The Wish
My wish is that this is a good episode and doesn't have any bad costumed monsters.
Oh boy, 15 seconds in and my hopes are dashed! That just looks terrible, squid head cops it with a knife from Buffy. Where is Faith? still moping. Don't try to project the blame for what you and Willow did Xander. It is not their fault, it is YOUR FAULT! Willow you must realize that you made your bed now lie in it! Cordelia is taking this really hard and I don't blame her! It is more than seeing her boyfriend making out with another woman but he endangered her life, and is showing no remorse for that part.
Willow is reduced to waiting for a non showing Oz. Cordelia has a new found attitude (I know this because of the heavy electric guitar music as she gets out of the car.) Or an old found attitude. THAT DRINK IS HUGE!!!! It's bigger than the guy's head. Cordelia's old friends are nasty! So Willow has approached Oz, and he wants nothing to do with her. Leave the man alone Willow, Oz has enough on his plate which doesn't include making you feel better.
Cordelia is coping it left, right and center. Introduce the new girl (yeah she is EVIL!) Here is the thing, Oz is not wanting revenge. He wants to be left alone, Cordelia on the other hand is making Xander suffer and rightfully so! When all else fails eat chocolate. Xander needs to know that he has crossed the line of friendship with Willow, they will never ever be the same again.
Never thought I'd see the day that Buffy would be giving life advice to Cordelia, Thank God that Vampire came right on time! But all it did was make Cordelia angry! Buffy now has a target on her..... what just happen? Ok now we are getting the "It's a wonderful life" episode of Buffy. (BTW if you haven't seen "It's a Wonderful Life" stop reading this and go hire it and come back, it's ok I'll wait!")
Cordelia is not going to like what her wish has brought her. (this reminds me of the saying "Be Careful what you Wish for..........You might just get it!) So Sunnydale has become a nightmare reality kind of like back to the future II! (another great film but a must after the first one, ok go and watch back to the future 1,2 and 3 back to back to back. it's the only way to see it!) Oh I like the look of vampire Willow! Vampire Xander not so much. (Bizarro Land another DC reference! DC 7 Mavel 4) At least Giles is the same.
The Bronze becomes a Vampire hang out! where Humans are on the menu. Ah crap the Master is back because Buffy wasn't here to kill him. What kind of hell is this? Cordelia is in trouble as Xander and Willow feed. So Cleveland is full of demonic activity, no wonder they built the Rock and Roll hall of fame there. Willow is a naughty vampire isn't she? Well it seems that even in this reality Xander hates Angel! Here comes Buffy of this reality who seems a lot like faith with her anger, the scar on her lip is a bit much don't you think. Also she is the real loner and it gives us a view of what this show would be like without the supporting characters to help her. (Also without the supporting characters the show wouldn't of lasted more than a season.)
Ok that is one of the most disgusting things I have seen, but it is pretty cool also! Human on tap! (for that fresh human blood taste.) Angel is dead, Xander is dead, Willow is dead and Buffy dies just as the alternative reality Giles sets things right on the faith that the world he lives in can't get any worse. And were back to the way things are just in time for the closing credits.
In the DC Universe we would call this an Elseworlds tale, or a What If? in Marvel, they are stories where things change to characters we know. I really enjoy those types of stories. This was a fun romp and I really did enjoy them looking at an alternative future!
8/10
Amends
Dublin, 1838, and Angel has a wonderful Irish accent and a cool mustache oh it's just a dream. I didn't know vampires dreamed. So it's a very Buffy Christmas episode. Is it me or does Buffy have a new hair cut? Angel is such a boring good guy, I liked "No soul" Angel much better. Anyway he sees the guy he killed in Dublin and freaks out.
Thank you Willow for reminding us that you are a Jewish Witch and you don't celebrate Christmas. Oz is such a good bloke, "It's a history that is in the past!" what a great line. Willow is lucky that she has a person like Oz in her life, I'm not sure I would be so forgiving. It seems that Joyce still remembers what happen during Band Candy as Giles is not invited to spend Christmas with the Summers.
More Angel nightmares as Faith is having problems with her T.V signal as she turns down Buffy's invite to dinner with the "party" excuse. It seems that Giles is not overly thrilled to see Angel (he did snap the neck of the woman he loved after all!) I wonder if Giles trusts Angel or not? I think the crossbow suggests not. Oh boy the torture continues for Angel as he sees the lives he took in this guilt trip that seems will never end. As we go back to the days of big side burns, Well I wanted to see Angel with a Mullet but I never thought it would happen in 1838. Ok shared dreams are never a good thing.
I wonder Buffy do you think that the thing that is wrong with Angel is that he is a Vampire with a soul? Xander surprises us by wanting to help with the Angel problem and Giles surprises no one by letting them know that they start with research. Great advice to Willow, Buffy. Oz does have to come first. Ok, who is this guy? they are just more people who suffered their fate at the hands of Angel. He is slowly going mad it seems. Who or what is behind this? is this the revenge of Jenny Calendar from beyond the Grave as it seems that she was the most vicious of all his kills.
Back to Willy's bar, for information. and all they get is go underground. Okay, Willow is trying really hard to impress Oz, break out the Barry White. (Btw the lemonade in the wine cooler is hilarious.) Willow throws herself at Oz and any normal teenager would of jumped but Oz is not a normal teenager (not only because he is a werewolf) he is a real man who loves Willow so much that he doesn't want to spoil it by meaningless sex. Faith comes around and hopefully this is her first step to trusting others. Angel has lost the plot. However Angel is willing to sacrifice himself to save Buffy, but that seems to be the ultimate goal of the Harbingers of Death. Is it me or did Buffy figure out what is going on before Giles? Oh and Buffy's smart comments before attacking are still not up to scratch.
So Buffy is dealing with the Ultimate Evil or the first Evil. Angel is dealing with the sins of the past and has lost hope. He feels that his only redemption is in death. Buffy does not accept that and will not let him take the easy way out of his pain. Of course in television, snow means a miracle and Angel is saved.
Such a let down to an emotional episode. Too Angel centric for my liking but really deep looking into the area of guilt and how to deal with the sins of the past.
6/10
Till next time Challengers!
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1 comment:
Ok, I loved the wish!! I always enjoy an alternate reality show.
Not much to say in terms of depth for this Episode but vamp willow was way cool (and very HOT).
“Giles: I have to believe in a better world.
Buffy: Go ahead. I have to live in this one.”
I like the tension here between what becomes most effective in changing the world we live in. I’m not sure blind optimism or complete cynicisms do very much. I think in order to have the will to make a difference you need to believe in a better world, but also have the practicality to survive in this one. Kind of the “meek as doves wise as serpents” effect.
Ok amends:
Oooo I love that oz and willow made up!! I love them as a couple. Not sure I’d be as forgiving as Oz though, even if I did feel like I’d lost a torso (but then I’m the type who’s cut off their nose to spite their face).
“Take her. Take what you want. Pour all that frustration and all that guilt into *her*, and you'll be free. You can't live for eternity with *all that pain*.” – I know it’s far fetched, but this passage ultimately struck me kinda Christian, it did after all require us to take Christ, to drink his blood in order to give him our guilt and frustration, it was the price of our freedom. I know it’s a long shot but that’s where my mind went…….
Love Oz being the true gentleman in his own dry way (I think that dry thing is really cool on him, Seth green does an amazing job with so few lines). But yeah I think between this and turning down willow’s kiss earlier he won over all females!
I enjoy the tension faith has going between vulnerability and pride, she so alone and so needs friends and family yet so proud that she can’t admit it.
“Because I want you so badly! I want to take comfort in you, and I know it'll cost me my soul, and a part of me doesn't care.” - *sigh* I love this quote…..as wrong as it is, most of us have been in this situation at one point or another, it’s easy to give into temptation to give in to whatever provides you comfort now knowing it’ll cost your soul and still not care “what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and loose his own soul”
“Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day.” - And that’s the hardest thing about it. That it’s every day it doesn’t seem to have an end, yet if there’s something driving you to it, love, it makes it possible. Death should never be an escape, if you haven’t developed the strength to survive here on earth how can we possibly have the strength to stand before the “consuming fire” and have it not burn but warm us.
I love that fact that Angel got a chance to realize that he is needed that despite the world wanting him out there is a reason he is here and something is keeping him here even if he doesn’t realize why.
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