Angel 4.11: Soulless

[thebratqueen]

GOD I loved this ep. Let me just admit flat out that there are a few things that give me an immediate hard-on, and Angelus and psychological manipulation are about ten thousand of them. And it was done so well.

Okay, obligatory bad: Amy Acker still has no sexual chemistry with anyone. But on the other hand the camera was wisely on Alexis so GUH.

On to the good -

Great writing. Wonderful writing. EXCELLENT directing. Sean Astin did an amazing job with this episode, so much so I don't even know where to begin. I don't even think I could begin. My beginning is something like "Humninaphoowaaaaaa" and then I wipe the drool from my lips. I'll do my best to be more coherent here.

This episode, and all the characterization within it is summed up with one object: the cage. Everything you need to know about the characters, this story arc and everything coming up (doing my best to avoid spoilers here) is right there in each and every cage scene.

The first thing I noticed about Sean's directing was the weight of those bars. They were a force in and of themselves. And not a solid one, but rather a magnetic one. We want the characters drawn to them. When our first shot of Angelus shows him in the back of the cage (yeah, yeah, no table - SHHH! don't ruin my moment with pointless continuity) we start out from the other side of the room and gradually make our way towards him, where he sits nonchalantly and sees no desire to stand. We're already put into a moment of wanting.

Enter Wesley. GOD I loved this. As soon as I heard the spoiler re: Angelus during the summer, I couldn't wait to see Wes play Clarice to Angelus's Hannibal, and they did not disappoint me. Silence of the Lambs all over again. Wes, certain he's confident. Angelus, quiet and patient, all the time in the world, and deeply content with the knowledge that Wes is eating off of his hand before they even begin. Wes holds his own as best as any book-learned amateur can, but he's a goner before he even enters the room. He gives it away himself with his compliments. This is a high point for him, so of course Angelus knows that Wes wants to crack this puzzle just as he's cracked every other case and translation.

And Wes remains the student. How can we tell? Like with everyone else in the cage scenes: blocking. What does Wesley do? He moves back and forth but most notably he sits down. Wes is the only one of the group who takes a chair. He probably did this thinking it made him look casual, but it's a bad pose. He can't defend himself as easily from a chair as from a standing position and he's not confident enough in himself to pull this off as a bluff. Instead he's done the worst he can do, which is make himself submissive to Angelus - and you can take that for all the sexual meaning you want b/c I think the dialogue suggests (not strongly, but implies) that Angelus does too.

Wes was smart enough to know Angelus knew what Angel did and would use it against him. Wes, however, makes the same mistake with Angelus that he did with Lilah - he assumes their own relationship is out of bounds. Bad move. Angelus remembers that Wes looked up to Angel and thought of him as a teacher. Enter Hannibal Angelus, happily greeting his Clarice with the familiar "Wes" and then playing the fishing line of conversation back and forth from his own forms of flattery to the real key to what Wes wants - not only the girl, but approval. Angelus subtly gives his approval of Wes by giving him these snippets of comfortability, little asides like "chicks" and comments about things he does and doesn't like. He's pulling Wesley in with the promise that Wes can be good and smart enough to have a conversation with this unknown vampire - not as a better perhaps, but an equal. Because he knows Wes in his heart molds himself against strong forces and with the right button pushing Wes will move with him.

Also note the direction Wes goes. He's keyed up. Not hyper, but he has just enough energy to spare. Angelus gently winds him up more, then sets him loose. I wouldn't be surprised if Angelus half expected Wesley to come save the day with Fred as part and parcel of the whole. No surprise he's not surprised when Wes's energy explodes in a fight with Gunn.

(On an interpreative, non-spoilery note, I can't help but wonder if given the fact that for 3 years now Wesley's development has paralleled Angel, if this time with Angelus isn't going to end up affecting Wesley the same way the time with Hannibal affected Clarice in the books.)

Next up, Gunn. He's unimpressed. He holds his ground and makes jokes. But it's a brashness from uncertainty and combined with Fred's skittery behavior it's no surprise it goes sour.

Connor. Definitely his father's son. He manages to make a few Angelus-style comments back to his dad, and you can tell his dad approves. They keep a nice balance with the cage, and Connor's the only one to break the safety line - but in his case badly, because Angelus was able to reel him in with the seductive promise of some parent's approval. And no wonder Angelus was smart enough to know that out of all the cards he had to play, the one about Connor's mother (Darla, not the symbolic Cordy) would be the one to lay down first to crack Connor's defenses. It's the only one he has that nobody else, not even Holtz, can match.

Connor and Angelus both turn their backs on each other. Poses that give the contradictory information "I don't find you a threat, but I'm interested enough to want you to attack me"

And finally Cordy. Who matched Angelus's pace back and forth step by step, then stood stock still while he moved back and forth. Who's manipulating whom, hmmm?

I'd say more about all of the above but then we start to get into the land of spoilers. But suffice it to say, I was incredibly impressed with Sean's job as a director. He managed to convey visually everything you needed to know about every character and their interaction with others all in a single episode. Seriously well done.

Also note how often he used a camera angle in other shots to give the impression of somebody in the room watching the characters. It added to the sense of paranoia - not just for Fred and Wes's quick kiss, but for the overall feeling the characters had: Angelus knew them and could play them like violins. Everything they did felt like giving away yet another vulnerability.

Random thoughts:

That calendar didn't look like February to me. Guess this took place in January, huh? ;)

Again, loving the continuation of the theme of LA as hell on earth. Purr. Serious purr.

Connor's little stalky walk! (I told you, I'm not made of wood. And Angelus is right, the kid does look good in his clothes.)

Angelus? Still sexy after all these years. As I told Wolf, evil is always sexier b/c of the leather pants. Sure he didn't have any on in the cage, but his aura wears leather ;)

obBitch: So, we now have proof that Alexis really can create chemistry with a mop. Too bad the mop couldn't do the same.

Another continuity error: Where did the darts go?

The brief moments we got reminded me of my one wistful thought this season: I wish we had more Wesley and Connor scenes. Wes's entire life changed because of this kid, and vice versa. I'd love to know how they relate to one another when they're not in a quick car ride with Cordy around.

Random thought: I couldn't help but wonder if Sean had a good feel for directing an insane character like Angelus b/c of his mom. Which is not a snarky comment in the slightest, but a legitimate wondering. Possibly I'm over identifying b/c I'm rereading Patty Duke's autobiography though ;)

I also wondered if time on LotR gave Sean a feel for blocking shots with monsters in them.

And I'm sure I'm forgetting something but now I'm winding down into the "must smoke a cigarette - damn it, I don't smoke" phase. GOD I loved this ep.

But, before I go, let's remember the most important thing about this episode:

Thanks to my neice being born next to Sean's child I am now THIS many Kevin Bacon points closer to being able to kidnap Alexis and Alyson and lock them in my bedroom where I can have my wicked way with them and then charge you all if you want pictures.

[innocent blink] What?