Episode Review A:TS 4.04
17 Apr 2006 09:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kangeikoHmmmm.
1) Angel is an idiot. Did not read Yeats? Lorne wouldn't have picked that particular phrase out of The Second Coming is Cordelia wasn't about to be knocked up. Hell, back on B5, when Delenn was looking at herself in the mirror post-Chrysalis and G'Kar was reading the last verse, speculation was rife over whether she'd give birth to something monstrous. Angel has it from the horse's mouth - Cordelia's destiny! - and it doesn't occur to him that this is precisely what's gonna happen? Hmmmm. Dumb.
2) Is it wrong that I adored the Cordelia/Connor bits? I mean, especially after Angel was just so crap with her in explaining what had happened. Jeez, she's just lost her memory, do not launch straight into the hug portion of the day without giving her some space first. Connor, meanwhile, was just lovely. *pets Connor* Attaboy.
3) Amnesiac!Cordelia looking through the yearbook was hilarious! "Ah, so I was popular - okay, no surprise..." *g* It's just so Cordy, it made me grin ear to ear. Which is weird, right? I mean, 'cause the rest of it definitely wasn't Cordy. I mean, she was all meek and helpless and went off with Connor - why, exactly? Something is definitely off (ok, yes, it helps that I already know this, but...). Also, if I was feeling all helpless, I'd have gone off with Fred, not with the psycho boy who knows how to use knives. Just satyin'.
4) Lilah and Wesley playing each other - ah, I adored this. It made me all glowy inside. Also, the whole relationship conversation was just so unbelievably cute that I got really worried... I mean, they can't have them really care for each other, can they? 'Cause that would just mess with my head in ways that I cannot even begin to describe.
5) Erm, not that I didn't appreciate them going off and killing those demon babies in about three seconds flat, but could we have a case to work soon? It's not that I don't love big ol' sweeping story arcs, but a nice case here and there to sick their teeth into - and to give Fred and Gunn something to do that doesn't involve being joined at the hip - would be real good about now.
Overall: I liked this episode bunches. I was actually expecting to hate it, as the blurb for it was not particularly inspiring but, Yeats-related title onwards, it totally rocked. Yay! 8/10
Oh, er, and I got a leeeetle inspired. Hmmmm.
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selenak, you only have yourself to blame...*
The Widening Gyre
He'd somehow missed Yeats the first time round. He'd been too busy slumping into the gutter to pay much attention to any of the new writers emerging from Eire - Wilde, Joyce, Yeats, enumerated in history and completely missed by Angel and Angelus both. It's the latter that rankles the most: Angelus, even at his most bloodthirsty, had always had a bit of the poet in him. It's one of the few reasons he had tolerated William's incessant prattle those first few years; that, and the sparks in the boy's eyes whenever he'd found a budding young poet to feast on. Then, he would have taken the time for Ulysses; for The Ballad of Reading Gaol. He would have read them aloud to Dru, his accent thickening over the vowels, one eye on William watching resentfully from a corner. Somehow the love of poetry had been leached away from him with the poet's blood he had tasted. When The Second Coming had first come out, it had been a few bare years after the end of the Great War and he had been too busy running across the Continent and the Atlantic to pay much attention. Instead, it wasn't until the fourth, maybe fifth edition of the slim little volume that he sat in his dingy little apartment and read Yeats by the flickering lamplight.
Angelus would have loved it; might even have spared Yeats on the basis on such poetry. (William would have pitched a fit if he'd eaten anyone mooning after Keats, at any rate, and wasn't he an indulgent Sire?) Angelus would have - well. Moot point, because Angel had closed the book carefully and stared out into the night for a very long time.
As Angel and as Angelus he has seen thirteen wars - not counting Vietnam - and none have taken his words away. None have accomplished what this not-war, this almost-war, has managed in one silly little song. Lorne, he knows, is terrified of what he saw in Cordelia's (in their) future, so terrified he could not articulate it. Lost for words, Angel thought, anticipation clenching inside him. And, later, watching as Cordelia stepped back to his son's side, he felt himself similarly struck dumb. Things fall apart, he wanted to tell her; to tell them. I knew that this was coming.
Except, of course, that he hadn't. Thirteen wars and counting, and he had never been able to see their storm clouds gather. Not even here, in his son's battered little room, with the battered low bed and the tangled blankets where they had been sleeping.
Above Connor's head the stuffed corpses of birds of prey line the walls; if he squints a little, the bodies would blur together, as if in flight.
*
fin
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-17 10:21 pm (UTC)Every word, each line drew me in, spun me around, but this?
Yeah.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 11:27 am (UTC)Every word, each line drew me in, spun me around, but this?
*pets you* awww, you are so sweet. Thanks, honey.
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Date: 2006-04-17 11:01 pm (UTC)The relationship conversation is the hottest thing ever (I remember watching that with my roommate, who didnt' watch the show, passing by; she stopped to look at it, and commented that she didn't have ANY idea who the characters were or what was going on but it was simply the hottest thing ever, anyway).
How they feel about each other is. . .tricky to say the least. Weslah's one of my favorite canon ships and I'm just starting to get a grasp on it. I also have to note that this ship is one reason that S4 is well worth watching, and rewatching, because the subtleties of the way these two play off each other (Denisof, particularly) don't come in transcripts. In all seriousness, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending of this episode. . . the whole "you'll never know since you'll never trust me" thing, and then Wes basically agreeing with her -- because life's so ironic, don't you see? Umm, yeah, but the REAL moral of the story is that he didn't not trust her enough.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 11:30 am (UTC)Thanks! And yeah, I guess it's just my B5-obsessed mind spinning that out. *g*
The relationship conversation is the hottest thing ever (I remember watching that with my roommate, who didnt' watch the show, passing by; she stopped to look at it, and commented that she didn't have ANY idea who the characters were or what was going on but it was simply the hottest thing ever, anyway).
! so true!
Weslah's one of my favorite canon ships and I'm just starting to get a grasp on it. I also have to note that this ship is one reason that S4 is well worth watching, and rewatching, because the subtleties of the way these two play off each other (Denisof, particularly) don't come in transcripts.
Totally. It came out as rather, erm, bland in transcripts. I was practically in tears over what they did to my beloved Wesley and my beloved Lilah - and now I'm looking at it and, yeah, it's quite simply the hottest thing ever.
In all seriousness, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending of this episode. . . the whole "you'll never know since you'll never trust me" thing, and then Wes basically agreeing with her -- because life's so ironic, don't you see? Umm, yeah, but the REAL moral of the story is that he didn't not trust her enough.
It's one of those damned if you and damned if you don't moments. If he had trusted her, you can bet anything that it would have blown up in his face - but, then again, that's what he was probably thinking, and there is no way of knowing. So, he cuts his losses again...
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 12:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-15 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-18 05:40 am (UTC)Connor/Cordy: Let's be wrong together. To quote from my Connor essay: Much like the Sunny scene in A New World was the counterpoint to the explosive mixture of hate, aggression and unwilling curiosity in the Angel encounter, Connor's early scenes with Cordelia serve a similar purpose. For the most part, they show Connor at his best. Yes, hormones come into play soon, but initially, he responds to her distress and sadness. He doesn't lie to her, or try to present himself in a better light. He tells her what he has done and he tries to comfort her and be there for her, not just by fighting whoever attacks her but by helping her to regain her confidence. Not until Cordelia chooses to stay with him in the abandoned building he has started to live in instead of returning with Angel to the Hyperion — which Connor clearly hadn't expected — does a competitiveness with his father enter the picture when it comes to his developing feelings for Cordelia. (You can see the exact moment this occurs to Connor, because Vincent Kartheiser plays it so well.) Because of Cordelia's relationship with Angel, which had turned from friendship into a not quite openly-declared romance the previous season, and the fact she knew Connor as a baby, the fandom at large responded to the scenes between Connor and Cordelia with a resounding "ewww" long before it was revealed Cordelia was possessed. As for me, I found (and still find) them moving, as far as Connor is concerned. There is nothing wrong or twisted from his side of the equation in falling for the beautiful woman who becomes his first real friend (and who, as opposed to Fred and Gunn, does not reject him after hearing what he has done). He is gentle and considerate when with Cordelia and, smitten as he is, still remains capable of putting her welfare before his own gratification. Hence, in Apocalypse, Nowish, his going to Angel — a definite first on Connor's part —and begging him to come to Cordelia and talk to her, despite his awareness Cordy has feelings for Angel is particularly telling. What Connor feels for Cordelia will be used as a weapon by her possessed self; that doesn't mean said feelings — neither the sexual desire nor the tenderness and respect — by themselves are something perverse or something that should be held against him.
Re: Cordelia - I think it is mostly her at this stage, due to the amnesia, but operating on strong suggestions by the force within. She doesn't become fully controlled by Jasmine until the amnesia is gone.
Lilah and Wesley: this is, in a way, the high point of their relationship, when they're most relaxed with each other, and naturally, they then proceed to play each other. You'll see the fallout in the next episode.
Fred and Gunn: also get a major thing to do in the next episode, Supersymmetry (which btw gets my vote for best Fred centric episode, full stop. And have to deal with the fallout for the rest of the season.
Now I shall proceed to print out your ficlet!
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 11:35 am (UTC)Thanks. :)
Re: Angel and Yeats, maybe he's not well-versed in The Second Coming, but he can quote the old fellow later on this season, towards Wesley, no less, making a comment about Wesley's state of feelings. (You'll love that scene.)
*bounce bounce bounce*
But yes, clearly not as clever as B5 fans not to pick up the obvious implication for Cordelia.
Hee! Actually, I'm more thrilled that Lorne is quoting Yeats than anything, and in context, too! I mean - yeah, we know he has a high pop culture IQ, but I never pictured Lorne staying in to curl up with a good book. Hmmm. Must re-think.
Connor/Cordy: Let's be wrong together.
*g* deal.
What Connor feels for Cordelia will be used as a weapon by her possessed self; that doesn't mean said feelings — neither the sexual desire nor the tenderness and respect — by themselves are something perverse or something that should be held against him.
That's - actually very true. The whole Connor/Cordelia thing squicked me in the transcripts, but on screen, it's just so tender and gentle, I'm really warming to the idea.
Re: Cordelia - I think it is mostly her at this stage, due to the amnesia, but operating on strong suggestions by the force within. She doesn't become fully controlled by Jasmine until the amnesia is gone.
Still not convinced. Her actions don't make sense from a logical POV - if you're threatened, you don't go off with someone who is admitting to being a threat. I mean, he doesn't precisely reassure her of anything, it just happens. I like that, but it does make me wonder.
Fred and Gunn: also get a major thing to do in the next episode, Supersymmetry (which btw gets my vote for best Fred centric episode, full stop. And have to deal with the fallout for the rest of the season.
I'm gearing up for that over the weekend - trying not to watch too many episodes at once so I can actually write up my reactions to them! But, yeah, I've heard many good things about Supersymmetry
Now I shall proceed to print out your ficlet!
You know you're a bit peculiar, right? *g* *pets*
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 03:14 pm (UTC)Her actions don't make sense from a logical POV - if you're threatened, you don't go off with someone who is admitting to being a threat. I mean, he doesn't precisely reassure her of anything, it just happens. I like that, but it does make me wonder.
Oh, I think that would be one of the strong suggestions - i.e. "trust Connor, go with Connor". Still, her responding to the fact he's straight with her, as opposed to Angel and everyone else, that is a Cordelia reaction.
1. It seems to be a pretty popular belief in the fandom that Cordelia hasn't been herself since "Birthday." Personally, I don't think there's any indication that this is so, but it's possible that since that time -- if not earlier -- Cordelia has been led by Jasmine in directions she wouldn't necessarily otherwise go. Her feelings for Angel? Her vacation with Groo? The decision to ascend, even if it was freely given, was certainly influenced by Jasmine and her agents.
I think the greatest weakness in this theory is that, from all outward indications, the Cordelia we see in the higher dimension in the first three episodes of S4 is really, truly the Cordy we know and love. She's in heaven, but she doesn't want to be in heaven. She's bored by it. This is our Cordelia, who wants excitement and entertainment and most of all, companionship, and most of all who wants to be doing something active, to be actually able to do something and make a difference. There's no reason for a pod!Cordelia to be faking these emotions; there's no one around for her to be talking to but her own, lonesome self. So I think that, with some gentle guidance from Jasmine, Cordelia is herself at least until her amnesiac descent.
2. Cordelia with amnesia, especially in "Spin the Bottle" but definitely in the other episodes as well, is not just like our Cordy, but she definitely has Cordy-ish traits. "I was popular, no surprise there," she says, looking at her yearbook. Connor asks if she wants to go out demon-fighting, and she asks, "What should I wear?" She seeks the truth, isn't content with pat answers or easy lies, and she takes her own path, makes her own choices. She herself is honest, explaining to Connor that she's not interested, at least not right now, and she asks Angel all the hard questions. She doesn't remember the facts of her life, but I believe the core of her personality is intact until her memory is restored. From another perspective, this seems to be the story that we are being told -- Lorne's narrative voiceover implies that the AI gang believes the restoration of memory to be the turning point between Cordelia and Jasmine.
3. While there are strong arguments for the end of "Spin the Bottle" as the end of Cordelia as we knew her, I'm actually inclined to push it back and episode and say that it wasn't until Jasmine's conception that she fully controlled Cordelia. The major decisions that Cordelia makes in "Apocalypse Nowish" -- to reject Angel and to sleep with Connor -- are based on reasons that seem slightly suspect at the time but aren't outrageous. To me, her actions read like post-hypnotic suggestion -- Jasmine is making the calls, but Cordelia is putting her agenda into action and rationalizing it for herself.
4. It's difficult to push the takeover back any further than this; by "Long Day's Journey," it's unlikely that any more than vestiges of Cordelia's personality are in control.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 01:13 pm (UTC)Randomly, I have a favorite Yeats story that I will tell if I have permission to say a very very bad word in K's journal *g*
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Date: 2006-04-19 01:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 02:19 pm (UTC)"Foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart. That's where you live."
Brush up your Yeats, I say.*g*
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Date: 2006-04-19 03:10 pm (UTC)OK, the story: I was watching a baseball game with a couple I'm friends with -- the wife is American, like me, and a baseball fan. The husband, though he's lived in the States for a long time, is an unreconstructed Irishman, basically devoted to confirming all the stereotypes (at least all the fun ones -- hard-drinking, chatty, cheerfully profane). And he doesn't care about baseball all. So Mary and I are watching this game, which we are both interested in, and Gerry is chatting away about whatever comes into his head; a player comes up to bat who has the last name "O'Leary" and that really gets Gerry going:
"Ahh, yes, this brings to mind that lyric from the immortal William Butler Yeats. . .'Romantic Ireland's dead and gone. It's with O'Leary in the grave." Then he pauses for just a long enough beat for us to think, 'oh, how poetic,' and then declaims "Anglo-Irish cocksucker! Pretty good poet, though."
no subject
Date: 2006-04-19 03:23 pm (UTC)P.S.
Date: 2006-04-18 11:11 am (UTC)http://selenak.livejournal.com/104073.html
Re: P.S.
Date: 2006-04-20 04:37 pm (UTC)Re: P.S.
Date: 2006-04-20 06:45 pm (UTC)And if you want some comic relief, here's some silliness written in the past year: Keith Mars advising Angel & Co. (http://selenak.livejournal.com/193767.html) and Life Lessons Learned From Angel The Series (http://selenak.livejournal.com/172794.html)