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stoutfellowAnd so it ends; after eight years, the world Joss Whedon built comes to an end. (There are unsubstantiated rumors of movies in the future, but, for various reasons, I doubt anything will come of them.)
If you intend to see the Angel finale and have not done so, I suggest that you do not expand the following link. (This means you, Ellen, if you're reading this.)
I think it will take me a while to assimilate this episode. There were a number of elements that I liked quite a bit. For example, the way in which Illyria's assignment was handled tickled me; seeing her walk away from the wreckage of the car, without having seen any of the fight itself, just seemed apt. Lorne's final act as one of Angel's crew; Hamilton's slip of the tongue (I immediately yelled, "Bite him!"); the talk between Gunn and Anne; Illyria's furious attack on Vail (did he not know what she was?); and Harmony's final acts, completely in character, airheaded and treacherous, all tickled me. I was not surprised to see Wesley's fate; ME had been trumpeting that a major character would die, and he was the most obvious candidate.
Then there's the last scene. I've seen a number of fans desperately trying to find ways for one or all of the remaining crew to survive. I can't see it, barring immediate intervention by The Powers That Be, and - given their past record - that doesn't seem likely to me. I am therefore very doubtful - on the artistic level, never mind the practical one - about any possible followup involving these characters. Possibly something could be done elsewhere in the Jossverse, involving the organization Buffy's crew is building, but the elimination of Angel and Spike from the picture strips even that of some of its appeal, for me.
Ah, well. All things considered, it was a wonderful eight years. Seasons two and three of Buffy, seasons three and four of Angel, and numerous episodes from other seasons will continue to delight, and even the artistic flaws of the last two seasons of Buffy and the last one of Angel don't detract very much from that. And - dammit - I will probably invest time and money in any further stories to come from that universe, despite my reservations. And I will certainly keep my eyes on the future careers of several of the actors from the two series - Charisma Carpenter, Alyson Hannigan, Amy Acker, J. August Richards, James Marsters, and of course Anthony Stewart Head. Farewell, you people, and I mean that literally.
If you intend to see the Angel finale and have not done so, I suggest that you do not expand the following link. (This means you, Ellen, if you're reading this.)
I think it will take me a while to assimilate this episode. There were a number of elements that I liked quite a bit. For example, the way in which Illyria's assignment was handled tickled me; seeing her walk away from the wreckage of the car, without having seen any of the fight itself, just seemed apt. Lorne's final act as one of Angel's crew; Hamilton's slip of the tongue (I immediately yelled, "Bite him!"); the talk between Gunn and Anne; Illyria's furious attack on Vail (did he not know what she was?); and Harmony's final acts, completely in character, airheaded and treacherous, all tickled me. I was not surprised to see Wesley's fate; ME had been trumpeting that a major character would die, and he was the most obvious candidate.
Then there's the last scene. I've seen a number of fans desperately trying to find ways for one or all of the remaining crew to survive. I can't see it, barring immediate intervention by The Powers That Be, and - given their past record - that doesn't seem likely to me. I am therefore very doubtful - on the artistic level, never mind the practical one - about any possible followup involving these characters. Possibly something could be done elsewhere in the Jossverse, involving the organization Buffy's crew is building, but the elimination of Angel and Spike from the picture strips even that of some of its appeal, for me.
Ah, well. All things considered, it was a wonderful eight years. Seasons two and three of Buffy, seasons three and four of Angel, and numerous episodes from other seasons will continue to delight, and even the artistic flaws of the last two seasons of Buffy and the last one of Angel don't detract very much from that. And - dammit - I will probably invest time and money in any further stories to come from that universe, despite my reservations. And I will certainly keep my eyes on the future careers of several of the actors from the two series - Charisma Carpenter, Alyson Hannigan, Amy Acker, J. August Richards, James Marsters, and of course Anthony Stewart Head. Farewell, you people, and I mean that literally.
