Lorraine: This was a lot of fun to put together. I feel much better about this list than I do my worst of list. Not much to add here except...
Things got a little bit away from me.
Last night, after watching Sweeney's great video, I became a lean, mean, ranking machine. I ranked story arcs and characters and episodes, and also what's here in the video below. I tried to squeeze in my bottom 10 episodes as well, but there was just no way that was going to happen time-wise, which is why the video ends kind of abruptly.
Also cut for time, an explanation about how there was more of a debate during my Buffy rankings about what was the best, quality wise, and what was the best to me.
Last night, after watching Sweeney's great video, I became a lean, mean, ranking machine. I ranked story arcs and characters and episodes, and also what's here in the video below. I tried to squeeze in my bottom 10 episodes as well, but there was just no way that was going to happen time-wise, which is why the video ends kind of abruptly.
Also cut for time, an explanation about how there was more of a debate during my Buffy rankings about what was the best, quality wise, and what was the best to me.
I continue my reign of terror and cheating. Cut for time: other examples to accompany item #5 (spoilers!) and some gushing about why I wish I had more numbers so that #2 didn't have to be collapsed and could actually be multiple things. Ultimately, the point of that rambling, though, was that as great as #2's parts are, the whole is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.
(See, now I gave you a bit of a guessing game! What are these things! It's even harder since I gave myself zero rules in framing the kinds of things I could choose because if you're going to cheat, cheat big.)
(See, now I gave you a bit of a guessing game! What are these things! It's even harder since I gave myself zero rules in framing the kinds of things I could choose because if you're going to cheat, cheat big.)
The levels on which I have cheated here are numerous. Even as I was editing I was struck by all the things that I omitted. This video is, in fact, "Five random things I came up with that I really hated about Angel and arbitrarily placed in order." Except my #1 which I stand by. Probably. Until someone in the comments makes a compelling case for something else.
Earlier today, I talked about my ten worst episodes of Angel. Now it's time to talk about my ten best. And in doing so, I feel like I should expand a little on something I said at the beginning of this video. Basically, I want to talk a little bit more about my Honourable Mentions. Does this count as spoilering you on the contents of my vlog? Whatever, just go with it.
Let's start with Smile Time. Yes, it's one of the most memorable episodes of the show as a whole, and I was pretty much waiting for us to reach season 5, episode 14 from the minute we started recapping Angel.
Let's start with Smile Time. Yes, it's one of the most memorable episodes of the show as a whole, and I was pretty much waiting for us to reach season 5, episode 14 from the minute we started recapping Angel.
Our very first Buffy post went up on 2 July 2012. It's been a long and bumpy road through the Buffyverse since then. I'm not even entirely sure how we came to recap Angel because I can remember sending emails to Lor and Sweeney that were all "Guys, we really shouldn't recap Angel because it's pretty freaking bad...". AND YET. Here we are, 715 days after we started Buffy and 456 days after our first Angel post went up. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, WE FINISHED A THING.
Recapping Angel has been a very different experience to recapping Buffy. Though I'd seen the show before, this was only really my second time through so there was a lot of stuff that I didn't really remember.
Recapping Angel has been a very different experience to recapping Buffy. Though I'd seen the show before, this was only really my second time through so there was a lot of stuff that I didn't really remember.
More finale flaily fun times! Let's celebrate with more gifs from She:
Anyway, that being said, there is something strange and surreal about this. It's weird to imagine this blog without the Buffyverse and it's over this week. Or, as Lorraine put it in her Buffy "Best Of" video - "this is the end, except for the part where it's not" because we will undoubtedly continue to pick it back up here and there. It also, of course, colors everything else we do here, so there's that.
We've made no secret of the fact that we find this the weaker of the two shows. That said, I think I probably enjoyed it the most of the three of us and actually can see myself rewatching some of this. One day. In the future.
Anyway, that being said, there is something strange and surreal about this. It's weird to imagine this blog without the Buffyverse and it's over this week. Or, as Lorraine put it in her Buffy "Best Of" video - "this is the end, except for the part where it's not" because we will undoubtedly continue to pick it back up here and there. It also, of course, colors everything else we do here, so there's that.
We've made no secret of the fact that we find this the weaker of the two shows. That said, I think I probably enjoyed it the most of the three of us and actually can see myself rewatching some of this. One day. In the future.
We're done! Finally! When we left S4, everyone kept promising us that things were going to get good and I was terribly suspicious of that claim for a while. The first half of this season was not good. My feelings on this show are basically that everything from the Summer Glau ballet episode up to halfway through this season is mostly not good with the occasional fluke.
SO I'M INCREDIBLY PLEASED THAT WE'RE DONE:
(Someone mentioned the lack of "She" gifs and I agree that this was unfortunate since that episode is actually the very reason we have gif thumbnails on the blog.)
SO I'M INCREDIBLY PLEASED THAT WE'RE DONE:
(Someone mentioned the lack of "She" gifs and I agree that this was unfortunate since that episode is actually the very reason we have gif thumbnails on the blog.)
YOU GUYS. WE MADE IT TO THE END OF THIS RIDICULOUS SHOW. I honestly thought this day would never come. In some ways it's been a million times harder for me than Buffy because so many of the episodes were meh-tastic and Whedon kept killing off all the female characters. Still, WE MADE IT. And that warrants a dance party!
Sweeney: ALWAYS DANCE PARTIES. ALWAYS.
Lorraine: This post is going up a little late because of timezone issues. So, Kirsti told me to celebrate the end while she went to sleep. I told her I was at work. She said I should have a dance party in the bathroom.
Sweeney: ALWAYS DANCE PARTIES. ALWAYS.
Lorraine: This post is going up a little late because of timezone issues. So, Kirsti told me to celebrate the end while she went to sleep. I told her I was at work. She said I should have a dance party in the bathroom.
A bunch of dudes in robes are clubbing a shirtless dude with a bag on his head. One wall of the room is made of flames. From the other side of the flames, Angel watches the beating happening. He leaps through the flames and grabs Bag Head Guy. He pulls the bag off, and BHG gushes his thanks. But Angel vamps out and bites down on his neck. Electric Cellos like 30 seconds into the episode. This makes me very uncomfortable.
After the credits, the sun rises over Los Angeles 19 hours earlier. Angel and Werewolf Nina are snuggling.
After the credits, the sun rises over Los Angeles 19 hours earlier. Angel and Werewolf Nina are snuggling.
Angel and Gunn start us off with a pede-argument about whether or not they just take on some new case. Angel wants a full risk analysis, Gunn wants to go now, now, now. "Don't want to lose another baby with the bath water," Gunn says with a meaningful head tilt. Angel says fine. They'll send Spike.
Cut to Spike telling them to do it themselves, playing on what looks like a Game Boy Advance. There are Mario sound effects in the background of the rest of this scene. They all bicker back and forth about the super important job: some dead, demon mobster's body needs to be collected. He was a human-tolerant demon so they need to return him to his family to be revived, or else some other, less tolerant demons will take his place. Angel tells Spike to pack his bags and go.
Cut to Spike telling them to do it themselves, playing on what looks like a Game Boy Advance. There are Mario sound effects in the background of the rest of this scene. They all bicker back and forth about the super important job: some dead, demon mobster's body needs to be collected. He was a human-tolerant demon so they need to return him to his family to be revived, or else some other, less tolerant demons will take his place. Angel tells Spike to pack his bags and go.
You know what I love? Torture scenes! And sarcasm and this blog. (Two truths and a lie, guys!) Lucky me, we kick off my final full recap (!!!) in Gunn's very own Basement Of No Seriously You Know Don't Fucking Want To Go In There (K: A+), where he's being tortured and asking what he did to deserve the torture, what with his lack of memories. He calls out for the torturing demon to wait and it actually does, though not so much because of Gunn as because the ceiling is rumbling. The basement door swings open and it's none other than Illyria. That's a weird but pleasant surprise. Torture Demon tries to stop Illyria but is easily cast aside. Illyria rips Gunn's tacky mystical Hot Topic necklace off. (L: What a relief! For our eyes...) He slowly remembers who he is and who Illyria is and explains that he can't leave unless someone else puts on the necklace. Illyria has a really intense head-cocking I'VE GOT AN IDEA FACE.
A very rough looking Wes stands in Fred's old office, watching Illyria generally be weird in Evil Radio Shack below. When Angel turns up, Wes says that Illyria is either "counting oxygen molecules or analysing the petri dish she just put into her mouth." Angel tells Wes that Illyria isn't his responsibility, she's THEIR responsibility and they should be testing and/or studying her. Wes says that Illyria's not much with the people, and that someone might get hurt. "We'll make Spike do it," Angel says quickly.
Wes vaguely agrees before saying that Illyria needs a guide in our world. Angel's all "Right, but you need sleep. And also to stop punishing yourself. Because you look like a crazy person right now and also my Super Smelling Abilities can smell your excess drinking and lack of showering all over the building and it's gross."
Wes vaguely agrees before saying that Illyria needs a guide in our world. Angel's all "Right, but you need sleep. And also to stop punishing yourself. Because you look like a crazy person right now and also my Super Smelling Abilities can smell your excess drinking and lack of showering all over the building and it's gross."
Angel sits at a conference room table, anxiously tapping his fingers and rearranging his paperwork.
Kirsti: I'm already distracted because he's wearing his leather coat for the first time in aaaaaaaaaaaaages. YAY.
Lor: He calls Harmony and she tells him she's called everyone for the meeting already. Angel yells at his phone about how he's still sitting there alone, and Harm comes to talk to him in person. She gives us the expository rundown of where everyone is: Wesley is baby-sitting Illyria, Gunn is still in the hospital (as if Angel wouldn't know that) and Lorne is MIA because, and this is what it all comes down to, Fred is dead.
Kirsti: I'm already distracted because he's wearing his leather coat for the first time in aaaaaaaaaaaaages. YAY.
Lor: He calls Harmony and she tells him she's called everyone for the meeting already. Angel yells at his phone about how he's still sitting there alone, and Harm comes to talk to him in person. She gives us the expository rundown of where everyone is: Wesley is baby-sitting Illyria, Gunn is still in the hospital (as if Angel wouldn't know that) and Lorne is MIA because, and this is what it all comes down to, Fred is dead.
We begin where we left off: Illyria saying, "This will do," in Fred's body. She goes to look at herself in the mirror and Wesley says her name. Illyria gets really pissy with Wesley for using her name. Wes asks if she knows who Fred is and she doesn't know or give a shit. She says they're done and Wes agrees, grabbing an ax.
Electric Cellos, complete with all those Fred scenes. Fuck. Are they going to be replaced with Illyria scenes or will we just die a little inside during the credits for the rest of the season?
Lorraine: You figured we'd be used to dying all kinds of deaths while watching Angel.
Electric Cellos, complete with all those Fred scenes. Fuck. Are they going to be replaced with Illyria scenes or will we just die a little inside during the credits for the rest of the season?
Lorraine: You figured we'd be used to dying all kinds of deaths while watching Angel.