My thoughts on last night's Angel and Shanshu in general
Making this public. Cuz I can.
Shanshu - it was supposed to have been a huge, important thread in the series, introduced as the big "wtf" moment of the Season One finale - and then they don't talk about it again after the Season Two premiere. And why should they? The Whedon/Greenwalt script effectively nixed any conversation on the subject in a fell swoop, by refocusing Angel into taking the battle as it comes, instead of expecting that this next monster is going to be the one that does it for him. There's a reason Superman fights the "neverending battle" and not the "well, I'm pulling for retirement in 10 years battle".
At the time, it seemed really ridiculous - why introduce this HUGE thing, and then just drop it? I doubt the word "Shanshu" appeared more than twice, if ever, between 2x02 and the fifth season.
Of course, looking back, and knowing Whedon and his penchant for seeding his shows with hints of things to come one or even two (sometimes three) seasons down the line (and let's face it - Shanshu wasn't subtle, and actually smacks of Greenwalt's influence more than anything), it was obvious that this would come to head again.
Fan speculation was running dry on the subject - there were only so many times you can wonder about the Beast of Amalfi, who was rising in Receda in 2003 (and, uh, are they gonna handle that?), before you just figure they'll do it when they do it.
And then something happened. And it wasn't on "Angel". In "Grave," the season ender for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Spike, the bleach-blonde liquor-and-cigarettes tragic foil and struggling antihero got himself a soul. And suddenly the Shanshu switchboard sparked to life again.
One has to wonder if Joss didn't have this planned all along - the vagueness in the prophecy itself would suggest this, but at the same time, prophecies on Whedon shows are typically vague, even when they don't appear to be. I mean, hello, the Slayer will die, anyone? Didn't mention the part where it wasn't permanent.
Anyway.
Suddenly, you have two vampires with souls, two possibilities for Shanshu. The seperation of the shows (especially since they were on different networks) meant that Shanshu never was brought up, and wisely so. Spike was having enough trouble in Buffy S7, he didn't need a prophecy over his head that might apply to him.
So, while Angel faced a moving rock-demon, his now-evil would-be ex, and the Cocoa Goddess of the Divine Mindwarp (in that order), Spike faced... well, he faced an incorporeal asshole, a bunch of uninteresting super-vampires, and a crazed preacher out of a Robert Mitchum movie. Does anybody wonder why I preferred Angel Season 4 to Buffy Season 7? Anybody?
It's important to remember that NOBODY planned on having Spike come over to Angel. He was supposed to die and resurrect all ghostly on the never-announced Faith spin-off (from the reports I've managed to cull together, anyway). It's quite possible Whedon had no intentions of tackling Shanshu for at least a few years.
But then a few nasty things happened. First, Eliza Dushku got either tired of waiting for ME to pull something together or tired of the character of Faith, and went and did Tru Calling. Fine, no Spike in the next television season - this can be dealt with. He's dying anyway.
Then, The WB puffs up their chest, points to Angel's not-terrible but not terribly-wonderful ratings, and sends Whedon a few edicts for getting his show back next season. Suddenly, James Marsters is employed again. On Angel.
Wait - the spoiled fanbase is already abuzz. They know Marsters is dying in Chosen, and they know he's coming on to Angel in the fall. He's gonna SHANSHU! It's obvious! He has to! It's the Only Way! Yaaaay! Stoopid broody Angel! Take THAT!
Etc, etc, etc.
At the time, I was a strong proponent of Angel as the one-true Shanshu. My evidence? Darla. Darla was raised by the power of the Scroll of Aberjian, which also contained Shanshu. Darla wasn't raised as a torment to Spike, she was raised as a torment to Angel. Surely, she was one of the trials that the eventual Shanshu guy had to face...
Well, that's kind of faulty logic, actually. One could go back if Angel shanshues and point Darla out as one of the trials, if one wanted to. But she isn't proof that he's the one, not by a long shot.
Well, Spike came back as a ghost. And the Angel 4-Eva crowd are going Boo-YA! or whatever kind of celebratory thing they scream when Spike gets kicked (as he so often does).
My point is this - Whedon and co. probably weren't planning on dealing with the dual soul theory this soon, so you'll pardon me if this season has felt a little more - reactive than I'm used to from these guys. Usually, they're much more effective at leading up to something than clumsily written scenes where Fred just happens to slip about a prophecy that we've never seen explained to her. It's not a stretch to think that somebody would've said something to Fred about it, but usually they're much more careful about the chain of information.
While I can forgive that due to the circumstances, I don't have to like it.
Anyway, so they've quite jerkily reintroduced a concept to us, out of necessity, that they haven't discussed in over three years. Now that's a long time even by Whedon standards. Usually if they go that far back in continuity, it's for a throw-away line (like Xander talking about his Becoming lie in Selfless) or there's some amount of build-up.
Alright, I'll give you that The First Evil was 3.5 seasons of nothing said, but they spent a lot of subtle time bringing in A villain who happened to be like the TFE and then turning around and revealing him to be the one and only. Plus, they effectively just re-introduced him/her/it. And the writing in S7 was clumsy anyway. Gr.
So, what's my point to all this?
Given the weight of circumstance that's really piled heavy onto "Destiny," it still turned out to be a pretty damn good episode.
There were some problems. I felt really uncomfortable with the way that Spike was handling Harmony - as an object. Yes, she's soulless and vacuous, too, but you think Spike would've learned a little respect for women by now. This may have been an effective measure to remind us that maybe Spike isn't so deserving - but it seemed too throwaway to really be meaningful.
Also, again we're treated to the "Hi again, Bye Again" appearances of a couple cast members. Lorne has one tiny little scene and hardly any lines. Fred is nearly as backgrounded. I understand this ep was really about Spike and Angel and they're long term rivalry, but this has been habit for the writing since Marsters arrived on the scene. Now, I'm pleased that they're making a strong effort to maintain "Angel" as "Angel" instead of "Spike" - but that shouldn't mean the marginalization of a strong supporting cast that has effectively time and time again proven to be the best and hardest working ensemble in fantasy television. And Alexis Denisof is the Best Television Actor ever - and he essentially gets one episode to do anything.
However, the rivalry between Angel and Spike has always been palpable - even in School Hard there was some marked tension (and not just because one of them was good, the other evil). The whole run with Angelus just showed how much Spike really loathed Angel (and tonight, we got to see why in some really illuminating flashbacks). Angel never seemed all that unhappy with Spike - annoyed, perhaps, by his romanticism.
But then, Angel had the power. He always did. He always had the upper hand. In the Early Years. As the reconstituted Angelus of Buffy S2. Angel held all the cards, and was able to beat down the opposition by sheer force of will.
However, the soul? The soul took Angel's power base away, left brooding and alone for over a hundred years. That has to be detrimental to your self-esteem. Angel hated himself, and even when he's maintained the upper hand in his life, he's never been allowed to love himself. The kind of doubts that plague him give Spike something that he's never had - control.
Spike, you see, has rarely hated himself. Yes, he's given to bouts of self-loathing, but either by his intention or his natural design, he's never given into despair. He's always fought for himself. And when he didn't have to fight for himself, he always found a worthy adversary. His most worthy was Buffy Summers, of course, but taking her out wasn't in the William the Bloody playbook, not after the chip.
Spike still needed to dance, though, but since he couldn't harm her, he unconciously took the advice of his grandsire - "To kill this girl, you have to love her." And he did. And maybe the love took its turns of sick and twisted and whatnot, but the thing about Spike is - he's never cared much how the battle is fought as long as it's fought. And that's the new edge he has on Angel.
Angel, in his constant drive to make penance, has bound himself in invisible rules, given himself a title, "Champion" and a set of duties surrounding that. Spike, however, is content to be exactly who he is, and, in the true nature of a poet, is always seeking out new ways to express himself. Angel is a prisoner of his penance, Spike has always been free.
That's why Spike was bound to win the fight last night - because he is capable of a million things Angel isn't, able to change his definition of himself if it means getting what he wants.
Angel shirked from the cross. We've seen before, when stripped of his memories in "Spin the Bottle," that he is totally capable of handling one if necessary. But when if full possession of everything, he finds himself unable to even be close to one. Spike, however, hefts the thing like a great battle club, oblivious of the searing sensation that must be riddling his hands.
Yes, Spike wanted it more, that's not even a question. Why he wanted it... I'm not entirely sure. Spike still hasn't proven that's able to do anything outside of the realm of Buffy, and he's given no indication that his interest lies in being the Champion. Of course, pissing off Angel is as good a sport as any.
I don't understand why Angel wants it anymore, either. The only thing I can come up with is that Angel simply wants to believe that he's going to get rewarded for all the good work he's done - now, especially, that he doesn't believe he's doing good work anymore. He needs reassurance, some positive marker that says "Good Angel, have a biscuit." I'm not even sure he wants to be human necessarily - he just wants to know that he deserves it.
There's two reasons why I'm particularly glad that the Cup of Perpetual Torment (and isn't that so Pythonesque?) was a fake (Do the Dew!). One, okay, they've both saved the world on numerous occasions, but neither of them has really shown recently why they should be the Singular Champion, other than as a way to spite the other. Angel's too deeply self-involved right now and Spike's too... deeply self-involved. Two, something like Shanshu should not boil down to a car chase and a fistfight. Even if the Dead Kennedys ARE involved. This is a big, important part of the show (even if they don't talk about it for three years), and it deserves something a little more... intangible? A scenario that can't be boiled down to a pissing match, essentially.
The kind of thing I trust Whedon to provide, even after this lackluster start-off (because, let's face it - for every last bit of Wes goodness in Lineage, there was something incredibly stupid to temper it with). Things are looking up. I honestly don't expect the cyborg thing to be picked up again - it read too much like Just Another One of Those Wolfram and Hart Things, but we got something even better...
Lindsey MacDonald, covered in runes (or, you know, other markings, whatever). He's back, he's naked, and he's schtupping Eve (don't know how I should feel about that...).
And this bodes well, for two reasons. A) He appeared only very briefly, indicating that he's going to have a serious, continuing (and therefore arc-y) role to play this season. B) It's Lindsey Mac-fucking-Donald. It was actual continuity! And re-introduced well!
Other minor notes: seeing Drusilla back was nice, I hope it bodes well for future Landau appearances. Did she seem a bit less loopy than usual? I demand total strangeness, yo. I have to give serious kudos to J. August Richards for the scene where he insanely choked Eve - the rage in his voice, the power in that moment... Seriously, we haven't see anything like that out of J. yet, and I was impressed. Also, Eve seems to begin to have a point. Good on her.
Oh, and in case you're wondering? I'm backing Spike for Shanshu. I have no good reasons. He just has happier abs.
Shanshu - it was supposed to have been a huge, important thread in the series, introduced as the big "wtf" moment of the Season One finale - and then they don't talk about it again after the Season Two premiere. And why should they? The Whedon/Greenwalt script effectively nixed any conversation on the subject in a fell swoop, by refocusing Angel into taking the battle as it comes, instead of expecting that this next monster is going to be the one that does it for him. There's a reason Superman fights the "neverending battle" and not the "well, I'm pulling for retirement in 10 years battle".
At the time, it seemed really ridiculous - why introduce this HUGE thing, and then just drop it? I doubt the word "Shanshu" appeared more than twice, if ever, between 2x02 and the fifth season.
Of course, looking back, and knowing Whedon and his penchant for seeding his shows with hints of things to come one or even two (sometimes three) seasons down the line (and let's face it - Shanshu wasn't subtle, and actually smacks of Greenwalt's influence more than anything), it was obvious that this would come to head again.
Fan speculation was running dry on the subject - there were only so many times you can wonder about the Beast of Amalfi, who was rising in Receda in 2003 (and, uh, are they gonna handle that?), before you just figure they'll do it when they do it.
And then something happened. And it wasn't on "Angel". In "Grave," the season ender for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Spike, the bleach-blonde liquor-and-cigarettes tragic foil and struggling antihero got himself a soul. And suddenly the Shanshu switchboard sparked to life again.
One has to wonder if Joss didn't have this planned all along - the vagueness in the prophecy itself would suggest this, but at the same time, prophecies on Whedon shows are typically vague, even when they don't appear to be. I mean, hello, the Slayer will die, anyone? Didn't mention the part where it wasn't permanent.
Anyway.
Suddenly, you have two vampires with souls, two possibilities for Shanshu. The seperation of the shows (especially since they were on different networks) meant that Shanshu never was brought up, and wisely so. Spike was having enough trouble in Buffy S7, he didn't need a prophecy over his head that might apply to him.
So, while Angel faced a moving rock-demon, his now-evil would-be ex, and the Cocoa Goddess of the Divine Mindwarp (in that order), Spike faced... well, he faced an incorporeal asshole, a bunch of uninteresting super-vampires, and a crazed preacher out of a Robert Mitchum movie. Does anybody wonder why I preferred Angel Season 4 to Buffy Season 7? Anybody?
It's important to remember that NOBODY planned on having Spike come over to Angel. He was supposed to die and resurrect all ghostly on the never-announced Faith spin-off (from the reports I've managed to cull together, anyway). It's quite possible Whedon had no intentions of tackling Shanshu for at least a few years.
But then a few nasty things happened. First, Eliza Dushku got either tired of waiting for ME to pull something together or tired of the character of Faith, and went and did Tru Calling. Fine, no Spike in the next television season - this can be dealt with. He's dying anyway.
Then, The WB puffs up their chest, points to Angel's not-terrible but not terribly-wonderful ratings, and sends Whedon a few edicts for getting his show back next season. Suddenly, James Marsters is employed again. On Angel.
Wait - the spoiled fanbase is already abuzz. They know Marsters is dying in Chosen, and they know he's coming on to Angel in the fall. He's gonna SHANSHU! It's obvious! He has to! It's the Only Way! Yaaaay! Stoopid broody Angel! Take THAT!
Etc, etc, etc.
At the time, I was a strong proponent of Angel as the one-true Shanshu. My evidence? Darla. Darla was raised by the power of the Scroll of Aberjian, which also contained Shanshu. Darla wasn't raised as a torment to Spike, she was raised as a torment to Angel. Surely, she was one of the trials that the eventual Shanshu guy had to face...
Well, that's kind of faulty logic, actually. One could go back if Angel shanshues and point Darla out as one of the trials, if one wanted to. But she isn't proof that he's the one, not by a long shot.
Well, Spike came back as a ghost. And the Angel 4-Eva crowd are going Boo-YA! or whatever kind of celebratory thing they scream when Spike gets kicked (as he so often does).
My point is this - Whedon and co. probably weren't planning on dealing with the dual soul theory this soon, so you'll pardon me if this season has felt a little more - reactive than I'm used to from these guys. Usually, they're much more effective at leading up to something than clumsily written scenes where Fred just happens to slip about a prophecy that we've never seen explained to her. It's not a stretch to think that somebody would've said something to Fred about it, but usually they're much more careful about the chain of information.
While I can forgive that due to the circumstances, I don't have to like it.
Anyway, so they've quite jerkily reintroduced a concept to us, out of necessity, that they haven't discussed in over three years. Now that's a long time even by Whedon standards. Usually if they go that far back in continuity, it's for a throw-away line (like Xander talking about his Becoming lie in Selfless) or there's some amount of build-up.
Alright, I'll give you that The First Evil was 3.5 seasons of nothing said, but they spent a lot of subtle time bringing in A villain who happened to be like the TFE and then turning around and revealing him to be the one and only. Plus, they effectively just re-introduced him/her/it. And the writing in S7 was clumsy anyway. Gr.
So, what's my point to all this?
Given the weight of circumstance that's really piled heavy onto "Destiny," it still turned out to be a pretty damn good episode.
There were some problems. I felt really uncomfortable with the way that Spike was handling Harmony - as an object. Yes, she's soulless and vacuous, too, but you think Spike would've learned a little respect for women by now. This may have been an effective measure to remind us that maybe Spike isn't so deserving - but it seemed too throwaway to really be meaningful.
Also, again we're treated to the "Hi again, Bye Again" appearances of a couple cast members. Lorne has one tiny little scene and hardly any lines. Fred is nearly as backgrounded. I understand this ep was really about Spike and Angel and they're long term rivalry, but this has been habit for the writing since Marsters arrived on the scene. Now, I'm pleased that they're making a strong effort to maintain "Angel" as "Angel" instead of "Spike" - but that shouldn't mean the marginalization of a strong supporting cast that has effectively time and time again proven to be the best and hardest working ensemble in fantasy television. And Alexis Denisof is the Best Television Actor ever - and he essentially gets one episode to do anything.
However, the rivalry between Angel and Spike has always been palpable - even in School Hard there was some marked tension (and not just because one of them was good, the other evil). The whole run with Angelus just showed how much Spike really loathed Angel (and tonight, we got to see why in some really illuminating flashbacks). Angel never seemed all that unhappy with Spike - annoyed, perhaps, by his romanticism.
But then, Angel had the power. He always did. He always had the upper hand. In the Early Years. As the reconstituted Angelus of Buffy S2. Angel held all the cards, and was able to beat down the opposition by sheer force of will.
However, the soul? The soul took Angel's power base away, left brooding and alone for over a hundred years. That has to be detrimental to your self-esteem. Angel hated himself, and even when he's maintained the upper hand in his life, he's never been allowed to love himself. The kind of doubts that plague him give Spike something that he's never had - control.
Spike, you see, has rarely hated himself. Yes, he's given to bouts of self-loathing, but either by his intention or his natural design, he's never given into despair. He's always fought for himself. And when he didn't have to fight for himself, he always found a worthy adversary. His most worthy was Buffy Summers, of course, but taking her out wasn't in the William the Bloody playbook, not after the chip.
Spike still needed to dance, though, but since he couldn't harm her, he unconciously took the advice of his grandsire - "To kill this girl, you have to love her." And he did. And maybe the love took its turns of sick and twisted and whatnot, but the thing about Spike is - he's never cared much how the battle is fought as long as it's fought. And that's the new edge he has on Angel.
Angel, in his constant drive to make penance, has bound himself in invisible rules, given himself a title, "Champion" and a set of duties surrounding that. Spike, however, is content to be exactly who he is, and, in the true nature of a poet, is always seeking out new ways to express himself. Angel is a prisoner of his penance, Spike has always been free.
That's why Spike was bound to win the fight last night - because he is capable of a million things Angel isn't, able to change his definition of himself if it means getting what he wants.
Angel shirked from the cross. We've seen before, when stripped of his memories in "Spin the Bottle," that he is totally capable of handling one if necessary. But when if full possession of everything, he finds himself unable to even be close to one. Spike, however, hefts the thing like a great battle club, oblivious of the searing sensation that must be riddling his hands.
Yes, Spike wanted it more, that's not even a question. Why he wanted it... I'm not entirely sure. Spike still hasn't proven that's able to do anything outside of the realm of Buffy, and he's given no indication that his interest lies in being the Champion. Of course, pissing off Angel is as good a sport as any.
I don't understand why Angel wants it anymore, either. The only thing I can come up with is that Angel simply wants to believe that he's going to get rewarded for all the good work he's done - now, especially, that he doesn't believe he's doing good work anymore. He needs reassurance, some positive marker that says "Good Angel, have a biscuit." I'm not even sure he wants to be human necessarily - he just wants to know that he deserves it.
There's two reasons why I'm particularly glad that the Cup of Perpetual Torment (and isn't that so Pythonesque?) was a fake (Do the Dew!). One, okay, they've both saved the world on numerous occasions, but neither of them has really shown recently why they should be the Singular Champion, other than as a way to spite the other. Angel's too deeply self-involved right now and Spike's too... deeply self-involved. Two, something like Shanshu should not boil down to a car chase and a fistfight. Even if the Dead Kennedys ARE involved. This is a big, important part of the show (even if they don't talk about it for three years), and it deserves something a little more... intangible? A scenario that can't be boiled down to a pissing match, essentially.
The kind of thing I trust Whedon to provide, even after this lackluster start-off (because, let's face it - for every last bit of Wes goodness in Lineage, there was something incredibly stupid to temper it with). Things are looking up. I honestly don't expect the cyborg thing to be picked up again - it read too much like Just Another One of Those Wolfram and Hart Things, but we got something even better...
Lindsey MacDonald, covered in runes (or, you know, other markings, whatever). He's back, he's naked, and he's schtupping Eve (don't know how I should feel about that...).
And this bodes well, for two reasons. A) He appeared only very briefly, indicating that he's going to have a serious, continuing (and therefore arc-y) role to play this season. B) It's Lindsey Mac-fucking-Donald. It was actual continuity! And re-introduced well!
Other minor notes: seeing Drusilla back was nice, I hope it bodes well for future Landau appearances. Did she seem a bit less loopy than usual? I demand total strangeness, yo. I have to give serious kudos to J. August Richards for the scene where he insanely choked Eve - the rage in his voice, the power in that moment... Seriously, we haven't see anything like that out of J. yet, and I was impressed. Also, Eve seems to begin to have a point. Good on her.
Oh, and in case you're wondering? I'm backing Spike for Shanshu. I have no good reasons. He just has happier abs.