Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 50

B6.19 Seeing Red
What a killer ending- literally. The main Trio arc comes to an end in this episode, early for a Buffy 'big bad'. Andrew and Jonathan were foolish to believe that Warren would ever give them the chance to become invincible. At least Jonathan had some sense and realised that later on to help Buffy, but really after other plans of theirs, why did they ever trust Warren. Its not surprising that Warren used a gun to try and get some the power he had lost back, its a powerful weapon and its shown here to be so.
Spike raping Buffy is a shocking scene whenever you watch it. At first it doesn't start off so bad, but it just gets progressively harder and harder to watch. I quite like Buffy and Spike's relationship up until this point, but after this it just sours and I don't think it can ever be repaired. (8/10)

B6.20 Villains
As the proper beginning of Willow's evil arc, this episode definitely delivers. I would've liked to have got more mourning for Tara, but there wasn't much time for that, and what we did get from Dawn was heartbreaking. Alyson Hannigan is an amazing actress so pulls of the dark/evil stuff very well. The 'conversation' with Osiris at the beginning of the episode was very important as resurrection has played a big part in the season so the issue of why Tara couldn't be brought back to life needed to be addressed.
It was interesting that by the end of it, only Buffy didn't want Warren dead, with all the others happy to let him die. This was slightly sanctimonious on Buffy's part, she doesn't have a license to kill but its easy to feel the others anger. She was right not to want Willow to take a life though, as discussed by Angel and Faith in season 3, taking a life changes you.
Warren's death scene was easily one of the most disgusting things the show has done, but it was powerful and effective, the final dialogue also leaves a great cliffhanger for the next episode. (8.5/10)

B6.21 Two To Go
Giles turning up at the end of this episode has to be one of my favourite cliff hanger endings the show, or any show has done. Its just so perfect and makes perfect sense. Plus since the show has been without Giles for so long, it is a pure delight that he's back.
To the main part of the episode, Dark Willow is a fun character a lot of the time, she makes a lot of snarky comments, about Dawn and Buffy that are perhaps what a lot of fans have been wanting someone to say to the characters. That said, its hard to believe that its sweet little Willow under the black hair and veiny-ness as what she's saying is so out of character. Willow and Buffy going up against each other is always a highlight of the season. As Willow says, it is a big deal to see our two heroines face off in a physical match no less. When it comes to everything else, brains, attitude, Willow is more than a match for Buffy, but not physically until this episode.
Its nice to see Anya step up a bit to try and stop Willow, I'm also pleased she and Xander got to hash things out a little amongst all the madness, as they both need it. Jonathan and to a greater extent Andrew are pretty annoying in the episode; they have to be, but it makes it hard to root for them against dark Willow. (8.5/10)

B6.22 Grave
I forgot just how wonderful this episode is. Its not the strongest finale but it rounds of the season wonderfully its certainly an interesting way to resolve the big bad. I mean how many shows would have their lead character in the episodes 'b' plot whilsts her sidekicks respectively tried to end the world and save the day. After 6 years all the core Scoobies have graduated and become heroes and super beings in their owns right and for a fan its very satisfying.
Giles and Willow facing off was very enjoyable, though I would've liked to have seen more of it. Giles' welcome homes from Anya and Buffy, especially their laughing fits were very endearing. I must admit the teariest part of the episode was when Anya said that Giles might die and seeing him weak was so sad. The pair work well together and even though it was a little convenient that Giles could see everything that was happening, it did help narrate the plot a bit, which is important in a finale.
I'm not sure if I totally buy that dark Willow could be stopped just by Xander telling her he loves her- is that all she needed? However, its hard not to melt when Xander tells Willow the crayon breaky story and holds her as she breaks down. Also I guess it does make sense since Willow's power started pretty abruptly too.
I've always viewed Buffy and Dawn getting stuck underground in the cemetery as the weakest plot and whilst I stand by this, it was stronger than I remembered. It was a heartwarming way to tie off Buffy's depression and for her to finally treat Dawn as more of an adult. Dawn is a lot less annoying in season 7 as a result.
Spike's torture treatment in Africa is finally revealed in this episode. His has been a funny storyline with just a few brief scenes each episode, with little actual dialogue in the last two episodes. I don't love the trials he had to go through to get his soul, it reeks a little too much of Angel in (A) season 2's The Trial and it just feels a little over familiar, though at least the trials were different and it made for a terrific final scene. (9/10)

Brothers and Sisters Cast Changes

Brothers and Sisters have made a few more cast changes after the recent and upcoming departure of Rob Lowe.

Firstly the character of Ryan Lafferty, the illegitamate half sibling, played by Luke Grimes has been dropped. Whilst this is hardly a surprise; he has appeared in very few episodes in season 4 since he has been made a regular, especially since the only storyline he had with Dennis York has dried up; I think its a bit of a shame. The writers made a big deal of writing in another sibling and basically ret-conned all of season 1 and 2 to do it. Then they made a lot of noise over the hiring of Grimes and bringing him, only to drop him come season 4. Honestly this feels like lazy writing to me, surely there's something they could've done with him, especially after he was welcomed back into the Walker fold after he donated his bone marrow to Kitty.

The second casting change is that they're promoting Giles Marini to season regular. Now at time of writing I have only seen the episodes where Luc has only just reappeared for his second set of episodes in season 4. However based on his first appearence, I'm not happy. Yes Giles Marini is gorgeous and thats clear to see. Unfortunately he lacks much acting talent, which is abundantly clear amongst the stelllar cast B&S have, and the character of Luc is dull as dishwater, rendering his good looks to that of an ornament. I honestly think Dave Annable has him beat in terms of looks on the show because you know, he actually has a personality. I'll hold back judgement for a few episodes, but honestly I'm not looking forward to season 5 of B&S much at this moment.

Flashforwarding?

Here's an interesting post that caught my eye recently:
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/04/23/blind-item-time-jump/

Michael Ausiello suggests that a popular drama is considering a time jump into the future for next season. If you read down through the comments, there are a few main shows being suggested:

Grey Anatomy/Private Practice: whilst these two dramas could be in contention, as many commenters have pointed out, its unlikely due to the crossovers that the shows like to do. A time jump in either would make this impossible and since the crossovers are good for ratings I'm pretty sure that ABC wouldn't go down this route.

Brothers and Sisters: Giles Marini recently suggested that this may be where they are going, especially since Rob Lowe is leaving and Calista Flockhart is reducing her hours. He isn't the most reliable source obviously and its hard to say as I'm not at US pace, but a leap in time could be a good thing, to help B&S out of their current slump. Of course there's the problem with aging the cast- though Desperate Housewives didn't really bother with this- but its a much older cast so a huge leap wouldn't work that well.

Supernatural: this is an interesting one considering the upcoming apocalypse and the CW's decision to renew the show past the original 5 season plan. As Buffy and Angel have shown (Angel especially in the comics) dealing with the direct aftermath of an apocalypse is hard work for story writers, so perhaps a flashforward could skip this problem.

Then again there are many other shows this device could successfully work on. Any ideas?

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 49

A3.20 A New World
Its very fitting that one his first day on Earth, Connor would get mixed up with a junkie and her dealer. Angel (the show) begun with the mission of looking/helping those lost in the bright lights of LA and who is more lost than a homeless teen junkie? It provides a more than fitting story in which to develop Connor. Though not much character development gets done, we do begin to see a little more as to what Connor is like and how he has been brought up, his naivety is mostly endearing, especially when it came to chocolate(!) and his fighting skills are incredible. I really liked that leap of the bridge- very cool.
Angel attempted to bond with Connor the only way he knew how; words aren't really his thing as we've seen many times before, Angel isn't that good at professing his feelings; however taking a bullet for his son does mean a little something, even if he can't be killed by it. (8.5/10)

A3.21 Benediction
Not quite as good as the last episode, this one mostly provides a stepping stone towards the finale. Holtz' actions here are definitely interesting. He clearly loves Connor, but his hate for Angel runs deep, so using Justine to trick Connor into believing Angelus killed him? Well it definitely solves his Angel revenge plot, but it robs Connor of the chance to bond with his father so is in conflict with the love he feels for Connor. Its all very complicated. I guess Holtz didn't come all this way to let Angelus go.
There were definitely some good parts to the story, the whole club scene- Wes and Lilah's conversation and realisation that Connor's back, Angel and Connor bonding over fighting, Cordy seeing it in her vision- all of it was a lot of fun and is one of the best parts of the episode.
The only other story we really got was Groo realising that his feelings for Cordy are not reciprocated and apart from jealousy last episode, he's taken it very valiantly. In that respect he's so similar to Angel who reacted the very same way just a few episodes ago. (7.5/10)

A3.22 Tomorrow
In true Whedon style, happiness is always followed by a great tragedy and that's definitely what happens here. For Angel, Connor is back and seemingly happy, and Cordy's feelings for him are mutual; Fred was right to poke him with a stick because that's pretty close to true happiness. Maybe its for the best then, that Connor sends him to the bottom of the ocean.
As a season finale goes this ones okay, but perhaps not the best. A lot of loose ends of the season get tied up, Holtz is dead and Justine carries out his final wishes alongside Connor, Groo and Lorne take off (the former for good), and Linwood attempts revenge on Angel. However just as many new stories are opened, Wes and Lilah begin their sexual relationship (which I think was a great idea as they have wonderful chemistry together and are such an unlikely couple), Connor punishes Angel to a lifetime in the sea and Cordy is transformed into a higher power. Though I love the poetry of one going up whilst the other goes down, since I know what happens in season4, I'm not sure I love the idea of Cordy ascending. Her character has been developing over the years and it is fitting in a way, but I'm not wholly behind the idea. Its also sad that they never got to tell each other they loved each other. Its funny, their relationship has been coming for a long time, especially this season, but in this episode it felt awkward, maybe a little rushed as this was the finale. (8.5/10)

B6.18 Entropy
Its nice seeing Tara and Willow together at the end of this episode since for the other couples in the show, things are so bad. Spike and Anya having sex in this episode kind of makes sense as to an extent they've both always been outsider Scoobies and recently dumped and currently evil, its understandable that they would seek comfort in each other.
Apart from this development, much of the rest of the action feels like a calm before the storm. Anya tries to get a wish in a series of very funny scenes, Buffy and Dawn spend some time together, and the Trio continue with their evil doing. The revelation of the cameras is mostly a plot device, since I doubt the Trio need to keep such tight tabs on the Slayer whereabouts, but it works within the story. (7/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 48

A3.18 Double or Nothing
Whilst I accept that a filler episode was needed here in between the two Connor arcs, this was just an awful story and I think I would've preferred a run of the mill story of the week. I find it very hard to believe that Gunn would make any kind of deal with a demon as he was pretty demon phobic until he met Angel. Secondly I did not like the idea that the reason Jenoff was collecting his debt now because Gunn was 'giving his soul' to Fred, I mean what is this soul swap?! I know they were falling in love but the idea that Gunn was giving his soul to her made me feel a little bit queasy, as did most of their lovey-doveyness. Also I hated the over cliched use of Gangster's Paradise during Gunn's flashback.
The episode wasn't totally bad, Alexis Denisof continued to portray a million emotions, this time without even any words, and I liked the scenes between Cordy and Angel. Its unsurprising that Angel's grief would be silent, but its a testament to Cordy that she knew to keep quiet and just be there. (5/10)

B6.17 Normal Again
This is a bit of a marmite episode for fans. The concept of an alternate reality is nothing new, but the final scene takes it that much further, creating ambiguity over the whole show. I don't entirely like that final scene, it adds a chilling climax to the episode but its a bit too out there for me. The institution scenes in general are a bit too meta for me; little jokes about creating Dawn causing inconsistencies and about the whole show is revolved around Buffy as a superhero. They're funny in jokes, but in the context, it goes a bit too far for me.
It was nice to see Joyce back however. Its also nice to see the core Scoobies working together on the problem as it makes it feel a bit more like old school Buffy. (7.5/10)

A3.19 The Price
This would be an amazing episode if it was not for two things- those creepy slugs and the spider in a box thing from Lilah. Don't get me wrong I love the idea of Lilah needing a spider to unlock an email but I have a terrible fear of spiders and all crawly things so this episode definitely creeps me out!
Otherwise this was a great episode. The dehydrating slugs were an interesting idea and putting Fred in danger with one of them always works well. It was fun to see more of the hotel as we have seen relatively little so far and I also like Groo on the team as he's very sweet and keeps up the superhero ratio. Speaking of superheroes Cordy's glowing power was certainly interesting and perhaps a little convenient, but perhaps that's when her power emerges? One thing I didn't like was Gavin, who was especially annoying here.
The best thing about this episode was just knowing that Connor was coming at the end. Its that cliffhanger that makes the coming arc leading to the finale so good. (8/10)

Mini Reviews- April 14th

A very late mini reviews. Just a few episodes I've seen over the last few weeks.

Grey's Anatomy- 6x10/6x11 Holidaze/Blink
Two nice episodes. The first was a holiday themed episode. A little rushed in places and it was a bit disconcerting watching a Christmas episode at Easter but I enjoyed it. The story of Sloan's daughter could've been expanded a bit more, he didn't react at all when she told him she was pregnant. We got a bit more of it in the second episode with Addison telling Mark that he had turned into a doctor and him consequently breaking up with Lexie. Sad to see the couple break up but one of the young residents needs to be single otherwise it gets boring in a show like Grey's. Cristina's also having relationship problems. Unlike most people I like Teddy; she was harsh on Cristina in the second episode with the solo heart valve operation, but she was right, Cristina needs to be pushed and needed to make her own decisions, even if Teddy was being a bit vindictive.

Brothers and Sisters- 4x12/4x13 The Science Fair/Run Baby Run
The first was a silly but fun episode. I'm glad Nora stuck with her head regarding Simon, but I'm sad he turned out to be a rubbish love interest. Nice to see Sarah getting a love interest too, and I'm not sure about Justin being dyslexic, a bit of a cop out maybe.
The second unfortunately was marred with problems. There was some continuity issues with Kevin (one minute at the doctor's, then at a press conference, then back at the doctor's), Saul's storyline was basically a repeat of the end of season 2, without any explanation as to why he was feeling so listless, and worst of all; Robert bowed out of politics because of the hoopla of campaigning only to encourage Kitty to go for his same seat therefore he would have to do all the same campaigning, just as the spouse this time? Stupid and corny. I refuse that he could lose his ambition so quickly, and whilst I'm all for Kitty going into politics, going for Robert's old seat is just silly.
Otherwise it was a funny episode, with Scotty/Kevin and Michelle and I liked the Sarah/Roy stuff, such a shame he's not around for long.

Greek- 3x20 All Children... Grow Up
A very late review, but a great episode especially as it had to be a potential season/series finale. All the major plot points were tied up and some left for next chapter, also with a little fun in the sun on their spring break. Rebecca getting back together was a little hokey, but I'll buy it for now. The Casey/Cappie break up was sad but inevitable, though I'm sure they'll end up together at the end of the next and final chapter.

90210- 2x16 Clark Raving Mad
Funny episode, Naomi is such an idiot for declaring sexual harassment though she was right to not want Liam to know as he's such a hot head there's no telling what he will do. Not a fan of the Liam/Annie pairing they keep trying to push it. Silver and Teddy were a little frustrating in their testing of each other, glad it was resolved. It was nice to see Silver, Naomi and Adrianna have such positive and healthy attitudes about Adrianna's feelings for Gia. The Jasper storyline is getting a bit too The OC for me (they did a similar storyline in season 1) but I liked the cliffhanger ending.

Desperate Housewives- 6x12 If
A bit of a weird episode, not sure if I liked the fatalistic dream sequences. Unsurprisingly Lynette's was the best and saddest, Susan's was the worst and didn't really make sense. Also poor Karl, it ended up that no-one cared he was dead. Even Julie (his daughter!) only looked mildly upset.

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 47

A3.15 Loyalty
A chilling episode in which Wes is forced to question everything he knows. Alexis Denisof, in this episode and the arc in general is just amazing. He pulls off terror, anxiety, fear, disbelief and countless other emotions in just a look and its amazing to watch. I must admit though I'm not quite sure why Wes went to Holtz for help in stopping the prophecy coming true, but I guess he didn't have many options and after the infiltration by Aubrey, one of Holtz' soldiers, he was led there.
I liked the Angel as a dad moments in this episode, its so sweet to see and I like the Lilah/Sahjahn partnership. Fred and Gunn making googly eyes at each other is a little sickening to have to watch. (8/10)

A3.16 Sleep Tight
A heartbreaking episode. It was difficult to watch Wes betray Angel to protect Connor and there was a definite shift in his attitude and demeanor here from earlier in the season. I still get shocked when Wes brutally beats Lorne without even trying to explain why he is doing what he's doing. Watching this, it occurs to me that Holtz' plan (since Lullaby) must have always been to take Connor. Its tragic and ingenious really as nothing would or does cause Angel greater sorrow than to lose his son. It makes me feel doubly sorry for Wes then as he was just a pawn to get the baby easily away from Angel. Of course no-one counted on Sahjhan to make everything that much worse.
There are a lot of highlights to this episode, especially in the last 15 or so minutes when the story tragically unfolds. I also liked Angel and Lilah's conversation in the bar, as well as Angel going crazy from drinking Connor's blood. The only thing that slows the episode down is that they meander towards the end as a lot of things need to be put in place before the final few scenes. (9/10)

A3.17 Forgiving
The title couldn't be more apt as the fallout out from Hotlz and Connor's escape to Quor-toth is felt all over. Again I have to say poor Wesley. After lying half dead, unable to speak for hours, and despite the team trying to pacify Angel, angel still doesn't forgive and vows to kill Wes. Its hard not see both points of view and Angel's a naturally angry person and true forgiveness would be impossible but its sad that Angel couldn't manage even basic forgiveness.
I did enjoy most of Angel's fury though, especially directed at Sahjhan, Linwood and Lilah. I almost wish we had seen Angel torture Linwood a little, he's a really annoying character! The little girl in W&H white room was excellently creepy; perfectly articulate little girls usually are and I love the idea of this little girl holding all of W&H's secrets. (8/10)

B6.16 Hells Bells
Xander's decision to leave Anya in this episode always disappoints me. He's come so far from the childish teenage boy he was in season 1 as both Buffy and Willow attest to in this episode. (Sidenote: Giles I'm sure would agree too, where was he?) So its very upsetting that he gets spooked and leaves Anya. His fears, which cleverly come in the form of a man seeking vengeance on Anya, are justified and understandable, but its sad to me he couldn't overcome them.
As for the rest of the episode, despite the outcome, its an enjoyable episode, the festivities are fun, the girls in the bridesmaid dresses are hilarious and its nice to finally see Xander's hated family after he has disliked them for so long. (8/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 46

B6.14 Older And Far Away
This isn't a classic episode but I really like it. The action primarily all happens in one place and all the main characters are involved making it an interesting story. There were a few non-Scoobs as well which I liked as it showed the Scoobies could actually make friends outside of their group. Dawn's tantrums are annoying, but she was less so when she actually sat down with Buffy and told her what was wrong. Bringing in Halfrek in after her appearance in the previous episode was a nice touch, though personally I thought the group worked out what had happened very quickly based on the few things Dawn told them. The party scenes were fun and the idea of the demon in the sword was a good one, plus this episode contains one of my favourite Xander scenes when he is hurt but comforts Anya first and foremost- very sweet. (8.5/10)

B6.15 As Your Were
I've never been a huge fan of this episode but on this watching I kinda loved it. It was great to finally get some conclusion with Riley and after the way Buffy treated him, it was nice that he was happy, even if Sam, his wife, was annoyingly perfect.
Its still a hard episode to watch at times as Buffy is at a low point in her life and whilst seeing an ex is never easy, it was definitely hard for her. The end of her relationship with Spike is a simple and dignified one, but its powerful all the same. I didn't really like the plot point that Spike was the demon egg dealer, but it acted as a good trigger for Buffy. I'm quite sad to see them break up as I liked Buffy and Spike together up till this point, but its something that had to happen I guess. (9/10)

A3.13 Waiting In The Wings
A beautiful and tragic episode. I really hurt for Wes and Angel when they see the women they love, in love with other men. Its worse of course for Wesley, not only does Alexis Denisof portray that hurt so much better and subtly, but Gunn was his friend and at least Angel had Buffy.
Going to the ballet was a beautiful idea, it was nice to see the gang dressed up and happy and actually having a life. The ballet aspect of the story was enjoyable, very much a mystical Phantom of the Opera. It was a genius idea to have Angel and Cordy taken over by spirits here; the aspect is very similar to what happened to Angel and Buffy in season 2 of Buffy, but as a reminder of the marked difference between Angel and Buffy, what Angel and Cordy shared was decidedly more adult in nature, whereas Buffy and Angel's was a lot more chaste. (10/10)

A3.14 Couplet
This episode was a lot better than I remembered it. Both Angel's and Wes' jealousy comes to the surface as they deal with the new couples in the office. Angel's jealousy is a little more petty and allows David Boreanaz's comedic side to shine through. Also as Angel's realises, he has Connor to look after so losing Cordy to the Groosalugg is not as hard as it could've been.
For Wes, his loss of Fred is a lot greater since he is expected not only to deal with Angel's jealousy, whilst containing his own, but also now has to confront that chilling prophecy. Gunn's a bit of a douche in this episode, he realises that Wes has feelings for Fred but makes very little effort to console or at least make it less worse for him.
As for the rest of the episode there were some nice silly stories to play as a backdrop for the teams romantic entanglements in the form of a demon brothel and a cyber tree demon, which is very reminiscent of Sunnydale exploits and demons of the past. (7.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 45

B6.12 Doublemeat Palace
Note: never watch this episode after lunch, its a gross-out one! Much of this episode harked back to the Sunnydale High days were something wacky like this would happen; it especially felt like that as Buffy, Willow and Xander were the main Scoobies involved. Its meant as a satirical look at America's fast food industry and whilst I appreciate that, its not the funny episode it could've been. As I've already said, its kinda gross and even though I've seen this episode a few times I couldn't for the life of me remember who the evil doer was in the end, probably because this is not that memorable an episode.
I did enjoy seeing Halfrek, I loved how she switched from demon to friend. It was less nice to see Amy back; I do understand why she doesn't want Willow to go magic-free and after 3 years of being a rat she probably doesn't have that many magical friends, but she's turned the corner into being a bitch. (5.5/10)

B6.13 Dead Things
This is a bit of a strange episode in that the main event of Buffy thinking she killed Katrina is over and done with very late and quickly into the episode. I wasn't that happy to see the re-appearance of the Trio in this episode and what they do is obviously chilling. It is some comfort that Andrew and Jonathan have a sense of guilt over what they helped to do and it least it steps the Trio up from annoying to actually threatening villains. Still its not a blast to watch.
As for Buffy, her guilt over 'killing' Katrina is very in character for her. Its hard not to recall Bad Girls from season 3 and the following episodes in which Faith killed a human. Buffy's instincts then were the same as in this episode and whilst that was slightly self- righteous (going to the police as her only option. If I remember rightly, in season 3 Giles said these things do happen), its nice to see that the Slayer hasn't changed too much.
Her breakdown with Tara at the end of the episode is one of my favourite scenes as its very heartfelt and honest. Up until this episode I've quite enjoyed Buffy and Spike's relationship as its felt more genuine than her past relationships but after this it starts to sour. The scene in which they were on the balcony in The Bronze looking at her friends was definitely a weird one and definitely a sign the relationship is getting twisted. (7/10)

A3.11 Birthday
As a 50th episode, this was a pretty good one and a nice way to honour one of the shows major characters. The impact Cordy's visions were having on her had to be resolved at some point and if it wasn't going to be death then becoming demon is probably the next way to go. There's a lot to love in this episode, the birthday scenes, phantom Dennis throwing a party for Cordy, Cordy's (brief) life as an actress, seeing Doyle again and of course the alternate dimension as they are always fun. They give a chance for the writers to have a little fun and for the actors to mix things up a little and at least this alternate world turned out better for Cordy than the world in Buffy's The Wish did! Oddly though this episode is not as good as I remembered. I still love it but there was a lot more talking and scenes where not very much happens than I thought there was. (9.5/10)

A3.12 Provider
This is a nice episode, silly, but its the last truly happy episode we get this season. The idea behind the episode was a good one, Angel needs to make money now that he has Connor, but honestly his money grabbing came as a bit of a u-turn, especially as he switched roles with Cordy as the money grabbing one. There were some sweet scenes though between Angel and Cordy also with Connor.
The love rivalry between Wes and Gunn is plainly evident in this episode and a little sad to see considering how close they used to be. Them both lusting after Fred definitely put some awkwardness into the episode. (7.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 44

A3.07 Offspring
The beginning of a story arc, its hard to review this and subsequent episodes as individual episodes as they are part of a much larger story. This episode however is a good kick-off to the arc. There were some sweet happy moments; Angel realising his feelings for Cordy, Wes bumbling again but still managing to be a good investigator, and the team generally all feeling like a team.
It feels like a lot of time has passed in the show since the reveal that Darla was pregnant and here we finally see what she's capable of even whilst she is pregnant. Cordy's initial sympathy with her is an interesting angle and one that makes sense; as she comments in this episode she was also mystically pregnant once, but her sympathy arises more out of anger for Angel than anything else. The scene in which Angel and Darla come to the realization that their baby has a heartbeat and a soul is a very powerful one. Its perhaps a bit of a jump- does heartbeat equal soul?- but sets up for an exciting arc ahead.
I can't not mention Holtz arising and it totally works with the shock factor at the end. The earlier flashback was a nice subtle way to set up for his arrival too. (8/10)

A3.08 Quickening
A great and an action packed episode. First of all there was Holtz' arrival. We got to see some of the flashbacks that contributed to him being brought to modern day LA, which helped fill in the puzzle. I do feel a little more comedy could've been brought during the scene between him and Sahjhan, where Holtz learnt the history that he has missed. However it was a lot of fun to realise that he had manage to dispatch the Wolfram and Hart SWAT guys, single handedly.
Speaking of, Wolfram and Hart had to be involved at some point and it was great to see them on their toes about this latest development. I liked the sheer number of psychics and seers they brought in as well as the paranormal obstetrician, the idea that the demon world is so similar to the human world is pretty funny and I like it when Angel (the show) delves into that. Sadly though Linwood and Gavin Park are not nearly as interesting as Holland Manners and Lindsey which means it Lilah carrying the W&H scenes for the most part.
Finally to Darla and her impending birth. Julie Benz is a terrific actor and its fun watching her switch from mother to vampire mode and back again. It was also sweet when Angel realised he was going to have a son, very touching scene. The vampire cult I could do without, but it makes sense at least. (8.5/10)

A3.09 Lullaby
Another great episode and a brilliant end to the Darla pregnant arc. The scenes between Angel and Darla throughout the episode are beautiful and yet so tragic. It was a great idea to kill Darla, even though its sad to see her go as a character. It added a poetry to the birth that was very beautiful. Even in quieter scenes those two still show their terrific chemistry together. The Holtz stuff was fairly interesting; I loved his little conversation with Lilah, but the ending is the most powerful and chilling scene he has.
I have to point out though, poor Lorne, he's just got his club back up only for it to be decimated again. I'm a little sad this is the last we'll ever see of Caritas (though that was properly in the third episode of the season) as it was a nice social place for the group. (9.5/10)

A3.10 Dad
I didn't enjoy this episode much when I first saw it, but I love it more and more every time I see it. Knowing what Angel does in the episode is a fakeout makes it much more enjoyable I think as you can watch it knowing that Angel didn't desert his team.
Angel as the papa-bear here is very sweet. I love his scenes trying to get Connor to stop crying, especially when he vamps out; little weird to see a vamp talking baby talk though! His protectiveness over the baby from the cults, Wolfram and Hart and even the rest of the team is endearing even if it is a little misplaced. I'm not sure that I totally buy that Connor is safe now after Angel's little trick, but I guess it makes him safer and it stops the team constantly living in fear.
The Holtz, Justine stuff slowed the episode down a bit, they have some interesting episodes together but this isn't one of them. Also I must mention that I loved the women down in the W&H Archives, so makes sense that she would basically be a human archive- so Wolfram and Hart to do that! (9/10)