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Angel 4x18 "Shiny Happy People" (Spoilers)
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Posted by: TiVoLance

Well I thought this episode was creepy. One thing that bothered me though was the cheesy and I do mean cheesy bad special effects makeup job on Gina Torres's maggot decaying face. I wonder if Jasmine will show her "true colors" next week. If I was the evil big bad and everyone adored me who cares if I was mean or ruthless. I mean this is a total change from when she was the driving force behind possessed Cordy. BTW what was up with that thing about Cordy will wake up if we succeed?

Lots of questions still. Love that makeover job they did on her room.

From TvTome:
Cordelia lies unconcious while her offspring stands next to her. Angel and the gang are suddenly clueless and think that the woman has just arrived, assuming she is in trouble. She tells them that she needs help destroying the extra demons that have been surfacing since the darkness came. She tells the gang that if they want Cordelia to wake up, they will need to help her. They follow her around town, where everyone appears to be kneeling before her and praising her. One man named John calls her Jasmine, saying she isn't as good as she claims and attacks her. Angel viciously intervenes and beats him within an inch of his life.

A week later, Fred visits John in Psychiatric hospital. He tells her that it is Angel's mission to destroy the being. Fred rushes back to the hotel, which is full of people worshipping Jasmine. She tells Wesley about John's suspicions, but he and the rest of the gang have been brainwashed by Jasmine. As Fred leaves, Wesley tells Angel and Jasmine what she said. They prepare to eliminate her, as she is now a threat.

Posted by: Rob Helmerichs

I dunno, this was my least favorite episode of the season. Which still makes it better than most shows, but still...

I got the point about Jasmine after about five minutes. But she kept talking for HALF AN HOUR! I felt like they were saying, "Hey, Rob, we know you're a total moron, so we're just going to keep bludgeoning you over the head until the point sinks through that incredibly dense skull of yours." Which is kind of insulting, when you think about it... (OK, it was in my imagination, but still!)

Once they got past that, and things started actually happening, the show was back on the stellar track it's been on for weeks. But that first half was truly bad television, and I'm not used to seeing that from Mutant Enemy.

Posted by: NJChris

Bad? I didn't think so.

I liked all of it... and it's sad to watch Buffy now.. to see how that show just doesn't compare anymore, IMHO.

I liked the maggoty face... felt like a throwback to old horror movies. :) Sorta invasion of the body-snatchers feel to it too.

Did we see her arm AFTER she touched that guy? Do you think she healed herself by touching him and messing his face up?

Posted by: buffan

I'm with MG regarding that first half: I was pretty much bored out of my mind.

But I thought the second half was outstanding; among the best 30 minutes that Angel has had all season. I definitely think that there were worse episodes this season. Almost any episode where Connor played a major role was worse than this one.

Come to think of it, maybe I liked this episode because there was so little of Connor.

Posted by: TeeSee

I don't know about the first half being all that bad. I was occupied trying to figure out who would be the one who wouldn't fall for Jasmine's spell. I mean, ONE person has to be immune somehow, right? Someone has to be the catalyst for Jasmine's downfall.

At first I thought it would be Wesley, since at first he didn't kneel when she entered the room. But he was only the last to kneel. Then when Fred saw the light (I'm still not sure how that happened) I thought, "Aha! She'll be our hero du jour".

The first half hour made me think. I enjoyed that. But I do agree about the second half.

Overall, a great show, I thought.

Posted by: MeanGreen09

quote:
Originally posted by TeeSee
Then when Fred saw the light (I'm still not sure how that happened) I thought, "Aha! She'll be our hero du jour".

Any theories on why she suddenly saw the truth? I had assumed that people would either be enchanted or not. I was surpised to see Fred start off under Jasmine's spell, and then miraculously break free from it. Something had to have happened.

Could it have anything to do with the person feeling that they displeased Jasmine?

She was really upset about that shirt. :D Maybe that is why Jasmine is constantly telling everyone to be happy (especially concerned about Angel's happiness)

I don't know...just hate to find out she "saw the light" because of another event that we won't see until a flashback.

Strange ep...

Posted by: oofitsthebandit

I'm thinking it has to be contact with Jasmine's blood that causes people to see the light. As I watched the episode, my first thought on Fred was, "Gee, she cleaned Jasmine's shirt, maybe touching the blood on the shirt did it." But I couldn't figure out how John knew.....UNTIL my inner tv nerd emerged and compelled me to rewatch the bowling alley fight and analyze it. The vamp sinks its right claw into Jasmine's arm, then a minute later, out at the cafe, the same vamp sinks that same blood covered claw into John's chest. :eek: As for why he was affected immediately and Fred took longer, perhaps it's beacuse he came into contact with fresh blood whereas she came into contact with dried up blood on the shirt and maybe it took a while to get through her skin?:confused: Just a thought...

Posted by: Rob Helmerichs

quote:
Originally posted by oofitsthebandit
[A theory]

Wow, you are a total, anal retentive geek!

Can I be you if I grow up? :D

Posted by: dcheesi

Heh, I thought maybe she Obssessive-Compulsive-'d her way out of it. You know, maybe only the borderline-insane can see the truth, and when she freaked over the shirt it caused her to see. Kinda lame compared to everyone else's theories...

Oh yeah, what about all that "chosen" babble from the psych-ward guy? Was that embellishment on his part, or does it mean something? If they are Chosen by some entity: why Fred, and why not right away?

Posted by: sschwart

I thought that there was a lot of "dead space" in this episode. Everyone got the fact that Jasmine was instantly worshipped and loved, and that she was on the surface looking to be a force of good. It just took too long to get to something happening, I mean... How long do they need to show Fred scrubbing the shirt?

Once things started moving, it got a lot better, and it definately was a setting the stage episode, but... not one of my favorites.

I very much like oofitsthebandit's theory, though! An additional note is that Fred scrubbed until her fingers bled. It may be that the blood has to mix.

-Steve

Posted by: grins

Wow. Blood to blood contact with an evil entity is curative? That would be new.

I think it was clorox that cured fred ;)

Posted by: TreborPugly

I thought Fred asking John in the hospital if he'd ever been crazy before is the clue. People with a history of mental illness might be resistant to Jasmine's powers of illusion and persuasion. Fred was pretty wacko during and after her lengthy stint in Lorne's dimension.

I do like the blood theory too, but I think she would have been more careful about people near her when she was bleeding if that was the case.

Treb.

Posted by: Rob Helmerichs

IIRC, she DID shy away from people who tried to help her after she was injured...

The mental illness thing might just have been Fred's theory.

Posted by: dcheesi

quote:
Originally posted by TreborPugly
I thought Fred asking John in the hospital if he'd ever been crazy before is the clue. People with a history of mental illness might be resistant to Jasmine's powers of illusion and persuasion.

Hmm, even though I was also thinking about the mental-illness angle, I didn't interpret her question that way. I thought she was asking that to make sure he wasn't just some paranoid nut who sees things anyway. She wanted confirmation that she wasn't going crazy, and if he was already crazy then he wouldn't be a very good corroberating witness.

quote:
I do like the blood theory too, but I think she would have been more careful about people near her when she was bleeding if that was the case.

Remember this is her first time in human form; she may not have been aware what the effects of her blood would be. She's probably figured it out now, though.

On another note (preview spoiler for next week --I'm sooo weak! :) ) :

Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)
I think the preview flashes might support the blood theory. I noticed blood on Fred's neck in one scene; I'm thinking she 'cures' Angel by tricking him into sucking her blood. Now with the mingled-blood theory it makes sense: Jasmine's blood mingled with Fred's via her fingers; so when Fred's blood enters into Angel, voila! Jasmine blood in Angel.

Posted by: lachacg

The blood-on-blood makes perfect sense. Remember that Fred didn't see anything until after she had said "I scrubbed until my fingers bled". I would think that line was put there on purpose.

My favorite part was the further explanation of how Lorne contributed to the birth of Conner. I also liked that they explained the "miracle" of Conner's birht.

Posted by: John Kador

quote:
Originally posted by dcheesi
Heh, I thought maybe she Obssessive-Compulsive-'d her way out of it. You know, maybe only the borderline-insane can see the truth, and when she freaked over the shirt it caused her to see. Kinda lame compared to everyone else's theories...

That's EXACTLY what I thought and it makes sense, even with a precedent in the Buffyverse on BTVS when only mentally unstable people could see what Dawn really was back when she first appeared on the show.

Posted by: LoadStar

As Spike said over on Buffy, "It's always gotta be blood." ("The Gift," season 5, episode 22 - no it's not related, at least I don't think so.)

I think you're dead on that they included the line "scrubbed until my fingers bled" for a reason. I think it also ties back to before her "birth" - she was consecrated in the blood of the innocent. I think blood is what ties this all together, and it's blood that's going to be what probably defeats her.

But speaking of "The Gift," during the episode, I think they were hinting at the events of Buffy season 5, where the insane people were the victims of Glory, but I think this was either a bit of misdirection, or just as others have said, Fred trying to make sure she wasn't insane herself.

Remember, Fred didn't know he was in the psych ward when she went to see him - she just wanted to ask if he saw what she saw. When she found out he was being kept in the psych ward, she wanted to find out if she was nuts or if he was.

Posted by: JYoung

wow, I'm surprised that people thought that the first half was boring. I thought it was setting things up nicely and I was also entranced watching Jasmine weave her web among the AI crew (and this was in spite of the fact I had to take a call during Act 1, pause and come back 45 minutes later).
Loadstar beat me to Spike's blood line but didn't he also say "Blood is life"?
I think this episode is setting up things very nicely. Here's hoping that we have a good payoff.
Oh and did anyone notice that Fred went to Wesley first and not Gunn?

Posted by: TreborPugly

quote:
Originally posted by JYoung

Oh and did anyone notice that Fred went to Wesley first and not Gunn?

Well, Wesley is the one most likely of all of them to ignore emotions and consider evidence. And he was the one who happened to be downstairs when she came in.

Treb.

Posted by: johnjohn

quote:
Originally posted by oofitsthebandit
I'm thinking it has to be contact with Jasmine's blood that causes people to see the light. [...] The vamp sinks its right claw into Jasmine's arm, then a minute later, out at the cafe, the same vamp sinks that same blood covered claw into John's chest.

That's incredible detective work. If you go back and watch the sequence, it certainly stands out. In fact, there's really no other reason for the vamp to have run and be pursued except to set this up.

In addition, remember the importance of blood in Jasmine's birth? The bloody handprint bit was right in the "previously on Angel" bit. Blood is very important here.

Posted by: JimSpence

As it is on BtVS. Remember, Spike said "It's all about blood" or words to that affect.

Posted by: JYoung

I looked up Spike's exact quote...

quote:

XANDER: Why blood? Why Dawn's blood? I mean, why couldn't it be like a, a lymph ritual?
SPIKE: 'Cause it's always got to be blood.
XANDER: We're not actually discussing dinner right now.
SPIKE: Blood is life, lackbrain. Why do you think we eat it? It's what keeps you going. Makes you warm. Makes you hard. Makes you other than dead. (quietly) Course it's her blood.