Kirsti: 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. It’s hilarious from start to finish, and I kind of wish I could have been on set while they were filming it because I’m pretty sure they probably just spent the entire time laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing was. BUT. Despite all of that, despite the fun and the funny and the fact that it finally gave us Fred and Wes as a couple, it’s not really a great episode. Fun? Definitely. Good? Debatable. So while it was one of the first episodes that I wrote down when making this list, and while it remains one of my favourite episodes, I can’t bring myself to call it one of the BEST episodes of this show.
Moving on to Waiting in the Wings. We’ve talked a lot about this episode over the past few seasons because it basically marked the point at which we’ve all said the show turned to crap for us. And I think the fact that it stood out as the last good episode, combined with the fact that it’s got Summer Glau as a guest star, combined to make this episode One Of The Best in my mind. But while it was memorable and I enjoyed it, I don’t think I can honestly say that it was one of the ten best episodes of this show. It’s another episode of the Buffyverse where a woman (Summer Glau) is punished for her romantic choices. It’s another episode with elements of dubious consent, as Angel and Cordelia are possessed when they make out. The villain is defeated pretty easily. Yes, there’s formal wear, our Angel/Art OTP, and Angel is Old shots. But that wasn’t quite enough to push it into the top ten for me. A good episode, definitely. But not one of the BEST.
That said, let’s talk about what did actually make the list:
I'm a 30-something librarian and I still live with my parents because I'm super broke. Leader of Team Heartless Cow. I have an inexplicable love for 90s television, eat too much chocolate, and read more than is good for me.
