Post by schwinnhappy on Nov 5, 2010 14:01:35 GMT -5
So, I don't know if this sort of thread has been done before - Sorry if it has, I'm new around these parts. And sorry for the ensuing rant, but I'd like to know other fans of Angel opinions on this.
Season 4 & 5 of Angel were of particular interest to me. Because, for the most part, they were astoundingly bad. Well, not so much Season 4 as Season 5. But I'll get to why I think that.
Season 4 had some of the best elements in the series as well as the worst, which made watching it a conflicting experience. On the positive side, you have the continued transformation of Wesley and his relationship with Lilah. You have the return of Faith and Angelus. You have some of the greatest fight scenes as well as the sun being blotted out, the rain of fire and the general air of chaos. All of these events were great!
But then you have the rape of Connor and Cordelia.
Now, I always liked Connor. Which I know is kind of unusual. And I thought his character development throughout Season 4 was brilliant. But his involvement with Cordelia and the fact that NO ONE noticed she wasn't the real Cordy after the ep. Spin the Bottle made no sense and was entirely ridiculous. Not only did she not speak, act or dress like Cordy, but the moment she chastised Angel for his past was like a blaring horn alerting the viewer to the fact hat Cordelia had been possessed. Cordelia was ALWAYS accepting of Angel's past - she had lived through the Angelus stint in Sunnydale, after all - and even though she was open afraid of Angelus returning, she would NEVER tell Angel that she judged him for his past actions.
And if it wasn't in that moment, then Angel would've realized the second that evil-Cordy seduced Connor that she was possessed. Cordelia never ignored her family when she had problems, she always relied on them. She wasn't Wesley, who tried to handle things by lonesome.
Now, I know Charisma was pregnant and that the writers were thrown for a loop. But there were plenty of plausible ways to get around her pregnancy without having to write the frankly sickening Connor/Cordy arc they did for that season.
It's something I've never understood. Angel could tell, just by scent, when Wesley had sex. He could tell the hair color of the woman Wesley slept with. But he couldn't tell that Cordelia was off? And he couldn't tell that Cordelia was pregnant before she announced it? It's like the crack team of writers had to dumb down every character in order to get this storyline to pass.
That's why the whole evil and possessed Cordy scenario couldn't make sense even if it was well plotted out and written. The fang gang were her family - they would know immediately that she was off, just like they figured out how Angel wasn't himself when that old man possessed him in Season 3. Especially freakin' Angel. I mean, come on. Not only was he the closest to her, but he had all of those nifty vampiric abilities.
Season 5 is another story. And I actually like Season 5 less than Season 4.
First, the whole moving to Wolfram & Hart thing was stupid. I understood why Angel would take the bait and that made sense. But Gunn? I know Gunn needed to find his higher purpose, but Gunn had always been fairly anti-establishment. And Gunn would be the LAST person to let a bunch of white tight-ass lawyers push a bunch of crap into his head. And Fred - in charge of a lab? Yeah, Fred's really smart, but she's not boss material. Her being in charge of a lab was laughable, as well as her sudden authoritative attitude. I understood that they had to bring her to the front to fill the Cordy-sized hole Charisma had left. But she couldn't pull it off. She had never been the brash and strong character that Cordelia had been. She was different and entertaining in her own right, but that didn't make her an apt substitute.
And Spike? What's he reduced to? A mere comic folly for Angel. His character becomes more dynamic towards the end, but basically he's just there to facilitate the fight against Angel for Buffy and his Shanshu.
And everything about family, about redemption, is put to the side so it can be the Spike versus Angel for Buffy show. Which was so dumb and pissed me off. Angel spent four years on his own, developing into an amazing character as all of the members of the fang gang did, and all that characterization goes poof in favor of pandering. I can't stand pandering, honest to god. Especially when characterization suffers.
The only good things to come out of Season 5 were the return of Lindsey, Illyria, and Connor's sanity being restored.
I don't know, maybe I'm crazy. But I don't think so, even though I know my opinions are generally unpopular in the BtVS/AtS community. I was just wondering what everyone else thought about the characters in these seasons? If they noticed how OOC everyone all of a sudden seemed? Or if you saw things differently, perhaps you can explain to me why?
Season 4 & 5 of Angel were of particular interest to me. Because, for the most part, they were astoundingly bad. Well, not so much Season 4 as Season 5. But I'll get to why I think that.
Season 4 had some of the best elements in the series as well as the worst, which made watching it a conflicting experience. On the positive side, you have the continued transformation of Wesley and his relationship with Lilah. You have the return of Faith and Angelus. You have some of the greatest fight scenes as well as the sun being blotted out, the rain of fire and the general air of chaos. All of these events were great!
But then you have the rape of Connor and Cordelia.
Now, I always liked Connor. Which I know is kind of unusual. And I thought his character development throughout Season 4 was brilliant. But his involvement with Cordelia and the fact that NO ONE noticed she wasn't the real Cordy after the ep. Spin the Bottle made no sense and was entirely ridiculous. Not only did she not speak, act or dress like Cordy, but the moment she chastised Angel for his past was like a blaring horn alerting the viewer to the fact hat Cordelia had been possessed. Cordelia was ALWAYS accepting of Angel's past - she had lived through the Angelus stint in Sunnydale, after all - and even though she was open afraid of Angelus returning, she would NEVER tell Angel that she judged him for his past actions.
And if it wasn't in that moment, then Angel would've realized the second that evil-Cordy seduced Connor that she was possessed. Cordelia never ignored her family when she had problems, she always relied on them. She wasn't Wesley, who tried to handle things by lonesome.
Now, I know Charisma was pregnant and that the writers were thrown for a loop. But there were plenty of plausible ways to get around her pregnancy without having to write the frankly sickening Connor/Cordy arc they did for that season.
It's something I've never understood. Angel could tell, just by scent, when Wesley had sex. He could tell the hair color of the woman Wesley slept with. But he couldn't tell that Cordelia was off? And he couldn't tell that Cordelia was pregnant before she announced it? It's like the crack team of writers had to dumb down every character in order to get this storyline to pass.
That's why the whole evil and possessed Cordy scenario couldn't make sense even if it was well plotted out and written. The fang gang were her family - they would know immediately that she was off, just like they figured out how Angel wasn't himself when that old man possessed him in Season 3. Especially freakin' Angel. I mean, come on. Not only was he the closest to her, but he had all of those nifty vampiric abilities.
Season 5 is another story. And I actually like Season 5 less than Season 4.
First, the whole moving to Wolfram & Hart thing was stupid. I understood why Angel would take the bait and that made sense. But Gunn? I know Gunn needed to find his higher purpose, but Gunn had always been fairly anti-establishment. And Gunn would be the LAST person to let a bunch of white tight-ass lawyers push a bunch of crap into his head. And Fred - in charge of a lab? Yeah, Fred's really smart, but she's not boss material. Her being in charge of a lab was laughable, as well as her sudden authoritative attitude. I understood that they had to bring her to the front to fill the Cordy-sized hole Charisma had left. But she couldn't pull it off. She had never been the brash and strong character that Cordelia had been. She was different and entertaining in her own right, but that didn't make her an apt substitute.
And Spike? What's he reduced to? A mere comic folly for Angel. His character becomes more dynamic towards the end, but basically he's just there to facilitate the fight against Angel for Buffy and his Shanshu.
And everything about family, about redemption, is put to the side so it can be the Spike versus Angel for Buffy show. Which was so dumb and pissed me off. Angel spent four years on his own, developing into an amazing character as all of the members of the fang gang did, and all that characterization goes poof in favor of pandering. I can't stand pandering, honest to god. Especially when characterization suffers.
The only good things to come out of Season 5 were the return of Lindsey, Illyria, and Connor's sanity being restored.
I don't know, maybe I'm crazy. But I don't think so, even though I know my opinions are generally unpopular in the BtVS/AtS community. I was just wondering what everyone else thought about the characters in these seasons? If they noticed how OOC everyone all of a sudden seemed? Or if you saw things differently, perhaps you can explain to me why?