I'm fascinated by the debate going on further down the board in Darby's 'A Tale of Two Series' thread. Clearly, being where I am, coming towards the end of the first Season, I don't have the appropriate vision to discuss it in the terms in which it is being discussed. To make a few points on what I've seen so far.

• I have real problems with the portrayals of the characters. Angel is to me a fascinating character, but still doesn't work leading a series. His best episodes are where he's reacting to somebody else. I suppose in a sense, his characteristic desire to 'help the helpless' actually highlights what a reactionary character he is. He helps out in other people's stories, rather than having a thrusting, developing story of his own. Also, Wesley and Cordelia haven't quite found a consistent voice. I know when I hear Xander, Willow or Buffy that it is those characters. Cordelia seems to swing too wildly from insensitive, flighty girl to understanding, mature woman. I'm happy to understand that both are in her character, but I seem to be shown only one side on an episode by episode basis. Similarly, Wesley yoyos back and forth a little.
• The actual number of characters is not large enough for me. It doesn't work with three in the middle. I would like at least four, (and I realise I will soon get it). Although it allows minor characters to have their stories developed, (and I'm a big fan of Kate's story), it just makes it harder to make the dialogue zippy and funny at the same time.
• The show is also at least slightly based on an amalgam of the detective genre and the action show. While I enjoy ME periodically subverting this genre's cliches, I'm not interested in the genre in general, so when it slips back into stock episodes, I get a little bored.

However... 19 episodes into Buffy we were at 'Lie to Me', and the show was about to take off with episodes such as 'The Dark Age', 'Innocence' and 'Passion'. So I'm more than happy to give Angel some more time to develop. To the reviews:

1.17 Eternity

Of course, the weekly theme of the episode was acting. Cordelia can't act, and really couldn't care less about her play. The fact that it's 'The Doll's House' has some significance to me at least. A play focussing on a house, with a claustrophobic woman playing the role of a contented housewife to her sexist, boring husband. I imagine we are supposed to contrast the actress, enclosed in her 'Raven' character, expected to do the obvious things, but deep down needing a sense of freedom. Of course, while Nora Helmer asserts her female individuality, in one of the first truly feminist plays ever, (Buffy maybe owes a little to Ibsen), the actress denies hers, preferring to sacrifice her entire life for the intangible ideal of fame).

1.18 Five by Five

Angel in this episode has the most wonderfully understanding and beautiful role to play. To be attacked by a homicidal Slayer, to have your Girl Friday knocked out and your best friend (I suppose?) tortured to within an inch of his life, and yet to refuse to give up on the cause of the misery, is an acievement of emotional resonance which possibly, as Buffy contends sarcastically, is only possible from somebody who has had an experience of feeling apparently totally evil and coming back from it.

The final scene, crashing out the window, is probably the most powerful scene I had seen on Angel to date, (before 'Sanctuary' though!) The way Faith's fighting is destroyed, and her face melts in resignation, is again fabulous acting from Eliza Dushku. The way she asks to be killed, in a rather parallel way to the way Buffy asks not to be forgiven at the end of 'Dead Things' is really beautiful. In extraordinary lives, extraordinary wishes manifest themselves, and the usually best option, (staying alive, being forgiven by a friend), can seem the hardest. Also, the last scene was beautifully shot, pulling back on the final shot to see Faith and Angel, small Hitchcockian figures in a big, dangerous world, with only the beautiful, sonorous noise of the sky crying to disrupt her breakdown and his strength.

1.19 Sanctuary

As a result of discussions, I knew that Faith would end up in prison and I knew Buffy was in the episode from the title sequence. But there were a couple of moments that I really wasn't prepared for, and which, as a result of this, had as big an effect on me as anything I saw of Buffy Season Six. Wesley, despite his torture, trusting Angel to find the best way to deal with Faith. Angel's reaction to Faith revealing Riley to Angel. And of course the scenes generally between Angel, Faith and Buffy. Because I didn't know the specifics, they were more powerful, I think. However, this is definitely the best episode of Angel yet, and not just from this subjective point of view. The writing really crackles, in the way that only a script with Joss can ever really do. There are some marvellous one-liners: (Wesley's 'One hundred and eighty!', Angel's 'For a taciturn guy, I have a big mouth'), but also some of the emotionally honest and painful scenes that the interactions between Cordelia, Wesley and Angel have largely been lacking.

Everyone in this episode has their own individual motive, which is what Joss does really well. A similar thing could be said of 'Becoming', with Spike, Joyce and Snyder having excellent reasons for their aid or obstruction of Buffy. Here, Wesley has his own emotional decisions to make. Buffy still finds it impossible to handle the idea of an image of her, (Faith=Buffy), murdering and being forgiven. She cannot accept that Faith's actions could be her own, and therefore compensates by being entirely unemotional. It should be noted that Buffy has the right not to forgive Faith, and often people in the series' don't forgive for less reason, (cf 'The Prodigal'), but for Buffy, a Hero, not to forgive, requires more motives than simple vengeance. Her real reasons are her being afraid of Faith as a mirror to herself, and her desperation in once being victimised.

Angel continues to do a noble thing throughout the episode in aiding Faith's rehabilitation. The eventual message, for those not so hung up on the Buffy/Angel war of words at the end, is a very hopeful one. Even Faith, cared for by no-one except Buffy in her whole life, can be shown the path to redemption by someone willing and able to be truly empathetic. As the light falls on her face, we see Hope and a willingness to travel Angel's long road to healing.

I loved this episode's writing and acting, the directing and editing. It reminded me why I don't just like this Universe that Joss Whedon has created, but I love it. Fast-paced plot is interwoven effortlessly with snappy dialogue and logical, powewrful emotional sentiments, as well as the action backing them up.

Ultimately, we see again how Buffy the character doesn't fit into Angel the series. Angel's line 'It wasn't about you. It was about saving a soul', is highly important. In BtVS, it IS all about Buffy. In Angel, she so far has come across as remarkably self-absorbed and uncaring, in both I Will Remember You and Sanctuary. It's believable and logical, and she does little wrong, but it emphasises how these shows are two different shows, and AtS is NOT a simple extension of BtVS.

Ultimately, despite being one of the best episodes I've seen on EITHER series, it still needed both characters from Buffy and Buffy-esque dialogue and intrigue from Joss Whedon to make this episode what it is. For this reason, I would claim that 'Sanctuary' is only a qualified triumph for the series. It will take an episode which I enjoy this much without a crossover before I will truly believe that Angel can fly.