This isn't my favorite episode of the season, but it's still pretty fun. It starts the destruction of Jasmine, finally giving Team Angel a way to (possibly) fight her. And it paints Conner further into the Black Hat corner, which will play into the season finale. Plus, its got some nice little moments with Team Angel reacting to all their problems and facing some of their mistakes. Anyway, if you're watching the season you should shouldn't skip "Sacrifice."
"Sacrifice" revolves around Team Angel trying to escape Jasmine. Angel fights off Conner and Team Angel escape in his car. Not knowing where to go, the decide to get out of town so that they can warn the rest of the world about Jasmine. First they need some gas, though. Jasmine's followers attack them and Team Angel winds up hiding in the sewers. There, they meet up with a group of people who've been hiding underground since the sun went out. They tell Team Angel that a spidery demon is picking them off one at a time. Eager for a nice demon fight to distract them, Team Angel agrees to help kill it. Soon, though it's taken Wes captive. Plus, a little boy in the group, Matt, finds out that Angel is a vampire and runs off.
Angel goes after Wes. Gunn & Fred go after Matt. Unfortunately Matt is exposed to "Jasmine's love" and she quickly discovers where Team Angel is hiding. She sends Conner and a bunch of military guys after them. She also moves Cordy out of the Hyperion so no one else can have access to her blood. Meanwhile, Wes is discovering some interesting things about the spider demon. Like it comes from a dimension that Jasmine ruled for thousands of years. He questions the demon about her and soon realizes that Jasmine can be destroyed if they say her real name. Angel arrives and kills the demon. Wes finds a portal-making-orb-thing that opens a doorway to the demon's world. There's no oxygen, so only Angel can go, though. Gunn, Lorne and Fred dash in with Conner and Jasmine's goons close behind. Wes tells Angel that he must go through the portal so at least one of them will survive to stop Jasmine. Angel reluctantly leaves and finds himself in a world full of spider demons.
There are some good parts to this episode. I like Wes trying to reason with the spider-y demon. He's talking to it like it's a four year old on the verge of a temper tantrum, which is pretty funny. And I'm glad Fred and Gunn finally talked about the dead professor. It's been festering between them and they had to discuss it. Also, I like the scene at the gas station, where all of Jasmine's followers starts attacking Team Angel and speaking in Jasmine's voice. "Okay, that's creepy." Gunn mutters. Plus, you just have to laugh when the government and churches begin disbanding so they can give all their power to "She Who Walks Among Us." Finally, it's kinna cool that Jasmine put Cordelia in a coma, but in the end it's Cordy who's gonna be the key to bringing Jasmine down with her blood. Go Cordy!
Team Angel thinks Angel's attitude is a little cold in this episode, but I disagree. He's grieving for Cordy and frustrated at leaving Conner behind. When Fred says that they should bring Conner and Cordy with them Angel says no. That they have to stop thinking with their emotions and survive. Yet, when Wes is taken by that spidery thing, Angel goes after him. When Matt asks who's blood Angel has on his hands (Conner's), Angel just says that it belongs to someone who tried to hurt his friends. The spider demon tells Wes that love is sacrifice, which is also the title of the episode. I think the show's trying to say that Angel is sacrificing FOR love and also sacrificing HIS love. He's walked away from the two people he loves most: Conner and Cordy, in a way sacrificing them to Jasmine, because he has to protect the world. But he's still feels love. Angel went searching for Wes and beat Conner, because he loves his friends so deeply. Wes has to force Angel through the portal at the end of the episode by reminding him about the fate of the world. Angel sacrifices everything he has, his whole family, when he leaves. He isn't being heartless in this episode. If anything he's feeling too much.
On the down side, have I mentioned that I hate Conner? Because, I REALLY hate him in this episode. Also, I wish that Team Angel had stayed in the car a little longer because we don't get many scenes of all of them trapped together like that. It was fun. Plus, I think that this is the last time we see Angel's "real" car and I miss it when it's gone.
My favorite part of the episode: Lorne asking Team Angel, "Does anybody else feel like the last spunky wife in Stepford?" It just makes me laugh every time.
"Sacrifice" revolves around Team Angel trying to escape Jasmine. Angel fights off Conner and Team Angel escape in his car. Not knowing where to go, the decide to get out of town so that they can warn the rest of the world about Jasmine. First they need some gas, though. Jasmine's followers attack them and Team Angel winds up hiding in the sewers. There, they meet up with a group of people who've been hiding underground since the sun went out. They tell Team Angel that a spidery demon is picking them off one at a time. Eager for a nice demon fight to distract them, Team Angel agrees to help kill it. Soon, though it's taken Wes captive. Plus, a little boy in the group, Matt, finds out that Angel is a vampire and runs off.
Angel goes after Wes. Gunn & Fred go after Matt. Unfortunately Matt is exposed to "Jasmine's love" and she quickly discovers where Team Angel is hiding. She sends Conner and a bunch of military guys after them. She also moves Cordy out of the Hyperion so no one else can have access to her blood. Meanwhile, Wes is discovering some interesting things about the spider demon. Like it comes from a dimension that Jasmine ruled for thousands of years. He questions the demon about her and soon realizes that Jasmine can be destroyed if they say her real name. Angel arrives and kills the demon. Wes finds a portal-making-orb-thing that opens a doorway to the demon's world. There's no oxygen, so only Angel can go, though. Gunn, Lorne and Fred dash in with Conner and Jasmine's goons close behind. Wes tells Angel that he must go through the portal so at least one of them will survive to stop Jasmine. Angel reluctantly leaves and finds himself in a world full of spider demons.
There are some good parts to this episode. I like Wes trying to reason with the spider-y demon. He's talking to it like it's a four year old on the verge of a temper tantrum, which is pretty funny. And I'm glad Fred and Gunn finally talked about the dead professor. It's been festering between them and they had to discuss it. Also, I like the scene at the gas station, where all of Jasmine's followers starts attacking Team Angel and speaking in Jasmine's voice. "Okay, that's creepy." Gunn mutters. Plus, you just have to laugh when the government and churches begin disbanding so they can give all their power to "She Who Walks Among Us." Finally, it's kinna cool that Jasmine put Cordelia in a coma, but in the end it's Cordy who's gonna be the key to bringing Jasmine down with her blood. Go Cordy!
Team Angel thinks Angel's attitude is a little cold in this episode, but I disagree. He's grieving for Cordy and frustrated at leaving Conner behind. When Fred says that they should bring Conner and Cordy with them Angel says no. That they have to stop thinking with their emotions and survive. Yet, when Wes is taken by that spidery thing, Angel goes after him. When Matt asks who's blood Angel has on his hands (Conner's), Angel just says that it belongs to someone who tried to hurt his friends. The spider demon tells Wes that love is sacrifice, which is also the title of the episode. I think the show's trying to say that Angel is sacrificing FOR love and also sacrificing HIS love. He's walked away from the two people he loves most: Conner and Cordy, in a way sacrificing them to Jasmine, because he has to protect the world. But he's still feels love. Angel went searching for Wes and beat Conner, because he loves his friends so deeply. Wes has to force Angel through the portal at the end of the episode by reminding him about the fate of the world. Angel sacrifices everything he has, his whole family, when he leaves. He isn't being heartless in this episode. If anything he's feeling too much.
On the down side, have I mentioned that I hate Conner? Because, I REALLY hate him in this episode. Also, I wish that Team Angel had stayed in the car a little longer because we don't get many scenes of all of them trapped together like that. It was fun. Plus, I think that this is the last time we see Angel's "real" car and I miss it when it's gone.
My favorite part of the episode: Lorne asking Team Angel, "Does anybody else feel like the last spunky wife in Stepford?" It just makes me laugh every time.
