(Buffy Season 4, Episodes 5-6)
(Angel Season 1, Episodes 5-6)
Change is brewing already on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A little abrupt, and saddening, but it will push the characters into new emotional territory. Never want them to stagnate too much.
Over on Angel, it was so good to see Angel doing something other than the whole brooding thing. The show is really coming into its own comedy-wise, which is important. I don’t need it as light as Buffy, but you can’t have characters like Cordelia and Doyle and stay that dark forever.
B.4.5 – “Beer Bad”
(Original Air Date: November 2, 1999) Well, that was different. Do you think they intentionally had Buffy not drink as much beer as the other cavemen because they didn’t want to cover up her pretty little face with all those prosthetics? I do.
I’m hoping that the bonk on the head can provide Buffy some closure on the Parker issue, because it was getting a little annoying. It was casual college sex. It happens. He’s not going to change who he is for her.
Props to Willow for standing up to Parker though, and even more so for calling him out on his attempts to woo her. Except, I’m not 100% sure that’s what he was doing. I think he sincerely felt at least a little bad that he’d hurt Buffy. Parker bad!
A.1.5 – “Rm w/a Vu”
(Original Air Date: November 2, 1999) It’s about time Cordelia got a nicer place to stay. A little haunted, but you can make that work. I liked the twist in that the old lady was bad even before she died, and that it was her son locked up and dead in the wall who needed to be saved.
But if he got his revenge on his mother, why’s he hanging around? Free chance to check out Cordy’s hot bod in the shower? Pervert.
A little odd that it was Cordelia being called a bitch that gave her the strength she needed to exorcise the old lady ghost herself. I guess in one night both Buffy and Cordy rediscovered their inner strength. Good for them.
B.4.6 – “Wild at Heart”
(Original Air Date: November 9, 1999) A lot happened this episode. Those weird military commandos easily nabbed Spike. I love how he’s always more bravado and talk than he ever is effective. Here, he barely had time to talk to himself about how he’s “the big bad” before he was taken in.
But while Spike came in, sort of, Oz suddenly departs. I suspect this will be difficult for Willow. Seth Green was a good character, and he was finally getting more integrated into the plotlines, but I guess he had to do what he had to do.
I can see why the character would be a little concerned. Veruca told him that he’d become more aware of what he was doing as a werewolf in time, as she was. But she also was willing to kill Willow to get her out of the way. Does cold-hearted murder come with that awareness?
A.1.6 – “Sense & Sensitivity”
(Original Air Date: November 9, 1999) I love super-sensitive double-cursed Angel! They keep pulling Kate Lockley further and further into Angel’s world, even giving her scenes of her very own this episode. But it was the most fun when she and Angel were being all sensitive with on another.
The ultimate take-down of Little Tony was comedic genius. And here I thought Angel was going to be all dark and brooding all the time.
It looks like Wolfram & Hart is fully established as a thorn in Angel’s side now. They appear to wield a lot of influence in town, and they’re even more sinister and brooding than Angel on a bad day. And now he’s on their radar, just as Little Tony is off.
Oh, and Kate’s father is a dick. It was probably more plausible that he just verbally beat her down like that rather than open up to her in any emotional way, but it’s still difficult to watch. And I don’t know if she or he will be significant enough in the show for us to ever see him get his for treating his daughter like dirt.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Sep 22, 2009 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
