Angel - Season 3 impressions (episode 5)
Fredless
For a summary click here.
- This is an episode to which I was looking forward as it promised to give some more insight into Fred. I have to admit that the episode did not fulfill my expectations; it's not a bad episode as such, it's just rather mediocre. There were several moments when the actors' performances didn't convince me. Also the final plot twist felt extremely contrived. Despite this there are scenes I really enjoyed and I will focus on them.
- Love Cordelia and Wesley slipping into the roles of Angel and Buffy in order to explain their tragic love to Gunn and Fred. Of course, it's always nice to see that under Wes' proper behaviour a snarky sense of humor is hidden.
Cordy: "Oh - Angel! I know that I'm a Slayer and you a vampire - and it would be *impossible* for us to *be* together - *but!*"
Gunn laughs at Cordy's act.
Wes stands up: "But!"
Cordy turns to look at him. Wes pulls his glasses off and lays them to the side.
Wes: "My gypsy curse sometimes prevent me from seeing the truth. Oh, Buffy!"
Cordy: "Yes, Angel?"
Wes: "Oh, I love you so much I almost forgot to *brood!*"
- In Life Serial, Buffy refused to give any details regarding her meeting with Angel. Like her, Angel doesn't want to talk about the meeting - the contrast in their friends' reaction is quite interesting, however.
In particular, Willow and Dawn really want to know the details from Buffy: They feel excluded from Buffy's life and hope that things will get better when Buffy opens up to them. Buffy wants to keep her distance as part of her still feels resentful for being brought back. Because of her feelings (resentfulness mixed with guilt), she doesn't quite know how to refuse giving any details and refuses to tell more in a rather awkward way.
For Angel, the entire situation is a lot easier. For one only Cordelia is openly curious. Fred doesn't see herself as in a position to ask any questions, Gunn is probabyly not interested enough and Wesley is too tactful. As for Cordy, her curiosity isn't pressing. Sure, she'd love to know more about the meeting, but she doesn't feel excluded when Angel doesn't want to talk about this.
Cordy: "Now we'll never, ever know."
Angel off screen: "That's right."
- Oh Wesley... *g*
"You know, back in my days as a rogue demon hunter I once used that very spear to pin down what I thought was a small Rodentius demon - of course the poodle's owners weren't very happy."
- I have a deep love for all the complexities of Angel's personality. One pattern I noticed is that Angel when he's relaxed and content, behaves a lot like his human self, Liam. Funnily enough, the Liam part of Angel's personality is a lot closer to pre-Sunnydale Angelus, e.g. these personality parts are able to really enjoy things, they get a kick out of action and adventure and love to brag.
Angel: "Wait til you guys hear what happened at Haagen Dazs! Ordinarily these things don't put up much of a fight, but this one? Hoo! I think I'm gonna have it..."
Angel walks into the office, carrying the Durslar's severed head. Sees Fred's parents.
Angel: "...mounted. - Hello."
- Fred's parents:
I was glad that Fred doesn't have bad parents (as so many other characters in the Jossverse), but that she's avoiding them due to more complex reasons.
Now I didn't much care for the reunion scene. Amy Acker does a good job, but I just didn't get into the performances of the actors who played her parents.
What I did enjoy were the interactions of Trish and Roger with the other members of the AI Team. In particular, I was intrigued by the reactions of the AI Team just after Fred and her parents had left. Particularly, the reactions of Gunn and Wes tell a lot about them: Gunn obviously has very positive memories of his parents wheras Wes' experiences are extremely negative.
Cordy: "Actually I was gonna say her parents. - Is that wrong."
Angel: "I don't think so. They were very - nice."
Cordy: "Nice? - They weren't just nice, Angel. They were..."
Gunn: "Parents."
Wes: " They loved her. - Supported her. - Didn't grind her down into a - tiny self-conscious nub with their constant berating. Their never ending tirade of debasement, and scorn and..."
Wes trails off as he notices that all of the others are looking at him, makes as if to say something else, but then just stays silent.
- The ending tries to be meaningful: We see Fred repainting the walls in her room which shows that she has become more stable and is able to face the world again. When she paints over the drawing that shows Angel rescuing her ("handsome man saved me from the monsters), we see that she's able again to live in the real world.
For some strange reasons I'm not completely happy with the ending. Don't know why. though. Maybe because I'n wondering it the writers will still remember Fred's traumatic experiences on Pylea in future episodes.
For a summary click here.
- This is an episode to which I was looking forward as it promised to give some more insight into Fred. I have to admit that the episode did not fulfill my expectations; it's not a bad episode as such, it's just rather mediocre. There were several moments when the actors' performances didn't convince me. Also the final plot twist felt extremely contrived. Despite this there are scenes I really enjoyed and I will focus on them.
- Love Cordelia and Wesley slipping into the roles of Angel and Buffy in order to explain their tragic love to Gunn and Fred. Of course, it's always nice to see that under Wes' proper behaviour a snarky sense of humor is hidden.
Cordy: "Oh - Angel! I know that I'm a Slayer and you a vampire - and it would be *impossible* for us to *be* together - *but!*"
Gunn laughs at Cordy's act.
Wes stands up: "But!"
Cordy turns to look at him. Wes pulls his glasses off and lays them to the side.
Wes: "My gypsy curse sometimes prevent me from seeing the truth. Oh, Buffy!"
Cordy: "Yes, Angel?"
Wes: "Oh, I love you so much I almost forgot to *brood!*"
- In Life Serial, Buffy refused to give any details regarding her meeting with Angel. Like her, Angel doesn't want to talk about the meeting - the contrast in their friends' reaction is quite interesting, however.
In particular, Willow and Dawn really want to know the details from Buffy: They feel excluded from Buffy's life and hope that things will get better when Buffy opens up to them. Buffy wants to keep her distance as part of her still feels resentful for being brought back. Because of her feelings (resentfulness mixed with guilt), she doesn't quite know how to refuse giving any details and refuses to tell more in a rather awkward way.
For Angel, the entire situation is a lot easier. For one only Cordelia is openly curious. Fred doesn't see herself as in a position to ask any questions, Gunn is probabyly not interested enough and Wesley is too tactful. As for Cordy, her curiosity isn't pressing. Sure, she'd love to know more about the meeting, but she doesn't feel excluded when Angel doesn't want to talk about this.
Cordy: "Now we'll never, ever know."
Angel off screen: "That's right."
- Oh Wesley... *g*
"You know, back in my days as a rogue demon hunter I once used that very spear to pin down what I thought was a small Rodentius demon - of course the poodle's owners weren't very happy."
- I have a deep love for all the complexities of Angel's personality. One pattern I noticed is that Angel when he's relaxed and content, behaves a lot like his human self, Liam. Funnily enough, the Liam part of Angel's personality is a lot closer to pre-Sunnydale Angelus, e.g. these personality parts are able to really enjoy things, they get a kick out of action and adventure and love to brag.
Angel: "Wait til you guys hear what happened at Haagen Dazs! Ordinarily these things don't put up much of a fight, but this one? Hoo! I think I'm gonna have it..."
Angel walks into the office, carrying the Durslar's severed head. Sees Fred's parents.
Angel: "...mounted. - Hello."
- Fred's parents:
I was glad that Fred doesn't have bad parents (as so many other characters in the Jossverse), but that she's avoiding them due to more complex reasons.
Now I didn't much care for the reunion scene. Amy Acker does a good job, but I just didn't get into the performances of the actors who played her parents.
What I did enjoy were the interactions of Trish and Roger with the other members of the AI Team. In particular, I was intrigued by the reactions of the AI Team just after Fred and her parents had left. Particularly, the reactions of Gunn and Wes tell a lot about them: Gunn obviously has very positive memories of his parents wheras Wes' experiences are extremely negative.
Cordy: "Actually I was gonna say her parents. - Is that wrong."
Angel: "I don't think so. They were very - nice."
Cordy: "Nice? - They weren't just nice, Angel. They were..."
Gunn: "Parents."
Wes: " They loved her. - Supported her. - Didn't grind her down into a - tiny self-conscious nub with their constant berating. Their never ending tirade of debasement, and scorn and..."
Wes trails off as he notices that all of the others are looking at him, makes as if to say something else, but then just stays silent.
- The ending tries to be meaningful: We see Fred repainting the walls in her room which shows that she has become more stable and is able to face the world again. When she paints over the drawing that shows Angel rescuing her ("handsome man saved me from the monsters), we see that she's able again to live in the real world.
For some strange reasons I'm not completely happy with the ending. Don't know why. though. Maybe because I'n wondering it the writers will still remember Fred's traumatic experiences on Pylea in future episodes.