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Post by Karen on Jul 2, 2006 17:27:25 GMT -5
Awakening
Season: Episode 10 of Season 4 Original Air Date: 01/29/2003 Written by: David Fury and Steven S. DeKnight Directed by: James A. Contner
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Post by Lola m on Jul 2, 2006 21:36:01 GMT -5
Huzzah! It's the opening week of the 2006 Episode Festival! And what was our 10th most requested AtS episode you ask? Why, it's Awakening!
Believe me, you've never met Angelus. I'm starting to think maybe it's time we did.
Is this what it feels like, being a champion? Everything is the way it's supposed to be. For once! Angel, haven't we waited long enough?
The vision becomes reality. It is done. Angelus. And now . . . . discuss - squee - quote - celebrate to your heart's content!
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Post by Karen on Jul 3, 2006 10:15:46 GMT -5
Yay! Excellent pick, S'cubies! For those of us who don't have the time to rewatch right away, here's the dialogue from the episode: AwakeningCordy - I mean, what is it about evil that jacks up the I.Q. points? #rofl1#
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Post by Lola m on Jul 3, 2006 11:56:51 GMT -5
Yay! Excellent pick, S'cubies! For those of us who don't have the time to rewatch right away, here's the dialogue from the episode: AwakeningCordy - I mean, what is it about evil that jacks up the I.Q. points? **snicker** "But in that twisted, sadistic, ruthless kind of way." Of course, by this time, Cordy also has a bit of a vested interest in the idea of evil being smarter. #smirk#
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Post by Karen on Jul 5, 2006 19:23:51 GMT -5
Yay! Excellent pick, S'cubies! For those of us who don't have the time to rewatch right away, here's the dialogue from the episode: AwakeningCordy - I mean, what is it about evil that jacks up the I.Q. points? **snicker** "But in that twisted, sadistic, ruthless kind of way." Of course, by this time, Cordy also has a bit of a vested interest in the idea of evil being smarter. DB does great diabolical laughter. *shivers*
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Post by Rachael on Jul 5, 2006 22:38:09 GMT -5
Grr. Season 4 is the only Buffyverse box I don't have yet. Talk, people! Give me something to respond to!
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Post by Lola m on Jul 6, 2006 7:19:55 GMT -5
**snicker** "But in that twisted, sadistic, ruthless kind of way." Of course, by this time, Cordy also has a bit of a vested interest in the idea of evil being smarter. DB does great diabolical laughter. *shivers* And the look? The look that he gives at the very end of the ep? Out the bars of the cage, right at you? **shivers, shivers**
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Post by Lola m on Jul 6, 2006 7:31:47 GMT -5
Grr. Season 4 is the only Buffyverse box I don't have yet. Talk, people! Give me something to respond to! Well, I've got a thought or a musing or a whatever. I mean, I've always found it really interesting that in the dream!hallucination thingee that Wo-Pang gives Angel, it's a full scenario to finally give him that moment of pure happiness. Yes, at the end it's sex with Cordy that sends him over the edge, so to speak, but Wo-Pang didn't just have him get all sexed up and whammo, soul go bye bye. No, there's a whole storyline, with defeating the Beast and the team bonding again and Connor realising Cordy is in love with Angel and being all angry and then becoming OK with it and then starting to build a better relationship with his dad and THEN we get sweaty between the sheets action to seal the deal. Did all this stuff need to happen because now that he is aware of the curse, it takes more to reach perfect happiness? Was he just more "happy" with Buffy and so Wo-Pang was worried sex itself wasn't enough? Darla wasn't enough to do it, so . . . As Wes says later in season 5, "99.999-ad infinitum percent of the best relationships in the recorded history of the world have had to make do with acceptable happiness", so . . . I wonder if just being aware of the curse is enough to make him less likely to slide over into complete happiness. Just knowing what could go wrong would, well, put a bit of a damper on things as it were. Why do you guys think the full blown storyline was there in the hallucination? Because all the various happy things were necessary to push the sex over into "complete" happiness? Or just to make the halluncination real enough that he believed he and Cordy were really having sex and so got "happy enough"? And do you think it was easier for him to reach "perfect" happiness with Buffy because he didn't know about the curse or because he was actually . . . . happier with her? Or a combo?
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Post by Onjel on Jul 6, 2006 8:54:25 GMT -5
Grr. Season 4 is the only Buffyverse box I don't have yet. Talk, people! Give me something to respond to! Well, I've got a thought or a musing or a whatever. I mean, I've always found it really interesting that in the dream!hallucination thingee that Wo-Pang gives Angel, it's a full scenario to finally give him that moment of pure happiness. Yes, at the end it's sex with Cordy that sends him over the edge, so to speak, but Wo-Pang didn't just have him get all sexed up and whammo, soul go bye bye. No, there's a whole storyline, with defeating the Beast and the team bonding again and Connor realising Cordy is in love with Angel and being all angry and then becoming OK with it and then starting to build a better relationship with his dad and THEN we get sweaty between the sheets action to seal the deal. Did all this stuff need to happen because now that he is aware of the curse, it takes more to reach perfect happiness? Was he just more "happy" with Buffy and so Wo-Pang was worried sex itself wasn't enough? Darla wasn't enough to do it, so . . . As Wes says later in season 5, "99.999-ad infinitum percent of the best relationships in the recorded history of the world have had to make do with acceptable happiness", so . . . I wonder if just being aware of the curse is enough to make him less likely to slide over into complete happiness. Just knowing what could go wrong would, well, put a bit of a damper on things as it were. Why do you guys think the full blown storyline was there in the hallucination? Because all the various happy things were necessary to push the sex over into "complete" happiness? Or just to make the halluncination real enough that he believed he and Cordy were really having sex and so got "happy enough"? And do you think it was easier for him to reach "perfect" happiness with Buffy because he didn't know about the curse or because he was actually . . . . happier with her? Or a combo? It may not be canon, but I never bought into the notion that it was just sex with Buffy that brought Angel to true happiness. My memory tells me that Angelus didn't come out at the moment of climax, but aftewards when Angel was watching Buffy sweetly sleeping. If sex was the triggering factor, sexual fulfillment in any form would bring Angelus back. I always believed and still believe that it was the post coital contentment and feeling of utter peace and belonging that brought him to the moment of true happiness, the minute when those feelings pushed all thoughts and regrets about his past out of his mind. So, that being said, sex alone doesn't do it, but a combination of things, in this case the united family unit, a woman he loved and perfect union bring the feelings of peace, contentment and belonging that result in "true happiness" and the banishment of suffering for his past "sins". That's why those things were part of the story that was woven to bring Angelus out. As always, assume the IMO.
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Post by Maria on Jul 6, 2006 12:07:01 GMT -5
I always believed and still believe that it was the post coital contentment and feeling of utter peace and belonging that brought him to the moment of true happiness, the minute when those feelings pushed all thoughts and regrets about his past out of his mind. So, that being said, sex alone doesn't do it, but a combination of things, in this case the united family unit, a woman he loved and perfect union bring the feelings of peace, contentment and belonging that result in "true happiness" and the banishment of suffering for his past "sins". That's why those things were part of the story that was woven to bring Angelus out. As always, assume the IMO. I very much agree with this. I truly think that complete happiness for Angel is peace of mind...is--for a moment--forgetting his guilt and torment for what Angelus did and completely giving himself over to feelings of pleasure. I think happiness with Buffy sneaked up on him, caught him unaware. I doubt he ever even believed forgetting his guilt was possible before her. Now I think it would take a lot more to "let him go" that far in his feelings, knowing what's at stake. Hence the more elaborate build-up.
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Post by Onjel on Jul 6, 2006 14:44:26 GMT -5
I always believed and still believe that it was the post coital contentment and feeling of utter peace and belonging that brought him to the moment of true happiness, the minute when those feelings pushed all thoughts and regrets about his past out of his mind. So, that being said, sex alone doesn't do it, but a combination of things, in this case the united family unit, a woman he loved and perfect union bring the feelings of peace, contentment and belonging that result in "true happiness" and the banishment of suffering for his past "sins". That's why those things were part of the story that was woven to bring Angelus out. As always, assume the IMO. I very much agree with this. I truly think that complete happiness for Angel is peace of mind...is--for a moment--forgetting his guilt and torment for what Angelus did and completely giving himself over to feelings of pleasure. I think happiness with Buffy sneaked up on him, caught him unaware. I doubt he ever even believed forgetting his guilt was possible before her. Now I think it would take a lot more to "let him go" that far in his feelings, knowing what's at stake. Hence the more elaborate build-up.A very good point, said much better than I said it. Thanks, Maria!
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Jul 8, 2006 8:51:19 GMT -5
I just really like this exchange:
Connor: It's you. You're the reason my life sucks. Angel: Get over it.
HEE!
I'm with Onjel et al about how Angel's curse works. I kinda see this episode as supporting the idea that it's all about Angel's dreams (lots about Angel's dreams throughout the series) and that in Surprise he was in some kind of similar dream state. Natural instead of induced.
I like Gunn's glee about the sword and how he unwittingly destroys the table.
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Post by Lola m on Jul 8, 2006 22:11:19 GMT -5
**nodding to all this** I really like this way of thinking about the curse. And it seems to fit with the point of view he seems to come to by the 5th season. Plus, it would explain why all instances of soul loss after the first one are . . . induced in some way. Drug or hallucination, etc. etc. Because just on his own, now that he knows about the curse, he can probably never really reach that same level of unselfconscious perfet happiness. Liz - eetah on liking Gunn's glee. Plus - the line about "tooth in a haystack"? Funny! ;D
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