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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:15:41 GMT -5
by Josh Buckman 2/25/2002
"You gotta admire the loyalty."
Loyalty. It’s defined as "a feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection." It is something that has been an issue at Angel Investigations ever since the business cards were printed. Working together as a group to fight the forces of darkness requires a commitment and emotional investment unlike any other occupation.
Each member of the AI team has had his or her loyalties put to the test above and beyond the everyday fear of losing their lives in the battle with vampires and demons. Angel’s loyalty was tested when he was confronted with Darla’s resurrection and the idea that all of his good works were in vain. Gunn was forced to take sides when his new job and new friends clashed with his old vampire hunting gang. Cordelia was faced with the possibility of living out her dreams as a famous actress if she chose to give up working for Angel. Even Fred had to decide between returning to a safe home with her parents and staying in L.A. to fight the good the fight.
"Tic-Toc, Wes. Time is running out."
Wesley is a man, despite his other faults, who has always been loyal. Now it appears that he is being torn apart trying to decide where his loyalty really belongs. Is it with Angel, the man who calls him boss and a good friend? Is it with the mission, the one he has risked his life for over and over? Or is it with an innocent child, a boy who may be devoured by his own father before he ever has a chance to live?
The prophecy and the Loa have told him that it is inevitable that the father will kill the son. Instead of sharing the burden of this knowledge with his co-workers, Wesley bears the full weight alone. He is cut off from Fred and Gunn because of his jealousy over their relationship. The woman he trusts the most is on vacation with her trans-dimensional lover. Lorne the Nanny is completely MIA. Therefore he is forced to decide the course of action alone. He must try to find one that would satisfy his loyalties to Angel, the child, and the mission.
"The road to Hell, right?"
We all know that it is paved with good intentions. Wesley is sure to have the best of them. Unfortunately, whatever he chooses to do is bound to have dire and immediate consequences. He risks his friendship with Angel and the others by keeping it all a secret and taking matters into his own hands. He risks the child’s life by doing nothing. He possibly meddles with the mission and the plans of The Powers That Be by interfering at all. According to the Loa, the pain of this momentous decision has him silently wishing for death.
In his dream, Wesley has blood on his hands. It is very likely that it belongs to Connor. He has the knowledge therefore he has the responsibility. For Angel, ignorance is absolute bliss. He’s loving his son and loving being a father. Is it any wonder that Wesley doubts ancient texts and a cranky hamburger when he watches Angel with his child? The signs, however, remind Wesley that prophecies don’t often stop for happy endings and that he has a great responsibility to fulfill– the signs and Angel’s cryptically evil comment about at least having something to snack on.
"Time for Wesley to wakey-wakey."
Wesley is going to have to make a choice very soon. No amount of studying and not shaving is going to change that. Should he tell or take matters into his own hands? If there is one thing we’ve learned from watching Angel and its sister show, it is that keeping secrets and acting alone always comes back to bite you in the butt. Honesty is the best policy. Despite the difficulty of the circumstances, A.I. is a team and should make the decision as one. Unfortunately, we have also learned that openness and candor are rarely the courses taken, especially when subterfuge guarantees a much more climactic result.
Once again, I must say poor Wesley. Not only is he alone in love, but he is also the only one accountable for Connor’s future. Let’s hope Gunn is right. Wesley is a good man. He’ll do the right thing. He always does.
No more/lots more drama
With the entire silly Angel and Cordelia pseudo-romance aside for now, the show really went into high gear. I was on the edge of my seat for nearly the entire episode as the tension went from simmering to boiling over. Starting with the dream and ending with a killer cliffhanger, this episode had it all. Wesley staying close to Angel and the baby: suspense. Aubrey infiltrating the workplace: secrets. Holtz and his gang finally making an appearance: enemies. Lilah joining forces with Sahjan: comedy. Wesley’s consultation with the Loa: revelations. Fred saving Gunn’s life: romance.
You mean we had all of that action without Cordelia and Lorne? It just goes to show that Alexis Denisof has the chops to pull off a Wesley-centric episode. He goes from obsessed (his reflective stupor) to determined (confrontation with the Loa) to forceful (knocking down Holtz’s crony) to nearly crazy (laughing with Angel about the beauty of life).
Small Bites
I did not see Angel’s friend Sam among Holtz’s gang as anticipated. Perhaps he was hiding in the shadows. Wesley has already pretty much lost his relationship with Gunn and now he stands to lose Angel’s friendship just as they were getting closer. Good thing he’s still got, oh wait, he doesn’t really have any other male friends. Lilah is really on the ball. Will her ruthlessness eventually leave us with only a distant memory of her former partner? Forget the scary voice, Holtz’s nappy hair is sure to strike fear into the hearts of vampires everywhere. Sure, Sahjan’s can’t be cut, but what’s his excuse? Get that man a comb! Both Wesley and his girlfriend in real life, Alyson Hannigan, spoke to drive-thru speaker boxes on their shows recently. Coincidence? It’s too bad we couldn’t see Wes at a Doublemeat Palace with Buffy closing up for the night. Next time we find out what Wesley’s decides on for a plan of action. The only thing we know for sure is that it involves betrayal and agony. Surely, this means lots of trouble for our Bat Gang and more great television for us. Until then, chat about this episode and cast your predictions for the next on the always tasty, never flat discussion board.
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:16:44 GMT -5
Don’t Let Daddy Bite
by Josh Buckman 3/5/2002
The kind of excitement we saw this time around is usually reserved for the season finale.
Last week, Mere Smith, who penned the nail-biting script for Loyalty, sent a message to those of us freaking out about what might happen in the upcoming episode. In a post at the Bronze Beta, she said, “Say your prayers, cross your fingers, hold your breath, and kiss your sweet Georgia mama goodbye, 'cause you. Have. No. Idea.”
Boy, was she right.
Sure, we had an idea that Wesley was going to snatch the baby. His slow descent into a paranoid madness, combined with the upcoming episode promos, almost guaranteed that much. Sure, we figured Angel would give chase. What kind of father wouldn’t? And yes, we all knew that Holtz, Lilah, and Sahjhan would somehow be involved in the kidnapping. Would any kind of climax have been complete without them?
Even with all of those expectations, David Greenwalt still managed to serve up a roller-coaster ride full of surprise, suspense, and some of the most nerve-wracking, breath-holding moments in television since Buffy took a swan dive off a support beam. Truly, we had no idea.
No Idea #1
Angel really put the thirsty back in “blood-thirsty” after inadvertently sampling his own son’s type A. It makes sense that this taste of human blood would cause a behavior and mood change. Angel is someone who has a terrible addiction. He has gone years without giving into his cravings. Suddenly, he’s given a taste of what he has denied himself for so long and starts to go all wonky. This isn’t a reversion to Angelus, a soulless demon; it is a person dealing with powerful cravings and a need for satisfaction.
Many former alcoholics and drug addicts are now parents. But could a child ever be safe with a parent who might sometimes think of it as food?
No Idea #2
Wesley either felt strong enough about the necessity of kidnapping Connor to attack one of the friends he so desperately wanted to protect or he really was going mad. Perhaps it was a bit of both.
In any case, when Lorne caught Wesley singing to the child and read his true intentions, Wesley’s resignation to what he thought must be done was absolutely chilling. The look on Lorne’s face said it all. Here is someone you have worked with and trusted, and you unexpectedly find out that he plans to commit an act of terrible betrayal. As if that wasn’t enough, you also know that he will do near anything to keep you from stopping him. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
And yet, Wesley is not an enemy. He is a man trying to do what’s right by foolishly keeping his heavy burden a secret. Wesley really does care for Angel. It is plausible that his abduction of Connor was an attempt to keep Angel’s from committing infanticide as much as it was effort to save Connor’s life. He was trying to protect his friends from Holtz’s group as well as protect the baby from Angel.
We, as the audience, know that his motivations were pure. It is a true testament to his character (as both written and acted) that even after he has bashed Lorne over the head and the others arrive at the hotel, many of us were half hoping that Wesley would make a clean getaway.
No Idea #3
Even though Wesley betrayed his friends and was obviously being duped by Holtz and his gang, it doesn’t mean that he deserved to have his throat slashed. (Did anyone else audibly gasp when this occurred?)
Justine must have really come to grips with the idea of killing the innocent people that worked for Angel. Perhaps it was Holtz’s promises of raising a family that convinced her it was the right thing to do. As Wesley implied, her morals must have been rinsed away through Holtz’s cult-like brainwashing. If they were only concerned about the baby or killing Angel, why stop Wesley at all?
There is no way we can lose Wesley (or Alexis, for that matter, after such fantastic acting in the past two episodes) to his wounds. We have to cross our fingers and hope that Gunn and Fred get him to the emergency room in time. After all, it is only one minute away.
Survival or no, it is a sad inevitability that he’ll not be allowed to retain his leadership role at Angel Investigations.
No Idea #4
We’ve all heard rumors about Connor maturing quickly, but who expected Holtz to jump into the “darkest of all dark places” with him? Holtz was a man so consumed by revenge that he would throw himself into a hell dimension just so his enemy would have to live knowing that his son suffered there as well. That is some serious hatred.
Hatred that may be passed along to Connor, assuming he survives.
The prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. The fact that Connor ended up in a different dimension with Holtz does not mean that it was averted, either. Poor, struggling Wesley may yet turn out to be a pawn in the grand scheme of things despite his best intentions. If and when Angel and Connor meet again, it may not be a happy ending.
One thing is for certain; we’ll all be looking for the signs.
No Cordelia
This entire disaster could have possible been prevented by her blunt character observations and her take no crap attitude. It doesn’t matter now.
What does matter is how she will react upon learning about Connor’s kidnapping. Will Cordelia hate Wesley? Will she blame herself for not being there to stop him? Will she comfort Angel in more ways that one?
Why does it matter so much what Cordelia does or thinks? Well, as the heart of the group, her reaction will most likely set the tone for the rest of the crew’s response to Wesley’s duplicity. Will they forgive him? Will they make him pay? Most importantly, will they ever trust him again?
Unfortunately, we now have over a month’s break before we get a look at the fallout from Wesley’s actions and Connor’s departure. I have no idea how I’m going to wait that long. Forget the hot pokers, Nixon and Britney Spears; this is real Hell.
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:17:31 GMT -5
by Josh Buckman 4/15/2002 There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness. --Josh Billings (1818-1885)
The loss of a child is a pain that cuts deeper than any wound most of us will ever suffer from. Only those who have also lost a child can even begin to empathize with the suffering Angel must be experiencing.
Imagine that one day, the one child you love most in the world is safe in his bassinette, recently rescued from a burning room. Imagine that the next day the child is lost to you, trapped forever in the most horrible place imaginable; a fate worse than death. Imagine that you knew there was no way you could ever have another to help ease the pain.
It is no wonder Angel wants to take immediate action to make those responsible pay for what they’ve done. We already know that he has had some anger-management issues for quite some time now. You saw what he did to the poor fool that messed with Cordelia’s visions.
So he hunts Sahjahn, the evil manipulator behind the entire plot to end Connor’s life. This is the demon that deserves to be brought to justice. Instead, he just winds up trapped in an urn.
Now, Angel is facing the man who made Connor’s fate at the hands of Holtz and Sahjahn possible. He tells the man that he knows about the prophecies, he knows about the reasons. He tells the man that he understands why he did what he did.
He understands, but he doesn’t condone.
"How could you not tell me? Had you no trust? How could you believe that I would hurt my own child?" Angel thinks. "Because of you, I have lost my only son."
The pain. The helplessness. The fury. Angel, now denied his cathartic revenge upon the demon Sahjahn, allows it all to boil until it explodes in a violent rage upon the man lying helpless in a hospital bed - a rage that would have killed the man had not others intervened.
The thing is, this wasn’t just any man. This man was Wesley, his "boss" and close friend. This man cared for Angel. Loved Angel, even. He was part of the family. He would never purposely hurt Angel and his son.
Even though Wesley knew that he had betrayed Angel, he must have been hoping upon hope that Angel would find it in his non-beating heart to forgive him. Instead, he finds himself on the receiving end of a pillow sandwich.
"You think I forgive you? Never! You’re gonna die, you hear me? You’re gonna pay! I’ll never forgive you, never! You’re a dead man, Pryce! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!"
Imagine those words, coming out of the mouth of a man for whom you thought you had sacrificed everything. Imagine those words coming from a man closer to you than any member of your own family. Imagine wishing the man had been able to finish what he started.
Angel has a soul. As I have said before, one need not be an evil blood-sucking demon to commit acts of horror and rage. He lost his son. He felt betrayed. So yes, I understand Angel’s actions.
I understand, but I don’t condone.
Worth the Wait
The moron who told the network that the time-slot after 7th Heaven had some kind of magical properties ought to be kicked in the head. That super-slot hasn’t ever helped with Angel’s ratings and it sure put the nail in the coffin for Glory Days. This is disappointing since the crazy stunt to try and revive that show kept us waiting an eternity for some seriously important answers to some seriously important questions. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait.
Answer #1
So that was Sahjahn’s master plan! We finally know what that nutty scar-faced demon was all about. Thank goodness he wasn’t Connor. His intangibility was explained, but his significance in the prophecies was not. It makes you wonder if he will soon escape the urn that Justine pulled out of her bum in the knick of time.
Answer #2
Wesley is alive! He may not be in good standing with Angel and he might never belt out another aria for Lorne, but at least he’s living and breathing. I’m so happy he’s still around, I won’t even question how he survived for so long while bleeding at the throat.
Answer #3
The prophecy was a fake! Poor Wesley, he’s not going to be so thrilled with that news. Technically, Mr. Cranky Burger didn’t lie, the vampire did "devour his son" by ingesting his blood. However, technicalities are of little comfort to throat wound victims who have just betrayed their closest friends, I’m sure.
As is typical with this show, for every question that is answered, two move in to take its place. For example, who was that girl in the White Room? Will Angel ever forgive Wesley? How will the others handle his reaction in the hospital room? Where will Wesley go? What is with Justine’s kind of icky feelings for crusty old Holtz? Will Groo have time to come back to the show in-between all of his other guest appearances? We will just have to tune in next week to see if any of these questions, among the hundreds more, are addressed.
Since this was another fantastic and gripping episode, I suppose I can forgive the network for making us wait so long to resolve the cliffhanger. This time.
At least there won’t be any more delays for a while. Which is good, because I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:18:31 GMT -5
Two Sides of a Coin
by Josh Buckman 4/22/2002
A hypocrite is a person who--but who isn't? Don Marquis (1878 - 1937)
People are walking contradictions. Sure, we try to live our lives by a set of principles and rules. We try to be consistent in our behaviors. The trouble is, we’re not. One minute we feel one way, the next we are talking another. We tell others how to act and then live the opposite. That’s just the dual nature of humanity.
There are two sides to every coin. It’s double or nothing.
The gang at good old Angel Investigations is no different. It’s what makes them such interesting characters to watch. The central character is as much a paradox as you can get. A vampire with a soul. A killer with a heart.
This paradoxical nature has been pivotal in recent events. Angel, the demon eunuch, had a son. The vampire, who once only took lives, helped to make one. Not only did he make one, but he cared for it, loved it, and had his heart broken by it. A flip of the coin and Angel’s fierce, killer nature is out again. And it’s looking for revenge.
He’s looking to bring bodily harm to one of his closest friends for the loss of his son - one who used to be a part of the "family." Another flip, and he’s declaring that they "are not going to lose another member of this family." Which is it, Angel? Protect or murder members of the "family?"
There aren’t many who can fault Angel for inconsistent behavior, especially those who are (or were) on his team. Wesley, normally an excellent boss and levelheaded thinker, made one of the worst decisions a leader can make; he didn’t trust his followers. After scolding Gunn for the harm keeping secrets caused the team, the coin was flipped and he ends up keeping one of the biggest prophetic revelations of the decade all to himself.
This is bad news and the gang is none to happy with him for it. So, naturally, Fred gets on Wesley’s case for not trusting her and the others with his concerns for Connor and Angel. Flip the coin and Fred easily forgives Gunn for not trusting her with the truth about how his life was supposed to end that night. He intentionally tries to hurt her in order to protect her, but she can forgive him easily for that because everything turned out all right. Or is it because we reserve the right to forgive those we love a great deal easier than we forgive others?
And while we are talking about Gunn, let me just point out he is a man who once sold his soul for a truck. That was his woman. He was a rough-and-tumble, jive talking, take-no-prisoners, demon-butt kicking tough guy until Fred came along and literally flipped his coin. Now he’s gone from a staunch and stoic man-of-the-streets to a quivering lump of emasculated pudding.
(Aside: Now I enjoy the portrayal of a tender relationship as much as the next guy, but give me a break! Fred, Gunn, would you like some crackers with that cheese?)
And as for Cordelia, dear old Cordelia, she seems like she’s a pretty straightforward gal. But who would have thought that the selfish Queen C, ruler of Sunnydale High, would ever become the caring, independent woman she is now? She’s become a – gack, dare I say it – champion in her own right, but not one without faults. Even the big truth-teller herself dared to keep the secret of her vision side effects from her friends until it was almost too late.
Some may say that all of this flips in behavior and personality means that these are contradictory characters that are inconsistently written and portrayed. I disagree. These shifts, changes and flips are what make them more real; they’re what make them more human. Who among us can’t cite unpredictable or even hypocritical behavior from among our closest friends? Who among us, if we are really honest, can’t see it in ourselves?
Granted, despite the examination of certain characters’ dual natures, this episode was not up to par with the last few. There was so much attention given to looking into the future of the crew, the one where Gunn and Fred live happily ever after, Angel gets over the loss of his son, and Wesley lives without any of his old friends, that there wasn’t much worth watching in the present.
Certainly not Cordelia’s new hairdo. What on earth was she thinking? On someone else, that might work. On her it was a frightening, overworked piece of chemically altered straw that threatened to swallow her and her entire performance whole. It is even more tragic when one thinks of the good old days of those long, flowing tresses . . .
I digress. Certainly Gunn’s decision to hurt Fred in order to save her wasn’t worth watching, either. How many times has THAT been done? How many times has it ever worked out? Here’s a tip, guys: if you are ever in a situation where you have sold your soul and now have to pay the price, let the woman decide what’s best for her. Don’t be all falsely noble and lie; she’s going to find out anyway.
So the present wasn’t so great, but we can always look forward to next week when something Angel did comes back to bite them in the butt. For those whose future apparently holds so much in store isn’t it odd how it is so consistently haunted by the past? Future and past. Double or nothing.
So what do you think the future for Angel Investigations looks like?
Next week * * * The hotel is overrun by parasitic creatures that Angel inadvertently conjured while trying to rescue his son. Barricaded inside, the gang has to fight these slug-like creatures in the dark. Break out the salt!
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:19:43 GMT -5
Adding Salt to the Wound
by Kara Vichko 4/29/2002 "What ravages of spirit conjured this temptuous rage created you a monster broken by the rules of love ...fate has lead you through it you do what you have to do." -- Sarah McLachlan
Whether it’s the prospect of resurrecting your only child or saving the woman you love, you do what you have to do. Taking rash action, however, generally results in negative repercussions, no matter how good the original intention.
Rash action such as conjuring a spell that results in Chernobyllic translucent tiger shrimp who fondly take a quick leap down a smooth throat and proceed to suck the juice, quite literally, right out of you. Or buying into the goading of a co-worker whose sole purpose in life is to make you look like an ass to your boss. Rash action like rushing to the side of a newly sworn-off friend and groveling for help.
Oh, wait, that last one wasn’t so bad. Fred lived. Yay. But you get the idea.
For those of you scratching your head right about now wondering what happened to your regular reviewer, Josh, fret not. He planned a blockbuster-filled evening, so as Editor, and Angel fan, I agreed to step in to analyze this week’s installment of the Bat Pack’s adventures. Please keep your hands, arms, legs and other appendages in the train at all times, and enjoy the read!
I obviously don’t practice what I preach, though, because my noggin’ hurts, a lot, after watching "The Price." Could it be because I was beat over the head multiple times by three recurring themes tonight?
Theme I: Dark Magic Bad
Anyone up for a game of "Been there, seen that?" Resurrection spell goes awry and makes the world go a-wacky? Supposedly dead people come back from said resurrection spell, but something’s juuuuust not right? Hmmm, me neither. Just checking.
For all the hemming and hawing about the lack of crossovers between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, one could argue that Mutant Enemy ran the two shows on parallel tracks this season, only to merge them conveniently with the poignant ABC After School Special message entitled, "Dark Magic: It’s Bad and There is Always a Price." Was I the only one waiting for Angel to turn on everyone only to say, "The price is wrong, Bitch!"
Theme II: Past Actions Affect Future Results
Tonight the role of Captain Obvious, usually played by Fred, is performed by Cordy, Lilah, and anyone else who feels free to utter any line similar to, "Everything has repercussions." For the love of the Baby Jesus – we GET it. We’ve been getting it all season on Tuesday nights at 8 pm, and we get it here. What we do in our past affects our immediate future and may very well come back to bite us in the ass. Check the box marked "Make Sure Audience Understands Repercussions" and move on. Subtlety, thy name is not David Fury.
Theme III: And So He Loved His Only Son
For all his good intentions, Angel puts the team in danger. What’s interesting is that Angel did all of this in his son’s best interest, but it caused mayhem. AI forgives him, however, and Angel expects no less of them – because he loves his son. Wesley did everything in Connor’s best interest, and it caused mayhem, but no one can quite forgive him – even though he loves Connor.
Overall, the episode provided a not-too-scary forum for a dainty little bit of team bonding for the AI team, something which should prove fruitful as we progress toward the season finale climax. Who knows, perhaps they’ll even explain what the hell the whole Glo-Cord power thing was about...
In the meantime, I’m off to get some ice for my throbbing head.
BAT PACK BITES
Speaking of bitches, the line of the night goes to Lilah for this interchange: Gavin: "When a co-worker tries to pat you on the back..." Lilah: "...I check for the knife."
As for Gavin, all I can say is what is your function, man? Why do you care so much about foiling Lilah and what’s your true MO? Blah blah you want a promotion and Lilah’s job blah doesn’t sit well with me. There’s got to be more – even if it’s that he is actually an Angel supporter trying to sabotage W&H from the inside.
Watching Angel: One hour of my week. Writing this review: 2 hours of my Monday. Cordy saying, "Never on Sundays:" Priceless. I nearly fell off my couch. There’s a running joke in Southern California that revolves around the Mexican Tourism Boards’ radio commercials that tout visiting Guadalupe, Mexico for its glorious waterfalls and polite locals. At the end of the ad, though, they always warn to "Visit Guadalupe, but never on a Sunday." Priceless.
It’s no secret that I love when writers hint to the past, even with the slightest wink and nod, as they did here: Angel: "It doesn’t ever snow is Southern California." Cordelia: "It did once." Even in the darkest hour, it’s all about hope.
Cordy, baby, what’s with the mini-vision of Angel flying across the floor? What’s it mean? Does it have anything to do with Lorne’s Roger Rabbit get-up?
Next week: With a DeLorean nowhere in sight, Connor comes back from the future, and this time it’s personal.
Don’t forget to vote on the article below before jumping over to the boards to discuss the episode!
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:20:41 GMT -5
by Josh Buckman 5/6/2002 The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children. - Clarence Darrow (1857-1938)
Parents and their children. Is there any relationship as messy and complicated as that one?
Sunny suggested that potential parents should have to take a test before they are allowed to have children. Sadly, this is not a feasible idea. Anyone can have a kid. Good people, bad people. Rich people, poor people. Apparently, sometimes even vampire people. Here it is, the biggest responsibility a person could ever hope to take on, and it’s easier to do than getting a driver’s license.
That is one scary fact.
Why is it scary? Well, the obvious answer is because some people are likely to abandon, abuse or otherwise mistreat their children. They simply do not properly handle the responsibility. The other, less obvious, answer has to do influence.
When you stop and think about it, the amount of influence a parent has over a child is quite amazing. Morals, beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviors, habits, and even vocabulary often come straight down from daddy or mommy. Sure, there are other influences, such as teachers and peers, but children naturally look to their parents to learn how they should behave.
That’s one big responsibility – to influence how another life will turn out.
Angel, whether he wanted it or not, was freed of this responsibility. It was another who raised his child. It was another man who helped sculpt the baby into the young man he is today. A man with a motive. Children will believe even the most absurd things if they are surrounded by it - even stuff that doesn’t make sense. Greed, racism, sexism, the desire to kill your biological father: these can all be passed on from one generation to the next, intentionally or unintentionally.
Fortunately, "nurture" is not the only thing that a person is made of. There’s always "nature," which is evident in Connor’s seemingly above human strength. Unfortunately, he obviously did not inherent either of his parents’ sense of style. Nor their cleanliness. I was screaming, "Take a bath!" when those two incredibly grimy people started smooching. I guess that need for clean is something I got from my overly dirt-conscious mother. Anyway, I digress.
It is my belief that there is something more powerful than either nature or nurture. It’s called free will. Despite how we’ve been programmed to think, act and believe, either through our surrounding or through our genetics, we have the ability to change. We all have the ability to choose our own actions.
Sure, it isn’t easy. It’s much easier to fall back into the pattern of how we’ve been raised. It’s very hard to change. Hard, but not impossible.
Soon, as we can already surmise, Connor will have to make the hardest decision of his life. Does he do what he has been taught to do all of his life? Does he succumb completely to Holtz’s influence and hate his very own biological father, or does he choose to employ his own free will and decide the fate of his father without the preconceived notions?
Perhaps the real question is this: does he exercise his ability to forgive? Does he forgive his father not only for losing him into a hell dimension, but for murdering Holtz’s family? Does he forgive himself for allowing Holtz to manipulate him into hating his father, and does he forgive the world for allowing such horrible things to happen to him?
If he can do that, then I can forgive the WB for Cordelia’s hair. Hmm, now that I think of it some things might just be completely unforgivable.
Speaking of forgiveness, perhaps it’s time for the gang to dish out some for ol’ Wesley. The man needs some before he starts believing he’s unworthy of it and hooks up with Wolfram and Hart. Connor is alive. Perhaps because of Wesley, we’ll never really know. Isn’t that a relief? Whatever Connor’s life was like, at least he is not dead. Wesley’s actions did not kill him. That’s reason enough to celebrate if you ask me. Sure, Wes needs to apologize for breaking trust, and apologize profusely, but is there any reason not to use his help now? If Angel can regain their trust, surely Wesley can as well.
Groo’s sarcasm about how they simply must be concerned with how Angel feel’s when contacting Wesley mirrored my own emotions perfectly, as did Fred’s response. Angel is ticked at Wes, so we’ll just leave a doorway to a hell dimension wide open so we can avoid speaking to our old friend. Sounds like an excellent plan. Oh, and while we’re at it, why don’t we install a tanning bed in Angel’s room?
There is a lot of forgiving that needs to be going around if Angel Investigations is ever going to be back in working order. Let’s just hope that however they’ve all been raised, Connor included, that they realize that life is too short and relationships are too valuable to go on holding a grudge. It’s time to reunite the family, in more ways than one, and get back to the mission.
Brownie Points
- Mistress Mirna and her random disappearing act was hysterical. How classic to have her pop up behind the gang and scare them out of their pants. What Lorne wouldn’t give for a lasso and some crazy glue.
- The new Matrix-like action scenes were almost overused, but I couldn’t help but be impressed with slo-mo stakes flying at Angel’s chest. Is this a permanent shift in Angel action choreography, or is it as temporary as Cordelia and Groo’s relationship?
- Lilah’s attempted seduction of Wesley was intriguing and brilliant. What better way is there to seduce a man than by convincing him there is no hope for redemption?
Thanks again to Kara for filling in for me last week. And a special thanks to all of you for sticking with Angel and the articles this season! We’ve only a little bit to go before that torturous monotony they call summer break. Until then . . .
Next Week * * * Connor tries to take revenge on Angel by doing what Angel did to Holtz: killing off those who are closest to him. Naturally, Saint Cordelia would be at the top of this list. Will his conscience kick in before it’s too late?
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:21:22 GMT -5
And the Greatest of These...
by Josh Buckman 5/13/2002
"Every minute you are thinking of evil, you might have been thinking of good instead. Refuse to pander to a morbid interest in your own misdeeds. Pick yourself up, be sorry, shake yourself, and go on again." -Evelyn Underhill
Death and hatred had been a big part of Daniel Holtz’s life for some time now. His family died. His enemies got away. His revenge was forfeited. That might all seem like a really big bummer, but it really doesn’t matter to him now. Well, why doesn’t it matter?
Let’s start with another question first.
Why did Holtz’s family die? He had made enemies of two wicked vampires and wasted his time in fruitless pursuit of their lives. His dedication to their demise left his family an easy target for the vengeful demons. While it is not his fault they died, they most likely would not have been eaten by Angelus and Darla had Holtz not stirred their wrath.
So, instead of ending this game of pursuit, the death of the Holtz family renewed Daniel’s quest with an even deeper hatred for the vampires. This hatred drove him to make a deal with a demon so that he might live for centuries in order to exact his revenge.
Then he was given the chance for retaliation. He didn’t take it; instead he opted to bide his time so that he could hurt Angel even more. He stole Angel’s son, while his hatred still burned brightly, bright enough to keep the pair alive in a Hell dimension for at least 16 years.
But somewhere during that time he realized that hatred wasn’t what he really wanted. He lost his family and thought the only way to end the pain was to get his revenge. In reality, hatred is empty and cold. What he really wanted was love and a chance to be there for his family when he should have been. Now, realizing what a fool his life-long pursuit had made of him, he opted to be there for his adopted son before the quest destroyed his life as well. He loved him enough to let him go - into the hands of his sworn enemy, no less.
He loved Stephen so much, he was willing to forgive Angel for what happened to his family. Hate had kept Holtz alive. Love finally set him free. That’s why all the rest of it (the death, the hatred, the revenge) didn’t matter anymore.
Whatever you think of Holtz’s character, be he a slimy-manipulator, a woman-abusing liar, or a self-important relic, you have to at least give him credit for learning in the end the true meaning of sacrifice. And whatever you think of learning morals from a television show, it still doesn’t hurt to take a good look at our own lives. I’m not trying to preach, but maybe we could learn something from the way Holtz didn’t just sacrifice his life, but he also gave up the hate and the prejudices that so many of us cling to so tightly. We’d much rather begrudge than forgive because we are so convinced of our own personal righteousness.
But it doesn’t matter if we are right (Holtz was certainly right to hate Angel and Darla). It doesn’t matter if we are wrong. We still need to drop all the crap and start doing what’s best for other people, whether they deserve it or not. Life’s too short to carry all that baggage around.
While we are dropping the baggage, let’s talk about Wesley and the gang. If Holtz can forgive Angel for slaughtering his own family, surely Angel can forgive Wesley for kidnaping Connor. I mean, he was supposed to be family, as the convenient cutaway to Wesley after Cordelia’s "He’s gonna come back because he’s family" speech clearly pointed out. But when is he gonna come back? Perhaps Angel should think of it like Holtz and Connor do - it was God’s plan that Connor was given to him. Wesley could have been just part of the plan. You know them crazy Powers That Be.
Speaking of Wes, during the entire scene at the club, my pulse was pounding. Sure, the father and son working together was a neat little moment, but that’s not what had me on the edge of my seat. No siree. Instead, I was thinking about WWWD.
What Will Wesley Do?
Will he go warn Justine? Will he join Angel in the fight? Will he hook up with Lilah start scheming like he’s never schemed before? Sadly, we weren’t really given an answer to the question. He just left. He left with his cup ‘o bitterness toward Angel filled to the brim, it seems, but he left nonetheless. He left us to stew for at least another week (and possibly an entire summer) about what his next move will be.
Maybe it will be to save Angel from his own brat.
As for other random acts of saving, Saint Cordelia pulled out her special glo-worm attack again to keep the "little boy playing at being a tough guy" from killing her. Forget Sandra Bullock, this gal is really the next Wonder Woman - wonders as in will they ever cease. I must give props to our own Linda Musgrave for posting the first (and what looks like the mostly likely) guess about how Cordelia’s powers work:
"...Perhaps her demon powers, in addition to seeing what problems will happen, include sensing what needs to be done to solve them... of course, her ability to actually impose the solution that her demon powers sense might be limited to things she touches . . ."
Just what we need, for Cordelia to graduate into some omnipotent being. Whatever happened to that valley girl with a credit card? Either her demon half ate that part of her all up or it was lopped off with her hair.
Well, she certainly needs something lopped off for the way she’s been treating the loveable Grooster. He certainly doesn’t deserve it, being all the ever-faithful servant. What’s she thinking choosing a broody loner over a guy who calls her "my princess?" Wake up honey, loving the undead never turns out pretty.
And speaking of not pretty, next week we get the season finale! Will Angel, Connor, Wesley and the rest of the gang follow in Holtz’s footsteps and let the past be in the past and fill the future with hope and love? It’s seriously doubtful, because while it may improve lives, it makes for boring television. Either way, I await the end with bated breath and look forward to all of us sharing our reactions together. Until then, post your comments about this week’s events below and check out the Miscellaneous section for a discussion about possible future time slots for Angel and the gang.
I now leave you with a quote to treasure:
"So he survived an unspeakable hell dimension - who hasn’t? You can’t just leave him alone on the streets of Los Angeles!"
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:21:58 GMT -5
by Josh Buckman 5/20/2002
"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." --Robert Goddard
In this episode, Cordelia decides she’s going to send a message to the one who wants to control her life: Everyone has a limit! She’s had a enough! Oh wait a minute, that’s not Cordelia, that’s Jennifer Lopez. I must have been confused by all the bad hair flying around. I tell you, if I have to see one more stinking preview for that new movie . . .
Ahem. Welcome Angel fans! The final curtain has been drawn on another season of Angel and things are looking pretty gloomy. Angel is sinking in the ocean. Cordelia is going to a new world on a beam of light. Groo and Lorne have taken off for greener pastures. Wesley is, well, sleeping with the enemy. And Connor is still alive.
Is there any hope for the future?
Before we can really look at tomorrow, we have to stop and take a look at today. How did our heroes wind up in these positions?
Angel is at the bottom of the sea because he killed the family of a man hundreds of years ago. That man managed to turn Angel’s own son against him in the ultimate revenge. Now Angel’s checking into Davy Jones’s locker for an untold amount of time.
And what of Angel’s tomorrow? Maybe the sea will rot away the ropes and the welding after time. Barring his emergence from the watery tomb with new cosmic super-powers, he may have to wait until Connor has a change of heart and goes searching for the dad he wronged. He hasn’t got much left in this world besides the crazy woman who had a thing for his other dad, so there is always hope.
As for Cordelia, her story is very similar to that of Elijah, the prophet of God. After serving for year’s as God’s messenger, he ascended into heaven without having to suffer death. You have to wonder if it was anywhere near as dramatic as Cordelia’s final transformation into the full-fledged Saint Cordelia; complete with shiny fireflies and white robes.
Which brings me to the question I have for The Powers That Be. If Cordelia is such a fantastic higher-being, how can she look at a happy picture of her, Angel and Wesley and not even think of contacting her old friend?
"Hey Wes, Connor’s alive and back in our dimension, just so you know."
Don’t get me wrong, I have always and will always love Cordelia, but the way she completely dumped Wes without a second thought really stuck in my craw. I won’t even get into how Groo got his heart broken. So all she has to do to become a higher being is make a few self-sacrifices, fry some demon-slugs and give Connor an emotional sponge bath? Phooey on relationships! Poor Buffy, someone needs to tell her to quit wasting her time on caring about people beside Angel.
Speaking of Groo, is it any wonder that he and Lorne packed their bags? They were consistently ignored or taken for granted - the two most abused characters in the gang. Groo took one more diss from Cordelia, Lorne took his from the brat and they’d had enough (everyone has a limit) with all the Angel Investigations hijinx. The sad thing is, I’d give either one of them for ConSteve and all his tired angst. Whatever their tomorrow holds, I hope that it brings them back to Los Angeles quickly. Especially Lorne.
While Cordelia was continuing on the path of all things goodness, her neglected pal Wes was headed down the opposite road. The parallels between Wesley’s time in bed with Lilah and Angel’s romp in the sack with Darla are striking. Both of them had hit rock bottom when they decided to sleep with an evil skank. There’s certainly no excuse for that. However, it remains to be seen if Wesley will now start the climb back up to the top, like our hero, or if he will only continue down the path of self-destruction.
If Wesley’s tomorrow does include lots of new kinds of evil, we can hope that he’ll team up with Willow so they can take over the world. Still, I’d rather see Wes back to helping the helpless; he’s always struck me as innately good man and there seems to be so few of those around.
And Connor, a.k.a. Stephen the Scowling, has survived to bring more havoc into the next season. He’s still around with the daddy-loving slayer wannabe for company. Although, he’ll be ditching her before too long if she keeps up the brilliant questions like:
"You don’t want to kill him? What do you want to do?"
"Oh I don’t know Justine, I thought maybe I’d grab Cordelia and we’d hit the strip for some girl time - shopping, haircuts, facials, the works!" Good gravy, woman, what did you think he’d want to do? With these two running around as villains, it almost makes you wish Wesley had just let that fake prophecy come true.
If we are lucky, tomorrow for that odd couple will include a quick tying up of loose ends and a new wardrobe.
Gunn and Fred are the only ones left. Are they the hope for tomorrow? Are they enough to carry on the mission (yes, the woefully neglected mission) by themselves? Perhaps they will recruit a whole new gang - one that includes more people that can be "family" for as long as it’s convenient.
If you have detected a lack of reverence and respect I usually contain in my reviews, it’s because I’m overrun with a feeling of disappointment. This last episode was too weak to cap off such a strong season. The only identifiably clear theme was "This is a Cliffhanger!" The events seemed staged perfectly (either rushed considerably or drawn out slowly) and natural progression was tossed out in order to leave everything hanging at the end.
I love the show, and this episode wasn’t all that terrible on its own. But it wasn’t, how do you say, ah yes, satisfying - in terms of excitement or any type of resolution.
Disagree with me? Were you stunned and awed during Cordelia’s ascension? Did you watch with open-mouthed shock when Angel was dumped overboard? Or were you. like me, left with the feeling of being strung along for too long now? Take the time to stop by the boards and let me know!
So what does tomorrow really hold for our gang? Unfortunately we’ll have to wait more than just a day to find out for sure. Until then, be sure to check back here at ScoopMe! as the Angel season wrap will be posted sometime within the next week. The boards work year-round and everyone is welcome to continue discussion regarding all things Angel for the entire summer!
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Post by Dalton on Feb 2, 2004 1:23:09 GMT -5
The Year A.B.: Not Together Again
by Josh Buckman 5/28/2002
Well, folks, it’s the end of another year at Angel Investigations and what a ride it has been! Right now, it looks like the gang is in serious trouble. Lorne and Groo have hit the road, Wesley is flirting with the dark side, Cordelia has ascended to Joss-knows-where and Angel lies at the bottom of the sea. Only the less-than-dynamic duo of Fred and Gunn remain to carry on.
How did that happen? I thought Angel season finales brought the troubled group backed together and reaffirmed their status as a family unit and the "nothing-we-can’t-face" theme?
Well, in the past it has been true. While we only have two seasons to compare this one too, we know that the gang usually goes through a fire-trial period during the middle of season only to reemerge as a well-oiled demon-fighting machine.
Not this time. This time, it all fell apart.
There’s no more mission to really speak of. There was an occasional helping of an innocent person, but most of the time Angel was too busy drooling over Cordelia, protecting Darla or dealing with his kid. There were fewer bad guys of the week and Holtz and Justine joined Darla and Wolfram & Hart as long-term enemies. There was also a lot more romance, considering the Angel/Cordelia, Cordelia/Groo, Wesley/Fred, Fred/Gunn, and even Justine/Holtz (eww!) pairings.
While this shift in focus may make the show feel less episodic, it skirts the dangerous territory of becoming too Dawson’s Creeky, where the love-angst drives the show.
Does this change have anything to do with Buffy being on a different network? It is very possible. For instance, big time Angel/Buffy shippers have had to face the fact that crossovers are now impossible, which increases the likelihood that both heroes will move on in the romance in department. Now Angel is free to lust over his once-sisterly coworker. And hey, since there are no more Buffy guest appearances, why not just make a new Buffy out of Cordelia? Chop the hair, dye it blond, give her an overly-righteous attitude and some super powers and Voila! Sure, she may never pass for Buffy’s twin, but you must admit she now only vaguely resembles that girl from Sunnydale girl we all knew and loved.
Don’t get me wrong. There is still some really good baddie-of-the-week action. Take for instance the big-brained bad guy torturing Cordelia, forcing Angel to choose between freeing an evil demon or letting her die. There was also the unforgettable "Billy," one of the creepiest hours of television Angel has ever brought us (in which Alexis Denisoff really showed off his acting chops).
However, most (notice I said most, not all) of the episode baddies had nothing to do with the old Angel Investigation’s mission to help the helpless. When they did start taking on cases again, it was mainly to help pad Connor’s college fund, not to provide a service.
What does this mean? Well, it means that the gang has enough internal drama to drive the show and the storylines. It also means that one of the core principles the show was built on has been seriously downplayed. No wonder Cordelia was taken off into the heavens; who needs her visions if they aren’t going to have the time to go help people?
Many critics have claimed this shift in format has really helped Angel to separate itself from its parent show and given it legs of its own. While I concur that it has given us a mostly excellent season, what has it done to each member of the Bat Pack individually?
Wesley
Sure, his intentions were good. He was trying to help Angel and his kid out. But because of his hurt regarding the Fred and Gunn situation (and the lack of Cordelia), he kept a really important prophecy to himself and acted on his own. Now he is unwelcome at Angel Investigations and is at least contemplating becoming one of their numerous enemies. See what disregarding the team unit will get you?
Cordelia
Our Lady Cordy has kind of a built-in obligation to keep the mission on her mind: the visions. However, she was able to put aside any obligations regarding the visions and take an extended trip with Groo. In the meantime, Angel’s kid was stolen and she received the worst make-over in the history of the BTVS universe. Now she’s been elevated to some higher-being status making us all wonder what she’s done to deserve such an "honor."
Angel
For someone with so many deaths on his conscience, he is always the first to be distracted from his original goal of redemption. First there was his little crush on Cordelia, then Darla and her pregnancy, then his human offspring. His disregard for the mission not only kept him from helping people, but it also ended up costing an innocent man his life. It’s another life lost because of Angel’s actions. Does it really even bother him anymore?
Gunn/Fred
Combined, these two have been the most vocal about remaining focused. Fred’s always pointing out how the mission could best be served and Gunn’s whole life is dedicated to stopping evil nasties. However, they’ve been more than a little distracted by their infatuation with each other. Now they’ve lost the rest of the crew and are on their own. Now that I think of it, that might just be exactly what they want.
Lorne and Groo have gone looking for greener pastures, the investigative team is in shambles, ConSteve and Justine are on the loose and most viewers were left with a bad taste in their mouth after the season finale. While we understand that conflict drives a show, and some of the best conflict comes from within, there is also a certain satisfaction from knowing that everyone is getting along and working well together toward the common goal. I can’t help but hope that the group will soon return to standing together against the world. In a cold and lonely place like L.A., full of evil demons and shady people, if you haven’t got your friends, what have you got?
Although it is very tempting, you can’t judge an entire season by its finale. While the group may be in shambles now, there were plenty of times that the gang was getting along and fighting one kind of evil or another. I leave you now with a list of just a few of the season highlights (from when the gang was supertight and when it was not) and invite you to post your own on the boards.
Darla sacrificing herself for her baby The showdown between Angel, Wolfram & Hart, Holtz and Sahjahn Wesley stalking Fred in the hotel The Bat Pack doing the cool walking pose for the first time after getting Angel’s body back from Marcus. Wesley comforting Angel after Groo returned Pretty much anything Lorne said or did. Cordelia’s magnificent ascension (just kidding!). Thanks for sticking around for another season of Angel! We hope that you’ll be back here in the fall to continue on the journey with the whole ScoopMe! crew. Until then, freely post any comments regarding the article or the season as you see fit. It’s a long wait until the reruns are over, so don’t forget to pass the time here all summer long!
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