DVD review - Angel season 4 episodes 20, 21 and 22

Concluding my viewing/reviewing of Angel season 4...

SPOILERS

A4-20: Sacrifice (written by Ben Edlund, airdate 4/23/03)

Angel beats Connor before the group escapes. Did I just cheer about that? Yup. Jasmine continues her overconfidence. Did like how she could speak through her "drones" as well. One mind, one body. Still, the evil one plays it safe by moving Cordy somewhere else, just in case. Loved the monster in the sewer and Wes' discussion with it. So, Jasmine has all of California under her will - I guess that doesn't include Sunnydale. It is really hard to justify these mega-events without it impacting the other show in the universe. Kind of a cop out. Then again, Buffy and the trainees have little time for TV but still.

A4-21: Peace Out (written by David Fury, airdate 4/30/03)

Loved Angel in CGI-Land. Nice effects. Liked his fight with the keeper of the word. Interesting that the blood ritual worked and Connor still stuck with Jasmine no matter what her true appearance was. Just goes to show how messed up that kid is. Still, he does care enough to find Cordelia and make sure she is okay. Love how Angel returned just in time to mess up the conference - before Jasmine could go global and take control. Time for the rats to scamper from the sinking ship as chaos returns to LA. Good speech about free will. "Our fate has to be our own or we're nothing." Very true. Of course, we have to have a fight with thrown cars and such - and in the end, it turns out Connor puts an end to Jasmine's destruction (no - grrrr! Should have been Angel.) All seems well in the end back at the hotel, but then who comes a knockin'? Lilah?!?

A4-22: Home (written by Tim Minear, airdate 5/7/03)

I liked this episode best out of the last five or six. Lilah is back from Hell with an offer (seems even in death she can't get out of work) - the gang has prevented peace on Earth so they get offered the LA branch of Wolfram and Hart. What? Nice how none of them said they would go for the tour (except Gunn) and yet they all end up curious and waiting when the limo arrives. Naturally there is temptations for all, and some are much quicker to accept them than others. Still, Angel is the boss and he decides what they do. He takes the offer in exchange for trying to make his off-the-deep-end son's life better. None of the others remember who Connor is in the end, and Angel finds that the boy is living his life out with a family. Connor seems happy. Heck, if that's the last we see of him, I'm happy too! Oh, and we do get some mention of the events in Sunnydale - and this shows where Angel got the amulet and the information on the First that he gives to Buffy in her finale. Nice tie-in there.

All in all, a rollercoaster of a season - uneven in some parts for me.

Time to start the final season of Angel this week. With the gang operating with all the W&H resources behind them, it should prove to be interesting indeed.