Imaginary Xander is quite the machine
Thursday 12 April 2007 – 20:32Pangs (Jane Espenson)
Angel is in this episode and I’m not sure why. Well, actually I wouldn’t be sure why unless I was also watching Angel because his presence in Pangs is only a device to get Buffy to LA.
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A quick aside, we are up to Eternity in Angel and I am not impressed at all so far. If this wasn’t the creation of Joss Whedon then I think both Andy and I would have stopped watching by now. We have Wonderfalls, Carnivale and the second series of Dead Like Me to watch and I can’t help feeling that we are wasting our time with Angel. If Five by Five and Sanctuary are disappointments then…
Brief thoughts on why: killing off Doyle was a mistake because he was charming and likeable. I still haven’t warmed to Wesley because his pratfalls annoy me (he can’t be clumsy one moment and the next moment masterfully taking on a roomful of villains) but I do like his bumbling when confronted by women. I am happier with how Cordelia’s character is being treated after season three BtVS but Expecting was an affront on many levels: not least because the story of an unwanted pregnancy that is also alien could and should have been developed over a number of episodes not thrown away on this lame effort. I do like Kate (Elisabeth Rohm is lovely (except in photos)) but I’m sure the story of a blonde police detective with a difficult father was done on Cagney and Lacey. All the things that were not quite right with Tim Minear’s The Inside are the same problems with Angel e.g. silly and implausible plots and a lack of continuity from episode to episode. The acting in The Inside was better though. And all because it’s supposedly a “gritty, urban show” all the daft things that I can forgive on BtVS, irritate me on this: inconsistencies in the vampire mythology, Angel getting around in a convertible, Angel Investigations’ finances, Cordelia’s disappearing and reappearing skills with a computer, the myriad of continuity errors, the plot holes, etc, etc, just annoy the hell out of me. And with an Irishman on set for ten episodes why couldn’t he coached DB on his awful accent? I concede that Angel dancing is bloody hilarious and those two minutes from She (coupled with Wesley’s hand knitted jumper) may be enough to keep me hanging on.
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Pangs is as heavy handed on the Native American issue as Beer Bad is on under-age drinking but never mind. This is a very funny episode (Jane Espenson is very good writer of comedy), which is just off because Willow is far too indifferent to Xander’s illnesses.
Anya is on top form in the opening sequence: “I’m imagining having sex with him right now.” and “Well, I think that’s a shame. I love a ritual sacrifice. “It’s not really a one of those.” “To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It’s a ritual sacrifice, with pie.”
This image is such a BtVS image: Anya’s trousers are a sartorial disaster, Buffy is wearing one of Willow’s hats (or is it Riley’s from Restless?) while Willow is holding her hands in front of her which she does in practically all episodes of BtVS after Oz leaves.
Buffy’s obsession with her Thanksgiving meal is very in character with her insistence that it is very important: “Over bickering and confusion, I’ll take pie. We will find a solution. And we will have a nice dinner, ok? Both. End of story. I’m having thanksgiving, and it’ll be perfect.”
“It is a sham, but it’s a sham with yams. It’s a yam sham.”
“Ok. You know what? We need to boil those and put them through the ricer.” “I don’t think I have a ricer.” “You don’t have a ricer? What do you mean? How could someone not have a ricer?” “Well, do you have one at home?” “I don’t know. What’s a ricer?” - so, what is a ricer?
Spike joins the Scooby gang from this episode and he is just a hoot for the rest of the season. “Willow, tell them what I did.” “You said you were gonna kill me, then Buffy.” “Yes, bad, but let’s skip that part and get to the part where I couldn’t bite you.” “It’s true. He had trouble performing.” James Marsters’ facial expressions while Spike is under attack from arrows are hilarious.
I thought I would have more to write but I think I have found with funny episodes that I have nothing to say except the obvious like it was really funny.
2 Responses to “Imaginary Xander is quite the machine”
“Anya’s trousers are a sartorial disaster”
Agreed (and nice wording, there.)
“Buffy is wearing one of Willow’s hats”
True enough.
And might I add - what the hey is with Willow’s tablecloth skirt, eh?
By ap on Saturday 14 April 2007 – 7:19
Being the sort of person who is happy to accept things in Buffy (I’m understand that a 17 year old girl is likely to find it difficult to kill her first lover despite the number of deaths she may subsequently be responsible for) I have been working hard trying to find the good in Angel. I’ve struggled with the using the sewers, I’ve worked hard to explain away the casual approach to the having to be invited in and I’ve grimaced at the sunlight shooting around the place while Angel casually strolls around - it bothers me more, it seems, than it bothers him.
I’ve tried…I really have…and something will keep me trying - but so far all the effort on my part seems to have had little reward…and the more I think about it the more it seems that the key ingredient missing is humour - oh they keep trying to throw it in (Cordy and Dennis or Wesley falling over all the bloody time and even Angel occasionally punning during a punch up) but it just isn’t working.
When it works (dancing!) it almost hides the fact that the stories are weak, the continuity is rubbish and everything else is nearly forgotten. But those moments are so brief and we have to drigft back to the dark, humourless and sullen show that it is.
(The other thing missing of course is indie guitar music - we have to suffer grown up music on Angel when the music comes - I miss The Bronze, and Cibo Matto and Lotion and The Breeders and The Dingoes…)
By Andy on Saturday 14 April 2007 – 21:27