"I was not the lead character in my own life for a long, long time. Cordelia knew she wasn’t the lead character either, but she protagonized herself. She stole the life out from under the less interesting man at the center of the story."
Showing posts with label angel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label angel. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
"America, you great unfinished symphony..."
9 November 2016: Yesterday, I sat with my finger over the "publish" button for several minutes before publishing the day's post. It was the post's title that was hanging me up. It's so relentlessly positive. And I kept thinking, "But what if she doesn't win? Will I still feel that way?" I thought about hedging my bets a bit and going with the original post title ("History..."). But in the end, I left it as is. It was, I think, a sign of stubborn faith in this country and its people. I told myself, even if he does win, I will still feel that way about my country: We are lucky to be alive right now in this world, in this moment. Because we have the power to love and hope and pray and change and get work done.
One of my favorite literary critics, Sacvan Bercovitch, writes about the power and flexibility of American ideology. ("America, you great unfinished symphony...") For better or worse, it tells us we are always on our way to becoming the thing we are supposed to come. It tells us that dissent is actually assent, a way of staying in the system, working from within to make it better. Those ideas are sometimes problematic, but today, I find them comforting.
So yeah: lots of writers are running through my head today--Thoreau, Whitman, Alcott, and of course, Miranda. They, too, bring comfort.
I am so very sad and anxious. But I am also determined and hopeful. I think that those feelings--determination and hope, in all their messiness--are today's good things. But to stick to the rules, I am going to go with that line from Hamilton... It feels right and soothes my soul. Let's get to work, America.*
*Yup: the last episode of Angel, too, continues to come to mind when I need it to. (See #1 on the list in this post.)
One of my favorite literary critics, Sacvan Bercovitch, writes about the power and flexibility of American ideology. ("America, you great unfinished symphony...") For better or worse, it tells us we are always on our way to becoming the thing we are supposed to come. It tells us that dissent is actually assent, a way of staying in the system, working from within to make it better. Those ideas are sometimes problematic, but today, I find them comforting.
So yeah: lots of writers are running through my head today--Thoreau, Whitman, Alcott, and of course, Miranda. They, too, bring comfort.
I am so very sad and anxious. But I am also determined and hopeful. I think that those feelings--determination and hope, in all their messiness--are today's good things. But to stick to the rules, I am going to go with that line from Hamilton... It feels right and soothes my soul. Let's get to work, America.*
*Yup: the last episode of Angel, too, continues to come to mind when I need it to. (See #1 on the list in this post.)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Two happy TV posts...
1) Some good news about characters from the Whedonverse: Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof have a brand-new baby girl.*
2) Friday Night Lights will be back--and here's the kicker--for TWO more seasons. This is amazing--way more than I could have dreamed for! If you aren't watching this show, you need to be. It's the best realistic drama on TV. Period.
*in other baby news...yay for Baby John!
2) Friday Night Lights will be back--and here's the kicker--for TWO more seasons. This is amazing--way more than I could have dreamed for! If you aren't watching this show, you need to be. It's the best realistic drama on TV. Period.
*in other baby news...yay for Baby John!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Andy Hallett...
This news kind of blows my mind. I remember him being ill a couple of years ago, but I had no idea how bad his condition was. RIP Lorne.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Dollhouse Premiere
Despite my enthusiasm for the show, for a bunch of reasons (including that nasty cold I mentioned below and a couple of very busy days), I actually only got around to watching the premiere of Dollhouse tonight. If you've heard any early buzz/reviews, you probably know that they've been mixed at best. And I've gotta say, if this show didn't feature the name Joss Whedon and some of his best cronies, I'd be a lot less eager to tune in for episode two. (The buzz on episode two, by the way, is that it is much stronger.)
With that said, here are some of my initial thoughts and reactions, some good, some bad, and some neither:
1) I will love Eliza Dushku forever for her amazing portrayal of Faith on Buffy and Angel. However, she isn't that great of an actress beyond that role (and I say this having watched all of Tru Calling, and trying to deny that she wasn't very good in it, either). The scenes where Eliza (as Echo) is "blank" (that is, not in a role she has been programmed to play) are especially painful to watch. Let's hope she improves or they start focusing more on the other Actives.
2) Topher is annoying. Is he supposed to be funny? This show's Xander? I don't see it. Plus, it's hard to like the guy who wipes the memories of these women (a process that looks painful).
3) Some of the standard-pilot-exposition/introduction-to-the-show's-mythology was especially clunky. Again, this sort of exposition dumping is kind of inevitable in a pilot episode, but I think Joss is capable of more. One egregious example: When asked if the procedure Echo just underwent was successful, Topher answers, "Why don't you ask Echo? Oh, right. You can't. Because she doesn't remember!" (or something like that). We get it--the procedure was a memory dump, but again, messy execution.
4) How awesome to see Amy Acker! Why is she only a guest star? Why can't she be a series regular?
5) Despite the criticisms above, there was plenty of vintage Joss to be found in this episode. I thought the exchange between Boyd and Echo when she (or was it Eleanor Penn?) remembers her own kidnapping was especially moving. The whole "you can't fight a ghost" theme is well...haunting.
6) I also loved when "Eleanor" is talking to Gabriel, the client, and relates her memory of being kidnapped. (And again--how can it be her memory if "Eleanor" doesn't really exist?) Gabriel, full of concern for his own child, mentions "the terrible memories these men put in your head" and asks "Why would they do that?" A great line with layers of meaning and ambiguity.
7) About halfway through, I really began to appreciate how different this show is from Buffy, Angel, or Firefly just in terms of setting. After all, Dollhouse takes place in a fairly realistic world (albeit one with advanced and improbable technology). No monsters, vampires, or futuristic space travel. That's strange for a Whedon show--and might take awhile to get used to. Not a complaint--just an observation.
7) How great was it to see the "Grr! Argh!" logo on TV again?
So that's all for now except for one final observation: early in the episode, Echo discusses the phrase "blank slate." "You ever try to clean an actual slate?" she asks. "You always see what was on it before." I wonder if Whedon fans see Dollhouse this way. It's a whole new show from our beloved Joss, but we can't help but mention it to what came before and are disappointed when lightening doesn't immediately appear to strike again.
P.S. Maybe all of this doesn't matter if, as indicated here, Joss is done with TV.
With that said, here are some of my initial thoughts and reactions, some good, some bad, and some neither:
1) I will love Eliza Dushku forever for her amazing portrayal of Faith on Buffy and Angel. However, she isn't that great of an actress beyond that role (and I say this having watched all of Tru Calling, and trying to deny that she wasn't very good in it, either). The scenes where Eliza (as Echo) is "blank" (that is, not in a role she has been programmed to play) are especially painful to watch. Let's hope she improves or they start focusing more on the other Actives.
2) Topher is annoying. Is he supposed to be funny? This show's Xander? I don't see it. Plus, it's hard to like the guy who wipes the memories of these women (a process that looks painful).
3) Some of the standard-pilot-exposition/introduction-to-the-show's-mythology was especially clunky. Again, this sort of exposition dumping is kind of inevitable in a pilot episode, but I think Joss is capable of more. One egregious example: When asked if the procedure Echo just underwent was successful, Topher answers, "Why don't you ask Echo? Oh, right. You can't. Because she doesn't remember!" (or something like that). We get it--the procedure was a memory dump, but again, messy execution.
4) How awesome to see Amy Acker! Why is she only a guest star? Why can't she be a series regular?
5) Despite the criticisms above, there was plenty of vintage Joss to be found in this episode. I thought the exchange between Boyd and Echo when she (or was it Eleanor Penn?) remembers her own kidnapping was especially moving. The whole "you can't fight a ghost" theme is well...haunting.
6) I also loved when "Eleanor" is talking to Gabriel, the client, and relates her memory of being kidnapped. (And again--how can it be her memory if "Eleanor" doesn't really exist?) Gabriel, full of concern for his own child, mentions "the terrible memories these men put in your head" and asks "Why would they do that?" A great line with layers of meaning and ambiguity.
7) About halfway through, I really began to appreciate how different this show is from Buffy, Angel, or Firefly just in terms of setting. After all, Dollhouse takes place in a fairly realistic world (albeit one with advanced and improbable technology). No monsters, vampires, or futuristic space travel. That's strange for a Whedon show--and might take awhile to get used to. Not a complaint--just an observation.
7) How great was it to see the "Grr! Argh!" logo on TV again?
So that's all for now except for one final observation: early in the episode, Echo discusses the phrase "blank slate." "You ever try to clean an actual slate?" she asks. "You always see what was on it before." I wonder if Whedon fans see Dollhouse this way. It's a whole new show from our beloved Joss, but we can't help but mention it to what came before and are disappointed when lightening doesn't immediately appear to strike again.
P.S. Maybe all of this doesn't matter if, as indicated here, Joss is done with TV.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
More Angel Love...
My good friend over at Wandering the Academy has re-posted her take on Angel and its wisdom. She says it all so much better than I could.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Whedonesque Links
I'm posting a couple of Joss Whedon-themed links I've got in my bookmark list.
First, "Joss Whedon's Top Ten Writing Tips." These are great--good advice for any writer. That Joss is so good at giving this kind of advice shouldn't surprise any of his fans. Dude can write.
Second, "The Armchair Critic's 25 Best (and Five Worst) Angel Episodes." This list is a blast to read and made me want to watch all my DVDs again.
Armchair Critic's list also got me thinking about what I would put on my own list of best episodes...I don't have the time to do as detailed and thoughtful list as this guy does, but I did come up with my eighteen favorite.
Here are my three favorites, in order:
1) "Not Fade Away" (5.22): Best finale ever--sadly for a show that had so many more stories to tell. Wesley's death (comforted by Illyria), Lindsey killed by Lorne?!?, and so much more. And what a great last line: "Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon. Let's go to work!" That's just good advice for life--we fight on, in the face of unbelievable odds, we go to work in this world because it's the right only thing we can do. Love it.
2) "Hero" (1.09): This one still gets me every time, although admittedly it's only the last few minutes that are superb. When Doyle takes Angel's place and becomes the hero, you want to stand up and cheer even as you dissolve into tears. Glenn Quinn's untimely death makes the episode and it's closing line, "Am I done?" even more wrenching. Here's the whole exchange from that scene, as he films a commerical with Cordelia (courtesy of the Buffyverse Dialogue Database):
DOYLE: If you need help. Then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best! Our rats are low.
CORDELIA: Rates!
DOYLE: (RE: cue cards) It says 'rats'. Our rates are low, but our standards are high. When the chips are down, and you're at the end of your rope you need someone that you can count on. And that's what you'll find here. Someone who will go all the way, who'll protect you no matter what. So don't lose hope. Come on over to our offices and you'll see that there's still heroes in this world. Is that it? Am I done?
Brilliant stuff--and here, so early on, one of the major themes of Angel is beautifully illustrated. (One more disclaimer: I named my cat after Doyle and that cat was one of the sweetest creatures I've ever known. I lost him too soon as a result of veterinary negligence and it still hurts to this day to think about it, which might explain a bit more why I love this episode so much.)
3) "I Will Remember You" (1.08): Boy, did I sob like a baby the first time I saw this one. And the second time...and well, just about every time. What to say about it? We see Buffy and Angel happy--blissful, but it doesn't last. And as she tearfully swears to him that she will never forget, the day resets and she forgets. The Oracles ask Angel if he can carry the burden being the only one to remember what he had and has given up and we know he can. Like the female Oracle, we realize "This one is willing to sacrifice every drop of human happiness and love he's ever known for another. He is *not* a lower being."
The rest are simply in chronological order--if I start commenting extensively, I'll be typing for hours:
"Rm w/a Vu" (1.05)
"Five by Five" (1.18)
"To Shanshu in LA" (1.22)
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?" (2.2)
"Darla" (2.7)
"Reunion" (2.10)
"Epiphany" (2.16)
"Lullaby" (3.9)
"Waiting in the Wings" (3.13)
"Sleep Tight" (3.16)
"Spin the Bottle" (4.6)
"Orpheus" (4.15)
"Hell-Bound" (5.4)
"Smile Time" (5.14)
"A Hole in the World" (5.15)
Fellow Angel fans, what do you think of these lists? Which episodes would be on your list? You can find a handy list of episodes here.
First, "Joss Whedon's Top Ten Writing Tips." These are great--good advice for any writer. That Joss is so good at giving this kind of advice shouldn't surprise any of his fans. Dude can write.
Second, "The Armchair Critic's 25 Best (and Five Worst) Angel Episodes." This list is a blast to read and made me want to watch all my DVDs again.
Armchair Critic's list also got me thinking about what I would put on my own list of best episodes...I don't have the time to do as detailed and thoughtful list as this guy does, but I did come up with my eighteen favorite.
Here are my three favorites, in order:
1) "Not Fade Away" (5.22): Best finale ever--sadly for a show that had so many more stories to tell. Wesley's death (comforted by Illyria), Lindsey killed by Lorne?!?, and so much more. And what a great last line: "Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon. Let's go to work!" That's just good advice for life--we fight on, in the face of unbelievable odds, we go to work in this world because it's the right only thing we can do. Love it.
2) "Hero" (1.09): This one still gets me every time, although admittedly it's only the last few minutes that are superb. When Doyle takes Angel's place and becomes the hero, you want to stand up and cheer even as you dissolve into tears. Glenn Quinn's untimely death makes the episode and it's closing line, "Am I done?" even more wrenching. Here's the whole exchange from that scene, as he films a commerical with Cordelia (courtesy of the Buffyverse Dialogue Database):
DOYLE: If you need help. Then look no further. Angel Investigations is the best! Our rats are low.
CORDELIA: Rates!
DOYLE: (RE: cue cards) It says 'rats'. Our rates are low, but our standards are high. When the chips are down, and you're at the end of your rope you need someone that you can count on. And that's what you'll find here. Someone who will go all the way, who'll protect you no matter what. So don't lose hope. Come on over to our offices and you'll see that there's still heroes in this world. Is that it? Am I done?
Brilliant stuff--and here, so early on, one of the major themes of Angel is beautifully illustrated. (One more disclaimer: I named my cat after Doyle and that cat was one of the sweetest creatures I've ever known. I lost him too soon as a result of veterinary negligence and it still hurts to this day to think about it, which might explain a bit more why I love this episode so much.)
3) "I Will Remember You" (1.08): Boy, did I sob like a baby the first time I saw this one. And the second time...and well, just about every time. What to say about it? We see Buffy and Angel happy--blissful, but it doesn't last. And as she tearfully swears to him that she will never forget, the day resets and she forgets. The Oracles ask Angel if he can carry the burden being the only one to remember what he had and has given up and we know he can. Like the female Oracle, we realize "This one is willing to sacrifice every drop of human happiness and love he's ever known for another. He is *not* a lower being."
The rest are simply in chronological order--if I start commenting extensively, I'll be typing for hours:
"Rm w/a Vu" (1.05)
"Five by Five" (1.18)
"To Shanshu in LA" (1.22)
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?" (2.2)
"Darla" (2.7)
"Reunion" (2.10)
"Epiphany" (2.16)
"Lullaby" (3.9)
"Waiting in the Wings" (3.13)
"Sleep Tight" (3.16)
"Spin the Bottle" (4.6)
"Orpheus" (4.15)
"Hell-Bound" (5.4)
"Smile Time" (5.14)
"A Hole in the World" (5.15)
Fellow Angel fans, what do you think of these lists? Which episodes would be on your list? You can find a handy list of episodes here.
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