SPOILERS: "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Five by Five"

[AngelusBells@xxxxxxx]

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Hey, everyone! My usual weekly review, completely cold (meaning, I haven't
read anybody else's opinions yet).

"Where the Wild Things Are":

Yay! An awesome episode named after my favorite childhood book! But...what
exactly was the context in the episode that made them choose that title? It
makes me think of big, growly monsters, not mentally unstable apparitions. Hm.

It's very interesting that they've actually come up with a *new* way to say
that sex is bad without it having repercussions on Buffy's relationship with
Riley. I don't know if the writers actually realize that, but I thought it
was just hilarious how them gettin' schweaty caused all the episode's mayhem.
Not that this is new, now that I think about it, but I guess their complete
obliviousness was what got me ("Xander! Don't you knock?") Of course, at
first it had me completely confused. I mean, orgasms from a wall? This no
make sense in Jen's head! And I can't say I'm all that happy with the reason
behind all of it either--other than Buffy and Riley lovin', that is--but I'll
get to that later. Overall, I did think it was an interesting baddie,
interwoven very well in the episode, and I love the fact that people keep
coming to frat parties when every house has malevolent spirits out to kill
them.

I was so, so happy with Xander in this ep. He has so been deserving more
screen action, and it's about damn time the writers gave him some, *without*
making him look dumb or useless (which the writers seem to think makes us
laugh harder--jeez, he's the comic relief, not the punching bag). Not only
was he Key Guy in stopping the Lowell House badness, but he kicked its ass.
Now, I don't know if the *characters* will actually begin treating him with
more respect (watching some old episodes recently made me realize what a
difference there was back then...his friends were actually nice to him and,
ye gads, complimented him!). I can always dream. At least he has Anya. Hey,
she may not understand the intricacies of human relationships, but she loves
him and cares about almost every single thought in his head. Speaking of
Anya, of course I have to mention how great she was in this episode. She was
completely adorable. "Woohoo!" Her moment of commiseration with Spike at the
Bronze was classic (I know Emma loved that scene).

I have seen the light, Graham! :-) Mm, he got *so* much screen time I thought
I was dreaming. I am so in love (which is kinda sad, since he's a TV
character). Graham has the most gorgeous smile, and he had some awesome
lines: "Slaves to the rhythm" . . . "And I'm the one who got a D in covert
ops." He even got possessed! <happy sigh> I'm glad the writers have beheld
the glory that is Bailey Chase. </Jen's regression to teenybopper> I just
really hope nothing happens to him if the Initiative is shut down at the end
of the season, which is a tiny, nagging fear in the corner of my mind. I'd
love for Graham to stay around next season; in fact, you may say it's
necessary for me to function.

Willow had a crush on Giles! I *knew* it! It is so funny that that just came
up now, right after a friend of mine and I were discussing it. We tend to not
be big fans of any Giles pairings, on the show or in fic, but almost at the
same time one day we thought of how we could see why some people would couple
up Willow and Giles. Anyhow, I knew Anthony Stewart Head had a good voice
from "Passions," but that wasn't actual singing with words, and I've never
seen him in any of his other roles, so this was a pleasant surprise. :-)

My main problem with not only this episode but also the whole show in general
is its portrayal of Christians as a bunch of crazy people. I am a Christian,
and I think it's safe to say I am completely sane. I understand that it was
pertinent to the storyline, but I really wish they'd cut out all the little
stabs at the religion (see "What's My Line?" "Dead Man's Party," "In the
Dark") because, to tell you the truth, I find it really hard to believe that
a Slayer (who's not rogue, that is) wouldn't have some kind of belief in a
higher power. I've gotten into discussions about this before, but I've always
concluded that if this were actually the real life of a young girl without
possibly jaded writers giving her lines, she would know her powers ain't
comin' from the side of evil. How can she be fighting in a war of good v.
evil if she has no belief about the origins of both?

Next week: Oz! Oz! Oz! I nearly fell off the bed when I saw him, because I
was *just* wishing he would come back soon. I've been gorging myself on Oz
fic just to satisfy my craving. And it looks to be an awesome storyline, but
I won't even *try* to make sense of the preview. We'll just have to see how
it plays out. All I know is that I want him *back*, permanently, and I'd love
if he could stick around without getting back together with Willow (gag).

"Five by Five":

Wow. That's all I can say: wow. I think that was probably the most powerful
episode so far, including "I Will Remember You." I was in absolute tears in
the end.

Do I even *need* to mention Faith? (Well, of course I do, but it was just a
form of expression.) No one but the writers of "Buffy" and "Angel" could come
up with a redemption episode with that much flair, and brilliancy, and gritty
reality. Thank God Angel has been around long enough to know what's going on
at the heart of people, or Faith might have gotten what she wanted and be
dead right now. There was nothing more beautiful and heartbreaking than the
sight of Faith breaking down from bad-ass to scared girl in Angel's arms. You
could practically see the layers being stripped away, and Eliza deserves a
freakin' Emmy for that. There is also no question in my mind that her
character is perfect for "Angel."

There was definitely some discord between Angel and Wesley here. I think it's
interesting seeing this, um...I wanna say power struggle between them, even
though it's not as petty as that. With Wesley, they're not the little, happy
family they were with Doyle, but the fact that they still care makes it okay
with me. Angel and Wes just have some history that's impossible to
ignore...and I think with Faith's arrival, it was hard for them to talk about
it calmly because, first of all, they both have issues with Faith, which
definitely makes people act before thinking, and second of all, they're men,
and, let's face it, men can have communications problems. ;-) I'm also
finding Wesley to be a more and more complex character, in the way he goes up
and down in his reactions to Faith, and his struggle with the English Watcher
in him v. someone who actually deals with reality.

Heehee! Okay, here's where the smut-hound in me comes out, because Angel and
Lindsey have slash written *all* over them! I mean, they're both beautiful,
have a wonderful repartee, and Angel has this way of getting really close to
someone he's intimidating that tends to just make him look like he's going to
kiss them. Hey, would I protest? Absolutely not. Anyhow, I'm just glad to
have Lindsey back...I thought we'd seen the last of him after "City of," and
the hair kind of threw me for a minute, but who can forget that voice? Who
cares if he's evil? He's highly lickable! Grr, baby, very grr. As for the
rest of the W&H lawyers, glad to see them all back in the same episode. Oh,
how I love continuity! One thing I wasn't clear on was whether Faith actually
killed Lee or just put him in the hospital for a couple of months.

I was actually rather disappointed with the flashbacks in this episode. There
was nothing very enlightening or exciting in them. I did like Angel's line
that went something like, "You'd think after 150 years of killing, I wouldn't
be able to remember every single one." I could possibly be spoiled by fic;
I've read some really interesting results of Angel getting his soul back,
and, to me, it seems to make more sense in the continuity of the show that
Angelus was living with Spike and Dru at that time, or they were at least
with him and Darla. I suppose there's nothing concrete to say so, but the way
Dru acted when Angelus returned made me believe he'd kind of up and left her
and Spike after the Gypsies, and Angelus was already separated from Darla,
making his own "way in the world." Would it have been really hard to get at
least James, if not Juliet also, to do that one small scene?

I don't usually feel the need to make commentary on camera work, but what is
it with Faith and her dance scenes? Rroww... She looked *so* sexy, and the
way the fighting and dancing was interwoven with the dancing was just a great
effect, really enhancing it for the viewers.

Next week: Angel get some balls! YES! Seriously, looking back on B/A, I've
become so jaded and realized how self-absorbed Buffy was about their
relationship. So when I heard him say, "Not in my town. Go home," I nearly
jumped a mile high. I can't wait to see what's in store for this
episode...should be a lot of head-clashing, which always guarantees
excitement. ;-)

Jennifer NightBloom
http://angelshellmouth.faithweb.com
http://graham_crackers.tripod.com
http://cawriters.faithweb.com
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy." - F. Scott Fitzgerald