Angel 5X16 "Shells"
Mar. 4th, 2004 12:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ria_oaksEnded up re-watching the entirety of "Shells"... was far more enjoyable seeing it from the start. Also, had trouble hearing it in the lounge; should have turned it up louder... Anyway, here are some thoughts on the ep; I'm tired and too lazy to edit them, so forgive any ramblings or mistakes... Everything behind the cut tag whited out, just in case...
You know, when I first saw this a few hours ago I wasn't hugely affected... I felt sad, but couldn't even get choked up. Watching it again, I broke down as Fred drove off. ;_; She looked so happy and excited, off to a new life... to think, she'd end up spending five years in a cave, then only a few years after that she'd be dead. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept that Fred's really... gone. Dead. Her soul's completely obliterated by Illyria's resurrection. I keep thinking that someday she'll come back, but... I don't think she will. She's really gone. *sniff* I was never a huge Fred fan, but I liked her well enough - and there have been episodes where I really enjoyed her (Supersymmetry, her tasering Connor in Deep Down...). And now, thinking about it, I realize how many things will never happen. She'll never have a chance to have a relationship with Willow, like so many of us were hoping. Or at least she'll never be able to renew her friendship with Willow; and they were so... perfect together. *sigh* She'll never be able to continue that wonderful bonding with Harmony from "Harm's Way"... It's so sad. ;_;
Aside from that... excellent episode, even moreso on the second watch. The scenes with Wesley at the beginning - divine in his sufferring... AD suffers so very, very beautifully. The scene where he's aiming a gun at Knox and talking about how Fred's gone, and the utter despair on his face - excellent stuff. Every scene of his in the this ep was amazing; you could feel his intense pain, his despair, his... brokeness, so clearly. He reminded me very much of his s4 self, especially post-Lilah's death - that blank look, at once emotionless and yet filled with intensive sufferring and agony. And wow but I love it when Wes goes psychotic. ^_^ It brings back happy memories of "Release" and "Lineage", among others... not to mention him shooting that guy in the leg last ep. *shiver* Wesley is seriously in need of some heavy, heavy therapy. *grin* Loved LOVED him stabbing Gunn. You could tell as he put the gun down and said that he could forgive Gunn wanting to be something special, that something was about to happen. And his quiet, evenly spoke words about how he knew what was happening but did nothing, and how he could not forgive that - then he just grabs a knife and shoves it into Gunn before the audience knows what hits it. ^^ It's so sad, watching as their relationship is again torn apart... ;_; Also loved him shooting Knox - is it wrong that I'm glad he did that? ^^;;
Also - grabbing the axe at the beginning - hee! Yay for Lilah references! ^_^
Okay, other stuff... Was pleasantly surprised by Amy's performance as Illyria - she was good! She played the evil/uber-powerful ancient demon well, and she played the hopelessness and sense of uncertainty and loss at the end excellently. I could barely tell that she had been Fred at one point... it was creepy. ^^ Also, the blueness looked better than I thought... okay, still not sure about the hair, but the blue skin looked cool. ^_^
Gunn - oooh, poor Gunn... *cries* Felt v. sorry for him. All those episodes of him trying to prove himself with all the knowledge and stuff, and then his losing it and so desperately wanting it back... all culminating in the horrific realization of what happened as a result of this desire of his. And the sad thing is, he was worth something before - he wasn't useless. Maybe he wasn't sure how he fit in, but better to learn to fit in as he truly is then to attempt to change himself to do so. And I think he knows that quite well now. ^^ Also, liked Harmony comforting him. ;_;
Gunn and Harmony talking about torturing Knox at the beginning - hee!
"I didn't hit any major organs, he should live." - I love the "should" part. Wesley, you are a fucking creepy, psychotic son of a bitch. Damn I love you. :P
Also, Wesley with guns - YUM. Just had to get that out. *cough*
Oh looky, Angel went through a window again... that seems to happen a lot. ^^
Spike torturing the doctor - heh.
Illyria seeing her world destroyed... I love the look on her face as she turns to look at Wesley.
Knox... *sigh* Actually liked him in a "he's evil but nerdy" sense this episode... poor bastard.
Very interested to see how this will pan out. It's been mentioned that perhaps this will be about souless redemption - which I can see, possibly. Can Illyria be good? Can she redeem herself? Or is she doomed? Can Wesley help her? As he said, he's not exactly the right man to be teaching her about what's right. Heh. O.o What will Angel & co think of this? Also, Spike referring to a big evil coming - wonder what the final big bad of the season will be? I was assuming Illyria, possibly being like the Jasmine arc - aka spanning the last few eps, but ending in the 2nd to last ep, and the last ep being dedicated to wrapping up the real issues of the season. I still think the Senior Partners might have a role... and don't forget about the mindwipe. ^_^ Also, wonder if there will be any chance of Connor (or Lilah... sigh) coming back?
I feel like I should make a Fred icon... Maybe tomorrow.
5 more weeks... Then the last 6 episodes ever. *cries* I heard UPN turned down the possibility of taking Angel on - that hasn't been confirmed, but it's likely... so much for that idea. ;_;
Well, off to bed now.
You know, when I first saw this a few hours ago I wasn't hugely affected... I felt sad, but couldn't even get choked up. Watching it again, I broke down as Fred drove off. ;_; She looked so happy and excited, off to a new life... to think, she'd end up spending five years in a cave, then only a few years after that she'd be dead. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept that Fred's really... gone. Dead. Her soul's completely obliterated by Illyria's resurrection. I keep thinking that someday she'll come back, but... I don't think she will. She's really gone. *sniff* I was never a huge Fred fan, but I liked her well enough - and there have been episodes where I really enjoyed her (Supersymmetry, her tasering Connor in Deep Down...). And now, thinking about it, I realize how many things will never happen. She'll never have a chance to have a relationship with Willow, like so many of us were hoping. Or at least she'll never be able to renew her friendship with Willow; and they were so... perfect together. *sigh* She'll never be able to continue that wonderful bonding with Harmony from "Harm's Way"... It's so sad. ;_;
Aside from that... excellent episode, even moreso on the second watch. The scenes with Wesley at the beginning - divine in his sufferring... AD suffers so very, very beautifully. The scene where he's aiming a gun at Knox and talking about how Fred's gone, and the utter despair on his face - excellent stuff. Every scene of his in the this ep was amazing; you could feel his intense pain, his despair, his... brokeness, so clearly. He reminded me very much of his s4 self, especially post-Lilah's death - that blank look, at once emotionless and yet filled with intensive sufferring and agony. And wow but I love it when Wes goes psychotic. ^_^ It brings back happy memories of "Release" and "Lineage", among others... not to mention him shooting that guy in the leg last ep. *shiver* Wesley is seriously in need of some heavy, heavy therapy. *grin* Loved LOVED him stabbing Gunn. You could tell as he put the gun down and said that he could forgive Gunn wanting to be something special, that something was about to happen. And his quiet, evenly spoke words about how he knew what was happening but did nothing, and how he could not forgive that - then he just grabs a knife and shoves it into Gunn before the audience knows what hits it. ^^ It's so sad, watching as their relationship is again torn apart... ;_; Also loved him shooting Knox - is it wrong that I'm glad he did that? ^^;;
Also - grabbing the axe at the beginning - hee! Yay for Lilah references! ^_^
Okay, other stuff... Was pleasantly surprised by Amy's performance as Illyria - she was good! She played the evil/uber-powerful ancient demon well, and she played the hopelessness and sense of uncertainty and loss at the end excellently. I could barely tell that she had been Fred at one point... it was creepy. ^^ Also, the blueness looked better than I thought... okay, still not sure about the hair, but the blue skin looked cool. ^_^
Gunn - oooh, poor Gunn... *cries* Felt v. sorry for him. All those episodes of him trying to prove himself with all the knowledge and stuff, and then his losing it and so desperately wanting it back... all culminating in the horrific realization of what happened as a result of this desire of his. And the sad thing is, he was worth something before - he wasn't useless. Maybe he wasn't sure how he fit in, but better to learn to fit in as he truly is then to attempt to change himself to do so. And I think he knows that quite well now. ^^ Also, liked Harmony comforting him. ;_;
Gunn and Harmony talking about torturing Knox at the beginning - hee!
"I didn't hit any major organs, he should live." - I love the "should" part. Wesley, you are a fucking creepy, psychotic son of a bitch. Damn I love you. :P
Also, Wesley with guns - YUM. Just had to get that out. *cough*
Oh looky, Angel went through a window again... that seems to happen a lot. ^^
Spike torturing the doctor - heh.
Illyria seeing her world destroyed... I love the look on her face as she turns to look at Wesley.
Knox... *sigh* Actually liked him in a "he's evil but nerdy" sense this episode... poor bastard.
Very interested to see how this will pan out. It's been mentioned that perhaps this will be about souless redemption - which I can see, possibly. Can Illyria be good? Can she redeem herself? Or is she doomed? Can Wesley help her? As he said, he's not exactly the right man to be teaching her about what's right. Heh. O.o What will Angel & co think of this? Also, Spike referring to a big evil coming - wonder what the final big bad of the season will be? I was assuming Illyria, possibly being like the Jasmine arc - aka spanning the last few eps, but ending in the 2nd to last ep, and the last ep being dedicated to wrapping up the real issues of the season. I still think the Senior Partners might have a role... and don't forget about the mindwipe. ^_^ Also, wonder if there will be any chance of Connor (or Lilah... sigh) coming back?
I feel like I should make a Fred icon... Maybe tomorrow.
5 more weeks... Then the last 6 episodes ever. *cries* I heard UPN turned down the possibility of taking Angel on - that hasn't been confirmed, but it's likely... so much for that idea. ;_;
Well, off to bed now.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 09:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 04:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 05:11 pm (UTC)Below=longish musings on Shanshu... beware. :P
As for Shanshu... I'm not sure. Ignoring the whole "Will Spike or Angel get it? Who deserves it more?" debate, I think that maybe they should leave it open. A. for possible later movies/spin-offs, and B. because... *thinks of how to explain this* It just doesn't seem like it _should_ be the underlying drive - especially of Angel as a person (vampire, whatever... ^^). He needs a different reason to fight - which has, of course, been an integral theme this season. Shanshu's always been a part of why he's been fighting for redemption - but perhaps it's better if he's fighting for another reason? Without spoiling, I think they addressed that in some respects last episode, and I think he's beginning to find a purpose. He's had various ones and lost them over the course of the show, but I don't think that Shanshu should necessarily be the deciding one.
Otoh, it would be in some ways fitting for Angel to finally gain his redemption and live as a human, no doubt. Similar to Buffy being able to live a normal(ish) life post-Chosen. It would be an end to his constant fight, a chance for him to finally just _live_ - whether with Buffy or not, cause god if they determine either way on that I'll smack them. ^^;;
Frankly, I'm not sure where I stand on the issue... part of me wants it for Angel's sake, the other part thinks that it should just be let go - and in many ways I think the whole thing died in Destiny. And honestly, I don't want to have to put up with Spike and Angel whining about who deserves it more. -_- And that will, inevitably be an issue. Either one of them ends up dust and the other gets it, both get it, or neither get it. Cause I just can't see how they could resolve that issue anytime soon. Imho it should be Angel, but Otoh Spike's shown himself more and more to be potentially worthy.
Wee, that was wordy. :P Well, guess we'll see... I'm looking forward to the last few eps, despite my sadness at them _being_ the last few eps - I keep thinking that there is _so_ much more they could do... *sigh*