30 Days of TV Meme - Day 07

[xlivvielockex]

I am going to be FULL of unpopular opinions today. I know that most people in the fandom are like "She" is the worst episode ever but I'm totally going against the grain here. There is a worst episode imho in season one and it's personally one of my least favorites.

Eternity.

Yup. I said it. Sure it has Angelus but you have to wait 43 freaking minutes before he shows up. And those 43 minutes is like some kind of stale diatribe about the Hollywood machine. News flash, you're a part of it. It's not a stunning commentary or a satire. It comes off like some whiny I didn't get my way letter to Hollywood. And the whole oh, a chemical that produces happiness. Really? I mean...REALLY? Do I need to say more about that? I am all for Angelus, seriously, but couldn't they have come up with something better than that?

And my runner-up is sooooooo going to be the one that gets people talking.

Smiletime.

I know so many people like it and in the sea of subpar episodes that is S5, it's better than some. But it's one long sight-gag. Oh! Let's turn Angel into a puppet! Again, it's so childish and it's not even good at being childish. The thing is, it could have been brilliant because so many Angel watchers grew up with Seasame Street. But instead of really hitting some interesting points, it's like an extended version of Tosh.0's How Many Comments segment. It's how many jokes can we make about Angel being a puppet in 48 minutes? It is a filler episode, plain and simple, and not even a clever one at that. It doesn't fit with the overall tone of Angel. I think Buffy could have done a puppet episode but in Angel, it just comes off out of place. I really think it was an episode meant to get the Buffy fans excited and talking, rather than please the Angel fans.




Day 01 - A show that never should have been cancelled (Starved)
Day 02 - A show you wish more people were watching (Nurse Jackie)
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season) (Glee)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever (Angel)
Day 05 - A show you hate (Jersey Shore)
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show (Can't decide!)
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show (Eternity and Smiletime)
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death

Comments

[nikkiwawa79.livejournal.com]

I applaud this whole post! I totes wished they came up with a better idea to unleash Angelus, in this episode. The best part of the episode was Charisma in those red leather pants.

Smiletime? I admit, puppet!Angel was adorable but it was a dump episode. Was DB out with the knee surgery during this episode? Is that why they came up with this idea so all he had to so was a voice-over? I'm trying to see the reasoning for this episode.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

So DB is out with knee surgery, let's just say that is the case (I don't know either way for sure) how about we say Angel is at an important conference in Timbuktu and we write an episode that focuses on the OTHER members of Angel Investigations? Oh yeah, cause that would be decent writing and like I said, when it's bad, the writing is horrifically bad. Like my personal hell will be having to watch the bad writing of ATS.

[ladysophiekitty.livejournal.com]

I AGREE!

The entire puppet episode I was rolling my eyes and cringing. After all the good things I'd heard about it, I was disappointed.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of baffled of why it is a fandom favorite. I think because people are so enamoured of the concept of Puppet!Angel.

[impetusofadream.livejournal.com]

I love Puppet!Angel but that episode honestly was terrible. I just kept shaking my head and saying to myself *focus on Puppet!Angel, focus on the awesome that is DB all shrunk down and and angry and made of felt..* yeah it didn't work.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

I think that is what they were depending on tbh. That people would focus on this gimmick of Puppet!Angel and ignore the fact that the episode is just one long played out joke.

[impetusofadream.livejournal.com]

So I'm a lemming. Waht else is new?

Oh oh so question. So you know how today's supposed to be least fav. Well my least fav is the series finale....but isn't that pretty much the same thing they're asking you to talk about on Day 26? Or I just confused again (like always)

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

I think that means you have one less day you have to worry about. LOL You can just use the same answer. :)

[impetusofadream.livejournal.com]

YEAH!!!!!

[leobrat.livejournal.com]

I'm actually surprised that your least favorite isn't Rain Of Fire...

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

The writing isn't bad on that and it's a pretty crucial part to move the plot forward. Yes, I hate hate hate the ConCord stuff and my heart aches for Angel, if I put shipper/char feelings aside, the episode is decent. It has some great shots and interesting directing so I can pass because it tries.

Eternity and Smiletime, they don't even *try*

[yazizzle33.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen "Smiletime" yet, but I have to agree with "Eternity." That one, "She," and "I will always remember you" are the three least favorite episodes of mine, at least in the first season. "Eternity" just grated on my nerves, and I really disliked that actress lady (whose name I now forget). Yes, I loved Angelus and I liked the C/Aus scene, but it took wayy too long to reach that point.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

Another unpopular opinion but She isn't that bad to me. Bai Ling can't act, which I think is why people hate it. But the message, the writing, it's pretty decent, imho. I can look past the awful Bai Ling because again, they were trying. It wasn't some hamfisted parable or a sight gag.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

I liked She. As episodes go, we could do worse (and my God, we have). I liked the Agency bits, and funny enough, I liked the scene where her thingie glows and Angel is clearly turned on. Because it shows that the world of women is opening for Angel, other possibilities. And because Angel looks so damned hot when he's turned on. Guh.

[yazizzle33.livejournal.com]

Sight gag LOL! I have to admit, it is Bai Ling that makes me dislike the episode, but the story is good. I just can't get past her bad acting. Meh, it's on the rewatch list so I might change my opinion.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

I usually skip most of Eternity and pick up after Rebecca the Actress runs off while Cordy and Wes face Angelus. Love that my girl totally pwned the Scourge of Europe. Call her a bad actress, will he?

I was happy I had stopped watching after hearing about Smiletime.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

Honest to god, that is the only way I think people can get through Eternity. They FF it all, get to Angelus and then are like oh yeah! it has Angelus! This episode rocked. LOL

Lucky lucky. I was still taping at that point so I could roll my eyes and FF past things. In all my rewatches, I only rewatched S5 once.

[samsom.livejournal.com]

Out of all the problems that all of the DiDs on AtS had, Rebecca's was the single most eye rolly. Fear of aging, not skinny enough. Not pretty enough. OMG. Kill it with fire.

[dacian-goddess.livejournal.com]

Honestly, most of Eternity is craaaap, but it's brilliantly made up for with C/Aus facing off, and I do like what I took away from it. Using a chemical as a plot device was cheap, absolutely, but it gave a nice illustration that Angel uninhibited == Angelus. Another one of those nice departures from the steadfast b&w-ness that characterised BtVS.

(Side note, they could have come up with a better name for the roofie, if they were going ahead with the chemical avenue. Easily confused with Doximal, a malaria prevention drug.)

Puppet!Angel was a cute gimmick, but a gimmick nonetheless, and that carries a very low life expectancy. There were one or two little gags that worked, but the rest got old fast. After that, obvious filler was obvious.

But as you said, it is s5 and you're at the point where you take what you get and like it. ;P

I think Buffy could have done a puppet episode

1) So true

2) I suddenly have an image in my head of the Destructo-Ray thing turning Buffy into a puppet by completely uncharted nerd!fail accident.

[angryscientist.livejournal.com]

Using a chemical as a plot device was cheap, absolutely, but it gave a nice illustration that Angel uninhibited == Angelus. Another one of those nice departures from the steadfast b&w-ness that characterised BtVS.

That plot point alone makes me love the episode.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I think that having to sit through 40 minutes of crap to get to one plot point really just helps to illustrate what a bad episode it was deep down. I think they could have done that, shown that, without the ham-fisted "Hollywood is bad!" tripe.

I mean, this coming from the guy who casts actresses who look like they could use a cookie and some estrogen, you know? LOL

[angryscientist.livejournal.com]

OK, don't go bashing Puppet!Angel! Puppet!Angel/Spike and Puppet!Angel/Lorne were pure awesome.

The episode, IA, was terrible. Oh lord, the Nina pimpage. Always skip through the parts of the episode that don't have felt.

I like Eternity tho, sorry ;)

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

I think that kind of illustrates my point about the episode. Take away the felt, what do you have? Nothing. It relies entirely on a bunch of jokes strung together and no real plot.

[almostfamous90.livejournal.com]

OMG, I agree with this! There were other "Angel" episodes that I didn't like, too, but yeah... those two were definitely not my faves. And I like how you mentioned that "Smiletime" could have been BRILLIANT - but I think by then, the writers were just running out of steam. I hated season four, and season five was only slightly better. I hated the whole Angel-working-with-W&H thing they had going, just didn't seem like something Angel would have done - but the show got screwy after the whole Darla getting pregnant thing. It was weird.

Anyway, I could go on and on. "Smiletime" had a few funny lines, but you're right; it just didn't seem to fit with the overall theme of the show. Would have been better for "BtVS." I just wanted to let you know how I agreed with you. haha

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks. It always nice to have people agree with me. LOL But again, you're right. The writing really started to suffer without David Greenwalt. And Angel S5 is like BTVS Part Deux instead of being it's own show. So many episodes in that season could have been perfect BTVS episodes but didn't work in the ATS world.

[jessm.livejournal.com]

I've been reading through your old responses to this meme, and the fans' opinions on Angel are ALL over the place! Naturally, opinions on episodes and characters will vary greatly between fans, but generally I've found that a bad season, while likely enjoyable, is still considered bad. For Angel, I've read that seasons three and four are terrible, but season five is great. I've also heard that season five sucks, too, yet the series went out on a high note. Then I have one friend who LOVES season four. I'm, like, "What's with this fandom!?" LOL. My goal at this point is to basically love all of it, but I'm only on 2x10, so we'll see how that goes. :P

I've only disliked one episode so far: "I Fall to Pieces." I got that the messages in both "She" and "Eternity" were way too heavy-handed and obvious, but I didn't mind either of them. I personally loved "Eternity," and I'd watch "She" again. They both had redeeming qualities, I thought.

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

I think you will find that with any fandom. I'm in a few and the fan opinions are always all over the map. I mean, there are episodes that are regarded as the best and characters fans like but there is no consensus, only a majority.

Now me, personally, I HATE the fifth season because it didn't feel like Angel in the slightest. They took the heart of the show and tried to replace her with Spike, Harmony, and Eve. It didn't work. I think a lot of die-hard Buffy fans like S5 because it was lighter but the hard-core Angel fans don't seem to.

At least, that has been my experience. I mean, if I had to choose to keep my Angel DVDs over my Buffy DVDs, it would be Angel. Those kind of fans (like myself) didn't care much for S5 from what I have seen.

But again, fandom is ALL over the place. :)

[jessm.livejournal.com]

I think you will find that with any fandom.
Absolutely. I guess I'm just bitter because this show ROCKS, and almost every single person on my friends list has a strong but nondescript reason for hating it. It's constantly overshadowed by every other Joss Whedon series. Partially understandable, but not fair!

In the middle of season three (I'm on 4x08 now), I decided I was going to finish AtS without finishing Buffy first because I do not want Spike on this show, and I don't understand how/why he fits in at all. I'm hoping if I don't watch what happens to him on Buffy, I'll mind his character less. I've liked each season more than the previous one. I've heard that the tone of the series changes a lot in S5, and I really don't want to end up disliking this show, so I'm preparing myself.

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm in the "I hate season 5, aka Buffy: LA Unit" camp as well...:( And I agree that it seems BTVS > ATS fans are more likely to say ATS season 5 is the best over fans of the rest of the series, who like ATS better--which I think is telling...

(And that's my last random serial comment on your old meme for the night, lol, late responses are late!)

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

I actually love that you went back and commented on stuff. I think that is so awesome. :)

[sherrilina.livejournal.com]

I agree about disliking Smiletime, though for me it's also because of the ugh Angel/Nina stuff (IDK Cordy's been dead like what, one episode, and you're already focusing on getting Nina to be your girlfriend? Please) and Wes/Fred (which I personally found to be too fast/rushed in this epp)....

As for Eternity, I actually liked it alright, I certainly wouldn't call it a least favorite for me (mine was Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco), because it has some great scenes like Angel and Wes at Cordy's rehearsal (LMAO) and Cordy's reactions to the actress and Rebecca/Angel are priceless....I also liked the little hint that she might like him more than a friend when she's all offended at Wes's comment about the odds of Angel finding true happiness with an actress...

[xlivvielockex.livejournal.com]

Everytime someone lists Smiletime as a favorite episode, I just want to RAEG! It's like clearly they are in the camp that came over from BTVS. It really sucks to be the least popular show in a fandom that lumps them all together. That is why I still hate to this day that Angel was a spinoff. No respect. At all.

Eternity has good points but really, it's not enough for me. The good doesn't outweigh the bad to me. :)