angel season four pt III

The Fringedwellers' Guide

Angel Index

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S. One
S. Two
S. Three pt I
S. Three pt II
S. Four pt I
S. Four pt II
S. Four pt III
S. Five pt I
S. Five pt II

Season Four

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The big reveal was that Cordelia’s preggers? Humph. I was hoping more for declarations of evil intent.
“Nobody is more shocked than me” - Except perhaps Angel, he looks fairly shocked. I don't know, Fred's hair looks about as shocked as it's possible to be
I've been ashamed, and hiding...
'Clash of the Titians' was a favourite film of mine when I was a kid. Even if the effects were a tad on the cheesy side.
Love the way that Lorne isn't spooked by the mystical baby, just by the fact that he might be losing his touch
“More like 8 months” - Is Gunn a qualified obstetrician?
This is Cordelia’s second demon pregnancy. Wow, just think, some girls don’t have any, and here Cordelia is with two!
“You’re going to have a Grandspawn” I adored that line.
I like the way nobody disagrees with Connor when he says no one likes him.
Connor, sweetheart, when the rest of Angel’s Charlies started to fall over the dirty nappies they would have begun to twig that something was wrong.
Angel’s not convinced about this pregnancy.
Euch, that thing in her stomach doesn’t look very good. Unless she’s having kittens, I think we can safely assume whatever is inside Cordy is not good.
Have they changed the credits substantially this week, or am I just completely losing the plot?
Actor from ' Dawson’s Creek' alert!
It’s Gwen. Cool - she’s always fun to watch.
Why are all of Gwen’s clothes so revealing?
Everyone in big cities looks shifty, it’s the tourists who look relaxed, that’s why they get mugged.
I don’t think those tight trousers would suit him, really.
Huh, typical man. Run at the first lightening strike.
It is impossible for Fred to be harsh.
'The Story So Far ' by Charles Gunn. I’ve got it written down here that I loved Gunn’s synopsis and agreed with him. Unfortunately as I type this I can’t remember what he actually said! Something about Easy Bake and buns in the oven. I also like the summary Angel made of Gunn’s synopsis, if you see what I mean.
I'm a little worried by all this "whoosh... pop" talk
Yup, Angel has managed to get the gist of it. And Angel sums up the conversation nice and succinctly. They should get him to do the previouslies.
“I don’t skulk”. Well, what would you call what you do then Angel? Loiter? Hover? Hide in dark corners and eavesdrop?
Angel? Think? Please, we can only suspend our disbelief so far.
Aww, Gunn feels wanted. Even if it is by the woman that killed him once. Well, Gunn needed a little boost after "Some muscle on deck."
Fortress of Solitude, that’s a Superman reference, right? A proper Fortress Of Solitude would have a lock on the door. Well it’s a better place to hide than the fortress of lots of bustling people
Connor’s brooding - he’s his father’s son in that respect! He not convinced by Cordy’s behaviour though. This could prove interesting.
Oh, my god Connor’s brain appears to be working. It’s going to shudder to a halt any second now. Oh yeah, Connor definitely got his mother's brains. Now if only he'd remember to use them
Would those be Connor's baby clothes?
"Well, you were just there, and you haven't done anything for weeks..."
I can track the stables I've worked in in much the same way
I can’t see any burn marks on his head, unless...
It burnt the envelope but left the paperwork intact?
She’s really hoping she doesn’t have to say that name again.
The zoo committee? That sounds like fun.
Gwen and Gunn are flirting big style.
"A turgid supernatural soap opera.." In which I had nothing to do. Ooh, “turgid supernatural soap-opera”, that sounds like a criticism that the writers didn’t like very much. Now that’s what I call an advertising slogan. They should use it in the adverts for the DVD box sets. At least someone’s admitting that things have been rather melodramatic lately! Gunn’s on fine form tonight.
The improvisation between Gunn and Gwen is funny, very well done. And Gunn is looking rather suave today. Mmmm
Gunn is very clever, he doesn’t get the chance to do that very often.
I know where he got the tiger, but where did Gunn get the box?
Knowledge!Wesley is probably my favourite of his incarnations.
That demon birth is nasty, but there’s a type of fish that eats its mother from the inside, then she gives birth by exploding! The things you learn from aquarium visits are fascinating.
Yeah, pictures in my head bother me as well. We know Fred, it’s the same for us and we actually had to watch.
“Why imagine? Reality’s disturbing enough” I think that should be our new motto.
Wesley, don't try to be subtle, it only comes off as trying too hard. Spontaneity works so much better for you
‘It’s not always about holding hands” Yeah, sometimes it’s about the hot, sweaty sex. That was an incredibly good putdown from Wesley.
Fred looks rather put out at discovering that a) Wes didn’t hate Lilah and b) in fact probably loved Lilah (in a slightly twisted way).
Everything I needed to know I learnt from Akira Kurosawa
I’m not entirely convinced Gwen’s completely on the level.
Please Cordy, I know you’re supposed to be evil, but just change out of that outfit. Can they not tell she's evil in that get up? The necklace alone just screams 'instrument of darkness'
“Evil genius” - Don’t exaggerate Cordelia.
That is not a very good distraction.
Well they’re not guarding the little girl very well if he can sneak around a pillar and just pick her up.
That child should scream and kick more. I don’t trust quiet children.
Excellent fight. Go Gunn. Oh, very suave Gunn. I like the move with the tie.
Oh, that’s the reason why the kid is quiet, it’s smug in the knowledge that it’s in the right.
“China or North Korea” - its generally not a good idea to mix those two up.
“I actually took time out of the apocalypse”. Hee. Gunn really is getting all the good lines this episode. It’s about time!
Gunn was won over remarkably easily by the offer of the suit. It is a fabulous suit though
"Lilah's Beastie Book" The children's' coffee table book that never happened
What is it with Angel and his periodically re-occurring photographic memory?
Poor Angel, I think he might just be a bucket-head. Freudian slip in Angel’s doodling perhaps?
Choking the chicken? Cue the dirty snigger.
Knowing Lorne there's actually going to be a song and dance involved
“Lean mean belly-reading machine” - An ultrasound then.
“Oh Fudgical” The new non-swearing, swear word. Not quite as good as ‘frell’ mind you.
As much as I love watching this programme Cordelia being the big bad really isn’t working.
There can never be too many movies.
I bet that even if that chip thing does make Gwen normal, she’d hate it after a while.
Gunn was secretly hoping it was an X-box.
I was reminded of the ‘Borg’ when that chip implanted itself in Gwen. Shudder.
Smoochies! Is that her house or are they having sex in the Japanese man’s bed whilst he is lying unconscious next door?
Possibly the only situation where being quick is a good thing. What happens to the passionate love-making if the chip falls off halfway through?
Lorne is just making that tune up as he goes along.
That doesn’t look like a stealth outfit, big heels and a floaty skirt. Walking down stairs softly in heels like that. Wow, that's not easy
When did thy install floodlighting in the basement?
Hah! You can always trust the Magic Eight Ball. That set up was nicely done. And how can you not appreciate the power of a ‘Magic Eight Ball’? It's lucky the Magic Eight Ball didn’t come up with ‘definitely not’ or their investigation would have been set back by weeks.

Inside Out

“It took you long enough” - Evil or not, Cordy has a very good point.
On a scale of you to me, everyone is smarter than Angel.
So what's "pretty damn" as a numerical value?
The writers appear to have so little confidence in their storyline that they waste the whole first scene explaining it.
I’m thinking they should stop.
It may not be Cordy, but that's still Connor's baby/spawn/whatever Angel's smacking around
Why do tranquillisers work on him?
Poor Gunn goes out for one night, and look at what happens!
“Cordy just Mwa ha haa’d at us” - I think Lorne should be made an official fringedweller. I love the idea of Mwa-ha-haaing as a verb.
I think what she's been doing is pretty obvious. Did you notice the baby?
She wasn’t grooming him when we saw them. Not grooming Connor. He’s looking particularly unkempt.
Yep Gunn, the genius part had me shocked too.
I was in a play about Lizzie Borden, and they never said anything about nakedness. Although I was 13, so perhaps it was for the best.
Stop with the exposition now. Yeah, we'd worked all this out by ourselves. Hey this is just a sneaky 'previously' that they've worked into the middle of the episode!
To be honest if Cordelia did give birth to cookies it would still be fairly freaky.
I still maintain those two look scarily alike
They had to draw a picture of her? If their memories are that bad they should have a big photo of everyone on the wall with their name and position underneath.
Maybe if Angel wasn’t sweeping the city but looking for Connor and Cordelia he would have more success. Perhaps if he vacuumed instead...
Well, it's about time, Angel finally lets Wesley know that he's back in the fold
Was the syphilis a contributing factor?
Jesus Connor, knock off some vamp, steal its wallet and check yourselves into a hotel
Run, Connor, run, she’s talking about evil in an abstract way!
The whole ‘special’ thing lends itself so easily to jokes about special needs I’m not even going to bother.
Come on Connor, I know you love her and want to believe in her, but think, use your own brain
Skip! I love Skip. Skip and Clem would get on well together. Someone should introduce them.
I’d like my own personal guide for all the big events in my life.
Angel is displaying some surprising mental leaps here.
Skip is evil? No!
If he does find you, he’ll mope about for a while before he kills you, so you have plenty of time to plan.
"What babies do when they're happy" Or when they're restless, o r uncomfortable, or when you've eaten spicy food
Castor oil can bring on labour. As a secondary effect.
I don't know, blood can be a bitch to get out. There's a joke about hitting Skip with a big dry-cleaning bill...
Pull on his chin ring. That has to do something.
Cool shot! Excellent, we haven't seen Angel kick ass in a while. That was cool
This time Fred's fit a perm in in-between scenes. Nice to know she was sitting in curlers whilst Angel was battling a demon in another dimension
“We need to bind him.” Anybody got some string?
Connor, come on, sacrificing virgins? Since when did it say to do that in the Good Guy’s Handbook?
The heart doesn't lie. It can be wrong, but it doesn't lie
Well it's not fair to the girl and it's not fair to the baby either. Talk about baggage
Yeah I seem to remember thinking exactly what Skip just said when she ascended. Actually Skip has a point. Cordy would never be seen dead in knitwear and therefore is a very bad candidate for ascension.
And this really isn’t ringing any alarm bells in Connor’s head?
I’m not going to hurt you again, technically.
Is he going to give that poor girl the water or not?
What is that? A vision? A visitation?
And I seem to remember she hated every second of it
The virgin in the corner is wisely staying quiet. That girl is really freaked now, her captor seems to be talking to himself.
Someone should let Darla know Connor isn’t that much of a success.
So it’s all Doyle’s fault?
“Sleeping with the enemy”, is he referring to the film or the act?
I like referring to Angel as ‘the monkey boy’. We should continue with that.
This circle of life probably won’t have a soundtrack by Elton John. And will be all the better for it
I wonder if you can get an epi for that?
I wouldn’t like people going through my desk drawers even if it was to save the world, it’s where I keep my skiving off work emergency kit.
So the PTB can rustle up Darla, but they couldn’t just warn the others about Cordy? Maybe they were just annoyed at their stupidity too.
What about the greasy-ness does she feel that too?
Wow. Deep!Gunn
I love the way Wesley threatens with the incense sticks
Well follow him one of you!
Don't patronise Connor, 'anointed' is not a confusing word. Antidisestablishmentarianism, that's a confusing word.
A spell to induce the labour of your fast-gestating child
Poor Connor, he can barely cope with one conversation at a time.
Ooh, a showdown.
Ooh, Connor is going to have so many mother issues now.
I didn’t think they’d actually kill that girl!
The one who's been in California the shortest length of time is the only one with the wit to stand in a doorway
I'm not sure the dive and roll was entirely necessary
Oh yeah! Go Wes! Action!Wes saves the day!
Is that a floating electric jellyfish?
Huh? I’d expected more tentacles. It's officially 'Employ the cast of 'Firefly'' week. The baby we've all been waiting for is an extra from 'Hercules'? That's a disappointment
How comes she has no clothes yet has too much make up on?

Shiny Happy People

Before I start commenting in earnest, I would like to lodge a protest against the name of the episode. Every time I see the name, I get the song stuck in my head. It takes ages for me to get rid of a song in my head. I took me all week to stop humming ‘Mandy’. And now I’ve reminded myself again. Dammit!
Cordelia gave birth, and they’re still showing the conception! Enough already.
She painted her toenails but didn’t have time to get dressed?
She’s too toothy to be beautiful.
She'd probably be causing more awe if she left her boobs uncovered
Is Cordelia dead? Please don't get my hopes up
Yeah, well done Cordelia.
Shouldn’t Connor be more concerned that his and Cordelia’s child isn’t white? Cordelia may have some serious explaining to do. Although of course there is the fact that it’s a fully grown woman as well which should probably be addressed first. I think Gunn's got a lot of talking to do...
Where'd she go?
Boys and their toys, I bet that Gunn and Wes are having great fun.
I love the casual mention of dismemberment.
"Chosen some horrible, evil awful..." Er, I think it did..
It did, it chose Cordelia.
Poor Lorne, I feel his pain, it’s like having a conversation with Bitca. I thought I was bad for rapidly shifting topics of conversations, but Fred is much, much worse. Scarily enough though, I followed most of her train of thought. Lorne must have been a sucky bartender. I followed all that. Lorne wasn't a bartender, Lorne was the owner. He hired bartenders.
“Would Angel really kill Cordelia?” I would say ‘in a heartbeat’, but that would be all wrong.
Nice boiler suits. Aw, Wes and Gunn have matching overalls. Gunn and Wesley are looking strangely sexy in overalls. Is it wrong to notice that?
Connor's actually quite cute when he smiles. All he needs to do now is shower and I might start taking an interest
Connor and Angel being all pally with each other should be ringing alarm bells straight away.
Okay, they picked the right name for this episode
Wesley's fighting a losing battle with Angel's psyche here
That woman appears. Wes isn’t kneeling. Resist, Wes, Resist!
Dammit, he knelt. Grrr. I like Wesley's slightly classier kneel
Who is in that picture?
“From deep inside the earth” I thought we all came from Africa, or the sea, or somewhere that isn’t the middle of the planet...
So, the birth of the big bad was all Angel’s fault, basically.
I still think this woman is evil.
Does the phrase "Wiping out the competition" spring to anybody else's mind?
Vampire bowling. Excellent. There’s something funny about bowling with a head.
Shouldn’t there be more blood?
Bowling is never a waste of time.
They’re not wearing the proper shoes! Somebody stop them.
Very cool shot there with Connor and the vamp and then Wes staking it. The fights really are a lot better on Angel I think. They’re certainly more stylised.
How about ‘Really Irritating Woman’ - That works for me.
Ooops, that was a bit public.
Why does that man see what she’s really like and nobody else?
I've got a joke about Wes and Gunn polishing their weapons...
Aristophela? I think I prefer Clorox. I though Iphigenia could have been a cool name. One of the possible definitions of the name was for a ‘Virgin Goddess of the hunt’. Also the name of Agamemnon’s daughter that he sacrificed during the Trojan War. In a way that would be sort of appropriate what with all the Greek-god like stuff of the Oracles and also Fred’s been acting decidedly Cassandra-like in this episode. And I probably lost everybody way back didn’t I? Anyway as a name, it’s probably better than Aristophila.
God, if everyone doesn’t stop talking in that really sincere voice soon I’m going to scream.
Yes it is important, it's a nice shirt
Jesus, it's only blood. Two minutes soak in Vanish and it'll well, vanish
Which one of them are you talking to there?
Yeah, Aristophela is going to have problems selling that idea to Gunn and Wes.
“You share the same love,” Please tell me I wasn’t the only one that picked up on the inherent slashiness of that line directed at Wes and Gunn.
Eradicating all evil is not restoring a balance
I still can't get over quite how gummy that woman is
Is that washing significant?
Oh, there must be out-takes where Connor drops that stake
Angel is wearing pale colours. It's been a while. Gagh! Lemon striped shirt is hideous! That shirt is an offense to human taste. Ye Gads! That, that, striped lemon monstrosity of a shirt on Angel. Gahhh. Those types of shirts on Angel are never a good sign.
Wesley subtly taking advantage of Fred's inner turmoil to edge just a little bit closer
“Diva/Deity it’s a thin line” - The church of Shirley Bassey, god help us all.
That's freaky, a shrink with radar
What about that poor girl that got killed?
Different scene (not sure exactly which, but after the redecorating of the room by Lorne) Connor’s pretty adorable when he smiles. It lights up his entire face.
Fred handled that well, considering the maggots and all.
Eww. Maggots & decomposing flesh. Less said, the better. I would have freaked.
So the washing was the key?
I wonder if Charisma Carpenter was paid her usual fee for this episode?
Nope, still hating that shirt.
Please, I can’t cope with both the shirt and the inane smile from Angel.
He’s a little young to be your uncle, Fred.
Being strapped to a bed and locked in a darkened room is not a way to improve a person’s psychological health.
Why has Fred got a problem with killing it?
Oh please let the PTB be on the other end of Fred's mobile
"I need you." Right now? In the lobby? But what about all these people...
Don’t say anything Fred! Wes won’t believe you!
Fred, you are an idiot.
Fred, vacate, now. See Fred run. Run Fred. Run!
Angel seems to have something in his shoulder that attracts crossbow bolts, stakes, bullets etc - he always seems to get hurt there.
Connor making a slightly more graceful landing there
Chopping Lorne’s head off doesn’t kill him. She couldn’t have cut his head off with that little knife, anyway.
I can’t believe I’m actually sitting here, cheering for Fred escaping. The insanity’s finally gotten to me.
Where did she get the car from? That's Wesley's 4x4. The question is, when did she pick up the keys?
How on earth did Fred cope for five years in another dimension?
Jasmine? I think I preferred Aristophela, on reflection.
Well at least she didn't have to pay her cheque
Morning in L.A. and everyone's inside watching television? Surely there must be some people waking up to Wogan
So, all the decent writers were working on Buffy this week then.

Magic Bullet

Nobody with lips that big should be allowed on TV.
Well there’s a song I never expected to see on Angel. I love this song, it’s so happy and summery. Beach Boys isn’t it? I would never have taken The Beach Boys as a symptom of evil
Only in 'Angel' could they say that a world where everyone is kind and considerate is an evil place.
Isn’t that Desmond Morris?
Gunn and Wes are looking very sexy running in the sun. Can we have some more running please?
Warning of Scary Religious Indoctrination No.27: Inappropriate choice of shirts. Ooh, Pastel!Wesley. Not good. Now Wes is in the hideous shirt, and he seems to be getting hairier and hairier.
Wesley ever apologetic in the chase. Did you notice how his accent slipped when he said "Sorry" just then?
Go Fred, the "Jasmine wanted me to have it" was a nice touch
Finally Angel Inc. gets to put all those rooms to good use.
I’ll have the house with the pool if it’s on offer.
Angel’s shirt today is a light green. It’s a definite improvement on the yellow striped monstrosity from last week. Couldn't Connor have gotten a wardrobe change as well? He'd look good in a pale suit
"Look in to their hearts." Usually a fairly messy surgical procedure
A mother wondering about her baby I understand, but the man needing moustache validation? Good grief.
Angel living up to his full potential as a hench- vamp
“Why would anyone reject love?” Everyone would reject your love Connor, you’re just at an awkward stage.
What is Jasmine picking those people for? I’m sure it can’t be good.
Why do I think that the people picked aren’t going come back? Incidentally, what have they done with Cordelia?
Clinton has not written enough books to merit a whole shelf.
I would have thought that Satan could spell, personally.
No customers, it sounds wonderful. Despite his loved-upness, the bookseller sounds just a little bit pissed at the lack of trade.
I knew a utopian wonderland would have a downside. Well its not Utopia if you can’t find a decent book on autopsies.
What’s with the “Man” “Wo-Man” comments? It always makes me think of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and the heavy-duty cosmetics. (I have a warped brain)
Holtz should have tied the ropes better.
I wish I could summon men like that.
I think that Galadriel did her prologue better, personally.
Come on! Not knowing the difference between Dwarves and Hobbits is a sure sign she’s evil.
“Picture Fred, picture what she looks like, no guys, picture her with clothes on...”
The ‘body jumping’ thing of Jasmine’s is very Matrix-y. Somehow, can’t see Fred as Neo though.
"My love is all around you." How threatening is that? Pretty damn threatening actually. That song was number 1 for months - how could you forget?
My love, and some fairly explosive automobiles
Run from the flaming man!
Connor quoted Striesand? That disturbs me.
Things just pop into our heads too Connor, that’s another of the definitions of being a fringedweller.
This psychic connection would be really useful for the hotel business as a whole.
Cue Fred looking lonely
Ahhh the classic ‘I’m vegetarian’ defence.
Isn't the green demon Carl from 'Special Unit 2'?
Oh I love Wesley's little pointer! The pointer! And the way Wes then tucks it under his arm Sergeant-Major style was hilarious.
I don't care if it's a word or not, but I'm using "sisteren"
God no! Not testimonials. Drown that child. And the sappy woman. The Jasmine Rocks guy can stay though. I like the cat woman. We should see more of her.
That's going to be so confusing when the innoculation cards come from the vet
Oh no, anything but the father and son kareoke! Manilow too, Jasmine must be the ultimate evil. Okay the whole of this story arc is forgiven, just for that duet. Ah! I was eating a sandwich when Angel and Connor started singing and I laughed so hard I just got chicken up my nose/ Angel and Connor I now have three different versions of ‘Mandy’ running through my brain. I fell off the sofa I was laughing so much; my parents thought I’d finally flipped! Thankfully no food was involved in my case.
I like the idea of Executive! Demons.
And you can tell that the demon really misses that cup.
That green demonic thing’s voice sounds familiar. It almost sounds like the guy who played ‘Willow’ in that film with Val Kilmer. I know the voice of the actor doing that demon... it’s Carl from Special Unit 2!
That looks more rubbery than meaty to me. What a spectacularly latex hand
By Jove, I think she’s got it. I though that Fred was supposed to be smart? I worked that out last week
That's a very threatening cardigan Jasmine's wearing
Well, Jasmine has just blown that guy’s mind.
Bullet time! I swear that the writers had been watching The Matrix when preparing Buffy and Angel this week
Bullet Nice thinking from Fred there with the Bullet, Jasmine, Angel theory. Is that the same shoulder again? Angel’s strangely magnetic shoulder strikes again.
Fred is praying really hard that her theory works now.
That's still gross
Erm, Angel, I know it's hard but you might want to stop standing in a daze and actually do something here
Is it me or was Fred looking Faith-like in this scene - battered, bruised but determined.
Books! Books are burning! Stop the books from burning!
This truly is an ideal community, they’re all eating cake!
The key to successful religious indoctrination is to have plenty of cake.
If pie isn't making you feel better then something's really the matter
Oh, pull yourself together Angel.
The "pretty horrible" is not going to involve some kind of wide- range explosion is it? I'm having bad flashbacks of Nic Lea in 'Vertical Limit;
Smooth moves from Angel as he comes in through the window. There was a distinct lack of cat-like grace there.
Brain dead? How can they tell the difference? If she was brain dead she couldn’t breathe without a ventilator.
Um, usually movement and speech are signs of people waking up, Fred! Brain dead people may have involuntary muscle contractions, but they tend not to be that precise.
Ugh, why do they always have to cut wrists?
However, if they're going to explode a big bag of Cordelia then I'm all for it. They need a crop duster or something
Don't look into the light!
Jasmine’s room “My Sweet Boy” Oooh, Darla flashbacks there.
She ate those people. Cool is not the word I’d be using. The way Jasmine said it, it did sound kind of cool.
Lorne’s no Judas.
Lorne and the baseball bat. Is it wrong of me to find that amusing?
Hah Wes, wait until they take your beloved away and turn him into a floating electric jellyfish, then you’ll know heartache and loss!
Connor's not feeling it is he? He's faking.
I knew that Connor was faking!

Sacrifice

Run people!
They could at least pile some of that furniture in front of the door to give Angel a chance to get out too.
Finally Angel gets pissed off with him to.
Drive straight at her Wes! That would be a super comedy moment if they did, particularly since Connor's still lying in front of the car
You’ve got to admire Jasmine’s slow walk of Determined Evil.
‘The last feisty wife in Stepford’, I like that.
Trust Wesley to put a depressing perspective on the situation
Why are those people naked, can’t Jasmine digest clothing?
Jasmine seems to be merging with her followers in a similar way to the First did with Caleb. Wonder if there’s a connection?
"You're indescribable." Connor's seeing maggots isn't he? If someone said I was indescribable, I wouldn’t take it as a compliment.
She couldn’t have washed his hair as well?
And snacks, there’s no point in stopping at a petrol station unless you get snacks as well.
“Okay, that’s new” Angel is really unimpressed by Jasmine’s ventriloquist act.
Wesley gets to beat up the woman.
I’m as creeped as Gunn by that child.
I would have wanted snacks too
Jasmine performs her rendition of the Villainous Laugh of Triumph™, used by all Big Bads.
God, Jasmine is a gummy woman. She’s actually quite ugly.
So there was no need to stop for petrol then?
That’s OK Fred, all the others had forgotten about Cordelia completely. I was hoping everyone had.
That was a short minute
That was a very Gollum-like shot in the sewers there, through the bars. Did they get a job lot with the Orcs and the ‘Gollum’ creature in Buffy?
Cordy wasn’t wearing that before.
And I thought my family was dysfunctional.
But his hearing is as... Damn it Lorne, I was going to say that
"Angel!" Wesley! Sorry, I thought someone should show him a bit a of concern, he's the one who'll actually be damaged by falling into a hole
Okay, I expected something a lot more scary than a small child with a stick. Liked the jump up the hole from Angel there - he almost flew, and it’s a nice reminder that he isn’t normal. Angel realised that he was being menaced by a thirteen year old with a stick, and jumped out of the hole in embarrassment.
Well they all seem un-Jasmined
Gunn is annoyed that he’s been successfully menaced by someone called Randall.
Always gotta be something in the sewers...
She ate Cordy? Oh please say yes
It's certainly more defensible than the Hyperion
I still hate the word "Crew", Angel doesn't have a ship. Although it would be cool if he did
Am I sensing something symbolic with Connor's blood? I wonder what effect that has on Jasmine and the Jasminites
Except for Lorne, who still works in a purely amateur capacity
Jasmine's had some quality telephone training in the past. She's make a great receptionist. "Thank you for calling."
And bricks and things yes? I hope that those billions know how to build, plumb and wire a house. The Giza workers didn’t have to cope with central heating. "Built by the love of billions..." And hopefully the skills of a select few. I can't help thinking of Ned Flanders' house after the hurricane. "No, don't touch that, it's a load-bearing poster."
Technically, that’s your father. Don’t touch him like that.
Oh Connor, you rarely do.
That was an unpleasant popping noise when her hand bled then.
Why don’t any of these sewers have actual sewage in them? Those sewers look remarkably like the set of 'DS9'
That's it, Lorne has too go. He's making all of my best jokes
“Where’s Wes?” Currently being beaten up by a bizarre hybrid of the Master, Gollum and the aliens from Starship troopers.
I love Lorne’s casual cowardice.
He's not Dracula. Dracula had much better hair
Wes sensible deciding to completely agree with the huge-legged pointy monster
That’s an oddly camp monster terrorising Wesley.
That caterpillar demon has a very familiar voice.
Ahh, the jilted lover with so many legs
“She is the devourer”. That’s not a good sign, is it really?
I like "Shangri-La-La Land"
Ooh, was that a 'ST:TNG' joke from Gunn?
They just sent him through a portal. They didn’t kill him did they?
I know he’s got a beard nowadays, but calling Wesley ‘furry’ is a bit harsh.
Only Wes could make small talk with a scorpion demon. The side conversation with the Vamp being dissected is amusing. I have to say, Wesley's dealing with the evisceration surprisingly well.
I like the sarcastic, piss taking demon.
Eww! Tongue! Oh, that tongue bit is gross.
Wes, thinking on his feet as the clearly jealous monster-thing is having a snit. “We loved her first”. And then quickly catching on to the whole Name is Power thing. This is the kind of Wes I love to watch.
Wesley’s going to hate himself when he realises the demon fooled him into misuse of the English language.
Is Jasmine’s real name going to be Rumplestiltskin then?
Nice to see there are still bin men in paradise
Ungrateful child, just leave him.
Gunn can't lift a small child by himself?
I love this demon, “La la la la la! I’m not listening!” Ah, the ‘la la la I’m not listening’ approach, is a cross dimensional thing.
Angel getting lost in idiom-land for a second. ‘Shoot the messenger’ is more catchy.
I like Lorne’s re-education initiative.
Jasmine’s laugh sounds like Angelus’.
Gah, freaky child again. Oh I hate it when Jasmine talks thorough other people, it's really creepy. Matthew especially.
They hit him once. He went down really easily
Oh crap. A tunnel full of torches
Those sewers are huge if Connor can get a small army down them.
Where did Connor get the army from?
How much have I missed the quality Wesley and Angel interaction? It’s about time; they work well together, and seem to have a pretty good instinct for fighting together.
“Are we dead yet?” I love Lorne.
Not another portal!
Didn’t Angel use those same words to get Wes to lead the others away from the Hotel? Appropriate that Wes then uses them to persuade Angel to go through the Portal.
Shouldn’t Wes tell Angel how to get back?
“Time for the Big Fight Scene” And it’s such a fantastic shot, as they all wheel and turn into the battle, swords in hand.
That National Guard didn’t bring any guns?
Ooh, moody black and white Angel. That looks like the titles to ‘Knightmare’.
“Oh Hell”. At a guess, it’s at least one of them.
Take me to your priests
Ah! What a bastard of a cliff-hanger! There was the big fight and then the big pointy legs and everything. And now we've got to wait two weeks to find out what happens!

Peace Out

After last week’s break you would have thought that I would have needed the previouslies but I really didn’t. They’re too long! Word always wants to correct that to ‘previous lies’, which is rather amusing. Well, to me, anyway.
Speaking of Jasmine, why did nobody warn me she was in ' Matrix Reloaded'? I had such a fringedweller moment when I realised. Much like the one in ' X-men 2' when I spotted Methos. Worlds were colliding and my brain couldn’t cope.
I still love the ‘and now the big fight scene’ line.
If I was Angel I'd open with a "Hi!". Possibly coupled with a cheery wave of some kind
Somehow, the hollow pinging sound that pipe makes takes all the gravitas out of the fight scene.
It looks like the Angel Gang are losing. This can’t be good.
Yeaow! Wesley!
No Connor. Not Angel, Wesley. Big difference.
Note to self: Blue orby thingy seems to scare the spidey-gollums. Not that the information will ever actually prove useful to me. No! Not the bath bomb!
Why do these mystic sacred monasteries have to be on bloody mountains?
And your dashing good looks.
If he was going to kill you he'd have done it by now
I hate to say it, but if Connor wasn't wrong, he'd be right
Connor is falling victim to the talking villain disease.
I really wish Connor would stop pontificating. It’s annoying.
My parents were in the room as I was watching this episode. Dad noted that Connor ‘Looks like a girl’. I swear no prompting was involved. I then had to try and explain the connection between Angel, Connor, Cordelia and Jasmine, which was challenging to say the least. I gave up in the end.
‘Jasmine’s the lie’. How very profound.
Connor should try taking the “I am your father, young lady” approach with Jasmine.
The Charlies breathe a collective sigh of relief at the "intact" qualifier. I like that precautionary "intact"
One should always pack grapple hooks.
Angel’s busy doing his version of climbing the Cliffs of Insanity. That or he's auditioning for the title sequence of 'MI:2'. I bet that Angel has missed the nice gentle path up the other side of the mountain, complete with benches and ice cream stands.
And full of insects.
I wonder what insect paradise would be like?
Jasmine is way too proud of the "bug" pun
Connor knows but doesn’t care what Jasmine is. I assume that’s been the case all along then? See. Didn't I say that Connor knew exactly what she is?
No wonder Jasmine left, that’s a very poorly carved statue. Love the fact the statue of ‘Jasmine’ still looks like her face, just on an insect body. The toothy grin must be universal.
That's a low doorway for a temple built by giant buggy people
How come this alien guy speaks English?
The ‘Guardian of the Word’ reminds me of ‘Doc’ from Sunnydale. Very creepy.
Nice try Angel, but I don’t think that the priest is going to fall for that one.
I knew that cage would come in handy again one day
You do have to admire Connor's "appearance isn't important" philosophy
Cordelia is going to need even more medical attention after they bled her.
The ones that mysteriously never come back...
I know the Hyperion is big, but I think calling the cafeteria a banqueting hall is just a little bit too much.
Yeah, she came to serve men with white sauce and parsley. “To serve man” Gunn finally figures it out what Jasmine’s doing with the people. My immediate thought it was a Chronicles of Narnia reference, but thinking about it, is more likely to be a Twilight Zone reference. Although Jasmine as the Green Witch from 'The Silver Chair', also makes a kind of sense. If you’re me, anyway.
That's probably buggy for "Let me go!"
I’d be getting just as annoyed by Angel with the whole ‘I’m the Guardian of the Word, he’s the Keeper of the Name” pedantry. Although the steam almost visibly coming out of Angel’s ears is kinda funny. You just keep waiting for the one little thing that’ll really tip him over the edge...
The Keeper has a pony tail.
Angel is now glad that he packed his Handy TravelerTM Mini Sewing Kit with special retractable scissors, perfect for those tricky sewn up mouths.
Oh Angel, it was never going to be the easy way was it?
Only skinny victims for Jasmine, it seems. Does Jasmine only eat exceptionally slim and well-muscled followers? If so I reckon the fringedweller contingent would be pretty safe
'I didn't think you ate her 'till now' thinks Connor
Gee, of the house full of brainwashed followers and four dissidents, I wonder who it could have been?
She’s still not giving Connor a straight answer is she? I think Connor needs to get a firm denial here
It was their sex that brought her to Earth.
Jasmine hangs on to her patience by the skin of her teeth
Seems she's restricting herself to skinny victims in matching underwear as well
Oooh, insightful demon.
“Moss-Cow” Shudder. I really hate that pronunciation of the name. It’s one guaranteed to bug me in any TV programme or film.
France and Kenya? That seems an odd pair of countries to have a slow satellite feed
How on earth did they convince these foreign channels to carry Jasmine's broadcast?
I'm slightly worried by the man in the flat cap. Connor, rooting out bad headwear everywhere.
They couldn’t think of anything more original than Jasmine?
We didn't move her, honest!
See how important prepositions are? Nice to see 'Angel' stealing jokes from 'The Emperor's New Groove'. I believe he meant what he said there. Connor’s a violent soul really.
Gunn channelling his inner 3 year old by kicking things. I like Gunn’s determination with the steel cage.
Wes thinks aloud. It’s reassuring to see that other people do that.
You’re really down on your luck when your only hope is a comatose Cordelia.
All of their clever plan is moot unless they get out of that cage.
Finally the Church decide on a more truthful approach.
Hmm, those hastily nailed planks aren’t a complete giveaway, oh no.
I love the utterly chilled-out policeman
The tentacles are a nice touch
“It’s time for my close-up” Mr De Mille. Or was that my memory for random quotes again?
Did they lovingly drape a dust sheet over Cordelia?
Are they going to do a 'Sleeping Beauty'? Let's hope not
Connor's pacifist speech sadly ruined by a sudden outbreak of violence
Anyone else bored by Connor’s soliloquy?
Connor talking to Cordelia, who looked uncannily like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince. Or Juliet waiting ‘death-like’ for her Romeo. The whole scene was very well played, and made me feel partly sorry for Connor. The ‘I know she’s a lie, Jasmine... I just thought this one was better than the others’ speech was telling. He really has had a mucked-up upbringing. He’s got issues about his issues.
Connor comes around to it. Only liars need a pretty face
“Sublime benevolence” Oh puh-leese. Pass me the sick bucket. I think I’m going to need it for the whole of Jasmine’s speech.
Not kneeling in the presence of God in case it ruins the shot?: That is one dedicated cameraman.
Any sensible fringedweller would have switched over by now. Probably even before the cheesy sub-Voltaire misquote. I still think that even if Jasmine did make a worldwide broadcast we would still miss it because they were showing ' Stargate' or something and wander into a different world the next day.
You have to admire Gunn’s persistence.
“Just us”. Well, the Scooby gang in Sunnydale didn’t appear to be brainwashed, but they’re a little busy with their own apocalypse. So yeah you’re on your own in LA.
Lorne really needed to bring Bugs Bunny into this?
‘Love one another’ is probably going to be misinterpreted in the tabloids.
Ah, now we get down to it. What every deity really wants, "A temple would be nice..." Well, I wouldn’t say no to a temple either, to be honest. A temple, “with a pool, and underfloor heating, and a shrubbery...”
The brainwashees sensibly backing quickly away from the severed head
What was her name?
Convenient how the insect head can still talk after it’s head’s been cut off, but as it’s had the required effect I’ll not complain too much.
Given what appears on a lot of cable channels, one shot of Jasmine’s true face is not going to put anyone off.
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
Hey, the muscle pays off! Yay! Go Gunn!
Gunn has a triumphant ' Galaxy Quest' moment. "Never give up, never surrender." Oh yeah, 'Galaxy Quest'
Thank you!
And props you shall have Gunn. The kicking proved useful(ish) in the end.
Rioting, fighting. Things are back to normal then?
The Human Race, defined by its ability to be stupid. I like that as a characteristic.
“You’re already dead!” Jasmine succumbs to a fringedweller moment.
Jasmin's got a good fist on her
As powers go, that's a pretty useful one to have hung on to
So Jasmine’s a Rogue PTB? Like we hadn’t guessed that one already. I think she’s a little annoyed with Angel. Can’t think where I got that impression. Perhaps it was the car being thrown.
That wasn't the world's most lady-like jump
I knew he’d use those cables.
Which prophecy? There are too many to keep track of.
Urgh, isn’t Angel Jasmine’s grandfather?
Technically, it’s the other way around.
So, it’s just Angel’s gang in the Hyperion again. That’s more like it.
It makes a nice change to see the main cast completely out of the loop for a change and struggling to keep up with events.
Yeah it was Angel. Only he brings back souvenirs like that
What! What did they see! Who is that? Cordelia? I assumed at this point, the person at the door was probably Cordelia.
How did Connor kill her? Connor just killed Jasmine. Not quite what I expected there.
Angel, tell him you're sorry
Angel, this would be the time for a quiet moment. Angel should learn to listen to the verbal clues that his friends are trying to tell him.
Gah! Lilah? Who reattached her head? I certainly didn’t expect that.
Is that the First? It would make sense if it was
I'm going to end these fringedwellings with a "Huh?" I’d add a “How” and a “Cool” to that. Lilah’s usually pretty entertaining. I have no idea what’s going on, but I am very pleased Lilah’s back.

Home

Damn, I missed the previouslies as I had to politely chuck my Dad out of the house, but they looked really long. As usual. Wow, old previouslies. They're not showing a repeat and haven't told us are they?
Lilah doesn’t let death stop her from making snarky comments to Angel. Loved the dig about ‘Didn’t think you were the only one to come back from Hell?’ Angel is not as unique as he thinks he is, and not just about that...
I have to say Angel's taking this pretty well
As opposed to Wesley who's just gone for the total denial option
Wesley's still got the dollar bill?
‘It’s a Lie-lah’. Groan. Got to appreciate a pun.
There’s a standard perpetuity clause? So glad I’m not selling my soul to evil, that is a definite drawback. Ooh, is this a new dead type? Dead but reanimated by contract? Kind of a Type 3.5 Dead
Lilah’s penultimate line and the music tease was fun, as if Lilah hadn’t really thought about what she was saying before she said it.
As awkward silences go, this is a doozy. Just what did Lilah just say to reduce them to nervous fidgeting for so long? Loved the body language from them all. What's going on? Did she make the offer whilst we were watching the titles?
I like Wesley’s uncomfortableness.
Well, that's nearly a whole page of dialogue they didn't have to write. Somebody say something!
Thank you Gunn, what would we do without out you. Yes, tell us what the offer is, otherwise this is going to be a very confusing episode.
Well, that wasn’t quite what I was expecting her to say. Ooooh.
Ooh, the paperclips. Tempting them with stationery. That's low
Shiny would have sold it for me, I’m afraid.
There has to be a catch. There’s always a catch with evil law firms.
Sorry Fred, but that is what you did
Lorne is my hero.
Bonus point for the word ‘nefarious’
Connor thought that was Angel too, right?
That guy on the roof sounds like me looking for my school keys.
Well you’re unlikely to find it on the roof.
How about "Let's just take the bullets out then put this away"?
I like Connor 's approach to suicide deterrence, "What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot?" Calm reasoning combined with punching. So, after stopping the cop from shooting himself, he’s now beating the crap out of him. Isn’t that a tad illogical? Mind you, this is Connor we’re talking about.
I'm a little disturbed by Wesley's hair in this episode. Also a bit disturbed by the beard
Wes and Gunn are all friends again, and actually interacting. I’d missed that.
Pins, maps, books, works for me.
“That was awkward”. And that’s probably a contender for understatement of the year.
I really think Wes loved Lilah, or cared for her very deeply, twisted as their relationship undoubtedly was.
Why is Angel suddenly all snippy?
I guess that by making this offer, Wolfram & Hart want to test out the theory of power corrupts on our (and I use the term loosely) ‘heroes’?
Couldn’t Angel just smell Connor out, disgusting as that sounds?
"See if I can get lucky." I should have thought getting laid would be a bit further down Angel's list of priorities right now
Wesley should have faked a yawn then, just to make that "tired" speech truly convincing
They're all going to be back at dawn aren't they
Even without shoes how much noise could Fred make?
Lorne’s in the car right? Did they really expect us to be surprised that the whole gang would turn up? I mean, even just working on the theory that you want to know what your enemy is up too, would mean that they’d at least investigate.
God bless Lorne, his dilemma isn’t getting into the damn car it’s making sure the cocktail ingredients are correct.
That shot will be on next season's titles for sure
It’s weird to hear him be called Mr. Angel. I thought he didn't like being called "Mr. Angel"? Have we ever actually heard what his surname actually is?
My, god what on earth are they going to do with 300 lawyers?
That's a horrible top Lilah's wearing
I so desperately wanted Lindsey to be among those people.
Rutherford? Rutherford? Okay, Rutherford, Wesley and Rupert. The writers really ought to visit England once in a while.
Wesley and hatchet faced man seem to have the same accent in common, anyway.
The whole introduction thing is funny in a bizarre way. Seeing who matched up with who and all that.
Wasn’t he that vamp student who carried ‘Of Human Bondage’ around with him? I don’t know about the book, but he was certainly the one that was psychoanalysing Buffy in ‘Conversations with Dead People’.
Please can somebody make an Oompah Loompah joke, because I'm trying my best and I just can't find one. I did try to think of one, and I really, really, wanted to, but I failed. Maybe they have Vermicious Knids somewhere in the building?
What on earth could Gunn be in charge of? Oh, they’ve thought of that, it seems and I bet they don’t give us a definitive answer. Is Gunn’s special talent facial hair?
Was it too nerdy of me to get the D+D joke?
Fred as department head? She can barely organise herself, never mind a whole department.
Witness the geeker joy with Fred when she sees all the technology. “Everything modern technology...” including the obligatory coloured chemicals and bendy glassware that all labs appear to have.
I'm sure all these experiments should be going on in separate labs
That scientist looks like he’s descaling a chicken. Chickens have scales?
MacGuyver had funnier hair. Although not by much
I admit this is a very impressive building, but I bet you don’t get a free bible in every room.
I would like to take this moment to say how yummy Wes looks in red and black.
It’s always a Codex
May I just say that I want those magic books and I want them right now? Thank you. Get in line, I want them as well.
Oh, colour me surprised, that the slightly dodgy looking, well spoken English man turns out to be a turncoat Watcher.
Nice to see a little bit of continuity, when they talk about the CoW blowing up.
Another Morally Dubious Brit, just what this show needed.
I expect they sacked him because of the excessively gruff voice.
Secret Agent!Wes is very very cool.
Exactly how many gadgets has Wesley got tucked up his shirt sleeve?
Okay, the elevator is kind of cool. Angel shouldn’t have an elevator he should have a fireman’s pole like Batman. “To the Angelmobile - away!”
"They went with the motor pool." Killjoys
Those trick windows are a nice touch. Finally they have produced a plot device to justify daylight!
Can't really blame Lilah for pursuing the naked angle
Oh, here’s the amulet for Buffy. Hang on, even if the series had been shown parallel this would have been out of sync.
“Dead, not stupid” Unlike Angel, who you could argue is both.
TV catches his attention. Typical. Mind you, it is a very nice television. The big screen TV would swing it for me too
That’s a very freaky picture of Connor.
I can't help but think of 'Hot Shots' when anyone says that
Well, she seems to know more than you Angel.
Is that the same ‘Little Miss Muffett’ as the ‘counting down from 7-3-0’ one? Because I still don’t get it. That ‘Little Miss Muffet’ was Dawn. And ‘counting down from 7-3-0 ‘ was about Buffy dying in ' The Gift'. I’m full of useless trivia.
Or not getting screwed as the case may be. There’s a fine line between seduced and screwed, Gunn.
“Guest Starring - the Beast of Bodmin” Am I missing something, what’s with Gunn and the white room and the big cats? Here kitty. Nice kitty
The change from Angel to Wes mid-jump is very nice. Action!Wes is always nice to see.
Wesley always stands and admires the shot after he’s hit someone.
Suppressed smirk from Wesley there.
That’s a new verb, “to Die Hard”.
It’s just a speck of dust in my eyes, when Wes declares that he’d come to the files to get rid of Lilah’s contract and it doesn’t work, but Lilah looks genuinely moved that he’s made the attempt. “It means something that you tried” *sniffle*. Honest, just something in my eye.
The contract comes back? That is another reason not to join the dark side. Always read the fine print before signing something like that.
Where did Connor get the explosives and the knowledge about how to use them?
Aw, more complicated lying down with eyes shut acting for Charisma Carpenter. Although, to be fair she’d only just given birth in real-life. I’m allowing her a little bit of lee-way.
Has Connor changed Cordelia's clothes since the last time we saw her?
The chemistry between Angel and Connor is rather good here. It doesn’t always quite work, but this time the actors got exactly the right vibes going.
You ought to loosen the tape then.
Yeah, but Cordelia was a lying cow, I wouldn't take any notice of her. Saying that to Connor right now probably wouldn't help, would it?
Oh for God’s sake Angel just let Connor blow himself up please?
Connor has completely lost it now, hasn’t he? “I can’t be saved by a lie. I can’t be saved at all”
There's some lovely use of props in this sequence. I'm particularly fond of the clunk when Connor belts Angel with that weight
So if they can all undo the bombs now, why didn’t they do so before?
I’m not sure knifing him in the leg is the best way to convince him you love him.
I knew that prophecy was true! Erm, what I think just happened didn't happen did it? I was sitting yelling ‘The Father will kill the son!” Vindication in a way for Wes. About time. You could argue it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the actions that Wes took to try and prevent it, indirectly led to this situation. But it certainly looked like Angel killed Connor there.
Lorne’s singing from West Side Story. Not a story with a happy ending. And I get a feeling that the choice of song may prove telling.
Would W&H just take Gunn? Don't the team come as a package?
How many times can these guys have their memory screwed with before it starts to have side-effects? What I want to know is did they alter the Sunnydale memories as well? I mean, there’s at least Willow and Faith that have both met and know of Connor, and I’m sure they’ve at least discussed that with Giles, if not anyone else.
Oh, so Connor is now living in the woods with his own kind.
Apparently what I though had happened hadn't then, although I'm not sure what did
Connor use a knife to cut, not your fork. What disgusting table manners.
Top 10th percentile? I don’t think so.
Wow, we swapped a Connor and a Cordelia for a Lilah. Bargain.

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