A Thank You to Victoria Wood

The news that comedian, actor, writer, singer, songwriter and goddamn hero, Victoria Wood, had passed away hit us both like a brick in the face. Her legacy is undeniable, adored by everyone, and she forms one of the squares in that great British patchwork of comedy heroes. Christmas isn’t Christmas without Morecambe & Wise, and Victoria Wood. But, as we're sure is the case for a lot of her fans (so beloved and important was she to all) there’s also a deep personal link for us with Victoria Wood because, you see, without her, Assorted Buffery might not have existed.

Back in 2008, we were but lowly first year English and American Literature students, meeting for the first time outside of our seminar group to put together a presentation on some literary theory or other that we didn't understand and now have no recollection of. Both of us were slightly awkward and nervous in that ‘enforced social situation’ way. We also happened to have northern accents in common, an affliction that felt like a rarity at our particular university. It shouldn’t matter, but it’s one of those little things you really notice when you’re anxious and in a new place.

It wasn’t until one or the other of us (neither can remember who) mentioned our Victoria that our friendship really began and within weeks of this meeting, we started writing together, something we’re still doing to this day (albeit more sporadically than we’d like). This blog is a product of that relationship. To quote someone offhand is such a little thing, but it changed our lives.

The 'little things' is a good way to describe Wood’s comedy. Her eye for details in everyday life, the banal and the ordinary defined her sense of humour and her wit. The infamous Let’s Do It (The Ballad of Barry and Freda) lyrics are a glorious mash of the everyday with the randiest housewife you’ve ever heard, each line thought through perfectly. The fact she can’t handle all of the tenors in a male voice choir, but only half, is the kind of detail you might miss when guffawing on first listen, but it adds to the richness that defines her brand of comedy. Because as someone once said, again we can't remember who*, she never just chose a word as her punchline, it was always the word. The perfect one. A genius, comic attention to detail.

However, none of it would’ve worked nearly as well without the extraordinary warmth that she brought to everything she did. Even when she was taking the mick out of daft soaps with wobbly sets in Acorn Antiques, period dramas in Lark Rise to Cranchesterford, or poor teenagers with ambitions of swimming the English Channel, whilst there was a cunning shadow of darkness lurking in every sketch, there was also a huge amount of affection for the material and her characters.

So we’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to you, Victoria, for giving two nervous freshers a conversation topic that so thoroughly distracted us from our seminar presentation that we can’t even remember what it was on. Thank you for being the catalyst for a great working and personal relationship. Thank you for all the times that you’ve made us laugh until we’ve cried and/or felt sick (Barry and Freda, we’re looking at you). Thank you for teaching us to find the humour in the tiniest, most ordinary of details. Thank you, most of all, for teaching two northern girls that they could be funny and clever and witty and nerdy and that anything was possible. We miss you already.

*we think it might have been Celia Imrie.

- Jen & Becky

FEATURE: Angel - Five by Five

Previously on Angel: And Buffy technically. Faith is out of her coma and has already terrorised Buffy. Angel once tried to save her, but Wesley's intervention with the Watcher's Council destroyed her trust in any of them completely.

Faith arrives in LA and promptly beats a guy up, putting her on Wolfram & Hart's radar. After Angel convinces a witness to testify against a client of the demonic lawyers and loses them the case, they set Faith on his tail, paying her to kill him. She immediately starts messing with them and kidnaps Wesley, torturing him to tempt Angel into coming after her. Meanwhile, we get more flashbacks, this time of the curse as Angel's soul is returned to him and he struggles to cope with the initial guilt of all the people he's killed. 

Oh, this episode is a bit good, isn't it? 

Bringing in a lot of the things that have been developing over the course of the last few episodes such as Angel's redemption, Wesley's own desire to prove himself and the machinations of Wolfram & Hart all colliding as a result of the Faith catalyst. The episode's flashbacks serve a great purpose here too; it's not so much about Angel's own development, but allowing the audience to understand how well-positioned he is to work with Faith. He knows exactly what she's going through right now because he's been there himself, dejected, suicidal and alone. It provides a strong core through the episode that builds into the impressive climactic fight.

There's also a brutality here that is rarely seen in either Buffy or Angel except when Angelus is on the prowl, which solidifies further the comparisons between Angel and the rogue slayer. That final fight is an intense one, two incredibly strong beings fighting it out to the death, one reluctant to kill the other who is desperate to die. It's powerfully done too; the storm at the end that rains down on them and Angel's reluctance to fight back until the crucial moment builds that intensity to almost unbearable levels. When Faith finally breaks down, it's a relief for the audience too. Sure, she's a bad guy at this point, but she's too damn fascinating to want dead.

I love Wesley's trajectory over the course of the narrative too, occurring more in the background, for obvious reasons, than Angel and Faith. Angel makes it clear early that the former watcher is at fault for how Faith is now, something Wesley realises and clearly feels terrible about, to the point where he keeps trying to save her, only to be tortured for his efforts. He grows a little more backbone each time he's faced with adversity and this is no different, standing up to Faith admirably. It even pushes him to the point of being prepared to kill her in order to save Angel, but like the rest of us, doesn't want to see the act happen once he realises just how broken she is.

Eliza Dushku really owns the role here, channeling all of Faith's external arrogance and internal self-loathing into one huge, violent and unpredictable cocktail. It's easy to forget how few episodes Dushku actually appears in because she makes such a big impression when she does. Though her initial function was to be placed as an opposite to Buffy, she works hard to dig deep into the implications of that as well as transcend what could've been a simplistic alt-Slayer role.

The scene in the club is a perfect encapsulation of the character's act. She's fully prepared to start the fight and cause chaos, but utterly not fussed about the consequences happening around her. The beauty of Five by Five's narrative is that it breaks down that barrier, proving that not only is she paying attention to the consequences of her actions, but that they're affecting her deeply. Wanting to die is the only way out she can see for herself at this point. It's up to Angel to try and bring her back from that.

As we've seen in the first season, Angel's at its best when it dispenses with the procedural style affairs and instead uses the stories to focus on the characters we already care about. Sending Faith into Angel's world is a genius move; the two characters have so much in common (placed continually in parallel even beyond the TV series and into the comics). I didn't even get into the Wolfram & Hart stuff, but hey there Lindsey and Lilah, I love your sparring.

Quote of the Week: 

Lindsey [as Faith kicks the crap out of his colleague]: Jesse, I think you'd better make it three for dinner instead of four... 

Let's Get Trivial: The violence proved a little too much for our British censors and it lead to this being the only Angel episode to receive an 18 certificate in the UK.

Demonology 101: I love that Phantom Dennis tries to protect Cordelia from Faith. He's such a babe.

The Sunnydale Connection: The experience that Giles describes to Angel as "rough" is of course the events of This Year's Girl and Who Are You in which Faith swapped bodies with Buffy via a magical doohickey.

- Becky

You can see Becky's look at previous episode, Eternity, here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Where the Wild Things Are

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Riley and Buffy have got things back on track after he accidentally slept with Faith in Buffy's body. Willow's in a relationship with Tara now and Xander's been with Anya for a while, who is still rather insecure in their relationship.

Ah. The sex house episode. There are some episodes you return to and wonder what on earth the writers' room had been imbibing the week they came up with this one. Buffy and Riley spend the entire episode having sex, pretty much, because of some weird curse that has been placed on Lowell House by the residents that haunt it. When a frat party is held, the sort-of-ghosts come out to play; there's all kinds of other weird sex things going on and it's up to the rest of the Scoobies to solve the mystery of the house and rescue Riley and Buffy before they're consumed by the building. It turns out the not-really-spirits that haunt the building were once ruled by a strict, conservative disciplinarian who would violently punish them for any transgressions.

I don't think this episode would be quite so odd if there was something concrete you could get your hands on as an audience. It's a weird jumble of ideas, each one able to fuel an entire episode, but smashing them all into a haunted house narrative doesn't work. Especially because the house itself isn't technically haunted and the explanation doesn't make a whole lot of sense; so, there are these kids, right, who get abused by their wacko Christian nutjob house director and it makes them really angry, obviously, so they manifest themselves in Lowell House, but only because Buffy and Riley start having sex a lot and their release of sexual energy turns them into human poltergeist batteries. Or something...

See what I mean?

At the heart of Where the Wild Things Are is a discussion about sex that the episode never seems to want to have. If ever there was a story crying out for some kind of sex positive message then this was it. The abuse of the kids happens because Genevieve Holt thinks they're all at it like rabbits behind closed doors. Riley and Buffy activate it because they are literally going at it like rabbits behind a closed door. 

Xander and Anya are going through relationship issues because Anya fears that all they have is sex and once that stops, so does the relationship. Their fight to make it through the house becomes a metaphor for their relationship as they get tangled up in other things, but ultimately make it through together. It's about the only real coherent thread running throughout the episode, but it never makes anything of it. It could have been used to demonstrate that sex is a healthy part of a relationship, something to be discussed sure, but nothing to hide away from. Instead, we get an orgasm wall.

In a sense, it feels like a Beer Bad style episode in that it's pulling towards having a moral message, but never goes as far as that previous terrible example because it doesn't commit to that message. Beer Bad even had a relatively solid concept at the heart of it. Where the Wild Things Are never quite sinks to those same depths (perhaps because it does stay so woolly), but it's not far off. 

The humour redeems it. Spike coming with Anya to an Initiative party and having to spend most of the night hiding from them is great, so too is the Scooby rallying moment in which he looks as if he's about to help but then, nope. Off he goes.Then there's the whole discovery that Willow used to have a crush on Giles and the fact that he's singing is made out to be the real horror of the episode. He's pretty good, you guys.

Quote of the Week:

Buffy: Ok, you get Fang, I'll get Horny! I mean-

Let's Get Trivial: GILES SINGS. It's the first time we see the musical talents of Anthony Head in the series and Behind Blue Eyes is great... It's no Exposition Song though. Bring on Restless.

Sunnydale Who's Who: Kathryn Jooston plays the horrible Genevieve Holt, but she's much more famous as cookie-wielding Mrs Landingham from The West Wing or battleaxe Mrs McCluskey from Desperate Housewives.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at previous episode, Superstar, here.

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FEATURE: Angel - Eternity

Previously on Angel: The gang found out first hand what it was like when Angelus got free after Angel experienced a moment of true happiness back in their Sunnydale days. He's not the kind of guy you want to party with.

After Angel and Wesley endure one of Cordelia's stage "performances" (you'll never look at Ibsen the same way again), the vampire with the soul of gold, saves the life of a considerably more famous and more talented actress, Rebecca Lowell. He naturally refuses any sort of payment for his services, but Rebecca returns, tasking Angel to help her out with a stalker issue she's been having. He's reluctant to take the case, much to Cordelia's annoyance, as he's attracted to her, but his natural heroic ways get in the way. However, little does he realise how affected Rebecca is by her flagging career and the lengths to which she'll go to save it, unleashing someone everyone would rather have kept hidden.

Eternity is one of the most memorable episodes in the first season run, a keen examination of isolation and desperation with a 'be careful what you wish for' kicker at the end. Like the other good episodes here, it focuses on the way in which the case affects one of our central characters and it's Angel's turn in the spotlight once again. Every now and again during this show, it likes to reacquiant us of the stakes (pun intended) of his battle against evil and, more importantly, his battle against himself. 

We haven't seen the most recent version of Angelus proper since Becoming and Eternity offers up a timely reminder of just how sadistic and horrible Angel's alter-ego is. The episode does it very cleverly; as Angel succumbs to the drug Rebecca gives him, he gradually gets a little more mean before unleashing completely as Angel loses control. When he forcefeeds blood to Rebecca, it feels like a huge violation, not only of Rebecca, but also the audience, unprepared as we are for the arrival of Angelus.

It helps that, even if you've only started watching Angel rather than following Buffy, the cast completely sell the danger of the situation. Boreanaz's performances as Angelus have always been great, but the physical change here is extraordinary; he suddenly looms over everything rather than maintaining Angel's rather hunched presence. Even the slight change in vocal pitch is freaky. It's left with Carpenter to call back to Buffy as Cordy is the only character in this show that has firsthand experience of what Angelus is capable of. Her facing up to him is a brilliant character moment, as well as demonstrating how prepared she is should the worst happen again.

The rest of the episode deals with more universal matters of ageing and relevance as Rebecca's plan to become a vampire is entirely down to her desire to remain youthful enough for her career. The treatment of women in the entertainment industry is an even hotter topic now than it was back in the day as more and more women speak out about some of the horrific treatment they've received or how it makes them feel. Tamara Gorski puts in a solid performance as the desperate, lonely actress and sparks well with Boreanaz to make her one of the more memorable guest stars. You also forget how slimy Michael Mantell is as the Hollywood agent (last seen in City Of trying to land Angel as a client).

However, even though it is but a brief appearance from the monster with the angelic face, it's a memorable one and a keen reminder of the danger that Angel is placed in every day. Not only that, but the danger for those around him too. 

Quote of the Week:

Angel [chained to the bed]: So, we're ok then?
Cordelia: I'm too big a person to let something so petty get in the way of our friendship.
Angel: I appreciate that. You're going to untie me, are you?
Cordelia: Pfffft. [She leaves]
Angel: Wesley? Cordelia? ...Guys?

Let's Get Trivial: Rebecca's mansion is the same location used for Lady Gaga's Poker Face video.

Demonology 101: Initially, the episode was simply supposed to focus on Rebecca and be a standard client-of-the-week type deal. It was Joss Whedon who decided that it should have the Angelus spin on it, thus providing the more emotional core that was needed. It is the evil vampire's penultimate appearance in the television Buffyverse.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at previous episode, The Ring, here.

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Superstar

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Jonathan was a classmate, saved by Buffy when he wanted to commit suicide in the clocktower of Sunnydale High. Riley slept with Faith whilst she was in Buffy's body and Adam's still running around Sunnydale.

When Buffy and the gang feel like a simple vampire nest will be too much of a problem, they turn to the only person who knows how to help... Jonathan. Yes, that Jonathan. Something's happened to Sunnydale and Jonathan is now a superstar, plastered over everyone's walls, the subject of their collages and their master tactician for just about everything. However, the gang soon start to realise that this version of reality isn't quite right and that Jonathan may have been responsible for augmenting a new world that places him at the heart of it.

The episode is such a hilarious takedown of the male power fantasies lived out in stories such as Batman, Star Wars or The Matrix (starring Jonathan, of course) where the seemingly ordinary guy gets to do the coolest things by night and become a, you guessed it, superstar. Jonathan can sing, dance, play the trumpet, fight, solve crimes, inspire couples to go off and have sex, all kinds of things frankly. Danny Strong, so solid throughout his appearances so far in the series, clearly has a ball playing this combination of all awesome characters ever, striding through the episode with tongue firmly-in-cheek. 

Superstar offers a kind of utopian vision that earlier Bizarro episode The Wish couldn't. In that episode, we find out what happened if Buffy never came to Sunnydale; here, it's what Sunnydale would be like if someone better came along. Like inserting himself into the credits, he insinuates himself into everyone's life, particularly Buffy's, attempting to solve problems like her relationship with Riley. The episode thrives on this new world, mining comedy from the audience's familiarity with Jonathan and his effect on everyone around it.

It helps that the show wholeheartedly commits to it too. Jane Espenson's screenplay plays up just about everything she can get her hands of, from situating Jonathan in a Wayne Mansion kind of deal to bringing out the Scoobies' insecurities through their relationship to him. Christophe Beck gets to go crazy with the Bond referencing, the score full of big, bold brass, guitar riffs and power motifs whenever Jonathan gets to do something awesome.  It easily could've gone too far the other way (Jonathan's face is literally everywhere in the episode), but Espenson brings a pathos to it that keeps Superstar earthbound, especially when everything returns to normal and Jonathan has to face up to what he's done.

Jonathan is the stereotypical nerd of the Buffyverse and the episode finds him living out his ultimate fantasies. And yet, there is always a cost in a kind of Dorian Gray type deal; the ugliness of Jonathan's work manifests itself in the form of a vicious demon that the gang has to defeat. He also struggles with other people getting hurt at his expense, something which he still balks at even when conspiring as part of The Trio, showing his conscience is still there. He even experiences the hollowness of the experience; this superstardom hasn't been earned but wrought by magic. And that never ends well.

The final fight is a work of comedy referencing genius too; anyone who's seen Danny Kaye in The Court Jester will recognise Strong's comedic performance as ever strike by the monster gives him strength and prowess and against it sends him scurrying to hide again. It's a tonne of fun, this episode, and it works to demonstrate the cost of magic, an increasingly important theme. It also gives us a look at Jonathan's increasing ability with magic, something which will return when he hooks up with Warren and Andrew to become Buffy's self-declared nemeses. 

Quote of the Week:

Giles: [After Xander accidentally sets a book on fire with a spell]: Xander, don't speak Latin in front of the books.

Let's Get Trivial: The last three cut scenes in the opening credits with Jonathan striding forth, coat billowing behind him, is a perfect Angel mock.

Demonology 101: This is the first time we see an instance of thaumogenesis in the grisly, beardy demon. Thaumogenesis is the creation of a new being, a resultant process of an augmentation spell. There is always a price to pay to balance the effects of the spell. This will happen again in both Buffy and Angel.

Sunnydale Who's Who: Brad Kane provides Jonathan's singing voice. He previously played Tucker Wells in The Prom and is also known as the singing voice for Aladdin. A Whole New World indeed.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at previous episode, Who Are You, here.

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FILM REVIEW: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens with the same devastation that ended 2013’s Man of Steel, as Supes (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon) threw down and battled, wreaking destruction upon Metropolis’ skyline. Only this time, it is seen from the vantage point of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), choppered in from neighbouring Gotham City to watch helplessly as his employees are trapped and ultimately killed in the fallout.

It goes to explain away some of his contempt for the Kryptonian but only ever-so slightly. Yet again, we are treated to the now inevitable flashback to Bruce’s parents and their murder, except now they’re played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan, and it’s 1981. There’s another bat sequence too. Necessary? Not remotely but it serves as a heavy-handed reminder that the two main things still driving Bruce are vengeance and fear. Clark is still working at the Daily Planet, loving/saving Lois (Amy Adams) and generally wondering whether Superman can actually exist in a world that doesn’t really know if it wants him or outside of Lois, he really wants it. He also finds himself judging the Bat’s from of vigilante justice. Eventually both are brought together by scheming sycophant Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) at the opening of a library, no less. Also in attendance is a mystery lady – could she be Wonder Woman? Of course she is, we’ve all seen the trailer.

The action flits between Gotham, Metropolis, the Indian Ocean, Africa and Bruce’s subconscious, all within the first hour or so. Sadly, this lack of focus remains as more subplots give way to some convolution and a few bloated set-pieces, in addition to some rather inexplicable moments which do not serve the overarching plot and feel wholly out of place. For example, Lois having a bath, or a sweaty Bruce hitting a large tyre with a sledge hammer and even the deceased Jonathan Kent atop a snowy mountain are head-scratchers and deserved to have seen the cutting room floor.

Usually, a superhero’s popularity depends upon the context of time and perhaps, due to the darkness of the world as it is, gives way to audiences wanting to see the character as he was - namely the Reeve guise; bumbling geek Clark and the heroic, always got a smile for everyone, Kal-El – or as he is on the page. Snyder has instead used 9/11, terrorism and illegal aliens and has the film(s) reflect this dark, angry, miserable and political world we inhabit. Apparently, in an attempt to ground Superman in some sort of reality; an alien from an extinct planet, who can fly, is indestructible save for interaction with a glowing green rock, and shoots lasers from his eyes… Can he ever really be that realistic? An audience doesn’t need to delve too far to see the potential allegorical readings, they are all fairly obvious.

On the one hand, I miss the red pants, and the confident, almost care-free caped chappy who didn’t really seem to have a temper and was a friend to everyone. Yet on the other, a change is as good as a rest, it worked (mostly) for Batman. The Superman of my childhood is still accessible, and this is the franchise which will see WW onscreen for the very first time so why wouldn’t I give it the benefit of the doubt? Cavill’s Superman is at odds with his alien heritage and human one – as his mother states “you don’t owe the world a thing” but then, when it comes down to it, it is his human side which is the most affected when Luthor finally reveals his play and ultimately his alien self/limitations which helps destroy him. Reeve, interviewed in 1987, told future inheritors of the cape to never lose the humanity of him; “to forget he can fly; [his] super strength. He’s a gentleman.” Cavill’s is a gentlemen but it has to be on his terms and the humanity is there but it has taken a film and a half to uncover it, little to no smiles, and a human Bat to help.

This Bruce is older, greying at the temples, grizzled, tired and so, very angry. There is a ruthlessness to the incarnation; Affleck is actually very good and the irony is, murderous intent aside, this Bruce needs Superman to give his life some (re)purpose. Alfred (Jeremy Irons) is a younger, more sardonic Pennyworth who seems to have less faith in his billionaire brat and wearily (often sarkily) mutters under his breath a lot of the time. The hallucinations/dream sequences (one too many if you ask me) can be read as an alcoholic’s delusions but then a fleeting face from the future may prove integral to the next film but, yes you’ve guessed it, slightly unclear. I like this Bruce. Yes, he’s different, just like all the other actors who have portrayed him, there’s a fury to this one that it great to watch if a little at times growling, ragey and largely unexplained.

As is Luthor’s motive in proceedings – he want Kryptonite for assassination purposes and access to the crash site and Zod’s remains. Why does he need Batman for that? Eisenberg seems to channel Edward Nygma via Mark Zuckerberg – if you’re going to give us Lex then do so, not some weird, obnoxious Riddler-hybrid. He’s a sociopathic teenager hell bent on destroying the one man getting more attention than him. Yes, he’s a villain but he’s irritating rather than intimidating; he is more memorable than Spacey’s turn but not sure how high a bar that is to set, and the hair – why? It’s more distracting than the weird noises he makes.

Which brings me to Wonder Woman, a character I adore, and finally, she’s here. She’s not given nearly enough screen-time, nor given enough dialogue and my expectations were not particularly high following Gadot’s casting but her presence gave me a buzz, people even clapped in my screening for her. I haven’t been lucky enough to see an evolution of character or multiple versions of WW and so, I was happy with the little I saw. She kicks Doomsday’s derriere and seems to thoroughly enjoy doing it and as for the Turkish Airlines bit, SHE GOT OFF THE PLANE (phew) presumably to fly her own invisible one…. But not before she sums up the entire film (and perhaps fanboy-dom in general) in one snarky sentence – about little boys and their lack of inclination to share.

The supporting cast are fine, no real standouts. Callan Mulvey is now Russian arms dealer Anatoli Knyazev, last seen as Jack Rollins in The Winter Soldier (and you thought there could be no DC and Marvel crossovers). Fishburne is back as Perry White and far more flamboyant than the MoS version, Holly Hunter is great as Senator June Finch, who stands in the way of Luthor Jr but whose senate spiel is pointless. “We know what Superman can do” Do we, really? “We haven’t considered what he should do.” What does that even mean? Run every potential saving by the US government? Say, “okay I’ll help those people over there but not those here”? Wait for a phone-call on a flashing red telephone…oh wait. The word unilateral is thrown about several times which is exasperating; as if Superman saving folk is somehow a selfish act. Diane Lane and Amy Adams are, for the most part, bait, or perhaps I’m being unfair. Adams is definitely stronger in her performance here but I am yet to be convinced by her Lois and then there’s all that running about amid rubble and destruction and swimming… all in heels.

Snyder has always been commended for his visuals and there is a depletion of colour (not always as depressing at it sounds) with red, white and blue colour motifs dotted throughout and Affleck’s batsuit appears to riff off of Adam West’s outfit with the black on grey. There are nostalgic nods but let’s face it, these aren’t the characters we grew up with, and as the last week or so have shown, few seem willing to welcome change. I really liked the intertextual links and the Justice League Easter eggs (although, shoehorned isn’t the word) and, obscurely, The Wizard of Oz. It is referenced multiple times and I’m still contemplating why. Perhaps, it is tenuous commentary on American commerce or Lex requires courage, Bruce a brain and Clark a heart and then there’s Dorothy, the infamous orphan as all of our boys here. Plus, 1939, the year of the film’s release and the year Batman was created and joined him in the DC universe and there’s even a witch, sort of but I digress.

By the time the big face off presents itself, it’s not quite worth the wait, actually a little dull and oh so futile but Luthor is the puppet master. When both titular characters realise they should be working together, it should be joyous and not just that they realise they both have mothers named Martha. The score is a little hit-and-miss, Zimmer is renowned for big anthems and when the two titans do finally square up, I was expecting fireworks, not just a damn squib. Lex’s theme (The Red Capes Are Coming) is a standout as is Wonder Woman’s (Is She With You?), that electric cello is really quite something.

All in all, Dawn of Justice plays with some heavy themes; democracy, xenophobia, terrorism – not so terribly far removed from the world we live in, Snyder is determined to make the world as realistic as possible yet removes most of the fun. Truth, Justice and the American way – this *is* the America of today but it all feels too horribly realistic and befuddling – I would have liked Kal to be the beacon of hope his birth parents intended him to be, not least to give Henry Cavill a bit more to do. The religious imagery is still there, Superman is the Messiah (and a very miserable boy) just as in MoS: God v Man, etcetera. There are a multitude of questions and it is left up to the audience to decipher the mess (small children may have difficulty) yet there is levity, nowhere near enough but present. 

I’ve accepted the lack of comic-book iconography in Snyder’s interpretation and it’s only a little thing but would it hurt for Supes to smile? I enjoyed far more than I loathed, however, there is just one death that was a little too calculated…Zack, you meanie.

- Hel

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FEATURE: Angel - The Ring

Previously on Angel: Angel's activities in Los Angeles have attracted the attention of a bunch of evil lawyers, Wolfram & Hart, running up against them a few times since he moved in. 

A beaten man, Darin MacNamara wanders into the office during a standard Wesley-Cordelia bicker and asks Angel for his help solving the disappearance of his brother, Jack, who was captured by a group of demons. During his investigation, Angel discovers an underground demonic gladiator-type deal going down, not realising that Darin and Jack laid a trap for him until it's too late. He becomes one of the fighters, leaving it to Cordelia and Wesley to find out what's happened to their boss.

After last week's dull, paternal affair, The Ring offers us a tale of something considerably more entertaining, continuing with the darker, demonic underbelly of LA with the added bonus of gladitorial combat and an attempt at a Spartacus-style uprising. It's a simple story idea, but a solid one for a filler episode that mixes in the action thrills with the comedic skills of the main cast. It also presents Angel with the central 'kill or be killed' dilemma, something which goes against everything he's been fighting for since getting his soul back.

Taking Angel out of the picture and trapping him within the cages means that the bulk of the episode's investigating is done by Cordy and Wes, which is every bit as hilarious as it sounds. Watching them try and maintain their cover as undercover cops ("something's going down tonight... something with the man!") is brilliant, but it also shows how well they're starting to work as a team. Although it'll be a while before we see full action Wesley, we get a glimpse here that he's not as bumbling as the impression he tends to give, something that he uses to his advantage at various points.

Boreanaz is a lot of fun here too, given a chance to do both the heroism bit and the comedy bit, particularly in his early scenes in the cages with his more laconic counterpart. And to be more laconic than Angel is quite something. It's another step further away from the rather two-dimensional persona that Buffy Angel was characterised by, moving him into scenarios in which he has to do more than simply look concerned. He also gets to do a lot of action scenes, get his ass kicked and brood about in his vest a lot. So that's nice.

We've known for a while how powerful Wolfram & Hart are, but the episode starts to peel back a little more of their veil through the presence of Lilah and her attempt to free Angel from the fights to get him onside. Their tricksy relationship with him, something that continues right through to the end of the series, is starting to build too. Here, they try the softly-softly approach, but it won't be long before they're back trying to kill him again.

The Ring may be a filler episode, but it's a good one and it keeps the show carving out its own identity, even if it still doesn't quite know what it wants to be just yet. The beginning's a bit noiry, the middle goes a bit comedic and the end gets all Gladiator, but it's entertaining throughout.

Quote of the Week:

Cordelia: Someone ought to create an intra-demon dating base. You know like... archfriend.org, where the lonely and the slimy connect [or Tinder, as it's now known]

Let's Get Trivial: When Wesley asks Cordelia if the 'Demons Demons Demons' has the Vigories of Oden Tal, he's referring to the patriarchal bad guys from She.

LA Who's Who: This episode marks the first appearance of Lilah Morgan, who goes on to be increasingly influential throughout the series.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at previous episode, The Prodigal, here.

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