Ep by ep; Salvage

The Good; Chant it with me boys and girls, FAITH-FAITH-FAITH-FAITH! My favourite episode of Angel is Orpheus, my favourite moment is at the end of 5X5 where Wes drops the knife in the alley but my favourite scene is where Wes has his conversation with the imaginary Lilah here, it's just stunning.

The Bad; If you think there's anything wrong in this episode then I suggest you go to the doctor for some anti-crazy pills! OK so the demon who wants Angelus to sign something for his spawn is woefully badly done.

Best line: Faith; "Just like riding a biker" (oh she is SUCH a naughty girl!)

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Connor; "I don't give a flying schluck!" (I had to rewind this to check this line). Awful watching Faith getting a terrible kicking from the Beast. But your heart just bleeds for Wesley having to decapitate Lilah's corpse, couldn't he have let Connor or Gunn do it?

Apocalypses: 5

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 13 Wes: 6 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 4 Fred; 2

Fang gang knocked out: CC passes out in the lobby Cordy: 15 Angel: 16 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1 Lorne; 4 Groo; 1

Kills: 2 vamps for Faith, 1 for Connor Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 8 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 12 demons+3 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 humans Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 13 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies Connor; 13 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 3 Angel: 3 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 4 Angel: 10 Fred; 2 Wes; 1 Gunn; 1

Characters killed: 255

Recurring characters killed; 9;

Total number of Angel Investigations: Faith joins AI for a three episode arc, making this the biggest line-up ever (although of course CC is actually evil as indeed is Angel) Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, CC, Connor, Faith

Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 12 Wes; 1 Wes; 7 Doyle; 1 Angel; 3 Gunn; 2

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Yet ANOTHER demon for CC as she and The Beast get all kissy? Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor, 1 possible; The Beast? Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible Justine Gunn; 1 Fred Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy

Kinky dinky: Faith actually tells Wes he looks good. Gunn and Connor also like Faith, she comments it's a shame when Gunn says 'I hold my own'. Faith tells Angelus to 'Give us a kiss' just as she did to Buffy in Graduation Day Pt1. Faith is also described as 'smokin hot'. Angelus says that he knew Faith 'would enjoy a threesome' and suggests he, she and the Beast 'get it on'. Interestingly she says 'Sure!'. Connor has a weakness for Slayers just like his old man. Angelus seems disappointed that he's facing Faith and not Buffy.

Captain Subtext; Personally I think Faith-in-prison would be a good series in itself.

Know the face, different character; 4

Parking garages; 6, Buffy characters on Angel; 16 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony

What the fanficcers thought; Faith being released from prison to help out either the Sunnydale scoobies or Angel Investigations is such a popular theme in fanfic it borders on the cliché.

Questions and observations; Everyone else notice that the knife the assassin tries to use to kill Faith is the same as those used by The Bringers in Buffy? Can anyone else explain to me what Jasmine's plan is and how Angelus and The Beast fit into it? Can't Angelus read CC's scent at the warehouse or has she disguised it? Lilah talks of redemption, even after death is it too late for her? Of course Faith never met the real Angelus and Wes only met him for a little while under the effects of the drug in 'Eternity'. The term 'The Skinny' is used about Fred, I wonder if it was deliberate? Angelus calls Dawn, to judge from their conversation she and Angel get on well. Faith says that girls are always the Slayer because they're 'better'. We have the 'what do you do?' speech from Speed which was HUGE at the time. Faith's ingenuity of breaking the window with the chains to let in the sunlight is awesome. But you just know she'd have figured out some way to defeat Angelus, she's our girl.

Clever having Lilah killed with the bone dagger then using it to lure Angelus to the Beast, I missed that first time around. But then wouldn't Angelus be able to smell CC too? Or shall we just put that down to her having done some form of mojo to stop him doing so? I surprised no one made an Alamo reference when Fred suggests fortifying the hotel. Connor is right of course, not just about decapitating Lilah but about magic often being more trouble than its' worth, perhaps fairer to say it always has unintended consequences.
Says much for ED's beauty that she can look hot even in her prison gear. Shouldn't the Beast refer to CC as his mistress? I never got it before but Faith takes Connor out of the game as he's stake-happy just as he stakes a vamp which blindsides him in the alley, an almost exact recreation of her killing the deputy Mayor. Gunn's prediction of Faith having Angelus 'hog tied by dinner time' is spot on.

Marks out of 10; 10/10 and the good just keeps coming!