Angel ep by ep; A HOLE IN THE WORLD-byebye Fred...

[purpledreams]

As much as I dig Illyria, I was really sad to see Fred go. 🙁 She was never my favorite, in fact she quite annoyed me at first, but as soon as I started to really like her, she had to die. 🙁 As pretty much everyone else has said, the scene between her and Wes is just so incredibly heartbreaking, and beautifully performed by both of them. Crying was inevitable, at least for me. I mean, "Please, Wesley, why can't I stay?" How can you not lose it at that part? So sad. 🙁 Anyway, it sucks that we had to lose Fred to see Illyria, but I really enjoyed her character a lot. And she gave me a ton of respect for Amy as an actress. To see her go from playing sweet, innocent little Fred to a powerful goddess-like creature devoid of any human emotion was quite impressive. It really let me see for the first time how incredibly talented Amy is. You honestly get the sense that Fred and Illyria are two completely different people, even tho they're played by the same actress, and that just really speaks to Amy's strong performances as both characters.

One thing really bothered me though... Ok, now i've already said that I did love Fred and was sad to see her go. And it was right for the rest of the gang to grieve for her, but I thought it was so unfair that Cordelia wasn't respected in the same way after her death. When Fred died everybody acted like the freakin world stopped spinning, but when Cordy died everything was just business as usual. I know there was stuff going on behind the scenes and whatnot, but that's just always bothered me a little...

 

[Lilah]

What a moving episode. My beloved Fred is taken from us just when her and Wes are doing alright. Amy and Alexis did such a fantastic job. All the characters reacted because they were losing somone they have all come to love, my favourite was Lorne punching that squeaky Eve troll. Spike and Angel together quite humourous.

 

[Ms.Trick]

That was just so disturbing. I was so shocked. I don't remember ever being that upset and disgusted. By Knox.

I didn't see that one coming. But come on! "I loved her, she was worthy so I used her to be the vessel of the Goddess I worship, who will take over her body slowly and painfully and burn her soul and walk into her dead body forever". That is just so wrong. Of every crimes, murders we witnessed in the verse, this one was the worst to me. I wished Knox died very slowly, like burning forever or something for being such a psychopath.

 

[Username]

I hate this episode, I hate that Fred dies. It makes me cry so much.
I feel so bad for Wesley..

The argument between Angel and Spike in beginning about cavemen and astronauts is genius.

That scene where Fred sings a little bit from the You are my sunshine song, Lorne reads her and she coughs up blood - is a masterpiece of a scene.

Lorne punching Eve, finally! someone gave that annoying brat what she deserves..

Lorne saying he is going to pray, proving that prayers is as always just a big waste of time..

 

[KatieSimonfan]

that next to your welcome was a 1 2 punch in heartbreak on one hand angel saved his son but killed fred inadvertly

 

[GrrArghx]

This episode... roller coaster ride, definitely! I just rewatched it and it hits me harder every time. Wesley's face while Fred's dying... man, I can't take it! 🙁

Joss is so unfair when it comes to relationships. Wes can never catch a break.

In my top ten of episodes, for sure.

 

[slayerfox]

This episode made me cry, poor fred 🙁 on the other hand illyria is awsome and one of my fav characters of all time, Amy Acker was brilliant in this episode. The comic book adaptation is also good, not as good as the actual episode though.

 

[Brandonxx93]

This episode is so sad to watch. I hate watching it. Poor Fred. She didnt deserve to die. ;(

 

[The Unspoken]

Good thing Amy Acker didn't get pregnant at the start of this season. Otherwise her (impending) death would've probably been reduced to a water cooler moment. Or Illyria could've been rewritten to have a magical potbelly.

 

[Brydee]

It was sooo sad and what made it more sad is we had to watch it happen for nearly 40 minutes. It was drawn out and her death was so slow and painful it made Fred seem even more helpless.

 

[LadyLavinia]

"A Hole in the World" was a very interesting episode that replayed the same issue from various "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" episodes like (3.19)"Choices" and 5.22)"The Gift" and "ANGEL" episodes like (3.16)"Sleep Tight" - namely the task of making a choice for the need of the few or the many. And the choice that Angel had to make was whether to save Fred from death and the growing influences of a demon that had infected her body, or to ensure that the world would remain safe. Angel chose the world over his friend. And judging from the reactions on the forums when the episode first aired, not many agreed with his choice. I did not condemn Angel's choice. I believe that he had made the right one . . . just as Buffy had made the right choice for her in "The Gift". It did not really matter if the needs of the many were more important than the needs of the few, or vice versa. What mattered was that each person had to make the choice that was more important to his or her heart. For Buffy, Dawn was more important to her; and for Angel, sparing the world from destruction. Or perhaps being a champion was more important to Angel. However, if the choice had been between . . . say . . . Connor and the world; I suspect that Angel would have chosen Connor.

Also, I have one question - why did Fred open the sarcophagus without first doing any research on it? I must have missed the scene. If so, this only proves to me that Fred never really had a healthy respect for the spiritual and the supernatural, despite her five years in Pylea and three years with Angel Investigations. She has always had a tendency to treat anything supernatural as a science experiment. And in doing so, she may have paid the price for her attitude. It is not surprising that Wesley angrily cursed her curiosity. And Fred's death scene was one of the most unbearable I have ever seen on television. In fact, I found it so excruciating . . . and slow that I was unable to experience any compassion or sadness over her death. I simply felt relieved when she finally died.

I believe that Whedon had written a first-rate episode. His handling of theme regarding hard choices and the introduction of the Illryia character made this one of the more memorable episodes of the series. But "A Hole in the World" was never a favorite episode of mine. I found the Wesley/Fred romance a bit nauseating to endure. And Fred's death seemed to go on forever . . . to the point that I found myself sighing with relief when she finally died. And that is not a good thing.

 

[VisionGirl]

Well, I simply love this episode, everything about it. Amy & Alexis' performances, the musical score, the visuals were stunning- Fred's appearance, Spike & Angel in the Cotswolds (where was that part filmed BTW?).

This is where I cried like a baby:
Fred: My boys. I walk with heroes. Think about that.
Wesley: You are one.
Fred: Superhero. And this is my power: to not let them take me. Not me.

 

[Tammy]

The best bit in this episode...(before it started to break my heart)...had to be Gunn singing in his office:

Three little maids who, all unwary, Come from a ladies' seminary, Freed from its genius tutelary— Three little maids from school! Three little maids

 

[Taake]

For Buffy, Dawn was more important to her; and for Angel, sparing the world from destruction. Or perhaps being a champion was more important to Angel. However, if the choice had been between . . . say . . . Connor and the world; I suspect that Angel would have chosen Connor.

Never thought about that before but I reckon you're right!

Also, I have one question - why did Fred open the sarcophagus without first doing any research on it? I must have missed the scene. If so, this only proves to me that Fred never really had a healthy respect for the spiritual and the supernatural, despite her five years in Pylea and three years with Angel Investigations. She has always had a tendency to treat anything supernatural as a science experiment. And in doing so, she may have paid the price for her attitude. It is not surprising that Wesley angrily cursed her curiosity.

Well didn't she just kind of touch it gently? I suppose it would have been hard to foresee that something so solid would open up at that... but clearly, curiosity killed the cat in this instance.

And Fred's death scene was one of the most unbearable I have ever seen on television. In fact, I found it so excruciating . . . and slow that I was unable to experience any compassion or sadness over her death. I simply felt relieved when she finally died.

I found the Wesley/Fred romance a bit nauseating to endure. And Fred's death seemed to go on forever . . . to the point that I found myself sighing with relief when she finally died. And that is not a good thing.

Lol, ice ice baby... 😉

Can't say I agree though, the romance bits was a bit overdone perhaps (mostly because the initial happiness just made it obvious that something awful was going to happen...) but though dragged out I did find Fred's death very sad to watch and never once have I drawn a breath of relief at it finally being over. 🙂

The best bit in this episode...(before it started to break my heart)...had to be Gunn singing in his office:

Lol, yes, I love that moment!