New episode tonight! And it's directed by Joss Whedon, too, so 90% chance it will be one of the best Angel episodes ever. I know that some people are cautious about anything related to ballet, and some aren't too happy with Angel/Cordelia, but I think Joss can pull it off...

Very good episode. Jealous Angel? hahahaha. You know hes going to fight hard for Cordy.

So Angel meets Moulin Rogue/Ballet. Actually, there was something really sad about that dancer's plight. For some odd reason, my nose got all stopped up and stuffy. Weird.

Line of the night: Ballet - where guys with big a$$ packages jump up and down.

2nd best line of the night - I only feel alive when you're inside me.

Poor Wesley, I knew he was going to get heartbroken, but he's destined to be the other guy.

Gunn is feeling no pain.

Fred looked awesome all gussied up.

Cordy and Angel had so much setup of their eventual pairing, but of course the Grusilage shows up at the most inopportune time. Poor Angel.

I've always slightly favored Angel over Buffy, and tonite was even better. You could really see and hear that Whedon sparkle. Fred was gorgeous, and her and Gunn should really make an interesting couple.

Cordy seemed to jump at Gru awful quickly though, maybe a little too quickly?

And when are we going to wee Cordy's demon side?

And during the "next time on Angel" did anyone catch that music? It sounds like the stuff Cartoon Network plays over their Adult Swim eye-catchers. Is that an actual song?

What a great episode. A painful one, emotionally, but a great one nonetheless.

Who thinks Wesley is going to turn gay now? I think so unless Angel Investigations hires another female employee. Faith perhaps?

I've complained about Gunn before because they never do anything with him. Here's hoping something interesting happens along with his romance. Or they're just building him up for the kill.

Angel/Cordy - would be one couple too many and now I guess it may be one triangle too many. We'll see where they're going.

Pretty good episode and here we were, all afraid Angel would wear a tu-tu.

The best Angel episode I've seen in a long time. In fact I'd say it's the best of both shows this season even the Buffy singing episode. Both Fred and Cordy looked very good. I'm glad they are finally developing Gunn's character I think he has alot of unused potential. I'm dying to see how they are going to handle an Angel Cordy relationship but I guess were going to have to wait a while for that

It’s too bad that we have to muddle through insipid writing to get to an episode like this. It just shows that a) Joss has still got it and b) we’re being shortchanged in the long run.

Cordy misunderstanding who Fred had the hots for – typical Cordy like “back in the day.”

Angel having to cover up his “wood.” Reminds me of when that would happen 2 minutes before the end of class “back in the day.” .” [I am SO getting tired of that phrase!]

I’m not sure that I like the soap opera tone this is/has been leading into. I think that, with all the magical influences on the characters’ emotions, this episode could stand alone. But the sexual undertone of the series has been increasing, so it seems obvious this is where we’re going. Let’s have a gang bang in the hotel lobby, but remember to kill a few demons to justify the show.

What happened to the dark, brooding Angel we fell in love with? What’s with all this innuendo and ass-grabbing that’s going on? I mean, I like titillation as much as the next guy, but what’s next? Angel getting nekkid a la Spike?

Next season: Angel moves to HBO…

best episode in a while

they're finally finally gonna put some emphasis on angel's relationship with cordy. here's hoping that everything turns out ok next week. I'm already planning on watching next week because in the trailer,

The next new episode is in 2 weeks! Damn!

Did someone say "soap opera?" Because that's precisely how Angel has felt for quite some time. Aside from a few cheap-n-easy sex gags (and some nice Joker-inspired makeup on the magical replicating goons), last night's episode played out like some wide-screen version of "The Young and the Restless."

First strike: the tedious Angel "baby" storyline - that conveniently gets shoved to the background whenever the day-to-day responsibilities of taking care of a real baby would harsh the "pow-wham-bang" adventures of the gallivanting supernatural detectives. Mark my words: if that baby isn't disposed of soon, it'll be the Achilles heel of the entire series. Who wants to watch a 200 year old vampire diaper a toddler? Not I.

Second strike: love triangles upon love triangles. Cordy/Angel? Wesley/Fred/Gunn? Have I just accidentally tuned into a particularly saccarhine episode of "Dawson's Creek?" The Cordy/Angel attraction couldn't feel MORE FORCED. Nowhere in Joss' vampire-verse is the network split more pronounced than in this completely unbelievable pairing. Since we can no longer mention or reference her "slayerness" anymore, naturally we'll throw the two male and female leads at one another in a desperate stab at upping the romance quotient of the series. (Flashbacks to the last few Duchovny-full seasons of "The X-Files.") What a chintzy cop-out. And to make matters worse, just when you think they've expunged the Pylea from the series, it pops back up in all its cheesy, low-budget medieval-ness.

As for Fred/Gunn - Fred was never anything more than a stuttering nuisance. She contributes nothing to the crime-fighting "unit" (aside from being the designated vampire/demon bait) and simply serves as a constant reminder of that left-turn-to-irrelevance-ville that was the whole Pylea storyline. She and Gunn - the once-mysterious-stranger-now-turned-slapstick-comedy-relief - positively deserve each other. (Now if they could only find a magic shop of their own to occupy permanently, while throwing snarky sitcom one-liners at each other in the heat of planning their wedding - then we'd have a perfect mirror image of the aimless B-story on "Buffy." And be sure to add in an undercurrent of potential Dark Phoenix-y-ness with Wes, stemming from his spurning and voila: instant clone series!) The point of the Fred/Gunn fling better be to deepen the characterization of Wesley. If Wes' jealousy and hurt magically vanish with nary a consequence for the team as a whole, then why bother?

Potential third strike: (echoing a popular sentiment of the Buffy critics) the lack of a strong villain. Remove the attack/defend/re-attack volleys with Wolfram & Hart and the "champion" prophecy story-threads and what are you left with? Not a hell of a lot. The sense of adventure and honest-to-god DANGER that was present in the second season has now completely dissipated. Almost 2/3rds of the episodes take place in that drab green lobby space. Lots of semi-humorous chatter and weapon choosing scenes, followed by smart-alecky comments about the difficulty of defeating the demon-of-the-week post-battle. Did the WB suddenly halve the series' budget this season as retribution for not being able to keep "Buffy?" "Angel" needs to hop back on the "good vs. evil" wagon-train. And pronto.

Otherwise it's just treading water.

AND

Quote:

Potential third strike: (echoing a popular sentiment of the Buffy critics) the lack of a strong villain. Remove the attack/defend/re-attack volleys with Wolfram & Hart and the "champion" prophecy story-threads and what are you left with? Not a hell of a lot. The sense of adventure and honest-to-god DANGER that was present in the second season has now completely dissipated.

Holtz seems to be the big "danger" in this season, and I've got a sneaking suspicion that we're going to see him deal with the baby. Since Angel killed his kid, I wouldn't be surprised if Holtz tried to take Angel's baby from him (or even forced Angel to kill it somehow, like Holtz had to).



I liked Pylea. In any case, I don't think you'd ever get rid of Pylea from the series as long as the Host still has some ties to it.

CaptainMarvel, Joss hasn't got the stones to kill off the kid.








So, grunter, what did you REALLY think?

Nidely worded!

Don't get me wrong. I think this was a great episode. Problem is, I just don't know where the series "Angel" has gone, and what that is they're showing in its place. They need to show more skin.

I am appalled at the thought of Angel and Cordy together. He belongs with BUFFY!!!!! Yet another reason the split to UPN sucks. I prefer tormented Angel - there's just something about him when he's brooding and dangerous. That being said, I ended up LOVING last night's episode, because oh my god, it's been WAY too long since I've gotten to see David Boreanaz in all his sexy glory. And if I pretended it wasn't Cordy, that scene was hot to the 10th degree.

And I couldn't feel sorrier for poor Wes. I too hope that his sorrow and anger (hopefully?) turn into something for the team to deal with - a darker side to Wes.

Sorry - still don't like Fred that much, though she bugged me less last night than in a while. Love Gunn though, so if it makes him happy, I'm all for it. Also love Lorne - his little song cracked me up.

When the heck did Cordelia turn into a champion? When she turned part demon? If thats the case then Angel needs to give her some more damn fighting lessons so she can start fighting like a champion.

I will roll with anything and accept whatever they do, but Angel belongs with Buffy. Can't you just hear the Season 2 love theme?

Oh, and Cordelia as a chamion can probably be traced trough three seasons of visions that almost killed her.

das

Sorry B/A 'shippers, I think "Buffy and Angel 4-evah" is not gonna happen.

They grew apart and moved on. And not even because of a network split, it happened when Angel went to L.A. They had something amazing, and it's over now.

Say it with me..."let it go".....

This was a good Angel ep, one of the best in awhile. Glad to see the show start moving forward a bit, and get away from the baby and Holtz...

I would agree with you, draven-X, if they were any other people/characters. For most people, I'd say move on already.

But Buffy and Angel are each other's true love, in the purest sense of the word. Neither is actually going to be with anyone in the long run, imo, because they can't be with each other. Their relationships with everyone else are lesser, more physical things. The best example of this is the fact that Angel still has a soul even though now he has a son - even his own CHILD can't give him one moment of pure happiness, but love with Buffy can. Consequently they can't be together (he'd lose his soul). But as solitary heroes surrounded by friends, they will remain tormented because they can never have a normal life, and can never be with the one they love.

Not that I don't think they should have "lesser" relationships (if only to survive - people need physical love) but with Cordy, they made it seem *too* important (2 champions coming together). Thus my problem with it.

Though I do agree that Cordy has become a champion in her own right, as have Gunn and Wesley. She's just not supposed to be with Angel.

(but my boyfriend agrees with you - he keeps reminding me in a not-so-subtle way that with the network split I'm sol - I don't listen to him, either. )

[Wizdar resists the obvious comment...]

Uh, did you watch the episode FOREVER where Angel came to see Buffy after her mother's death? That was only last year. They haven't grown apart yet.

Also, who knows what happened at the meeting earlier this season. Angel didn't want to talk about it and Buffy said it was "intense"

You've never had a moment of "relapse" with an ex? I didn't say that they don't have a connection, or that they don't still have feelings for one another. But I highly doubt the series will end with a "Buffy Wedding" with a human Angel and a smiling Slayer driving away on their honeymoon.

It just ain't gonna happen...