Discussion of 3.05 "Fredless" - Aired 10/22/2001 (WB-US)

[Flannen]

Fred's parents make a surprise visit to Angel Investigations. However, rather than being happy to see them Fred seems terrified and flees the scene. Not trusting Mr. and Mrs. Burkle, the gang prepares to protect Fred from them---providing she can be found. Meanwhile, a strange, insectile demon stalks the crew.

Source: TV.com

Discuss this episode here!

 

[PassionBecoming]

-LOVE Cordy and Wes' re-enactment of Bangel!! (Now I get that banner...)
-"How about you both bite me." Oopsies!
-The curiosity is going to kill me, too, Cordy!
-I wonder what flavor of ice cream Angel wants...
-Fred building a condo in the sewers. Oh, boy.
-Fred's parents? I hope this isn't Tara all over again...
-Angel with the demon head = HAHAHAHA
-"You think I'm fat?" Gotta love vain Angel!
-Poor Caritas
-Lorne is not a good liar.
-Oh, poor Fred. So glad she found her parents, though!
-LOVE when Fred's dad hits the bug!!
-And her mom in the bus!! "Did I get it, ya'll?"
-Aw, sad Fred leaving....
-Ooo, Wesley's daddy issues come out
-Aww, the bug just wanted its babies

I liked this episode. It was nice to hear more about Fred! Other than she likes tacos...

 

[Jules]

I love this episode!! Cordy and Wes' Bangel re-enactment was hillarious!! It was so nice to finally see nice parents in the Whedonverse!! I liked the twist, that at first you think Fred's parents are evil and then they turn out to be really nice!

Eww, eww, eww on the bug demons, I hate bugs, and those were particularly creepy!

I loved the last scene where everyone is in Fred's room, its nice, almost like the calm before a storm though with everyone getting on with each other.

 

[Ojuice5001]

Has anyone noticed a possible example of foreshadowing in this episode? Cordelia makes a joke about the idea that demons would try to kill her and her friends with pillows, "but those times are few and far between." And before the season is over, there will be a highly memorable example of this, when Angel tries to kill Wesley with a pillow...

 

[FuzzyHandcuffs]

I actually liked this episode. It's nice to know about Fred's family and they're actually not like Tara's.

I laughed out loud when Angel got all giddy about Cordy playing doctor. It was adorable.

Overall this episode is alright, not one of my favorites, the bug was gross!

 

[timbitsmama]

This episode just has awesome written all over it. To see one of the gang's parents actually be a part of what they experience every day was so lovely. The whole show had great writing, funny parts (Angel: you think I'm fat?) and of course, the whole Cordelia and Wesley as Buffy and Angel, lol. This was one of my faves from season 3.

 

[Charmander]

The scene where they're making fun of Buffy and Angel is something I saw before I watched the show properly. Still hilarious!

I liked the dig that Fred's mom made at the last Alien movie.

 

[Give Us A Kiss]

As a Bangel, I think that Wes and Cordy did a pretty good job of reenacting Bangel.

 

[Give Us A Kiss]

Gunn is making fun of Wes

I buy Fred's theory, it's true.

Wes and Cordy are imitating Bangel

Angel wants ice cream, is he human again ???

Fred is using the metric system, is that what they use in Pylea ???

Gunn, I don't think Cordy wants visions...

Fred's parents are dressed like nerds...

Socially awkward Angel acts socially awkward when Fred's parents are around, I love him when he's like that

Fred, don't run from your parents

Lorne, don't smoke, it will do things to your singing voice

Angel, she isn't there...

Fred's parents have no idea...

Lorne's heart is in his buttcheek ???

Fred, don't get on the bus...

Fred

Bye cockroach

Angel gets excited about his turn

Angel knows more about pop culture
than I thought...

Fred, don't go

Fred, hell is not a swear word.

Fred's coming back

Cordy, you are not soothing...

Those are ugly maggots...

Fred, you were never normal...

Next time: Wes and Gunn go crazy.

 

[Mr Trick]

Great episode and the best up to this point of S3. Acker breaks my hart in it. Its a nice little story about Fred. She had a slow start on the show, but this episode is a big turning point for the character. Its a truly sweet episode about family, with some good humour too.

 

[Priceless]

Great episode and the best up to this point of S3. Acker breaks my hart in it. Its a nice little story about Fred. She had a slow start on the show, but this episode is a big turning point for the character. Its a truly sweet episode about family, with some good humour too.

Agreed, this is the best episode of S3 so far, and Fred is a nice addition to the show. I'm hoping from now on she'll calm down a bit, because I've found her performance a bit manic. I also think you can see both Wes and Gunn showing an interest in her. I also think there has been Cangel overtones in previous episodes, but in this Cordy's line (I'm paraphrasing here) 'I could soothe your ass off' reminds me of Faith telling Spike she could pop him like warm champagne.

 

[PaulParmar1]

Cordelia and Wes's re enactment of Buffy and Angel is hilarious!!!
Fred was amazing this episode. It just proved how much I love her character and Amy Acker is a fantastic actress.
It really was the episode where Fred joined the group and I was so beyond proud of her.
This was a sweet episode and one of the best of Season 3.

 

[Mr Trick]

Re-watched this episode today and still love it. But one thing which actually makes it very sad is that if Fred had picked the other path and gone home she never would have met her untimely death in S5. I'm sure Fred never regrets her decision, but it makes me think of that.

 

[GreyWalker1958]

Gotta admit. Roger and Trish pretty much one upped Joyce far as attacking anyone who hurts their child. Joyce had an axe, Trish brought a bus to the party

 

[Mr Trick]

This episode is not only a turning point for Fred as a character, but for this season. From here the quality picks up big time.

 

[Ann]

I liked the Fred parts in this episode and learning more about her. I liked her parents. I did not like Bangel being made fun of though with Cordelia and Wesley. I liked how Angel wanted to take Fred out for Ice Cream. A little reference to I WIll Remember You. It was a very good Fred based episode. I am glad that Fred decided to stay.

 

[thrasherpix]

This was much better than I remember, from humor to character to setting up the future arc.


Btw, don't know if Joss caught it or not, but there was a criticism of the last Alien movie being boring. I checked it and that would've been Alien Resurrection, which was written by Joss Whedon. A point to him if he put that in or left it there.

 

[Stake fodder]

I loved that none of the Angelites know Fred's parents are just being normal, because their relationships with their parents are all messed up. (Well, I don't know about Gunn.) It did seem a bit odd to me that they were fine with Fred staying in LA, when she's been gone five freakin' years without a word, and we called every hospital and morgue from here to Texas, young lady!! And then she's annoyed that they want to stay two weeks? Really?? Well, I guess that's my own issues.

Not sure what I think of Cordy and Wes mocking Angel and Buffy. Hilarious, yet pretty rude for friends to do. At least someone finally said "bite me" on a show just made for that insult.

I wanted Angel to chat about the good ol' days with the nursing-home residents last episode, so I enjoyed seeing him bonding with Fred's dad. Bob Hope golfing, the epitome of old man-dom!

The demon-head babies was a good twist, but it did seem a bit contrived that Angel brought the dripping head home with him as a trophy. When does he ever do that? And I think those were real cockroaches erupting from the head, ew! Take 'em, take 'em and get out!

Lorne in his jammies. ❤ "What about my me? My me's important!" I'm saving this for a possible future motto.

For an odder line, Cordy's "I can soothe your ass off, pal." Um, what? That and Angel's excitement about being doctored by Cordy are clearly foreshadowing, but both were just weird.

And Fred is staying. I just hope everyone will stop telling her she's safe, because that's when things keep going bad. A good episode, and I hope Fred will be a bit less twitchy from now on!