Thread by @ShadowTodd

Angel S1E7: The Bachelor Party

Probably the Buffy-est episode of Angel yet, a goofy villain who talks like a normal guy but is gasp a demon, inching towards a Cordelia/Irish Guy romance. I don't know, I liked the darker Angel episodes a little better

Buffy S4E8: Pangs

Hoo boy. "Buffy vs. White Guilt" is a premise whose fundamental awkwardness they do at least attempt to play for intentional laughs. Like ha ha... we're in way over our heads. Still, I would recommend they not try to thread that needle again

Angel S1E8: I Will Remember You

Hoo boy. They have SMG for one episode so they swing for the fences, but I'm not sure they pull it off... the clunkiness of the setup, the reset button ending, also did they explain why the demons were samurai?

Buffy S4E9: Something Blue

BtVS goes again to "unlikely characters make out because magic," that's always fun, although we had one of these just a couple seasons ago. Also our first hint of Buffy/Spike and possibly of Dark Willow, two things I am vaguely aware await me

Angel S1E9: Hero

..........I was wondering why I'd never heard of Doyle.

No need to inform me of the behind-the-scenes reasons for this decision, I have looked it up, woof yeah that's a bad time

Buffy S4E10: Hush

I've seen this one (the last of the four eps I've seen before). It's good! Also I am more aware of the importance of this "Tara" person this time around.

I do think it's funny that to compensate for no dialogue the soundtrack just LAYS it on.

Buffy S4E11: Doomed

Just... jarring to see Marc Blucas added to the credits. And for Buffy to be having this massive internal conflict and dramatic monologues about whether a Slayer can ever know love when all we're talking about is this monosyllabic meatslab Riley! Riley??

Angel S1E10: Parting Gifts

Well, uh, awkward timing here but this is still a pop culture hole I need to fill so we're still doing this. Anyway, welcome to the show, Wesley! I completely forgot about you including your inappropriate crush on a high schooler!

Buffy S4E12: A New Man

This whole plot falls apart if Spike simply finds Buffy and tells them that the demon is Giles

Angel S1E11: Somnambulist

The bad guy is a 300-year-old vampire who looks infinitely less stupid in a flashback powdered wig than he does in the year 2000. Also: It's Jeremy Renner

Angel S1E12: Expecting

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........

"Forcibly impregnated by supernatural forces" is a consistently terrible plot even in the best of circumstances but good god do I regret watching a "pregnant Cordelia" episode at this particular moment in time

Buffy S4E13: The I in Team

Well that escalated quickly! Goodbye, "House of Games" star Lindsay Crouse, I am not clear what your deal was.

Also, the big intercut sex/action scene with Buffy and Riley: Does. Not. Work.

Buffy S4E14: Goodbye Iowa

Riley has a paranoid breakdown as a result of drug withdrawal, but they don't tell us what the drugs they were feeding him did to begin with. Did they turn him into a dull side of beef? Is he actually interesting without them?

Angel S1E13: She

I maybe needed to pay more attention but I straight up didn't understand a fucking thing that was happening in this. Just a fucking mess of exposition and extremely weird sex stuff, worst episode yet. Hated it.

The fact that it's titled "She" is the first bad omen! Just immediately a sign that a writer has Thoughts About Womanhood that are much less profound than they think!

Angel S1E14: I've Got You Under My Skin

This episode takes basically the entire plot of "The Exorcist," then throws in a late swerve (the *child* trapped the *demon*) that... does not really make sense when you think about it

Angel S1E15: The Prodigal

I do love seeing more of Angel in his pre-vampire days as a useless dickhead. I am increasingly confused what a demon actually is though, the demon in this runs a smuggling gang and bribes cops? Awfully close to "Bright" territory

Buffy S4E15: This Year's Girl

It feels like bringing back Faith was the show's Break In Case of Emergency for when they realized the season wasn't quite working, but I enjoyed it. There's a lot of crises happening at once!

Riley's "....who's Faith?" made me bust out laughing

Buffy S4E16: Who Are You?

Eliza Dushku and Sarah Michelle Gellar are just doing amazing work here as each other. Almost Cage/Travolta in "Face Off" level, and I do not say this lightly

Also I like that Tara introduces herself to the gang by being useful.

I admit I haven't been paying super close attention but I missed that Tara and Willow were like official-official, I thought we were building up to it

Angel S1E16: The Ring

Okay, this is what I mean about demons, Angel-as-Spartacus in a demon-slave-fighting ring is a good episode, but at the end they're like "Yay we freed the demons... oh no we freed the demons." IT IS TIME TO DEFINE WHAT A DEMON IS, SHOW

Buffy S4E17: Superstar

An all-timer hilarious episode, and for all of Buffy's reputation as a feminist show, this was the first time it really struck me -- a undeserving man stealing Buffy's accomplishments

That said, and maybe my perception of this is colored by how Danny Strong is now a Hollywood power-player, but I do wonder if he pulled some strings to get this starring episode because it really seemed like a self-insert in more ways than one

Angel S1E17: Eternity

Boreanaz has so much fun as Evil Angel, I'd have been disappointed that I didn't get to play Angelus more often if I were him

Buffy S4E18: Where the Wild Things Are

Uh... extremely half-baked episode, like the writers wanted to write an episode around Buffy and Riley fucking all the time, and they were like "what if it causes supernatural problems" but it's never clear how or why

Buffy S4E19: New Moon Rising

Oz and his incredibly bad werewolf costume return!

I am glad we have closure on this front, and and that Tara and Willow are finally official and out. But way too much Riley, whose inner conflicts continue to bore me

Angel S1E18: Five By Five

This episode suggests that Faith and Angel are kindred spirits by virtue of their shared self-loathing. Is this a ship tease? Don't answer that.

Angel S1E19: Sanctuary

I appreciate how Faith can have five different entities coming to kill her at the same time. We've all got a friend like that

Buffy S4E20: The Yoko Factor

The Scoobies growing apart after high school and, in this ep, finally cracking is one of the strongest things about this season. But Riley is still one of the weakest, and him finally meeting/confronting Angel does him no favors in the comparison

Buffy S4E21: Primeval

Goodbye, Adam. Goodbye, The Initiative. Neither of you ever really worked, especially you, Adam. ESPECIALLY you, Adam. May we never see another Frankendemon on this show again.

Buffy S4E22: Restless

I was told this was the best episode of the season and it was. (No Initiative or Adam sure helped.) I love a good episode-long dream sequence... best gag by far is the Cheese Man going from surreal Lynchian omen to annoying and stupid as he progresses

Angel S1E20: War Zone

Hey, it's Michael Bolton from "Office Space"! And Deathlok from "Agents of SHIELD"! I didn't notice or care about the plot but these two guys seem like a setup for future plot threads so that could be fun

Angel S1E21: Blind Date

I'm not sure if I'm interested in the morally conflicted but likely ultimately-to-side-with-evil young yuppie lawyer as an ongoing protagonist (future antagonist?) but I'll give him time to find his footing, assuming he does continue.

Angel S1E22: To Shanshu in L.A.

Welp, that's a wrap on season 1! We've set up some characters that may become important in S2, we've thankfully killed off the oracles, we've brought back Darla! An unsteady first season but not as bad as I'd heard.

Buffy S5E1: Buffy vs. Dracula

Another typically not-great season opener for Buffy, and probably a waste of Dracula and I don't want Buffy to fight Dracula anyway. But anyway, Harriet the Spy is Buffy's sister!! Whaaaaaaaaa

Angel S2E1: Judgment

The demon karaoke bar is the first thing that's made the worldbuilding of demons as just regular people seem real to me, and instantly ruined when Angel KILLS AN INNOCENT DEMON AND WALKS AWAY LIKE OOPS.

Like, yeah, he feels guilty about it, but not nearly enough if demons are supposed to be something other than disposable monsters.

Also the "lol awkward whites" scene of the cast interacting with new member Gunn is... questionable

I liked the cameo from Faith though

Angel S2E2: Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been

If they want to give us more Young Angel Chronicles, like, every five episodes or so, I would be more than happy to have it. Cool episode of The Twilight Zone in the middle of Angel here!

Buffy S5E2: The Real Me

I realize why we can't reveal what the fuck is up with Dawn right away but goddammit they better open that mystery box real soon because I want to know, dammit. (I mean, I do know, but I want to know-know)

Angel S2E3: First Impressions

It appears that Gunn will not only be a new cast member but perhaps important to the plot, which is an interesting choice for a character who does not (yet?) like or gell with any of the other characters

Buffy S5E3: The Replacement

No Dawn news yet, meanwhile another Xander storyline that tries to make me believe he's grown as a character (...sure). I feel for Riley though, as the writers have made him sympathetic by making him realize that he doesn't really click.

Angel S2E4: Untouched

I don't understand what Wolfram and Hart is doing and I'm not entirely confident that it's going to come together when they finally show their cards.

Buffy S5E4: Out of My Mind

I thought I had more time before Buffy/Spike reared its head. I just... I thought there was time

Still no Dawn reveal, although there is a quiet hint of it when Joyce forgets who she is

This was mostly about Riley though, whose "she doesn't love me" revelation last ep was not self-awareness but rather insecurity, which means that instead of a boring character becoming sympathetic he's actually become rather unsympathetic and annoying

Angel S5E5: Dear Boy

I wonder what Drusilla's up to. This flashback of her is rough because her backstory is by far the darkest thing that's ever happened in this show and honestly, being reminded of it makes me agree with Gunn: Just stake him before Angelus comes back

Buffy S5E5: No Place Like Home

Well, the Dawn reveal has been revealed and it is... slightly underwhelming. But, at least that shoe has finally dropped so we can get along with the plot

Angel S2E6: I like Wesley, I like seeing him actually beat up some guys, and get some. Good for him, a much better nerd character than Xander. His Angel impression is pretty good.

Buffy S5E6: Family

Tara's family rejects her magic and makes her believe that her power makes her a demon. This, I believe, may be a metaphor! (She never comes out to them as a lesbian, which she should have right at the end for extra laughs.) Touching ending.

I honestly really like the creative decision to write Tara as a wilting insecure weirdo and that the gang doesn't really like her. They didn't even let her into the opening credits for Christ's sake

Also hi to Amy Adams, giving the same judgy bigot performance she gave in "Vice"

Angel S2E7: Darla

I wish I could say that learning about Darla's backstory was fascinating, because I did enjoy this episode a lot and the holes it filled, but I straight up do not remember her from Buffy. Am I going to have to go back and watch BTVS S1?

Buffy S5E7: Fool for Love

Spike! He's a lonely sad little boy who just wants to be loved! He writes poetry! He acts like a bad boy but he's all soft inside! Oh I can only imagine the fan reaction at the time.

Angel S2E8: The Shroud of Rahmon

One thing I like about watching Angel is that I honestly have no idea what will happen, whereas Buffy I know way too much about. (Preparing my R.I.P. Joyce post already.) I thought Angel might actually have killed Kate!

Buffy S5E8: Shadow

Remember when this show had Monsters of the Week? That was fun. Anyway, the Scoobs have really started a depressing skid here, with Buffy shutting down and Riley getting isolated and depressed. And Joyce is definitely dying! Hoorah

Angel S2E9: The Trial

Equal parts a very silly and very serious episode, liked both sides of it. Wouldn't mind meeting the ridiculous trialmaster again. Anyways, welcome to the show, Drusilla, your telegraphed return finally arrives

Buffy S5E9: Listening to Fear

Okay, there's a lot going on in this, like aliens, and Dawn's growing awareness of her non-existence, but the only thing I can focus on is that Riley is badly coping with Buffy's emotional distance by becoming addicted to vampires (?!!)

Buffy S5E10: Into the Woods

Welp. Bye Riley. Say hi to Oz if you find him in the land of exiled characters.

No, no, no, no Rileeeyyyyyyyy

Angel S2E10: Reunion

"And yet somehow I just can't seem to care," said Angel, then pulled a mic out of his jacket and dropped it, shouted "Oh snap!!!" then shut the doors.

Also: "You're all fired." CLASSIC. This show is officially Good.

Angel S2E11: Redefinition

Not so much an episode as a reset of the status quo that will take us through the season. But, Angel did that thing where he tosses a cigarette and sets people on fire and that's pretty cool

Buffy S2E11: Triangle

It's nice for this show to remember Anya exists and act like she's a real character that makes any sense.

Buffy gets invested in Xander and Anya's relationship out of grief for the end of her own, making her the first person to be invested in Xander & Anya

Angel S2E12: Blood Money

It's so weird that this episode is about foiling Wolfram & Hart's plans to rip off a charity. Like, not even in a way that's technically fraud. Doesn't Wolfram & Hart, like, kill people with demon assassins and shit?

Buffy S5E12: Checkpoint

I hate the Watchers, I hated them even before their shittiness was revealed in full, so maybe the ending was obvious but I was gratified to finally see Buffy realize what shits they are and lay into them. Fuck the Watchers

Angel S2E13: Happy Anniversary

Couldn't care less about the main plot which didn't really make a lot of whole lot of sense (time travel?) but I did like the B-plot of the rest of the cast kicking ass without Angel. Side note: Cordelia's hair is really out of control this season

Buffy S5E13: Blood Ties

So they finally pull the "everyone finds about Dawn" trigger all at once, huh? Good, I was getting tired of that plot thread. Michelle Trachtenberg's breakdown is really good. This show has improved since Riley left.

Angel S5E14: The Thin Dead Line

This stuff about evil zombie cops who act like... normal abusive cops could be a lot more resonant than it is. All the very white dialogue where Gunn confronts a drug dealer for 'hurting the community' don't help

Buffy S5E14: Crush

I really don't know what to do with Spike's crush on Buffy, it's such a weird thing that doesn't really make any sense and Spike is so different from where he started (defanged all but literally). I'm not hating this plot, but it's very confusing to me

Angel S2E15: Reprise

The reveal that the demons' home hell dimension is, DUN DUN DUN, Earth is so cheesy and presented so seriously that I did laugh. Almost "Scary Door" level twist. Not complaining, it's fun.

Buffy S5E15: I Was Made to Love Her

At last a proper Monster of the Week, albeit so perfunctory that the Scoobies can't pretend to care. Seems to be a smokescreen for the actual plot moves: Some kind of Robo-Buffy? Oh and Joyce dying. At least the writers let her get some first

Angel S2E16: Epiphany

Okay, see, my problem with the whole "Angel falls out with the gang" plotline is that he didn't really do anything bad. He fired them, there were hurt feelings, but you'd think they got stood up at the altar, they're so angry

Buffy S5E16: The Body

The first post-Joyce episode is necessarily somber and honestly a bit over its head, but the fake-out miracle rescues were exactly the right mix of Buffy-funny and gut-wrenchingly devastating

Angel S5E17: Disharmony

Weird to have this wacky crossover episode where Harmony tries to be a good guy, complete with a phone call over to Sunnydale, and Willow never says "Oh by the way, Buffy's mom died, things are really bad over here"

Buffy S5E17: Forever

A powerful episode about coping with grief. Michelle Trachtenberg steals the eggs of a three-headed dinosaur to turn her mom into a zombie

Angel S2E18: Dead End

I love a good "evil transplanted body part" story but I don't really get why this is Lindsey's breaking point, he's done and seen so much worse. Honestly, I don't get Lindsey's character much at all.

Buffy S5E18: Intervention

Oh no oh no. Buffy kissed Spike. We inch ever closer. Not looking forward to S6.

Angel S2E19: Belonging

Strange episode with long detours into Wesley's disapproving father, Gunn's divided loyalties between his old and new friends, and Cordelia's acting career. Btw, in this episode Charisma Carpenter is harassed by a sexist abusive director, yeesh

Angel S2E20: Over the Rainbow

Okay, so what I'm getting is that Lorne is a gay kid from an intolerant backwater town who fled to L.A. to pursue a career in showbiz. Anyway, so this two-parter is actually a three-parter, huh? What happened to Darla?

Buffy S5E19: Tough Love

Because I know a couple major plot details about this show, I was wondering if this is the episode where the really bad thing happens to Tara, but it turns out this is an episode where just a pretty bad thing happens to Tara

Buffy S5E20: Spiral

Okay, look, Glory isn't a bad villain. She's certainly better than last season's villain. But this season has been so serious and it's all predicated on me finding Glory really threatening, or fearing what hapepns when she finds "the key," and... I don't

Angel S2E21: Through the Looking Glass

I'm glad they did tie this plotline to Wolfram & Hart because it was the only thing that kept me from screaming WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING

This plot's not over so I'll be patient but Angel turned into a goblin?!

Buffy S5E21: The Weight of the World

The plot -- Buffy deals with guilt for getting Dawn killed -- and the final conclusion -- "You have to kill Dawn -- is an all-time Buffy punchline

Buffy S5E22: The Gift

Oh no, Buffy died

Angel S2E22: There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb

So ends this bizarro detour. I understand that this is important to the show (welcome to "Angel," Fred) but it's very funny that this supposedly edgier, more adult spinoff ended the season in WackyWorld while Buffy's dying

Angel S3E1: Heartthrob

Pregnant Darla horrifies me for reasons I can't explain. At least that explains what the hell she was doing while the Angel crew was fucking around in Wackyworld

Angel S3E2: That Vision Thing

Kal Penn.

Angel S3E3: That Old Gang of Mine

The decision to make an episode about how Gunn and his black friends are racist against vampires is so fraught that I do not feel comfortable speaking on it, but I do appreciate that they affirm that Gunn does not actually like Angel.

Buffy S6E1: Bargaining, Pt. 1

Oh wow, Buffy's alive

Also, no more Giles in the credits, I can see why this season is controversial

Buffy S6E2: Bargaining, Pt. 2

Resurrected Buffy is scared and disoriented, as well she should be, having been dragged unwillingly and unnaturally onto a new network

Watch out for animated Dilbert, Buffy

Buffy S6E3: After Life

Buffy's speech about how she was happy being dead and she didn't need to be resurrected is a meta-commentary about how the show didn't need to be un-cancelled

Angel S3E4: Carpe Noctem

Okay, the thing on shows where someone steals a main cast member's body and tries to fake his way through their life and there's a lot of confusion and maybe he tries to fuck another cast member? I fucking love that shit. Never stop making these.

Buffy S6E5: Flooded

I watched this right before my Twitter was suspended and now I'm trying to remember... Jonathan is back, right? He robs banks with monsters? Giles yelled at Willow? I think it was an okay episode

Angel S3E5: Fredless

Aww, Fred has nice parents. They were totally setting her up to have shitty redneck parents, I think like Tara's shitty redneck parents. Well that was pleasant

Buffy S6E5: Life Serial

Okay, so when the Trio snares Buffy in a time loop and/or time slowing thing, what do they see? Because they're monitoring the whole time, are they also in a time loop? What are they looking at? And what are they trying to do exactly? I don't get it

Angel S3E6: Billy

Yeah, man, I don't know. Usually I buy the "it's not misogynistic it's ABOUT misogyny" line and this episode plays that card immediately, but... look, all I know is I didn't enjoy brainwashed Wesley calling Fred a cocktease. Didn't like it!

Buffy S6E6: All the Way

We continue the post-resurrection "Buffy dicks around" plot arc. Only major development is that Willow seems to be more prone to abusing her powers and Tara seems concerned, gosh I hope those two crazy kids work it out

Angel S3E7: Offspring

I'm waiting to see where this goes but for right now everything about the Darla pregnancy plotline feels icky and wrong, wrong wrong wrong.

Buffy S6E7: Once More, with Feeling

At last. The famous musical episode. The one episode I would have been able to identify by name. A landmark, a game-changer in genre television.

's fine

I think maybe overhype and the proliferation of musical episodes after Buffy dulled this a bit for me. Words and lyrics by Joss Whedon, it says right at the beginning, and this is the Whedon-est Whedon thing I've ever seen, for good and for ill

Angel S3E8: Quickening

Okay, there is *way too much going on.* I feel like you can't introduce a new antagonist with a centuries-old blood feud *and* an as-yet unrelated apocalypse baby and several third parties with a grudge against the vampire baby all in the same episode

Buffy S3E8: Tabula Rasa

Fucking loved it. Funny, heartbreaking, great episode. When Buffy/Spike finally happened I wasn't bothered at all.

Also, watching Willow descend into lazy, selfish abuse of power is like watching Alyson Hannigan transform into Lily before my eyes

Angel S3E9: Lullaby

Jesus Christ, Angelus was a bad guy.

I feel like the Holtz and Darla storylines would be better if they didn't overlap the way they do... like, Darla's gone now, couldn't they wait til now to bring in Holtz in? It's all been very confusing

Buffy S6E9: Smashed

Buffy and Spike makes more and more story sense to me as it progresses, in that I understand more and more why people make terrible decisions kind of way

Buffy S6E10: Wrecked

Ha ha ha what the fuck is this. What the fucking fuck is this. I know we were headed towards Dark Willow but now magic is drugs and Willow is a junkie and also magic isn't even magic anymore it's just drugs this came the fuck out of nowhere

Angel S3E10: Dad

Ha, now this is more like it. Good old-fashioned siege episode, funny and fun. Also before Flo worked for Progressive she apparently worked for Wolfram and Hart.

Buffy S6E11: Gone

I like that even for an unambiguously pure-of-heart hero like Buffy, the rule of invisible man movies is consistent, being invisible makes you a dick

Angel S3E11: Birthday

The theme song to "Cordy!" stinks. Just awful.

Also, I have a lot of questions about Skip that I'm hoping get answered in future episodes because seriously who was that guy

Angel S3E12: Provider

Goddamn, Angel hasn't been a dad for a week and already he has to learn the importance of Not Working Too Hard and Being There for Your Kids. Play "Cat's in the Cradle" already

Buffy S6E12: Doublemeat Palace

Look, I can't lie, that Doublemeat Medley looked really good.

Angel S3E13: Waiting in the Wings

Okay, what the fuck, was Angel/Cordelia even remotely hinted at before this, and also Angel is acting like it can't be a thing because it'd be awkward and not that if he's ever happy he will literally murder everyone

Buffy S6E13: Dead Things

The season's joke villains rape and kill a girl, convince Buffy that she did it, Buffy cries a lot and does butt stuff with Spike in public.

What the fuck show is this

Angel S3E14: Couplet

In opposition to the rape-and-murder-heavy episode of Buffy, this more edgy adult spinoff features the entire cast acting like high schoolers with goofy-ass love triangles

Buffy S6E14: Older and Far Away

Luis Bunuel's "The Exterminating Angel" (1962) is a wonderful movie that you should watch. This homage to it is about Dawn feeling neglected, and makes me wonder what role she still serves in this show

Angel S3E15: Loyalty

This is the one with the giant talking hamburger statue god. I don't know how any of you remember this episode but I'm sure you guys think of it as the one with the hamburger god

Buffy S6E15: As You Were

Boy, I was sure wondering what happened to Riley was up to (I was not actually wondering this). Lol also at the ep title, military-speak for "k whatever bye"

Angel S3E16: Sleep Tight

You're a chump, Wesley! A fucking chump!!

Wesley talking to Holt and not Angel about the prophesy is stupid, Wesley is stupid, stupid Wesley

Buffy S6E16: Hell's Bells

Y'know, I thought I knew most of the upcoming big details, but I realize now I know nothing about what happens to Xander and Anya and I did not see this coming at all.

I guess it's been a while since I've been annoyed by Xander, we had to fix that!

Angel S3E17: Forgiving

You're a DOUBLE chump, Wesley, you utter fucking chump!! You stupid idiot!! You complete fucking moron!

Buffy S6E17: Normal Again

I wish I hadn't already heard about the premise of this one because it's so great. For what it's worth, I don't think Buffy is insane and I'm not going to entertain the possibility, but it's a fun little mindfuck.

Angel S3E18

Holy God, Gunn and Fred are just insufferable as a couple.

Also, the resolution to Gunn's casino problem was a lot easier to resolve than he made it seem

Angel S3E19: The Price

Angel's presumed-dead infant son comes back from the future to kill him.

This is starting to get dumb

Buffy S3E18: Entropy

As we near the season's end, the writers ramp things up with an episode where nothing happens

I'm sure the Spike/Anya near-hookup will come back as we progress but this sure was a snoozer

Angel S3E20: A New World

I vaguely remember hearing that Vincent Karnheiser was on this show but I could never have imagined the context.

I will not be able to look at Connor without seeing Pete Campbell's receding hairline.