Angel 4x14-15: "Release" and "Orpheus" - "Uh oh -- vampire with a gun" - The Five-Minute Forums

Zeke · #1 03-25-2003, 10:46 PM

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ost_uid0]With new [i

ost_uid0]Buffy[/i

ost_uid0] and [i

ost_uid0]Angel[/i

ost_uid0] eps tonight, it's time I got my act together and posted those comments I've been promising.

Simply put, the Angelus arc has been an [i

ost_uid0]Angel[/i

ost_uid0] fanboy's dream. We had two episodes of Angelus doing what he does best -- emotionally shredding Angel's friends -- followed by the long-awaited return of Faith, the conclusion of Wesley/Lilah, the beginning of an explanation for Cordelia's twisted storyline, even more insight into Angel's past, the biggest crossover with BVS since "Sanctuary", Angel and Angelus finally getting to bash the crap out of each other in person... toss in Kate and Lindsey and the fanfic writers might as well just pack it in. That doesn't mean there weren't problems; aren't there always? But thanks to a combination of good writing and good timing (Eliza Dushku wasn't available till this year), we've covered more bases in five episodes than most shows even have.

I think my main disappointment was Angelus' relative tameness this time around. Last time he was loose, he murdered Jenny Calendar, tortured Giles, and very nearly destroyed the world. This time, the only person we saw him kill was a bad guy, and while he did a lot of threatening, Faith was the only one he hurt much (and she heals like Wolverine). He did at least take advantage of Lilah's death to mess with Wesley, but all things considered, he caused a lot more pain from inside the cage.

That's not a bad thing itself -- it underlines how dangerous Angelus's mind is, how deep and cutting his insight into human nature. But in some ways, it makes things too easy for Angel now. He spent most of BVS's third season dealing with the pain he'd caused his friends, for which some of them never really forgave him. This time he has nothing more than usual to make up for, and it feels like a missed opportunity. Take Gunn, for example -- he knows consciously that Angel's not to blame for anything Angelus does, so he won't hold the latter's contempt and racism against the former, but what if Angelus had hurt Fred or even killed her? That wouldn't be so easy to forgive. What it boils down to is that Angelus didn't do anything to the good guys that Angel can't undo, and dramatically speaking, that's a shame.

Then there's Faith. I wish she could have stuck around longer (I think she's more interesting as an [i

ost_uid0]Angel[/i

ost_uid0] character now), but what we got was certainly worth seeing. On a series without a Slayer, it's easy to forget just how much ass they kick -- and the fact that Angelus kicked even more was one more reminder of just how bad Angel used to be, how much evil he has to make up for (and also why the Powers chose him out of all the fighters in the world to be their champion). On the character front, Faith's most important interaction was with Wesley, of course, but we also saw a fun rapport with Gunn and a tantalizing look at the effect she could have on Connor. It's sad that we probably won't see her on this series again; since she would have to die for one of the Potential Slayers to be activated, it doesn't look like she'll survive the [i

ost_uid0]Buffy[/i

ost_uid0] finale.

I have a lot more to say about these episodes, but I need to head home now for a little tutoring work. After that, the new BVS and [i

ost_uid0]Angel[/i

ost_uid0] are on, so I'll start those threads.[/color

ost_uid0]