Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 25

A1.18 Five by Five
I never get bored watching this episode though strangely enough I always seem to forget that it includes flashbacks to just before and after Angelus was cursed by gypsies! There's a lots to like about this episode, Faith's first appearance on Angel, her going after Angel himself, torturing Angel and mixing with Wolfram and Hart; this is also W&H first solid appearance and the first time we see their offices plus multiple lawyers. Lindsay and Lilah are a delight to watch and its great to see them here as its their first substantial performance as we begin to learn a bit more about them personally. I was struck a little watching this episode in how Faith broke down during her fight with Angel. It seemed a little sudden though I guess overall in Faith's arc it makes sense that she had to have a breakdown at some point. (10/10)

A1.19 Sanctuary
I think this episode is slightly stronger than the first in the two parter. The inter-play between Angel and Faith is pitch perfect and we get a real sense of what Faith is going through. However the episode is kept light with Wolfram and Hart's attempts at revenge on Faith and Angel, which can be quite comical. We also get a visit from the Watcher's Council, which marks a defining moment for Wesley as he gets to choose between his old and new life and happily he shows where his true loyalty lies. Buffy's appearance in this episode is definitely one of my favourite cross-over moments as Buffy and Angel are just so much more entertaining when they hate each other than when they are love-sick. (10/10)

B4.20 The Yoko Factor
I quite like this episode; maybe its the Scoobies fighting or Angel's appearance but its mostly a decent episode. In regards to the second episode thread of Angel's return I must admit I squee every time I see him turn around to see Riley. Their fighting is both manly and completely girly, especially in the way they both run to Buffy. In a way its great to see Buffy's two loves throw down, it makes for very enjoyable viewing but also at the time it must've made Buffy/Angel shippers very happy indeed. I like the way in which Buffy and Angel leave things though; Sanctuary made it clear that the two shows are very separate now, but for the continuity between both shows it best if the two leads are on good terms.
As for the main storyline Spike tearing the Scoobies apart was actually quite fun to watch. I think this is mostly because the Scoobies have been so tight for so long that it was probably inevitable at some point they would fall out. Also Spike is pretty interesting in this role of frenemy to the gang. The Adam stuff itself was a little less interesting though killing off Forrest (one of the lead Initiatives) was a great move to make and added some real punch to the Big Bad storyline. (8.5/10)

A1.20 War Zone
Knowing Gunn becomes a main character makes this episode a little more than the average story of the week episode, but there are definite elements of that. Its a brilliant way of introducing Gunn and showing us who he really is; having to kill his sired sister shows that he is strong and willing to make the tough decisions. This makes him a perfect candidate for joining the Angel Investigations team.
I did enjoy seeing two important elements of LA homeless kids and brothels shown in the show with a supernatural twist. Its these aspects of LA that help to differentiate Angel as a show. Unfortunately these two elements felt a little bit too stuck together, there wasn't that much coherency between the two storylines, despite one leading to the other. (7.5/10)