Discussion of 5.10 "Soul Purpose" (WB-US) - Airing 1/21/04

First off, I'm proud of Joss, he gave Harmony the proper respect this episode, so my day is made.

Overall: wacky, but tasty. A lot of fun parts in Angel's dream sequences, too much to name them all. I felt sorry for the guy. It looks like they've managed to hold on to the high level of involvement set in Harm's way.

Again, the characters of Gunn, Lorne and Wesley were obsolete, but that didn't bother me in the least bit. Spike was the perfect blend of annoying and funny, they way I liked him in Bs4/5. But I do still feel he should pack his bags when this storyline is over. Christian did an extreme good job with Lindsey, he was the star of the episode. Unfortunatly Eve wasn't as good as she was last time we saw her. Her performance was simply a bit off.

In short, great episode, hurry up with the next. I'm really getting the taste of this storyline now!
 
The first thing one might notice in that dream sequence with Spike and Buffy in Angel's bed is an objectivization of Buffy. What really caught my attention was the dialogue in the scene. The words Buffy spoke were straight out of The Prom (season 3). In it she responds to Angel's concern over her future. One in wich she can have someone who will be able to make love to her and have children with her. She replys with "Children ? Can you say jumping the gun ? I kill my goldfish. So one might think that whole scene Angel is seeing in the bed as projecting his concern for Buffy's happiness. "Are you taking her to the prom?" he says to Spike. Will Spike be the one to make her happy? But there is another bit of subtext here. This scene follows the one where Angel sees Fred rummaging around inside him, she comes up with a goldfish in a bowl. Remember what the goldfish was supposed to be? His soul. So I may be w-a-y out there but could this also be his fear that she may lose her soul? Far fetched and probably planted in to disturb people like me who pull every scene apart. What do [/i]you think ?
As to the marathon man remark, well hell, Spike has always been portrayed as one who goes the distance. Maybe Angel fears he himself isn't up to it
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Maybe it's just me, but what alot of you are complaining about (the akwardness of some scenes) I assumed it was intentional, they weren't dreams, they were hallucinations.

With Buffy and the goldfish, I think the connection is Buffy made Angel lose his soul, she killed his goldfish.

I'm pretty sure the senior partners will turn out to be "good", not really good I mean, but on the same side with Angel. I remembered the whole "all about power thing" while watching on of those Lindsey/Eve scenes. Are they trying to make Spike like Angel was in season 2? As in obsessed with the destruction of W&H?

And, who will be bad from the fang gang? My money is on Gunn, but Wesley might as well betray Angel again. Pretty interesting possibilities.
 
Some of the scenes felt awkward, I guess, but they're dreams/hallucinations. Anything can happen.

Did anyone else notice that if Eve and Fred switched clothes, it wouldn't make a difference?

My theory is that Angel is worried that the law firm he's working for won't help him do more good and might turn him evil 'cause it's a gray area. When he had his agency, everything was a straight-forward, let's-kill-the-bad-guys-and-save-innocents mission. He's worried that Spike is taking his old place because Spike got a soul and now he hallucinated Spike having sex with Buffy (the actress's hair didn't have the same color as SMG's, btw). That might be because he feels that Spike is meant to have what he once thought was his destiny...
 
I thought this episode was okay, but it had some really cool things. Lindsey isn't a very good actor. That Buffy double was really lame. I loved Harmony in this episode! I found myself checking out Angel a couple times, always good. The dreams were odd, but interesting. Spike was really funny, insulting that girl and asking people to listen to the Sex Pistols with him. Loved seeing more Wes, but on the other hand, we saw less Lorne. David did a nice job. Nice week's looks great.
 
Personally, I liked this episode. I thought it was gonna be a little better, but all in all it was good. The dream sequences were very interesting. Buffy killed ANgel's GOLDFISH!! I love that breakdown! The bear made me laugh out loud, as did Angel's reaction to it.
Team Angel REALLY creeped me out!!!!! They almost seemed...well...evil....
Christian Kane as Doyle....hmm....what's THAT all about???
And finally, Spike was hilarious as always. "Moron!" It was laugh out loud goodness!
 
Truly the best dialogue I've heard in quite a while, now I'm surprised they didn't write a scene like this before:

Woman: Thank you! Thank you! That thing was going to kill me.
Spike: Well, what do you expect? Out alone in this neighbourhood? I got half a mind to kill you myself, you halfwit.
Woman: What?
Spike: I mean, honestly, what kind of retard wears heels like that in a dark alley? Take two steps, break your bloody ankle.
Woman: I was just trying to get home.
Spike: Well, get a cab, you moron. And on the way, if a stranger offers you candy, don't get in the van. Stupid cow.
 
Lorn The Host..
Sorry if my previous comment was spoiler worthy.
I will try to be more aware of my content in the future.

Anyways, I do love the Spike dialog, it was the highlight of the episode.
I noticed a few people pointing out the evil-ish-ness of the Angel crew in this episode, and I wonder if Lady Lavinia isn't on to something there (Wes and Gunn were sure trying to be intimidating in Spike's apartment, reminded me of old mafia movies where they confront the rat before the impending torture and death). The gray area is getting pretty wide and it seems to be eating at Angel. This might be one of those episodes that later you go "oh man that show framed the whole rest of the season!"
Plus something I noticed when Fred pulled out the "goldfish/soul" she said something about flushing it?? I thought that to be in odd statement. And I like the Buffy/Soul/goldfish connection, but I don't see where the Fred's comment fits into that. Then again Angel was hallucinating, so it could just be chalked up to that, but the fact that Fred was repeatedly the mouthpiece for the thing giving the hallucinations was odd. Maybe there is something there.
 
I just got a chance to watch this episode (semester exams at school 😡 ), but it was well worth the wait. I loved this one. I can see where some people complained about some of the dialogue, but other than that, it was pretty great.

I think that the Buffy double was necessary. The part was a brief cameo and her only dialogue was taken directly from Angel's memories (old Buffy episodes). If they had brought in the real Sarah for this, we would have been hearing about it from spoilers (whether we wanted to or not) for months, and it would have been a disappointment. I think that the double sufficed.

The imagery seemed a little corny at times, but then I kept thinking of Restless, and it was alright. The directing was very good in my opinion. David is a regular Patrick McGoohan! 😀
 
There's just one thing I really really really missed... the Cheese guy.

Where ever was he? Is the bear his replacement?
 
Let me get this off my chest: I HATED this episode. Everything about it was forced, it was just plain bad. The only good part was Eve and that bear. He made me laugh out loud.

Everything from Lindsey being Doyle and Spike being the "hero", it annoyed me. And Lindsey is really getting on my nerves, but I won't go there. I was hoping David's directorial debut would've been better, but this one was a total dud. Let's hope next week's is better. 🙁
 
It was strange, and I'd definately like to see it again before i say more about it. Grrargh! I left the tape in my machine and now I have Tru Calling taped all over it.
 
I know this is really petty, but was anyone upset with the blandness that was Fred's hairdo? They made it really cute and stylish during Harm's Way and this week it was just there. Other than that I can't really complain too much. I thought it dragged a lot in the second act, but Spike's lines were pretty priceless and my brain pretty much stopped functioning everytime Lindsay was on screen, so all is well. 🙂
 
Good episode. One problem with it, I think. Why would Lindsey ("Doyle") inform Spike of Angel's plight when Eve was trying to kill him? What point does this serve in the plot? I don't see how incriminating Eve and possibly endangering her would have been any part of any good plot of theirs against the crew

A few possibilities:

1) to make Spike feel valiant, that he "saved" Angel
2) Lindsey and Eve did not think that the Crew would catch on and suspect Eve of using the creatures (they didn't think they would notice the small things, such as earrings).
 
It's so weird how Lindsey is pretending to be Doyle, a guy with visions
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yeah, that was strange, especcialy since i'd just watched the episode where doyle dies earlier that day....yeah

I liked seeing lindsey, but i dont' really understand why he would warn spike about what eve was doing is they're working together?? Does he have some plan of his own? And i liked the end where they all ganged up on her! great!

Can't wait until next week! It looks so good!
 
One more thing, that scene when they gave Spike the cake and he turned human, and Angel looking soo sad, that was really really really really really sad, nearly brought me to tears.
 
For me that was a realy sad ep.I also felt bad when watchig that scene Allycat..It gae us iside into Angel's thoughts and his feelings..Poor vamp..
 
I don't think Lindsey was betraying Eve, yet. I also don't think their plan was to make Angel a vegetable, they probably wanted Spike to save Angel from the beginning of their plan.

I have the idea that there will be a power struggle in w&h soon, what with two vampires with a soul and all, and we saw Wesley and Gunn argueing, also we know they went to Spike without telling Angel. Something tells me some will side up with Spike and others with Angel, not so sure with who will go which way, but it sort of makes sense. I ready have no clue what Lindsey's plan is though.
 
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