Well, you know what? Three day season hiatuses [desperate desire to put 'haiti'] really work for me. Nice and speedy. Of course, I don't get as much of the painful anticipation thing, but that's something I'm completely willing to sacrifice, being a child of the Eighties whose worldview is definitely one complete with instant gratification. Which almost leads to the question of why I'm posting these threads at all. Just want to say before I start out on the final third of the journey that I've got three times as much pleasure out of watching 'Angel' than watching 'Buffy' before I discovered this board. Not cos it's three times better, but because I get to watch the episode, (be receptive), write about the episode (be received), and then reply to the replies, (doing the whole communication thing). So thanks to everyone who reads- it's a real pleasure to be able to write these- and thanks to everyone who has responded with super-insightful points.

And of course thanks to yabyumpan.

These three episodes were all marvellous. Perhaps not quite as superlative as the run in the Darla arc from last Season, but all very strong, setting up a great Season already.

3.1- 'Heartthrob'

I am in love with the message of this episode, because it re-affirms something that I thought might be considered unsuitable for the noir style of Angel. But as usual, ME make the Buffyverse consistent and tidy, and the themes echo across from all over the place. I'm referring to Angel's struggle with Buffy's death in this episode. He's attempted to brood with monks, and failed because they were demons. Then he meets someone for whom a true love was the most important aspect in his life- that is willing to die for that love. Against all odds, Angel denies the Romeo and Juliet twist- the eternal devotion of death- and instead is strong enough to carry on by living. Just as Buffy's message to Dawn in 'The Gift' postulated (if that isn't too academic for something so beautiful), Angel comes to the conclusion that the greatest way to honour Buffy's memory is to fight on, continuing what she did in LA, and helping AI. It's not just a fancy trick to allow the status quo to return to the series, it's a powerful message on the strength of overcoming grief.

Greenwalt writes and directs this episode extremely elegantly. There is a lot of setting up going on, but at the same time, each element refers back to some parallel within the cast. It's unusually tidy for a Greenwalt episode, and actually has relatively few moments of blindingly weird hilarity.

To mention a couple of the parallels I saw. First of all, we see Fred parallelled with Angel. We set up that for her, Angel is the Knight, the man who saved her from the nightmare world. We are supposed to consider Angel as Fred for a while. What would happen if Angel stored himself away from the world, and became a hermit, brooding over loss and the agony of his life? It would be a slip back into the slow-burning depression of the flashbacks in 'Becoming, Part One'. This time, of course, he has his Family to ground him, and there is continual play on how important this is in keeping him going. The group dynamic works as well in this episode as any in a while, reminding me of the familial aspect of the Scooby Gang in early Season Five.

James and Elizabeth are fascinating characters, who do several jobs in the episode. They represent the star-crossed lovers of the Angelus/Darla days. It's interesting to consider just how the love between Angelus and Darla operated. We've already seen the time when one betrayed the other in 'Dear Boy'. This time, Angelus claims that he can give them James, Elizabeth and Darla. The Angelus/Darla love is clearly a conditional one- one that still takes the individual first, and partnership second. It appears possible that even in the 150 years of rampaging across the world, Angelus perhaps never really loved Darla, and vice versa. They were eternal playmates, but they never achieved the devotion of Elizabeth and James, or, indeed, Angel and Buffy.

So we have the comparison between Buffy and Darla, and also the quite obvious one between Angel and Spike. Repeat three time: 'Angel does not negate Spike. Spike does not negate Angel.' OK. Here we have a subway referencing 'Fool For Love' very clearly. One defining moment of Spike's development is the killing of Nikki. It highlights his punk 'tude, his rebelliousness and his physical prowess. Now here on the subway Angel shows something quite different. Spike's love for the Slayer developed out of violence and obsession with the idea of killing the symbol of Good. Angel's was just love. The whole scene is note perfect. James has seen that Angel's relationship with Darla was not love, just convenient. But Angel really has had true love, and she has just died. How, in that case, thinks James, can you possibly live on? James plays Juliet to Elizabeth's Romeo, realising that with the death of his lover there is nothing left. But Angel does something quite different. He knows that his love for Buffy is fiery and powerful, but he doesn't let it consume him. James, ultimately, makes the wrong decision for Angel to make. It is not necessarily the wrong decision for him- his vampiric nature makes that ambiguous. But it is certainly not the right choice for Angel- to symbolically show that in having his hear- his love- removed, he is no more than dust, echoing the old 'Dust to dust' theme of the Funeral Service. And then a quite beautiful scene between Angel and Cordelia. They have a superb relatiobship developing so far this Season, one of mutual respect and support. I think the immaculately delivered line from Charisma Carpenter [not a big ChCa fan, but this was perfect], really made the line: 'I'm Cordelia. I don't think [pause] I know', one of my favourite character lines ever. She realises her impulsiveness, and there's a reference back to 'Earshot', but she also happens to be deeply right. Self-deprecating, self-assured and supportive, all at the same time.

Wonderful.

A couple of other bits:
-Cordelia's pain, obviously pre-figuring 'That Vision Thing', links in to Angel's suffering. She just feels as if life is a great burden, and that being chosen has massive drawbacks. But she goes on anyway.
-Lorne singing 'I left my heart in San Fransisco'. Give him a medal, please. My favourite lounge lizard. (Did I ever mention the 'Bonanza' reference in the Pylea arc? No? Loved it.)
-There's the interchange of 'I know yous' between Angel and Cordelia. It's a very mature adult relationship. Both support the other. Neither is the Hero. Neither is the Parent. Neither is the Child. Lovely.
- The Darla double mislead. I may be over-interpreting her [what's the odds?!], but I liked the way I was fooled by Julie Benz's use in this episode. I saw her name on the credits and was amazed. Then I saw her in the flahsbacks and assumed she wouldn't be in the episode. And then I was certain that the episode was to end, thematically tidily, on Wesley's gang going off on another mission. It made good sense in a nicely sturctured episode. Instead, there was the 'Nicaragua' twist. Darla is deeply threatening. The last line has perfect music by Robert Kral and directing from David Greenwalt. Lovely cliffhanger to set up the Season.

A very good opener. It's weird how Angel's openers tend to be better than Buffy's. 'City Of...', 'Judgement' and 'Heartthrob' have all been great.

3.2- 'That Vision Thing'

Well, I'll say this for Jeffrey Bell. He managed to write an episode before Tim Minear this Season. How did he get away with that? In any case, he did an excellent job with a difficult episode to make cohesive. There's an awful lot of setting up in this episode. Darla seeing the shaman. The mystery man being released, (is the point that we never know what evil he commits, or will he re-appear?). We have the slow growth of Fred. It all seems a little bit like a desk tidy epsiode in theory. In practice, it comes off a little better, partly because of some sizzling writing. Bell's writing of Fred with Cordelia is one of those moments where you feel you're getting to know a character for the first time, just as Cordelia is. The two's chemistry is utterly fantastic and hilarious. Fred comparing Cordelia to Lassie really did make me laugh. I think it's symptomatic of the way the interpersonal relationships are really being explored this season so far.

Here's some random musings:
-I don't understand the action or fight scenes. They ain't my bag. But was that a 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' reference in there somewhere? I don't know.
-What's going on with Lilah's hair? Very Amelie.
-Cordelia's injuries were really well realised visually, I thought. I really felt her pain.

The main ideas of this episode were about Cordelia and Angel again. Angel's anxiety over Cordelia was lovely. His warning to Lilah at the end of the episode was somewhat like Buffy in 'Choices'. Buffy realises that keeping the box will save more lives, but frankly doesn't care, because WIllow's chance of survival comes first. Here, Angel sets a man free despite the consequences. I loved Skip looking so Egyptian and threatening, and the line 'I commute. Takes about 20 minutes', was perfect. the mundane-ness of everyone's existence sometimes surprises us. Buffy's slaying becomes almost casual. People adjust to extraordinary circumstances. Skip is just a guardian demon 'like everybody else'.

I'm not a big fan of Gavin Parks, although I suspect this may be deliberate. Certainly, as Lilah contends, shutting down the Hyperion because of termites doesn't sound particularly threatening. Whether he becomes a threat to Lilah's authority will be interesting.

There's the reference to the Book of Job which is quite telling. Cordelia questions her ability to be the Powers' vessel. She considers that not wanting the visions any more has made them angry. Angel, in their new symbiotic relationship, casts aside the fear. But there's certainly a resonance with the man whose life was good and whose faith was pure, having everything taken away from him and being tested to see how strong his faith will stand. How can Cordelia deny the supposed Powers their will to save? 'What is man, that thou art mindful of him?' If this is what is intended, must she continue to suffer, even while other non-afflicted, without faith, go about their daily secular lives? Cordelia's ending isn't quite as dramatically poignant as Job's 'The lord giveth and the lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the lord!', but, with the knowledge that the physical pain was the open brain man, (pretty direct, yucky symbolism), and with the memory that they may save lives, she continues. She has been tested by the devil (W+H) and survived her test, so now God will reward her. I wonder what with? I suspect this may play out later in the Season.

The episode ends with Darla again, pointing out that in a lot of ways, this is a pretty straight-ahead action episode, and appears to be building towards something rather than having a self-contained structure. But Bell's dialogue and writing (the Key Shop, Lorne 'helping' with Julie Andrews) helps from keepingit to ploddy.

3.3- 'That Old Gang Of Mine'

Shock horror, I've lost my envelope for this episode, so I'm going to have to ad lib it. Might not turn out well. Here's my best shot.

First of all, I feel compelled to consider the dating of this show, which aired shortly after September 11th, and was possibly the first show conceived after it. I find it impossible to believe that there isn't some global relevance here, as Gunn's gang are basically acting as terrorists, and the Whedonverse certainly doesn't operate in a complete vacuum. What exactly was Minear trying to say here?

It's extremely easy to over-interpret here. Do we take Gunn's old gang as the Islamic fundamentalists, and the demons as the diverse Americans some of whom are bad, but who often live together? I think that this view just attracts controversy for no real gain in understanding. This is not a straight ahead allegory for the World Trade Center. The message is what counts. We are not to judge beings on prejudice. Even where there is a chance or a likelihood of evil in a being, action is best taken as a result of a previous action, rather than in gruesome pre-emptive strikes [sorry, I'm finding it hard to stay apolitical here]. But what is really wrong with Gunn's old gang is that they are not killing truly for altruistuc protection of others, or even themselves. They are using this as an excuse for an element of fun. And this is an action which cannot be condoned. Angel is many times the man the leader of the Gang is, because since re-ensoullment, he has both attempted to atone for wrongs, and set about killing only demons who have caused damage to others. There is no joy in his brutality, only occasional necessity. Race or breed is not enough to guarantee what you do is right. It's intention and action. I don't think I can entirely discount the fact that Gunn's gang is entirely black. There's the subversion going on somewhere that the oppressed have become the oppressors.

The ultimate point is how terrorism harms the innocent. There's Fred, singing with beautiful vulnerability, and starting to re-gain confidence, when her feeling of safeness is torn to shreds again. Cordelia, very guilitily feels responsible, but it's not her fault. And there is the demon on the other side, repeating 'Oh God, Oh God, Oh God'. His life has been wrecked as well. The innocents are those who suffer from terrorism, even if the cause may be just.

What else? There's the compelling sturggle of Gunn's old and new identity, culminating in a couple of wonderful scenes with first Wesley and then Angel. Wesley shows the same tough love that Angel did while inside Caritas. He gave Gunn the stark decision, not the watered-down version. If Gunn is to kill Angel because he is a vampire, then it is crucially important that he is in vamp face. Gunn must conquer any remnants of prejudice, not pretend Angel is human really. He must realise that action and intention conquers all. And here with Wesley, he is reminded of what his mission is. Alexis Denisof's acting this season, despite the fact he hasn't been centredon in an episode yet, (probably coming), has been magnificent- underplayed, threatening, in control. He's come a long way from his campy pratfalls in Buffy. And so Gunn has to decide that his mission is the right one, not the mission of his old gang. He has not only to ignore his past, but refute it- a terrible action to commit. But it's the reality of life. And then, finally, with Angel. Angel's giving attitude to not being a friend is great to see. He knows they are not yet friends but he is willing to give it time- the exact opposite of what he tried to do with Doyle in the premiere. He has grown too. When Angel tells Gunn he will earn Angek's respect when he needs to be killed and is, it's a direct echo of Cordelia's 'Oh, I'd kill you in a second' in 'Somnambulist', which is obviously deliberate as Minear penned both episodes. There's a lot of trust to be worked out between Gunn and Angel, but it could just happen. You may have noticed I'm just a bit excited by this Season! Now with five regulars and Lorne, the cross-parallels are firing in the same way that the best of Buffy did, and there's more of Darla to come. I'm sure the rather respectful aspect of the group to each other will suffer some hefty blows in the year ahead, but for the moment it's nice to see them together.

RIP Merl. The reveal on him instead of Darla at the start of the episode was priceless.

Thanks for reading. Hope that final section wasn't too random, although I know I missed out a few things I wanted to remember. C'est la vie.