her being deliberately told to act badly might be true - not that I've got a lot of stock in this theory, mind you). Or actually, Cordy and Connor since the two of them were closely intertwined.
I love the fact that even in his perfect day, Angel carries the realistic expectation that he and Connor aren't going to be bosom buddies right away. Angel didn't ask for much - just the chance to knock his son down a peg (hey, whoever said he was a great dad?) and then for Connor to find a rapport with him. Frankly, I think Angel's moment of perfect Connor happiness was "His name is Angel". After all, even before the dream we could see that Angel wanted Connor to understand the difference between him and Angelus - and I am a girl and was totally touched by Angel reminding Connor that Angelus is not his dad.
But this could also be because I love the whole Angel/Angelus duality thing. ;)
And boy if you weren't spoiled for this being a dream would Cordy have given it away with the bursting into tears and damn near rending her garments as she begged for Angel's forgiveness. Even so, just as with Wes Angel's not that much of an ass here. Yeah, he is self-centered and doesn't see a need to apologize to everyone - or anyone, for that matter - but he doesn't see a need to totally degrade Cordy. Instead, he's just a big sap. He wants to be her action hero, up to and including the moment of her being in danger where he gets to swoop in and save her and they share that moment of being so close that's happened in countless TV shows and movies.
Frankly, I think this says a lot about the Angel/Cordy relationship - at least from the big A's point of view. He doesn't see Cordy as another Buffy (gasping out the wrong name in bed there not withstanding ;) ). He sees her as the female lead in the movie of his life. She gets good lines, moves the plot along, and is there to give him the big smooch at the end (although why Angel sees this after Cordy's head has been attacked by an egg beater I have no idea. I also don't understand why Angel thinks Cordy would also dress for the occasion by hitting the All Things Satin and Toga Shaped store)
If nothing else, the dream shows us what we've all known - Angel's a big dorky sap. He views the world as though it was an action movie, but in the end he wants his family close, the world saved and his friends happy. Even Lorne, Gunn and Fred were okay in the end - with Wes and Gunn making up as well. Throw in the last thing Angel ever thought he'd get - intimacy with Cordy - and boom, bye bye soul.
Purrrrrrrrrrrr.
Msc thoughts:
It cracked me up that whenever Angel couldn't figure out how to move the plot along, he just skipped over that bit. You know what this boy needs is a good beta-reader.
How fast did they get that cage there? Wes didn't even take his coat off. What, does LA have a 1-800-LOCKUPS?
Loved the ambiguous "I'm going to make some calls". Leaves lots of room for later plotlines.
Extremely well-handled script in how they set up future plotlines but without a single anvil. You spoiler whores probably know the one moment in particular that I'm thinking of.
Again loved how they showed the damage to LA. Esp creepy for me since I just got back from there. And once again you've got to give kudos to the show for actually doing damage that hurts the city, instead of the Buffy usual of only the Scoobies being affected.
I'm not 100% certain, but I think one of the shots of people looking up at the newly lit sky was done at the WB's outdoor cafeteria. It looked like how I remember it, but OTOH I could've sworn that Angel films on Paramount's lot. Anybody else able to field this one?
Where oh where is Wes's cool wrist thing? I miss the wrist thing!!
You know, even if the WB had allowed crossovers while this was filming, I doubt that Buffy would have made a cameo in Angel's dream. IMO it wouldn't have been believable, even to Angel himself.
Finally:
Did you notice?
Wes even talked like his old self in the dream. His voice was higher, and slightly more Sunnydale-Wes sounding. (Yes, I'm this much of a geek. You're only just figuring that out?)
Okay, now I can finally read what everyone else said.
