Angel - S05E02|♡Uncut Reaction &Review♡

Watching Sofie laugh brightens my long days

When Angel was talking to Buffy about the amulet, he said “as in me,” not “it isn’t me.” “Someone ensouled, but stronger than human, a champion, as in me.”

I know that there are a lot of opinions about Spike's characterization on Angel but actually I think that Spike acting differently makes a lot of sense. Spike loved Buffy, she was the catalyst for his character progression on Buffy. But Buffy isn't around. I don't know about the rest of you but I act very different towards and around someone I love verses random people or "enemies" and when I'm by myself. My dad who will say I'm an asshole most of the time will also say I am a "softy" when I am interacting with my best friend.

I wish all reactors were like you, Sofie. Pausing, rewinding, hell even going to check another episode of another show when you're not sure of something. So invested and determined to not miss anything 😍😍 Plus, your acute analytical skills 🤩🤩

I'm not a giant fan of the dynamic between Angel and Spike. They regress each other, and that's only funny for so long. And I'm also not a big fan of how Spike is written in Angel. It's very clear it's a different team of writers, going for something not greatly consistent with how Spike left off in Buffy, and it distracts me a bunch.

I re-watched the scene where Lilah gave Angel the amulet. She doesn't say who should wear it, but strongly implies Angel should. I think Wolfram & Hart's plan was for Angel to wear the amulet and become a ghost bound to the firm, which would give them complete control over him. They weren't counting on Angel leaving Sunnydale and passing the amulet down to Spike. Like you, I didn't understand why they removed Buffy's "I love you" from the opening recap. Seemed strange to cut out what was arguably the most important part of that scene.

Poor Sofie, betrayed by incorrect subtitles :(

I never drew the parallel before between Spike's state of mind here being similar to Buffy's in season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That was a great observation. I can see how Angel said it kind of quick but the line was "as in me" which is why Buffy's response was "or me" (which, Buffy is definitely MORE than human but also human, so very iffy if her wearing the amulet would work). Angel fully expected to stick around and be the one to wear it and only left specifically because Buffy told him to because of Spike (that "second front" excuse was mostly BS which Angel could sense). Spangel is so great to watch together. Comedically, the history between them, the parallels and the various philosophical differences they go on about. I would say their dynamic in some ways reminds me of Defan but Spike and Angel are the OGs so it's more that Vampire Diaries borrows from them (the books came before Buffy but Damon/Stefan on the show are so glaringly inspired by Spike/Angel). One consistent thing about Spike is that he puts on this macho idgaf attitude to all the men around him and then lets his vulnerability through for a woman.

The buffy and angel scene, The subtitles are 100% wrong, "i isnt me"Should of said "i as in me"

The dynamic between Spike and Angel is just great. I love that Spike is back for not even a minute and he immediately tries to attack Angel, then when he realises he can't leave he just decides to annoy Angel as much as he possibly can. But then when it came down to it, he's the one who came up with the plan to help Angel out with the Necromancer guy. They claim to not like each other, but at the end of the day they've known each other for a LONG time and can understand each other better than anyone. I'd like to add a bit to what you said when Angel said about the difference in them getting their souls thing. Obviously a big part of the difference was the way in which they got their souls and all that, but Spike also had a weird amount of emotions without a soul. He already sometimes felt guilt and remorse for things in a very weird way. Not most things, not the things he still doesn't really dwell on. But when Buffy died, he felt guilty for not being able to save Dawn before it came to that. He obviously felt guilt for what he tried to do to Buffy in Seeing Red otherwise he wouldn't have felt the need to get his soul back. So in a weird way, I feel like that might've added to why he didn't spend as much time struggling with everything as Angel did. Because while it wasn't the same as after he got a soul, he did already feel a strange amount of guilt for a vampire... And then him going to Fred for help at the end after Angel and Harmony were talking about how he doesn't ask for help. Because he weirdly trusts her and feels safe opening up to her. Poor Angel though. This is gonna be a nightmare for him. And for everyone else who has to deal with the two of them constantly bickering... I mean, the looks on all their faces when they first started fighting when Spike showed up. I feel like they were realising that this is something they're gonna have to learn to deal with...

Regarding Angel and the amulet, I believe he said to Buffy “as in me”, referring that he is the one to wear it. I think that the subtitles are wrong and wrote “it isn’t me.” Angel was intending to wear it, but Buffy sent him back to LA to work on a second front.