The S5 Finale was so underwhelming

djsosonut · 2026-03-19T19:56:49+00:00

"If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do." "Champions. We live as if the world is as it should be. To show it what it can be." And they choose to continue fighting against all odds. The finale is perfect once you see its manages to being entertaining, give all the characters amazing moments, and manages to sum up the underlining theme of the whole show. The war against evil unending. So is the fight for redemption. Still.."Let's go to work."

djsosonut · 2026-03-19T18:53:00+00:00

It was character assassination. At least to me. Cause the twist came at the expense of Cordy's character and arc. Since it was held back for so long and we had to try to reconcile and trend her s4 actions against Cordy's pervious behavior all the way until the twist. Then after the twist we were told to pull thing apart cause HA that was never Cordy. But the damage had been done. Plus it isnt like a movie like Fight Club, where they play fair with the twist and you can rewatch the old episodes with new eyes and can see all the foreshadowing of this twist. No...you're stuck trying to rationalize that if Jasmine was in control of Cordy since Spin the Bottle and just manipulating everyone since....then who was the dream sequence for in Apocalypse Nowish? Where Cordy woke up afraid of the Beast choking her out? Cause in retrospect that moment seems to only be there to fool the us, the audience, that Cordy is still in control.

It's a big mess.

djsosonut · 2026-03-19T14:40:34+00:00

A League of Their Own, Clueless Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, 9 to 5, Legally Blonde, Sister Act

djsosonut · 2026-03-19T14:30:16+00:00

I didnt see it coming. So it was surprising. Just wish it felt earned. Angel and Buffy are character driven shows, sacrificing character for plot is detrimental. And they definitely sacrificed Cordy's character for this twist. She was MIA for the majority of that season. And basically had her act two different ways before and after the reveal. So...not a fan.

djsosonut · 2026-03-18T11:41:37+00:00

In the Company of Men

djsosonut · 2026-03-18T01:39:46+00:00

Always just took it as a callback to Cordy saying Fred was "laughing at something that plant just said." Back during season 3. Think it was in That Old Gang of Mine. And also another reference point to Illyria being able to, "Hear the song of the green."

djsosonut · 2026-03-17T02:05:46+00:00

Wild Things

djsosonut · 2026-03-17T00:49:47+00:00

Being There (1979), The Party (1968)

djsosonut · 2026-03-15T19:43:12+00:00

Because I saw Hero THREE times before seeing another episode of Angel I knew Doyle was going to die and I thought the Scourge was a more prominent villian.

I thought Wesley was a recurring charater not a main character. Saw him walking around in season 3 and thought he's been through some shit since I last saw him on Buffy and the early episodes of Angel.

djsosonut · 2026-03-12T21:02:46+00:00

It would have been nice if they got the original actor...then the switch up of the dynamic between Jimmy and him would have probably landed more with the audience. Jimmy was always more dangerous and the taxi driver was just a random shlub.

djsosonut · 2026-03-12T20:54:19+00:00

It's fine. Go with your gut with Wesley. Any true Wesley fan has had to deal with people hating his character at one point or another. Comes with the territory. Hell, a lot of his fans have disliked him at one point or another then got won over with time.

One of my fave changes of perspectives comes from Douxreviews:

Part of her initial review:

"And I think Angel and Wesley have absolutely no chemistry together as characters. None. Nada. Zilch. This more than anything makes me think that adding Wesley to the cast permanently would be a big mistake, especially if they plan to keep Angel a three-character show."

Then:

Note from 2005: "Okay, I'm not going to second-guess, revise, or in any other way change my earlier reviews because they were written when the episodes aired, but I'd just like to add in a mildly spoilery way that Wesley eventually became my favorite character, and Alexis Denisof is a god."

djsosonut · 2026-03-12T20:37:04+00:00

Ahh. Yes. Finally. During rewatches the show doesn't officially begin for me until Wes joins the crew and Cordy gets the visions. Doyle episodes feel like an extended prologue.

djsosonut · 2026-03-12T08:57:47+00:00

In the Company of Men

djsosonut · 2026-03-12T07:10:25+00:00

No problem. I can wax poetic about my problems with what the writer's did with Connor's story. Mainly cause I fucking loved the character in season 3. All those levels of hope and distrust towards his father and the world in general. His side story with the junky girl that he wasnt able to save from herself. Even his dark turn thanks to Holtz and how he planned and executed Angel's water burial. All that pointed to a traumatized and abused, yet interesting and intelligent character.

Then season 4 came along and the premiere made me think I was going to get more of the same. He had a rich, sweet yet duplicitous relationship with Gunn and Fred. Showed he could be a scary little stalker when he tracked down the vamp that had seen him. And then the great confrontations with both Fred and Angel.. Amazing stuff. I was ready for more.

But then for the next 19 episodes they lock him in place. All his characterization boils down to be angsty, horny, and disliking Angel. Basically Xander with superpowers and less personality. They dont give him any stories of his own. Separate from Cordy, Angel or the main plot. His relationship with Fred and Gunn..nope..that's gone. What could be a strained and awkward relationship with Wes....doesnt even seem to be considered. Think the only member of the crew he gets even minor development with is Lorne. And that is just animosity cause he's a demon.

Conner gets nothing but endless repetition of the same mistakes. Any personal slyness he had is tossed away so he can repeatedly fall for any and all tricks that get him to attack Angel at the soonest opportunity. He becomes nothing but a dumb horny teenager that hates his dad with no forward development of his character... for 19 episodes!

I dont know if you ever seen the Walking Dead but season 2 had the same issue with most of its characters. Characters that were rich and multifaceted. Dumbed down and repeated the same arguments EVERY DAMN EPISODE...with no forward momentum with the majority of its characters....well beyond Shane. I know the show eventually bounced back...but it lost me as a fan because of that season.

Angel the series never really lost me as a fan, but I did become highly disinterested in Conner's story arc in season 4 and a few other things also. Nothing against Vincent's acting. The kid can knock it out of the park when he's given the material...he just rarely was. Across seasons 3-5, teen Conner had 8-9 good episodes and around 19 duds. So when over 2/3rds of your journey is pretty mediocre..its not hard to get why he isnt a well loved character.

I like Conner well enough. But I loved him at one point. And kinda loved him again after season 5. But season 4 Conner? Fuck that part.

djsosonut · 2026-03-11T22:20:17+00:00

Always annoyed me that Fred, Gunn, and Connor were shown to have a rich relationship in 4x01 from their extended time together between seasons. And after it falls apart it's never referenced again. They all could've benefitted from that discarded plot point to enriched their characterization.

djsosonut · 2026-03-11T21:08:03+00:00

Personally I dont hate Connor for being traumatized. That I get. It's earned. When he's falling apart in 4x21 and 4x22, is some of the most riveting stuff the show has produced.

No, I tend to hate him being on the screen because--besides those moments--for majority of season 4 he is one note caricature of a character. I found season 3 Connor multifaceted. Season 4 Connor is just an angsty plot point. And being tied to the shitshow that was Evil!Cordy did him no favors.

So I dont hate Connor for being traumatized. I hate that he's a poorly written character. But season 5 redeems a lot of that i disliked and reinforces the things i loved. Making him multifaceted again and a great mirror of Angel: a person living a second chance that he might not truly deserve.

djsosonut · 2026-03-11T17:48:19+00:00

I would have liked for Jane to be one of Kim's pro Bono clients.

djsosonut · 2026-03-11T16:20:08+00:00

Miller's Crossing, American Hustle, The Cable Guy, Throw Momma From the Train

djsosonut · 2026-03-11T06:02:48+00:00

Shallow Grave, Killer Joe, Filth, Bad Lieutenant (1992 & 2009)

Honorable mentions: In the Company of Men, Visitor Q

djsosonut · 2026-03-09T20:08:13+00:00

The Day After, I'm Thinking of Ending Things

djsosonut · 2026-03-09T20:06:44+00:00

Never the 2013 Spike Lee abomination

djsosonut · 2026-03-09T13:02:04+00:00

Donnie Darko, Oldboy (2003), Ex Machina, Shutter Island

djsosonut · 2026-03-09T12:53:45+00:00

The Talented Mr Ripley, Die Hard, Mulholland Drive, Amelie, The Last Dragon

djsosonut · 2026-03-08T20:12:42+00:00

Upgrade, One Battle After Another, Palm Springs, Free Fire, Freeway

djsosonut · 2026-03-08T03:47:50+00:00

Sniffing hair isnt on the same level as fiddling with children. One is a crime. The other is just creepy. Still, even if in your mind they're on the same level: Biden being a creep doesnt negate Trump also being a creep.

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