Buffy/Angel rewatch; Forgiving
FORGIVING
The Good; Some great acting from Amy Acker as Fred is horrified that Connor has been lost to a portal, just as she was. The little girl in the White Room is a really creepy little moppet.
The Bad; Gunn and the orderlies seem to overpower Angel at the hospital very easily (although I guess that settles the whole question of Angelus' confrontation with Xander in 'Killed by death'. Thinking back on the cops/security guards in that scene would probably have had tasers which is weapon that seems to affect vamps a lot. Although bullets are no joke to them either)
Best line: Angel; (heartbroken) "Cordy will be back soon, with presents for Connor"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Lilah cutting her hand just like Darla, the whole 'women cope better with pain' idea certainly gets a lot of mileage in Joss's shows. Angel meanwhile prepares to stick a needle in Linwood's eye. Angel attempts to smother Wes and is quite prepared to kill Lilah to get his son back. Justine is beaten to a pulp, so much so that even Gunn feels sorry for her. Fred using the hot coals against Sahjhan is pretty damn ruthless.
Apocalypses: 5
Angel Clichés Inverting the Hollywood cliché; we think Angel will forgive Wes after he's so compassionate to the poor guy at the accident but oh boy he doesn't! Sahjahn mocks the standard Hollywood buddy-cop thriller. AI are getting hammered by Sahjahn but get saved by Justine?
In disguise; 8
DB get's his shirt off; 12
Cheap Angel; 9
Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 11 Wes: 6 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 3 Fred; 2
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 11 Angel: 14 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1 Lorne; 4
Kills: Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 39 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 7 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 12 demons+3 vamps, 2 humans Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 10 vamps+ 10 demons. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 1 vamp
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 2 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 8
Characters killed: 46
Recurring characters killed; 8;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 7, Angel, Cordy, Wes, Gunn, Fred, Lorne and Groo
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 11 Wes; 1
Packing heat; Gunn refers to the shotgun Wes keeps that we saw in Epiphany Wes; 6 Doyle; 1 Angel; 2 Gunn; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 4 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies Wes; 2; Virginia and the bleached blonde Gunn; 1 Fred Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy
Kinky dinky: Angel tell Justine he isn't her boyfriend and she should find someone else to smack her around.
Captain Subtext; Sahjhan once again demonstrates his insecurity about his masculinity, insisting he flitted in a 'manly way'
Know the face, different character; 4
Parking garages; 5,
Guantanamo Bay; Linwood get's kidnapped and threatened with torture
Buffy characters on Angel; 16 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony
Questions and observations; Shouldn't Linwood know who Lorne is? Surely Lorne's concern for humans and disregard for 'slimy demons' is hypocritical. Like any good Watcher Wes keeps comprehensive diaries. Why do people always cut the palm of their hands in films? Surely that's one of the most sensitive parts?
The painful aftermath of the loss of baby Connor with possibly the most misleading title in the history of television, who exactly is forgiven by whom precisely? Even after all these re-watches it still comes as a shock to see Linwood all tied up in that chair, facing up to his ultimate expendability in the eyes of his employers. You could say he's cowardly in face of torture but you could also point out that why on earth should he show any loyalty to his employer who cares so little for him?
Interesting dynamic between Fred and Gunn, she appears to be the voice of eternal optimism and he the voice of cynical reason (he does seem to the eternal straight man of AI).
Justine's conduct is still quite puzzling, is she good or bad? She still hates Angel and tries to kill him but she spares Wes and Fred and ultimately helps them save Wes, in the end it is she who saves them all from Sajhan? Despite her actions you can't help feeling sorry for her as she seems to be one mass of scar tissue by the episode's end. But you feel worse for poor Wes of course. Also its a small moment but when WR&H's moppet goads Angel over the loss of Connor and he goes to attack her its actually Lilah who stops him? Her little hand gesture almost protective of him?
You have to ask what is Sajhan's role in all of this? Was this all part of Jasmine's plan to have Connor aged to sexual maturity so that he could help her be born? Or was Sajhan somehow a threat to Jasmine being a creature that crossed dimensions and maybe witnessed her actions in other places?
Marks out of 10; 8/10 here comes the emotional pain but it's SUPREMELY well done.