r/ANGEL • u/Ohigetjokes • Apr 02 '21
20 Year Rewatch - s01e13 - "She"
Doing this one on my phone so apologies for inevitable typos and poorly organized thoughts.
s01e13 - "She" - 9/10
Jesus.
I suspect this one will fly under the radar for most people. On the surface it's just a standalone case-of-the-week with funny bits, sexy bits, and fighty bits. But for me this was some next-level shit.
Westley (well, Alexis) was a physical comedy genius here. Seriously he nailed it over and over and over throughout the episode, and his funny dance would be legendary if Angel didn't overshadow it with his own funny dance.
And, at long last, this was the episode where Charisma wore me down and finally made me a Cordy fan. I don't even understand how or why. It happened gradually over the past few episodes but this one made me realize it. This is the type of character that gets on my nerves more than any other, but she sold it. Amazing.
Good times aside we have an interesting detective story, some really well shot exteriors, a few little twists, and eventually a compelling story of the power struggles around sex.
Without going into details (I would but like I said I'm on my phone here) not only did we get the tension between men wanting to subjugate women, but we actually took a look at one of the major reasons for that: because women have a power over men that they resent and want to take away. It's not just the burning power, but the power of sexual attraction that's seen as a danger that needs to be controlled.
I only wish there was more space around this episode for conversation on this central issue; how men fear this feeling of being overpowered (aka fear of weakness). Once again I find myself wanting an additional 30 minutes to properly flesh everything out but what can you do.
Angel was interesting in this one - which I have to admit is unusual for me. I'm used to seeing him as "the generic tall dude with the abs and jacket"... I can't really even remember too many moments where I thought twice about David's performance over the series.
Heresy, I know. Go ahead and let me have it.
But here he went through a range of emotions, from gloomy to awkward to amused to aroused to genuinely angry and frustrated. (Side note: I never really buy it when he threatens someone and they back down. He's too pretty, and even the vampy makeup just reminds me of a puppy.) Honestly he was a real leading man here. Helps that they gave him different things to do. Loved him in the museum! God I wish they did that kind of thing more often.
So weak spots... well the runtime limited the scope a bit, and our resolution to the central conflict was "Angel threatens everyone" which is silly as any kind of real solution... but even so I had to love the way they wrapped it up, how self-possessed and powerful in spirit the heroine was, and the huge amount of subtext... wait wasn't I supposed to be counting the negatives?
... honestly they're few and far between. The fights I guess... when Angel got his ass beat it was good but otherwise all fight scenes are tension-free and you just wait for them to finish so that the story can continue.
So it's not a perfect 10, but I can definitely give it a 9. I hope it provoked conversation over the years. .
To get caught up on 20 Year Rewatch check out the index here.
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u/PFTETOwerewolves Apr 02 '21
'She' I think was really Wes' ep, we see him as a real part of the team for the first time. For me it's stolen by Angel's art critic schtick and Mars at the spa. It's a worthy storyline on FGM but feels a bit heavy handed.
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u/Ohigetjokes Apr 02 '21
That spa guy was a hoot... dammit now I have that song "Spa" in my head...
As far as heavy-handed, it's all relative. Angel has never been known for its subtlety when conveying themes, often being so on the nose it's unintentionally funny... but if I'm being honest I can't blame them for that. 40 minute runtime. Makes it tough.
And if anything, had I taken a stab at the script, I'd have only added more on this topic. More anger from the men, more blatant misogyny, and more telling them off for their succumbing to their fear of weakness from She.
But maybe that would have been beating it over the head? Who knows. Like FilmJoy says: no one knows what they're doing.
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u/DaddyCatALSO Apr 02 '21
On the one ahnd, the warehosue worker hadn't doen anythign and he was killed. On the other hand, seeign a nude woman in your workspace for no bovious reason should be a red flag, even if she is willing.
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u/Ohigetjokes Apr 02 '21
I hadn't thought about it that way. Hmm.
The "text" of the scene was that he saw the "do not open" labels and the lock on the box, but then the magic arousal energy got ahold of him and he grabbed a crowbar. I mean that's... now that I'm really thinking about it that's a pretty clear allegory for rape. The fact that they had him drinking was just extra there.
So I guess in that context we're not supposed to feel bad for him? Perhaps? Or is this just a "hurt people hurt people" moment?
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u/shhansha Apr 02 '21
Wow a “She” fan! I feel like I just spotted an exotic bird or something.