... in which
there really aren't that many things to keep track of ...
I forgot to mention this in the last episode discussion, but Angel tells Wesley
he's never met Angelus, only read about him.
Even the show is tacitly suggesting that the events of
"Eternity" never took place.
As for this episode ...
I'm actually intrigued by this.
They bring forth Angelus, release the shaman from the cage and get Angelus
untied so he can ... move about freely in the cage (because that's, I guess, a
priority) ...
And they set up their little closed circuit thing so they can keep an eye on
him ...
And very sensibly, Wesley is the one to take the interview.
There's a little bit of background and Angelus suggests he does know something
about something. A little groundwork is laid and Wes leaves him to stew.
Angelus needs blood, so Fred and Gunn go to feed him. Angelus says a few
disruptive things, makes a scary move and takes a tranq for his troubles.
And his psychological warfare seems to be making its inroads. There's Fred
kissage, there's confrontation, there's fighting, and it's the Yoko factor all
over again.
But the only way that worked is because no one talked to each other. Here the
far-too-insightful vampire saying the naughtily disruptive things is in the
basement and everyone can hear what he's saying all at the same time.
There's still less communication than there might be, but everyone's hearing
the same things. Maybe ...
... well, I can't say it isn't enjoyable to watch.
The Cordy offers herself, which is a good clue that something is up. Higher
being, demon-infused, Cordy was never that open to self-sacrifice. Angelus
isn't sufficiently evil with her, tho -- she actually out-darks him, which is
telling. If she'd had so much as a scrap of her humanity left, her reactions
would've been ... different.
Anyway, he saves his really orchestral pain for Connor. The Oedipus Rex
reference was nothing short of brilliant because it suggested that what had
been happening up to this point in the season was deeply insightful classical
reference-filled storytelling and not cheap sensation and faded glory starring
characters we fell in love with once upon a time now masquerading as high art.
There oughta be a play.
Not that I haven't enjoyed "Angel." I really have. And not that I in
any way don't think they're up to explaining how five beings of whatever order
of mystical magnitude stuck sitting out here on a damp speck of dust are going
to have any kind of even localized effect on the Sun.
And I really enjoy Angelus. He shorts a whole buttload of triangles and
picks up a lot of pace in what had been kind of a ploddish season (even one
with a violent, unassailable Beast and no one getting along very well).
But this is where promises start getting made. Writers promise viewers that
this will all be explained, this is all going to make perfect sense. We're
building up to something huge here, just kick back and enjoy the ride.
I think this is the one where Lilah shows up with a book that talks about the
Beast. It's also the one where she shows up with a crowbar. It may already be
the one where they invite her to make coffee but I'm thinking that's the next
one in which her inner megalomaniac makes an appearance.
For now, she's just crazy wounded crowbar lady.
Best revelation: Angelus tells Fred about Wes and Lilah.
Coolest something or other: Angelus sings "Teddy Bear Picnic" -- or
maybe that's in "Cavalry."
Weakest thing: Angelus doesn't spill much about the Beast. At all. For all that
work, he's not especially useful.
Except to Cordy, of course, who tracks the Svear and kills them because ...
WACKY! CRAZY wackiness. * sigh * Why am I even asking this stuff
anymore?
She knew who might be able to banish the Beast because she's the
one who wiped everyone's memories. Oy.
JASMINE WATCH: Even weaker thing than all that: Cordy is able to steal the soul
and hide it.
I'm pretty sure we're supposed to understand that she's being noble and self-sacrificing
in her conversation with Angelus. But this gives away how much power she's
trucking around with her and I'm glad we find out she's evil for sure in the
next episode because all of this puddyfooting around is getting pointless, and
analyzing every word, every nuance and all of the manipulation in her
conversations is just getting so tedious.
MAKE WITH THE BIG BAD BEASTMASTER!
* sorry -- it's been a long season with her already *