the angel s3 post, for myhappyface

[thecarlysutra]

myhappyface wanted to know what I liked about Angel S3. I'm only about halfway through my rewatching, so a lot of it's memory, but I hope it's helpful. Also, you guys feel free to chime in and discuss; I want to know what you love and hate about the season.

1. Family    From Cordelia talking Angel through his grief after Buffy's death, to Lorne explaining that Connor is "more than a mission," to the trial after Wesley's betrayal, the AI family is shown in brilliant spectrum in season three. Found family is always an important issue in Jossverse shows, in every season, but it goes deep and wide AtS S3, given lots and lots of ground by the arrival of a child for Angel.

(As an aside, check out Cordy's ass in that picture. Um . . . wow. Wow wow.)

2. Fred    Fred! I love Fred. And Fred is at her wacky best in season three, before she gets homicidal, before she turns mysteriously jack-of-all-hey-I-can-do-anything-because-I'm-a-scientist. She's funny and dorky and a little crazy, and she makes a wonderful addition to the team.

3. Cordelia and Angel: BFF OTP    Cordelia and Angel, star-crossed lovers? Not buying it. Cordelia and Angel, best friends forever, totally family, so much love zomigod? I am so there.

A close second is the goofy dorkout bff-ness of Wesley and Gunn before Wes goes off the reservation. Because . . . hee.

4. Flashbacks    I truly believe that the purpose of flashbacks on Angel is -- and always has been -- to get Julie Benz in a corset. And, of course, this is something that I highly approve of. Since I also like the Holtz storyline (*cough*alotmoreinthepastandnotoldandwrinklyorkinkywithJustine*cough*) the flashbacks from S3 are . . . well, pretty kickass.

5. Darla    I don't think it's a secret that I love Darla. Anything that gets me more Darla is a great thing. And Julie Benz has some fucking excellent performances in season three.

6. Daddy Angel    He's conflicted, he's over his head, he's trying really hard . . . he's adorable. I defy you to not love Daddy Angel.

7. Heartthrob    This is far from being a perfect episode. But it's got so much of the things I love going for it: family, C/A BFF OTP, flashbacks, Darla. You gotta love "Heartthrob."

8. Carpe Noctem    How can you not love "Carpe Noctem?" This is one of the funniest episodes in the franchise; DB gets to play loose without doing the Rat Pack thing, and he TRIES TO SEX LILAH ON WESLEY'S DESK!!! Love it. Love it, love it, love it.

9. Fredless    Did I mention that I love Fred? I also like her parents. That's really the only reason that "Fredless" makes the list, except for the supreme awesomeness that is Cordelia and Wesley acting out the Buffy/Angel saga. *ZOMIGODDIESANDISDEAD*

10. Birthday    I love "Birthday;" it was the first episode I watched when I got my set. Cordelia is one of my favorite characters of the franchise, and this is such a brilliant episode for her. She shines; Charisma shines. Plus, I love Skip, and I love when we get glimpses into parallel universes -- and this one is especially interesting/disturbing, with crazy Angel and one-armed Wes.

11. Waiting in the Wings    I love AI family -- I believe I've already mentioned -- and AI family outings. I love ballet. I love, so much, that Gunn loves ballet. And I love Summer Glau. (Who gives a dynamite performance, by the way.) And I love that even though Angel and Cordelia are making the sex, they're still getting really flustered and embarrassed . . . like you would if you sexed your BFF. Still in the realm of my love, here.

12. Shpeedboat    At the end of "Provider," when Cordelia and Angel are in bed together -- get your minds out of the gutter! -- talking about buying a boat. "College fund. And pay our bills. And put a down payment on a boat." "I'm not buying a boat." "They're fun!" "And expensive. I'm not buying a boat." Awesome. I love them so much.

13. The Man. Is. Sex.    My single biggest sex moment on this show? Is not actually a sex moment. It's a kink! moment, and it's in "Forgiving." During Angel's I'm-all-crazy-with-grief fight, Sajan pins him to this table and is about to stake him . . . and I'm gone. Buttery in all the right places. I mean, I like him dark, and I like him on top, but -- apparently -- I like him on the bottom, too. Who'da thunk?

14. A Terrible Sinking Feeling    What Connor does to Angel at the end of "Tomorrow?" Jesus, the end of that episode kills me dead. That is so terrible and perfect and terrible, and it just kills me. Every time.

So, that's me! Obviously, things I don't like about S3 include: the Groosalug, creepy Justine, Lilah/Wesley sex, and Gavin Park. But now, you guys go! I want to know what you love and hate about season three! I'll even make the post public so you can bring your friends!

Comments

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

I love Connor. I love Lilah/Wesley (sorry!). And Darla and the baby and flashbacks, love them, too. And Cordy and Angel as friends, yep, save the smut for fanfic.

So much for love for the Jossverse today!

Gonna go watch Welcome to the Hellmouth now. :)

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

I love Connor.

I actually like S5 "I'm mostly normal, except for the horrifying repressed memories!" Connor better.

I love Lilah/Wesley (sorry!).

Don't be sorry. To each his own; your own just weirds my own out. :P

And Cordy and Angel as friends, yep, save the smut for fanfic.

Which, don't get me wrong, I enjoy. But onscreen it's weird.

[myhappyface.livejournal.com]

the goofy dorkout bff-ness of Wesley and Gunn before Wes goes off the reservation

Hah! I shall hereafter refer to Wes' craziness as going off the res, and I like Angel in pretty much any position I can get him, so I understand the Sahjan thing. Season three is suddenly looming less painfully on the horizon for me. Thank you for making this post!

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

Zomigod, your icon kills me!

Hah! I shall hereafter refer to Wes' craziness as going off the res

Yay! I love adding to vernaculars.

I like Angel in pretty much any position I can get him

Ahem. Well. You know. Obviously.

Season three is suddenly looming less painfully on the horizon for me. Thank you for making this post!

You're very welcome! I'm glad I could be of service.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

Yes to all of it.

C/A BFF 4eva, CrazyPeterPan!Connor, Darla staking herself, the family vibe before it all goes to hell in a bucket. Oh, man, C, I miss my dead gay show so fucking much.

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

haha, "CrazyPeterPan!Connor." That's exactly it.

I miss my dead gay show so fucking much.

I fucking know, man. Me, too.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

PS- Is it possible to share your icon? And even more presumptious of me, to put BFF 4eva on the bottom of it??

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

Nope, it's totally sharable! Go for it. And would you like me to alter it, or are you gonna?

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

I have no photoshop tools. Can you????

*begs*

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

Of course; that's what I figured. Two shakes, sweetie.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

BLESS!

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

Here you go, babe. If neither of these do it for you, lemme know and I'll try again:

    

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE.

THANK YOU BABE!

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

You are very welcome. <3

Enjoy!

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Using this icon as Holtz-appropriate. Keith Szarabajka is awesome, and vies with Pasdar for coolest deep scary voice on TV.

The Cordy/Angel friendship, I think, was great. Making it a romance did not work for me. If they'd done the we're both lonely, hot and horny, so lets screw and see if that works... that I'd could have seen. But the chemistry with the actors is all wrong for a romance. And also, I don't get it from Cordy's character either. But that's me...

But Groosalugg? The Groo cracks my shit up. He's like The Tick. It's like, what if you took Angel without 99% of the baggage, and gave him a five-year old's understanding of Heroism. It just makes me chuckle so much. I like the idea of picturing Connor and the Groosalugg as an extremely funny mismatched buddy-comedy romp between S3 & S4. Yeah, it never happened, but I still laugh.

Oh, also... Julie Benz + corset = yowza!

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

The Cordy/Angel friendship, I think, was great. Making it a romance did not work for me. . . . And also, I don't get it from Cordy's character either. But that's me...

No, I totally agree. Color me baffled.

If they'd done the we're both lonely, hot and horny, so lets screw and see if that works... that I'd could have seen.

Agreed.

But Groosalugg? The Groo cracks my shit up. He's like The Tick.

I think Groo might have worked for me in a different setting, but where he was, the relationships he was placed in . . . I just found him grating.

Oh, also... Julie Benz + corset = yowza!

I know! I'm seriously, count the number of flashbacks without Julie Benz in a corset. The producers aren't idiots. They know what's important.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Groo might have worked for me in a different setting, but where he was, the relationships he was placed in . . . I just found him grating.

I would differentiate between his storyline and his character. His storylines were grating. His character, for me, wasn't I think they made the mistake of adding too many layers. (the parallel with Angel as means to create tension and advance C/A grand romance) They would have done better concentrating on the one dimension where he really worked. As a flatter cartoon version of Angel minus Angst.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

An aside... in addition to Darla+Corset, S3 is when we learn that Angel loves hockey, which Gunn derides as the "whitest sport on earth".

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, you're right! I love that -- one, because I, too, love hockey -- but because Gunn and Angel play a little game on the Hyperion's super slippery, extra-wide floor with the tiny baby hockey equipment! I totally forgot about that because I'm not there yet in my rewatching, and because I usually place ANGEL AND HOCKEY to S5, when Lorne busts him watching a game instead of attending his party. Thanks for reminding me! That should be on the list.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

And also, from my Meta perspective, it totally makes sense that Angel would be connecting Hockey with Baby Connor. Every other sport, you'd rather play out in the sun -- but you cannot possibly play hockey outside in LA.

[semby.livejournal.com]

These are all FABULOUS reasons and making me want to rewatch S3 too, which I think I will. Out of all these wonderful reasons for loving season 3, I think my absolute favorite is Dad!Angel and the BFF OTP. That was C/A at their best.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I seriously hate the middle of season 3 (Provider makes me want to spit blood), but you have reminded of all the greatness the season also had. Because there was a hell of a lot to love.

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

Which part of Justine is creepy? When I hear those two words in the same sentence I immediately think of how Wesley is creepy to her in the next season.

In looking back at the episode summaries ('cause whereas Buffy I can reference episodes by name easily, Angel all tends to run together for me) I'm struck by the prevalence of powerful emotional moments -- e.g., Darla staking herself, teen!Connor showing up and saying "Hi, Dad" with a wrist-stake-launcher aimed at Angel. I kept finding myself noting stuff and feeling like it would be a poor choice of words to say I *liked* it but that a lot of stuff (e.g. the Justine-Holtz dynamic) seemed powerful and well-done.

[ba4ever.livejournal.com]

Ick. I don't want to even venture in, it scares me THAT much and I refuse to own S3. I was as hardcore a Cordy fan as the next guy...but she was totally massacred to me. Completely, undeniably and she (I) never recovered fully.