Sigh. Only 21 episodes left. :cry:

Anyway, a decent enough episode. Its carrying plot might not be the best one around (as Whedon noted on the commentary, the threat isn’t exposed enough for it to feel real), but the arc’y stuff, both plot and character wise, more than made up for this. Naturally, there was a bit of explaning to do, all of which I felt they did relatively nicely. The Cordy business was explained by Harmony’s arrival (and what a delight that was!), and they managed to tie Connor in to the “monster”-of-the-week without it feeling too constricted. Like Whedon said, they need to explain the mythos, but not so much that it drives viewers away.

There are a lot of fun character moments here, such as the one where Harmony explains that “the secret ingredient is otter” (Whedon’s favourite line of the episode, by the way) or when Wes says that “Personally, I think he should be eaten by ferrets”, just to mention a couple of them. But my favourite moment of the episode is, surprisingly and uncharacteristically (I tend to prefer dialogue and character interaction), an action scene. The opening one, in fact. The fight between Angel and the random vampire is perhaps the finest fight scene I can remember on the show, what with its speed and skill and all that. It’s really unlike almost anything I’ve seen on the show before, especially in that it’s not filmed too close up on the fight, giving me more control of what’sgoing on. And I like that.

Naturally, the scene has another function as well, which is also quite nice, and that’s that it kinda contrasts the situation in the very first episode of teh show, with how things are now. And I like that, too, but not as much as I for some reason or other liked the fight. Funny, that. Anyway, another of Whedon’s comments “revealed” that what he wanted to do in that scene was to subvert the obvious, a method he claims as his MO. And I don’t doubt him. It’s kind of the same stuff he did in the scene where he introduced Gunn; he started shooting Gunn’s feet, followed his legs up, showed his very Angel-like clothing, and then stopped on his unfamiliar face which said “Expecting someone else?” Gods, I love that scene.

Anyway. Decently good episode, awesome commentary. Whedon’s not exactly making me regret spending al those money on those t-shirts. I particularly liked the way he said that this episode’s court room scene was his chance at making what he called “grown up television”, which you actually have know stuff to write. While, at the same time, the law he invented for the scene fooled the legal consultants, “and that made me very proud of me.”

Gods, I love this man. Platonically, for sure, but still. It’s love. ;)

I didn’t quite like the spoiling of Spike’s arrival (which I feel safe to talk about here, seeing as my sister almost had me tortured to find out if we got to see Spike again, just after “Chosen” ) already on the opening credits, though, but I won’t hold that against them, since the network’d cut their budget.

Oh, and the Dixie Chicks thing was neat. Gotta like that.