As was this one. More than merely “good”, actually. Although not on par with the cream of the crop. So, somewhere between “good” and “excellent” would be a nic eplace to, um, place this one.
Why? Well, first of all, it has some neat semi philosophical scenes. Like the ones in which you’re offered Skip’s version of history, as well as Gunn’s opposition to it. Sure, Gunn doesn’t really refute the gist of what Skip said — that all of the Angelettes’ lives were the results of machination from the side of Skip’s master — but he opposed the idea that these machinations secured the win for the baddies. And he did so with an eloquent sports metaphor, no less.
Another scene of the same nature which helps lift this episode, is the one in which Connor gets a visit from Darla, and she attempts to make him stop doing Cordelia’s bidding. Of course, she can’t just say that Cordelia’s evil, at least not directly, seeing as the PTB prefer to have humans make their own choices. But she does quite a good job in spite of this, even if she is ultimately unsuccessful. Her biggest problem, it seems to me, is that Connor has been lied to and manipulated his entire life, so when she makes an honest attempt to help him break free of just another manipulator, that manipulator is able to convince him that Darla is the one trying to manipulate him. Which, I guess, she is. Although in a direction most people would agree would be better for him.
The commentary for this episode was oneof the best I’ve heard this far, It was made by Steven S. DeKnight, who both wrote and directed this episode (it was his debut as a director), and so he was able to offer many a small insight into the making of it. Not only the technical bits of that, but also the more story related stuff. The stuff he said about Connor, for example, made me fully realise for the first time just how thoroughly Connor has been manipulated. I mean, I’ve always known that that has been done to him, but it’s not until now that I took a look backwards and studied the big picture. Poor kid.
Anyway, I’ve spent over two hours on this episode now, so I had better get on to “Shiny Happy People”. Jasmine has arrived. 
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That’s not necessarily Darla, you know - just as with the clean, tidy version of Lilah’s apparation with Wesley (not the other one, that one was either a true ghost or a hallucination), that apparation could very well be The First Evil, trying to do SOMETHING to stop good - or, Jasmine, anyway, which was close enough, I’d guess - from taking over the world.
It’s cunningly made, to those who only watched Angel, it seems like it’s Darla, Lilah and/or hallucinations. To those who watched the parallell season of Buffy as well… it’s more murky. And both ways of seeing it make for stunning scenes!
And we can never be sure… though I, especially with Darla, considering Evil-Cordy’s comments regarding her, feel rather confident it was The First.
4. February 2007 @ 21:28 ( Permalink )
I don’t think it was The First, primarily because The First was never mentioned on “Angel”. Secondarily, because I seem to remember Steven S. DeKnight saying on the commentary to this episode that she represented some good stuff. I think I’d have to watch the episode again, though, keeping this possibility specifically in mind, before saying anything more specific about it.
But it’s no doubt an intriguing question.
4. February 2007 @ 21:51 ( Permalink )
Well, the First not being mentioned on “Angel” is irrelevant to the highest degree. Jasmine isn’t mentioned on “Buffy”, either, but she obviously had a hand in things happening in the first three seasons, like, probably, saving Angel from the sun with sudden snow, and also, probably, sending Whistler to Sunnydale.
The First was active with it’s world-domination-scheme at the exact same as Jasmine was with her own such, and it would be stupid for it not to try and screw it up when it could. And Cordelia’s statement to “Darla” heavily implies it was The First.
4. February 2007 @ 22:44 ( Permalink )
Remind me again, what comment was that?
(You know me, with my chronically bad memory…)
4. February 2007 @ 22:57 ( Permalink )