Episode Review A:TS 4.02 & 4.03

[kangeiko]

Blah blah blah Cordy woe Cordy blah blah.

On the other hand, Lilah/Wesley =officially the hottest thing ever.

This episode felt a lot slower than the others, and quite different, in a way, because of the Gwen dream sequence / flashbacks. It felt a lot more like an X-File, actually, 'cause you had this big mystery build-up around what Gwen actually is, and then it sort of chickened out of making her be tragic or a victim, I think. She ends up being a professional thief/bad-ass. Right, 'cause she's not going to end up in a govt super-bunker? They managed it with Magneto and she's certainly contained in that lift, so I don't really see the problem. On a slight tangent, that was what I really liked about Supreme Power: the govt sees a child that is extraordinary gifts, they will not let them disappear. Instead, much like B:tVS's S1 Invisible Girl, they're going to recruit them.

Also, I really wasn't a fan of the skin-tight red pvc outfit. It looked like a bad cross between Glory and Faith's outfits and was more out of place than Sydney Bristow's usual spy getup. It really is a shame, 'cause I actually liked Gwen a lot. I liked the background we had on her, I liked how she wasn't sure whether or not she was a freak when a little kid, and how she's certain of it later, and I liked how dependent she could have become on Angel if she'd been able to get close to him. Of course, she can't, 'cause he's looking for Cordy. I suspect that we'll have Gwen come back at some point later, though, because 1) I vaguely recall people squeeing about some Gunn-related electro-girl? Unless there's another one? and, more importantly, 2) we got the background info on her. Not just the background info, but good old-fashioned flashbacks to make us empathise. We didn't get that with the blind girl in S1 or with the telekinetic girl, for that matter. We do get some homelife with, erm, the werewolf girl in S5 (I forget her name), and those flashbacks did take a while to get through, so she's coming back, I reckon.

The plot itself was a bit weak, IMO. Angel wants to find Cordy - Angel needs thingie to find Cordy - Angel gets thingie and snogs girl along the way - Cordy turns out to be in heaven. Like Once More, With Feeling, only without any of the fun or songs. The growth of the characters felt a bit forced, which is a problem as the episode was slow going because I suspect that they needed time to be emotional. After the action-packed season opener, we needed to find out how Fred&Gunn were coping, how Angel was recovering, what Lilah was planning, how Wesley was doing - and, in my opinion, we didn't get much of any of them, which is a shame. I liked Fred's bout of tears, because she's reached the end of her tether (strangely, I didn't view that as playing the damsel in distress, but, rather, as someone completely stressed out), even though the "you died and left me alone!" bit seemed a bit out of place. I also liked Angel and Wesley's brief conversation about Cordelia as Angel says that everything is now fine - and then realises that it isn't. Wesley isn't fine. Wesley might never be fine again. At the moment, Angel is preoccupied with finding Cordy, but after that, I fully expect him to extend the olive branch to Wes - or try to fix him in some way.

The Angel/Lilah conversation was spot on, and Angel's expression when he says "I can smell you all over each other" is hilarious - which is odd, because the conversation is actually quite dark when you think about why they're both there. He's found a handle, and he's twisting it until it comes off. And Lilah - Lilah is slowly being pushed into a corner. We saw last episode what happens when she's pushed into a corner; out of a confrontation between Lilah and Angel, though, we know who's going to come out on top. And it's sort of sad.

The Lilah/Wesley sex scene was just hot beyond measure. Have we ever seen any of the Jossverse characters give head? I mean, ever? So, double plus good.

I had more on this episode but, overall, it left me feeling a little bit cold. It had some lovely moments, but it still only merits a 5.5/10 on the Joss-scale of goodness.

*


Ah, ha! Something was going on with Lorne!

Now, this episode is also a bit of a shame 'cause it made me realise that I actually don't like Gunn & Fred as a team (or a couple, for that matter). In fact, Fred in a couple tends to lead to complete obliviousness to everything else that is going on around them.

Hmmm. Nope, nothing else to say about this one. I liked Lorne in it (and Angel's incessant name-dropping was funny), and that's why it's getting that extra half-point to give it a 5.5/10. Coulda been so much more, but it came out as a bit formulaic instead.


So, all in all, a bit of a let-down after the season opener. But, at least the gang's all back together, so I hope that the next few episodes perk up...

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, Gwen will be back, repeatedly. I quite like her, but Ground State isn't an episode I watched more than twice (once originally, once during my first s4 rewatch), either. What interested me on the rewatch re: the whole Cordy thing is that you know, she's actually not. In heaven, that is. She's with Jasmine (which you know since you know the broad outlines of the season). Knowing that, the whole "heaven" glowy effect becomes interestingly creepy instead of trite because that's more or less how Jasmine looks when she consumes someone.

Have we ever seen any of the Jossverse characters give head? I mean, ever?

Yes, dear, we have.*g* Spike does it to the Buffybot and the Buffybot does it to Spike in Intervention. Willow does it to Tara in Once More, With Feeling. Conclusion: the writing staff has a thing for oral sex!

I have thoughts about Angel and Lilah, also amply discussed with karabair, and why I think Angel respects Lilah in a way he never does Lindsey, but more about that later. Anyway, regarding that scene, bear in mind that Angel knows (but Gunn and Fred do not) Wesley and Lilah are an item in subsequent episodes. It creates some interesting subtext for several scenes.

The Las Vegas episode: was a solid David Fury comedy episode, and I think deliberately light hearted, intended as a breather between the dark opening and the subsequent darkness (I mean, the next episode is "Slouching Towards Bethlehem"...)

[kangeiko]

Yes, Gwen will be back, repeatedly. I quite like her, but Ground State isn't an episode I watched more than twice (once originally, once during my first s4 rewatch), either.

Huh. Yeah, that's pretty much my reaction as well. I tend to rewatch things quite a bit, and this just didn't really grab me. Not bad, but not intereating enough for a reviewing, either.

What interested me on the rewatch re: the whole Cordy thing is that you know, she's actually not. In heaven, that is.

It kinda felt like stasis. Or, you know, that glowy place that Q has a chat with Jean-Luc in, in Tapestry.

that's more or less how Jasmine looks when she consumes someone.

Now that's just creepy.

Yes, dear, we have.*g*

*blush* OK, so I didn't commit the different sex acts to memory! *g* Feeling very small now...

Spike does it to the Buffybot and the Buffybot does it to Spike in Intervention. Willow does it to Tara in Once More, With Feeling. Conclusion: the writing staff has a thing for oral sex!

But! Vital thing - Spike and the Buffbot do not count, as they are vampire and robot, respectively. And Willow and Tara - yeah, ok, but that was a quick cut-away from the scene, so it wasn't explicit or anything. Other than invisible Buffy doing invisible things to Spike's erm, visible things, I don't think we see anyone do it in a conventional relationship (I'm thinking of Xander and Anya, for instance, or Fred and Gunn - do we ever see them have sex?) We don't ever get lesbian sex, per se, just the prelude and the aftermath. The het sex that we see is all very much of the missionary variety...

I have thoughts about Angel and Lilah, also amply discussed with karabair, and why I think Angel respects Lilah in a way he never does Lindsey, but more about that later.

*pout*

The Las Vegas episode: was a solid David Fury comedy episode, and I think deliberately light hearted, intended as a breather between the dark opening and the subsequent darkness

Yeah, and my problem was that it kinda felt like it too. It didn't feel like it had been written for its own sake, but because it had to hit a certain number of plot points - get Lorne back, get Angel thinking about Cordy again - and because they needed another episode before the darkness. hence, formulaic.

(I mean, the next episode is "Slouching Towards Bethlehem"...)

Which i totally loved, btw. I made me write a bad quasi-poetry rave. I blame you entirely.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Trust Selena to catalog instances of cunnilingus in the Jossverse so i don't have to (though now I have to be the one to point out that the scene isn't as dirty as it should have been -- as the obvious response to Lilah telling Wesley to make her shut up is for him to, well, start moving her into the position to be giving, rather than getting head -- since you wouldn't think he WANTED her to shut up while he was. . .OK, I'll stop now; but such an exchange might have been too visually suggested for the WB's Standards & practices department -- they actually seem to have one, as opposed to UPN, which aired the last 2 seasons of Buffy and thus, I think, all of the other examples we've listed).

Also, isn't this the ep where they are clearly playing around with some kind of belt or leather strap? I'm pretty sure that's the only canon bondage reference that doesn't involve a vampire -- though way back in season 2, there's a hint that pre-action! Wes enjoyed some handcuff fun.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

OK, so I didn't commit the different sex acts to memory! *g* Feeling very small now...

Whereas I feel very odd for having committed the Jossverse acts of cunnilingus to my memory so I can quote them at random. *g*

Xander and Anya: we see them pretty much before and after, but Anya implies some interesting things in dialogue. It seems they used Buffy's training room and the instruments in same creatively, among other things. Fred and Gunn we see in prelude and after in Supersymmetry, plus someone I shan't reveal as it might spoil the scene for you makes a detailed comment about their sex life later on. Lesbian sex: I know people hate her, but there is also Kennedy and her pierced tongue in late s7. But I'll grant freely that Wes/Lilah are the most explicit human/human combination.

Angel and Lilah: while I withhold my thoughts until you've seen the season, why don't you check out karabair's great s3 AU story about them, here (http://remix.illuminatedtext.com/dbfiction.php?fiction_id=669)? Some of our debate went into it.

[kangeiko]

Hmmm. Does that mean that cunnilingus is more acceptable than fellatio? I mean, seriously? Is this the same logic that makes lesbians more visually acceptable than gay men?

Also, isn't this the ep where they are clearly playing around with some kind of belt or leather strap?

Yes! Bondage!Wesley and bondage!Lilah - now, it makes me wonder who did what to whom. Also, does Eton have a whipping tower? 'cause that would be all kinds of kinky fun.

[kangeiko]

Xander and Anya: we see them pretty much before and after, but Anya implies some interesting things in dialogue. It seems they used Buffy's training room and the instruments in same creatively, among other things.

When was this?? I don't remember this at all! I remember the spanking conversation, but...

Fred and Gunn we see in prelude and after in Supersymmetry, plus someone I shan't reveal as it might spoil the scene for you makes a detailed comment about their sex life later on.

Has this happened yet? 'cause I'm not sure I caught it if it has. But, yeah, I saw the Supersymmetry 'sex' scenes and - meh.

Angel and Lilah: while I withhold my thoughts until you've seen the season, why don't you check out karabair's great s3 AU story about them, here? Some of our debate went into it.

OMG, that's dirty and wrong really very, very hot indeed.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

The training room/instruments revelation was in s5, I think, but I don't remember the episode. Will check in the Dialogue Database if I find the time.

Has this happened yet? 'cause I'm not sure I caught it if it has.

No, it hasn't. Trust me, you won't miss it.

karabair's s3 AU: OMG, that's dirty and wrong really very, very hot indeed. Make sure to tell her so. She posted it at FFN, too, and some reviewer seems to have the impression that Lilah had a "romance" and that Lilah needs to show more of her vulnerable side. (!?!)