Grimm: The Inheritance

"If I didn't know you better if be in love with you..."

This is a bit of a bombshell; an old dying Grimm, played by Holland Manners off of Angel (Sam Anderson) can't pass all his stuff on to his normal son, so is desperate to bequeath it to Nick before the Royal-aligned baddies get it. And amongst these goodies is a key, another part of the map to the buried MacGuffin from the Sack of Constantinople, which our Scooby friends acquire at the end. Oh, and it's the season finale next week.

Meanwhile, Trubel seems to be delightfully awkward and teenage, exhibiting no social graces whatsoever. There are hints towards her past, a past of being disbelieved and thus slow to trust. She's a very interesting character.

While the plot proceeds as cat and mouse, finding the necessary pretexts for Nick and the old man not to meet and throwing in a bit of action while it's at it, Rosalie goes a bit mad with wedding stress although, of course, obviously nothing bad is going to happen. 

And then Adalind strikes. Getting inside Nick's and Juliette's home, she is caught by Renard but quickly renders him unconscious. Ensconced in their home, she brews a potion which makes her look exactly like Juliette...

These last few episodes are exciting and bloody good. Finale next...

Forrest Gump (1994)

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get."

I didn't want to like this film. I assumed it had a passively conservative agenda in that the homespun wisdom of the Deep South is a much better guide for life than those pesky liberal intellectuals. And yes, there is a bit of that. And it's not necessarily a good thing to imply that success comes to those who morally deserve it as it does to Forrest- it doesn't. But I liked it anyway. I may be a Guardian reading type and Lib Dem voter (though definitely not on Clegg's wing of the party), but I hail from the reactionary, UKIP voting rural East Midlands and, while most of my fellow denizens of this region may average some decidedly right wing views, I'm definitely proud of where I come from. Eh up, me duck.

All of which is to say that I rather enjoyed this film and I think it would be churlish to knock it for it's fairly passive conservative slant. In any case, I'm wary that I haven't read the novel on which the film is based. So let's actually talk about the film, shall we?

Firstly, Tom Hanks is superb, evoking both humour and pathos in a way that reminds one of the great Charlie Chaplin.

His choice of scripts may often leave something to be desired, but as an actor he's one of the best that Hollywood has to offer. And the film is fun, riffing enjoyably on its Zelig concept to insert Forrest into footage of the likes of John Lennon and any number of American presidents. It is, perhaps, an example of a post-Cold War America, in the middle of the "End of History" era, looking back fondly over its most recent tumultuous decades of counterculture and Vietnam. 

Forrest's homespun philosophies are, of course, silly, and the film could be accused of naïveté in having it's mentally subnormal star end up rich and successful because he's nice. But one can also, if one tries hard enough, see there an existential acknowledgement of the absurdities of life and fortune, and I tried very hard indeed. The film is worth a look and great fun, even for those of us wary of possible conservative overtones.

Angel: Reprise

"You know... I've... Well, I really couldn't help but notice the goats. Yeah, a lot of goats. Goats, many. Those are goats, guys!"

After watching this rather witty and excellent episode, it’s easy to see Angel’s recent character development as a metaphor for addiction. This is the episode where he hits rock bottom. It’s not just Angel, though. Kate gets fired from the job that is her life and, devastated, overdoses on pills. Meanwhile, Wesley, Cordy and Gunn realise that life without Angel is not so easy as a fraudulent client refuses to pay. Compared to these genuine misfortunes, Angel’s “hitting rock bottom” is somewhat more abstract. The climax, however, hints that his resulting relapse may have devastating consequences. Oh, and this is one of the episodes that I vividly remember from my original, blog-free marathon of Buffy and Angel, a very scary ten years ago.

It’s not just Angel and his erstwhile friends who have problems this episode; Wolfram and Hart has it’s highly plot-convenient seventy-five year review, which is causing the most fear amongst its employees since the “purge of ‘68”. Do you think that Lilah and Lindsay might feel a little bit worried?

Kate, too, has consequences to face up to, as her employers finally want to know why she is spending all her time at work pursuing her own hobbyhorses at the expense of her job. What’s tragic here is, although Kate’s superiors are wrong to assume that the supernatural does not exist in LA, this doesn’t really matter. Kate really is losing it in exactly the way they suggest, as she goes to prove in the most tragic way possible. Tragically, I genuinely can’t remember whether she lives or not.

One thing with watching Buffy and Angel back to back is that one notices those little awkwardnesses of continuity. For example, why should Darla be so much more affected by Angel’s little bit of pyrotechnics than Drusilla? Nevertheless, I’m not sure it’s wise of Lindsay to be illegitimately sheltering her at a time like this. W&H employees are cacking themselves about the review to the extent that the Host’s karaoke bar is absolutely full of people in suits. It’s a depressing time for everyone.

Wesley, himself at a low point, is dumped by Virginia. It’s clear that the business that he, Cordelia and Gunn have set up is not working without Angel as its focal point. Angel is too interested in his own obsessive pursuit of Wolfram and Hart, which reaches a climax this episode. Angel gets the guided tour from none other than the late Holland Manners, whose contract seems to extend beyond death. The big reveal here is that the senior partners are in fact humanity itself, or rather the evil that lies within. As a concept, this isn’t anywhere near as deep as it seems to think it is, but as a character point it works brilliantly. Angel is convinced by this that there is no point to anything and he might as well just shag his brains out with Darla. As we know, however, there are consequences to this sort of thing.

Angel, awakening from his night of meaningless sex, feels himself changing. Oh dear…

 

Angel: Blood Money

“It’s actually kind of fun when you know the rules. I mean, you know there aren’t any.”

This is an interesting period of the season, with Angel having adventures separately from the gang. They continue to tread water in setting up their agency, something which seemed to be established last time. Angel, meanwhile, continues his single minded pursuit of Wolfram and Hart plus a certain two vampire ladies.

We start with Wesley and Gunn playing risk at Cordelia’s, doing nothing. The gang has no plan, no office, nothing. But they succeed magnificently against a conveniently off-screen baddie and end up with a new office, albeit one that isn’t as posh as the Hyperion. So much for them. They’re comic relief in this episode.

As far as Angel is concerned, his new attitude is challenged when he comes face to face with Anne, who has changed many times since we first met her in Buffy. Her latest persona is that of a single minded charity worker, who cares deeply about the homeless children to whom she is dedicated, to the exclusion of all else. She cares not that Wolfram and Hart will be taking 95% of the cash from the charity ball they arranged. Nor does she give a monkeys that this may be used for deeply nefarious purposes. For her, nothing exists beyond the cause. Her social conscience may be myopic, but at least she has one. Angel has no social conscience at all right now.

Angel’s scheme may be clever, cool, and knocked down Wolfram and Hart a peg or two, but it is deeply cynical. Angel doesn’t even bother to expose them, knowing that this will be covered up, and he wishes to do nothing more than rattle them a bit. Still, at least he’s sufficiently affected by Anne’s scolding to hand over the money to her, which she gladly accepts despite the literal blood on it. That’s single mindedness for you! This episode contrasts single mindedness in the cause of others (Anne) and single mindedness for selfish purposes (Angel), and it’s clear which is morally better.

Of course, we get more competition between Lilah and Lindsay, ending in an interesting bit of information from their new boss, that Angel is a “major player” in the forthcoming apocalypse. The prophecies do not detail what side he is due to be on, so our evil lawyer friends seek to darken his soul, seemingly with some success. Lilah and Lindsay, they will be reassured to know, are just expendable foot soldiers in this cause. This may be something of an episode of the week, but there is a lot of arcy stuff going on in the background.  

Angel: Reunion

“Spank us till Tuesday, we promise to be bad if you do!”

I had the same thought Gunn did. Drusilla is now her own grandmother’s mother. That’s a bit weird. And it gets weirder. Angel firing Cordy, Wes and Gunn is a shock, as much to us as to them. The bulk of the episode revolves, of course, around the wonderful Drusilla and Darla, who are great together. Is it me, or is Drusilla not far, far more entertaining here than she ever was in Buffy? I’m just loving her.

The main shocking event, of course, is the massacre in which Holland Manners and all of his underlings, seemingly, snuff it at the hands of our two vampirettes. This is, at the same time, a bit of a shock and predictable in hindsight. One can’t help thinking, of course, that this may have been part of Wolfram and Hart’s plans all along.

The most shocking fact about the massacre, though, is that Angel just stands by and lets it happen. He cynically spits Manners’ words back at him, saying that he “just can’t seem to care”. As Wesley says at the end, he’s in danger of “real darkness”. He’s very, very alone right now, and that does not seem a safe place for him to be.

Suddenly, all the certainties are gone. It feels as though anything could happen.

Angel: The Trial

“You’ve been reading too much Anne Rice”

This episode is evil. I love it. The trials may be a bit of a cliché; in fact, they’re even an Angel cliché, given the number of times that this has popped up. But this is different. I love the butler with his unflappable attitude to the nastiness, and the twist is deliciously evil. Angel goes through hell and yet it’s all for nothing. Darla has already had a second chance, so she doesn’t get a third. I laughed out loud.

We have another interesting flashback showing Angelus and Darla once again afraid of the mysterious Holtz. Watch this space. But the episode primarily concerns the revelation that Darla is dying of the same syphilis as her previous life. This, in itself, is an evil twist. As if things couldn’t get any more evil, the episode ends with Darla accepting her fate and realising that Angel loves her and is only refusing to sire her because he cares for her soul. Finally she has closure. Deliciously, it is at this point that Wolfram and Hart, those rascals, send in Drusilla to once again turn her into a soulless vampire. As I say EVIL!

Angel: To Shanshu in LA

"It's just a prophecy. It's not like it came from on high!"

Interesting parallel, isn't it? The fourth season of Buffy ends with an epilogue, while the first season of Angel ends with a prologue. All sorts of stuff for next season is being set up here. Obviously we have the resurrection of Darla by Wolfram and Hart, who are not clearly the Big Bad of the series, but Cordelia has learned empathy, the Oracles are dead, Gunn is looking more and more like a series regular, and…. Angel is apparently going to become human.

It's impressive how confidently this episode judges such a jumble of characters and tones. One moment Angel and co are having an hilariously awkward conversation with billionaire nerd David Nabbitt (although I have to wag a finger at the negative stereotyping of tabletop role-players here!), another moment Angel's home has been blown up and both Cordelia and Wesley are in hospital. There are some nice short scenes, too. I like the confrontation between Angel and Kate, where he finally lets her have a piece of his mind. Kate's aversion to demons because of her father was understandable up to a point, but there comes a point where we have to say that a line has been crossed and she's being racist. I'm not sure if the subtext is intended, but this made me think of people who live in poverty and vote for far right parties out of misdirected rage. Here's hoping Kate gets back over the line. Signs are not good, though; she's become a subject of mockery because of her obsession with the supernatural.

Lindsey, meanwhile, is now a junior partner with Wolfram and Hart, with a massive salary; he's chosen his side and taken his "thirty pieces of silver." His general competence is still somewhat questionable, mind; I'm not sure why sacrificing a hand is quite able to atone for that, but I suppose he does ensure that the spell to resurrect Darla is completed. Still, all he actually achieves is to clear up after his own mess. And the delightfully evil Lyla and Holland Manners are much cooler as baddies. Cooler still is this week's disposable baddie, Vocah, whose metal mask conceals a face halfway through the process of being eaten by maggots…!

Cordelia's realisation that there's so much pain in the world is sort of a return to a perennial theme dating back to when she first got her visions; it'll be interesting to see how long this newer, nicer Cordelia lasts. Wesley is once again shown to be conscientious, loyal, and rejuvenated with a real sense of purpose. He's grown so much since he first joined Angel.

But the main revelation concerns Angel. When it seems that the prophecy foretells his death, he's unbothered; he has no desires, no pleasures, no prospect of reward. Life for him is nothing but atonement. He's detached from the world, and has no stake in it, as we learn rather hilariously through a rather brilliant sequence of exposition through comedy. Indeed, there's something nicely meta in the suggestion that his problem is an inability to develop as a character.

But, once we learn that the prophecy ion fact foretells his one day, after many quests and trials, becoming human, suddenly there is hope for him. It seems, perhaps, that he has something to live for, and a real prospect of some rather interesting character development…

Angel: Blind Date

"You always have a choice. You sold your soul for a fifth floor office and a company car."

Let's see, then. We have a female assassin who uses sharp pointy things to dispatch her victims. We have a blind person with compensatory superpowers. We have a milieu of poverty juxtaposed with lawyers and criminal corruption. Someone's been reading Daredevil, methinks. Of the Frank Miller vintage, to be precise.

Nevertheless, this is a gripping episode, and a pivotal one too. For one thing, Wolfram and Hart is now emerging from the mysterious shadows to take centre stage. We're introduced to the avuncular Holland Manners, whose creepy, mentor-y relationship with Lindsey is fascinatingly complex. The silver-haired and silver-tongued Manners is so seductive and eloquently evil that he's surely supposed to echo Lucifer. The scene between him and Lindsey, after Lindsay has been caught, has Lindsey at a crossroads- does he follow his conscience or remain loyal to Wolfram and Hart? The situation reminds me of that mythical tale about Robert Johnson. Lindsey gains a lot of depth here, and even a backstory of sorts, one of real poverty which drives him never to be the victim. He even gets to win, and defy Manners, only to fall for one last piece of temptation at the end. He's lost his soul- just- but he'll go far. This is deep stuff.

Sam Anderson, incidentally, is superbly charismatic as the deliciously evil Manners. I bet he had a lot of fun playing the character; it certainly looks it. And the whole environment of the firm is so delightfully, corporately evil, with the ever-present threat of real blood on the carpet. This is my kind of metaphor. The silent twin mind readers, with their bizarre hairstyles, are so damned creepy, and it's a shock to realise that Lindsey isn't the intended target; the offence is a different one, and it's Lee, a semi-regular, who unexpectedly dies. I love this sort of misdirection.

It's a pivotal episode for Angel, too of course. We don't know why he feels the impulse to steal the Prophecies of Aberjian, but he does. Wesley doesn't quite reveal the whole section that concerns Angel, not yet, but this is clearly going to be important. Also important is that we see Gunn again, in the episode straight after he's introduced- and it's him helping Angel, not the other way round. His distractionary tactic at Wolfram and Hart is both very clever and very cool. I like him a lot.

One episode to go. What about this prophecy, then…?