Wolfram & Cast
This is not your grandsire’s podcast! In Wolfram and Cast, long time Angel fan Steven Youngkin host an Angel Podcast geared toward Buffy and Angel fans who have seen the entirety of both shows and want a more in depth discussion than a simple recap and review. Each episode of Wolfram and Cast will focus on one episode of Angel, but we will touch on greater themes and character arcs from the entire series, so a spoiler warning is in effect.
Wolfram & Cast
S1E22 -- Unraveling "To Shanshu in LA": Angel's Season Finale, Prophecy, and the Shifting Tides of Destiny
Discover the secrets and prophecies hidden within the "Angel" season finale as we unpack "To Shanshu in LA" on Wolfram & Cast with me, your host Steven Youngkin. This episode promises an engaging journey through the twists and character arcs that have left fans riveted for over two decades. We'll explore the transformation of Cordelia, the deepening rivalry between Lindsay and our hero, and the role David Greenwalt's creativity has played, not only in the Buffyverse but in his recent endeavors as well.
Prepare for an exploration of the profound themes of the show, like family, purpose, and vulnerability. We'll discuss Gunn's character potential and the layered performances that brought us the heart-wrenching hospital scene, highlighting Angel's battle with helplessness. The connections and dynamics among Angel, Wesley, and Cordelia serve as a focal point as we consider the nuanced portrayal of their relationships and the pivotal moments that define their journey together.
As our conversation reaches its climax, we delve into the chilling presence of the Vocah demon, the casual evils that permeate Wolfram and Hart, and the adrenaline-pumping fight scenes that have captivated audiences. Join us as we dissect Lindsay's chilling choices, the complexities of prophecy translation, and how these elements plant the seeds for future narratives. Tune in for an episode that's not only an analysis but a celebration of the rich tapestry that is "Angel.
Hello, extracting schwer organizes from this time diligence with CajunvANNAV.
Speaker 2:Hello, welcome to Wolframing Cast, an angel retrospective. I am longtime fan, stephen Yagin, who is busy studying in ancient scroll to see what tomorrow's lottery numbers will be. In this podcast, I'll be doing a deep dive discussion on the Buffy-Spinoff Shell Angel, one episode at a time, with spoilers for both series. I have chosen to focus on Angel because, as a fan of the show, I feel that even 20 plus years after the show premiered, it still has themes and ideas that are worth discussing. Thus, for each episode, I will go over what worked, doesn't work and all of the ideas and themes the show puts forth. In this week's episode, I will discuss the 22nd episode of the series to Shanshu in LA, which was written and directed by executive producer David Greenwald. Greenwald directed 7 other episodes of Angel, including she, dear Boy, there's no Place Like Clits, gribbed Heart, throb Tomorrow and the Girl in Question. He also directed 4 episodes of Buffy, including Reptile Boy, bad Eggs, homecoming and the Wish. Other shows that key executive produced included Grimm, for which he was nominated for a Hugo, buffy, moonlight, prophet and the X-Files. In addition to writing, directing and executive producing, he also displayed another talent by being one of the TV theme singers for the Kordi TV show in the episode Birthday. Right now, david Greenwald is working on the documentary series Mr Williams. The episode originally aired on May 23, 2000, and the IMDb description of the episode is A Scythe-Wheeling Demon Targeted Angel's Allies as Wolframan Heart Lawyers Attempt to Summon a Powerful Force from Beyond.
Speaker 2:The Shanshu and LA was the season finale for the first season of Angel. Like the season finales of Buffy, it brought the entire series together by having return appearances of characters from previous episodes, such as Kate, lindsay, the Oracles, holland, manners and Gunn, among others. It also brought back Cordelia's visions and gave us a major change in her character, where she went from being a shallow, vain girl who went into business with Angel strictly as a way to make money but at the end realized her higher purpose. And, speaking of life purposes, it introduced us to the Shanshu prophecy, which promised that the vampire with the soul would eventually be made human again. This prophecy became a major reoccurring theme all the way through the series finale. In addition to bringing back people and introducing new concepts, like any good finale, it also was the final appearance of people and things, such as the oracles in Angel's apartment slash office. The destruction of the office was done as a practical matter, because Greenwald hated shooting scenes in such a confined place, in one and something roomier. But outside of the practical matters, ending major items like those represented a new stage in the show's evolution as it, like characters, moved on to bigger and more dangerous things With all of those items in just one episode.
Speaker 2:It brings up a few questions. The first is asked of every season finale, and that is did it stick the landing and wrap up the season on a high note while laying the groundwork for the next season? The other question is would you notice a tall man wearing a mask and a dark suit cape who is strolling through an art fair on a warm summer day? Or would you just assume he was a player in David Nabot's Dungeons and Dragons game?
Speaker 2:Now, before I get into a discussion of the episode itself, just a few comments that had been posted on Facebook in regards to previous episodes. In regards to the episode's sanctuary, lisa Lilly, host of Buffy and the Art of the Story podcast, wrote on Facebook love your point about seeing Buffy through Angel's eyes in this episode. I struggled with how she was written when I looked at it for my podcast. She seemed out of character from where she was in the two faith episodes on Buffy. But it fits that Angel sees Buffy differently, especially because he remembers being with her not long ago and I will remember you while Buffy doesn't. He's got a lot of raw pain there to process along with trying to save Faith's soul. And Lisa also wrote in regards to the episode Warzone. I love J August Richard was so thrilled when he was an agent of SHIELD too and wish there had been more of him, and I wish to thank Lisa for writing those comments on the Facebook page and want to encourage anyone else. If you have comments, whether you agree or disagree with my opinions about these episodes, please feel free to post comments about them and I might read them on the air Now in regards to the episode itself. Also, one other note about this one it wasn't just the season finale for the first season, it was also, coincidentally, the 100th episode of Buffy and Angel combined and as a result, this was a fairly big episode and this threw a lot in there.
Speaker 2:As you can tell from my initial introduction to the episode itself, by mentioning everyone who returned to the series and the big changes wiping out his location and killing off the oracles and introducing the prophecy. There was a lot crammed into it and overall the episode was really really really well done. There was, because of everything put into it. There was no slack time on it. The episode kept on moving along. If anything, I wish they had made it a little bit longer to allow some of the story beats to breathe out more.
Speaker 2:But what was in there was excellent and, as I mentioned, it brought back all of the key characters from their out the season. It brought back Lindsay and Lila and Holland and David Nabot and the oracles and Kate and Cordelia's visions and for these characters, some well, because of the shortness of the episode, some were better than others. Some of the character arcs that were advanced, and in a good way, were, for example, lindsay, where I'll discuss him in just a little bit, where his arc was advanced, where he took his place as Angel's antagonist and made it very clear that is the lane he is going to be in for the course of the series. And for Cordelia, this was the biggest change for her character yet, as I mentioned, the intro, up to this point in the series she was still vain, somewhat shallow. She was doing this for the money and she was even looking towards the prophecy to see, oh, will it give me some fame? Or toward a fair or anything like that, looking at it for herself. But at the end of the episode she made a major step forward, realizing that she has a higher purpose and that she should be doing this not for her own personal gain but to truly help others. And then also for Wesley this was good use of him because, yes, essentially he was Mr Exposition, similar to the Giles role on Buffy, but it was a needed role and he was a good choice to do it to introduce essentially the MacGuffin of the entire series, which is the Shang-Chun prophecy, in which that will be the driving force underlying it for the rest of the show. And also we had some characters wrapped up.
Speaker 2:This was the final appearance of the Auracles, which I can't say I've been exactly ever going to miss them, because they were annoying in their way, they would speak of lower beings and all that Got a little obnoxious. But on the other hand, for the scene where they were wiped out, I wish we had actually seen the Volka demon kill them, because these were immortal demons and the impression I get is you just easily wiped them out, which of course begs the question how do you kill something that's immortal? So it would have provided an answer to that question. But also it would have made him even more dangerous when you see that this is a demon who just walks right into the portal without thinking twice about it, slices him open or wipes him out in some manner and you now realize Angel is up against something very dangerous. That if he could wipe out the Auracles that easily, angel is not a threat to him. But ultimately their death, I will say in its own way, was just as satisfying as in Schoolhard, when the Anointed one or as Spike liked to refer to him, as the annoying one. Because what it does is it closes that chapter or version of the show off and now allows it to advance forward with its own new chapter. So it was appropriate to kill them.
Speaker 2:And then also for Angel's apartment slash office. I could see why David Greenwald felt confined by it, because even in this episode and the few scenes they had inside the office there wasn't too much camera work they could do because it was such a small physical space. There was only so many different ways you could shoot angles within there. And come the second season when they move into the Hyperion, there is a lot more rooms they can do it in. They can do it on different levels, they can do it down the hallway, they can do it in different apartment rooms, they can do it in the office, they can do it in the lobby, out in the garden, so on and so forth. You could tell it, freed them up and gave them a lot more imagination play with, whereas here he had really two or three corners to play with, and, yeah, he had his apartment downstairs, but even there that was limited, because you only had, for the most part, the kitchen, his bedroom, and we barely saw the bedroom.
Speaker 2:Now, also on the downside, though, some of the characters they brought in, mostly because it was such a crammed full of everything episode, some of them amounted essentially glorified cameos and for the most part, could have been left out without any great harm to the episode. One of the biggest ones is Kate. I liked her at the beginning of the series as his police liaison who could give him the information that he needed on case that he wouldn't be able to get himself, which that has more or less been thrown to the wayside, as was on the previous episode of Blind Date, where Cordelia now can hack into the police database and get whatever she needs. I guess they don't need Kate too much anymore, but anyways, with this episode she has now become more cliched and actually somewhat annoying. The only really nice thing about the scene they had together was at least Angel was speaking on behalf of the audience, which was get over it already. We know Angel was not responsible for, so why are you still holding a grudge against him? Vampires in general, yes, but you know Angel was not involved or was not responsible for her father's death, so just move on.
Speaker 2:But because they weren't willing to do that at least yet, it ended up reducing her to a cliched top role, the antagonistic police officer who didn't trust or believe the hero, even though we as audience know they should, and we've seen in so many different movies and TV shows. In every single Dirty Harry movie, the captain doesn't like Dirty Harry for his radical ways. Or also in Die Hard, the major weak element in that movie, which was Dwayne Robinson, the police chief whose job was to be wrong at every turn and to hamper the hero, john McClain. And well, for the TV series 24, almost every single person refused to believe Kiefer Sutherland, even though Sutherland had saved the president's life, had saved the nation, had saved the world several times over, but still no, we don't believe Kiefer Sutherland and we're just going to stand in his way. So, and now we're going to get in Angel with that same cliche.
Speaker 2:Another way appearance was by Lila, where she had maybe two lines Now, great, I'll be discussing later in the episode. It was a good line. But especially after her previous episodes, I want to see more of her, I want them to make even more use of her, because her one scene was cute, because once again we could sense a chemistry between her and Lindsay, a rivalry, and thankfully in the upcoming seasons we do get to see much more of her. And then David Nabot, who had literally one scene and that was the one moment that did somewhat drag the episode down, because it was the one moment that nothing's really happening and he didn't contribute anything really to the plot with the dialogue or anything. They could have completely cut him out. And finally, gunn he was given also one scene cameo, and that one unlike the David Nabot where they could have cut him entirely and not hurt anything.
Speaker 2:With Gunn actually I wanted more because once again I like the character and I could see the purpose they brought him in. Well, actually, for what was used for it wasn't too much of a purpose because once again that scene they could have cut as well, because it was Angel saying I need you to watch over Wesleyan Cordelia. We didn't really need that plot wise, but it would have been instead more interesting if, after doing that scene, while protecting the two of them, the Volka demon comes in and attacks for some reason, and that's when Gunn and his gang fights the Volka demon and maybe the Volka demon wipes out some of Gunn's gang once again to establish the dangerousness of Volka. And also by having Gunn's gang wiped out at least some of the members, it would have raised the stakes even higher and once again given the impression Angel is really in over his head on this one. But thankfully those are some of the only few negatives I have against the episode in terms of positive advancements.
Speaker 2:First of all, one discussed Angel, in which the episode, as you'll hear me mention again throughout this show. This brings up a very good discussion of what does hide us to this world, what allows us to keep waking up in the morning and want to do stuff, and the episode does go into that in good detail, in nice, thorough detail, and it does discuss the question of what's the point of living if we have nothing to strive for, what's the point of going on? We need to have a goal. It doesn't matter what it is, it doesn't matter how trivial or how frivolous it is. If we have a goal, if we have something to look forward to, that's what ties us to this world. And also if we have something to fight for, whether it is a loved one, whether it is some form of possessions or whatever, but especially loved ones, determining what is important, what waits us to this world.
Speaker 2:And because, as this episode may very clear, when the two things that did wait Angel to this planet or to this life, that being Wesley and Cordelia, when they were removed from him for the first time really in this series, he was helpless, he looked scared, because that is one of the few times, especially in the first season, he ever had a look of complete fusion, a look of I have no idea what to do here, but that led into one of the best scenes in the episode, and that was when he was at the hospital with Cordelia, where David sold that very well a look of. I want to help her, I want to say the right things, I want to be able to do something. I'm an immortal being, I'm fast, I'm strong, I've got all these abilities and I can't do anything to help this woman who is family to me. And I like the fact that, not once but twice in the episode, they make it very clear that Cordelia is family to him, because before that was happening, when Wesley is saying oh, by the way, you're going to die, while Cordelia and Wesley were understandably concerned about that, notice the fact that, because he had nothing really to care about, he was on phase. It was yeah, whatever. Yeah, if I die, I die. Because he didn't feel he had anything to lose. Though, as the lyrics from the old song Me and Bobby McGee by Janice Chaplin says, freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. Well, on the other hand, if you have nothing left to lose, you have nothing to fight for and nothing to care about. And that's why Angel is blasé, because he didn't think he had anything to lose. So so what if he gets killed? And when they were taken from him? Now he realizes I do have something to lose, I do have something to fight for and that's what the episode builds towards. Is that fact. And also at the end, they are truly a family, the three of them brought together.
Speaker 2:And speaking of Cordelia, as listeners know, I've been hot in cold on how they've used her, even though she may not have been in the episode a lot Well, actually she was in it much more than in other episodes, but this was possibly one of the best uses of her in the series up to this point and this was much better than in previous episodes because they did greatly advance her character and when she was having her essentially a psychotic attack of all the visions just coming at her wave after wave after wave credit to Charisma for selling it where you could feel the agony that she is going through, the psychic and emotional pain, turmoil, and it actually was painful to watch in an appropriate way, because you're wanting somebody to help her. And, as I said, this was the biggest advancement of her character yet and it made her character like Blatheon. Even though she throws in a nice throwaway line again, that was somewhat Cordelia-esque. But then she pauses and says, oh, that was the old me, wasn't it? But she says it in a way. That is funny, that is cute. I still acknowledge who I am and the way I speak, but you get the feeling that now she'll be actually a little bit more circumspect, that she won't be as rude or as blunt as she used to be, because essentially the reason why for that is at the end of the episode she has realized she is serving a bigger purpose, that the visions are given to her for a reason. She realized that helping others was the goal and not a means to achieve a goal of wealth, fame, whatever that the goal is actually the helping of others. And also she realized that, even though she may be somewhat self-pitying, there are others who are in what we're shaping. She is, people who are truly helpless. That phrase we're here to help the helpless is not just a way to answer the phone. That is what they were brought together for. And also Lindsay.
Speaker 2:Now, the main thing the episode did there, as I said, was it established him as the primary antagonist of the series. He didn't have too many scenes and not anywhere near as much as he had in Blind Date, but in this one it threw him firmly into that lane. It made it very clear that he and Angel will be forever opposing each other. They are never going to work together until the series are now, but otherwise they will be at loggerheads. And also, the nice thing is, the loss of his hand at the end served two purposes. One, it established the sacrifice that he had to make in order to achieve his goals, which is wealth and power. There's always a price to be paid, and in this case it's the losing of the hand. And also it gave him now a personal reason to hate Angel, because whenever he had looked at his hand, he would be thinking Angel is the one who took that away from me. Angel is the one I want to seek revenge again, and that will drive him throughout the rest of the series, where Angel becomes practically an obsession of his that he will do anything to destroy Angel, no matter what, just to get back revenge.
Speaker 2:Now that leaves us to the main enemy, the main creature of the episode, which is the Volka demon, which actually, overall, he is one of the better one shot villains, unlike some of the others where I've mentioned that I wouldn't have mind seeing him come back. No, he served his purpose. One episode is all we really needed to see of him, because he came in. He was intimidating, he was single minded, he was a threat to Angel and then he got destroyed. I've seen other reviews where they criticized the final fight between him and Angel, but, as I'll mention more when I get to that scene, actually I liked it.
Speaker 2:One, the choreography was Volta and two, I liked the way it was shot, so that the focus wasn't on the fight. The focus was more on the ritual. The fight was most of the time in the background of the scene, unlike other episodes where Angel's fight would be front and center. Now, in this case it was more in the background, but it was also just long enough to make it clear that the Volka demon is dangerous, unlike some of the other major bad villains, such as the episode the prodigal, where we see this demon making intimidating comments throughout the episode and then Angel strolls in and kills him. Or in the previous episode, war zone, where once again we have the vampire that's intimidating gun and the gang. Angel walks in, dusts him. There was no fight, no, nothing. This one it was actually a pretty lengthy fight and it was even up between the two of them, where the Volka demon was actually holding his own in the fight, which was justified for a creature that was able to wipe out the oracles very quickly. Apparently, the Angel shouldn't be able to kill him very quickly either, and it did serve that purpose to make it worth it. And also, just as a side note, the Volka demon was played by Todd Staswick, who also played the M-Fashionic demon in the episode Flooded on Buffy, so he's got a nice resume playing evil creatures.
Speaker 2:I think the reason why this episode overall works as well as it does is because it was less concerned with a single episode plot. Yeah, we had a single shot demon, but the episode wasn't so much with oh, we need to stop this demon. It was actually more with establishing the overall arc of the series, not just season 2 but also the series as a whole, because the big thing that it did was it introduced us to the Shanshu prophecy, which this is a prophecy that also brings up interesting question for the series, because it now puts the series firmly into the predestination school of life, saying that these things are ordained, because in there it makes it very clear Angel is going to go through the oncoming darkness, the apocalypse, a horrid of demons coming at him, etc. It predicted this. So now the question becomes is so, in other words, angel is just walking along the steps to get to his goal. Now the following episode judgment will nudge it further away from that and make it clear that it's a little bit less of a prophecy and more of a goal, because Wesley hinted at it a little bit in one of his final lines, saying that if Angel goes through all of these things, this will be his reward. But it still makes it clear that it came from on high that this is a prophecy, not sort of tips for how to live a life, as it were.
Speaker 2:Because here's the big thing that the episode and the series serve plays around a little bit with, which is, if it was destiny that he is going to become mortal, he'll become human. Well, that is the equivalent of something that everyone has. We'll all grow older and eventually die. That's death. There's nothing we can do about that. We will all age, we will all die, whereas, on the other hand, a goal for example, if you work in study hard, you can achieve success in working life, meaning that it is achievable but not promised or guaranteed. So in this episode the Shanshu prophecy is destiny he will become human, whereas in upcoming episodes they move away from that and make it more of a goal. If Angel does all of this, if Angel stops the coming darkness and the apocalypse and so on and so on, then he will become human and for philosophers it becomes.
Speaker 2:Which one is true in life, is everything predestined or are we meant to be this way? And the series actually moves it more firmly back into the predestination with skip summary of the events and as I'll discuss more when I get to that episode, the skip thing saying that well, hey, everything was stepped in a plan. You were meant to do this, you were destined to do this and to meet this person and to have this as a result, so on and so forth. That takes away from Whistler's summary of events, which was him stating in the episode becoming part one. So what are we? Helpless puppets? No, the big moments are going to come. You can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are. And that is still the philosophy of the show at times Is, yes, angel will be facing these big events, but what is unknown is how he will react to them and what impact they'll have on him.
Speaker 2:And I can't talk about this episode without at least mentioning the final shot of the episode, which was the introduction of Darwa proving, even if you dust a character on camera doesn't mean she's gone, nor does it mean the only way you can bring her back is in flashbacks. You have a popular character, like Darwa was. She was very popular. We're going to keep bringing her back again and again, and again. Now the thing also for note for viewers who are watching the episodes now in streaming as a reminder, this was a season finale, so first of all, we had months to go before we could figure out okay, how were they able to bring her back, what's he going to be like, etc. And also we weren't sure how were they going to use her. I guess Angel considering, as we've seen in previous episodes such as the prodigal, she wasn't just his sire, she was his love interest. So is she going to like try to lure him into the dark side again? So on and so forth.
Speaker 2:But I would give credit to the show, especially when it was aired. This was pre-internet. As a viewer, I had no knowledge what was in the box, what creature they were raising and doing the ritual for, and nor did I have any idea what impact she would have on the show. So there was no oh, rumors have it that this is going to happen or that is going to happen or this person will turn. No, at that point we had no idea and the show also nicely hid that by putting her credit at the end after the final scene that it said guest starring Julie Bens.
Speaker 2:And because of the way this episode was structured, it now moved it entirely into the serial nature of the storyline. Because if you watch the episode, absolutely nothing is wrapped up. And that's not a criticism Because technically, the only thing that was wrapped up was Cordelia's vision. Yes, she was curing up the psychosis and she is feeling better now, but other than that, absolutely nothing else was resolved. I mean, were they going to stay or were they going to stay in Cordelia's apartment from now on? We don't know this as of this episode. How is Lindsay going to react because of losing his hands? Were they going to do with Darla, so on. And that is not a criticism saying that nothing was wrapped up, because for a serial show you need to have plot threads. Still hate to move on to the next episode and the series is now making very clear that's what they're going to do at this point, which now leads us into the episode.
Speaker 2:The episode opens up with a shot of Los Angeles, which is hearkening back to the series premiere, which also opened with a shot of LA, though this time they got rid of the annoying voiceover. So unfortunately we didn't get to hear David do another cheesy film, noirish voiceover. But instead it moves on to Wesley, who is translating the scroll, and he is stuck on one word, an Shoe, because he comments the fact that the word is key to the entire proxy of Angel and he explains that the challenge is the fact that, well, it's over 4000 years old and has been written in over a dozen different languages, some of which weren't even human At that moment. Cordelia is also reading in the newspaper that Lindsay has just been promoted to a junior partner. Now the impression I get is this was from the way she holds up the newspaper is this took up half the front page that a guy at a local law firm has been made junior partner in this half of the front page in a Los Angeles newspaper. So, unless it was the Wolfram and Hart Times, it was a slow news day in Los Angeles, or Wolfram and Hart has got a lot of pull to be able to put that big of an article on the front page, but anyways.
Speaker 2:We then cut to a hooded preacher who is approaching Angel investigations from the outside. Angel was saying there senses his arrival and it's not some demon out to attack them or whatever. No, it's just David Nabid who is dressed in a cape and he explains that it was his night to be dungeon master and he came just to hang out with them, just to visit, because he liked them. And, as I mentioned, this entire conversation could have been cut out. I mean, once again, david Herman does a good job. He makes him nice, sweet, friendly. He generally liked the guy but he added nothing to the series.
Speaker 2:But while they're sitting there talking about nothing, the episode cuts over to a ritual day that is being conducted in a park. The ritual is the summoning of a demon who appears in a huge circle of flames. We find out later it's a Volka demon. The Volka demon then approaches the ones who arrange the ritual and turns out it's our favorite attorney, lindsay Lila and Holland Manners. Well, david is still talking to the gang about. Well, as I said, nothing. He eventually leaves and Wesley suddenly thinks he knows what Shanshu means. He translates the word and, unfortunately, he figures out that it means dead, which means that Angel is destined to die.
Speaker 2:As I mentioned before, wesley and Cordelia are understandably concerned. Angel, on the other hand, doesn't care. He is completely unmoved by it. But before they can get too much further, cordelia now has a vision. This is the first one that we've seen since I've got you under my skin, which was eight episodes ago, so it's been a while since that woman's had visions, or at least any that we know of. But in her vision she sees a homeless woman attacked by a slain demon at a waste treatment plant, pleasant location, and, as she said, what's with the scratch and sniff visions? Well, angel rushes off to fight the demon because it is a nothing big deal, it's something that he can handle by himself, and he wanted Wesley to help take care of Cordelia, which makes sense.
Speaker 2:Well, it cuts over to Wolfram and Hart and the Volka demon is chastising the entire trio for losing the scroll, because he said that the raising can't be done without it. And then, when he's told that Angel has the scroll, he then points out the irony, because the fact that they're wanting to raise the very thing that was designed to bring Angel to hell, and now Angel has a scroll which will prevent that from happening. So good job on there, bart, and he says that he'll take care of it. They should just sit back, because what he'll do is he will cut off Angel's connection to the powers that beat completely. And also, as a note, this is also the first reference we've had to the powers that beat since I will remember you. So, once again, number of returning appearances. Well, he then leaves with the two monks who are sort of his acolytes.
Speaker 2:Well, now it cuts to a crime scene where Tate arrives and this is also another return appearance, since it's her first one since Sanctuary and there are two cops there who are quietly mocking her for interest in other worldly matters because, like one of them said, sure she does pick up the radio waves on her grain chip. Well, when she walks up to them, looking sort of, in her own way, grizzled, you know, bitter. Well, the cops explain to her that there is something slimy that was dragging a homeless woman away. Obviously, this is the vision that Cordelia had, and she goes to investigate the crime scene by herself and as she walks down the alleyway she meets Angel who is comforting the homeless woman, and the woman comments about Angel killing the demon, and Cate is still extremely cold and distant towards Angel. None of the warmth that existed at the beginning of the series exists and she comments that she still holds him responsible for her father's death and doesn't concern him any different from the vampires who did the killing. And then she turns around and walks off Once again. They could have cut this because it doesn't add anything to the episode. She is not anything that was tying him to the powers that be or to this world, so they really didn't need it. And once again it just makes her character seem annoying.
Speaker 2:Well, the next morning, back at Angel Investigations, wesley is still studying the ancient texts and he is trying to find an alternate translation, hopefully one that says Angel isn't going to die. And at this point it's almost like he's going through the five stages of Greek denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. And at this point he's still in the denial phase of it because he's not willing to admit that Angel could die. So he is also moving slightly into bargaining, where he's hoping to try to find some other way of preventing the death. Well, Cordelia, on the other hand, argues that Angel faces death every day, so this isn't that big of a deal for him. When is he on the verge of dying, facing some very tough demon or whatever? Well, as Wesley points out that he's not even so much concerned about Angel dying, but he's really concerned about the fact that Angel doesn't care if he dies.
Speaker 2:Now, before I discuss that a little bit more, there was one piece of dialogue that was cut out at this point of the scene, which was Wesley saying the end death. What if the root was proto-anitolian, say from the Hittite? If it's Hittite, the root is really more like clothes and Cordelia clothes, as in Armani the Hittite. Wesley shoots her a look and Cordy I try to cheer people up and they give me that look, but the line that was kept in the episode is the following the fact that his death is prophesied, which isn't good news, doesn't concern me nearly as much as the way he took that news.
Speaker 3:What he didn't scream like a girl, as some of us would have Angel's called, angel's cut off Death doesn't bother him, because there's nothing in life he wants. It's our desires that make us human.
Speaker 2:And then also tying in with that is Cordelia's response.
Speaker 3:Cordia connects us to life as a simple truth, that we're part of it. We live, we grow, we change, but Angel, I can't do any of those things. Well, what are you saying, wesley? That Angel has nothing to look forward to, that he's going to go on forever the same in the world, but always cut off from it? Yes, well, that sucks. We've got to do something. We've got to help him. I'm not sure we can.
Speaker 2:Now, as this discussion is making very clear that unless you're a part of humanity and can relate to them, you can never learn to truly care about them. And this is going back to a whist, to Whistler's original purpose for seeking out Angel Coming, that Angel wasn't part of the world. And Doyle also brought up that point as well in the episode City of at the very beginning of the series, saying that eventually you won't care if you feed off a couple of them, because, hey, in the long run you're still ahead. And it is because of that fear of not being part of the world that will cause you to turn you back on something you can't relate to. Because, once again, if you don't really care about the world, then what do you care about saving it? And this ends up leading to an interesting question, which is if you want nothing, then would you care if you lose everything? Well, as it's made very clear that Angel isn't depressed, no, instead, he's emotionally cut off, and it's this lack of emotions that will also come up in season 2 when he breaks with the team and becomes very cold towards them, because once again, he's cutting them off. In that case, as we'll see when we get to those episodes. He's doing it almost out of protection for them, and we see that also briefly at the end of the series, when he does a similar bit again, by becoming almost not so much Angelus, but just becoming very cold and removed.
Speaker 2:Well, at this moment, though, after Wesley explains that, cordelia then says that they have to help Angel to try to become part of the world. Well, angel then comes up from his place below, and Angel and Cordelia explain their concern that he's cut off from life, and Wesley recommends that Angel insults oracles about the proxy, which Angel says he doesn't want to do. Well, at that moment it does cut to the oracles, who are making their first appearance and parting gifts, and they're busy chewing out the Volka Demon, whom they again refer to arrogantly as a lower being. Everything that comes to visit them is a lower being. Well, they also point out that the powers of darkness are now left across the threshold, and as they're lecturing him from behind his back, he produces a sigh. Well, before we can see what he's done to the oracles, it cuts over to Cordelia, who's walking through a street fair filled with street singers and merchants, and she's trying to find something that Angel can do to get him back in touch with reality. Well, also, walking through the fair is a Volka Demon. Now also, there is a street singer who's performing the song Time of Day by Grant Langston, and the portion that we hear of the song is the following Now, coupled with the lyrics I just want to draw attention to, which has actually a little bit of foreshadowing, so it's quite clear why they chose this song is the devil.
Speaker 2:He can't touch me because, brick by brick, I'm building my own hell, which is essentially what Angel was doing. Now, just as a side note here, it does say a lot about LA that a guy in a black cape, all black outfit and a mask gets zero notice by anyone. I'm assuming it's just because he's got almost a supernatural ability that nobody can see him. He's essentially invisible to everyone, as opposed to LA is so blasé. That creature like that is walking through and they just shrug, shrug it off, as you see all kinds here in LA. Well, it's very clear that he is stalking Cordelia, who makes a purchase of a set of art supplies for him. Now, it is very clear, based on the quality of his charcoal sketches that he did in the episode Passion of both Buffy and her mom, as well as Jenny Callender, that he does not know how to draw, so maybe art is not a bad thing to get him into because it's something that he likes.
Speaker 2:Well, after she makes the purchase, she's walking along and the Volka Demon walked by Cordelia and lightly brushes against her hand and she senses something, but she doesn't see him. It's at this moment she has her second vision of the episode, and this one people do notice. They don't notice the demon, but they do notice her having the vision, but they really don't do much other than just stay around and look concerned, which once again says a lot about the people in LA. Well, as she calls the angel, she has yet another vision attack, and then they start coming in waves and she sees people dying in flames and they are just coming at her again and again and again, more and more visions, and it's a whole series of them. And she falls to the ground in a fit which, once again, still no one rushes over to the woman who collapses on the ground, obviously worth anything, in agony. Well, she continues to have the vision again and again and again, each one even more agonizing. Only one woman rushes to her aid, while others just literally just walk around her a few maybe stop and look. But the others at least are nice enough to not walk on her and then say get out of my way, woman. No, they are nice enough to make a pathway around her. But now we do see in the nice overhead shot, because Cordelia is in dead center, it's a helicopter shot of swords looking down on her in the crowd all walking around her that up in the top left corner you almost don't even notice it is the Volka demon just strolling off. He's done his damage, he's good, he's gone.
Speaker 2:Well, it cuts the angel investigations that evening and the Volka demon, without any hesitation or difficulty, walks into angel investigations. Well, while there, angel is studying the scroll and the demon walks behind him without angel nosing or sensing him, make it be think that there is ability for him to sort of plow creatures in men's minds so as they don't even notice he's there. Well, angel locks the scroll inside the safe and he once again senses that something is off, but he can't quite tell what it is. Well, before he can investigate further, he gets a call, most likely from the hospital, about Cordelia and immediately rushes out of there and the Volka demon then just walks up to the safe and, without any difficulty whatsoever other than just a slight hard tug, breaks open the doors, takes out the scroll and leaves.
Speaker 2:Well, angel is rushing through the hospital hallway and, for the purposes of the episode, I will assume that when he entered the phone that they were saying it's LA Mercy Hospital or something like that, because otherwise it's a lucky thing he found it as quickly as he did consider. I looked up there's a hundred and seventeen Hospitals in LA County. So it's just like in previous episodes where they found the first cave they come to happens to be the right cave one. This case, the first hospital he goes to happens to be the right hospital. It's just his vampire abilities.
Speaker 2:Well, at this hospital he does ask for cold area and he hears her screaming from down the hallway because the vision attacks are still occurring and the doctors are saying that she's having a psychotic episode. Not a logical conclusion. Is there how she's acting and saying that they can sedate her? Now a few questions. The doctors say that she was given a CAT scan, though at, but the problem is she is thrashing around. She's not just screaming, she is writhing and thrashing and, as they point out. They are unable to sedate her. So how are they able to give her a CAT scan? Because anyone who has ever watched an episode of house Will tell you that you have to be completely still to be given a CAT scan. If you move at all, they can't take a reading. So if you have to be completely still, how the heck were they able to get a woman who was screaming at the top of her lungs and Riding around to get a CAT scan on her must be a really good CAT scan. Well, angel is trying to calm her down, but nothing is working.
Speaker 2:And, as I've mentioned before, david sold this scene very well because he had a look of complete helplessness, because he's got speed, he's got strength, he's got immortality. But even with all of that, there is still nothing that he can do to help Cordelia, somebody who is close to him, somebody that he said without thinking I'm family, because, as far as Cordelia is concerned, he is her only real family, not in a blood-sense course, but in an emotional closeness. And Also, just as another side note, technically, when a patient is in that much distress, family members are tend to be moved away because they would be getting in the way of the doctors and the medical person, and I'll just assume for the purposes of the episode, that two seconds after the scene ended, angel was also politely told you have to get back. So we do what we need to do and angel, I will assume, allowed them to do their work because they needed Cordelia to be saved. And since he can't do it.
Speaker 2:But meanwhile it cuts back to angel investigation, for Wesley is walking to the office carrying books and he sees that the safe is still hanging open. Look at him then cares a white we. Why even try to hide fact that it was broken open? Yeah, what he wanted. Well, angel looks and notices that the scroll is gone and walks away from safe. Well, at that moment angel is driving up to angel investigations and he parks her car and as he approaches, the building blows up. And I'll give credit to the episode. This was a very impressive Explosive effect and it has the right oh shit.
Speaker 2:Impact on the audience, especially on a show like this. We didn't have the largest of budgets. It was still very well done. Well, at this point, while angel wonders if losing Wesley Cordelia means you will have to turn that as and or as possible. New member of team AI. My Spidey sends a stinging. It must be time for a pop culture segment where I find every pop culture reference in the episode Compiled in a supercut and make heads or tails of what they are talking about.
Speaker 3:You're spider sense.
Speaker 2:Pop cultural reference Sorry.
Speaker 3:It's an ancient sacred text, not a magic eight. He sells his soul for 30 pieces of silver. I blow off my board directors. Kiss nights. My turn to be dungeon master. Any more shopping in the penny. Saver, enough with the scratch and sniff visions, luigi board. Oh yeah, break out the champagne, pinocchio a.
Speaker 2:Couple of the things I wanted to discuss that were in the pop culture. First of all, the line no more shopping at a penny saver. A few comments about what a penny saver is. A penny saver is a free community periodical that was available in North America as Typically a weekly or monthly publication that advertises items or sale. Frequently. Penny savers are actually called the penny saver, and it usually contains classified ads grouped into category. Many penny savers offer Also offer local news and entertainment was generic advice, information, various indicated or what we written, columns on various topics of interest, limited comics and Primetime TV listings.
Speaker 2:Now, the first penny saver was founded by Ralph sink Denny and his partner in Ohio and New York in 1948, and now the term is widely used in eastern North America, from Ontario through York, pennsylvania and Maryland. Well, there are penny saver cells, were and they're sometimes published by a Locally dominant daily newspaper as a brand extension of their publication and featuring advertisements Publishing the same style as the parent newspaper, and the penny saver was published in California. It was formerly owned by Hart Haint and its website, penny saver USA comm, was sold to open gate capital in 2013. The publication, though, did go out of business in 2015 and Open gate was subsequently sued for not providing proper notice before firing hundreds of employees and, as of May 2016, a group of former penny saver employees Resurrected the publication in Southern California's inland Empire in Northern Orange County. So it does exist even now and it has been referenced in other pop cultural sources, such as the movie Juno, where the main Title character searches for adoptive parents for an unborn child in the publication. It was also referenced in the Golden Girls, two and a half men, parks and Rec, as well as NCIS Los Angeles. Now, the other pop cultural reference I want to discuss is the title of the episode itself to Shanshu in LA. As we find out later, shanshu means not just death but also life. So when you take that the translation of Shanshu to mean live and die, the episode is a play on the phrase to live and die in LA. Now, at the beginning of the episode, I played the two-pack Shakur song to live and die in LA and since that song came out in 1998, this could have theoretically been referring to it, but due to the fact that the show still has somewhat a film noirish nature to it, I'm thinking the writers were more referencing the William Friedkin movie to live, died LA.
Speaker 2:And that movie is a 1985 American Neil Noir action crime griller that was written and that was co-written and directed by William Friedkin. It was based on the 1984 novel by a former US Secret Service agent, gerald Petrovic, who co-wrote screenplay along with Friedkin, and the film features William Peterson, of very early appearance by William Defoe and Also John Pankow among others. The title song from the movie was composed and Performed by Wayne Chung and the film tells the story of the lengths to which two Secret Service agents will go to arrest a counterfeiter. Played by William Defoe. Also appearing in early in their careers in the movie were John Turrell, gary Cole in an uncredited role, first first screen appearance in Jane Leaves who later did the TV series Frazier. The movie also featured Dean Stockwell and Robert Downey senior and the movie featured two iconic scenes, the first involving a chase in an airport Involved William Peterson running along the top of the dividers between the moving sidewalk at the LA International Airport, and the scene was shot on location in the actual airport and that scene got the filmmakers in the trouble with the airport police. In case any listeners want to try doing that stunt themselves, the airport had prohibited that action, meaning for Peterson's safety. But the actor told director William Friedkin they still wanted to try the stunt anyway. So the director posed that they treat it like it was a rehearsal but have the cameras rolling and shoot the scene, which did result in them getting the scene, but it also resulted in angering the airport officials. Now the other scene, which is even more iconic, involved a car chase going the wrong way on the LA freeway. Like the airport chase, this was also shot on location on the actual LA freeway and took six weeks to shoot.
Speaker 2:William Friedkin came up with the idea of staging the chase against the flow of traffic on February 25th 1963 when he was driving home from a wedding in Chicago. He fell asleep at the wheel and he woke up in the wrong lane with oncoming traffic heading straight for him. He swore to his side of the road and for the next 20 years wondered how he was gonna use that Nightmarish image in a film. Well, he told stunt coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker that if they could come up with chase better than the one he shot in the French connection, then it would be in the film. If not, he wouldn't use it. William Pearson did a lot of his own driving during the sequence and actor John Pankow stressed out Reactions and he in the back of the car were real.
Speaker 2:Three weekends were spent on sections of the Terminal Island freeway near William, wilmington, california, that were closed for four hours at a time to allow the crew to stage the chaotic chase. With delays. The film ran a reported $1 million over budget because of that. Well, adding in the chaotic feeling of the chase, william Friedkin staged it so that the freeway traffic flow was reversed, that is, that the normal traffic in the scene has the drivers driving on the left, in the left-hand lanes, as people drive in Britain, while the cars driving against the flow of traffic were driving on the right, as is done in the North America. The Car cheese has consistently been ranked among the best car chase sequences on film, often Peering alongside the French connection. Another William Friedkin directed film the seven Alps, blues brothers, ronan and Bullitts.
Speaker 2:Finally, the counterfeiting montage in the movie looks authentic because William Friedkin consulted actual counterfeiters who had done time. The consultant did the scenes that do not show what actor was on the phone on camera to give the sequence even much more Authenticity. Even though the actor weren't how to print money, over one million dollars of counterfeit money was produced, but with three deliberate error so that it couldn't be used outside the film. The filmmakers burned most of the fake money, but some did leak out and was used and leaked back to the production. The son of one of the crew members tried to do some the prompt money to buy candy at a local store and was caught. Three FBI agents from Washington DC interviewed 12 to 15 crew members, including William Friedkin, who screened the work print for them. He offered to show the film to the Secretary of Treasury and take out anything that was a danger national security, and that was the last he heard from the government.
Speaker 2:The movie opened on November 1st 1985 and made 3.6 million in its opening weekend, which is about 10.3 million today, placing its second behind death wish tree. It ended up making 17.6 million 50.3 million in today's dollars which was well above the six million dollar budget or seven point one eight dollars. On Ron Tomatoes the film holds a score of 88% from 51 reviews, with an average rating of seven point three out of ten. The site's criticals consensus reads with Coke beans, car chases and Wayne Chung good lore to live in diet LA is perhaps the ultimate 80s action thriller. Roger Ebert, the film critic for the Chicago Sun Times, gave the film four out of four stars and wrote that quote the movie is also first rate. The direction is he Friedkin has made some good movies and some bad ones. This is his comeback, showing the depth and skill of the early pictures. He went on also to praise actor William Peter said, a Chicago stage actor who comes across a tough, riary and smart. He has some of the qualities of a Steve McQueen. And Finally, the soundtrack, which continued the score by Wayne Chung, including the title song peek at number 41 in the US and the music video of the title song. Well, that was also directed by William Friedkin, who sadly passed away in August of 2023 at the age 87.
Speaker 2:Okay, but now back to the episode. Angel rushes into the burning wreckage looking for Wesley and for the second time this episode. He is frantic, not sure what has happened to another close friends, and he has a look of things are spiraling way beyond control. Well, fortunately, he does find Wesley, who was knocked unconscious, and carries him out the door. A short time later, fire and police show up and was he's being taken away via ambulance to a hospital and Again, just like with Cordelia, I love the look of complete helplessness from Angel.
Speaker 2:David Does a really good job selling this fear that he has, because at this point, he doesn't even know why this is happening to Cordelia. And was it because he has knowledge of the Volca Demon and is so? He doesn't know what he can do because he doesn't know why this is occurring. And Also, as the Volca Demon had mentioned at the beginning, what's happening is all of his connections to the world are being yanked from him in very brutal fashion. Well, that moment Kate appears and confronts him and he's about to leave. When she stops him saying that she's glad they're not Playing at friends anymore, how she's sick and tired about his ignoring of the law. Once again they cliched. I don't like your radical ways, angel, which we have seen in other cop movies and things like that, and it is annoying. And this is not a good scene because, as I said, for it makes her out to be a lousy top.
Speaker 2:It turns a witness handling because, unless she thinks Angel blew up his own Building which why would he? And that's we're gonna go for the insurance. He's a witness, not a suspect. It's one thing to think he killed this one human because he's a vampire? No, in this case it was his building that blew up. It was his friend who's being taken away to the hospital. So you would think, even if she is increased about vampires, he's still a witness and you might want to still talk to him Properly. Just the normal approach a cop would take towards a witness whose best friend might be dying from an explosion is sympathy and comfort, not straightened accusations, and so, in general, turns her from being an interesting character to a standard issue cop.
Speaker 2:An angel's response is more than justified. This isn't about the law, this is about a little thing called life. Now, I'm sorry about your father, but I didn't kill your father and I'm sick and tired of you blaming me for everything you can't handle. You want to be enemies? Try me. And you can't blame the guy for that response. His two best friends and the closest thing to he has, to a family, here in the hospital, is knowing who is doing this or why, and Kate is providing zero assistance and choosing now to be a complete, total bitch and blaming him for something that's not even his fault. So you can understand why he doesn't have time for any niceties or understanding towards her, so he just storms off, which, as I said, I'm on his side here.
Speaker 2:Well, it cuts over to the hospital and Wesley is laying in bed with Angel watching over him, looking concerned. Angel then heads over and visits Cordelia and they were apparently able to sedate her, because she is heaven with sedated, but the flashes are in case she is still having the vision. So unfortunately she's in her own private hell and she has a look of very heavy pain and agony and not at all able to rest. Really good, acting from charisma at this point, angel holds her hand and tries to comfort her when he then notices that there is a glyph on her hand. Well, with the drawing of the glyph, he goes to visit the oracles, hoping they can explain him what's going on. Well, he enters and he sees that unfortunately now I can be of much help, considering they've been brutally murdered and the voca, really not caring about anything, leaves the scythe there. I mean almost like hey, who cares if people figure out who did it.
Speaker 2:While Angel is looking over the corpses, the ghost of the female oracle does visit him and she says that the mark is of the demon who killed them, and she says it's a voca, warrior of the underworld, for those who like wordplay. Just like the title, shandru Living 9, la, the name Volca Demon, that was picked specifically because it's an anagram of the word Havoc, which is what the Volca Demon is instilling right now Havoc. But anyways, the female oracle explains that the Volca Demon wanted Angel weakened, so that's why he opened up Cordelia's mind to everyone who is helpless and in need. So she is getting all of LA, she is getting literally everyone thrown at her at once. And the female oracle says that Cordelia, because of this, won't last much longer and that the scroll is down the Volca's possession. And she then says that the only thing that can save Cordelia is the words of Anatole, and which will then remove the mark and stop the non-stop vicious that she's getting. And she finally then gives him one last clue, because of course, nothing from the oracles can really be said straight out, so she has to be someone oblique on the key point, which is she says that the Volca is there for the raising and, like so many, he hides behind man law. She then fades away and Angel grabs the side that leaves Well, cuts over to Milan's Italian kitchen where a gun and gang are receiving food donation for the group.
Speaker 2:Angel then drives up. And now, at this point, they've worked together a few times and, unlike Kate, the gun realizes that Angel is a good vampire, so no reason to antagonize. And so a result he's actually a lot friendlier and nicer, even well, first by telling his group to lower their weapons and then also joking with Angel about asking him if he's getting enough iron because he's looking a little pale. Well, angel though, understandably, is not really in the mood to joke, but this case he's not rude towards gun, because gun's not being a jerk. Guns is joking with him not realizing what's going on. Instead, he's just straight to the point because he has things he has to do, and he explains the situation very quickly. Gun, understanding the seriousness of it, agrees to provide protection to Wesley and Cordelia from the Volca demon, because he makes it very clear that yes, I understand, was what it's like to have to protect your people.
Speaker 2:Well, now it cuts over to a cemetery and inside of a crypt is a huge box being held down by a group of understandably confused and concerned vampire and Volca and the monks enter with them, chanting a ritual and part of the chant as it was written they shall pair the way and the very gate of hell shall open, that which is above shall tremble for that which is below shall arise and the world shall know.
Speaker 2:The beast shall know the world Intimidating. Well, elsewhere, the Wolfram and Hart attorneys, including Lindsay, lila and Holland, and a few other unnamed attorneys, are approaching the ritual, and I do like Holland's blasé attitude towards the ritual, making it very clear it's not the first wise ban. Now it says you never want to be on time for a ritual. The chanting, the blood rites, they go on forever, which I give credit to, just the attitude towards it. It reminds me just truly how evil this is, the fact that the sikhannic rituals are as dull and normal as office meetings for these guys. Well, angel is observing them from a distance, and now we get a nice bit of commentary on the personal stakes for Lindsay.
Speaker 3:I know you've covered all the bases here. Yes, sir, senior brightness are keeping a close watch on this. We don't want to let them do. We won't Remember when Robert Price let the senior partners down and they made him eat his liver. I don't know what made me think of that.
Speaker 2:What I like about her lying, though, is not just the fact that her live Stephanie Romanoff's delivery outfit, which is somewhat if you die, you die. You know it'll be a nice corner office for me, and so, once again, it's somewhat bitchy attitude, but in this case it's fun bitchiness as opposed to Kate, which was annoying, and also what this does is. It brings up how evil and sikhannic the firm is, with the reference to Robert Price having to eat his own liver, and it contains the dangerousness of working at Wolfram and Hart and how easily Lila is sticking towards it. Because Lila makes her comment about the liver, and in the same way, a person might say remember how someone was docked a weak pay, with little concern for the attorney or for Lindsay, where one would imagine, if he failed, something just as grisly for him would happen. Now one other piece of trivia about the line she makes reference to Robert Price, the attorney who had eaten his own liver. Robert Price was David Greenwald's assistant on Buffy. He later became associate producer on Angel and he did direct two episodes. I've got you under my skin and blood money. He also played the pizza delivery guy in the episode Fate, hope and Trick, the one that Mr Trick pulled in and had all the vampires feed on, and his name has also appeared in the notebook that Buffy used to list people voting for her in the episode Homecoming.
Speaker 2:Well, now back at the episode. The limos and moving van take off and Angel follows them in his car. It now cuts over to the crypt where the ritual continues and Wolfram and Hart attorneys enter and observe, and Volga stops while chanting because he senses Angel's presence. And he's not wrong, because after he sets the scroll on the crate and conjuring up another side, angel crashes through the window, also with his side, and the two of them start to fight. And while they're fighting, lindsay grabs the scroll and continues the ritual, now breaking into Latin.
Speaker 2:While the fight continues and during the course of the ritual, the five vampires are dusted, and it appears that it's the chant that is dusted and it's a part of the ritual. Now, this does explain the repeated references to the number five in the ritual chant Five or without breath, five or without time, five or without soul, five or without sun, five dead, and the five shall be a sacrifice. After each line, you hear the mumps respond with. Yet they live Well. Their dustings become a huge whirlwind of dust around the crate, which, especially for this time, is a very impressive effect again. So you can tell the series will save out their money for this episode. And the entire crypt is shaking and Lindsay keeps chanting Sergial. Sergial, which is, arise and is rolled back by a shot of power from the crate, knocking him unconscious, and the movers come in and get the crate quickly out of the crypt while the fight continues.
Speaker 2:Now, I mentioned this in the opening comments, but one thing I like about it is that for the bulk of this scene, the fight is secondary and the emphasis is on Lindsay doing the chant, because David Greenwald want to make sure that's what you should be noticing is Lindsay chanting and bringing whatever it is in the box back to life and so and shoves the fight to the background behind Lindsay, so you're almost at times, not even noticing it, and also making it very clear that this fight is not really to stop Angel per se, as much as it is just to keep him distracted, because, once again, the attorneys aren't really concerned about killing Angel at this point. They just want to bring this creature back, because as soon as they got that it's gone and Holland and the others leave Lindsay in the crypt unconscious, which also shows how they are. Lindsay finishes the ritual for them and they still desert him with absolutely zero concern for his safety, and they don't even make an attempt to get out, which would have been very easy since Angel was on the other side of the room while still in the fight. Well, the fight does continue and Volka proves that he truly is a warrior demon, considering he is more than Angel's match in the fight At various points could go either way, and this is a very well choreographed fight with a lack of obvious stunt double, showing that Angel, the series, has become much better than Buffy at fight scenes. Well, angel eventually gets the upper hand and pulls off Volka's mask, revealing maggots underneath which, when I saw it even again, I went eww, but very impressive makeup effects on Volka. Well then, angel then kills him with the side.
Speaker 2:At that moment, lindsay stands, grabs cross on a pole and points it at Angel, and Angel asks for the scroll, which Lindsay refuses. They confront each other and Lindsay does admit that he made the choice to serve Volka from in heart and that Angel's death is for polled, as were the events of that evening. And Lindsay even says you are the one with the power, or the power line, which is a reference to the concept of power, from blind date, and it is very clear that Lindsay is choosing the ones with apparent power. Well, lindsay also says that it was foretold that all of Angel's connections would be severed, including Cordelia's condition, and he then holds the scroll over a burning urn so that Angel could never have the cure for her situation. Angel, without pausing, immediately throws the side, slicing off Lindsay's hand Very nice move, by the way. Well, lindsay falls back in obvious and understandable agony and Angel then walks over calmly, picks up the scroll and just looks at Lindsay and says don't believe everything you are foretold. And I like the use of very heroic music at the moment of the severing and the grabbing of the scroll. Well, angel then walks out of the crypt, leaving Lindsay writhing, and after that it cuts over to the hospital and Lindsay is stealing the ritual to remove the mark from Cordelia, thereby curing her.
Speaker 2:And one note here, and that is the fact that Wesley's spoken words and the closed captions give two different versions of the ritual, almost implying that maybe the script had a different version originally. The spoken word, what we hear on screen from Wesley, and if the beast shall find thee and touch thee, thou shalt be wounded in thy soul and thou shalt know manness. The beast shall attack and cripple thee and thou shalt know neither friend nor family. But thou shalt undo the beast. Thou shalt find the secret words of Anatole and thou shalt be restored Three times shalt thou say these words unbind, unbind, unbind. Now, that's what Wesley was saying in Latin. This is what the closed captions gave. The sins of man shall inflame the earth and bring a great scourge. A fighting beast from hell will rise. The beast shall attack and cripple thee and shalt poison thee mind and body with its mark. But thou shalt undo the beast. Thou shalt take refuge in the holy words of Anatole, as handed down to him by the elder, and thou shalt be restored whole Three times shalt thou say these words unbind, unbind, unbind.
Speaker 2:But whichever words were used, a white flash does appear and Cordelia is cured. And Cordelia then looks up at Angel in comments that she saw everyone who needed help so many of them and how much pain they were in, and she says very sincerely that they have to help them. And, as I've mentioned a few times, this is a turning point for the character, because she now realizes that helping others is more than just a business venture, like it had been prior to that point, but a true polling. And she has to help them because they need help and not because they might be able to pay her. And what is interesting is, even at the beginning of the episode she was concerned with selfish items and life, money, fame. But now she wants to help because it's the right thing to do so a huge step forward for her character.
Speaker 2:Well, now in the epilogue it is now a few days later, not exactly sure how many All three are at Cordelia's place with her making snacks for them. And Wesley is still studying the scroll to see what Wolfram and Hart were raising during the ritual, say at one point, the beast of El Malfi, a razor-toothed, six-eyed, harm-watured death. And that's due to rise in 2003 in Cida. And it is a shame that when the series got to the year 2003 that they did do a very deep, deep cut callback and actually have that happen in either C's four or five. Well, cordelia, feeling much better and much more chirpy, is serving both of them snacks. She gives Wesley a sandwich, an angel a cup of blood, and she even says that she even refers to herself as family, showing their mutual bond.
Speaker 2:Now Both Wesley and Angel are startled, understandably, and not sure how to react to a far more mature, far less self-centered version of Cordelia. But she does comment that it was the visions that changed her, because she is aware of what is out there and what their true purpose is. And her final comment, though, is still very Cordelia-esque I know what's out there now. You have a lot of evil to fight, a lot of evil, a lot of people to help. I just hope skin and bones here can figure out what those lawyers raised sometime before the prophecy kicks in and you croak. That was the old me, wasn't it? Which one's good for his way of carbonator cells at.
Speaker 2:And Wesley then realizes that he made a tiny mistake when he was doing the original translation, because he explains that chanshu from ancient languages means both life and death, because the ancient race is considered life and death means really part of an overall cycle and so ultimately means that Angel will get to live until he dies. So the translation is that eventually, someday, he will become mortal and human, and it will be done once he fulfills his destiny, and humanity will be his reward. Wesley does make it clear that there will be many steps for him to get there, such as the coming darkness, apocalyptic battles, a few plagues and many fiends that will be unleashed. Well, angel, who is not Blase but still tries to write it off because he says don't break out the champagne just yet, he does admit that is a big deal and, unlike the beginning of the episode now, he has a goal to war towards it and he sees that there is a light at the end of a very distant tunnel.
Speaker 2:Well, for the final scene, it cuts back to Wolfram and Hart and the crate is sitting in the middle of a heavily locked office. There is a metal gate in fact, instead of a door, and growls are coming from inside of the crate. Lindsay, with his arm and hand bandaged and in a sling, as well as Lyle and Hotlin, enter the room and Hotlin comments that Lindsay sacrificed Blase knows by the senior partners and that they will even the score with Angel and they will begin with what is in the box. Lyle then approaches the box very cautiously and speaks in very soothing and calm tone and the camera pans in slowly and we see that it is Darla, looking extremely scared and confused, and her behavior, her growling and her look of fear and confusion is reminiscent of Angel's return in Faith, hope and Trick and also Beauty and the Beast. At this point, they then show Jolie Benson's name as a surprise appearance, and well, actually they introduce her as special guest star and the episode ends, which now leads us to our favorite kills slash lines.
Speaker 3:The Order of Taraka. I mean, isn't that overkill? No, I think it's just enough kill.
Speaker 2:Well, for kills, we actually had the most number of deaths since the episode the Prodigal, because for Angel he killed a slime demon. Technically it was off screen but it was during the course of the episode and the homeless woman makes it very clear. He did kill it, so I'll give him credit. And then, of course, he did kill the Volka demon. Speaking of the Volka demon, the Volka demon got in his desk. By killing both the oracles and the ritual itself I'll just say ritual managed to wipe out five vampire handlers all at the same time. So that brings our kill total for the series at this point Up to 34 and a half for Angel, half for Wesley, one for Gun, 59 for everyone or everything else, which now takes us up to 95 deaths. My favorite killed episode would have to be the Death of the Oracles because, first of all, it established how dangerous Volka was because he easily killed seemingly immoral creatures and also the brutality of it raised the states of the episode because he did it in a single-minded fashion, came in there for a reason, quickly accomplished it, probably in standard of making too much conversation with the oracles and, as I mentioned before, just like the Death of Colin, the Anointed One in school hard. This was a turning point for the series. They had to kill off the oracles, not just for the purpose of this episode but to signify now we're moving in a new direction and come judgment, or given a new sort of consultant link for him to use somebody much less annoying and in fact much more popular, and that is our favorite Greenskin Cruiner Lord. And so if we had to lose two oracles to give us Lord, I'll gladly take that trade any day of the week.
Speaker 2:So now for the favorite line, and my favorite line is this as I mentioned before that this goes into one of the big themes of the episode, which is that without any desires, no matter what they are, we have no reason to push ourselves. And in fact this is proven by science, because in one landmark study they showed that lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than even obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. And on the other hand, strong social connections lead to a 50% increased chance of longevity, strengthens your immune system and the research shows that genes impacted by loneliness also code for immune function and inflammation. And also the strong social connections will help you recover from disease faster and maybe even lengthen your life. So, as a result, people who feel more connected to others have lower level of anxiety and depression.
Speaker 2:Moreover, studies show they also have a higher self-esteem, greater empathy for others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them. In other words, social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being, which this episode plays upon very much, because it's his social connections that he was losing. It was making him feel helpless and is what Angel needed to move forward. Well, that's it for this week's episode. In the next show I will play the following episode.
Speaker 3:Can you fly? Guess not. You know there's a lot of people in this city need help. Oh, I'm not good with people, I'm sure about that. Oh my god, angel, are you still? Yeah, there's not actually a cure for that.
Speaker 3:Well, I know what to do. I'm honestly not sure I get visions. Name, a face, a one name, because you got the pench Angel Investigations we hope to hopeless. Fine, don't you get tight profile? This is the business and we need to start running it like when you think it's right to ask people in trouble for money. Well, sooner or later we are gonna have to help some rich people, right, I'm a dwarf in the heart.
Speaker 3:It's our job to make sure that our clients live when we're smooth. Amazing. Yes, sir Angel, he's proven to be a possible liability. I told you he wouldn't be easy. He can't be bothered. Apparently, he can't be killed, even by a vampire slayer. That was so cool. Remember how it used to actually dig. So you're an angel, ma'am detective. Now what's that? A vampire goblin? You want me to war Drop? This is it? You don't know who he is, do you? Oh boy, you're about to get your ass kicked. Hello, angel Leslie here. Demon-hunter Role demon-hunter, defeat Christ. Am I intimidating? As vampires, though you're pretty cuddly On the same side, I'm after this guy too. Tell me where you're best together, more or less.
Speaker 3:Does he have a hat and gun? Just thanks, that's life. That's where it picked me. I can't make up for the past. You've got to read the diction to the brooding part of life. I know what I'm about to tell you Once or twice.
Speaker 1:You were dealing with forces of real power. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I'm not going to tell me right now.
Speaker 3:It's not about fighting gadgets and such. It's about your own mother's love and hope still left in this world, Not just saving lives, but saving souls. That's what's important. Your lives are so meaningful, so exciting. You fight demons At any moment. One of them could walk right through that very door.
Speaker 2:I will continue my retrospective with a wrap-up of the first season, discussing overall what worked, didn't work and the highlights of season. So join me as I discuss the best characters, line kills, moments, episodes and other matters. So join me, stephen, for the next episode of Wolfram and Cast. If you wish to reach out to me with any questions or comments, you can reach me on Facebook, instagram or Twitter at Wolfram Cast, or email me at WolframCastcom. Feel free to write to me and I might read your comments or emails on the air. Please leave me a rating and review and be sure to press subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, wherever you get your podcast entertainment.
Speaker 1:But for now, we're making runaway the paradise, but I am having some divisive fun, but it's just I can't get in. I'm having some fun, but it's just I can't get in.
