Angel: Life of the Party

I’m stunned into speechlessness by the Halloween episode. Fortunately HarleyQ over on the Televsion Without Pity forums has summed it up for me:

Ben Edlund humiliated Gunn by making him pee in corners during a “fun, wacky” episode that wasn’t funny or wacky? Eve somehow manages to seem even more like a twelve-year-old when in an evening gown, and have even less chemistry with Angel than ever before while actually shagging him? How, by all that is unholy and the laws of mystical physics, are these things possible?

So here’s a pop quiz for you:

1. Which of the following best characterizes this season so far?
   1. The writers are killing time until sweeps and/or the special guest stars arrive, whichever comes first.
   2. The writers are exploring their own sense of corruption at having to compromise their creativity in order to boost ratings and stay on the air.
   3. All of the above.
2. How do you feel about Wesley pining for Fred while she goes all gooey for Not!Holden?
   1. Not again.
   2. He’s cute when he’s pining. And scruffy.
   3. Wesley, hell. When did Gunn – you know, the one who was actually shagging her – cease to give a rat’s ass?
3. “Life of the Party” was:
   1. The worst episode since “She.”
   2. The funniest episode since “The House Always Wins.”
   3. An aberration that has no place in the Angel storyline and shall henceforth be forgotten, much like the Highlander sequels.
4. Which Buffy episode did this premise better?
   Something Blue. Giles’s blindness provided much better lines than Gunn’s peeing frenzy.
   1. Something Blue. As apparitions go, the momentarily de-ratted Amy was a lot less disturbing than Hulk-Lorne.
   2. Something Blue. Spike and Buffy actually had some chemistry, and didn’t humiliate themselves by bonking behind Giles’s couch.
5. Essay: explain why I should keep watching this show every week.