AOQ Angel Review 1-12: "Expecting"
Arbitrar Of Quality
episodes in these review threads
ANGEL
Season One, Episode 12: "Expecting"
(or "Bad Eggs II")
Writer: Howard Gordon
Director: David Semel
"Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist?" - Cordelia Chase,
"The Harvest"
"Of course - the transplant! Somehow Snake's hair must be
controlling-" "Oh, please, Lis, everyone's already figured that
out." - _The Simpsons_, "Treehouse Of Horror IX"
It's rare in the happy confines of the Buffyverse, but sometimes an
episode emerges that's just inexplicable. There's only one show
whose existence I could remember being so confused by: "Bad Eggs."
("Beer Bad" doesn't make so much sense to me either, but I'm
not as thoroughly confused.) I'm not talking about quality per se
with that statement; there's a BTVS episode I dislike more than BE
(and there are several worse than BB), but I can kinda see what they
were thinking when they made those. BE was rare in leaving me baffled
as to why it was ever greenlighted, why Mutant Enemy thought it would
work, to whom it was expected to appeal, and so on. Well, "Bad
Eggs," you've got company.
"Expecting" gives us Fantasy Stock Plot #104, impregnation by a
monster. I don't know why this plot is so popular, since it almost
never leads to good stories, but there ya go. The opening act sets
said event up by having Cordelia meet a nice guy. Knowing the way
these shows work, there should have been little doubt that he was up to
no good, so we spend most of these sequences waiting for that to be
revealed, and possibly checking our watches.
Then she wakes up eight and a half months pregnant with septuplets.
Okay, so, why? This is not me being confused about where babies come
from, it's a question of "why" as in "why are we watching
this?" That's all the deeply insightful critique I'm able to
provide. Why? What is the fascination with this plot device? Why did
the writers think we'd want to see Cordelia lying around sobbing all
episode, "dramatic" scenes of amniotic fluid being drawn, lines
like "you don't know what it's like to be a partner in
creation?" I don't get it.
Moving from plot to plot handling, well, I haven't exactly been known
for my appreciation of Cordelia's personality. But it couldn't
have made things much worse if said personality had appeared in this
episode. Did the writer not realize that she's a regular and not
Generic Crying Victim? She doesn't seem like herself throughout the
lying-in-bed period. Eventually she shows some sign of life as the
demon's influence starts to get more pronounced, at which point
she's not even nominally herself anymore.
On a related note, Wesley, as a former Watcher, really ought to be able
to recognize a blindingly obvious possession when he sees one. I
wouldn't trust this moron with a Chia plant, let alone anyone's
life. I was kinda tolerant of him for a few weeks, maybe because of
the "he's from BTVS!" factor, but his cocky
incompetent-at-everything act is wearing thin. I miss Doyle.
If one wants to get a sense of how much "Expecting" understands its
audience, how about the laborious speech over the phone about what's
happening to the expectant mothers? We all figured out that the
offspring are possessing them ten minutes ago, that's all we need to
know. If we wanted to squander five minutes of our lives on
fake-explanations of every basic plot device, well, that's what _Star
Trek_ is for.
Something I sometimes do with bad episodes is come up with a list of
the good things about them. Partly because most people like hearing
about the new guy enjoying the good things rather than hating the bad
ones, and partly as an exercise to see if I need more than one hand to
count them. So here're some good things:
1} Angel's take on Ways Of Women. "You don't think sticking the
axe in the wall put them off?" "That was charming." "What
about the fact that they thought we were gay?" "Adds mystery."
2} A good job of quietly addressing a potential plot point/nitpick and
dismissing it as irrelevant to the story, while only using up about
three seconds of screentime: "it was all really *safe*."
3} Dennis passing Cordelia the box of tissues.
4} Angel: "No. I'm family." And on that note, the very last
scene is okay too, and could've had more impact had the episode
leading up to it not sucked.
5} Serena trying to drink her demonspawn to death is easily the best
image of the episode. I don't think they'd like that in South
Dakota.
6} Call me a sadist, but sometimes it's satisfying to see Angel just
beat the living shit out of someone weaker than him.
7} Wesley's moment of brave posturing when challenging the demon,
standing on the ledge of a hot tub.
There. A complete list of the redeeming features of "Expecting."
If I didn't mention it, I didn't like it.
Anyone else think of _Terminator 2_ at the end? Hasta la vista,
babies. Thank you, I'll be here all season.
So...
One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
AOQ rating: Bad
[Season One so far:
1) "City Of" - Good
2) "Lonely Hearts" - Weak
3) "Into The Dark" - Good
4) "I Fall To Pieces" - Good
5) "Rm W/ A Vu" - Decent
6) "Sense And Sensitivity" - Weak
7) "The Bachelor Party" - Decent
8) "I Will Remember You" - Excellent
9) "Hero" - Good
10) "Parting Gifts" - Decent
11) "Somnambulist" - Good
12) "Expecting" - Bad]
Shuggie
>
> One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
Say you didn't review Spinal Tap's seminal album 'Shark Sandwich' in a
former life did you?
:)
> AOQ rating: Bad
Can't argue with that really.
--
Shuggie
my blog - http://shuggie.livejournal.com/
Arbitrar Of Quality
> In alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
> >
>
> Say you didn't review Spinal Tap's seminal album 'Shark Sandwich' in a
> former life did you?
>
> :)
Really an underrated album. And undersold. And under-recorded,
really...
-AOQ
~That magazine's rating system didn't go to eleven~
angelbuffy0
question of "why" as in "why are we watching this?" That's all the
deeply insightful critique I'm able to provide. Why? What is the
fascination with this plot device? Why did the writers think we'd want
to see Cordelia lying around sobbing all episode, "dramatic" scenes of
amniotic fluid being drawn, lines like "you don't know what it's like
to be a partner in
creation?" I don't get it. "
If you ever get an answer to that question, please let me know. I have
been wondering for years.
William George Ferguson
wrote:
>A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later _Buffy_ and _Angel_
>episodes in these review threads
>
>
>ANGEL
>Season One, Episode 12: "Expecting"
>(or "Bad Eggs II")
>Writer: Howard Gordon
>Director: David Semel
>
>"Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist?" - Cordelia Chase,
>"The Harvest"
>
>"Of course - the transplant! Somehow Snake's hair must be
>controlling-" "Oh, please, Lis, everyone's already figured that
>out." - _The Simpsons_, "Treehouse Of Horror IX"
>
>It's rare in the happy confines of the Buffyverse, but sometimes an
>episode emerges that's just inexplicable. There's only one show
>whose existence I could remember being so confused by: "Bad Eggs."
>("Beer Bad" doesn't make so much sense to me either, but I'm
>not as thoroughly confused.) I'm not talking about quality per se
>with that statement; there's a BTVS episode I dislike more than BE
>(and there are several worse than BB), but I can kinda see what they
>were thinking when they made those. BE was rare in leaving me baffled
>as to why it was ever greenlighted, why Mutant Enemy thought it would
>work, to whom it was expected to appeal, and so on. Well, "Bad
>Eggs," you've got company.
[snip]
>So...
>
>One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
>AOQ rating: Bad
About the only good thing I can say about Expecting is that it isn't the
worst episode of season 1 (be very afraid).
As for Bad Eggs, its raison d'etre is fairly obvious. On Buffy, Whedon
and his merry band really liked doing homages, or sick takes on classic
horror. Bed Eggs was "The Puppet Masters" turn.
As for this one, you're missing some wonderful set up for future epsidoes.
Well, actually, no you aren't. Nothing, good, bad , or indifferent,
carries forward from this. I hope that wasn't too spoilery :)
--
You've reached the Tittles. We can't come to the phone right now
If you want to leave a message for Christine, Press 1
For Bentley, Press 2
Or to speak to, or worship, Master Tarfall, Underlord of Pain, Press 3
KenM47
I really do not like the episode. "Bad" works for me.
IMO, it was designed to distance Cordy from her h.s. years by making
us, the audience, damn sure she wasn't a virgin anymore. I don't know
why they thought that all so important, but that's the way I saw it.
Ken (Brooklyn)
KenM47
Oh, and that men are beasts, and casual sex is a bad thing.
Ken (Brooklyn)
Daniel Damouth
news:1146933351.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
> One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
> AOQ rating: Bad
You got this one right, and managed to remind me of some of the good
bits from this episode that I had forgotten because I never watch it.
-Dan Damouth
magista.m...@gmail.com
>
> Ken (Brooklyn)
So what you're saying is, Marti Noxon actually wrote this one under a
pseudonym?
mags
BTR1701
> "Expecting" gives us Fantasy Stock Plot #104, impregnation by a
> monster. I don't know why this plot is so popular, since it almost
> never leads to good stories, but there ya go.
The exception to that rule would, of course, be ALIEN and its progeny
(or at least the first sequel).
Apteryx
news:1146933351.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later _Buffy_ and _Angel_
> episodes in these review threads
>
>
> episode emerges that's just inexplicable. There's only one show
> whose existence I could remember being so confused by: "Bad Eggs."
I'd say worse than Bad Eggs, because less funny. Here we come to the first
of four episodes that at one time or another have held the position of worst
episode in AtS 1 (its hard to decide - we're spolied for choice). But as
with all the weaker Buffyverse episodes, you just have to try to make the
most of what is there, which in this case is the occaisional humour.
> On a related note, Wesley, as a former Watcher, really ought to be able
> to recognize a blindingly obvious possession when he sees one. I
> wouldn't trust this moron with a Chia plant, let alone anyone's
> life. I was kinda tolerant of him for a few weeks, maybe because of
> the "he's from BTVS!" factor, but his cocky
> incompetent-at-everything act is wearing thin. I miss Doyle.
He's over-compensating. As the ending shows, he clearly doesn't lack for
courage, but he certainly lacks self-confidence. A guy like that sometimes
just needs some nice girl to take him in hand and make a man of him (has
worked for many more hopeless cases than Wesley). It's a shame that Cordy
has moved on. But at least Wesley as a rogue demon hunter is working in an
industry where he will have ample opportunity to devevelop confidence or die
trying.
>
> 1} Angel's take on Ways Of Women. "You don't think sticking the
> axe in the wall put them off?" "That was charming." "What
> about the fact that they thought we were gay?" "Adds mystery."
>
> 2} A good job of quietly addressing a potential plot point/nitpick and
> dismissing it as irrelevant to the story, while only using up about
> three seconds of screentime: "it was all really *safe*."
>
> 3} Dennis passing Cordelia the box of tissues.
>
> 4} Angel: "No. I'm family." And on that note, the very last
> scene is okay too, and could've had more impact had the episode
> leading up to it not sucked.
>
> 5} Serena trying to drink her demonspawn to death is easily the best
> image of the episode. I don't think they'd like that in South
> Dakota.
>
> 6} Call me a sadist, but sometimes it's satisfying to see Angel just
> beat the living shit out of someone weaker than him.
>
> 7} Wesley's moment of brave posturing when challenging the demon,
> standing on the ledge of a hot tub.
>
> There. A complete list of the redeeming features of "Expecting."
> If I didn't mention it, I didn't like it.
Not even Cordy coming up with a credible threat to a ghost - "I'll play
Evita round the clock - the one with Madonna" ?
> One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
> AOQ rating: Bad
On what I have set as the numerical boundaries between your categories, this
manages to be Weak on my rating. But maybe its just that I have set the
boundary between Weak and Bad a little too low. For me its the 98th best AtS
episode (out of 110), and currently 20th best in Season 1
--
Apteryx
KenM47
You would think that. :-)
Except for the positive note of actual bonding among the three of them
(four, if you count Phantom Dennis).
Ken (Brooklyn)
HeKS
"Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@wildmail.com> wrote in message
news:1146933351.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
> episodes in these review threads
>
> AOQ rating: Bad
Yeah. I have to agree with you. This is probably the only episode of Angel
that I actually didn't like (even though I remember liking certain aspects
of it). That's not to say that some were crappier than others, but I don't
think I remember another episode being this stupid.
All I can say is, stick with this show. Season 1 is all about finding its
legs.
Take care,
HeKS
Kevin
KenM47 wrote:
> magista.m...@gmail.com wrote:
> >So what you're saying is, Marti Noxon actually wrote this one under a
> >pseudonym?
>
Perhaps... But I *definitely* think that Noxon, though uncredited,
somehow managed to wrestle the script of "I Will Remember You" away
from Renshaw & Greenwalt. ("Buffy and Angel get to screw?!? Oh boy oh
boy oh boy, lemme write it, lemme write it! I'll do anything!!") :-)
--Kevin
Arbitrar Of Quality
So at this point we're just randomly attacking our least favorite
writers for episodes they didn't actually write? Just checking. Okay,
Petrie's fingerprints are all over "Sense And Sensitivity."
-AOQ
Arbitrar Of Quality
> About the only good thing I can say about Expecting is that it isn't the
> worst episode of season 1 (be very afraid).
Given that you and Apteryx both agree on that, not a good sign. But my
opinions do not always resemble ATBVS opinions.
> As for this one, you're missing some wonderful set up for future epsidoes.
> Well, actually, no you aren't. Nothing, good, bad , or indifferent,
> carries forward from this. I hope that wasn't too spoilery :)
Works for me.
-AOQ
Horace LaBadie
BTR1701 <BTR...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
"Rosemary's Baby."
HWL
mariposas rand mair fheal greykitten tomys des anges
> monster. I don't know why this plot is so popular, since it almost
> never leads to good stories, but there ya go. The opening act sets
> said event up by having Cordelia meet a nice guy. Knowing the way
> these shows work, there should have been little doubt that he was up to
> no good, so we spend most of these sequences waiting for that to be
> revealed, and possibly checking our watches.
ever see the movie -rabbit test-
billy crystal plays a virgin whose first time has the woman on top
and as a consequence he is the one who gets pregnant
perhaps this is a setup for a mystical impossible pregnancy
like if faith wakes up and gets wesley pregnant
or if in mirror dimension angel meets his female version angela
and angela gets angel pregnant with himself wee liam
(worked for red dwarf)
arf meow arf - nsa fodder
al qaeda terrorism nuclear bomb iran taliban big brother
if you meet buddha on the usenet killfile him
DysgraphicProgrammer
Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later _Buffy_ and _Angel_
> episodes in these review threads
>
>
> ANGEL
> Season One, Episode 12: "Expecting"
> (or "Bad Eggs II")
> Writer: Howard Gordon
> Director: David Semel
[snip]
> "Expecting" gives us Fantasy Stock Plot #104, impregnation by a
> monster. I don't know why this plot is so popular, since it almost
> never leads to good stories, but there ya go.
Just out of curiosity, what is Fantasy Stock Plot #1?
[snip]
> 6} Call me a sadist, but sometimes it's satisfying to see Angel just
> beat the living shit out of someone weaker than him.
Ok, you're a sadist. But these jerks deserved it.
> 7} Wesley's moment of brave posturing when challenging the demon,
> standing on the ledge of a hot tub.
>
> There. A complete list of the redeeming features of "Expecting."
> If I didn't mention it, I didn't like it.
>
> Anyone else think of _Terminator 2_ at the end? Hasta la vista,
> babies. Thank you, I'll be here all season.
[Groan]
> So...
>
> One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
> AOQ rating: Bad
>
Can't argue with that. This episode is best forgotten
jil...@hotmail.com
Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> So at this point we're just randomly attacking our least favorite
> writers for episodes they didn't actually write? Just checking. Okay,
> Petrie's fingerprints are all over "Sense And Sensitivity."
Actually, yes. They do that. I liked all of her episodes. Mmmm, well
not all of them. Just you wait.
Mike Zeares
Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> "Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist?" - Cordelia Chase,
> "The Harvest"
Mmmm, Old School Cordelia. Good times, good times....
> It's rare in the happy confines of the Buffyverse, but sometimes an
> episode emerges that's just inexplicable. There's only one show
> whose existence I could remember being so confused by: "Bad Eggs."
> ("Beer Bad" doesn't make so much sense to me either, but I'm
> not as thoroughly confused.) I'm not talking about quality per se
> with that statement; there's a BTVS episode I dislike more than BE
> (and there are several worse than BB), but I can kinda see what they
> were thinking when they made those. BE was rare in leaving me baffled
> as to why it was ever greenlighted, why Mutant Enemy thought it would
> work, to whom it was expected to appeal, and so on. Well, "Bad
> Eggs," you've got company.
BE is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Yeah, it sucks, but I love
it anyway. "Expecting," on the other hand... well, it's one of two AtS
S1 episodes I always skip.
> So...
>
> One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
> AOQ rating: Bad
Yup.
-- Mike Zeares
Kevin
Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> So at this point we're just randomly attacking our least favorite
> writers for episodes they didn't actually write? Just checking. Okay,
> Petrie's fingerprints are all over "Sense And Sensitivity."
Yeah, completely randomly. I think Noxon wrote [insert any weak
episode here]. And I was serious in my post above, with no jokey
intention whatsoever. And she isn't known for any types of
characterizations or themes or flaws, several years of newsgroup
discussion notwithstanding. And I have never indicated any appreciaton
for Consequences, something quite removed from those things.
--Kevin
Arbitrar Of Quality
> And I was serious in my post above, with no jokey
> intention whatsoever
So was I. Deadly serious with no flippancy or sarcasm.
-AOQ
Arbitrar Of Quality
> > "Expecting" gives us Fantasy Stock Plot #104, impregnation by a
> > monster. I don't know why this plot is so popular, since it almost
> > never leads to good stories, but there ya go.
>
> Just out of curiosity, what is Fantasy Stock Plot #1?
There's no actual list. i'm just trying for a running joke.
-AOQ
Lord Usher
news:1146964300.3...@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>> Perhaps... But I *definitely* think that Noxon, though uncredited,
>> somehow managed to wrestle the script of "I Will Remember You" away
>> from Renshaw & Greenwalt. ("Buffy and Angel get to screw?!? Oh boy oh
>> boy oh boy, lemme write it, lemme write it! I'll do anything!!") :-)
>
> So at this point we're just randomly attacking our least favorite
> writers for episodes they didn't actually write? Just checking. Okay,
> Petrie's fingerprints are all over "Sense And Sensitivity."
Or we're familiar enough with the writers that we can pick up on their
subtle and not-so-subtle ideosyncrasies. Marti's fingerprints *are* all
over IWRY, nothing random about it.
And, for the record, Joss has actually confirmed in interviews that Marti
did uncredited work on the shippy aspects of IWRY.
--
Lord Usher
"I'm here to kill you, not to judge you."
George W Harris
<hwlab...@nospam.highstream.net> wrote:
:In article <BTR1702-406C15...@news.east.earthlink.net>,
"Saturn 3".
Okay, maybe not.
:
:HWL
--
Doesn't the fact that there are *exactly* 50 states seem a little suspicious?
George W. Harris For actual email address, replace each 'u' with an 'i'
JJ Karhu
<Matthew...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
>> "Expecting" gives us Fantasy Stock Plot #104, impregnation by a
>> monster. I don't know why this plot is so popular, since it almost
>> never leads to good stories, but there ya go.
>
>Just out of curiosity, what is Fantasy Stock Plot #1?
Orphan farmboy grows up to find out he is really the heir to the
throne?
// JJ
Stephen Tempest
Stock plot #1: Boy meets girl. They live happily ever after.
Stock plot #2: Boy meets girl. They DON'T live happily ever after.
Stock plot #3: Boy meets girl. For a time it looks like they won't
live happily ever after, but then they do.
(This is the first recorded appearance of that concept - invented by
Joss Whedon - called a "plot twist")
Stephen
William George Ferguson
wrote:
>William George Ferguson wrote:
>
>> About the only good thing I can say about Expecting is that it isn't the
>> worst episode of season 1 (be very afraid).
>
>Given that you and Apteryx both agree on that, not a good sign. But my
>opinions do not always resemble ATBVS opinions.
Although in this case...
I bet you'd given up on having such universal agreement with one of your
reviews (there's someone out there, somewhere, somehow, who actually likes
Expecting, I'm almost sure of it).
Arbitrar Of Quality
> I bet you'd given up on having such universal agreement with one of your
> reviews (there's someone out there, somewhere, somehow, who actually likes
> Expecting, I'm almost sure of it).
Yeah, I'm rather surprised (and oddly comforted) that so far *no one*
has come out in favor of this episode. You'd think it'd be impossible
to come up with somethng that'd be universally accepted as garbage.
-AOQ
Michael Ikeda
news:1147036847.2...@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
I wouldn't go so far as to say "liked". I will say that, in my view,
none of the episodes of either "Buffy" or "Angel" are ever worse than
mediocre. "Expecting" is one of the mediocre ones.
And I somewhat suspect that it (and any of the others that I classify
as mediocre) simply suffers in comparison to other episodes. And
that I'd consider it as being good if it was an episode of some
random series that I happened to be watching.
--
Michael Ikeda mmi...@erols.com
"Telling a statistician not to use sampling is like telling an
astronomer they can't say there is a moon and stars"
Lynne Billard, past president American Statistical Association
One Bit Shy
news:1146933351.7...@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
> So...
>
> One-sentence summary: Stillborn.
>
> AOQ rating: Bad
I've been out of town and am catching up and won't put much here....
But just to be perverse I'm going to say that in spite of the stunning
stupidity of so much of it - I actually enjoyed the ride. I haven't decided
yet if I'd rate it Good or Decent - it's somewhere around that border.
I don't care to quibble with most of what you wrote. It's just that even as
those things went on, for some odd reason the moments in detail entertained
me. I loved Cordy drinking the blood. The waiting room scene at the
doctor's office. All the muck on Wesley after the opening battle. And
generally seeing Wesley fight somewhat competently for the first time ever.
There was, I believe, some character development buried in there for both
Cordelia and Wesley. And I can't help but note how much Angel enjoyed his
fights.
I even laughed at the line about how everybody already knew that sex was
bad.
Maybe it was just so bad that I took it all as so much cheese. I don't
know. But I didn't hate it.
The only really annoying thing to me is that I think, as far as we know to
date, that Cordelia was a virgin until this episode. What a crappy way for
that to end.
Maybe I'll say more later. Maybe not. I certainly understand your bad
rating and don't object.
OBS
peachy ashie passion
To reaffirm your discomfort with humanity as a whole, I liked it.
Now mind you, I admit and acknowledge that it was mostly drivel.
I just liked it anyway. Cordy looked hot preggo, and I do NOT have a
fetish for pregnant women.
Arbitrar Of Quality
> I've been out of town and am catching up and won't put much here....
>
> But just to be perverse I'm going to say that in spite of the stunning
> stupidity of so much of it - I actually enjoyed the ride. I haven't decided
> yet if I'd rate it Good or Decent - it's somewhere around that border.
Perversion.
Well, there're two kinds of shows; flawed ones, and ones whose flaws
just don't seem to amtter much.
> I even laughed at the line about how everybody already knew that sex was
> bad.
I liked how she went through the "obvious" morals [sex is evil, men are
evil, etc.] and dismissed them with "already knew that."
> The only really annoying thing to me is that I think, as far as we know to
> date, that Cordelia was a virgin until this episode. What a crappy way for
> that to end.
At least it didn't lead to the death of any popular semi-regulars.
-AOQ
BTR1701
gree...@gmail.com
Arbitrar Of Quality wrote:
> This is not me being confused about where babies come
> from, it's a question of "why" as in "why are we watching
> this?" That's all the deeply insightful critique I'm able to
> provide. Why? What is the fascination with this plot device? Why did
> the writers think we'd want to see Cordelia lying around sobbing all
> episode, "dramatic" scenes of amniotic fluid being drawn, lines
> like "you don't know what it's like to be a partner in
> creation?" I don't get it.
Well, why you watched it I can't answer; a sense of completeness is my
guess, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Why was it ever greenlighted?
I expect for no better reason than to provide a reason for Wesley to
get the British flagpole-sized stick out of his butt.
> 12) "Expecting" - Bad]
Hmm. "Expecting" isn't as bad as it gets, and it does have ~some~
moments, so I'll disagree on principle.
BTW, this episode was originally written as a comedic episode, and then
hastily rewritten by Tim Minear to be more serious. Maybe it would have
been better as comedy.
-- Terry
burt...@hotmail.com
> A reminder: Please avoid spoilers for later _Buffy_ and _Angel_
> episodes in these review threads
>
>
> ANGEL
> Season One, Episode 12: "Expecting"
> (or "Bad Eggs II")
> Writer: Howard Gordon
> Director: David Semel
>
> "The Harvest"
>
> controlling-" "Oh, please, Lis, everyone's already figured that
> out." - _The Simpsons_, "Treehouse Of Horror IX"
>
> It's rare in the happy confines of the Buffyverse, but sometimes an
> episode emerges that's just inexplicable. There's only one show
> whose existence I could remember being so confused by: "Bad Eggs."
> ("Beer Bad" doesn't make so much sense to me either, but I'm
> not as thoroughly confused.) I'm not talking about quality per se
> with that statement; there's a BTVS episode I dislike more than BE
> (and there are several worse than BB), but I can kinda see what they
> were thinking when they made those. BE was rare in leaving me baffled
> as to why it was ever greenlighted, why Mutant Enemy thought it would
> work, to whom it was expected to appeal, and so on. Well, "Bad
> Eggs," you've got company.
While I thought "Bad Eggs" wasn't too bad (if nothing else, the Gorch
brothers were funny), I agree that "Expecting" was a really long "What
the hell were they *thinking*?!" moment. It's pretty dire.
This episode, and the one after it, are pretty much the nadir of the
Angel series. It gets a lot better after this, thankfully.
Slayah
Slayah
> BTW, this episode was originally written as a comedic episode, and
> then hastily rewritten by Tim Minear to be more serious. Maybe it
> would have been better as comedy.
The scene where Angel and Wesley break down the wrong door and the man
and wife are sitting there in their armchairs staring at them is great
comedy. That was pretty much the only good thing about this yucky ep.