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Jan. 29th, 2004
Angel thoughts -
Jan. 29th, 2004 02:06 amHuh. Awakening and Soul Purpose are both episode tens. That really scans well with my current read of this season as a mirror image of last season. Negative space.
In every season thus far, we've met a vital late in the season player in the first episode. Lindsey in City Of..., Lorne in Judgement, Connor via Darla's stomach in Heartthrob, Jasmine via Cordy in Deep Down. All presented as part of something else that was more important - Lindsey is just another lawyer, Lorne is just the Host, Connor and Jasmine lack form and name - all but the intent of being born.
Each of them is what triggers the last arc of their respective seasons.
What hidden thing did Conviction bring to us? The most obvious answer would be Eve. We also have Harmony and Knox as options, and judging by the prior patterns (but can we trust patterns? especially this season?), I'd vote on Knox, myself (And there's always Spike).
Since Deep Down, every single episode has played with perspective and point of view in some way. We're inside the Escher, because that's where Angel is. So many of this year's episodes have titles that can be read several ways. Conviction mentions two of the ways - the conviction of evil and the conviction of Fries. Just Rewards reminds us of the question that's been hanging over us since Deep Down - what do they deserve? Is it about Just rewards or 'just' rewards? Unleashed... in a way, they've all been unleashed at Wolfram and Hart, but in another way, they're more chained than ever. Oh, and "How long has it been since you unleashed it?" (Fool for Love). Hellbound - literal or metaphorical? Depends on who is being talked about.
Damage seems like a straight-forward title.
( spoilers for Damage )
All of it twists and winds together, threading the meaning of absence. Negative space. Lack of memories, lack of evidence, lack of a person.
It's about needing facts. Evidence. Without knowledge, a person is left vulnerable. Every week, it seems, Charles Gunn adds another talent to his ever-growing list. Gunn is playing a new game this time around.
They all are. They're playing a whole new game, playing Wolfram and Hart's game. And it's destroying them, piece by piece.
In every season thus far, we've met a vital late in the season player in the first episode. Lindsey in City Of..., Lorne in Judgement, Connor via Darla's stomach in Heartthrob, Jasmine via Cordy in Deep Down. All presented as part of something else that was more important - Lindsey is just another lawyer, Lorne is just the Host, Connor and Jasmine lack form and name - all but the intent of being born.
Each of them is what triggers the last arc of their respective seasons.
What hidden thing did Conviction bring to us? The most obvious answer would be Eve. We also have Harmony and Knox as options, and judging by the prior patterns (but can we trust patterns? especially this season?), I'd vote on Knox, myself (And there's always Spike).
Since Deep Down, every single episode has played with perspective and point of view in some way. We're inside the Escher, because that's where Angel is. So many of this year's episodes have titles that can be read several ways. Conviction mentions two of the ways - the conviction of evil and the conviction of Fries. Just Rewards reminds us of the question that's been hanging over us since Deep Down - what do they deserve? Is it about Just rewards or 'just' rewards? Unleashed... in a way, they've all been unleashed at Wolfram and Hart, but in another way, they're more chained than ever. Oh, and "How long has it been since you unleashed it?" (Fool for Love). Hellbound - literal or metaphorical? Depends on who is being talked about.
Damage seems like a straight-forward title.
( spoilers for Damage )
All of it twists and winds together, threading the meaning of absence. Negative space. Lack of memories, lack of evidence, lack of a person.
It's about needing facts. Evidence. Without knowledge, a person is left vulnerable. Every week, it seems, Charles Gunn adds another talent to his ever-growing list. Gunn is playing a new game this time around.
They all are. They're playing a whole new game, playing Wolfram and Hart's game. And it's destroying them, piece by piece.
Angel 5x11 - Damage
Jan. 29th, 2004 12:41 pmFirst off - wow. I am hella impressed by how many incredibly deep and wonderful thoughts there are out there on Damage (and Delete, but I don't know a central archive for SV reviewage, so Damage is what I'm concentrating on). Most of them can be found linked by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
mutant_allies. Check them out, because my own ideas are shamelessly influenced by other people's.
Anyway, as I have now rewatched the episode, I'm ready for somewhat deeper thoughts (last night was just pulling together some meta - names and words - they matter, but in a different way).
Here we go.
( Spoilers up to Damage (and BtVS: Chosen) - and up to the aired preview )
mutant_allies. Check them out, because my own ideas are shamelessly influenced by other people's. Anyway, as I have now rewatched the episode, I'm ready for somewhat deeper thoughts (last night was just pulling together some meta - names and words - they matter, but in a different way).
Here we go.
( Spoilers up to Damage (and BtVS: Chosen) - and up to the aired preview )
Building up to Damage
Jan. 29th, 2004 03:17 pmI mentioned negative space a while back. I was, of course, talking about Connor. Just as S4 was about the presence of Connor, S5 has, thus far, been about his absence. S5 is the mirror and Connor is the son of two vampires - in this mirror, he isn't visible, but he's still affecting things. This, however, is not my Connor essay. This one is about words and meaning.
But let's start at the beginning. Corbin Fries took a lethal virus and stuck it in his son. The most important thing, of course, is Angel, trembling in the aftermath of Connor. But Connor's absence is at least known to Angel, to Wes, the hole has no explanation - he has no explanation. "I'm still stuck at - why are we here?" Connor is what led to Wes' downfall, without Connor, Wes is twisting in the wind. His lack of purpose is another common thread throughout the episodes. And in Conviction, Angel experiences hero interruptus. This will be the last time he saves someone in his old manner. This season, Angel's threads are all connected to Wolfram and Hart - his old way of life signs her soul away to Wolfram and Hart amid the confusion of the bright lights.
( spoilers up to Angel 5x11 - Damage - just... threads and words about Spike and Angel, for the most part )
But let's start at the beginning. Corbin Fries took a lethal virus and stuck it in his son. The most important thing, of course, is Angel, trembling in the aftermath of Connor. But Connor's absence is at least known to Angel, to Wes, the hole has no explanation - he has no explanation. "I'm still stuck at - why are we here?" Connor is what led to Wes' downfall, without Connor, Wes is twisting in the wind. His lack of purpose is another common thread throughout the episodes. And in Conviction, Angel experiences hero interruptus. This will be the last time he saves someone in his old manner. This season, Angel's threads are all connected to Wolfram and Hart - his old way of life signs her soul away to Wolfram and Hart amid the confusion of the bright lights.
( spoilers up to Angel 5x11 - Damage - just... threads and words about Spike and Angel, for the most part )