Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Sept 26, 2009 8:59:12 GMT -5
With my thanks to Boo who allowed me to adapt his/her review format used in the Buffy rewatch and Keith Topping's excellent fan books Slayer and Hollywood Vampire for inspiration;
City of Angels
The Good;
Impressive opening scenes, funny yet moving. Love Angel choosing the wrong car and very suprising that he doesn't save the girl, at least not the guest star (they use the same time difference trick as they did in Helpless to convince you he will). Especially loved him killing Winters at the end, real vicious stick it in and break it off revenge, great stunt, great effect. Cordy realising that Winter's is a vamp and him initally denying it is also fun.
The Bad; If Winters had all this security at his House how can Angel just walk into his office?
Best line: Angel; Can you fly?
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Winters killing the heroine is very brutal. Also the whole sugardaddy/casting couch scenario shows the stark reality behind the Hollywood glamour.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 1
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Doyle rams the gates of the Winter's mansion but they seem suprisingly resilient. Also Angel fails to save the girl.
In disguise; Angel does his rube in the big city act for the first time
DB get's his shirt off; in order to allow Doyle and Cordy to remove the bullets. Yeah, right!
Fang Gang in bondage: no but he knocks out and ties up the guard at the mansion Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: no but Angel knocks out about 4 guys Cordy: 6 Angel: 6 Wes: 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, � a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: kills 4 vamps in the opening episode which is remarkable as according to Boo's figures he only killed 3 in the whole 3 seasons of Buffy. So that gives Angel 7 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human.
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 1 Angel: 3
Characters killed:
2; Tina and her missing friend Denise (offscreen)
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 4, pumped full of lead by Winter's bodyguards
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky:
Tina appears to be Winter's kept woman. She describes him as 'liking pain' (his own or other peoples?). Cordy also considers him for a sugardaddy much the same as she'll consider doing later to David Nabbit. Tina offers herself to Angel as a reward for saving her but like the white knight he is he gently turns her down.
Captain Subtext;
Oliver at the party considers Angel a 'beautiful man' but only on a professional basis, he's currently in a long term relationship with a landscape gardener. 'Drunk' Angel also gives the appearance of hitting on the guy in the bar.
Questions and observations;
Doyle drinks Colt .45 beer, the equivalent of Tennants Extra in the UK, pretty much in keeping with the down at heel nature of his character. First appearance of Lindsey, he and Angel are the only characters who appear in both the first and last eps of the series. Angel goes all Punisher finding his way to Winters, not hesitating to beat and threaten his way to his goal. The series already appearing much darker and more adult than Buffy. Angel's narration is similar to Angelus' in Passion and Whistler's in Becoming. It's also reminiscent of the noir crime fiction set in LA, could easily be the The Black Dahalia or LA Confidential or Chinatown. When I first saw this I wasn't sure if Winters was a vamp or not, the vamp makeup is subtly different but will eventually fall back into resembling that on Buffy once more. Angel was in Montanna during the depression, maybe Spike's line about vampire cowboy wasn't too far off the mark? Angel tells Cordy there's no cure for vamparism but we'll actually find 3 in the first season alone. Cordy refers to Angel having never developed an investment portfolio but he must get money from somewhere, he seems very well to do. The money he and Darla stole from their victims or does he just have loads of bank accounts with 200 years of interest to collect, much like Highlander Angel shows some knowledge of explosives which he'll also use in Dad but according to the dialogue he's seen 14 wars and Vietnam in his time. Nice crossover when he phones Buffy in Sunnydale.
Marks out of 10; 6/10 good beginning but not compared to the heights Angel will eventually soar to.
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Sept 27, 2009 6:42:17 GMT -5
Over on BuffyTube currently reviewing Living conditions, check it out
Lonely Heart
The Good;
Angel on the singles scene is a joy to behold, another commentary on the reality if life in LA. And Kate!
The Bad; The nightclub actually seems quite hip and not 'stuck in the 80s', better than Henry's.
Best line:
Kate; You can go to hell! Angel; Been there, done that
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Can you say 'eviscerated'? The nasty has some obvious influence from the Aliens series and some obvious influence from a very bad film called The Hidden which Kyle Maclachlan made before he got famous.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, still 1
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; we think there's a male killer picking in helpless females but that's not the case. Also Angel tries to use his grappling hook only to pull the beam down
In disguise; no but he poses as a vet which Fred will also pick as a job for him in Dad
DB get's his shirt off; not this time so that makes 1
Fang Gang in bondage: no although Kate tries to handcuff Angel Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: no but Kate is Cordy: 6 Angel: 6 Wes: 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 7 vamps, 2 demons, 1 human.
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 1 Angel: 3
Characters killed: 7 including a couple offscreen
Total; 9
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: no although Kate shoots at Angel, shoots the lock out with her backup gun and shoots the bartender at the end. Angel: 4,
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky:
On a scale of one to incredible exactly how gorgeous is Kate? No shortage of beautiful women in the Buffy/Angelverse but even so! Hard to imagine her in a cop's uniform (although I'm sure many have with the fanfic to prove it). Only in LA could the character of Sharon be called 'dowdy'. Now, of course this ep was originally known as Corrupt and was much darker in tone. It concentrated largely on Kate who was posing undercover as a prostitute but had gotten too far into her role and was actually having sex with her clients (sounds like the plot of some late night Channel 5 film). The studio said no and the series is probably the better for it (although we still have an oblique reference to sexual dysfunction). Unfortunately this meant we Lost this rumoured scene.
Cordy (posing as a streetwalker, approaching a group of hookers on a corner) "Hello fellow prostitutes, how's tricks?"
Hooker; if you're living the life I'm Julia Roberts!"
Even so she's still mistaken for a prostitute at the club and will interview a bunch of them in Carpe Noctem. Presumably the scene in the opening titles with the lovely girl in the bikini top getting into the sports car also comes from this sequence. Angel also get's propositioned by a girl who get's turned on by him hitting people. Doyle examines one of Cordy's bras which she thinks is 'So high school'. Kate refers to herself as a 'self flagellating drunken slut'. Doyle uses internet porn. Cordy and Doyle slumber on each other's shoulder.
Captain Subtext;
For the second time in 2 eps Angel is mistaken for hitting on a guy in a bar. Cordy also says she's a student of humanity and can tell one of the clubbers is a 'closet dyke'. Weird she never twigged Willow, huh?
Questions and observations;
The guy who is the third victim says he was a real 'something is out there' geek, a reference to the X-files I almost missed. There's also 'High school's over' which might be a oblique ref to Buffy. Angel sitting alone in the dark rather reminds me of how we first see Bruce Wayne in Batman Returns. Angel muses how different the dating scene is to when he was Liam, small town boy getting used to the big city.
Marks out of 5; 3/5 good ep but Angel still dealing with the case of the week
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Sept 28, 2009 11:13:41 GMT -5
Currently discussing 'The Harsh Light of Day' on BuffyTube, perhaps you should read that first?
In the dark
The Good; Spike mocking Angel is excellent, lovely to see Oz and a great rescue and final battle at the pier. Nice end coda too. The Cordy/Oz/Angel scenes are hysterical, as Willow observes both she and Buffy know the love of 2 taciturn men. The Bad; Very little, strong ep. Boy Spike is dumb but funnily so. Everyone at the pier seems to take the 2 guys jumping off the end on fire very calmly.
Best line: Doyle (to Angel); Long time between sunsets huh?
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Well, Angel get's tortured to nearly death for the majority of the episode. Spike also hints that Marcus has an interest in the kids beyond just eating them. Reputedly this is the ep that got the Angel season 1 dvd boxset an 18 rating in the UK. I don't disagree but what makes this worse than 'Hellbound' which only got a 15 rating?
Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; yep, that makes 2 Inverting the Hollywood cliche; rather than play the unbreakable tough guy Angel admits that with a little more torture he'd have told Marcus everything. Cordy notes the Gem isn't in the freezer or toilet tank as it would be in the movies. In disguise; no DB get's his shirt off; no but we get some torso action, Marcus commenting he has 'little external damage'.
Fang Gang in bondage: yep, Angel for virtually the whole ep Cordy: 5 Angel: 5 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 6 Angel: 6 Wes: 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: Another vamp for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 2 demons, 1 human.
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 1 Angel: 3
Characters killed: only Marcus 9;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: no Angel: 4,
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: Spike refers to Buffy as 'slutty the vampire slayer' and teases Angel over Buffy's affair with Parker. Captain Subtext; Spike's speech on Angel is full of homophobia. He also asks if Angel and Marcus would like to be alone when running his hands over Angel's naked torso. Spike comments that Buffy is 'cute when she's hurting', you wonder did he always have a thing for her? Such a shame we never get to meet Doyle's wonderfully named friend 'Frankie Tripod'. Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?) 4; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike Questions and observations; Why does Angel grab his neck when Marcus puts the chain around it? Surely he doesn't breathe? Marcus wears glasses which presumably like Dalton in Buffy are for sentimental reasons. Doyle has read Angela's Ashes and it reduces him to tears (the novel focuses on the shiftless father so it may appeal to Doyle who never knew his). Angel once again beats his way to what he wants, without Buffy's influence he tends to be a lot more brutal. It's a great performance from Kevin West who is a very familar face on TV (although I thought he was in Scrubs and Ally McBeal but he isn't, that's Robert Clendenin another actor with a similar look). Marcus wears a Bond style Nehru jacket. Angel knows Doyle's mother. This is Angel investigations first walk-in client and her problem for once is just a very human jerk ex-boyfriend rather than anything Supernatural. Ok so the ring makes vamps unkillable, even if you cut their heads' off? Marks out of 10; 6/10
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Hellbound Hyperion
Bad Ass Wicca
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Post by Hellbound Hyperion on Sept 28, 2009 11:16:16 GMT -5
Only Angel.
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Sept 28, 2009 12:54:26 GMT -5
Ah but he started off as a Buffy character. No character that debuted on Angel ever appeared on Buffy
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 1, 2009 15:42:03 GMT -5
Currently rewatching Fear Itself over on Buffytube part of this forum
I fall to pieces
The Good; Great horror concept, you could almost imagine a feature film based upon it, some excellent emotional stuff too and as always Cordy brings the funny. My favourite scene is where Meltzer throws his teeth at Angel and then recoils in pain as Angel smashes them against the wall.
The Bad; The severed limbs scenes don't really convince, when you see Thing in The Adams Family it's much better
Best line: Cordy; "Here's this poor girl, she hooks up with a doctor. That's supposed to be a good thing!" Jeez, how did they get away with that? Virtually all of the Beast with Five Fingers stuff
Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; yep, making 2. However, Doyle says there's 4 in total and 3 very much alive, Presumably the girl from City of Angels is the dead one and the girl from In the Dark is another making 2 more we don't see. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; In disguise; 1. Angel poses as a successful businessman but no disguise DB get's his shirt off; not this ep so still 1
Fang Gang in bondage: no Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: all of them Cordy: 7 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 1 human for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans.
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 1 Angel: 3
Characters killed: the poor cop Kate sends to guard the building 10
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel with the tranquiliser gun (as with Dopplegangland in Buffy why not use that to knock vamps out then cut their heads off?) Angel: 5,
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: What the heck do Meltzer's hands do under the sheets? Captain Subtext; Doyle admits that Angel holds a certain attraction to him Know the face, different character; 1 Andy Umberger who plays Dr Meltzer is also D'Hoffryn on Buffy. Parking garages; seemingly a staple of the series, one here and in COA 2 Questions and observations; This is the 4th ep of the series and we're told that Cordy has been working for him for a month so this suggests the series is in real time, one ep per week. Angel drinks coffee now, presumably to keep him up for his cases as he told Joyce he didn't drink it in The Prom. Isn't it a bit unpatriotic for Doyle to drink Scotch, shouldn't he drink whiskey with an e? Cordy gives the Angel Investigations motto 'We help the hopeless'. Oddly here Cordy 'Scullys' Angel, suggesting a non-Supernatural solution. He's actually open to the suggestion but points out correctly that Doyle has a vision. Angel just appears to be able to walk into Kate's police station no problem at all. Meltzer actually shows a lot of compassion for Angel's story of his wife. I don't know if it's deliberate but Scrubs has a character called Dr Zeltzer who's also a major weirdo and even looks quite like Dr Meltzer. It's noticeable that at this stage of Angel the Supernatural underworld is just that, it's not out in the open as it will be later, we're still dealing with the everyday clashing with the incredible. Marks out of 5; 4/5 one of the classic eps of season 1
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The Girl In Question
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Post by The Girl In Question on Oct 1, 2009 17:05:20 GMT -5
Saturn 5, are you the same Saturn 5 that's in the Buffy Twop forums??? o.0
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gumgnome
Junior Vampire Slayer
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Post by gumgnome on Oct 2, 2009 5:46:55 GMT -5
Damsel in distress; yep, making 2. However, Doyle says there's 4 in total and 3 very much alive, Presumably the girl from City of Angels is the dead one and the girl from In the Dark is another making 2 more we don't see. Surely Cordy counts as one (from "City of Angels")?
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 2, 2009 14:40:20 GMT -5
I used to post at TWOP but not any more. I doubt Doyle would consider CC a damsel in distress?
We're watching Beer Bad over on the Buffytube part of the forum, please join in
Rm w/a vu
The Good; Everything, an emotional rollercoaster for Doyle and Cordy and the introduction of Phantom Dennis. Great performance from Beth Grant, a great actress you can also see in Speed, Six Foot Under, Donnie Darko etc
The Bad; Bit of a reach that the ghost can do a perfect imitation of Angel's voice, is she the Terminator or something?
Best line: Cordy (of Angel) "Do you have mousse? Of course you do!"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Doyle's hand getting jammed in the drawer, Cordy almost getting hanged, Maude Peirson walling her son up. Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; nope, 2. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; In disguise; 1. DB get's his shirt off; wet, dripping and nearly naked 2 Cordy's tatto; our first glimpse
Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy almost hung, don't think thats counts Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: yep, Cordy Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 3 demons, 2 humans.
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: possessed Cordy Cordy: 2 Angel: 3
Characters killed: Dennis and a trio of the flat residents offscreen 14
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: loads of gunplay but no Angel: 5,
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: Maude calls Cordy a tramp and streetwalker, good thing they didn't go through with the storyline of Corrupt huh?
Captain Subtext;
Know the face, different character; 1
Parking garages; 2
Guantanamo bay; Once again Angel doesn't hesitate to beat his way to the answers
Questions and observations; Excellent ep with loads of good scenes and some real emotional impact, easily one of the best of season 1. I for one find it heartbreaking that Cordy has only five names in her LA phonebook and 3 are crossed out. Aura, her Sunnydale friend is the girl who finds the corpse in her locker in Welcome to the Hellmouth on Buffy.
Marks out of 5; 8/10
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 3, 2009 7:26:39 GMT -5
If you want a good cry we're up to 'Wild at Heart' review on the Buffytube section of this forum
Sense and sensitivity
The Good; Very funny to watch the Cops acting supersensitive but also affecting to see Kate's father and all his little putdowns of her and her emotive speech is a heartbreaker if there ever was one
The Bad; Hard to put your finger on it but sometimes this ep feels almost too clever for it's own good
Best line: Angel "My parents were great, tasted a lot like chicken" (and as we later learn he's not joking)
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Nasty the way little Tony keeps calling Kate a bitch
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; yep 3. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; supersensitive Cops rather than the macho LAPD we're used to seeing In disguise; 2. yep, Herb Saunders from Baltimore again DB get's his shirt off; 2 Cordy's tatto;2 We see it when she's breaking into the police station.
Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans. It looks like the thing that attacks Fred in Supersymmetry
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: supersensitive Angel Cordy: 2 Angel: 4
Characters killed: one cop shot although we don't know if he dies? 14
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 5,
Packing heat; unlike the Sunnydale Scoobies Angel Investigations periodically resort to firearms, here Doyle with a shotgun Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: Kate wants to picture Angel in his underwear. Kate observes the crush of Doyle on Cordy. One of the Cops states that the stress of his job makes it impossible for him to make love to his wife. AI group hug.
Captain Subtext; Kate's dad comments that its been so long since he's seen her with a guy he suspected she might be gay. Angel is once more referred to as a 'Nancy boy'. Angel calls CC 'precious'.
Know the face, different character; 1
Parking garages; 2 Guantanamo Bay; Kate's interrogation technique leaves a little something to be desired. Angel beats up another of WR&H's lackey. Trevor comments that in his day they didn't need sensitivity as anyone who read Elmore Leonard knows. Cordy's mum calls for her, one of the few references to her family in the series. Angel uses a mobile phone and night vision. Our first sight of WR&H's HQ and Lee. You've got to hand it to the sensitivity coach, he has a point about Kate and co. How lovely does Kate look in her dress? Rather similar to Dawn's in season 5?
Questions and observations; Could have been great but just lacks that certain something? Nice to have Kate ask Angel for help and be the focus of the ep. First appearance of Lee. We're later told that WR&H 'own' the police but obviously not yet. Marks out of 5; 4/10
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Post by lightandmagic on Oct 3, 2009 12:27:38 GMT -5
I love Sense & Sensitivity. It's a hilarious episode, and Kate's speech is so heartbreaking. And then when her father comes at the end of the episode and doesn't even acknowledge the pain he has caused her and instead talks about how embarrassing her spiel was; it's painful to watch.
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 4, 2009 4:18:08 GMT -5
Yeah it' a heartbreaker, the little ways he puts her down, reminiscent of Buffy's dad in Nightmares. We're currently reviewing The Initiative on the BuffyTube part of this forum, please join in
The Bachelor Party The Good; a lovely ep for Doyle adding a lot more depth to his character whilst providing some pretty gruesome comedy. Also like Doyle and Angel vetting CC's date, really gives them a sense of family. The Bad; SUCH a shame we never see Harry again, that would have been terrific. Does she even know Doyle died? Best line: Cordy; "Doyle taught 3rd grade. The kind with children. Are you sure he wasn't just held back and that was his cover story?" I also like Harry's aghast "Stripper! There was a stripper?"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Eating brains? Yuck! Would anyone really like Quails' tongues? Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; nope, 2. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; friendly demons for the first time In disguise; 2. DB get's his shirt off; 2 Cordy's tatto;2 Cheap Angel; the first sign of Angel's notorious meaness as he refers to the resteraunt's suprisingly expensive windows
Fang Gang in bondage: Doyle in the box Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Fang gang knocked out: Angel Cordy: 8 Angel: 8 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 2 vamps for Angel. So that gives Angel 10 vamps, 3 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp What happens to the female vamp at the nest? Does she just run away? Note Cordy actually bites the vamp who attacks her?
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 4
Characters killed: 14 Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 5, Packing Heat Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy has a date with Mr Armani but he doesn't even get a kiss Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: The stripper. Is she human or demon? Either way she wears WAAAYYYY too much eyeshadow. Also Harry has bought herself a a nightie for her honeymoon small enough to fit into a matchbox. The girls meanwhile play pornographic pictionary. Doyle asks if Buffy likes men with an Irish accent (has she ever met one?). Apparently the demon women have legs that can bend multipile ways and this is an aid in the sack? Captain Subtext; Doyle and Angel's charm seems to be gradually working on CC. Know the face, different character; 2 Carlos Jacott who plays Richard was Ken in the Buffy ep Anne. Parking garages; 2 Guantanamo Bay; Questions and observations; A good episode, fun and fleshing out the characters. Cordy refers to Xander as a fixer-upper. Our first set of friendly demons but not THAT friendly. It seems very much that demons in the Buffyverse are slowly being won over to the ways of humanity (ESPN). Some great heroism from Doyle and a very nice double act from Cordy and Harry. Despite Doyle's relating Angel's lifestory to him in City of Angels it seems he's never actually seen Buffy. Marks out of 10; 6/10, good ep
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 6, 2009 3:41:04 GMT -5
Currently reviewing The Intiative over on the Buffytube section of the forum
I will remember you The Good; Love the Oracles to bits, they're just wonderful. Some great fight scenes and pretty much a Bangler's dream come true. The Bad; If the demon can regenerate and make itself stronger through salt why doesn't it just do that all the time? Best line: Female Oracle; "I love time, there's so much of it, yet so little"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; nope, 2. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; In disguise; 2. DB get's his shirt off; 3 not only that but SMG licks ice-cream from his chest. Really is a Banglers' dream. Cordy's tatto;2 Cheap Angel; According to CC he's too tight to hire a cleaning lady Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans.
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: human Angel Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: two plant workers but then the day resets so no one 14
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 5, Packing heat; Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Buffy and Angel for the second time and it goes a whole lot better than the first. Trouble is she'll never remember any of it. Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: Loads of Buffy/Angel action. Cordy comments that when they get 'all groiny' the world falls apart. Captain Subtext; Know the face, different character; 2 Parking garages; 2 Guantanamo Bay; Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?) 5; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy Questions and observations; Cordy's family used to have a cat as well as her pony. Buffy refers to her (and presumably Dawn?) visiting their dad in LA, the last positive reference to Hank Summers we'll ever have. The only time Doyle and Buffy meet. This eps gives us a useful way in which to make vamps human, much used in fanfic as is the reset day. Question is if a non-souled vamp was hit with Mohra demon blood would it be resouled? Marks out of 10; 6/10, literally an ep that never happened?
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jellymoff
Ensouled Vampire
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Post by jellymoff on Oct 6, 2009 12:02:36 GMT -5
I don't think Buffy is referring to Dawn, at this point Dawn does not exist. If we were to ask her after S5 what she remembers from that trip to LA, Dawn may have gone on that trip with her; the memories however, are false.
I have to agree with your ranking of 6/10 for the episode. I alot of people love this one, but I think it was almost a waste of a Buffy appearance. It seemed like fan service followed by "HA HA! this didn't happen!:.
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Saturn 5
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 7, 2009 11:18:34 GMT -5
Currently reviewing Pangs over on Buffytube
Hero The Good; Actually I rated this ep pretty weak until the last 5 minutes when it then became spectacular. Cordy's advertisement idea and the one she films with Doyle are hilarious but ultimately incredibly poignant. Good scene too when the kid tells Doyle his Halloween story. The Bad; I didn't really dig the demons in peril storyline and I thought the Naiz allegory with The Scourge was a bit thick (nowadays they'd be the Taliban). Also they seem to accept Angel into their ranks a little too easily. Even their vehicles look Nazi-like and DB's hair looks very 1940s. Best line: Doyle; Is that it? Am I done?
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Doyle's melting face Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches (Cordy's ad is one big Angel cliche) Damsel in distress; nope, 2. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; The sidekick sacrifices himself to save the day rather than the hero In disguise; 3 as a Nazi/scourge DB get's his shirt off; 3 Cordy's tatto;2 Cheap Angel; 2. Exactly what do all these people owe Angel money for? Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 2 Scourge for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 6 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: the treacherous first mate so we won't count him 14 Recurring characters killed; 1; Goodbye Doyle
Total number of Angel Investigations: 2, Angel and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 5, Packing heat; Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: The wonderfully named Big Randy. Captain Subtext; Doyle imagines Angel in tights. Know the face, different character; 2 Parking garages; 2 Guantanamo Bay; Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?) 5; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy Questions and observations; So goodbye Doyle, we hardly knew you. A good ending for the character but all the more sad by Glenn Quinn's death shortly afterwards. Cordy refers to 'one of the cheaper Baldwins' in her description of the advert. I always thought Adam Baldwin was one but according to IMDB no he's not. Angel on a motorbike, Cordy drives a truck, is there no end to her talents? Once again we see demons who are slowly being won over to humanity. The Scourge are trying to stop this but are unwittingly aping human's themselves. Marks out of 10; 7/10, a weak ep rescued by it's awesome finale
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 10, 2009 6:15:17 GMT -5
Currently watching Something Blue on the Buffytube
Parting Gifts The Good; Wonderful reintroduction for Wes and a nice period of mourning for Doyle. Plus Cordy's audition and the Oracles again. The Bad; Once again, Alexis Denisoff's name is in the titles, ruining the suprise a little Best line: "Grass stains!" (all in the delivery). Also liked Wes "I bet you always wondered what became of your old pal Wesley?" Angel; "Tell you the truth I never gave it much thought"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Barney's plans for Cordy are beyond horrible. But she teaches him not to mess with Queen C Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; nope, 2. Inverting the Hollywood cliche; In disguise; 3 DB get's his shirt off; 3 Cordy's tattoo; 3 yep she bares that beautiful midriff again Cheap Angel; 2 Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 4 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: yep, Cordy Cordy: 9 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: 14 Recurring characters killed; 1;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 2, Angel and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 5, Packing heat; Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: Wes in motorbiking leathers which are so tight they 'chafe'. He and Cordy share a second kiss, Cordy is sold as a slave for the first time. Captain Subtext; Know the face, different character; 2 Parking garages; 2 Guantanamo Bay; Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?) 6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes Questions and observations; Another WR&H lackie but this one doesn't become a recurring character. Angel says that vamps don't sleep in coffins but Dracula does. Angel recognises talent when he sees it, Wes' translation skills alone make him invaluable. Marks out of 10; 7/10
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 11, 2009 7:11:14 GMT -5
Currently reviewing SOMETHING BLUE on Buffytube
Somnambulist
The Good;
Very good ep, we geninely suspect that Angel might be going bad, Penn gives a real sense of menace and some lovely stuff with Kate
The Bad;
Penn's haircut but apart from that not much. Would the police really let Kate go in by herself?
Best line:
Penn; "You know you'll never get to it the exit before I..."
Cordy (opening blinds letting the daylight pour in) "...go up like a match?"
(nothing more satisfying than seeing arrogance shot down)
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Penn kills his sister and presumably goes on to massacre his family as Angelus did
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; 3
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage: Angel Cordy: 5 Angel: 5 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 1 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: 3 vamps, � a demon from her time in Sunnydale Angel: 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp
Kate; 1 vamp
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 1 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: Penn's victims
20
Recurring characters killed;
1;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 2, Angel and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 5,
Packing heat;
Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 1? Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky:
Cordy comments that she makes the coffee and gets to chain the boss to the bed. The everyday life of a Hollywood assistant.
Captain Subtext;
Angel(us) is obviously Penn's father figure. Angel(us) is also obsessed with his father
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
3, once again, Angel and Wes just seem to be able to drive into the police station.
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Very nice reminder from Angel(us) past and the beginning of the real tension between Kate and Angel. Another hint that vamps share some link with those they sired. Love Kate's white sweater. Wes is now in the title sequence. Angel Investigations has a runaway case so they're obviously taking ordinary PI cases in addition to their Supernatural work. Does Angel figure out Penn's plan because he knows him? Or is he heading to the police station to speak to Kate over the school bus plan? Or do Wes and he just overhear what's going on at the station with their police scanner? Penn in some ways is reminiscent of Scorpio in Dirty Harry (who also hijacks a school bus).
Met Jeremy Renner at a convention and a fascinating guy, plays in a band, old friend of DB's from their acting school, went on to star in 28 Weeks Later (as a character called Doyle?), SWAT and Jesse James with Brad Pitt
Marks out of 10; 9/10 would be 10/10 if it had more arc.
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 638
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 13, 2009 15:43:01 GMT -5
Currently reviewing DOOMED over on Buffytube
Expecting The Good; Cordy hits the town with the girls but gets more than she bargained for. Great to see Phantom Dennis back and his scenes with Cordy are beyond lovely. Love the reaction of the doctor and nurse during the ultrasound. Very good ep The Bad; How come Cordy is dressed after sex? Best line: Angel; You're not alone Cordy; That's kind of the problem
Jeez, how did they get away with that? Cordy and co in the goop, yuck Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; 8, a whole bevy of them Inverting the Hollywood cliche; In disguise; 3 DB get's his shirt off; 3 Cordy's tattoo;3 Cheap Angel; 2 Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 5 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Wes by Cordy Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 2 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: I'll give this one to Cordy. 3 vamps, 1½ demons Angel: half a demon so 8 vamps, 4 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 1/2 a demon
Fang Gang go evil: yep, Cordy overwhelmed by her maternal instincts Cordy: 2 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: 20 Recurring characters killed; 1;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 2, Angel and Cordy
Angel Investigations shot: yep, Angel Angel: 6, Packing heat; Wes with a pistol (presumably taken from the gun club?) Wes; 1 Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: I thought it was Xander who had the thing for demons? Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: How gorgeous are CCs friends, especially Sarina? Obviously this goes some VERY dark places, it smacks of GOT fetishism (beautiful women being raped and impregnated by demons/monsters/aliens who they then fall in love with), the ultrasound reminds me of the infamous maternity ward scene in Aliens vs Predator; Requiem (of course Joss wrote Alien Ressurection so he's no stranger to the concept). Considering that Joss is supposed to be this great pro-feminist he puts his heroines through a lot of nasty stuff, almost like he wants to have his cake and eat it. Wilson apparently nearly had phonesex with the resteraunt manager to get them in. Cordy drinks Angel's pig's blood, Angel states he never realised how disgusting it was until just then. At the end Cordy states she's learned sex is bad and men are evil. Angel agrees. Captain Subtext; The girls assume Wes and Angel are a couple. Angel says it adds mystery. Angel describes Cordy as family and she says she trusts him and Wes implicitly. Know the face, different character; 2 Parking garages; 3, Guantanamo Bay; Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?) 6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes Questions and observations; Fun story, putting Angel Investigations together more and more. How wonderful that when Wes has to come up with a name for him and Cordy he decides on Mr and Mrs Penborne. Angel comments that their French client made him want to drink a lot. Alcohol or blood? CC refers to Angel giving her date the 3rd degree which he and Doyle also did in the Bachelor Party. Wes refers to David and Goliath, the Watchers Council occasionally make biblical references. Marks out of 10; 7/10
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 638
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 14, 2009 16:28:33 GMT -5
Currently reviewing A NEW MAN on Buffytube
SHE The Good; Angel and Wesley dancing at Cordy's party is possibly the funniest thing you've ever seen. A laudable if slightly heavy-handed rant against female circumsision. Also love the scene where Angel pretends to be an art guide and Angel and Phantom Dennis. The Bad; The scene where Wes tries to chat-up the girl at the party is cringeworthy, he's pretty much treated as the comic relief for this ep. The scene where the camera wheels around whilst Angel and Jiera talk, growing increasingly worked up carries on for so long and is so over the top it's almost parody. Best line: Mars; "The little sisters are chilling" Also like Cordy's; "I'm so glad you came. You know how parties are, you're always worried that no one is going to suck the energy out of the room like a giant black hole of boring despair but there you were in a cinch"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? The whole 'unmaking' scene is just unwatchable. The contrast between it and the obvious affection between the 'unmade' girl and her captors when they send her back is incredibly creepy, especially her 'dead behind the eyes' expression and the way she refers to herself in third person. Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; 15, a whole bevy of them Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Wes and CC snooping at the garden centre amazingly don't get caught. In disguise; 3 DB get's his shirt off; yep, he feels the need for a shower 4 Cordy's tattoo;3 Cheap Angel; 2 Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 5 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 2 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: I'll give this one to Cordy. 3 vamps, 1½ demons Angel: half a demon so 8 vamps, 4 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 1/2 a demon
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: 5, the poor guys burned to death by the demonbabes 25 Recurring characters killed; 1;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel and Cordy and Wes officially joins the firm for the first time
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 6, Packing heat; Wes; 1 Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: I'd say that Bai Ling is lovely but that seems quite redundant even with the ridges and violet eyes. Cordy's friend Laura also sounds like a fun girl as is her friend 'Pants on' Diego. Naked hotties on ice who seems to have a strong effect on both Wes and Angel. Mars says his Shaman could never turn away 'Scantily clad women in distress'. Wes refers to the girls at the party as 'fillies'. Captain Subtext; Obviously this is an allegory against female circumsision (once watched a documentary on it and afterwards went and got drunk for the first time in my life to try to blank the memory). Although you wonder if the males' fear of the females is more to do with them burning people to death rather than just simple chauvanism? Note that the male demons don't hurt any humans, it's Jhira and co who killing and she's quite prepared to let Wes and Cordy die for her cause. Not to stereotype but Wes has a knowledge of flowers in addition to the occult. Know the face, different character; 2 Parking garages; 3, Guantanamo Bay; Angel once again beats his way to the truth Buffy characters on Angel; 6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes Questions and observations; Angel refers to his time in Hell again where he remarks he knew many of the people. AI use their mobile phones to good effect. It'll take the Sunnydale Scoobies another 3 years to get theirs. Great performance from Sean Gunn as the spa manager, always thought he was in Desperate Housewives but he's not. Wes handles himself well in a fight for the first time. The only ep of Angel with a sequence over the end titles (Buffy does it in The Puppet Show). It seems unlikely that Angel actually knew Manet or Baudelaire as he would actually have been Angelus at the time? Marks out of 10; 7/10, Keith Topping loathes this ep but I think it's quite good.
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Saturn 5
Descendant of a Toaster Oven
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 638
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Post by Saturn 5 on Oct 15, 2009 15:09:51 GMT -5
Currently reviewing The I in Team on Buffytube
I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN The Good; Nice counterplay at the end when the family get back together and Angel Investigations walk away as if they are a family too. The Bad; Rather an uninvolving story although a nice twist Best line: Wes; "It's for killing extinct demons"
Jeez, how did they get away with that? The cross into Wes' neck, yeesh! Apocalypses: 4 Angel Cliches Damsel in distress; 15, Inverting the Hollywood cliche; The dad is shown smoking cigarettes in front of his kids which is rare indeed nowadays In disguise; 3 DB get's his shirt off; 4 Cordy's tattoo;3 Cheap Angel; 2 Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 5 Wes: 1
Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 8 Angel: 7 Wes: 2 Doyle; 1
Kills: Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons Angel: one demon so 8 vamps, 5 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans. Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 1/2 a demon
Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 1
Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 5
Characters killed: 25 Recurring characters killed; 1;
Total number of Angel Investigations: 3, Angel and Cordy and Wes
Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 6, Packing heat; Wes; 1 Doyle; 1
Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast Angel: 1;Buffy
Kinky dinky: Wes owns a 2 thighmasters and a 'buns of steel' video Captain Subtext; Our first hints on Wes' relationship with his father Know the face, different character; 2 Parking garages; 3, Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel; 6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes Questions and observations; Cordy can cook, who'd have thought? Angel mentions Doyle in poignant moment. Cool bait and switch, we think the dads the villain. Also we have Kate in her middling phrase, aware that Angel's a vamp but not totally anti.The scenes with the circle are very reminiscent of classic Brit horror flick The Devil Rides Out (Christopher Lee as a good guy!) Ricks magic, the LA branch of The Magic Shop. Cordy puts her shopping skills to good use. A lot more christian than normal. 'Three blind mice' is actually about 3 bishops executed by Bloody Mary. Anyone know what rock-a-bye-baby is about? Lizzie Borden was actually found innocent but the circumstantial evidence against her was overwhelming. Marks out of 10; 6/10, ok ep but still Supernatural threat of the week
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