Episodes in Focus: Grave/Tomorrow
It's time for some new Episodes in Focus. Next week we are looking at Grave and Tomorrow, which means (*drumroll*) that we're at the end of our latest seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series. What a ride it's been, and there's still time to share more of your fanworks and recs. So from Monday your time, get sharing whatever you have to share on these season-ending new Episodes in Focus.
Episode in Focus: Grave
Dark, dark, all dark… It's been a steep and painful journey into bad things for many of our characters in the last few episodes. For Willow more than anyone, but no character has escaped a wave of badness - and let's not forget that Buffy began this season shattered and trying to conceal it. So an episode called Grave? It starts to bring the light. From Buffy and Giles's breakthrough fit of the giggles, to Xander's yellow crayon, Dawn's chance to fight alongside Buffy, Andrew and Jonathan taking the high road to Mexico, and Spike's soul-filled sunburst, we get a hint that this season's darkness won't carry onwards to Buffy's final season.
Key quote:
GILES: I came as soon as I heard.
BUFFY: The Council?
GILES: The Council haven't a clue. About much of anything, really. (walking toward Buffy, leaning on the horse) No, there's an ... an extremely powerful coven in Devon. They sensed the rise of a dangerous magical force here in Sunnydale. A dark force, fueled by grief.
BUFFY: Willow.
GILES: I'd so hoped it wasn't her. (pauses) And then a seer in the coven told me about Tara. That's when the coven ... imbued me with their powers.
BUFFY: And sent you here to bring Willow down.
GILES: (looks at her) Buffy, what's happened here?
BUFFY: (pacing) God. I don't even know where to start.
GILES: Well, Willow's clearly been abusing the magicks.
BUFFY: (nods) She has. She was ... and I barely even noticed. Giles, everything's just been so... (sighs) Xander left Anya at the altar, and Anya's a vengeance demon again... (Giles looking shocked) Dawn's a total klepto ... money's been so tight that I've been slinging burgers at the Doublemeat Palace ... (looks down at the floor) And I've been sleeping with Spike.
Buffy pauses, looks up at Giles, looks as if she can't believe she just said that.
Giles stares at her. She looks away again, embarrassed.
Suddenly Giles starts laughing. He covers his mouth with his hand but can't stop. Buffy stares at him, pouty.
GILES: (trying to calm down) Sorry.
*
Episode in Focus: Tomorrow
Speaking of down…. (And also up…) We end this season of AtS with two (un)lives on very different trajectories. Two people who were hoping to meet up, and see where life might lead them together, but who instead get knocked off course by fate, in various guises. Cordelia ascending to the stars, raised by the Powers and her own goodness*, while Angel sinks to the lightless ocean bed, betrayed and destroyed by the son who hates him - and who, though he doesn’t know it, is the tool of Holtz's vengeance on the evil thing Angel used to be.
*NB This textual interpretation may not survive contact with season 4
Key quote:
Angel: "I've got to go out for a while, son."
Connor: "With Cordelia?"
Angel: "Yeah. - Will you be all right?"
Connor: "She's beautiful. And she cares about you. I like her."
Gunn and Fred exchange a look.
Angel: "I'm glad."
Connor: "It's good to see you happy, dad."
Angel turns away with a smile, humming a little tune.
Gunn: "*Now* he's humming."
Fred: "He's *really* happy."
Fred, still clutching her jumbo tub of popcorn, gets up from the couch and grabs the stake lying on the sofa table. She walks over to Angel and starts to poke him with the stake.
Fred: "But not perfectly happy, I hope!"
Angel: "No! Ouch!"
Fred holding up the stake: "Just checking."
*
Still have something to share about last time's episodes, Two To Go and Benediction? You have another week's grace to post anything you want for these eps. We can always stand a little more of the good stuff!
Episode in Focus: Grave
Dark, dark, all dark… It's been a steep and painful journey into bad things for many of our characters in the last few episodes. For Willow more than anyone, but no character has escaped a wave of badness - and let's not forget that Buffy began this season shattered and trying to conceal it. So an episode called Grave? It starts to bring the light. From Buffy and Giles's breakthrough fit of the giggles, to Xander's yellow crayon, Dawn's chance to fight alongside Buffy, Andrew and Jonathan taking the high road to Mexico, and Spike's soul-filled sunburst, we get a hint that this season's darkness won't carry onwards to Buffy's final season.
Key quote:
GILES: I came as soon as I heard.
BUFFY: The Council?
GILES: The Council haven't a clue. About much of anything, really. (walking toward Buffy, leaning on the horse) No, there's an ... an extremely powerful coven in Devon. They sensed the rise of a dangerous magical force here in Sunnydale. A dark force, fueled by grief.
BUFFY: Willow.
GILES: I'd so hoped it wasn't her. (pauses) And then a seer in the coven told me about Tara. That's when the coven ... imbued me with their powers.
BUFFY: And sent you here to bring Willow down.
GILES: (looks at her) Buffy, what's happened here?
BUFFY: (pacing) God. I don't even know where to start.
GILES: Well, Willow's clearly been abusing the magicks.
BUFFY: (nods) She has. She was ... and I barely even noticed. Giles, everything's just been so... (sighs) Xander left Anya at the altar, and Anya's a vengeance demon again... (Giles looking shocked) Dawn's a total klepto ... money's been so tight that I've been slinging burgers at the Doublemeat Palace ... (looks down at the floor) And I've been sleeping with Spike.
Buffy pauses, looks up at Giles, looks as if she can't believe she just said that.
Giles stares at her. She looks away again, embarrassed.
Suddenly Giles starts laughing. He covers his mouth with his hand but can't stop. Buffy stares at him, pouty.
GILES: (trying to calm down) Sorry.
*
Episode in Focus: Tomorrow
Speaking of down…. (And also up…) We end this season of AtS with two (un)lives on very different trajectories. Two people who were hoping to meet up, and see where life might lead them together, but who instead get knocked off course by fate, in various guises. Cordelia ascending to the stars, raised by the Powers and her own goodness*, while Angel sinks to the lightless ocean bed, betrayed and destroyed by the son who hates him - and who, though he doesn’t know it, is the tool of Holtz's vengeance on the evil thing Angel used to be.
*NB This textual interpretation may not survive contact with season 4
Key quote:
Angel: "I've got to go out for a while, son."
Connor: "With Cordelia?"
Angel: "Yeah. - Will you be all right?"
Connor: "She's beautiful. And she cares about you. I like her."
Gunn and Fred exchange a look.
Angel: "I'm glad."
Connor: "It's good to see you happy, dad."
Angel turns away with a smile, humming a little tune.
Gunn: "*Now* he's humming."
Fred: "He's *really* happy."
Fred, still clutching her jumbo tub of popcorn, gets up from the couch and grabs the stake lying on the sofa table. She walks over to Angel and starts to poke him with the stake.
Fred: "But not perfectly happy, I hope!"
Angel: "No! Ouch!"
Fred holding up the stake: "Just checking."
*
Still have something to share about last time's episodes, Two To Go and Benediction? You have another week's grace to post anything you want for these eps. We can always stand a little more of the good stuff!