Angel 5x12 - You're Welcome - a list

[butterfly]

1. Cordelia looks hot with curly hair. I like the short curls better than the long, dark hair. And I liked Cordy last night more than I ever have. I choose to think that it was Cordy - her essence, the way I believe that Spirit-Darla in Inside Out was the essence of Darla. "I have her memories, her feelings. Isn't that what makes a person who they are?"

2. That was the best send-off that a ME-character has ever had, I think.

3. Yep, still like Eve. Though she'd look better with a haircut - maybe with some soft layers around her face. She should never tuck her hair behind her ears - she's making her face look longer, which it doesn't need.

4. Adore Lindsey. He's still my favorite pocket-sized ex-lawyer and I'd love to see more of him. In any sense. I am finding that look he gave Angel near episode's end to be thought-worthy.

5. Wes rules. He really does. And Fred totally gave Wesley A Look. Which isn't, I'd like to mention, the same as them sharing a look.

6. It is way too early for Angel to have a true turn-around. Plus, he needs to find hope in himself - he can't forever look outside. But he's finally understanding that he's part of it all - last week and this week.

7. Both Doyle and Cordy gave their lives to keep Angel in the game ("Since when is it a game?"). Wesley has already given blood. Lorne gave arterial blood (from heart to head, on the way up). And they all gave blood last year, during Jasmine. Their blood with Cordy's, to bring the truth. What does it mean that Angel and Fred got it from the source and not Cordy?

8. I miss Doyle. I loved how pissed off Angel and Cordy were at Lindsey's appropriation of the name. Loved that Lindsey used it, because he would. I loved hearing his name and seeing his face because... I miss Doyle.

9. What did Cordy say? "There are no people like us." or "There are no 'people like us'."? Because those two sentences would have very different meanings.

10. So, Angel once again believes in his Chosen status. That's a dangerous thing. Oh, believing in yourself is a good thing, but believing yourself to be better than other people? Placing yourself above other people? Always a bad sign. And as Angel told us in Soul Purpose, he wants it to be good versus evil. But all life is a mix of both, just as life is series of choices. Series is an important part of that equation - it's never one Big Choice, it's a million small choices, day by day. And that's the part that Angel has a hard time with. Relevant parallel - Jonathan as an Angel-eske character in Superstar.

Comments

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

That was the best send-off that a ME-character has ever had, I think.

The only things even remotely close was "The Body/Forever" - but only if viewed as tribute to Joyce by her importance to the other characters - and even then not for Joyce herself.

Oz got good closure. But nothing like this. This was like the perfect, platonic ideal version of Cordelia - beyond the wildest dreams of all other character send-offs.

7. Both Doyle and Cordy gave their lives to keep Angel in the game

Though the tradition traces further back - at least to Buffy quite viscerally offering up her lifeblood to Angel in "Graduation Day".

Because those two sentences would have very different meanings.

And I'm not certain how to read that line. Probably both. To me, this season is largely about perception & belief vs. evidence. And this is an episode that would continue the theme because there's not a lot of hard evidence upon which to make logical judgements, but characters are lining up beliefs.

Re:

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

The only things even remotely close was "The Body/Forever" - but only if viewed as tribute to Joyce by her importance to the other characters - and even then not for Joyce herself.

Right, it wasn't really about her, as a character. It wasn't about celebrating Joyce, it was about Buffy's mom.

Oz got good closure. But nothing like this. This was like the perfect, platonic ideal version of Cordelia - beyond the wildest dreams of all other character send-offs.

Well, Oz is, you know, Oz. And his last episode wasn't really about him, though it pretended to be in parts. Whereas this was all about the Coolness of Cordy and How She'll Be Missed. Which she wasn't, not by me, not until this episode.

Though the tradition traces further back - at least to Buffy quite viscerally offering up her lifeblood to Angel in "Graduation Day".

Intent versus completion? Buffy was willing to sacrifice her life for Angel but didn't have to. She obviously gets the loophole because of the whole 'hero of the show' thing, but if you cross out that type of meta, I wonder what it means. That she and Wes have both literally given blood and not died, while Doyle and Cordy do not give their blood and do die. And does this mean that Wesley is safe from death because he willingly bleed to save Angel?

To me, this season is largely about perception & belief vs. evidence. And this is an episode that would continue the theme because there's not a lot of hard evidence upon which to make logical judgements, but characters are lining up beliefs.

Oh, yes, I agree so much with that. Gunn is so wrong - it's never about the evidence in the Jossverse, it's pretty much always about that leap of faith. It's about what you choose to believe (and that sends me to Normal Again).

Re:

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Whereas this was all about the Coolness of Cordy and How She'll Be Missed. Which she wasn't, not by me, not until this episode.

I'll miss her, but not too much - and this episode actually confirmed for me why I'm sort of glad she's not on the show anymore. Because she's been written as bigger than the show.

it's never about the evidence in the Jossverse, it's pretty much always about that leap of faith

True. No more so than in S7, which still doesn't make any sense - so you just have to believe.

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[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'll miss her, but not too much - and this episode actually confirmed for me why I'm sort of glad she's not on the show anymore. Because she's been written as bigger than the show.

I was just glad that I actually will miss her a bit. Though I agree that she didn't fit the show, even last week. I wouldn't call her too big, I'd call her too... shiny.

True. No more so than in S7, which still doesn't make any sense - so you just have to believe.

Belief creates logic (not always the same as sense). Religion is the ultimate fanwank.

Re:

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Religion is the ultimate fanwank.

Sure. I'm a somewhat observant Jew, and I have no particular difficulty admitting that most of our dogma exists primarily to get people to believe in the legal/ethical system.

Re:

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm a questioning Christian, who perhaps doesn't have the right to call herself that since she certainly doesn't believe that believing in Jesus is the only way to unity with the universe.

But I'm a big fan of fanwanking - spiritual, fictional, or otherwise. Big fan of meta and of finding ways that things can make sense.

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[dlgood.livejournal.com]

That's what makes the mythology and philosophy classes so much fun.