Angel

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

The Good;
Gina Torres is great. Certainly this is an ep that turns things on it's head!

The Bad;
Just because Jasmine's true face is ugly is that any reason to presuppose she's actually evil? I mean Lorne is pretty unconventional looking but he's a good guy?

Best line;
Fred; "There's been too much dismembering going on in that basement recently!"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Jasmine's true appearance and severed head bowling.

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Cliches
In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6

Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 14
Wes: 6
Gunn; 4
Lorne; 4
Fred; 2

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 15
Angel: 17
Wes: 6
Doyle; 1
Gunn; 2
Lorne; 6
Groo; 1
Connor; 1
Faith; 1
Fred; 1

Kills; 3 vamps and 1 demon for Angel, 1 vamp and 1 demon for Wes, 2 vamps for Connor
Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons
Angel; 44 vamps, 58 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 8 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 14 demons+5 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 humans
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; 11 vamps+ 13 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human.
Groo; 1 demon
Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies
Connor; 16 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

Fang Gang go evil: not so much evil as happily enslaved
Cordy: 3
Angel: 3
Gunn; 1
Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang: possessed Lorne, Gunn, Fred and Wes
Cordy: 4
Angel: 11
Fred; 2
Wes; 1
Gunn; 1
Connor; 1

Characters killed:
255

Recurring characters killed;
9;

Total number of Angel Investigations: CC out of it until season 5, Connor back in
Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, Connor

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 12
Wes;2

Packing heat;
Wes; 8
Doyle; 1
Angel; 3
Gunn; 2

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast
Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies
Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible, Justine
Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen.
Fred; 1 Gunn
Groo; 1Cordy

Know the face, different character; 4

Parking garages;
6,

Buffy characters on Angel; 16
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony

Questions and observations;
Like the way you can spot CC's Sunnydale High cheerleader trophy in her room. Note that Angel now wears a lighter coloured shirt now he's no longer haunted all the time. The bowling scene is reminiscent of Fright Night pt2 (which features Buffy alumni Brian Thompson).
Well, Angel throws us another ball from leftfield, not so great in itself but speaks of interesting things to come.
Marks out of 10; 6/10

I like the title and it's very fitting, but it's a very dippy episode. So the fount of all evil or whatever she is is a very pretty woman and everyone loves her. Why? It seems extremely strange that everyone is under her spell - not only we pesky humans but a vampire with a soul, a green, horned empath, the progeny of two vampires and assorted people who've been through things that would make them question just about anything. It's good that Fred has the story arc, but there's no reason she would see through it, or that the guy in the hospital would either.



Having had to go through the hell of Cordelia being evil, we're now left with her lying in bed whilst all around her people are acting completely out of character. I know it's a clever ploy to make the characters kind of impotent in the presence of Jasmine, and it can't be easy for the writers to come up with yet another Big Bad, but the whole thing is just a little too over the top.



Definitely not one of the best.

It is disappointing when fantasy shows resort to some nonsensical explanation of why significant events in a show occur.



Let's recap: Cordelia was brought down from heaven to have sex with Connor in order to bring forth a baby; Angelus was brought back in order to find out why a devilish creature was harassing Los Angeles; the sun had been blocked by the aforementioned fiend resulting in an influx of demons and vampires, and the human population of L.A. has severely diminished due to this. In the previous episode, Cordelia gave birth to a grown woman after she and Connor performed a blood ritual (a motif this season to take note of, by the way), after which Angel kneeled to say "You're beautiful," followed by an emulous Connor (I guess the reason he kneeled before this mysterious woman was partly to imitate Angel and partly because he was exhausted after assisting in the death of a young woman, since we know later that he is, SPOILER, not under Jasmine's spell, END SPOILER). After "Shiny Happy People," we are to assume the reason that everything in my run-on sentence came to pass was, to quote Jasmine (the lady whom Cordy birthed), because of "birth pains." The lackadaisical writers further explain this nonsense away by saying that everything big that has ever happened to Angel and his close friends, from the religious Buffy episode "Amends" to Doyle passing the power of visions onto Cordelia, was manipulated to happen by Jasmine so that she could come to being and rule the world.



This, in effect, cheapens the impact of all of the incidents over the seasons that made me fall in love with the show. For instance, in the episode "The Trial," on which I promise not to go into too much detail, Angel undergoes a series of trials fighting for Darla's second chance at life, but he learns in the end that all he has done was for naught as Darla is already living her second chance. Later in the episode, Wolfram & Hart bring back a familiar face to kill Darla, leading to Angel's depression and the brilliant, grossly underrated Dark Angel arc. In "Shiny Happy People," we learn that Angel's actions in The Trial were not fruitless as Connor, the child of Angel and Darla, is Darla's second chance. I have to admit that it is immensely gratifying to finally understand why Connor, the product of two vampires, is alive, but this is devalued when we learn that Jasmine was the one who essentially brought him to being.



Jasmine, as we figure out in this episode, has the power to hypnotize people into fulfilling her will (and sending people, namely Cordelia, to heaven) because she was one of the Powers That Be, the entities who, through Doyle, are responsible for persuading Angel to connect to and use his power to help humanity. She quit the PTB as they were too "hands-offish" for her taste, and she prefers a more direct approach to make people peaceful, though this direct way takes away humanity's greatest gift, free will. Jasmine, with the ability to entrance, is truly the ideal metaphor for the leader of a cult, but the episode falls short in that it cheapens Angel's character development. No need for alarm, though, since the arc that comes immediately after this episode provides plenty food for thought and might be among the most underrated arcs of Angel's entire run. In fact, the reconditeness commences in this very episode when Fred is no longer under Jasmine's thrall, the reason for which we will find out in the next installment.

Shiny Happy People was a perfect and very entertaining episode of Angel. I really enjoyed watching this episode because Cordelia has given birth to a beautiful and enchanting woman who comes to be named Jasmine. I thought the information we learned from her about how she came to be was awesome. I thought this episode was scary due to the fact every one falls under Jasmine's power, except one man who appears to be crazy. Fred later learns he wasn't crazy and has learned a horrible truth. I thought the episode was well played, great character development and plot twist. I look forward to watching the next episode!!!!!!!

Well, here it is. After 17 outstanding episodes we get a real bore of a one. Shiny Happy People has a few interesting scenes but unfortunately just gets too speechy and Jasmine's just.. boring. Preaching on about love and older times and changing the world.. can't she do it on Charmed or something so we don't have to watch?



I enjoyed the start of this episode and it was quite suspenseful. Jazzybuns raises a sword and disappears, then comes back to the hotel fully clothed and spouting off some chat about "good and evil and naughty demons" and the like. Gina Torres looks frankly bored all episode and I can't blame her- Jasmine's a pretty awful part and she doesn't have a lot to go on. Oh and all her harping on about the smell of flowers wasn't fun either- what was the point? Just call yourself Jasmine and be done with it. Also (shock!) there's finally a character more annoying than Connor on the show!



Then that awful middle part happens. Jasmine's preaching was just getting old about 6 minutes in and she kind of states the obvious lots. Telling Gunn and Wes they love Fred- wow? Really? Revelations! All her harping on about "forgiving yourself" and "enjoying my love" was pretty horrifying. As if it wasn't enough to put up with her preaching, we get the awful L-word about 550 times this episode. Shut up Jazzers.



When someone finally did recognize Jazzet for the maggot-faced bitca she was, it was good. I liked that it was Fred as she's much more interesting than Jasmine and shooting an arrow at that Cordelia-robbing harlot was one of her many shining moments. Fred's cool when she's on the run. The episode ends with Jasmine further promoting herself with an interview on TV. World domination here she comes! Vote Jasmine for president!



SHP was an average episode that has some good scenes but fell flat on more than one occasion.

Shiney Happy People-Cordelia's "child" is a fully grown woman, and everyone who sees or hears her instantly and rapturously begins to worship her. Angel and the crew are no exceptions, but that may change when one of them gets a glimpse of what this strange woman really is.



So thust, The Jasmine arc begins, here it is, the most hated and most controversial aspect of the 4th season (maybe even the whole series!) by most(maybe all!) fans. Well, I have to agree with them, but for only with this episode!, the arc does start off very ridiculously and a little too over-the-top fluff. Just watching the Angel and the rest of the gang act so silly, childish, and dorky around Jasmine isn't really the best way to spend 40 plus minutes. But the best aspects of the episode are Jasmine herself, Gina Torres is a wonderful actress and her screen presence is mesmerizing with her obvious gorgeous complection. It's also hard to believe at first that this Beastmaster, this being of emense power comes to bring peace and love to all to eradicate evil, but she blocked out the sun and killed countless others with the Beast and on her own as well? But it's still an interesing development as way back in Season 2 when Angel won Darla a life, is what made Connor's existence possible and a big part of why she was able to paln her birth into this world. Moving on, The scene where a man attacks her, only to be disfigured by Jasmine is disturbing, even digusting. Speaking of disgusting, Jasmine's maggot, filled head with the blood...whow! Glad only Fred saw that so we wouldn't have to see it again! Poor Fred, her friends and already most of L.A all turn on her. The episode mostly drags in between but the ending at L.A. continues to fall under the thrawl of L.A. promises dark times ahead for our Fred, will she find help? All and All, a dull episode with a few interesting and disturbing aspects.

I must say this was not among my favorites of season 4. She who shall be known as Jasmine is among us. She walked the earth before the time of man..bla bla blady bla. Her story even bored me. The only problem is that anyone who encounters her automatically worships her. She makes the Beatles look like K-Fed. She informs the gang that they are gonna save the world, but we wonder who is going to save the world from her. Finally, while in a heated battle at the bowling alley, Jasmine is injured/bloody. The gang takes off after the guy and he freaks out and says (about Jasmine) "Get it away from me!" Everyone chalks it up to the man being a loony, but we all know something else is up.

We find out soon enough when Fred finishes scrubbing and scrubbing Jasmines blouse that had gotten torn when she was injured. She goes to give it to her and looks at her face. Maggot face would be a better name than Jasmine. Fred is freaked. She visits the man who had been crazy talking during the bowling alley fracas and finds out he saw the same thing. She heads back to the hotel and confides in Wes. Unfortunately Wes is under Jasmines thrall so he tells Gunn and they both tell Jasmine. Fred is standing in the middle of a very crowded hotel (Jasmaniacs) and she is utterly alone and she knows it. She grabs a crossbow and aims at Jasmine but Angel jumps in front of her and gets hit. She then grabs Lorne and threatens him with a knife. She doesnt cut him of course, she just needed a way out. She drives away in tears and ends up at a diner in the morning. She is trying to come to grips with all that has happened when she hears a familiar voice on the TV; Jasmine. Everyone falls to their knees and Fred runs out feeling more alone than ever. I think the end was the best part.

Not the strongest episode I've seen and I'll admit this arc feels a bit off the wall but the strangest and entertaining one. I'll admit that the only weekness of the episode is some of that first half where everyone is blissful feels a little long. But of course the pace it picked up by Fred's discovery.



Everything we see feels unreal, somehow this one person Jasmine has brought everyone bliss and hammony to everyone, it took her only a matter of minutes and one day to do that. We pritty much know from the very begining before anything even happens that there is something wrong with this picture that there is a worm in the apple. Even though everything seems peaceful, everyone has became rather docile and has lost all individual freedom, because they all are worshiping a false god and they don't even know why, like those cults in the 70s and now. It's both funny and at the same time disturbing seeing Angel and Angel's team being reduced to docile 60/70's hippies. Fred's discover was great much similar toward the film "They Live" when she see Jasmine for what she really is a demon and a nasty one at that (simlar to those zombies in "The Beyond") and we then have that cold and unsettling feeling of isolation as Fred knows she has to go into runing and hiding until she can find a way to free Angel and the rest of his team.

As a newcomer to the Angel universe, I am becoming more and more captivated by the subtext of many of the episodes. What would be our response if we had the opportunity to live in perfect bliss at the cost of our individual freedoms? The narrative is strong, and it\'s interesting to see such strong characters reduced to fawning worshippers. Well done.

after 17 great episodes the writers the decide to screw it all up! why!?

jasmine was boring and this episode was extremely annoying! nothing going around and cordelia was in a coma. WHAT? WHY? WHY? how could they do this to us!!!



the episode had a good end though. with fred being the only one who saw the worm face woman and is having to run and hide from her but jasmine is making fans all over the world. poor fred.

but shame that this episode was really bad considering it being this great great season!

This was a wonderful episode, although it was sometimes annoying to see people worship jasmin. I loved it that Fred was the one that came to her senses and that she saw who jasmin really was. I mean it's always big guy Angel, no offense 'cause I am a HUGE Buffy/Angel fan! But it was just great that they let someone else be the hero. And the fact that it's a woman!! I LOVE it!! Girl power :p No seriously; I loved the way Fred handled everything and that she was smart enough to have at least one ally and the whole idea to "infect" Angel with Jasmin's blood is just wow! Do I need to say more people???

Shiney Happy People is the beginning of the end for season 4. Jasmine is has been born and her rein to terror begins.



Gina (who plays Jasmine) is amazing in everything she does.



This arc is the best in the Buffy-verse. The big bad came closer than ever to taking over the world. (yeah even closer than The First).



This Arc goes from this episode to "Peace Out". I had never watched Angel during its original run because all the episodes were stand alone, with a minor theme of "must defeat Wolfram and Hart." It wasn't until this season that it felt like we had a "big bad" and a full theme leading up to the big bad. This season was Angel's best.



Sadly, the last episode, "Home," is a really bed closer, leading to a bad season and a worse series finale (too many unanswered questions!)

Shiny Happy People



This episode is creepy and it has a fantastic end. But sadly, it has also some of the weakest scenes of the show. It's a huge let down from the last episodes and qualifies as the only weak season 4 episode. Nothing is real interesting about it, just annoying. Up until Fred sees Jasmine's true face, then another great arc gets created.



Cut to where Inside out ended with The woman grabbing some clothes and putting it on and she watches Cordy and thanks her. She says everything is perfect but Angel wants to be punished and the woman says that his suffering will end and suddenly disappears.



the credits start



Cut to Fred talking to Lorne and she is talking about Cordy and she confuses Lorne. Then Fred sees Connor and he acts all friendly and it confuses her. Angel comes with Cordy and she isn’t pregnant anymore and he says that he didn't kill the baby. Connor and Angel want to find her and the rest don't understand. They say that she is evil but then she comes into the room and they all kneel down for her. Cut to a room and she talks about that she had already been in the world. She says that it went through Angel and Darla and they had the baby. And that when Angel and Darla went in the trials it made a new life which was Connor and then Connor and Cordy had her. She says that they are going to destroy every demon.



Cut to some vampires bowling and the gang goes to them and they begin to fight. The woman sits down with Fred and asks for a name. The vampire cuts into the woman and runs away and there he falls on a guy and touches him. Angel kills them vampire and then The woman comes with everyone else and all the people kneel for her. The guy whom was touched sees her and then he attacks her but Angel stops him and begins to hit him. She touches him and Wes calls an ambulance. Cut to Gunn and Wesley making up names for her, then comes Fred with a shirt but it's stained and she wants to make it clean. She tells Gunn and Wes to get close because they both have the same love for Fred. Connor asks Jessie why the man wanted to hurt her. She goes outside and smells the Jasmine flowers and Angel tells her that he is mad at himself but she tells him that all the evil will be vanished soon. Then they all begin to kill those monsters while Fred washes Jasmine's sweater.



Cut to the hotel and Fred comes with a new sweater and she cries because she feels sad without Jasmine. Cut to Jasmine's room and Connor walks in and he says he shouldn't feel so happy but she says that he deserves all the happiness. Then comes Fred and she sees Jasmine's face filled with maggots and she is scared. And then she begins to cry, Then she says she has to go and looks afraid. Fred goes over to Cordy's room and she doesn't think they know how to fight back. Then comes Angel and he says that he knows what she is thinking and that Jasmine is a beauty and Fred says it's incredible. Fred goes then to the hospital and asks for a room where the guy is that was touched by Jasmine. Fred goes to the guy's room and he doesn't want to talk to her. She says that she saw what he saw. He tells her to not let her touch her and he looks at her and his face is all rotten. He wants to finish it and kill her but Fred doesn't want to. He says that she has been called but she says that she doesn't get called. He says that it's their duty and she says that people will understand and help. She walks out and he tells her to not trust anyone.



Cut to Fred coming in and Lorne is there and everyone is following Jasmine. Fred goes to talk to Wesley and she tells him about Jasmine. And he says that he believes her and will help her but he goes to tell everyone and they look shocked at her. Fred grabs a crossbow and shoots at Jasmine but Angel catches it and falls on the ground. Lorne comes after her and she grabs a knife and him and says that she will kill him but Jasmine says that there is no way for her to leave and Fred runs away. Jasmine tells them to stay because they are gathered in peace. Cut to Fred leaving all afraid in her car and cries. Cut to them talking about Fred and that they have to find Fred and they can leave her now but she tells not to do it yet. Angel says that they have to kill Fred but Jasmine wants to help her first and they want to bring her home but Jasmine says that tomorrow will be easier because then they will have eyes everywhere. Cut to Fred in a bar very sad and on tv comes a visitor, Jasmine and she talks and everyone begins to kneel and Fred sees it and realised that she is really alone and walks away all alone.



Black Out

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Best episode quotes:



Fred: Drop it, junior.

Lorne: Fred, don't get too close.

Connor: Drop it?

Fred: You heard me. Drop the knife.

Connor: But, you're always after me to clean up after myself. I was just gonna put it away.

Fred: Uh, are you still evil-ish? 'Cause I'm confused.

Angel: Guys, it's OK. He's with me.

Fred: Oh, my God. Cordelia. She's not-

Angel: No, she's not dead. She's just resting. She's in a peaceful place.

Fred: No, I meant...she's not pregnant.

Angel: Oh. No. Not anymore.

Wesley: Then you were too late? The thing was born?

Lorne: I'm guessing it wasn't a chubby little cherub, huh?

Angel: Not exactly.

Gunn: But you killed it? It's dead, right?

Angel: I-I tried. I was going to. I just, uh-

Connor: You got to stop torturing yourself, dad. He was like this all the way back in the car.

Wesley: It escaped, then?

Angel: Disappeared. Didn't even say goodbye.

Fred: Is that, like, baby evil?

Wesley: I imagine we're not talking about a baby.

Connor: No.

Gunn: OK, so what are we dealing with?

Fred: Eight legs, three heads, horns...?

Lorne: Hey!

Fred: No, offense.

Connor: Two legs, one head, no horns.

Lorne: Lemme guess: green?

Angel: No. Kind of... mocha. We need to find her.

Wesley: Agreed.

Gunn: Hope this thing's easier to kill than the Beast.

Connor: Kill? No. No killing.

Gunn: Since when?

Angel: Since we've all been saved.

Fred: Oh, well, that's, uh, crazy talk.

Angel: They don't understand.

Connor: No.

Angel: We don't want to kill her. We just want to find her so we can worship her. That's all.

Connor: She's amazing. You'll go nuts.

Gunn: Yeah, that'll definitely help us relate better.

Angel: When you meet her, you'll understand.

Wesley: Angel, whatever you're feeling right now, it's some form of enchantment.

Angel: Yeah.

Wesley: It's a spell. Think. Even before its birth, this thing controlled Cordelia, caused her to do unspeakable things. It's evil. Remember the Rain of Fire, permanent midnight, all the horrors done in its name-

Jasmine: Must be rectified.

Lorne: My God.

Jasmine: People keep saying that.

Fred: I'm just gonna... do this.

Jasmine: For so long, you've all been drowning in the fighting and the pain. I'd like to help...if you'll have me.

Wesley: Tell us what to do.



Fred: Cordelia must be so happy...to be the one who brought you here. What an honor.

Jasmine: I'm the one who's honored...by Cordelia, and by all of you. I can't tell you how good it is to be back.

Wesley: Back? Then you've been here before?

Jasmine: Yes. In the beginning, before the time of man, great beings walked the earth. Untold power emanated from all quarters-the seeds of what would come to be known as good and evil. But the shadows stretched and became darkness, and the malevolent among us grew stronger. The earth became a demon realm. Those of us who had the will to resist left this place, but we remained ever-watchful.

Gunn: You're a power that... was?

Jasmine: But then something new emerged from deep inside the earth-neither demon, nor God. Man. And it seemed, for a time, that through this new race, a balance might be restored.

Fred: Guess we really let you down.

Jasmine: But you didn't. It was we who failed you. We became little more than observers. I could no longer bear to just watch all the suffering. I had to find a way back. But, first I needed a miracle. And so I arranged one. Through you, Angel, through Darla. That is where my parentage began. Two vampires-creatures one human corrupted by darkness. And you with a soul-a miracle already.

Angel: But how?

Jasmine: Through Lorne.

Lorne: Huh?

Jasmine: The day Lorne sent Angel and human Darla into the trials to earn a new chance at life.

Angel: I failed.

Jasmine: No, you earned that life. And there it is. All these events unfolded that I might reenter this physical plain. I know there's been chaos.

Wesley: All the events we've witnesses these past months, all the madness, it was birth pains.

Jasmine: But the storm has passed.

Lorne: And here comes the sun.

Angel: And Cordelia-will she wake up?

Jasmine: If we take hold of the world, strip away the thorns, win the battle-then, yes, I think she will.

Fred: How do we do that?

Jasmine: One evil at a time. Much damage has been done in my name. There are demons, forces of hate, all over this city.

Fred: We're going to destroy them.

Jasmine: We're going to change the world.

Angel: Finally.



Gunn: What about... Helen?

Wesley: Helen.

Gunn: It's got a ring.

Wesley: Yes, it does. However, something along the lines of... Dianthia or Iphigenia.

Gunn: Those are some long lines.

Wesley: Or Aristophila, which means-

Jasmine: "Supreme lover of mankind." That's lovely.

Gunn: Well, Helen was my grandma's name.

Jasmine: Helen is beautiful as well.

Wesley: All right. What about-

Fred: Clorox.

Gunn: "Clorox, she bleaches away the hate."

Wesley: Probably best we avoid brand names.

Gunn: Mm-hmm.

Fred: No, I-I meant the shirt. know I can get this stain out.

Jasmine: It's not important, Fred.

Fred: No, it is. I can make it good as new again.

Jasmine: There's really no need. It's just a shirt.

Fred: But it's yours. And it was on you, on your holy bodiness. And it's my fault you were attacked.

Jasmine: Nonsense. There is no fault. It was a new and vivid experience. To be able to bleed, feel things, anything-even pain-is a gift. You people take your senses for granted.

Fred: Club soda.

Gunn: May as well let her do her thing.

Wesley: Yes, Fred can be quite single-minded when she is focused on a problem.

Gunn: Yeah.

Jasmine: You love her very much-both of you. Don't you see? You both have the same love. That should bring you closer together, not drive you apart.

Connor: I'm sorry you were hurt.

Jasmine: Oh. Ah.

Connor: But there was so much blood.

Jasmine: I heal quickly. It must be a benefit of being a former power, I guess.

Connor: What was wrong with that man? Why did he want to hurt you?

Jasmine: I'm not sure. Some people can't accept change. It scares them, and that fear becomes hatred, and they take that hatred out on others... or sometimes on themselves.



Jasmine: Come in, Connor. Tell me what's bothering you.

Connor: I- I can't.

Jasmine: Of course you can. You can tell me anything.

Connor: Cordelia used to say that to me. It's just-having you here, I finally know why I was created. For you-to help bring you here.

Jasmine: That and so much more.

Connor: But, I don't deserve-I shouldn't be so happy. I've done things. I betrayed my dad, hurt people...

Jasmine: I know... all of it. I've watched you-not just these past days-but all your life and before. Connor, you deserve all the happiness I can bring you.

Connor: Why me?

Jasmine: I needed a unique soul to help create me. Yours. Even before you were born, I chose you to be my father. And now we're going to transform the world.

Connor: But my father-he's the champion.

Jasmine: Everything has its season. It's your time, Connor. Your destiny.



Fred: Um, hi. Um, yes. I'm looking for a patient-a man. He was brought in Thursday, named Stover.

Nurse: Are you a family member?

Fred: Am I? Yes. I have a family. I'm a member. He's my brother. Father. My father's brother.

Nurse: I have a Stoller.

Fred: Half-brother. Uncle. Half-uncle. Stoller. That's it. Please, I-I need to know if he's all right.



Fred: John? John Stoller?

John: Go away.

Fred: John, I have to ask you...Do you have a history of mental- What I mean to ask is, uh, have you been in this particular ward before?

John: You mean, am I crazy?

Fred: Well, were you before Thursday?

John: Leave me alone.

Fred: I don't think you're crazy. I think I know what happened. I think I know what you saw because... I saw it too. The woman you attacked-

John: Not a woman.

Fred: Her face-it's horrible, isn't it? Decaying, blood, things living there.

John: You did see it?

Fred: Yes.

John: Did it touch you?

Fred: What?

John: Don't let it touch you.

Fred: Sh-sh-she did that to you?

John: Untie me, please. I have to get out of here. I have to finish it.

Fred: Finish what?

John: She has to die. We have to kill it.

Fred: We? No, I-I-uh, I mean, maybe, but, no...

John: You said you saw it.

Fred: I did.

John: You've been called too.

Fred: Called?

John: Called. To the mission.

Fred: called. Called?

John: It's our duty. Others won't see.

Fred: You're wrong. If what we saw is true, there are people who will understand, who will help.

John: You've been called.

Fred: No. Like I said, I- OK, that's just eerie. It's Angel. They're probably wondering where I am.

John: You have to do it.

Fred: I-I have to go. Thank you for your time. I'm sorry to have disturbed you.

John: Don't trust her. Don't trust anyone!



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Story: 9

Acting: 8

Writing: 6

Picture: 8

Gripping: 6

My Rank: 7

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Total: 7.2

As a metaphor for organized religion, Jasmine is first rate.



One gets involved and finds that the cares of their former sinful self are washed away. Youo face life renewed, energized, as if all things have a purpose and you, in and among them, have a purpose, too.



You start to get committed, serving your deity and you look up and realize the horrors that have been committed in its name.



Heck -- all of that was outlined well enough pre-thrall, at the beginning of the episode, where Wes says to Angel:



Wes: It's a spell. Think! Even before its birth, this thing controlled Cordelia, caused her to do unspeakable things. It's evil! Remember? The rain of fire, eternal midnight, the horrors done in its name ...

Jasmine: Must be rectified.



//THRALL!//



Oh, Jasmine, how could we ever have doubted you?



Simple. Don't look at what it says. Look at what it does.



All the stuff Wes just mentioned -- along with the signs of the Apocalypse with rats and snakes and earthquakes and birds and all of that stuff -- was on the rise.



These aren't harbingers of giggly joy.



Now, there's one way -- one single way -- that I would accept the evil that preceded Maggoty Ann in her appearance in a glowy cloud of peace.



If all of the evil was focused on Cordelia, and all of the signs and so forth were evil rising to crush her unborn child.



They weren't. The rise of evil in the face of its greatest vanquishing nemesis was not to destroy it.



In fact, there's plenty of evidence that Wacky Pregnant Lady Cordy was just kicking up all sorts of obfuscatory dust while sheltering the rise of history's greatest nightmare.



So ignore what it says, and ignore how it makes you feel.



What does it make you //do//?



Blessed by Jasmine, CYNTHIA! set forth and slew vampires and demons and turned the tide of evil -- to the point even where the ebbing death rate made the news -- and no credit to the [i]diva ex machina[/i].



But wait a moment.



//They'd be doing that anyway.//



In fact, no offense, but if //someone// hadn't been running around distracting everyone by turning Cordy evil and blotting out the sun and unleashing Angelus and so forth and so forth and so forth -- actually increasing the incidence of demons and vampires in the city ...



There wouldn't be as much to fight.



So she guides them in doing the good that they'd be doing anyway, and in the meantime stitches together a sort of figleaf of a backstory for herself.



She doesn't take up a single axe or dust a single vamp. But she does have a power. Her thrall has a power.



It makes them feel like what they're doing is //right//



Unquestionably so.



Again, an excellent metaphor for organized religion. That's absolutely a side effect. Whether it be clothing the naked (probably good) or oppressing gay people (probably not good), people in an organized religion feel like they have all the answers and are beyond examination.



And toward the end, where Fred's blood mingled with Jasmine's and she sees the true, maggots-and-all face of the object of her adoration and worship ...



The Jasminions are convinced that she's evil.



Fred -- who they've known for a year, who they know isn't evil -- versus Jasmine, who they've known for a week and about whom they know nothing but what they've been told:



Jasmine: In the beginning, before the time of man, great beings walked the earth. Untold power emanated from all quarters -- the seeds of what would come to be known as "good" and "evil." But the shadows stretched, and the malevolent among us grew stronger. The earth became a demon realm. Those of us who had the will to resist left this place, but we remained ever watchful.

Gunn: You're a power that ... was?

Jasmine: But then something new emerged from deep inside the Earth, neither demon nor god.

Wes: Man

Jasmine: And it seemed for a time that through this new race, a balance might be restored.



SIDE NOTE: This stated goal of hers, here, of restoring balance? That's not what you have when you destroy all evil. Rather, good is sort of completely overbalanced, and more than a little top-heavy.



Fred]: I guess we really let you down.

Jasmine: But you didn't. It was we who failed you. We became little more than observers. I could no longer bear to just watch all the suffering. I had to find a way back. First I needed a miracle. And so I arranged one. Through you, Angel, and through Darla, that is where my parentage began. Two vampires, creatures once human, corrupted by darkness -- and you with a soul, a miracle already.

Angel: But how?

Jasmine: Through Lorne.

Lorne (and the rest of the planet): Huh?

Jasmine: The day Lorne sent Angel and human Darla into the trials to earn a new chance at life.

Angel: I failed.

Jasmine: No, you earned that life. And there it is. * points to Connor *

(The rest of the world): //HIM?// :o



SIDE NOTE: So, Angel's extended (three times) "perfect despair" GSI on Darla wasn't angry hate sex. It was a nascent S2 Jasminian thrall. Roiiiiiight.



Jasmine: All these events unfolded that I might re-enter this physical plane.



The rest of the world: //You're flyin' coach!//



Jasmine: I know there's been chaos ...

Wes: All these events we've witnessed these past months. All the madness; it was birth pangs!

Jasmine: But the storm has passed.

Lorne: And here comes the sun.



SIDE NOTE: Now, Jasmine knows that the evil, chaos, destruction and ... expensive property damage was largely her fault, but she lets the poetry of "birth pangs" hang in the air like an overripe mango.



Angel: And Cordelia ... will she wake up?

Jasmine: If we take hold of the world, strip away the thorns, win the battle ...



SIDE NOTE: Battle ... ? :o



Jasmine: ... then yes. I think she will.

Fred: How do we do that?

Jasmine: One evil at a time. Much damage has been done in my name. There are demons, forces of hate all over this city.

Fred: We're going to destroy them.

Jasmine: We're going to change the world.

Angel: Finally.



Now, here's where Illyria might've been somewhat useful if Joss had cared to put a button on this backstory instead of letting it slink down a drainage pipe and go far, far away.



Illyria: "Something changed in Fred's memories when you shattered the window of Orlon. I remember now ... the one you call Jasmine. She was the one we called, "Sack of the Vile Falsehoods." I remember creating what you now call Australia to escape her banality, the endless prattling tea parties 'Let's all be nice to each other and braid our tentacles and shun the Demon God Tessa for she has said a bad word about me and ate all the jam.' She was insufferable."



Yep. That battle is gonna change the world. Vamps in a bowling alley, pockets of demons here and there. Again, they aren't doing anything they wouldn't have done anyway through the guidance of the Powers That Be.



Powers That Be: Jasmine, Jasmine, Nope, not ringing a bell. Oh, where's that nice Cordy girl, we'll have her pass that along. Yoohoo! Cordy! Oh ... right ... :oops:



So ... eradicating all evil is going to bring about the balance you're hoping to restore? People sitting around being good doesn't necessarily bode well for the future. Without scarcity, without something to fight, the body and the mind atrophy. There's something about the privation on this plane of existence that ...



Wait a moment.



Jasmine already knows this.



In the opening scene, when she leaves Angel and Connor with action Cordy, she vanishes ...



... she goes shopping for a slinky blue thing. But she doesn't have any money, so she just, what, thralls a store owner? Something ... worse?



[darkly] She's gotta maintain that thrall somehow, after all ... [/darkly]



HERETICS



Finally, we come to Fred's realization -- the same one had by the guy in the food court.



The true face of Jasmine.



This is what I don't understand. Yes, he's a little nuts, talking about demon maggot women and so forth, and needing to kill them.



But what happened to his //face//? What did she do to him? :o



That's ... not the effect of a healing, glowy deity.



I'd put the guy with the withered face in the burn unit or in ICU. I wouldn't necessarily put him in the psych ward.



Obviously //something// happened to him.



When Fred sees the truth, she tries to destroy it in the most ham-fisted way, but she probably felt like news of her heresy was spreading, and as it did, the eyes trained on her were cold and suspicious.



[as in any organized religious situation, when someone starts raising too many difficult questions]



To the closing scenes, where CYNTHIA! resolves to kill Fred because she's gone evil. And Jasmine's the only figure that's holding them back. But really, just for information purposes. She needs Fred to be killed, no question. Just:



Jasmine: She's so determined to destroy everything we're trying to create. Which makes her even more dangerous.

Angel: We have to kill her. There's no other way.

Jasmine: It may come to that. But first we have to try to help her get to the root of the hatred that's infected her heart."



SIDE NOTE: In other words, "Why isn't my thrall working on her any more?"



Hmm, well, obviously, the only people your thrall hasn't worked on are that guy and Fred (and the vampires in the bowling alley -- not sure I understand that), and the only thing they have in common is they mingled some of your blood with their own.



Anyone who's gotten very involved with you wants to destroy you.



Maybe that's Joss' last metaphor for organized religion.



From Fred's final scene, where the cafe is cold and unsympathetic -- but it's cold and unsympathetic to everyone (not just Fred), until a little broadcast ray of sunshine.



Rise and shine, L.A.



Time for your morning thrall.

Subscribers to the old TVTome site will recall fondly the Brilliant InsightsTM post as part of a

certain book club overseen by a shadowy figure calling himself Tjaman.Just before the old site

collapsed screaming into the void, Tj resolved to write all the Season 4 insights in 10 days. He got mighty close, but fell just before the final hurdle(until now -see below). He just couldn't get through the last block.

But theres a problem.

In order to do this, I have to review the Jasmine situation( or, to give her her full title , THE

- EVIL - LYING - SACK (TM)). This will probably be abbreviated to TELS.



So, "Shiny Happy People" - as I stated in the summary , disturbing in more ways than one. Theres

a lot to enjoy in this hour - the show has never looked more polished and grandiose than at the

back end of Season Four. The heavy emphasis on soap opera-style elements this season had reached

its climax - basically , if you missed more than one episode back to back this season, you were

screwed.Coming back, the plots were vastly different to the last time you saw them and even

harder to follow.

So, naturally, it follows that new producer Ben Edlund and Joss got together and thought "hang on, why dont we work out a link to the whole four years?" - And thats the key to the final five episodes - whether you can believe that Jasmine/TELS has been guiding Angel Incs steps from midway through the second season.

**deep breath**

Angel & Darla try to get through the Trials - that introduces Drusilla - leading to Dru & Darlas Wolfram & Hart massacre at Sam Hollands mansion. Angel fires his staff, getting very insular and withdrawn, learning eventually that the Senior Partners will always profit from peoples hatred and good will never triumph over Evil. At his lowest , he sleeps with Darla leading to an unexpected pregnancy and the birth of Connor. Around the end of the pregnancy, Jasmine/TELS forces the demon Sahjhan to bring Daniel Holtz into modern LA who takes revenge on Angel by escaping with the infant Connor through the Qu'ortoth vortex. When Connor returns as a teenager,while the rest of the group deal with his problems, Jasmine/TELS convinces Cordy to confront her feelings for Angel leading to her abduction by a traitorous Skip & ascension. On return, a changed & brainwashed Cordy feeling distant moves in with another loner - Connor. They act on their feelings leading to another pregnancy & birth of Jasmine/TELS herself.

**************

Sorry if I'm telling people what they already know, but its a awful lot to hang on 1 episode,

innit?? Now, I don't believe for one second that Joss had that plan in his head from the start

of 2000 when Season Two started filming, but as revelations go, its right up there with the best

of them.

And to think it would have been so different if the group had gone with Freds naming - you would have much more love for a character called "Clorox" who bleaches the World Clean of Hate- those brand names can be so troublesome!



So the overall plot twist is way disturbing.Also disturbing is the fact that all the team are

converted so quickly - As is the way that the writers Craft & Fain put the event right up at

the top of the episode - a bold and brass way for a show that was prepared to mess with your

heads on a regular basis, but none more so than here. Other shows would have the normal folk in

the street converted first and then have our heroes find a cure or solution. Not here. Convert

your core characters first, leave the whole situation bleak and leave us with a killer cliffhanger.

Yes, thats disturbing. Three elements - the eerie music score, the empty street and that single

executive kneeling in supplication. Priceless.



And the shirts. Do I have to say it? Don't get me started on the shirts...



For four years, LEATHER has triumphed supreme - black leather. All of a sudden, Jasmine/TELS (Aka

Maggotty Ann) comes along and Pastels rule. YUKK. The sight of seeing Angel in a pale yellow shirt

is enough to shock even the hardcore. Hey, the maggotts are bad enough, but that color scheme is

VILE, people. You know somethings bads on the way.



And yet this episode gets a bad press. Sorry, but I just dont see why (actually, I do- see below)

. Popular opinion seems to be that "Release" is a better episode. I don't see that either.

You have Fred being the paranoia queen loner from hell - a role that Amy Acker nails. And you

have the hero battles section, set to Jasmine/TELS dialogue. I am reminded straight off the bat of "Lord of the Rings" - you know that section in Fellowship where all the cast get their moment walking onto the summit of the mountain set to Howard Shore glorious score - its a straight copy.

But just because its a copy doesn't mean it doesn't work - still wonderful.



I'm gonna go out with my critics head on.**

The above was written before I read Tj's review of "Inside Out". And now I think I understand

where the problem lies. It's in the timing.

The facts are as follows: During Season Four, Angel came this close to being cancelled. So a new

direction needed to be found. Which meant the culling of a very expansive and very complicated

backstory.Where the show would have gone if a Season Five had been secured right at the start

instead of at the last possible minute, only Joss knows. Instead, he had to do some neat thinking.



So heres how I see it:

Is the collapsible storyline a Cop-Out? Pretty much.

Does it explain everything? Of course it doesn't.



The fanboys and comic book guys will pick holes in any plot point, any time, any place, any where.

But then again, when you've been brainwashed, you dont pick holes in any plot point, any time,

any place, any where. You just smile a lot, put yourself forward for mass murder and wear the

most hideous shirts.



Is Jasmine/TELS/Maggotty Ann a psychotic unhinged being with no hope of redemption? Absolutely.

Theres no way back.



But I think its possible to dissassociate the storyline from the events. You can't possibly believe and go along with Jasmines POV and worldview - the film worlds already had a summary of a perfect world in The Matrix with Agent Smith & Morpheus ("The first ones were a disaster. No-one would accept it.")- but its fun working out how Angel & Co plan to make things right(or wrong) again.



Sometimes you don't want endless analysis. Sometimes you dont want to agonise morals back and

forth. Sometimes you just want to turn the brain off and just relax.



Thats why I refer to Season Four as the soap season. A lot of improbable and impossible things

happen in soap.I don't watch soap operas - but the suds on Angel are impossible to resist."Shiny

Happy People" is popcorn entertainment of the highest order - as long as its taken as part of a

well-balanced diet.