"Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsmtsm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:c187f73d-45d5-456a-835b-3a16336b38b6@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>A reminder: Step one is getting rid of these threads... no. Step one
> is "poof." And then there are no more steps.
But of course you show no mercy.
> ANGEL
> Season Three, Episode 9: "Lullaby"
> I don't really notice direction and framing all that much - if they're
> good enough, I'm in the scene, rather than thinking about how it's
> shot. So I don't actually know if "Lullaby" is a particularly
> "cinematic" episode, but I remember it that way because of its
> content.
It's not bombastic like some of the famous AtS episodes are, though
blowing
up the Caritas does provide some fun flash/bang. And it doesn't have
arresting images like the sky raining fire, though raining rain in an
alley
with a baby on the ground has a potency to it.
It's not strong on the impressionistic image commonly associated with a
cinematic production, but it very effectively visualizes the narrative in
a
way you don't get in other mediums. Darla muttering and fighting with
herself in the car while a battle swirls around her is something you
really
need to see to fully appreciate. The whole closing sequence with Holtz
letting Angel walk by and Sahjhan imploring Holtz to kill Angel works well
as a visual whole with its multiple elements of setting and individual
perspectives taken in all together. I imagine that wouldn't work the same
way in written form. In this somewhat more mundane sense, I think the
episode is very cinematic, generally visually expressing it's ideas very
effectively. Holtz is commanding with his unnerving calm, always seeming
to
make a grand entrance. Darla all run down, in pain, and kind of pissed
off
about it - classic Darla - is largely a visual experience. And so on. I
think it's a pretty well filmed episode. It's just not filmed "big".
> How can Holtz and Angel coming face-to-face again or the
> slow-motion grenade rolling into Caritas not be cinematic, provided
> they're not low-budget enough to make me notice anything amiss? This
> "theoretically cinematic" idea applies more than ever during the final
> few minutes.
No need to think of it as theoretic. Those are trained professionals
producing that conclusion. Don't try this at home.
> This may only rank third in the category of "most
> memorable episode endings set in an alley during a torrential
> downpour," but that's entirely due to the company it keeps. What a
> send-off for Darla, making an archetype as potentially trite as the
> noble mother's sacrifice into the culmination of Darla's journey as
> she feels her humanity slipping away again. (I still would've liked
> one strategically placed line referencing early S2, though.)
Do you have a line in mind? I watched with the S2 background in mind this
time, and I see what you mean about that missing. I think I was more
struck
by that in the rooftop scene when the problem was explained. Especially
when talking about never having felt love before. That may not exactly be
wrong, especially this kind of love, but it still seems to sell The Trial
short. Something about that ought to inform her now. Though I suppose
one
might argue that she also has a closeness to Angel in these last scenes
that
depend on that past.
> What a
> great visual when she stakes herself, the last in a series of "almost
> obvious in retrospect" surprises she's provided during this arc.
Just in time plotting where things move along just fast enough for
resolutions to occur a step ahead of you figuring them out. I think the
relative compactness of this Darla arc is a real blessing. I don't think
it
could withstand being drawn out. The audacity of scripting Angel to have
a
baby works best while you're still reeling at the notion. I really like
how
Connor is suddenly just there. Ready or not.
> And
> what a way to establish the kind of adversary Holtz is going to be -
> always able to simulate mercy when he imagines there's more pain to
> deliver (and you can't knock it, given how well it ends up working).
The miracle birth is an obvious kind of ending spot, but of course they go
with something darker. The miracle of this season is how effective they
are
at putting the baby into the dark story, and then getting rid of it before
the audience really gets sick of it.
> The build-up to it all (both in flashback and in the present) mostly
> capitalizes on the rising momentum inherited from "Quickening" and
> just keeps going, without neglecting the need for Lilah and Sahjahn to
> quip or to use Gunn as a security-system tester. I can't quite
> upgrade "Lullaby" to Excellent, because its pivotal scenes in acts two
> and three go a bit heavy on the ****tentious talking and mild
> overacting, and a bit slower than necessary on the movement. There's
> plenty left to make it pretty obviously the best episode of the first
> half of the season, though.
> Rating: Good
I'll go with the Excellent. I know what you mean about a few of the
scenes
being a bit overdone, but it's not enough to put me off much, while the
good
stuff really gets me going. Darla's conundrum over being fed by Connor's
soul, and her solution of death by dusting are just way cool ideas. I
also
like how Darla grasps immediately the poetic justice of Holtz showing up
then. It's a nice lead in to Holtz's realization of where to aim his
vengeance. Though, of course, the flashback to Holtz's daughter's death
does some heavy lifting of its own. Terrific episode.
> Season Three, Episode 10: "Dad"
> I'm better disposed towards this episode than I really should be.
> Cloying cutesy comedy is of course not my thing, which is what "Dad"
> leans towards at both the end and the awful, awful beginning
> ****tions.
The first half of Dad represented the greatest fear come true of what
introducing a baby to Angel might mean. Even if you cut into they cloying
aspect, it still demonstrates how it's nigh on impossible to have a baby
on
a show without the baby being the story. But a baby could never be what
AtS
is about - not if it's going to succeed anyway.
So this was hard to take initially. But then, it turns out that they
mostly
got it out of their system in the first 20 minutes. There's some goo goos
to come, but the worst is now past. Now that I know that, watching the
first part of this episode has become a fairly benign experience for me.
I
kind of like how vamp face calms the baby. And, as cloying as it all is,
I
think the whole sequence plays true to Angel's character.
I can't say that I really like this part, but it's easier now for me to
enjoy the rest of the episode. Oh, and a good word for the baby stroller
power walk.
> Angel's ultimate plan once the episode resolves into a
> chase story is really kinda stupid when you sit down and think about
> it.
I think the broad idea of diverting fire away from the baby and then
strong
arming W&H into providing protection by proxy is pretty good. The chosen
staging kind of sucks though. Especially the cheap wimpy slow motion car
chase. It's not a well filmed episode. There's some really crappy
editing
in one of the longer talking sections too. I hope M.E. came in way under
budget this episode. It sure feels like a blue light special.
> But I can't think of this episode without remembering bit after
> bit that works great. Lorne joining the group and actually being
> useful. Lilah's all-nighter.
"I'm files and records. It's my job." Cute idea. And it doesn't get run
into the ground.
> Linwood's killer soliloquy over the
> video feed.
His fondness for children? Yeah, that's good. Still not fond of him
elsewhere. I just can't buy into him successfully wielding power. I'm
finding Gavin more entertaining this time though. Maybe I'll soften my
negative attitude towards his character.
> Perhaps best of all,
No perhaps about it for me. Best part of the episode. Perhaps especially
because of the way it undercuts the cutesy atmosphere set by Connor. The
contrast may emphasize the underlying menace of Holtz plotting in the
background.
> the introduction of the deliciously
> ****ed-up Evil Watcher/student relation****p between Holtz and Justine,
> as our villain finally meets someone else who can command the viewer's
> attention in every scene without needing to develop a facial
> expression other than "glower."
LOL But oddly, I find myself really caring about Justine. One of the
most
tragic characters of either series. This is a nice intro. You do get the
sense of how there's nothing to her life. Is this sort of like what Buffy
threatens to become? (I guess you'd have to get rid of the vengeance
motivation.)
> Wesley and Gunn living the buddy-movie thing is a vibe I wish we'd
> seen more of, and speaking of which, I really like the way the
> carnival of stupidity that surrounds the hotel is ****trayed. We
> talked about this during the discussion of "Spiral" this time, but now
> I remember that this comparison was in my original review too. "The
> gathering of enemies is suitably apocalyptic; the impending fights do
> feel like a big deal, with the characters looking like they're facing
> the end of the world. Tied with the banality of it, which is played
> well (this is the way the Knights Who Slay Key should've been handled,
> BTW). I mean, one of the biggest threats is a group of demons who
> want the Miracle Child to test out new recipes. Yet they're committed
> enough to it to be deadly... assuming the various monsters don't all
> kill each other fighting over who gets to kill the god guys, that is."
Not much effort went into the fighting though.
> A few tidbits of continuity **** I missed originally: Holtz is seen
> browsing the "Demons, Demons, Demons" database and "The Scourge" is
> listed as a possible enemy of lil' Connor.
> Rating: Decent
Fair enough. I'll say the same.
> Season Three, Episode 11: "Birthday"
> Cordelia gets surprisingly little to do this year, outside of this
> ****tion of the season where she gets a few big episodes en route to a
> glowy new direction. I have to wonder how far in advance the writers
> had things worked out with her accepting the demon;
I surely don't know, but it seems to me that with some weird powers
(starting with her floating this episode) leading to the season close that
they at least had the outline of a Jasmine possession in mind. The
details
I'm sure had a lot of work to be done.
> a lot of
> "Birthday" plays as if, at the time, it was meant to be taken at face
> value.
And I think a considerable amount should be taken at face value.
Cordelia's
behavior is, I believe, true throughout this episode. That's the main
story
right here and now. Not the secret manipulation.
> Yet, although the new viewer may not know what their
> motivation is - ultimately-helpful or sinister - there are definitely
> hints here and there if you look hard enough that Skip and his bosses
> may have very carefully manufactured this false reality to force Cordy
> into the choice she makes. That'd also explain away a few of the
> nagging continuity details and let us focus more on how the living
> react to the near-death and learning what led up to it. And of course
> how Cordy makes a decision that feels so right and ends up as... well,
> you know. It's an interesting one to watch again with fresh eyes
> after having seen S4, in any case.
The S4 implications are certainly tantalizing. However, I'd like to put
in
a good word for the way the slightly false feeling of much of this episode
has a near term explanation to misdirect you from the long term. The
first
time I saw this, Skip's play and how it affected Cordelia seemed like a
sham
to me. But then it seems to be resolved by making it look like a way to
simply manipulate Cordelia into making the sacrifice of becoming part
demon.
I don't know why Cordelia needs to volunteer for that (or Jasmine
possession) - she didn't volunteer for the visions - but I guess that's
how
the magic works. It sure conned me.
In retrospect, I think the biggest clues to something else going on are
Cordy's floating and painless vision. (Even Doyle got headaches.)
> I like the premise of Angel's
> issues leaving him and everyone worse off in the world where he gets
> the visions.
I'm kind of indifferent to that - and not certain how true it is. His
team
is still out there fighting demons. I think they must be doing something
good.
I look at the contrast being tied more to Angel's words to the Conduit.
"She doesn't have what it takes to do this!" (And more of that ilk.)
Angel's assumptions don't hold up. He's not as strong as he thinks he is.
And Cordy comes back stronger than him - in this sense anyway.
I don't much like the crazy Angel scene. The idea's OK, but the play of
it
annoys me. However, I really like the concluding kiss - not so much for
the
romance angle, but for the way Cordy acts to take back the visions.
There's
a whole lot of character history behind this to make it work. (I think
you
spoke a little of that in your old review.) Just, for example, her
attitude
towards the visions in Pylea. The show has spent years building up the
notion that the visions truly belong to Cordy and have defined the person
she has become. Related to that is the coincident development of how much
she is willing to put up with - contrary to her rich girl upbringing - in
service to the cause. I remember being struck by a low level example of
that back in S1 when she's cleaning up demon remains in a subway without
even a shrug.
Her certainty of who she is and indifference to sacrifice beautifully
leads
up to her acceptance of Skip's demon offer. (Skip is almost holding his
breath on that. Which is kind of funny because he probably could have
made
the offer right off the bat and have Cordy accept it just as easily. But
I
don't blame him for expecting to have to do more of a sales job.) Like
you,
I'm not convinced any of this is a good choice for the character in the
future, but right here I think it's exceptionally well constructed, fully
utilizing character development over the course of years. This is a
character peak for her in my eyes. It's when I most bought into her
dedication to being vision girl.
As cool as all that is, there's also the way it's tied into the special
link
between Cordy and Angel.
Angel: I'm more afraid of her dying than she is. - What is that?
Love, of course. And there are a number of things pointing at possible
Angel/Cordy romance this episode. (Plus a couple sweet hints at
Fred/Gunn.)
But that quote also speaks to Cordy's courage and Angel's dependency on
her - the way he feels linked to her. The love itself speaks to far more
than just romance.
I'm not going to list all the ways their personal connection manifests,
but
that surely is a big part of Cordy being drawn to Angel huddled in his
corner obsessing on the same address that Cordy has been and wrote on the
wall by possessing Angel's body.
> On the whole, I've said that in retrospect I'm not so
> sure that the spiritual martyr route played to Cordelia's strengths as
> a character, and further opined that it helped expose Carpenter's
> limitations as an actor (which had been clear to me since BTVS S1,
> when everyone except me adored the character).
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not her acting range they adored.
But I agree with your greater point. I like her performance this episode
though.
> At this point in the
> series, though, it builds on what's come before and makes quite a bit
> of sense. This is also an episode on the low end of its rating clade
> for me, but it ends up holding steady.
> Rating: Good
It's a somewhat better Good for me. I don't like the play of the episode
sometimes. There's something - awkward about it or something. Not as
much
fun as it sometimes feels it ought to be. Meeting up with alternate
reality
Wesley and Gunn, for example, is fun, but feels like there could
have/should
have been more to it. That just keeps it from Excellent. The Cordelia
character play, sup****ted by the Angel connection, really raise this
episode. Plus there are a few neat fun moments on the side. And finally
all the musing about S4 that make this a very rich episode for
re-watching.
Since re-watching is all I get now, that counts a lot for me.
Now for the obligatory Jasmine speculation. I'm actually kind of confused
about what exactly is going on between now and the end of the season, but
a
couple of working theories include Jasmine possessing her now rather than
as
a higher being. (Of course that complicates why she has to ascend, but
nothing's really explained.) For (creepy) fun, one might imagine the
alternate reality Angel as Jasmine in disguise and the vision thing
exchange
as the moment of possession. (Skip's part was some kind of fini****ng
spell
based on Cordy's acceptance.)
More interesting to me is wondering about the PTB. Angel's trip to the
Conduit suggests that they expect Cordelia to die here. By my theory,
Jasmine not only breaks the vision connection, but times it so that the
PTB
is unaware that it happens. (I also don't tend to think of Jasmine as
real
PTB - not the part actively using Angel as champion anyway. Kind of
depends
on how one defines PTB.) I think of the PTB's connection to the earthly
plain as tenuous and not fully aware. I think it takes a long time for
them
to realize something is awry. (Probably Apocalypse, Nowish.) And then
they
struggle to reconnect (no vision girl), eventually settling for Darla's
spirit.
> Additional comments on S3D3: There's a rare chance for writers to
> explain what they were going for and why it failed in the commentary
> for "Birthday"'s mercifully deleted _Cordy!_ scene, without
> contaminating the episode itself with any of the residue.
That thing really is bad, isn't it?
> At this point, S3 was (almost) an exactly even number of hits and
> misses for me. Until I downgraded TOGOM during this Second Look, I
> didn't assign any ratings other than a near-alternation of Decents and
> Goods. _Angel_ persists in being a mostly enjoyable show in spite of
> any problems it may have, and one which sometimes frustrates in the
> fact that it's not more than "mostly" enjoyable. That's because it
> clearly has the potential to make magic happen on a regular basis,
> like it did during most of its "Darla arc" periods. And it's almost
> getting to be that time when those of us who stuck with this series
> through its rougher stretches will get richly rewarded.
Well... As individual episodes, the season to date isn't overwhelming.
But
it's already a season pu****ng the envelope well beyond what we've seen. A
mystical vampire pregnancy leading to Angel having a human son. (That
whole
sequence is kind of constant craziness.) Cordy going part demon. I
definitely had the sense that the season was careening along only sort of
in
control, but somehow not off the rails. Of course that sensation will
grow.
OBS
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