Page now up for Buffy and Angel Rewatch

Even though it's been quite a while since I finished my Buffy and Angel rewatch blog, I've pnly just got around to fully updating my page for the blogs.

All links including episodes names to each rewatch blog are now conveniently linked on the following page:

http://natstvblog.blogspot.com/p/buffy-and-angel-rewatch.html

Take a look and let me know what you think and of any incorrect links!

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 70 (Conclusion)

Review of the Rewatch

It's taken me about 11 months to complete the rewatch- that's 12 seasons and 254 episodes in roughly 48 weeks. It's been hard going at times I have to admit; there are some not so good episodes amongst the good ones and it was tough to make myself watch them. I was also feeling a little over-saturated at one point.

However now I'm done with the rewatch, I'm finding myself badly missing the shows. I had never watched either shows continuously like that and doing so definitely made me love both shows a lot more. It's easy to forget how the stories were layered and built up over the years, how much effort went into each episode and how enjoyable and underrated certain episodes can be. There were a lot of episodes that I enjoyed a lot more this time round and I appreciated more of the general arcs as I was watching the seasons in a short amount of time.

I must say, in terms of episode order, it was difficult to watch the shows together, completely in chronological order. Often episode arcs would have to be split in order to watch episodes in the rght order and sometimes I would go quite a long time before switching to the other show. I would probably conclude therefore that a true episode order of the two shows (in terms of watching) can't be done, especially for the later crossovers.

It's hard to write up a summary for both shows in just a few short paragraphs to sum up how amazing I think both shows are- I mean let's face it, I never would have done this rewatch if both shows were not deserving of one. However I'll give it a go!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Series Review

In pop culture's history, this is usually considered a special so- and for very good reason. A failed film, a silly title and a teeny-bopper premise, meant that to begin with the show probably wasn't taken very seriously. The show took a little while to find it's feet, not truly reaching it's true potential until the end of it's first season and even then it took a dramatic twist in the second season to put Buffy on the map. It demonstrated to critics that despite it's origins Buffy the Vampire Slayer was more than just a high school vampire romp- it was a show to be taken seriously.

Many people say that the high school years of the show were it's best and in some ways that's true. Sunnydale High was the perfect place for vampire/demons to wreck havoc and the the storylines became the perfect metaphor for growing up. There is a definite charm to these early years; there were a lot of not so stellar stand alone episodes, but the three Big Bads (the Master/Angelus/the Mayor) brought a nice cohesion to the episodes, each representing an important stage in Buffy's life. The stand alone episodes also had their merits; they were often silly but sometimes dark, but the episodes were nearly always funny and the 'little' personal moments contained within them made the show what it was.
The year after school was a little bit of a struggle, both creatively for the writers and for the characters. The Big Bad was probably the weakest of the show, but the show did it's best to retain some of the high school essence, whilst still propelling it's characters forward.
Though Buffy has always been a young show, it was thrust more firmly into the adultworld when Buffy gained a sister in the fifth season. Dawn may have annoyed some, but she had an important purpose and brought around some of the most terrific drama seen on the show.
Seasons 6 and 7 are often considered the worst by fans; many preferred The Gift as a finale and the change of network did mean the show had a very different tone. However I personally don't think that the latter two seasons were particularly worse than the other seasons, though the dark tone does make it a very different show from what it started out as. The lack of Big Bad for most of season 6 allowed for rich character development and the omnipresent Big Bad in season 7 pushed the story along nicely, creating a real sense of drama and lay the foundations down for that stunning finale.
I'm not sure if I can decide on my favourite season; season 5 was probably the strongest but season 3 mixed the stand alones with the Big Bad more effectively than any other season, so I'd probably pick those two.

Though I found Buffy more palatable (and gasp even likable!) as a lead this time watching; the core of the show always has and will be the entire Scooby gang. Though there were a lot of characters that came and went throughout the show, some of them integrating themselves with the Scoobies one time or another, the core four of Buffy, Willow, Giles and Xander provided the emotional stability and depth of the show. Without them, the show wouldn't have been the same.

Overall the show made a name for itself and will never be forgotten. For me personally, the whole show was infinitely more enjoyable this time round. The friendship built up between the group, the trials faced, the witty banter and inside jokes are all a lot more enjoyable when the show is watched from start to end. In terms of quality the show probably beats out Angel, due to it's role as the original and best.

Angel- Series Review

Spin-off's usually crash and burn but this one flourished and went on to survive only 1 and half seasons less than it's predecessor. However despite that, Angel proved to be one hell of a show. Based on vampires and the good vs evil fight it was always going to be difficult to establish it's identity. The characters quickly evolved though- Angel, Cordy and Wes were completely different from who they were in Buffy and it was a joy to watch the characters grow up.
This growing up was important as Angel had a more distinctly adult feel to it. The characters faced many problems a young adult would face (housing, jobs, identity, evil law firms!) which definitely made it different from Buffy (though the latter show did venture into adult territory, it never did quite as much Angel did). LA provided a very suitable background to the gang's adventures especially in some of the earlier seasons. Angel's mission statement of helping the helpless may never have worked in any other city.

Though the first season was pretty much made up of standalone episodes, character development was still important. Doyle left a huge lasting impression and Cordy/Wes ended up very different characters from the ones we saw in Sunnydale. Wolfram and Hart in it's many incarnations played the big villain which kept Angel on his toes. Through season 1, they were always there, but it was in season 2 that the writers made them step up and they became a huge part of the show. Bringing back Darla was also important, especially as she became so embedded in the mythology of the show. W&H and Darla continued to play major roles in season 3, but the biggest new player was easily Connor. Though many fans don't like Connor; like Dawn in Buffy, he plays an integral part in the show, shaping the characters and especially Angel into the people they became.
Though W&H was Angel's main foe, they ironically faded into the background when a more traditional big bad(s) appeared in season 4. This season definitely has a different feel to all other seasons in that there aren't really many cases of the week and the whole season is just one big adventure.
Though Angel was supported by Buffy in the early years, season 3 and 4 saw the show stand fully on it's own two feet with only brief interludes to keep the two shows spinning in the same universe. My personal saddness at season 5 is because after this act of independence by the show, it fell back heavily to leaning on Buffy- funny that, as the show wasn't even on anymore- with characters from Buffy crossing over permanently onto Angel. Though some semblance of an arc was developed later in the season season 5, was again very much full of standalone episodes, similar in many ways to season 1.
For me my favourite seasons of the show were 2-4. Although season 4 got a little messy towards the end, everything that happened in those seasons cause a further consequence that led to the three seasons feeling very much like the middle arc of the show. Season 1 and 5 were good, but both were very much standalone and though all seasons had some less than good episodes, the worst episodes are probably to be found in the beginning and closing seasons.

In keeping with it's more adult tone, the show was never afraid to kill of it's main characters. Though Buffy did do this to some extent, the core four all survived. This was not the case with major characters dying in every season (Doyle, Darla, Lilah, Cordy, Fred, Lindsey, Wes). In fact the only character truly left standing was Angel. This definitely gave Angel a darker feeling than Buffy had. It's a testament to the actor and writing that each character left a hole, when they died (thankfully those last few death's were in the final season so we didn't have to do without the characters for too long!) Doyle was in just in 9 episodes but is sorely missed throughout the show and season 5 is definitely worse off for the lack of Cordelia.


Overall though, despite the shows minor faults, this was an excellent show and showed producers can a drama spin-off can work and exactly how to do one. However Angel was more than a spin-off and though it's often seen as Buffy's lesser sibling, it was probably my favourite out of the two shows (only just though!).

My Best and Worst Buffy and Angel Episodes

My Best episodes are those that I scored 10 for (couldn't include the episodes I scored 9.5 as the list is already very long!); the worst are those that I scored 5.5 and below (listed in chronological order; to see why I thought the episodes were so good or bad please click the link!) I don't think there ate any surprises on these lists- the best list, especially is fairly standard and the there aren't too many shockers on the worst list either. It is nice to see that my best list well outweighs the bad list.

Worst Episodes

1.04 Teacher's Pet
2.18 Killed By Death
B4.05 Beer Bad
A1.06 Sense and Sensitivity
A1.15 The Prodigal
B4.18 Where the Wild Things Are
A2.08 The Shroud of Rahmon
B6.12 Doublemeat Palace
A3.18 Double or Nothing
5.13 Why We Fight
5.20 The Girl in Question

Best Episodes

2.17 Passion
2.21 Becoming Part 1
2.22 Becoming Part 2
3.16 Dopplegangland
3.21 Graduation Day part 1
3.22 Graduation Day Part 2
A1.09 Hero
B4.10 Hush
B4.15 This Year's Girl
B4.16 Who Are You?
A1.18 Five by Five
A1.19 Sanctuary
B4.22 Restless
A1.22 To Shanshu in LA
A2.07 Darla
A2.15 Reprise
A2.16 Epiphany
B5.16 The Body
B5.22 The Gift
B6.07 Once More With Feeling
B6.08 Tabula Rasa
A3.13 Waiting In The Wings
A4.07 Apocalypse Nowish
A4.22 Home
B7.22 Chosen
5.12 You're Welcome
5.15 A Hole in the World
5.22 Not Fade Away

Special thanks

This may sound stupid, but a big thanks to the cast and crew of Buffy and Angel for providing such quality entertainment.

Thanks to the websites I have pilfered pictures from along the way including (but not limited to):
Angel Screen Caps
Buffy Wikia
Wikipedia
Amazon.co.uk (and .com)
Sidereel

Thanks to Shawn, who has commented on every single Rewatch post and to the others that have also read and commented along the way.

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 63

Buffy season 7
As a final season, this is a great one. Even though the show has changed a great deal over 7 years, one of my favourite things about this final season is that it brings the characters and the show full circle allowing it to finish where it began.
Like season one, this season kicks off with the Big Bad firmly at work and present in Sunnydale. There is another first day at high school, but this time for Dawn. A lot of evils that once plagued the high school return for another haunting. The Scoobies are firmly back together, really for the first time since season 5 and the season ends back in the Hellmouth and the High School.

Surprisingly there are some filler episodes in this season, but I think pretty much every episode references the coming evil in some way. The strongest episodes are probably those that directly tackle the problem of the First, though there are a couple of weaker ones that fall into that category as well.
The show's final big bad, is fittingly one we've seen before. I feel that the big bad mostly works, some people dislike the vagueness of it and it is difficult to know it's exact purpose. However I think the fact that it can manipulate people into doing it's bidding make it a very strong final Bad for Buffy to fight. The First gets into the heart of Buffy's army on more than one occasion and makes it difficult for the Slayer to fight, as her opinion knows her every move. When the First comes in the form of dead loved ones (which was a great move as we got to see a lot of old favourites back in the final season in a unique and non shark jumpy way), the characters mostly know who it is and still The First manages to affect them. The First is also interesting in that respect as it's played by a variety of actor's, so it's never one continuing character. This keeps the First interesting throughout the season which was important especially as it's the Big Bad that has lasted the longest on the show.
As for it's lackey's Caleb is obviously the best one. It's slightly ironic though, considering he is alone but manages to do the most damage. The fact that he isn't around for very long makes him all the more interesting.

The Potentials are undoubtedly the weak link of the season. Though the writers do a decent job of dividing the screen time between the originals and these newbies- so that we can actually care a little when they die, or at the prospect of them dying, it does feel like the original Scoobies get inched out a little. The reduced screen time is good for some characters, especially Dawn who is a much better character in season 7, but I did miss seeing Anya and Xander, who got a little shafted in terms of storylines.

Out of the Scoobies, Buffy and Willow get the best storylines. Willow with Kennedy and her magic problems and Buffy with her Slayer and army. It's interesting to not that this is the only season where Buffy doesn't have a proper love interest (Spike doesn't really count as it's very much an ex relationship, no matter how strong their bond seems to be), but this only helps to highlight the loneliness she feels as the Slayer.
However annoying the potentials are it does make for a great ending in which Buffy changes Slayer history for good. She finds a cure for her loneliness and the burden she has felt (an ongoing arc during the series) and creates many others like her. It's a brilliant idea and one that closes that the show nicely.

Overall this was a great season to end on. The episodes were a little mixed and there were some filler ones, but like always, the show pulls all the stops out for a terrific finale. (9/10)

Angel season 4
This is a very odd season for Angel. In some ways this is the best season. It has some of the strongest episodes and overall arcs that the show has produced. It has an actual apocalypse, which as I have said before is the first time we've actually seen one. All the actor's are just brilliant do a great job and there are some amazing action scenes throughout the season/ Plus it makes you think especially when Jasmine's true nature is revealed and the consequences of killing her are felt. However this is also the worst season in a way. There are some awful plot points and a lot of contrivances as the writers scrambled to write around Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy. The Cordy/ Connor relationship is just icky, which ever way you look at it. Plus the whole season just makes Cordy an unlikeable character, no matter how hard you try to believe that Jasmine is the one in control the whole time. These reasons are probably the reason why this season often ends up at the bottom and top of many a fan's favourite season lists.

When taken in it's smaller arcs - Cordy's return, the apocalypse/The Beast, The Beast master/ Angelus/Faith, Cordy is evil, and finally Jasmine, the season is a lot more successful in my opinion. The season swings around lot during these arcs and it make it hard to believe that so much happened in just one season.
Cordy's return is probably the least interesting arc, amnesia whilst a convenient plot device can get a little boring and since the Cordy/ Connor relationship begins here, it can be a little hard to watch at times. The apocalypse arc is a lot more interesting. The Rain of Fire and blotting out of the sun, makes the apocalypse that little bit more real and we got a lot of fun action scene to go along with it. This is the same with the Angelus and Faith arc. Both characters are so interesting and just a joy to watch, that it's hard not to enjoy these episode, no matter how they were brought about.
In hindsight, it's easy to see how Cordy/Jasmine's evil plan plays out,even before the reveal. In Long Day's Journey, it becomes obvious that killing Manny, the last totem, is an inside job making it very likely to be Cordy (1 out of 4 chance; just Gwen, Gunn, Angel, and Cordy present). Later she has the 'memory' that Angelus knew the Beast, but Angel doesn't remember this. There was probably no meeting, (or maybe there was, the gang believe that the memory has been wiped, but I think the fact that it never happened made more sense) awakening Angelus was just a distraction and she led them right down that path with a little help from the Beast. In 'Calvary' again she has another vision that doesn't pan out and leads to Angelus being released.
The final arcs of Cordy being revealed as evil and pregnant is a little tough to take, just because it's Cordy a beloved character who is meant to be evil. It becomes more palatable when it is revealed that Jasmine has been the driving force all a long.
Jasmine is an interesting evil to have. Essentially she wants to bring a sort of utopia upon earth, which is very different from the big bads we've experienced on the show so far. Lilah commends the gang on ending world peace; she and W&H believe that that's just what Angel and team have done. Jasmine herself also believes this and her logic makes sense. Kill a few thousand to save millions. It's hard to hate her that much, when she offered happiness to so many and the gang definitely feel this after they have been released from her thrall. However, it is easy to see why Angel had to bring her down. For instance, if Jasmine was good, it seems hard to believe that she needed so much destruction and devastation for her to be brought about. Plus free will- pretty much a big thing, especially on this show. However this ambiguity is what makes Jasmine such an interesting, if not an especially enjoyable, big bad.

Character wise, Lorne becomes further ingratiated in the team and Gwen makes a big splash in her few episodes. Fred steps up to the plate and becomes more of a heroine rather than the victim she was. Wesley had changed immeasurably, but in many ways, his looser morals make him a more likable character. Angel, as a character is very much all over the place during this season and it continues into the next. Until he loses his soul, he mostly plays hurt and vengeful over the loss of Cordy and Connor and Cordy's growing relationship.
Whilst I enjoyed the Angelus arc and David Boreanaz does such a good job of playing him, it does annoy me a touch. For a show that dabbles in the grey area a lot, its annoying when the characters differentiate so much between souled and unsouled Angel. Plenty of characters in the show with souls (eg all W&H employees) do unspeakable things without feeling too much guilt so why should Angel (souled) be much different? Granted Angelus is far worse than most of the lawyers could be. Watching Buffy season 7 at the same time, showed the vast differences with how the writers of each handled their souled vampires and I have to say in respect to this Angelus/Angel argument, the Buffy writers handled Spike going 'good' a lot better as they didn't differentiate between the soul/no soul personalities as much (Spike's personality was pretty much the same in s6 and s7).

Overall then, even though this season does have it's problems, it's generally a highly enjoyable season to watch. There's few filler episodes and everything just flows from one episode to the next. (9/10)

Buffy and Angel

Episode Order
This was easily the hardest two seasons to watch together. Both seasons had big overarching arcs meaning that storylines flowed from one episode to the next with very few natural storyline breaks. This made it nearly impossible to watch the shows alternately, without taking a break in one where there shouldn't have been. This wasn't so hard for the beginning of the season but from the Faith arc, this became very difficult. As a result there the episode order I watched wasn't a perfect one.

Episodes
In some ways the seasons were very similar. They both had big 'Big Bad's'. On Buffy the big bad claimed to be the ultimate evil; on Angel the bad claimed to bringing world peace. The two storylines were fortunately kept separate until the end of Buffy. Angel's apocalypse and blotting out of the sun, was a little bizarre in that it was confined to LA but it would've messed with the story on Buffy if it had spread further. At the end of the season, having Angel present, would've severely negated the work the writers had out into developing Spike's own path to hero, making it a necessity that he left. Keep the shows separate didn't always work. I loved the Faith break-out of jail in Angel as it worked so well in the storyline; Faith is a character who naturally belongs in Angel. However it felt silly that the Scoobies didn't bring her back earlier. As the other remaining Slayer she would've been a natural asset to their cause.

Crossovers
The main crossover was of course Faith and even then that wasn't a strictly a crossover. Her story carried on Buffy after she departed LA, but since Faith' character was originally on Buffy, her story was naturally finished on here. The entire Faith arc was a joy to watch. She was amazing in her few episodes on Angel, slotting perfectly into the team also sorting out some of her issues along with it. She continued to 'deal' when she went to Sunnydale and sorted out her relationships with the Scoobies. Willow and Angel both pulled double duty on the two shows. Willows crossover was brilliant to watch mostly because of the off screen romance between Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof, which added the 'awww' factor. Angel's appearance as Buffy's first love and because he is such an important on the show, was crucial to the show ending and going off in style. It was nice to add some sort of closure to their relationship, which was done in a brilliantly diplomatic way so as not to upset either Spike or Angel fans.

Overall
It's hard to pick which had the better season in that they were both pretty epic, but admittedly both seasons had pretty big flaws. Buffy's season ended stronger, but Angel's was probably consistently better. Overall I think Angel slightly edges out on best season, mostly because of the pure epic-ness of the season as a whole.

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 62

B7.20 Touched
Since the ending is fast approaching, in many ways this is a nice human emotion episode to have. Buffy can get a little annoying when she's all melancholy; at least here she is starting to realise that maybe she isn't always right. Spike too falls into the annoying category, as he gets all superior about Buffy being kicked out with the gang and then again with Buffy herself.
The sex scenes that are referred to in the episodes title, make a lot of sense as they feature the shows core and likely to have sex characters. I do like the contrasts between the different couplings, including Xander and Anya's very messy sex on the kitchen floor!
As always it's nice to see the Mayor back on the show, even in the form of the First. No-one mattered more to Faith than him and since all the other Scoobies (minus Giles and Xander; shame Jenny couldn't have come back but she's already been the First once) have had visits from dead loved ones, it's about time she did too. What he said wasn't of great importance but it was a nice blast from the past.
Speaking of blasts, the ending was a very enjoyable one. I loved the cliffhanger aspect with the bomb ticking away. I guess since it's her show, Buffy had to be the one to find the scythe and be proven right, though it would've been nice for Faith's hard work to pay of as well. (8.5/10)

B7.21 End of Days
The end is indeed is indeed near. As the episode begins with an explosion which puts Faith out of commission, we finally see what they potentials can do. For the first time they are not fighting an ordinary vamp but the uber vamps. They're not great at it, admittedly, but this is only to allow Buffy to play the hero. The scenes of panic that play out at the house are good to watch as it really impresses home what danger they are all in. Sometimes on the show it can feel like everything will be alright in the end due to the safety net of it being a TV show, so these types of scenes are important.
Until the end there isn't much action but a lot of two people scenes. Sweet moments play out between some likely and unlikely pairings; Buffy/Xander, Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Faith, Willow/Giles and Anya/Andrew and they serve as a nice way to close the series for certain characters and pairings, especially Anya, Buffy/Xander and Buffy/Faith.
The scythe is a nice weapon to pull out of the bag at the eleventh hour, but we never get an explanation about why the First had it uncovered. It seems a pretty stupid thing to do, considering the power Buffy has with it. They do provide a nice back story to the scythe though in that it was created by people looking out for the Slayer herself. We have had a lot over the years about the Watchers and the men who originally created the Slayer, none of whom seemed to have the Slayer's best interests at heart, so it's nice that there were people watching over her.
Angel's return is obviously a major part of the episode. I used to be bothered that he could be so happy and heroic for Buffy considering all that's just happened to him in LA, but now I've realised that it's easy to put on a facade even when things are bad in your own life. Angel needs to be string and helpful for Buffy not depress her with all his problems. He has plenty of time to brood when he goes back to LA! (9.5/10)

B7.22 Chosen
Where do I start?! In a perfect and utterly satisfying conclusion to the show, Buffy saves the world (again). However this time she changes it as well, making every potential into an actual Slayer. As a concept this is an excellent way to bring the show full circle. The show's mission statement, spoken by The First in this episode, is completely altered and Buffy's biggest burden is now lifted. By doing this, Buffy is squarely put in Slayer history as the one Slayer who changed the rules and balanced out the fight against evil. One of my favourite things about this episode was the way in which Buffy's idea was revealed, first by hiding it and then revealing it towards the end. They have done the hidden plan thing before (Graduation Day, The Gift), but the sheer magnitude of the idea just made they way they did it in this episode, absolutely perfect.
Destroying Sunnydale was also another neat idea. The Hellmouth is always there as demonstrated by other times when Buffy has left and come back again and it will always need a Slayer to defend it. Closing the Hellmouth or at least getting rid of the humans living above and prey to it, was the best way to ensure that Buffy could truly move on.
The show did many other things to bring it full circle. Taking the fight to the High School and getting to destroy it again was a nice touch as was the final scene before the fight in which the core Scoobies, recount their conversation from season 1. I was also glad to see only the main alive characters in the final shot as these are the characters which made the show.
The fight scenes were brilliantly executed, as were the special effects, which were better than seen in some Hollywood blockbusters. Buffy coming face to face with The First/Buffy was also well done, but this was probably mostly due to Sarah Michelle Gellar's acting skills. I haven't mentioned it before, but like she did with the Buffy-bot, she pulled off the role of The First excellently and more convincing than many of the other actors brought in have done.
As for the deaths, Anya's was incredibly sad and quickly done; the shot of her lifeless body was a sad one, especially as she and Xander seemed so close during the episode. A main character death was much needed though, otherwise it wouldn't have felt like an apocalypse. Spike's death, whilst heroic, is cheapened by the fact that he doesn't really die and appears in Angel next season. His death here would be a lot more poignant had he stayed dead.
Overall this was a stellar episode and a beautiful way to end the show. I know many would've preferred The Gift, but personally the heroics and game-changing aspects of this episode make it the perfect to see out the show. (10/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 60

A4.16 Players
I'm a big fan of this episode. What could've been a filler episode for the finale arc kicked in, was seamlessly part of the overall season by bringing back Gwen, who this time was looking for a cure. Her three episodes was actually a nice story arc for Gwen. We got to see her origins, and what she does best, then her helping the gang and being a hero, and finally her finding cure for her inner freak. This episode was also a nice episode for Gunn and showed that he has more talents that he has perhaps ever been given credit for. The final scene with the pair was incredibly hot and they would've made an interesting couple.
The storyline at the hotel felt a little filler, until the final scene, where it is revealed that Cordy's treachery has been found out. It makes for an exciting cliffhanger ending for the next episode. (9/10)

A4.17 Inside Out
For me this a pretty amazing episode. We finally get explanations of all Cordy's transgressions and also we finally get to see fully evil Cordy. It would've been nice to see more of Cordy as this evil thing- Charisma Carpenter does evil so well, but the fact we get so little makes this episode more special. Whilst its nice seeing Skip again- visually he's a pretty amazing demon and he's pretty funny even when evil- I'm not sure I like his explanation of how fate or Jasmine specifically has worked. It therefore renders both shows as the machinations of this god, which doesn't quite sit right with me. Still an explanation is better than none at all. I do love his death though, Wes' amazing on target shot into Skip's head was just incredible.
The strongest part of this episode is of course the Darla/Connor scenes. Its a thrill to see Julie Benz back and for once being the good one. The scenes are hugely haunting. It was also a nice chance for mother and son to meet and a reminder that TPTB are still around, despite Angel thinking they have deserted them. (9/10)

A4.18 Shiny Happy People
This is an interesting start to the Jasmine arc. Like many of Angel's arcs it's difficult to talk about this episode in itself. The beginning is a touch tedious as all the team bow to her will and act all googly eyed over her. Unadulterated happiness isn't that interesting to watch on TV funnily enough. However things get a lot more interesting once Fred finally wakes up. Emotionally and physically Fred has always been the weakest of the characters (baring perhaps Lorne), but here she becomes the detective and eventual hero of the group. As the only remaining female member, it's probably harder on her than it would be on any of the others and that's what makes it so interesting. I love the scene where Fred tells Wes her findings and he betrays her. It's very poignant and enjoyable to watch. (7.5/10)

B7.18 Dirty Girls
This is one of my favourite episodes of the season. The return of Faith brings much joy; she has a lot more history with the Scoobies than with those in LA making her entrance that little bit more interesting. It's a touch annoying that we have to have so much exposition courtesy of Andrew as to Faith's past, but for new viewers at the time this must've been useful. She zings with all the main characters and its nice to see that apart from Dawn and to an extent Buffy, they are all able to put their history with her to one side.
The other notable entrance in this episode is of course of Caleb. Nathan Fillion plays this role to perfection and it's a testament to his incredible acting skills. Having a corporeal and coherent baddie was much needed. The Turok Han and the Bringers are fearsome warriors, but they don't say much and though the First like to talk the talk, he can't really do anything. Caleb however makes a dramatic impact killing at least two of the girls and of course the biggest impact in squeezing out Xander's eye. This scene doesn't get any less shocking or hard to watch the more times I watch it and puts Xander top of the casualty list. Apart from Anya, Xander hasn't really lost anyone or thing like the other Scoobies have (Angel, Joyce, Tara, Jenny) so perhaps it is fitting that he loses something so important now. His speech earlier in the episode only makes his loss here more poignant. (9.5/10)

B7.19 Empty Places
Though this is a very enjoyable episode, it is somewhat of a placeholder between the last episode and the next one. I love the final scene when Buffy is chucked out of her house, it is a very strong scene, especially as all the main Scoobies get involved with their thoughts. Silence from any of them was just not an option. If I'm honest it's a little hard to feel sorry for Buffy at the end of this episode. She hasn't always done well at her leadership role and it's something that she has definitely struggled with. This is exemplified here more than anything, when she refuses to listen to anyone else over what they should do. (I must say her view on democracy is very interesting considering American's think themselves as the leaders of democracy!) Whilst I do think the potentials step out of line here, Buffy doesn't want to listen to the other Scooby's, even those she is currently speaking to and this is her downfall here. Buffy hasn't been a bad leader this season, but she has definitely lost perspective by the end of this episode. That said I'm not sure Faith is a better leader for the girls. In effect she and Buffy do make a good team playing good/bad cop, and I love the scenes when the girls go to The Bronze, but Faith is really not a leader. Even during her stint on Angel, she struggled with it a little and Wesley was by her side in the planning and execution of their ruse to trap Angelus. (8.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 59

B7.16 Storyteller
Whilst its nice to get a little background as to what happened before Andrew killed Jonathan, this episode feels a little strange. Its format and focusing on a minor character feels a little weird and it doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the season, especially so late on. Andrew can be funny though, so it wasn't awful. Having to see so much of the Trio is a little annoying though. It was nice to see Xander and Anya make nice after their previous year of difficulties, even if they're not meant to be as a couple. The students freaking out on the Hellmouth was also fun to see; calling back to many season 1-3 storylines. (7.5/10)

B7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me
My opinion on this episode has definitely changed from the last time I watched it. Whilst it is still an excellent episode, I'm more firmly on Wood's side here. They are in a war, but Wood's need for vengeance here is completely understandable. Giles too, had just cause for worrying about Spike, since Buffy seems to be more blind to the danger he poses than she did to Angel. Now I'm not saying Buffy is totally wrong for saying Spike has changed because the soul has surely changed who he is, just like it changed Angel, but its unfair for her to shut Giles out (literally and figuratively) at the end of the episode.
The flashbacks are a fun and effective way for Spike to work out his Oedipal issues, which are allowing the First to take control of him. The episode is flawed though in the fact that even after Spike is sired, he still dotes on his mother, but she completely turns on him. The writing here isn't completely consistent with how far the demon takes over the body as Spike's inner demon doesn't seem to have complete control over him. Therefore when Spike tells Robin that his mother loved him, the point isn't quite true. Similarly when Spike tells Robin that Nikki didn't love him completely, well that isn't true either. I severely don't think that Nikki should've given up her calling just because she had a son. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself of she had. Like Buffy she doesn't have the luxury of choosing to protect the world. It chose her. (8.5/10)

A4.14 Release
The Faith and Wesley aspect of this episode is very strong. Its understandable that Faith would be off her game, now she's reformed after her stint in prison. She's used to fighting like she didn't care for her life and now she does, forcing her to adjust. Wes, is very in tune with this and knows just what to do and say to get her back to her best. Their confrontation over her torturing him was particularly notable as Wes has never had a chance to avenge this and so its only right he get's a chance to say what he's probably wanted to say for 3 years.
The activities at the hotel are less interesting however. Gunn and Fred's interactions weren't that thrilling, though it did give them a chance for closure. I didn't care for Connor and Cordy much either, they are a bit icky, though the scene where Connor checks for vampire-ness was funny. I also wasn't a fan of Cordy/the Beast master speaking to Angelus in his head. The 'British' voice was a little cheesy and it made the scenes where Angelus was talking to her a bit weird. (8/10)

A4.15 Orpheus
When Willow comes to LA in his episode, it does make you wonder why in the story they never thought of that beforehand. However her return, at any time is welcome and her interactions with all the cast members here are a lot of fun. All the Sunnydale characters here have changed a lot since they were last all together in Buffy's season 3, so there's a lot of catching up to do as well as a lot of changed agenda's. However considering Cordy and Willow's history, it is fun to see them fight magically even if Willow doesn't know it. The Connor and Cordy stuff continues to get more icky, which Fred thankfully points out but the end reveal more than makes up for it.
The Angelus/Faith flashbacking, isn't my favourite aspect of the episode as its a bit of a weird concept, but it acts as a nice character arc for Faith and gets her back to where she needs to be for her time in Sunnydale. As for Angel's soul being returned, I can't say that I'm that sad to see Angelus leave. He started off the arc so interesting and fun to watch, but he hasn't really done anything that evil this time round (probably so Angel doesn't have to atone for it), apart from a lot of talking especially in the last couple of episodes. (9.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 57

B7.13 The Killer In Me
This episode feels a little weird as it left two major plot points hanging and not in a cliffhanging way. Giles not being the First, my favourite storyline is revealed but what actually happened when he encountered the Bringer is held back from a later episode, which is a little odd. Still it was very easy to feel the fear the gang felt when they thought Giles could the the First. Similarly Buffy's quest to get Spike's chip checked was also not resolved; we find out Buffy's answer in the next episode. However its good to see that Buffy and Riley are on good enough terms for him to help her with Spike. The government conspiracy/ flower shop thing was funny though.
The weakest aspect of the episode was the Kennedy/ Willow storyline. Whilst I think Willow did need to deal with her murdering Warren and her grief for Tara, having Warren appear, at Amy's doing, was not the funnest way to do it and honestly it was a little boring. Then there's the Kennedy relationship which I find hard to swallow for two reasons- Kennedy is 17/18 at most and so the age difference is a little icky (Willow and Cordy have a lot in common in these seasons!) and Tara has only been dead for a few months, so Willow moving into a new relationship is a little disrespectful. I know this is TV, so the process is usually speeded up but even Xander never really moves on from Anya! (6.5/10)

B7.14 First Date
As Giles comments by the end of this episode, the events here are very lighthearted, but Giles puts them mostly back on track for the remainder of the season. Poor Xander's date with a demon reeks of stunt casting, but at least it gave the opportunity to show that demons other than the bringers are aligning themselves with the First, which is what we would suspect. Andrew and the others attempting to tape the First was foolish; they could've sent Andrew in with questions and no tape recorder but it did bring about a very creepy scene with Jonathan/The First.
It was good to finally expose Principal Wood and its good to have another fighter on the side of good, one who is actually good at fighting. He and Buffy do have a nice chemistry so its sad they don't pursue that, since she's busy making googly eyes at Spike. I have to say, I;m kinda rooting for Wood here in his quest for revenge against Spike as revealed by The First as Spike is getting a tad annoying now. (7/10)

B7.15 Get It Done
Even though I'm not a fan of the creepier episodes but I really like this one. Getting to see how the first Slayer was made is a very important thing in the lead up to the finale. I must admit Buffy was a little judgmental in how the men made the first Slayer- does she think she got her super strength from flowers and puppies? She did make a valid point though in that the men who made her were cowards, in that they made her fight so they didn't have to.
Buffy's speech to the rest of the gang was a little annoying I must admit and its the start of her more annoying tendencies being very obvious. I understand that she was hard on the Slayers but on Willow and Xander? It was very unfair even if it did give Willow the kick she needed. Another odd point of the episode for me was Kennedy being in the inner circle when they opened the box. It was obvious later, but it was an annoying plot contrivance and her pushiness is part of what makes her such an unpopular character.
Still the episode was mostly highlights. I love Buffy's tour of the house with Robin, Spike getting back into the swing of things by wearing his coat. The sheer horror of Chloe's death made a nice impact as well, showing how far the First can go. (8.5/10)

A4.09 Long Day's Journey
This is a pretty thrilling episode and one of the best apocalypse ones. Though I would've liked more time spent on the Ra-tet, the fact that the killing of nearly all the members happened in one episode added to the sense of the ticking clock. Bringing Gwen back for the episode was a great idea, she rounded off the team nicely, bringing in a few extra super powers. Also knowing that its Jasmine inside Cordy, its easier to side with Gwen in their cat fight and not hate her.
The Beasts quest to blot out the sun is a good one and its more tangible idea than most apocalypse effects- destruction death etc. The Beast was menacing this episode even though he had more to say, which can often negate any scariness.
The ending of course was wonderful, the dramatic fight, the sun disappearing and the revelation that we need Angelus was an excellent cliffhanger ending. (9.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 56

B7.09 Never Leave Me
A lot of this episode is spent talking, Buffy and Spike in particular and it can be a little boring. Even though Anya and Xander are a good and funny tag team when it comes to interrogating Andrew, since Andrew doesn't really tell them anything, it feels like the episode doesn't really go anywhere. That is until the last 10 minutes when the Bringers enter, the revelation that the Big Bad is The First, the blowing up of the Watcher's Council and the emergence of the Ubervamp. This really kicks the arc up more than a notch and makes the slow beginning to the episode justifiable. I'm not particularly sad to see the end of the Watcher's Council. Their last scene about their operations elsewhere make them seem more like an organisation akin to Wolfram and Hart, than anything else! (8/10)

B7.10 Bring On The Night
The end has well and truly begun as this episode begins Buffy's own personal arc of the burden she faces the (almost) lone Slayer that will bring about the events of the finale. The Turok Han was a formidable opponent and its been a while since we've seen Buffy beat up like this. Even when she was killed by the Master, or beaten on a regular basis by Glory, I'm not sure we've ever seen Buffy come out of a fight so beaten. Of course that was just physically as she demonstrates in the amazing war declaration she makes at the end of the episode (which of course is the start of another personal and more annoying arc- her speechifying!). Giles' return was a much needed element to emphasise the gravity of the situation and its always good to see him after his absence for most of the season. Also returning was Dru in the form of the First, a great person to torture Spike as the only other women he loved. The potentials aren't a welcome addition, but they aren't too annoying here, though I'm glad they got rid of the posh one as I hate posh English accents! (8.5/10)

B7.11 Showtime
I love the showdown at the end of this episode and how the Scoobies led it there. Its very powerful at showcasing what Buffy can do, although I am a little sceptical about the telepathy thing between the three friends. It was a neat way of establishing their bond though. It seems a little strange that Buffy would want to fight in front of the girls when it could've gone so badly wrong. Maybe it was Buffy's new sense of leadership that allowed her to kill the Turok-Han, as she seemed sure that she would be able to beat him the second time round, when she wasn't able to the first.
The girl who played Eve the dead Slayer/The First was just wonderful and it was a suitable creepy plot device in which to show the Firsts reach and manipulation skills. The Beljoxa's eye thing was the oddest part of the episode though; it necessitated some exposition about why the First was coming now, but it all seemed a little too easy- why haven't they used it before. Over on Angel, mystical devices like that have been used before and they've always been a lot creepier and hard to access. (8.5/10)

B7.12 Potential
The problem with starting the season's Big Bad arc so early (the first episode) is that it can't maintain the same speed that the show has been going at, meaning that at some point the episodes have to get a little quieter and this episode is the start of that for the next few episodes. Saying that however, this is one of the stronger episodes that aren't action filled. Its a shame that Dawn is least annoying in this season and its the season she gets the least amount of screen time (or perhaps its a coincidence). This episode showcases that Dawn has certainly grown up and Michelle Trachenburg pull it off well. Its endearing to see Dawn selflessly hand over her potential status to Amanda without pausing, even more so since Buffy never found out that she was temporarily a potential.
I'm not a fan of the Buffy/Spike and potentials aspect of this episode, apart from the visit from Clem (who didn't say a word to Spike, which was a little odd), its a little boring, though it does work with the inter-cuts to Dawn. The best things about the episode have to be the gentle introduction of the least annoying potential Amanda and obviously Xander's heart wrenching speech at the end, which is probably more powerful than most of the speeches Buffy gives or will give this season. It so perfectly sums up the Scoobies role in Buffy's life and in the show in general. (8.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 55

B7.07 Conversations With Dead People
I'm not the biggest fan of this episode because I'm not a fan of scary movies or anything like that and the Dawn portion of this episode is definitely that. Still the episode kick starts the arc that will take us into the finale, in a major way. Evil is most definitely coming and its coming after the Scoobies. Though Dawn's is the scariest story, Willow's is definitely the creepiest. It would've perhaps been nicer to see Tara herself, but Cassie was a good second best as she was excellent as the evil masked as good thing. Buffy's story was perhaps the funniest and seeing her go through a form of therapy was interesting as we saw her lay out what she really feels. Spike's storyline was obviously more to do with the next episodes story, but it lay a decent foundation, in an entirely silent story. I was a little sad to see Jonathan's death or more specifically the Trio back in force. Jonathan was always the most likable one and funnily enough as they pondered, the one most likely to be allowed to join the Scoobies, more so than Andrew was. Though it was a real shame not to have a story from Xander, the format of this episode was a nice one and was more enjoyable than I previously thought. (8.5/10)

B7.08 Sleeper
This episode is a little slow to begin with and I think I would've liked more fallout out from the previous episode. However it was a tantalizing look at the Big Bad and just how influential it is. To make Spike kill even with his soul was a powerful thing and something which obviously will have a great effect on him as the season goes on. There were some funny scenes, with Anya and Xander and then Anya and Spike which helped to break the episode up a little, but overall it was a little too slow paced. (7/10)

A4.07 Apocalypse Nowish
Its hard not to love this episode. Visually alone this is an incredible episode to watch, the rain of fire is beautiful and thrilling to see and the make-up for the Beast is incredible. Storyline wise, seeing all the signs of the apocalypse rain down on LA was pretty exciting; we've never seen an apocalypse before in the Buffyverse, not really, so seeing the 'traditional' signs afflict the team was enjoyable and scary at the same time. The Cordy/Connor sex is obviously a low point of the episode, though Angel's reaction is just wonderful. For the purpose of this review and future season 4 ones (up until Inside Out), I'll be referring to Jasmine when I refer to Cordy because the idea that Cordy herself is in the driving seat when she sleeps with Connor is just too icky. I think the highlight of the episode for me is the boys all working together finally. Wesley has been estranged for so long now and it gave me a real kick to see them all working and fighting side by side at last. (10/10)

A4.08 Habeas Corpses
After such an incredible episode, there were perhaps only a few ways to follow it up. But honestly would anyone have thought it would be to have the Beast kill all of W&H? Killing of the show's big bad was a brave decision. They have been dogging Angel for years now, constantly a looming presence and with their end here they won't really be an opposing evil force until late in season 5. It also creates major questions as to the Beasts goal and the extent of its strength, shown by his killing of the White Room girl to not be just physical. Overall this is an enjoyable episode. I'm not mad on the zombies and glad we didn't have to put up with too much of them.
The show perfectly manages to balance humour and drama in this episode. Lilah's ironic comments on W&H's safety in an apocalypse, Lorne checking his drink, Angel's biting remarks to Cordy and his throwaway line of not letting Cordy fight and then telling Fred to hurry up was hilarious. The drama came from the W&H deaths, the White Room, and of course one of my favourite speeches from the show, when Lilah waxes lyrical on white and black. And of course the highlight of this episode was Gavin's death, he's been a thoroughly irritating character and I was glad to see the back of him! (9/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 54

B7.05 Selfless
When a show has as many 'old' characters as this one does, its always fun to explore their previous history's. Anya's was a lot of fun, which was a good thing as it evened out the tragedy of the main part of the episode. The flashbacks covered the defining points in Anya's life plus some fun little extra bits as well; I liked her part in the Russian Revolution, seeing that she wasn't always such a capitalist and of course her 'Mrs' song which is just wonderful.
In the present day Buffy took a very quick decision to kill Anya, and the Scoobies were even quicker to fight about it. The argument seemed a touch forced, dredging up the past, but considering its the final season, its little surprise that they are doing that. Anya's granted wish was particularly gruesome though, so in some ways I do understand why she felt she had to kill Anya. The ultimate act of vengeance was D'Hoffryn taking Hallie's life rather than Anya's. It was a neat little trick to get round killing Anya, but it was a very cruel thing to inflict upon Anya. (9/10)

A4.05 Supersymmetry
I'm not sure there was really a need to go back to Fred being sent to Pylea and the ret-con of how she was sent there didn't really make sense, which weakened the episode a little. It was good to get a Fred centric episode though and there were some good moments like Angel being thrilled about being talked about in the 'chatty rooms', the contrast between the Cordy/Connor storyline and Fred's and the interaction between Wes and Fred. It also well served the purpose of cracking Gunn and Fred's relationship which for the first time for me, wasn't that annoying in this episode. You do have to feel sorry for Gunn that the very thing he hoped would hold his relationship together (killing the professor for her) was actually the thing that killed it. As for the Cordy and Connor stuff, icky as it may be, its understandable that Connor would be drawn to Cordy; he's a hormonal teenage boy and for him, Cordy was never really his mother, surrogate or no. (7.5/10)

A4.06 Spin the Bottle
This episode is obviously comparable to Buffy's Tabula Rasa, but they were different enough to both be enjoyable. Whereas Buffy's didn't have that much impact on the overall season, this episode was pivotal with Lorne's spell finally restoring Cordy's memories and awakening the bast within. The framing device used was a neat one, it always nice to have Lorne front and centre and he made for a good if mysterious narrator. The episode is a lot of fun as the characters do remember who they are so have distinct personalities and its so much fun to see them all revert to the characters they were either when we first saw them (Cordy, Wes, Gunn and to an extent Fred) or who we have seen them be before (Angel, in flashbacks). A lot of the jokes made in the episode as well hark back to teenage years which was funny and fit the episode well. Cordy and Wes are especially fun as they make a lot of links back to Sunnydale and the mythology that started the whole show. I also liked hearing Wesley with his old accent, his hybrid one at the beginning of the episode was odd and a bit distracting. (9.5/10)

B7.06 Him
I expected to hate this episode this time round, but it was actually quite funny in places. The story was a frivolous, filler one, though it did let us have a look at Dawn's first big high school crush albeit at a fastforward pace. The episode very much felt like old school Buffy, the similarities with Xander's own tale of women falling in love with him in season 2's 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' were noted, though oddly through use of flashback, which felt a little bit out of place. The four split screen technique to show all the girls also was a little odd but was used with better effect. Its funny that Buffy had a fringe in the episode, its a small thing but she hasn't had one since season 1/2 and she looked a lot like she did in those seasons, along with her behaviour and seduction technique in this episode which again was mirrored in 'Bewitched...'. The episode did drag on a bit especially to begin with, but mostly it was a nice episode. (7.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 53

B7.03 Same Place, Same Time
This feels like a filler episode in a way, buts its a neatly written and produced episode. The scenes where Willow is actually in the same place as Buffy and Xander are really well done and I like the aspect of piecing the story together. Gnarl the skinning demon was creepy, especially when he was eating the skin and there was obvious Xander foreshadowing when Buffy squeezed out the demons eyes.
Its interesting to see Dawn getting so involved with the research and being so good at it, she's obviously learnt a lot in the past few months. Its also nice to see Anya helping the Scoobies, especially with her one-on-one time with Willow, since they've never really gotten on. (8/10)

A4.03 The House Always Wins
This was a really nice fun episode; a rarity in season 4. The road trip to Las Vegas was a lot of fun to watch. I did like Angel's quips about being in Vegas in the past though continuity wise I'm not sure if it fits really. Lorne's performance was an obvious highlight, and I love the songs he sings as well as the whole show they put on. The main storyline was a little blah as it turned Angel into a zombie like creature which was a bit boring. Having Cordy commenting and interfering was a neat little touch and a good way to bring her into the action.
Not much from Wesley, though his once phone sex scene with Lilah was a little creepy as he was doing it with the weapons guy still in the room- shows how dark Wesley has gone, stiff upper lip no more! (8/10)

A4.04 Slouching Towards Bethlehem
This episode felt a lot longer than it was, probably because of Cordy's amnesia thing. Amnesia when played for laughs, can be funny and lead to all sort of results. When serious, honestly its a bit of a downer, though it did have some funny moments like Cordy looking through the Sunnydale High yearbook.
The episode only really got interesting when Lorne read Cordy and saw something awful and then when Lilah and Wesley got into the mix with her double crossing. Lilah takes advantage of the fact that both Wesley and the AI team are predictable creatures; Lorne would read Cordy and Wesley would do the right thing and try and keep Cordy from W&H. The double cross was very interesting for Wes as it does put him on uneven footing with both Lilah and AI. (6.5/10)

B7.04 Help
This is a beautifully tragic episode. Having Buffy as the school counselor this season was an interesting choice. It allows her to mix with the students in a funny and sad way as shown in this episode, it brings back the Sunnydale high school years in a tangible way and when it brings about it episodes like this, you know it was a brilliant decision on behalf of the writers. Cassie's story was so sad and yet it was such a good and poignant one. Her death was inevitable but by at least trying to save her Cassie had an almost happy death, knowing that someone was fighting for her. The trying is the most important thing. The only thing that lets down this episode, id the fact that the demon looked exactly like the demon Skip on Angel. Very poor and lazy make-up decisions. (9.5/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 52 (BtVS Season 7/Angel Season 4)

I must admit I'm pretty sad to start this season of Buffy as its the final one, though thankfully after these seasons are done I have one Angel one to ease the pain of finishing Buffy!
NB I've deviated from the list I've been following a little watching this season as some of the continuing episodes weren't placed together in the watching order.

B7.01 Lessons
I didn't really remember much of this episode from when I first watched it, but its an impressive way to kick off the final season. The episode gets right into introducing the Big Bad in a way that no other season (bar the first) has done. Building the High School again is beautifully poetic and its the perfect setting for Buffy to fight the final battle. Plus Dawn makes sure that she's linked with it again.
I liked that Dawn is now getting trained to fight, she's nearly 17 and Buffy, Willow and Xander had been fighting demons for quite a while by then, so Dawn really needed to get in on the action. The main story of the manifested spirits was a nice one, mostly because it was simple, creepy and a neat call back to the classic high school days.
There was a lot of mystifying/overlong dialogue though elsewhere, with Spike obviously and with Willow and Giles, which seemed to go on a little.
My favourite scene though has to be the final one. Bringing back all the dead Big Bads was a stroke of genius and honestly it was nice to see the history of Buffy in this way. (9/10)

A4.01 Deep Down
There was a lot of loose ends and cliffhangers to deal with in this episode and mostly they were well dealt with so the season could get going. The Wesley stuff was the most interesting. To see how dark he had become, especially with keeping Justine was a little horrifying but it was reassuring to see that by searching for Angel he still had some heart. How more evil other half, Lilah also had some enjoyable scenes in which she thankfully dispatched on the annoying Linwood, in a very entertaining way!
Angel's hallucinations varied, the first was the strongest and most fun to watch, bu they increasingly became more boring, however significant they were to Angel's hopes and fears. The Gunn/Fred and Connor stuff was probably the weakest of the episode. However Fred's tearful speech to Connor was very well done as was Angel's own and was a nice capper to the episode. (8/10)

B7.02 Beneath You
This is a bit of a mixed episode. The Spike going mad stuff is rather good. James Marsters pulls off the mood swings and the crazy so well and its a very enjoyable performance, especially the final scene. The main story was less enjoyable however. The girl with the worm ex boyfriend was a bit of an ungrateful bitch; she never really thanked Buffy or Xander for saving her life and she didn't even check on her ex after he had been stabbed. It was difficult to sympathise with her which made the story less enjoyable. I did like seeing Anya working as a vengeance demon though. The confrontation scene at The Bronze was pretty funny, but I would've liked to see demon Anya go up against Spike rather than Buffy again. (7/10)

A4.02 Ground State
When I first watched this episode I didn't really like Gwen. Her dalliance with Angel felt a little bit too much of a betrayal to Cordy, but as a character she has definitely grown on me. As the opening flashback showed, she is just a lost little girl, whose powers have kept her from being close to anyone. This obviously makes her a wonderful thief. Her story and the quest to find the Axis of Pythis was an interesting one, but again, the Wesley and Lilah stuff was probably a little more interesting. The ending was a bit of a downer with the group just accepting that Cordy was where she belongs (opposite of the Scoobies in Buffy in season 6), more so as the team is so small at the moment and it doesn't feel right somehow. (7.5/10)