Reviews of Buffy # 19 and Angel # 14
Just for laughs... :)
(text courtesy of elisi )
Angel # 14
Well. I read the issue three times and still not sure if I understood everything correctly. The way I see it, Gunn's plans from the very beginning were about using Illyria as the ultimate time machine to bring them all back to pre-NFA timeline. Obviously, by the new rules she can do it only in her original form (with tentacles and other picturesque members). Ohh-kay.
The Senior Partners' plans were about manipulating Gunn into executing these plans by sending him false visions. SP's actual goal is as unclear as usual.
There is a time-loop device in Gunn's basement. It revivifies anybody who died no more that five minutes ago. That's how Slayers and Spike were brought back from the dead/dust.
There is *another* resurrection device in the magic room with scary-looking tentacly monsters. Gunn uses it to resurrect Fred; unknown species of demons (obviously sent by SP) use it to resurrect Angel. Because, you know, they need him for the apocalypse. Again.
The mystery of Illyria/Fred is revealed (isn't it?)
Illyria/Fred: I tried,Wesley. I tried to be.
Wesley: I know you did.
Illyria/Fred: I don't think...I don't think she's here. Her memories haunt me. I see what she is to you and I want it.But she's not part of me. No matter what time I bring us to. No matter the reality I mold, he's not coming back and worse, you're aren't coming back. I'm the most powerful being in hell and I can't have what I want. I can't even have what Fred wants.
I have to confess that for a long time I was sure that Fred will be back sans soul. It seemed to me a win-win twist for both character and plot. Such twist would provide writers with a good share of angst; connect Fred's problems to Angel and Spike journeys; save Fred from impending Mary-Sue status; give Wesley a lot to be tortured about. Such twist would make Fred unpredictable and give writers more wiggling room with the character. And, last but not least, it would perfectly work as a metaphor of modern science reaching beyond good and evil.
But I was wrong. So it was Illyria pretending to be Fred all along. And - "Oscar" goes to Illyria, God-King of the Primordium, for her brilliant impersonation of Fred on "Angel: After the Fall"! We have to presume that she even changed her smell to dupe Spike. Could Meryl Streep or Russell Crowe boast about such an achievement?
But, instead of "Oscar" Illyria-as-Fred got stabbed in the chest, died, got resurrected and then was unceremoniously thrown on the floor to make room for Angel . No wonder she got furious! And, according to Betta George "she's going to END IT ALL underline, Bold-Face. She's collapsing time. She's had it with existence."
I'm a bit uneasy with the very scope of it. The whole existence? All dimensions? Or only this one? Still, the situation is too global, too cerebral, too abstract. Hopefully, the consequences will be more emotional and character-centric.
OK, can't avoid the most controversial topic of discussions: Spike's offer to sire Angel and deal with Angelus. I read opinions that he'd never do it. But I think it would be a very Spike thing to do. I can absolutely see Spike vamping Angel, chaining him, finding the orb of Thessulah and a decent witch to perform the ensouling ritual. I can see Angelus mocking Spike and telling the other embarrassing stories from his past. And I can absolutely see Spike and Angel exchanging serious punches after the ensouling ritual.
BtVS issue 19
...In which Buffy fights Fray, kills Future!Evil!Willow and gets back to XXI century thanks to Current!Good!Willow's magic; Riley turns out to be another Twilight's minion; Xander and Dawn fight shoulder-to-shoulder with their new allies - talking trees, giant chicken and rabbit (or is it a hare?); and Frayverse stays the way it was before Buffy's visit.
Future!Dark!Willow's actions and motivations are as nebulous as they were in the first issues. Obviously it was her who created a portal and brought Buffy to the future. But why?
So far, I read two opposite theories on the subject - angearia's (here) and stormwreath's (here). I was about to create my own theory about Buffy's time-travel as the only way to destroy the scythe. When Buffy returns to XXI century we don't see the scythe so I decided that it was annihilated by time-travel. I thought it was a clever parallel of Angel's decision to destroy the gem of Amarra. But Scott Allie said in his Q&As that Buffy returned with her scythe. Obviously Moline just forgotten to draw it. Just another mix-up similar to "the kiss of true love", bestowed by a person who wasn't present on the kiss panel. Good-bye, my conspiracy theory :)
Previous exposition about "the battle of Starbucks" and the sacrifice of "Gates, the last great watcher" also goes down the drain. Why it was there in the first place - God knows.
Buffy's decision to use innocent people as a vampire bait isn't mentioned again. Obviously, it was just a plot necessity to separate Buffy and Fray so that Willow could conspire with her against Buffy. But couldn't Joss find another pretext to send her away from Fray? Are we supposed to condemn Buffy?
A bigger question: is the season illustrating the slogan "die a hero or live long enough to turn into a villain"? Are we still supposed to identify with Buffy or to feel repelled by her? The further season progresses the less recognizable Buffy becomes.
... as well as Riley, by the way. Where are scars on his brow and his cheek? Since when is he oh-so-contemptuous of Buffy? Is he just pretending to be a Twilight's ally? Or Joss has simply forgot Riley's voice the way Jeanty forgot about his scars? Anyway, I don't think Buffy is romantically involved with Riley again. He thinks so because she "got dressed up". But I have the impression that after months spent in a faraway castle Buffy was incredibly happy to go shopping again. Just imagine poor girl's frustrations: she robbed a bank, got millions of dollars - and she has to spend it on a stupid satellite system!
Or maybe it's a Rileybot. Sans scars. With false cheerful voice. He's Buffy and Andrew's pet project, built by Andrew who used his former pal Warren's old dratfs. That could provide an interesting plot development: Warren could recognize a robot by some detail Twilight isn't able to notice and then use his knowledge for leverage against Twilight in their power games.
Anyway, Riley as The Big Traitor doesn't sound OK. If he's *the* traitor, how could he provide the shots of the interiors of Buffy's castle for Genevieve? I suspect that he's a "little traitor" and Joss saves reveal of "the big traitor" for the final issue. But, of course, I could be wrong. The writers could forget that the traitor was supposed to be someone who lives in Buffy's castle or at least visits it. Everything looks so disjointed it's hard to say anything for sure.
My overall impression is that Joss is bored with s8. He was enthusiastic about it at first, as a reflection of his views on power abuse. But now he delved into Dollhouse. And, after Twilight premiere he must take another factor into consideration : a possibility of a reboot movie with Buffy as Bella, Angel as Edward and Spike as Jacob. (Joss is an artist he he also is a pragmatist. With Dollhouse in the death slot he may consider his other options.)
P.S. Could anybody explain why Garth's speech bubbles are different?
(text courtesy of elisi )
Angel # 14
Well. I read the issue three times and still not sure if I understood everything correctly. The way I see it, Gunn's plans from the very beginning were about using Illyria as the ultimate time machine to bring them all back to pre-NFA timeline. Obviously, by the new rules she can do it only in her original form (with tentacles and other picturesque members). Ohh-kay.
The Senior Partners' plans were about manipulating Gunn into executing these plans by sending him false visions. SP's actual goal is as unclear as usual.
There is a time-loop device in Gunn's basement. It revivifies anybody who died no more that five minutes ago. That's how Slayers and Spike were brought back from the dead/dust.
There is *another* resurrection device in the magic room with scary-looking tentacly monsters. Gunn uses it to resurrect Fred; unknown species of demons (obviously sent by SP) use it to resurrect Angel. Because, you know, they need him for the apocalypse. Again.
The mystery of Illyria/Fred is revealed (isn't it?)
Illyria/Fred: I tried,Wesley. I tried to be.
Wesley: I know you did.
Illyria/Fred: I don't think...I don't think she's here. Her memories haunt me. I see what she is to you and I want it.But she's not part of me. No matter what time I bring us to. No matter the reality I mold, he's not coming back and worse, you're aren't coming back. I'm the most powerful being in hell and I can't have what I want. I can't even have what Fred wants.
I have to confess that for a long time I was sure that Fred will be back sans soul. It seemed to me a win-win twist for both character and plot. Such twist would provide writers with a good share of angst; connect Fred's problems to Angel and Spike journeys; save Fred from impending Mary-Sue status; give Wesley a lot to be tortured about. Such twist would make Fred unpredictable and give writers more wiggling room with the character. And, last but not least, it would perfectly work as a metaphor of modern science reaching beyond good and evil.
But I was wrong. So it was Illyria pretending to be Fred all along. And - "Oscar" goes to Illyria, God-King of the Primordium, for her brilliant impersonation of Fred on "Angel: After the Fall"! We have to presume that she even changed her smell to dupe Spike. Could Meryl Streep or Russell Crowe boast about such an achievement?
But, instead of "Oscar" Illyria-as-Fred got stabbed in the chest, died, got resurrected and then was unceremoniously thrown on the floor to make room for Angel . No wonder she got furious! And, according to Betta George "she's going to END IT ALL underline, Bold-Face. She's collapsing time. She's had it with existence."
I'm a bit uneasy with the very scope of it. The whole existence? All dimensions? Or only this one? Still, the situation is too global, too cerebral, too abstract. Hopefully, the consequences will be more emotional and character-centric.
OK, can't avoid the most controversial topic of discussions: Spike's offer to sire Angel and deal with Angelus. I read opinions that he'd never do it. But I think it would be a very Spike thing to do. I can absolutely see Spike vamping Angel, chaining him, finding the orb of Thessulah and a decent witch to perform the ensouling ritual. I can see Angelus mocking Spike and telling the other embarrassing stories from his past. And I can absolutely see Spike and Angel exchanging serious punches after the ensouling ritual.
BtVS issue 19
...In which Buffy fights Fray, kills Future!Evil!Willow and gets back to XXI century thanks to Current!Good!Willow's magic; Riley turns out to be another Twilight's minion; Xander and Dawn fight shoulder-to-shoulder with their new allies - talking trees, giant chicken and rabbit (or is it a hare?); and Frayverse stays the way it was before Buffy's visit.
Future!Dark!Willow's actions and motivations are as nebulous as they were in the first issues. Obviously it was her who created a portal and brought Buffy to the future. But why?
So far, I read two opposite theories on the subject - angearia's (here) and stormwreath's (here). I was about to create my own theory about Buffy's time-travel as the only way to destroy the scythe. When Buffy returns to XXI century we don't see the scythe so I decided that it was annihilated by time-travel. I thought it was a clever parallel of Angel's decision to destroy the gem of Amarra. But Scott Allie said in his Q&As that Buffy returned with her scythe. Obviously Moline just forgotten to draw it. Just another mix-up similar to "the kiss of true love", bestowed by a person who wasn't present on the kiss panel. Good-bye, my conspiracy theory :)
Previous exposition about "the battle of Starbucks" and the sacrifice of "Gates, the last great watcher" also goes down the drain. Why it was there in the first place - God knows.
Buffy's decision to use innocent people as a vampire bait isn't mentioned again. Obviously, it was just a plot necessity to separate Buffy and Fray so that Willow could conspire with her against Buffy. But couldn't Joss find another pretext to send her away from Fray? Are we supposed to condemn Buffy?
A bigger question: is the season illustrating the slogan "die a hero or live long enough to turn into a villain"? Are we still supposed to identify with Buffy or to feel repelled by her? The further season progresses the less recognizable Buffy becomes.
... as well as Riley, by the way. Where are scars on his brow and his cheek? Since when is he oh-so-contemptuous of Buffy? Is he just pretending to be a Twilight's ally? Or Joss has simply forgot Riley's voice the way Jeanty forgot about his scars? Anyway, I don't think Buffy is romantically involved with Riley again. He thinks so because she "got dressed up". But I have the impression that after months spent in a faraway castle Buffy was incredibly happy to go shopping again. Just imagine poor girl's frustrations: she robbed a bank, got millions of dollars - and she has to spend it on a stupid satellite system!
Or maybe it's a Rileybot. Sans scars. With false cheerful voice. He's Buffy and Andrew's pet project, built by Andrew who used his former pal Warren's old dratfs. That could provide an interesting plot development: Warren could recognize a robot by some detail Twilight isn't able to notice and then use his knowledge for leverage against Twilight in their power games.
Anyway, Riley as The Big Traitor doesn't sound OK. If he's *the* traitor, how could he provide the shots of the interiors of Buffy's castle for Genevieve? I suspect that he's a "little traitor" and Joss saves reveal of "the big traitor" for the final issue. But, of course, I could be wrong. The writers could forget that the traitor was supposed to be someone who lives in Buffy's castle or at least visits it. Everything looks so disjointed it's hard to say anything for sure.
My overall impression is that Joss is bored with s8. He was enthusiastic about it at first, as a reflection of his views on power abuse. But now he delved into Dollhouse. And, after Twilight premiere he must take another factor into consideration : a possibility of a reboot movie with Buffy as Bella, Angel as Edward and Spike as Jacob. (Joss is an artist he he also is a pragmatist. With Dollhouse in the death slot he may consider his other options.)
P.S. Could anybody explain why Garth's speech bubbles are different?