Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 68

5.17 Underneath
This is a little bit of a disjointed episode. The events of the last episode mean that Wesley can't possibly mix with the rest of the gang whilst they deal with the problem of the week. However, despite Amy Acker nailing her new role, there is little for Wesley and Illyria to do apart from talk, which gets a little boring.
The main story is a lot more interesting. The idea that Lindsey isn't in some standard hell, but a groundhog day suburban nightmare is a neat one and it works very well. Not seeing the cellar torture just adds to the terrifying nature of it.
However having Gunn take Spike's place was just pure genius and it's the perfect way to have him atone for his sins. With Wesley and Lorne severely depressed, we do not need another character brooding.
Eve's storyline was a little less interesting, but it did bring some light humour into an otherwise depressing episode and it was a nice introduction for Hamilton. (8/10)

5.18 Origin
The concept of this episode is a relief to me as it finally addresses the storyline of Connor and one of the biggest problems of the season- the rewriting of everyone's memories. Everything is more or less out in the open and everyone knows the truth behind why the gang cam to W&H (apart from Lorne and Gunn). This is an important aspect considering how much the gang are questioning their motives.Plus all the little references, demonstrate that the show isn't completely trying to scrub out the last the past couple of years, in favour of a new shinier show.
Bringing Connor back was also a much needed necessity; Angel's son is such a huge part of the series (whether fans like that or not) and lets face it, in the Whedonverse he couldn't just get a completely happy ending. The way in which he is brought back is a cool one and it allows Angel the chance to help the helpless and reconnect with his son- with Connor going mad again. Cyvus Vail is an interesting villain- more so than Sahjhan as he seems to have a lot more power- which says a lot considering what Sahjhan put the group through during season 3. Connor fighting Sahjhan also opens up another can of worms in that the prophecy is now well and truly fulfilled and begs the question- what does this mean for the Shanshu?
I'm glad to see Gunn wasn't completely forgotten about and having him decline Hamilton's offer is a nice way of showing that Gunn has truly learnt his lesson. The Spike/Illyria scenes were funny, though it still doesn't completely make sense why she is hanging around W&H. (8.5/10)

5.19 Time Bomb
This is a mixed episode for me. I'm not a fan of the time jumps, but it does address many important issues and generally it's quite enjoyable. This isn't Amy Acker's best performance of Illyria; Fred seems to seep through quite a lot. However by taking away her power, this allows the character to integrate into the group in a way that actually makes sense rather than the hanging around she has been doing in the last few episodes. Wes' growing attachment for her, is as Angel puts it 'weird' but almost understandable, considering who she looks like and although he claims he doesn't love her, I;m guessing that had the show continued that, that wouldn't have been the case any more. The case of the girl giving her baby up to the demon brethren, is again one we've seen before on the show. However it is poignant to bring it up here as this time Angel is fighting on the other side, which makes it a whole lot more significant, especially for the final few episodes. It was nice to see Gunn back to his old self a lot more, fighting for what is right. (8/10)

5.20 The Girl in Question
So close to the finale (series or season regardless) this was was really necessary. Once again the world of Buffy invades the show again, leaving Lorne and Gunn with little to do and Angel and Spike to rehash out old ground. They were pretty pathetic in their relentless pursuit of Buffy with only Andrew to interact with. As a comedic storyline the chasing of the head wasn't too bad, but mixed with the Buffy stuff it was just tiring. Though there were a couple of funny set pieces- in the bar and on the scooter- this storyline was mostly just pretty embarrassing with the cliche Italian characters, the silly flashbacks and Angel and Spike's continuous bickering which got tiring long ago.
The only storyline which kept this episode grounded was the Burkle storyline. I liked seeing Fred's parents again, as they were such sweet characters, and Amy Acker pulled off a blinder switching effortlessly between the two characters. Wesley's pain during the scene was pretty raw to watch, but it served an important purpose in the lead up to the finale. (5/10)