ANGEL, 3.22 - 'Tomorrow' • BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.21-22 - 'Two to Go' & 'Grave'

LILAH: Mind if I join you?
WESLEY: On many levels and with great intensity.

The big finale of Angel season 3, "TOMORROW", offered an enjoyable viewing experience, blessed by a fantastic cliffhanger that must have played like gangbusters back in 2002 (as there's subsequently been dozens of supernatural shows that've played with the idea of punishing a vampire with eternal incarceration rather than death). That Angel's (David Boreanaz) particular comeuppance came at the hand of his own son, Connor (Vincent Kartheiser), who found it easier to jump to conclusions about his adopted father's suspicious death, added a welcome dose of familial tragedy, too. You really felt for Angel when he was begging his brainwashed son to listen to his side of the story, as his coffin was being sealed and about to be tipped off the back of a boat into anonymous dark waters. It was a memorable and heartrending image to end on.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.20 – 'Villains' • ANGEL, 3.21 – 'Benediction'

BUFFY: How'd I get here?
XANDER: You've got to stop doing this. This dying thing's funny once, maybe twice.

As I predicted last week, Tara bit the big one, but Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) managed to pull through after getting shot—and it looked that way during her emergency surgery, before Willow (Alyson Hannigan) appeared with dark hair and coal-black eyes to telekinetically remove the slug from her friend's chest. One thing that bothered me about "VILLAINS" was how the aftermath of Tara dying was just the catalyst for Willow turning to the dark side (not for the first time) and seeking vengeance. I don't blame her, and it certainly provided a lot of impetus and some exciting scenes, but the show's home to one of the best examinations of someone dying on a genre TV show ("The Body"), so it felt a bit strange they avoided the human drama of losing a friend and instead went full tilt for the craziness. I'd argue Tara was a more prominent and interesting character than Buffy's mother ever was, too, so it felt strange. Even the scene when Buffy and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) belatedly realise what happened to Tara didn't really connect with me; nor did Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) finding her body on the bedroom floor.

ANGEL, 3.20 – 'A New World' • BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.17 – 'Normal Again'

GUNN: Couple weeks ago, he was wearin' diapers. Now he's a teenager?
CORDELIA: Tell me we don't live in a soap opera.

My amusement that a 23-year-old Vincent Kartheiser is playing Angel's (David Boreanaz) stolen son Connor subsided during "A NEW WORLD", as this hour proved to be unexpectedly great and did exactly what was required of it. Chiefly, Connor already feels like a very interesting addition to the hit-and-miss ensemble, and Kartheiser plays him with a great deal of spryness, enthusiasm, and commitment. He wasn't as ridiculous as the prospect of Mad Men's Pete Campbell playing a young bad-ass dressed in animal skins could have been, which was a huge relief.

ANGEL, 3.18 & 3.19 – 'Double or Nothing' & 'The Price'

FRED: If Angel sees you again, he'll kill you, Wesley. This time for real. Don't come back to the hotel. Ever. The prophecy was false. Angel was never gonna hurt Connor. It was all for nothing.

The problem with "Forgiving" and its harsh ending (which appeared to signal a huge change in attitude for Angel), is that its immediate follow-up could never hope to equal it. This is especially true of genre TV shows from Angel's era, which weren't as serialised as they tend to be nowadays, so "DOUBLE OF NOTHING" had the unenviable task of furthering the aftermath of Angel (David Boreanaz) trying to suffocate hospitalised Wes (Alexis Denisof) with a pillow, whilst spinning another supernatural caper.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.16 – 'Hell's Bells' • ANGEL, 3.17- 'Forgiving'

ANYA: Okay. For the last time. I, Anya, want to marry you, Xander, because I love you and I'll always love you. And before I knew you, I was like a completely different person. Not even a person, really. And I had seen what love could do to people, and it was hurt and sadness. Alone was better. And then, suddenly there was you, and... you knew me. You saw me, and it was this... thing. You make me feel safe and warm. So, I get it now. I finally get love, Xander. I really do.

Last week's catchups fanned a heated comment discussion this week (I sort of love it when those happen), so I'd like to quickly address a few things it raised. Yes, I fully appreciate that I'm not enjoying season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and some of my frustration is feeding into these catchup posts—in the sense my attention has increasingly wandered, so various oversights have been made. It's also worth remembering that I'm watching both Buffyverse episodes just once, then writing about them immediately after with no research time. This means I will undoubtedly forget things and make stupid errors along the way. I know fans will point out my mistakes in an adult manner and allow me take account for an unfortunate slip, or leave a nasty comment questioning my worth as a human being. Hopefully the former.

ANGEL, 3.16 – 'Sleep Tight' • BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.13 – 'Dead Things'

ANGEL: You look like hell. And not the fun one where they burn you with hot pokers for all eternity, but, the hard-core one--you know, Nixon and Britney Spears.

The problem with traditional U.S season lengths, from the not-too-distant-past, is that shows would usually try to stretch one narrative out all those episodes, with some filler in the form of 'standalone' adventures. These days, you tend to find that either seasons are cable-sized (10-13 episodes), or the writers fill seasons with more than one storyline, so they feel fuller and there's less chance of boredom. Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer exist before this change really sank in, so in re-watching these old seasons my attention does tend to wander after the first dozen hours or so. Thankfully, "SLEEP TIGHT" was exactly the kind of late-season wallop you need to wake you up, and hopefully the rest of this third season will race along much better.

ANGEL, 3.14 & 3.15 – 'Couplet' & 'Loyalty'

ANGEL: Just tell me what I can do.
CORDELIA: I need you to help me have sex. With Groo.

I didn't like "COUPLET" as much as I expected to, because most of it felt obvious and clichéd. I've seen too many variations on the idea of a protagonist feeling like he/she is being supplanted by a better alternative. The return of Pylean warrior Groo (Mark Lutz) also isn't something I'm particularly happy about, because it doesn't ring true that Cordelia's (Charisma Carpenter) so enamoured with him—and her giddy affection just makes her look a bit shallow, as Groo's a dope. Still, as the episode's title suggests, this hour did explore the show's many pairings that have materialised in recent weeks, which was fairly interesting...

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.12 – 'Doublemeat Palace' • ANGEL, 3.13 – 'Waiting in the Wings'

BUFFY: What's the deal with Manny the manager? And if I ask him really nice, can I write a children's book called that?

Interesting title aside, "DOUBLEMEAT PALACE" wasn't especially memorable. It was the very definition of a mid-level episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; mildly entertaining and with enough self-awareness to avoid going in a completely mindless direction, but ultimate not really as funny or sophisticated as it needed to be. That said, I really like this season's occasional dalliances with the idea Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) trying to get an ordinary job to pay the bills, because it theoretically means she can appear in a variety of different contexts and mix with new characters. A brief scene with Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) felling sorry for her older sister, whose role as The Slayer means she can never have a proper career because it would eat up too much demon-killing time, was also an interesting perspective to share.

ANGEL, 3.12 – 'Provider' • BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.9 – 'Smashed'

★★☆☆

I appreciate what "PROVIDENCE" was trying to do, in terms of the moral it was trying to impart, but the episode struggled with its juggling of a handful of storylines that were mostly poor. Angel (David Boreanaz) wants to provide for his newborn, so suddenly he's keen for Angel Investigations to become a successful and profitable business—with a flyer campaign and even a website (the '02 excitement over which was amusing to me). It works, as suddenly the Hyperion Hotel is a hotbed of clients—some demon, others jeopardised humans—and the team are so busy they're forced to take separate cases.

ANGEL, 3.10 & 3.11 – 'Dad' & 'Birthday'

ANGEL: The part that scares me -- are all the questions, you know: Why is the sky blue? Why do people get sick? Why is there always pigs' blood in the fridge? I don't have all the answers. Well, I do to that last one.

After the breakneck pace of recent episodes, climaxing with the shock death of vampire Darla during childbirth, "DAD" was a quieter hour and a chance for the characters to have a breather, take stock of their situations, and make loose plans for the future. Angel (David Boreanaz) had the inevitable 'new daddy' troubles of trying to get his baby son to sleep, even resorting to making silly faces; Wolfram & Hart regrouped, with Lilah (Stephanie Romanov) forced to painstakingly research the mysterious goatee'd vampire killer who's arrived in town; and Holtz (Keith Szarabajka) himself took charge of the situation from Sahjhan (Jack Conley), and has began recruiting warriors who share his deep desire to kill Angel because they have relatives who fell prey to vampires...

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.8 - 'Tabula Rasa' • ANGEL, 3.9 – 'Lullaby'

SPIKE: Randy Giles? Why not just call me Horny Giles or Desperate-For-A-Shag Giles? I knew there was a reason I hated you.

Following an experimental episode of huge significance (both culturally and as part of the characters' growth), I was relieved that "TABULA RASA" proved a worthy follow-up—by tackling three of that hour's biggest developments: Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) revealing her friends didn't do her any favours bringing her back to life; Tara (Amber Menson) discovering Willow (Alyson Hannigan) has been wiping her memory; and Buffy's unexpected smooch with Spike (James Marsters). That it did all this within the confines of a knockabout comedy hour, was all the more likeable.

ANGEL, 3.7 & 3.8 – 'Offspring' & 'Quickening'

FRED: Can I say somethin' about destiny? Screw destiny! If this evil thing comes, we'll fight it and we'll keep fightin' it until we whup it. 'Cause destiny is just another word for inevitable, and nothing's inevitable as long as you stand up, look it in the eye, and say, "You're evitable!"

What appears to be the third season's through-line gets an overdue bolt of drama with "OFFSPRING"; as pregnant Darla (Julie Benz) returned to Los Angeles, looking for Angel's (David Borenaz) help determining the nature of their unnatural unborn child—which, it transpires, could either be mankind's prophesied saviour or destroyer. Translating prophecies is never an exact science.

ANGEL, 3.5 & 3.6 – 'Fredless' & 'Billy'

CORDELIA: Guys, when was the last time Fred ever left the hotel by herself?
GUNN: A couple weeks after never.

I loved Amy Acker on Joss Whedon's hugely underestimated sci-fi series Dollhouse, but haven't warmed to her feckless Fred on Angel—until now, sort of. "FREDLESS" wasn't a very successful episode in terms of making us reassess Fred as a three-dimensional woman, but it at least humanised her more, and appears to have ended this season's arc with Fred as a shut-in who doodles on her bedroom walls.

ANGEL, 3.3 & 3.4 – 'That Old Gang of Mine' & 'Carpe Noctem'

ANGEL: What do you want from me?
MERL: What do I want? I'll tell you what I want... I want back the three months I spent in therapy after being hung upside down in a sewer, that's what I want.

A strong showcase for Gunn (J. August Richards), who's potentially one of the most interesting characters on Angel, but has a tendency to fade into the background because he's perhaps not as immediately comical or entertaining as the others. "THAT OLD GANG OF MINE" was a minor highlight of this third season, as Gunn's street crew of demon-killers made a surprise return, although in his absence Gunn's stunned to discover his right-hand man Rondell's (Jarrod Crawford) lost sight of their core values after the arrival of Miami hardliner Gio (Khalil Kain)...

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.3 – 'After Life' • ANGEL, 3.2 – 'That Vision Thing'

BUFFY: Everything I feel, everything I touch... this is Hell. Just getting through the next moment, and the one after that. Knowing what I've lost. They can never know. Never.

There has to be a period of adjustment for Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), fresh from being yanked back into corporeal form after a noble death, as it would otherwise feel like Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn't take the demise of its lead character seriously enough. Jane Espenson's "AFTER LIFE" was this transition phase (at least in the sense Buffy swapped her funereal robes for a tan-coloured dress), and did a functional job of dramatising Buffy's rebirth—as it was a clearly traumatic event that's left her dazed and aloof in the face of her happy friends glad to have their pal back. (Those nightly patrols are a bummer without your super-friend taking the lead.)

ANGEL, 3.1 – 'Heartthrob' • BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 6.1-2 – 'Bargaining – Part 1 & 2'

CORDELIA: How's Fred?
ANGEL: She's all right, considering. We talked over what happened... and I think she'll be coming out of her room any decade now.

I love season premieres that come roaring off the starting blocks, with renewed confidence, welcome adjustments, and fresh ideas they're keenly excited to show their audience. Unfortunately, Angel's third season premiere "HEARTTHROB" didn't manage that.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 5.22 - 'The Gift' & ANGEL, 2.22 - 'There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb'

BUFFY: Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me.

The fifth season finale had some very good moments, but I was a little underwhelmed considering it represents the climax of what feels like a very long season. I don't think this year worked as well as it might have, with various issues throwing the storyline off-track at times, but enough worked for me to rate THE GIFT quite highly. Obviously, the shock ending of Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) sacrificing herself instead of Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), to prevent an inter-dimensional apocalypse, didn't have the same impact for someone coming late to the show. I'm aware there are two more seasons to go, and it would take an inordinately brave show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer to no longer feature Buffy the vampire slayer.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 5.20 & 5.21 – 'Spiral' & 'The Weight of the World'

BEN: You know why I wanted to become a doctor?
GRONX: Flattering drawstring pants?

Approaching the finale, SPIRAL was an action-packed episode that also demystified almost everything about the situation with goddess Glory (Clare Kramer) and Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) as her Key-in-human-form. Maybe it's just me, but the fact hospital orderly Ben (Charlie Weber) is a human prison for Glory that she manages to temporarily overcome, wasn't clear until this episode. Maybe it was more obvious back in 2001, because the problem with watching Angel simultaneously is having long periods (sometimes almost a month) where you're separated from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's storyline and tend to forget key things. The very existence of the Knights of Byzantium had completely slipped my mind, actually, until they returned here.

ANGEL, 2.20 & 2.21 - 'Over the Rainbow' & 'Through the Looking Glass'

CORDELIA: I wanna go home. I wanna be in my bed. I wanna order some Thai food. I wanna read the latest issue of 'Marie Claire'. I wanna be doing anything but shovelling demon horse poo!

OVER THE RAINBOW offered something very different for an episode of Angel, and for that reason alone I found this hour entertaining. The show has been rather dour and has Los Angeles as its fixed location, so it's nice whenever it lightens up and goes somewhere sunnier. It also provided more evidence that having Lorne (Andy Hallett) around as an unlikely member of the team gives the ensemble a welcome dose of droll comedy.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 5.18 & 5.19 – 'Intervention' & 'Tough Love'

XANDER: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.
BUFFY: I am not having sex with Spike, but I'm starting to think that you might be.

I didn't like the storyline with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) being taken into the desert by Giles (Anthony Head), because she's feeling unsure about the impact of her Slaying duties on her emotional well-being, because it felt like a lazy way to have a mystical First Slayer (Sharon Ferguson) appear and deliver some finale-baiting mysticism about Buffy's "gift" being "death". It was good to see two characters out of Sunnydale and somewhere more visually appealing than usual (although stray crew members kept wandering into shot on my 16:9 ratio DVD), but it lacked enough substance in this case.