How I Met Your Mother 6×01 Big Days
We are still no step further towards the mother. And the episode itself wasn’t that funny. The only really noteworthy thing for me was that Alyson’s breasts are still larger than usual while Cobie’s are back to normal size (in comparison to their respective real-world pre-pregnancy state).
I don’t know, somehow the fun of this show is gone…

Castle 3×01 A Deadly Affair
Aww, they are back together. I don’t mind this whole will-they-or-won’t-they because these two have a great chemistry even when she is mad at him. I also loved how he was always the first at the crime scene (even on the first one as cardboard stand-up), it was a nice running gag.

Two and a Half Men 8×01 Three Girls and a Guy Named Bud
Charlie is still the same and he still has it. The show is still very funny – mainly due to Charlie’s very own view of the world.

June, 3rd

Transformers

Shia LaBeouf … Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox … Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel … Captain Lennox
Tyrese Gibson … USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
Rachael Taylor … Maggie Madsen
Anthony Anderson … Glen Whitmann
Jon Voight … Defense Secretary John Keller
John Turturro … Agent Simmons

Synopsis: The AllSpark is a mystical cube which can create life from lifelessness. Many eons ago it got lost, but Megatron – leader of the Decepticons – has found it on a planet called Earth. But he crashes here and freezes into a form of stasis in the arctic. But his arrival did not go unnoticed and many years later the Autobots under the lead of Optimus Prime also arrive on Earth. And now the hunt for the AllSpark begins. The question is whether the Humans can help save their own planet or whether they will be a mere annoyance that stand between the Decepticons and the AllSpark.

My Opinion: Robots that turn into cars, trucks, helicopters and tanks – need I say more? It’s a great fun flick whose sequel is about to start in the theatres. I enjoy such harmless movies where I don’t want to think and don’t need to think from time to time. The only thing that was a bit annoying was the final fight where one often couldn’t make out who’s currently fighting who.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Harrison Ford … Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett … Irina Spalko
Karen Allen … Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf … Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone … ‘Mac’ George Michale
John Hurt … Professor Oxley

Synopsis: 20 years have past, the Nazis are gone and Marcus Brody and Henry Jones, Sr. have died. But now there are Russians and they want to discover the secrets that are behind some mysteriously formed yet perfectly carved crystal skulls. And Indy is right in the middle of it. This time the treasure hunt leads to South America, in the Amazon River region and back to the time of the spanish conquistadores. And Indy is not alone. He’s accompanied by his friend Professor Oxley, his former companion Marion – and someone he didn’t expect.

My Opinion: I don’t have anything against the chosen subject – this time aliens. I mean, c’mon, we’ve seen the Ark of the Covenant and even the Holy Grail and they’ve done miraculous things. So why not aliens. It was a very good movie; still I didn’t enjoy it as much as its predecessors. It lacked a bit of the charm of the previous movies and there were too many over the top elements in it. For example Indy’s survival of a nuclear explosion in a refrigerator that was blasted through the desert, or their triple fall down a waterfall.
My favourite of the series still remains Last Crusade.

June, 6th

Cars

Owen Wilson … Lightning McQueen (voice)
Paul Newman … Doc Hudson (voice)
Bonnie Hunt … Sally Carrera (voice)
Larry The Cable Guy … Mater (voice)
Cheech Marin … Ramone (voice)
Tony Shalhoub … Luigi (voice)
Guido Quaroni … Guido (voice)
Jenifer Lewis … Flo (voice)
Paul Dooley … Sarge (voice)
Michael Wallis … Sheriff (voice)
George Carlin … Fillmore (voice)
Katherine Helmond … Lizzie (voice)
John Ratzenberger … Mack / Hamm Truck / Abominable Snow Plow / P.T. Flea Car (voice)
Michael Keaton … Chick Hicks (voice)
Richard Petty … The King (voice)

Synopsis: Lightning McQueen is a race car and THE newcomer of the current racing season. But he’s also arrogant and egocentric and these treats nearly cost him the Piston Cup championship. But he hasn’t won either. His two closest opponents (Chick Hicks and the current champion The King) and he got over the finish line at the same time. The next race will decide who gets the Piston Cup. But McQueen gets lost on his way to California and ends up in a small backwater town called Radiator Springs along the old Route 66. And since he got in trouble with the law he has to repair their old main street before he’s allowed to leave. But when he’s allowed to leave – does he still want it?

My Opinion: As all Pixar movies, this is a great flick. The characters are all excellently drawn (both literally as well as metaphorically) and the story is very charming. I really love the diversity of the supporting characters like the Sarge or Luigi and the references to “our” world such as Sally’s tramp stamp on her rear. I also found it quite fascinating that some of the nature shots almost looked real, for example when Lightning and Sally were racing through the forest and the puddles.

June, 7th

Shooter

Mark Wahlberg … Bob Lee Swagger
Michael Peña … Nick Memphis
Danny Glover … Colonel Isaac Johnson
Kate Mara … Sarah Fenn
Elias Koteas … Jack Payne
Rhona Mitra … Alourdes Galindo

Synopsis: Bob Lee Swagger was an Army Rangers sharpshooter but during a mission in Ethiopia his spotter gets killed and he has to escape without any backup since this mission was an illegal operation. Three years later he has retired and lives in the Rocky Mountains until his government needs his help again. Someone wants to shoot the president from over a mile away and they need his expertise to find the killer. But suddenly Bob Lee finds himself being the suspected killer and is hunted by every law enforcement department the US has to offer.

My Opinion: It’s a very interesting thriller with nice references to the JFK murder. Mark Wahlberg might not be the best actor but I think he plays roles where his character is of a simple nature (like his role here or in Four Brothers) very well and believable. I also liked how they managed to show many different landscapes in which a sniper has to work in (steppe, a city, forest, snow, …) without making it unrealistic.

Martian Child

John Cusack … David Gordon
Bobby Coleman … Dennis / The Martian Child
Amanda Peet … Harlee
Sophie Okonedo … Sophie
Joan Cusack … Liz
Oliver Platt … Jeff

Synopsis: Originally his wife and he wanted to adopt a child. But then his wife died and now he’s alone. But he still decides to adopt a child and he chooses the child that is “allergic” to sunlight and who is not an Earthling at all but a Martian. Over the next months David tries to bond with Dennis and to get him out of his shell but it’s a laborious experience for both of them and everybody who tries to help.

My Opinion: This is not really a comedy. It’s a story about a guy who learns how to be a father and a child who learns how to be a son (that’s the tagline of the movie but it pretty much sums it up). It’s a very empathetic movie without cheap jokes and it’s great to see when they finally bond. It was a blind buy for me, I didn’t really know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the movie that I didn’t expect.

Office Space

Ron Livingston … Peter Gibbons
Jennifer Aniston … Joanna
David Herman … Michael Bolton
Ajay Naidu … Samir
Diedrich Bader … Lawrence
Stephen Root … Milton Waddams
Gary Cole … Bill Lumbergh
John C. McGinley … Bob Slydell

Synopsis: Peter works in a software company and he and his colleagues are scanning program code for possible Y2K bugs and change the code to a 4 digits system. But his work doesn’t fulfil him, he feels useless and the job is repetitive and tedious. When he seeks counselling he gets hypnotized but never awakes from it because his shrink dies of an heart attack. From now on everything is different. Life is easy, he goes to work when he pleases, he works only on stuff that is actually useful and he even gets promoted for it – while his friends get fired due to “reorganization”. But they have a contingency plan – they plan to steal “virtual” money.

My Opinion: This movie feels so real and Peter’s life before his hypnosis is pretty much the same that I am currently leading, especially the boringness at work. Now I only need to find the diner where Jennifer Aniston is working and I will get hypnotized, too.
The supporting characters are also very great, especially Milton and his stapler.

June, 16th

Alex & Emma

Luke Wilson … Alex Sheldon / Adam Shipley
Kate Hudson … Emma Dinsmore / Ylva / Elsa / Eldora / Anna
David Paymer … John Shaw
Sophie Marceau … Polina Delacroix

Synopsis: Alex owes some guys 50 grand due to gambling problems and of course he doesn’t have the money. But he’s a writer and he promises them a hundred grand in 30 days when his new book is finished – but he hasn’t even begun it yet. He needs a stenographer to type 300 pages in 30 days and thus he hires Emma to type while he’s dictating his story.

My Opinion: Let’s face it: Most of the romance movies have the same basic plot. Boy meets girl. Boy either doesn’t like girl or doesn’t really care. Eventually they fall in love and sleep together. Then boy makes huge blunder and girl runs away crying. Boy makes huge apology gesture and they live happily ever after. The End.
I don’t have a problem with that but it means that the story depends heavily on the characters and how the previously mentioned plot points are executed this time. And in that regard Alex & Emma fails. It’s like watching a village creek flow for 92 minutes. Nothing extraordinary happens, not even the blunder was a big deal. They even had this basically cool idea to “jump” into the story Alex was writing and Emma interrupts him and demands changes. There was so much potential to use (for example) rewind effects or morphing effects to change to story while telling but they barely made use of such devices. And what’s worse: The story Alex was writing was boring as hell.
This was a blind buy, of course.

June, 17th

Spider-Man

Tobey Maguire … Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Willem Dafoe … Green Goblin / Norman Osborn
Kirsten Dunst … Mary Jane Watson
James Franco … Harry Osborn
Cliff Robertson … Ben Parker
Rosemary Harris … May Parker
J.K. Simmons … J. Jonah Jameson
Ted Raimi … Hoffman
Bruce Campbell … Ring Announcer

Synopsis: Peter Parker is a young high school student when he’s bitten by a genetically enhanced spider at a research facility. His DNA is rewritten and he becomes stronger, faster, he can climb walls and shoot spider threads from his wrists. After he has made a terrible mistake that cost his uncle his life he decides to use his new powers to help people: He becomes Spider-Man. But where there’s a hero, there’s a villain: The Green Goblin.

My Opinion: I love this movie, it’s great. All the actors did a marvellous job, especially Tobey and Willem – I loved Willem Dafoe in the scenes where he “talked” to the Goblin and I really liked this bitter ending where he (Peter) has to decide to stay alone in order to not endanger the people he loves and cares for. “Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ This is my gift. My curse. Who am I? I am Spider-Man!”. *awesome*

June, 27th

Bring It On: All or Nothing

Hayden Panettiere … Britney Allen
Solange Knowles … Camille
Gus Carr … Jesse
Marcy Rylan … Winnie
Cindy Chiu … Amber
Giovonnie Samuels … Kirresha
Francia Raisa … Leti
Gary LeRoi Gray … Tyson
Danielle Savre … Brianna
Jessica Nicole Fife … Sierra
Rihanna … Herself

Synopsis: Britney is the cheerleading captain of the Pacific Vista Pirates. But then her father gets fired and they have to move to Crenshaw Heights. She swore to her old team that she would never cheer again. But she has no place to fit in on her new school – except for the squad.

My Opinion: This movie is soo bad, there are no words for it. The only reason for buying it was Hayden Panettiere (Claire in Heroes ["Save the cheerleader, save the world!"]). But her acting is so over the top, it’s as if Ecstasy had taken Ecstasy. But like a train wreck one can’t stop watching.

Fanboys

Sam Huntington … Eric
Chris Marquette … Linus
Dan Fogler … Hutch
Jay Baruchel … Windows
Kristen Bell … Zoe
Seth Rogen … Admiral Seasholtz / Alien / Roach
Danny Trejo … The Chief
Ethan Suplee … Harry Knowles
Billy Dee Williams … Judge Reinhold
William Shatner … Himself
Carrie Fisher … Doctor
Kevin Smith … Himself
Jason Mewes … Himself

Synopsis: Linus is a great Star Wars fan, but he is also dying of cancer and he won’t make it to the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I in 1998. So his best friends (and also Star Wars geeks) decide to break into the Skywalker Ranch to watch a raw edit of the movie. On their road trip to San Francisco they meet other fans, Trekkies and even William Shatner…

My Opinion: This is a geek fest par excellence, no doubt about it. Every other sentence contains a reference to the trilogy, either as direct quote or in the spirit. When you know the movies by heart it’s very easy to predict what they are going to say, but that just means that you are as geeky as they are.
But the movie has also a lot of sentimental scenes that are similar to those in Be Kind Rewind and they are very well placed to interrupt the geek fest without destroying its spirit.
But the most astounding thing about this movie and watching the guys on their journey is that you forget how bad Episode I really was.

July

Disc 1

Deep Down

Synopsis: Cordelia and Angel have vanished from the face of the Earth, Lorne is in Las Vegas, Wesley has a life of his own now. Three month have passed and Gunn and Fred try to keep the business running and to care for Connor. But they have never given up the search for their friends – neither has Wesley.

My Opinion: I really like the dark Wesley much more than the duffer he was back in Buffy and in the beginning of Angel. That Angel would be found was obvious. At first I thought he would need some time to recover but they’ve found a nice way to remind us that he has spend a century in a hell dimension between the Buffy seasons 2 and 3.

Ground State

Synopsis: To find Cordelia, Angel plans to steal the “Axis of Pythia”, a mystical object to find a soul no matter what dimension it is in. Gunn and Fred are of course helping. But there is another player involved who wants the Axis.

My Opinion: She looked like as if she’d belong to Magneto’s group rather than Xavier’s. I liked it.

The House Always Wins

Synopsis: Angel decides to go to Las Vegas to visit Lorne and to convince him to return to L.A.. Unfortunately Lorne has got an offer he couldn’t reject and soon Angel finds himself irresistibly attrected to the slot machines.

My Opinion: Angel is a Blues Brother! He puts the band back together! Only Wesley is missing but I have the feeling that it still may take a while before he comes back. It was an interesting list of people that Angel claimed to have met. And Andy Hallett’s (Lorne) singing was gorgeous again.

Slouching Toward Bethlehem

Synopsis: Cordelia is back, but she has amnesia. She has no idea who or what Angel is or who she is. The gang cautiously tries to re-awaken the memories without going like a bull at a gate. Wolfram & Hart also learn of her return.

My Opinion: It was a lose-lose situation. If they would have been upfront I presume she would have run screaming. Let’s see what Connor’s plans for Cordelia are. I don’t trust him and I have the suspicion that he’ll do something to hurt Angel. Wesley blew it once again but as I said I like him as an outsider.

Disc 2

Supersymmetry

Synopsis: Fred has returned to her work on physics and she has written an article that has been published. Now she is supposed to talk on a science conference where she meets her old professor.

My Opinion: Damn! I would have bet that there would be a plot twist and that the assistant is the true villain. Even though I haven’t predicted the end, that makes the story weaker, because it was so straightforward.

Spin the Bottle

Synopsis: To return Cordelia’s memories, Lorne gets hold of a potion. They conduct a certain ceremony. Unfortunately now everyone has lost his/her memories.

My Opinion: Don’t get me wrong, the episode was good, even if it is a recurring plot in many Sci-Fi/Fantasy series. But I didn’t understand why Wesley had to be there but not Connor. That felt forced. I also didn’t understand why all people lost a different amount of years of memories.

Apocalypse, Nowish

Synopsis: Cordelia sees the apocalypse coming but it’s not the apocalypse that Wolfram & Hart is planning. She and Connor run right into the demon who happens to appear in the very same alley Connor was “born”. The gang, including Wesley try to kill the demon.

My Opinion: Cordelia, why? Can one break the heart of a vampire even if it doesn’t beat anymore? It certainly looked that way. I like the new demon, it’s bound to become interesting.

Habeas Corpses

Synopsis: The gang has to regroup after they’ve lost the last battle. And this time their attack leads directly into the heart of evil, Wolfram & Hart.

My Opinion: “So I will walk through the fire, cos where else can I turn?” Granted, Buffy sang this in Once More, With Feeling but I am sure Angel feels the same way now. While I really like the new demon because we/they know nothing about it, I don’t like what the writers are doing with Cordelia. I hope she comes out of it, but so far Whedon’s characters (nearly) always did.

Disc 3

Long Day’s Journey

Synopsis: Although the demon killed hundreds of people he seems more focussed on a certain group. Gwen – the electrically charged thief – watches when he kills a guy and pulls somtehing out of him. As it turns out he – the dead – was one of the five “Ta-Ret” and if he gets something from all of them he can shut down the sun, not metaphorically but literally.

My Opinion: Even if Angel has the answer I don’t think he is the traitor of the group. I have the suspicion that it is Cordy who is somehow involved. Since her return she seems to be changed and I won’t believe that she slept with Connor in a “End of the World” mood.

Awakening

Synopsis: Wesley brings someone that can remove Angel’s soul. Angelus would re-emerge and they hope he can tell them how to defeat the demon. Unfortunately the demon has anticipated this move and tries to kill Angel(us).

My Opinion: I am so grateful for the end of the episode. If he would have lost his soul because he slept with Cordelia, I would have been frustrated. Angel can’t be that stupid to make the same mistake twice. The quest for the sword did indeed remind me of Indiana Jones, a fact that is also mentioned by Angelus in the next episode.

Soulless

Synopsis: Angel’s soul is put into a glas jar and Angelus is back. To get information Angelus is kept in a cell in the basement until he tells them what he knows about this demon. In the meantime he plays with the feelings of his “guards”.

My Opinion: Angelus ist still good at this. What muds the water for me is the fact that his crossing with the demon was rather unimportant to him and very short. Which reason would Angel have to surpress that memory? If they (the writers) needed a reason to let Angelus return they should have come up with something better – if Angelus didn’t lie or left something important out. And the stolen soul hardens my suspicions about Cordelia.

Disc 4

Calvary

Synopsis: The gang is wondering who could have stolen the soul and if they have a traitor in their midst. Angelus is still a prisoner but he perfectly plays the mind games. Then Lilah arrives in the basement and she offers a deal to Angelus.

My Opinion: I knew it! But why had I to be right this time? I also knew somehow that Angelus wouldn’t be really Angel after the spell. Nonetheless a good episode.

Salvage

Synopsis: Lilah is dead and Angelus is presumed the murderer. The last duty for Wesley left to do is to make sure that she won’t rise as a vampire. But he also has another job, to get reinforcements: he brings the Vampire Slayer.

My Opinion: The son of two vampires is getting a child with who-knows-what-demon. Now it becomes really un-relaxing. But it is a bit suprising that they built up the big enemy over the entire season. If they follow the tradition of Angel, Cordelia won’t last until the season finale, but let’s see.

Release

Synopsis: Faith is badly hurt after the fight with the demon, both physically as well as mentally. After Angelus has visted the hotel again both Cordelia and the gang try to find him and get him under control.

My Opinion: “Hearing voices no one else can hear isn’t a good sign, even in the wizarding world.” (Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) Nice fight Wesley and Faith put up against Angelus but one has seen that she didn’t fight wholeheartedly. Otherwise she would have swept the floor with him. Very thrilling. And Wesley can fill out an application for the CTU, they are also in L.A..

Orpheus

Synopsis: Angelus bit Faith but her blood was spiked with a drug. Now both lay in a coma and try to break out of a nightmare. Additionally, Willow has come from Sunnydale to re-implant Angel’s soul.

My Opinion: Another exciting episode. A love this arc. The only drawback was that I already knew that Faith wouldn’t die because she makes an appearance in the final episodes of Buffy which run parallel to this season of Angel.

Disc 5

Players

Synopsis: Gwen comes to the hotel to ask for Gunn’s help. They try to rescue a little girl who is held captive by a japanese business man. But then everything is different.

My Opinion: Good out-of-the-arc episode, but I thought that Gunn and Fred had made up again. But finally Cordelia’s cover has blown.

Inside Out

Synopsis: Cordelia has unwillingly unmasked herself but Conner didn’t see it, thus rescueing and hiding her. The gang tries to find out if that is really Cordelia and what happened to her. And Angel has to prevent that the “child” is being born.

My Opinion: Tell me what you want, but I don’t believe that they’ve planned this for several seasons. I think they made that up in the course of the fourth season and simply redefined former events for their purposes. Since Angelus has killed the demon we obviously have a new one now.

Shiny Happy People

Synopsis: The born “child” is a beautifil woman and everyone wants to praise her and honour her. Only a confused man in a street café thinks otherwise. The hotel soon becomes a temple for the worshippers.

My Opinion: What was that? The story drops from one episode to another from “very interesting” to “boring”. I like Gina Torres, but I nearly dozed off.

The Magic Bullet

Synopsis: Fred has seen through the mask and she saw the true face of Jasmine. But she is hunted by Gunn and Wesley. Yet she has found a way to break though the mask to show people her true face.

My Opinion: It doesn’t get better. OK, the majority of the gang is in the clear now, but kumbaya-Jasmine is simply boring. At least there are only 3 episodes left until the season ends.

Disc 6

Sacrifice

Synopsis: The gang has to flee from Jasmine and Connor and hides in the sewers of the city. There they meet a group of people that has been there since the days the sun went dark. But there is another and older creature down there, too.

My Opinion: Jasmine is Rumpelstiltskin. Obviously the bad guys do not talk to each other. While Jasmine tries in L.A. to turn the world into paradise, the “First Evil” tries in Sunnydale to turn it into hell. But I liked the episode better than the last two.

Peace Out

Synopsis: Angel is in a dimension which Jasmine has visited before but the others are held prisoner in the very same cage Angelus was in. And today Jasmine wants to bring her message of peace to the entire world – via satellite TV.

My Opinion: That was surprisingly fast with Jasmine’s demise and one episode to early. But Angel is right, one cannot force happiness. It may not be a perfect world, but it’s our world, formed by our free will.

Home

Synopsis: Angel is offered the L.A. departement of Wolfram & Hart because he destroyed the Ideal World of Jasmine’s. Of course he has no intentions of taking this offer.

My Opinion: If Wolfram & Hart really thinks they can control Angel, I think there’s a big surprise waiting for them in the fifth season. But the tour was interesting.

The Season – My Opinion: I am in two minds about this season. I really don’t like what the writers did to Cordelia and they didn’t even wake her up at the end of the season. On the other hand her part was the most interesting. When she fell into the coma she took something with her and jasmine couldn’t replace it. I hope Cordelia comes back as herself in the next season. They have built a foundation of why she can’t be with Angel and thus avoiding that he gets a “moment of true happiness”.

Season 5

Disc 1

Judgement

Synopsis: After Angel accidentally killed the demon bodyguard of a young, pregnant woman he feels obliged to take his role. But the young woman wants nothing to do with hin. On the other hand she needs a champion for the tribunal she has to face.

My Opinion: Karaoke, I love karaoke. It was simply cute to see Angel croaking on that stage. And the jousting on the middle of the main road: great idea. I liked that episode.

Are You Now, Or Have You Ever Been?

Synopsis: Something strange happened in the long-closed Hyperion Hotel. Angel has lived there in the 1950s and something is pulling him back there.

My Opinion: We have seen it in the first season due to Angel’s age we are able to see flashbacks into former times and thus connect the past and the present. I’ve always liked that in Highlander and I did like it here, too.

First Impressions

Synopsis: Cordelia gets a vision of Gunn being in mortal danger, but she can’t reach neither Angel nor Wesley. Because Angel has sweet dreams about Darla.

My Opinion: It looks like Darla is indeed becoming the season enemy and I think that could become very interesting. After all, Angel was the best enemy Buffy ever had.

Untouched

Synopsis: A young woman has extreme telekinetic abilities when she feels herself endangered. Angel tries to help but Wolfram & Hart has also an elaborated interest in her.

My Opinion: The Darla plot continues. But Angel is able to rain on the lawyer’s parade. What I did notice (again) was the fact that in Angel much more humans get killed (I mean the humans that get killed by the good guys) than in Buffy. Granted they are all bad guys but I noticed it anyway.

Disc 2

Dear Boy

Synopsis: Angel runs into Darla “by coincidence” outside of his dreams. But she denies to be this “Darla” person. She even has a husband and can walk into the sunlight. But Angel is quite sure he has the right person in front of him.

My Opinion: Darla is a human again. This could be getting really interesting with her having a soul. And now we’ve met Drusilla in the past I think it’s only a matter of episodes until Spike, I mean William the Bloody, also makes an appearance.

Guise Will Be Guise

Synopsis: Angel seeks for the help of Swami T’ish Magev who was recommended to him by Lorne (the host of the karaoke bar) to discuss his Darla-issue. With Angel being absent Wesley asumes the role of Angel without thinking and gets hired as a bodyguard.

My Opinion: Very funny! Wesley as a vampire and he did all the things a vampire couldn’t have done. But it also showed that Wesley has aquired some decent fighting skills.

Darla

Synopsis: Darla – like Angel – has a problem with having a soul again. We see a lot of flashbacks into the past from before and after Angel got his soul back. Additionally she begs Angel to make her a vampire again.

My Opinion: The Darla plot has taken an unexpected turn. In the beginning I thought that she would be his enemy but I don’t see how that would be possible anymore. Sadly, Spike didn’t got more screen time but the episode wasn’t about him after all. I nonetheless liked the fact that they involved the time when Spike killed his first Slayer. Things like this make a fictional universe more whole.

The Shroud of Rahmon

Synopsis: Gunn asks Angel for help because his cousing has gotten into a thing that is getting over his head. Thus Angel helps to rob the “Shroud of Rahmon”, a shroud that drives people insane.

My Opinion: I seriously hope that Kate gets over her animosity against Angel. I think the reason why Angel could at least partly escape the effects of the shraud is because he has been fighting his inner demon for more than a century.

Disc 3

The Trial

Synopsis: As it turns out, Darla has the same illness that she had before she became a vampire. And she will die from it – within the next months. Angel tries anything in his power to prevent that – except for making her a vampire again.

My Opinion: Full circle. Darla sired Angel. Angel sired Drusilla. And now did Drusilla sire Darla. I liked the tests (they had an Indiana Jones touch), but I’m asking myself what kind of guys did try it before Angel, because the first guy didn’t really looked unbeatable.

Reunion

Synopsis: Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war! Angel couldn’t prevent the rising of Darla. Dru and Darla waltz through the city and leave a trail of blood and they do a massacre – just like Wolfram & Hart wanted them to do.

My Opinion: This episode totally proves the point I made earlier. Angel has let these people die – willingly, when he could have saved them. Let’s see how that develops.

Redefinition

Synopsis: Angel fires Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn and goes on a hunt for his “relatives”. In the meantime the three try to do what is supposed to be Angel’s job: help the helpless.

My Opinion: Angel can be a badass even without being Angelus. But being on a campaign of vengeance has such results. But it is exciting to watch him.

Disc 4

Blood Money

Synopsis: Angel tries to find out how a youth shelter is connected to Wolfram & Hart. As it turns out, W&H is hosting a charity party for the shelter, but they intend to keep a great deal of the collected money for themselves.

My Opinion: Nice trap that Lindsey walked into. And I, too, think the question is important: How ethical is it to take money from dubious sources and use it for god purposes. At least in this case the money is “clean” because W&H couldn’t take any of it.

Happy Anniversary

Synopsis: A young physicist works on a formula that can “freeze time”. But he has – without his knowledge – help from demons who have other plans with that invention.

My Opinion: What bugged me in this episode – or rather in Angel in general – is the mingling of demon world and human world. The demons are so obvious that nobody should be surprised anymore that they exist. Sunnydale was directly over a hellmouth but even there the humans had their bar and the demons had another. There hasn’t been a demon that walks into a human bar and the barkeep says that he usually serves only vampires disguised as humans.

The Thin Dead Line

Synopsis: Angel and the other work separately on the same case: A group of cops is out there who arrest and beat up youths with no obvious reason. And they even keep talking after they got beheaded.

My Opinion: There’s nothing better than a nice group of zombies. But it is obvious again that good intentions don’t necessarily result in good deeds.

Reprise

Synopsis: Angel learns that one of the senior partners of W&H plans to visit the firm. But this “senior partner” is a demon from a hell dimension. Angel plans to kill him and the other partners.

My Opinion: This episode was really depressing, especially the end and the lift to the “home office”.

Disc 5

Epiphany

Synopsis: After Angel has slept with Darla it becomes clear that he hasn’t lost his soul and he has got an epiphany. It is now obvious to him which road he has gone down and why. It also becomes obvious to him that he can’t go any further this way. But it will be hard to return to his friends because they will soon be dead.

My Opinion: Can’t Angel have normal sex like everyone else? At least he has left his warpath. And it seems that the makers of Angel actually don’t intend to create a season enemy and to defeat him in the end. But I like that, it makes it more unpredictable.

Disharmony

Synopsis: Harmony (who was turned into a vampire in Sunnydale) comes to L.A., to visit Cordelia. While she is staying Cordelia gets a vision of a vampire cult that is growing in numbers.

My Opinion: A very good fun episode with many moments where I had to laugh. It’s good to see such an episode once in a while.

Dead End

Synopsis: Wolfram & Hart gives Lindsey a new human hand. But something is wrong with it. The hand has a life of its own and Lindsey tries to find out where this hand came from. During his investigation he runs across Angel.

My Opinion: Lindsey seems to leave L.A.. Let’s see if this is permanent, I am not yet willing to believe that. I also wouldn’t like it because I think he is a good enemy.

Belonging

Synopsis: After Cordelia got a vision she accidentally opens a portal and pulls a demon into our dimension. But this demon is a cousin of Lorne’s. He helps the three to hunt down another demon that came through a similar portal. Gunn on the other hand has to pay his last respects to a good friend.

My Opinion: It’s hard to have to choose between two groups, I know the feeling and it’s a total lose-lose situation. But now I have to continue watching, I want to know where Cordelia went.

Disc 6

Over the Rainbow

Synopsis: Cordelia was sucked into the home dimension of Lorne’s, to Pylea. Humans are being held as slaves there and are the lowest of all creatures. Cordelia also finds herself in the position of being sold as a slave. But Angel and the gang find a way to Pylea but they can’t be of any real help to her.

My Opinion: Interesting change. Nature and daylight. Definitively different than the usual metropolis and night. And Cordelia as a princess, that has to get funny.

Through the Looking Glass

Synopsis: The group gets more or less voluntarily separated, after the princess has annulled the death sentences. Lorne and Angel are going to Lorne’s village and Gunn and Wesley can escape though a tunnel. Only Cordelia has to stay behind to fulfill her role as princess.

My Opinion: There was no doubt that the young girl would be Winifred “Fred”, but Angel as a full-grown demon was really cool. IMHO, to kill Lorne was a bad idea.

There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb

Synopsis: Lorne isn’t as dead as it looked like. However the entire gang is in mortal danger because killers were sent after them and Cordelia will also die if the high priest wishes it.

My Opinion: That’s the main advantage of watching-TV-shows-on-DVD, you don’t have to wait another week to see how it continues. I really liked this three-parter because it really was a change, in matters of story as well as location. But the moment Angel walked happily into the hotel I knew they would bring the end of the fifth season of Buffy into it.

The Season – My Opinion: I liked this season way better than the first one. It wasn’t what I expected but maybe that’s the reason. Maybe I was to hard in my evaluation of the first because I compared it to much to a Buffy season.

Season 3

No Surrender, No Retreat

Disc 1

The Hour of the Wolf

Synopsis: Sheridan seems to be dead. Mr. Garibaldi is missing. Londo is called back home to the royal court and emperor Carthagia. Carthagia has given the Shadows a base on Centauri Prime on the Island of Selini. Mollari fears for the safety of his homeworld. Meanwhile the alliance against the shadows is breaking apart because the shadows have temorarily retreated and Sheridan has gone.

My opinion: A very slow beginning of a new season. That is somewhat ironic if one knows how packed this season will be. But at least we know that the character of Sheridan isn’t out of the game. But it is not clear whether hes is dead or not.

Whatever happened to Mr. Garibaldi?

Synopsis: Sheridan is still in what seems to be a cave with a being that identifies himself as Lorien. Lorien claims that Sheridan is dead and all indications point to that being true. Meanwhile G’Kar is looking for Mr. Garibaldi.

My opinion: I really liked the conversation between Sheridan and Lorien who was the very first being in the universe. And again Londo proves that his first priority is the well-being of Centauri Prime even if that means to kill the emperor and/or die in the attempt.

Quote of the episode:
Sheridan: “If you’re falling off a cliff, you may as well try to fly. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

The Summoning

Synopsis: Delenn plans to attack Z’ha’dum with the entire White Star fleet and all who are willing to come along. Ivanova tries to find more of the First Ones to join the fight. Meanwhile the captured G’Kar is humiliated in the royal court on Centauri Prime and tortured afterwards. And Ivanova discovers a huge Vorlon fleet in hyperspace.

My opinion: The Vorlons have attacked the Shadows directly. Now it gets really ugly and the younger races are caught in the middle. This episode leaves you with the foreboding of doom. Now it even seems to be pointless that Sheridan has returned from Z’ha’dum. Very depressing.

Quote of the episode:
Drazi: “We thought you were dead.” Sheridan: “I was. But I’m better now.”

Falling Toward Apotheosis

Synopsis: The Vorlons have attacked and destroyed several more planets that were “touched by the Shadows”. They use a vast ship called the Planet Killer. Sheridan plans to kill the Vorlon ambassadorand Londo suggests to trial and execute G’Kar on the Narn homeworld.

My opninion: Sheridan plans to kill a Vorlon. That’s a though decision that could’ve turned out very badly. But it was really cool to see an angry Vorlon and then to see two Vorlons fighting. It had to be done and it won’t be the only hard decision to make for Sheridan (see next episode). But we also learn that Sheridan has a price to pay for his journey to Z’ha’dum but he has accepted that price for a greater good. Very good episode.

Disc 2

The Long Night

Synopsis: Now the Shadows use a Planet Killer of their own and they attack planets that supported the Vorlons. Meanwhile Londo tries to assassinate emperor Carthagia. And Sheridan plans to lure the Vorlons and the Shadows into the same solar system to confront them.

My opinion: It’s a decision I’d never would want to make. To command people to go into battle where they might die is one thing. But to order a mission where the soldiers have to die in order to accomplish the mission it is totally differnt thing.

Into The Fire

Synopsis: Parts of the White Star fleet are attacking Vorlon outposts to delay the arrival of the Vorlon fleet at Coriana 6. Meanwhile Londo tries to get rid of the Shadow vessels on his planet and he learns about the truth of how Lady Adira (see “Interludes and Examinations”) actually die. And then the greatest battle of our time begins…

My opinion: The Shadow war may be over. But the story isn’t over yet. It’s quite intersting to see that races like the Vorlons and the Shadows, both millions of years old, are still frightened of the unknown, of what lays ahead. And even they feel more secure if they are accompanied by someone who is even older than they are. But now the younger races have this galaxy for themselves. Let’s see what they make of it.

Epiphanies

Synopsis: Bester arrives at the station and tells the crew of the new sanctions that Earth president Clark has put into place. But his informations come – as usually – at a price. Meanwhile Mr. Garibaldi quits his job as chief of security.

My opinion: Something’s going on with Garibaldi, that’s for sure. It was aain a good Bester episode but in the great picture it’s one of the transition episodes between the Shadow war and the liberation of Earth.

Quote of the episode:
Bester: “The corps is mother. The corps is father”. Lyta: “In that case, Mr. Bester, I’m an orphan.”

The Illusion of Truth

Synopsis: A team of reports from ISN tries to sneak on the station but they are caught. Nonetheless they get permission to make a report about the stations and its crew. The “documentation” is shown at the end of the episode.

My opninion: It’s the second time a TV show is aboard Babylon 5. And it is perfectly shown what power lies in the hand of the media. If they want to they can twist every fact into its exact opposite. In the eastern bloc there was a joke: Russians and americans do a race. The americans win. But when it comes to the news it goes like this: “In a race today the russian team achieved a very good second place. The americans however were only the last but one.”

Disc 3

Atonement

Synopsis: Delenn is called back to Minbar. Her clan will decide if she should be allowed to marry a non-Minbari. She has into go to the dream oracle and relives the events that lead to the Earth-Minbar war. Meanwhile Sheridan sends Dr. Franklin and Marcus to Mars to bring news and make contact with the Mars resistance.

My opinion: Great episode which fills the last holes about Delenn’s involvement in the Earth-Minbar war and a great explanation why The merging of Human and Minbari souls began a thousand years ago. Loved it

Racing Mars

Synopsis: Dr. Franklin and Marcus arrive on Mars and make contact with the resistance – or at least they try to. Meanwhile Ivanova suspends Sheridan for 48 hours from active duty, he hasn’t had a free day fro more than nine months.

My opinion: It’s an OK episode. Not much to say about it.

Lines of Communication

Synopsis: The problems of Minbar are getting worse. The conflicts between the warrior caste and the religious caste becomes more violent and Minbar stands on the brink of civil war. Delenn is forced to meet with a race called “Drakh”. Meanwhile Franklin convinces the Mars resistance to work with them and stop the terrorist bombings on the Mars colonies.

My opinion: Delenn has to go to Minbar to fight for her planet, Sheridan has to go to Earth to his planet. It’s a sad episode because even with the ended war there are still many open wounds that must heal and many conflicts left to be solved. One asks oneself if it will ever going to end. It’s the same question as in real life: Will there be ever a time where there is not a war or fight going on on this planet?

Quote of the episode:
Delenn (to Sheridan): “Curious thing about Humans. Minbari cities remain untouched and unchanged for centuries. I leave for three days and you redecorate.”

Conflicts of Interest

Synopsis: Garibaldi has to smuggle his former love in and out of the station. Meanwhile Invanova tries to find a power source for their news broadcasting system.

My opninion: One asks oneself what the Psi Corps did to Mr. Garibaldi. He is so hostile towards his former friends and colleagues he won’t get any help from them in the near future. Nonetheless it was a good episode especially the ending with the newly installed broadcasting system.

Disc 4

Rumors, Bargains and Lies

Synopsis: Sheridan tries to get the League of Non-Alligned Worlds sign a defense contract that allows the White Star fleet to patrol along the borders. And he does that in an very unusual way. Meanwhile Delenn (as representative of the religious caste) negoiates with Neroon (as representative of the warrior caste) in secret to end the fully outbroken civil war on Minbar.

My opinion: The episode is a great mixture of humour and seriousness. It’s funny to see hwo Sheridan drives the league into the illusion that there is a new enemy to make them sign the treaty. And it’s great to see how the mutual adversaries Delenn and Neroon work together to help their people. And then you realize that Neroon is going to betray Delenn. Very sad.

Moments of Transition

Synopsis: The religious caste has to surrender to the warrior caste. A place is chosen for the surrender. A place of great historical meaning from the time before Valen founded the Grey Council. Meanwhile Lyta is desperately looking for a job when Bester comes along an makes a proposal.

My opinion: While the Lyte storyline wasn’t that interesting, the events back on Minbar were quite fascinating. One episode you are to believe that Neroon betrays Delenn. And the next you learn the plan hidden in another plan. It was a very good ending for the character or Neroon, an end worthy of a true warrior. And the end of the episode promises a great storyline for the next episodes.

No Surrender, No Retreat

Synopsis: After President Clark ordered the killing of 10′000 inoocent people on refugee ships, Sheridan is no longer willing to stand by. He prepares an attack agains Earth Force ships that carry out such illegal orders. They are going to retake the colony of Proxima 3, then Mars and finally Earth. A fleet of White Star ships and Starfuries has taken course to Proxima 3.

My opinion: Brother against brother. Civil war. The Minbari just had their own civil war, but it didn’t feel as real as this one. This is probably because I – the viewer – am human. Of course I know it’s only a TV show but nonetheless a battle between humans feels much more real than the war amongst the Minbari castes. And you hope with Sheridan that the crew of the destroyer can evacuate before it explodes. A worthy episode as name–giver of the season.

The Exercise of Vital Powers

Synopsis: Garibaldi has arrived on Mars and finally meets the head of Edgars Industries, William Edgars. And Edgars fills him in on his thoughts and worries about Clark, the Psi Corps and Sheridan. Back on Babylon 5 Lyta is able to awake the teeps that were “modified” by the Shadows. Sheridan needs them for a certain task in the war to free Earth.

My opninion: A quieter episode but nonetheless an important one. Garibaldi decides to capture Sheridan and hand him over to Clark. What the hell did the Psi Corps do to him that he would do such a thing? The interesting question is: How many decisions made Garibaldi on his won and how many was he forced to do due to his Psi Corps reprogramming.

Disc 5

The Face of the Enemy

Synopsis: Lyta and Dr. Franklin have arrived on Mars with a shipload of frozen teeps who were altered by the Shadows. Meanwhile Sheridan is lured to Mars were his father is held captive and Garibaldi learns of the plans that William Edgers has for the teeps.

My opinion: Garibaldi is fucked. He cannot be held responsible for his actions but nobody will believe him. And why? Bester! But seriously: I can understand Bester’s motives. He cares a lot about “his” teeps. Although it’s hard for me to understand why both Edgers and Bester see the teeps as a different species.

Intersections In Real Time

Synopsis: Sheridan is being interrogated.

My opinion: Short synopsis? Yes. But great episode. It’s practically a two man show featuring Sheridan and his interrogator. But Bruce Gray plays his role perfectly. I wouldn’t want him to interrogate me.

If a fifth season would have been for sure at this time, this episode would have been the season finale. But since it wasn’t for sure, JMS wanted to make sure that his story is properly finished.

Between the Darkness and the Light

Synopsis: Garibaldi can convince Lyta, Franklin and the Mars resistance that he was reprogrammed by the Psi Corps. Then they try to break out Sheridan. Meanwhile Ivanova has to deal with advanced Earth Force destroyers that are anhanced with Shadow technology.

My opinion: The race for Earth is coming to an end. But as Indiana Jones said “That’s usually when the ground falls out from underneath your feet”. And while they technically had won the battle they had heavy losses. In my opinion it was necessary to see that Sheridan’s forces are not entirely unbeatable, that makes it more believable.

Quote of the episode:
Ivanova: “I am Susan Ivanova. Commander. Daughter of Andrei and Sophie Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance and the boot that’s gonna kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart. I am death incarnate. And the last living thing that you are ever going to see. God sent me.”

Endgame

Synopsis: The final attack on Mars and Earth begins. First the Earth destroyer fleet over Mars is taken out with the help of the frozen teeps, then Sheridan takes on Earth directly. Meanwhile, Marcus is making a hard decision.

My opninion: “Prepare for ramming speed.” Sheridan is also aware of the third principle of sentient life (see “A Voice in the Wilderness”). He would have sacrificed himself. He did it before on Z’ha’dum and was ready to do it again. Great episode, although it was a bit implausible that nobody on Earth was able to deactivate the defense grid.

Disc 6

Rising Star

Synopsis: Marcus sacrificed his own life to rescue Ivanova with the alien healing device (see “The Quality of Merci”). Sheridan has to answer for his actions against his own government. Meanwhile Garibaldi is on the search for Lise Hampton-Edgers and Delenn makes a proposal to EarthGov.

My opinion: The great storylines are over. The Firt Ones are gone. Minbar is peaceful again. Earth is free. Mars is free. Everytime I see that episode I know it’s over. Yes there is another season, but it isn’t the same anymore. A very good second to last episode.

The Deconstruction of Falling Stars

Synopsis: In german the episode is called “In Hundred, in Thousand Years” and that’s pretty descriptive. The episode shows what will happen over the next year, in a hundred years, in five hundred years, in a thousand years, in a million years.

My opinion: As I explained earlier JMS wasn’t sure whether there would be a fifth season. The final episode “Sleeping in Light” was shot with the fourth season. But then it became clear that JMS got the OK for another season and SiL was moved to the end of season 5. As a replacement this episode was shot. Most people don’t like it but I always thought it to be a good episode. I really liked the university discussion, the abbey and the end of the episode.

Quote of the episode:
Last man on Earth: “This is how the world ends. Swallowed in fire, but not in darkness. You will live on. The voice of all our ancestors, the voice of our fathers and our mothers to the last generation. We created the world we think you would’ve wished for us. And now we leave the cradle for the last time.”

Season analysis: Another great season. Second only to the third season. Both seasons togaether are one of the best pieces of Science-Fiction I’ve ever seen.

Season 5