[REPOST] ACP: Season 4 Review - Roll Call
Mar 24, 2017 14:45:29 GMT -8
Post by Mail Robot on Mar 24, 2017 14:45:29 GMT -8
(THIS THREAD WAS INITIALLY POSTED ON JANUARY 17, 2014.)
MikeJer (1/17/14):
Hi all!
First of all, let me offer my utmost appreciation for everyone that contributed to the Angel Completion Project (ACP). Every episode after 4x04 has now been reviewed thanks to your collective submissions. I genuinely think everyone did a fabulous job!
With all the episodes done, all that remains is to wrap up the final two season reviews. The following will detail how I plan on putting these reviews together, starting with Season 4, and what all of you can do to contribute yet again.
Good luck, everyone! Let's get this wrapped up!
1. REVIEW STRUCTURE
Introduction: MikeJer
Story Synopsis: MikeJer
Pros/Cons: MikeJer will stitch together the best snippets from what everyone in the community thinks about the season. Details are below.
Characters: Each respective character analysis will be assigned to one person. How you can volunteer to write about a character will be described below.
Conclusion: MikeJer
Score: MikeJer, although everyone's feedback will be factored into the score I choose and will not be based on only my own opinion)
Awards: Forum voting. These threads will go up towards the end of the process of collecting everyone's submissions.
2. PROS/CONS
If you'd like to contribute your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the season, please reply to this thread with 1-3 well-written paragraphs summarizing your points. I will pull responses from what I deem to be the most convincing opinions. Try to stick primarily to pros and cons that are related to this website: the critical side and the emotional side. Note that people that have already contributed to the ACP will be used more than others, but you still have a shot to have your say included and credited.
Use the following format:
PROS:
- Paragraph #1
- Paragraph #2
CONS:
- Paragraph #1
- Paragraph #2
3. CHARACTERS
If no one is associated with a character yet it is open for anyone to request. Note that people who have already submitted ACP contributions will be given higher priority to take a character.
Send me a PM with your request.
Here are the current character assignments:
ANGEL: Noah
WESLEY: Iguana
GUNN: Jeremy
FRED: Freudian Vampire
CONNOR: Jeremy
LORNE: Jeremy
LILAH: Iguana
CORDELIA/JASMINE/BEAST: Jeremy
FaithFanatic (1/21/14):
Having not watched Angel in a while, I can only remember really one specific thing about the fourth season, which was that it was the only season that didn't have any really great episodes. Scanning through the reviews appears to support this theory - this is the only season on the site, with the exception of Buffy S1, to not get any A+ scores. Perhaps someone more eloquent than I can make a paragraph about that?
Otherwise, I'm really excited to see what the community reviews are going to be like and wish all writers the best of luck!
buffyholic (1/22/14):
I´m sure everyone will do amazing work as usual, but I am so excited to hear what Iguana will say about Wesley.
Season 4 has a lot that goes wrong but one definite pro is the relationship between Lilah and Wesley. From the "you called this a relationship dollar", to their conversation about how he couldn´t save her and Wes´s difficulty in chopping her head off to their final scene where Wes tries to burn her contract.
FaithFanatic:
Yeah, i too am looking forward to Iguana's take on Wesley. Really liked his reviews
Iguana-on-a-stick:
Thanks, people! And believe me, I definitely feel like I've been given all the pie for dinner while others get the gruel. :-) (Especially the parts with Connor and Cordelia.)
Plus, I'll have to work up to the review by re-watching all the scenes with Wesley and Lilah exclusively, skipping most of the rest of the season. You can imagine what a chore -that- will be.
WCRobinson:
I am possibly interested in a section.
I do wonder what score will be given for each season. Personally I think Angel S4 might be given the only below-80 of the series. 79 seems fitting to me, given the flawed but ambitious nature of the season.
S5? Something like 90 I reckon. Not on S2's level.
Jeremy:
YES! I got two of the slots!
And just like Iguana gets to watch all the exclusive Wesley/Lilah scenes, I get to watch all the exclusive Cordelia/Connor scenes!
Iguana-on-a-stick:
Did I ever mention how I admire your dedication, Jeremy?
Because that's the only word I can use here.
Oh, and you have my sympathies.
MikeJer:
I know I'm thrilled someone took those slots. If no one takes a slot after some time waiting I might have to do it. So, yeah, hurrah for Jeremy!
Jeremy:
I think I've just written too many positive reviews over the last year. And I don't have any major complaints with The West Wing until Season Four. I need to write something negative, or my snark factor will wither and die.
Plus, as soon as Iguana made that "pie and gruel" comment, I knew I had to accept that challenge.
Monica:
This is exciting! I can't wait to read a review of this very strange season. Kick ass, guys!
Iguana-on-a-stick (1/23/14):
Heh. Yeah, I did notice that when reading your Freaks & Geeks and West Wing reviews. "Wait... so these shows just don't have any lousy episodes? Oh, right, now I remember."
Brachen Man:
I think, or at least hope, you mean Season Three, where everything was 9/11'd and every episode was suddenly about terrorists and plots in the middle east. Granted, the season improved a lot in the second half, but "The Women of Qumar" deserves an F just as much as the worst Post-Sorkin efforts.
Also, Season Four was pretty great; it got back to being what the show was supposed to be, and I'd rank it on par with the first two, for the most part.
Jeremy:
"The Women of Qumar" aside, Season Three may be the deepest and most complex year in all of The West Wing. It has great follow-through from Season Two, features some of the show's greatest character work, and deals with some especially thought-provoking themes surrounding the darker side of power.
Season Four, on the other hand, botches one of the show's most significant story arcs, never maintains a strong episode-to-episode consistency, and features the cheapest Emmy-grab episode in the whole series. S4 has its strengths, to be sure, particularly when it comes to individual episodes, but I find it somewhat overrated.
I think Season Three may be the show's best season, even if I enjoy Season Two more. But I'll get to all that later.
Stake&Cheese:
Hah, you would, Iguana.
Brachen Man:
I thought they botched the follow-up from Season 2. After all the hype of how so much was going to come down on the administration, they barely did anything with it. It was completely resolved about 10 or 11 episodes in, with little to no lasting repercussions for the characters. The President's greatest punishment was being formally censured by Congress, or quite literally getting a slap on the wrists. I wanted to see a battle, but the writers copped out of actually paying it off.
In terms of character work and themes, I admit there was some great stuff in the second half of the season, and the Abdul Shareef plot was handled pretty well, but I could never get over that overwhelming feeling that this was a season taken over by real-world events, and to the detriment of character and thematic integrity.
I think Season 4's episode-to-episode consistency was better than Season 3, with the admitted exception of "The Long Goodbye". Can you name a bad episode of Season 4 other than that one?
Jeremy:
10 or 11 episodes constitutes major payoff in a show that moves as quickly as this one does. And I do in fact think there were lasting repercussions for several of the characters - most notably Bartlet, but also Leo and CJ.
Season Three is marred slightly by the real-world events it was caught up in, but i don't think that detracts from the major strides it took forward. The second half of the season is indeed better than the first, but I think there's plenty of strong material throughout the whole season.
"The Long Goodbye" is the only outright bad episode of Season Four, but I found the entire reelection arc (particularly "Game On") to be a major disappointment. It cheapens the characters and is significantly lacking in depth. I do, however, think the season improved significantly beginning with "Inauguration", even if there are still some issues after that. (*cough*Jean-Paul*cough*)
I don't want to discuss this all extensively right now, but I will naturally go into full detail when I review these seasons, and will be happy to engage in any debates regarding the material then.
Brachen Man:
I'll follow your lead and save my arguments for the Season 3 and 4 comments, but I just have to mention my utter shock at someone calling "Game On" majorly disappointing. I've never met a West Wing fan who didn't readily call that a highlight of the whole series.
Jeremy (1/24/14):
I can understand fans liking the idea behind "Game On", but the execution just felt lazy to me. It wasn't poignant, and, apart from the scene with Bartlet's tie, wasn't funny.
I'm aware that I'm in the minority on this one, as the only other review I've read that dislikes it is the one on Television Without Pity. (Which is more of a recap than a review, anyway.) But hey. That's one of the reasons I'm reviewing the show in the first place.
MikeJer (1/17/14):
Hi all!
First of all, let me offer my utmost appreciation for everyone that contributed to the Angel Completion Project (ACP). Every episode after 4x04 has now been reviewed thanks to your collective submissions. I genuinely think everyone did a fabulous job!
With all the episodes done, all that remains is to wrap up the final two season reviews. The following will detail how I plan on putting these reviews together, starting with Season 4, and what all of you can do to contribute yet again.
Good luck, everyone! Let's get this wrapped up!
1. REVIEW STRUCTURE
Introduction: MikeJer
Story Synopsis: MikeJer
Pros/Cons: MikeJer will stitch together the best snippets from what everyone in the community thinks about the season. Details are below.
Characters: Each respective character analysis will be assigned to one person. How you can volunteer to write about a character will be described below.
Conclusion: MikeJer
Score: MikeJer, although everyone's feedback will be factored into the score I choose and will not be based on only my own opinion)
Awards: Forum voting. These threads will go up towards the end of the process of collecting everyone's submissions.
2. PROS/CONS
If you'd like to contribute your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the season, please reply to this thread with 1-3 well-written paragraphs summarizing your points. I will pull responses from what I deem to be the most convincing opinions. Try to stick primarily to pros and cons that are related to this website: the critical side and the emotional side. Note that people that have already contributed to the ACP will be used more than others, but you still have a shot to have your say included and credited.
Use the following format:
PROS:
- Paragraph #1
- Paragraph #2
CONS:
- Paragraph #1
- Paragraph #2
3. CHARACTERS
If no one is associated with a character yet it is open for anyone to request. Note that people who have already submitted ACP contributions will be given higher priority to take a character.
Send me a PM with your request.
Here are the current character assignments:
ANGEL: Noah
WESLEY: Iguana
GUNN: Jeremy
FRED: Freudian Vampire
CONNOR: Jeremy
LORNE: Jeremy
LILAH: Iguana
CORDELIA/JASMINE/BEAST: Jeremy
FaithFanatic (1/21/14):
Having not watched Angel in a while, I can only remember really one specific thing about the fourth season, which was that it was the only season that didn't have any really great episodes. Scanning through the reviews appears to support this theory - this is the only season on the site, with the exception of Buffy S1, to not get any A+ scores. Perhaps someone more eloquent than I can make a paragraph about that?
Otherwise, I'm really excited to see what the community reviews are going to be like and wish all writers the best of luck!
buffyholic (1/22/14):
I´m sure everyone will do amazing work as usual, but I am so excited to hear what Iguana will say about Wesley.
Season 4 has a lot that goes wrong but one definite pro is the relationship between Lilah and Wesley. From the "you called this a relationship dollar", to their conversation about how he couldn´t save her and Wes´s difficulty in chopping her head off to their final scene where Wes tries to burn her contract.
FaithFanatic:
Yeah, i too am looking forward to Iguana's take on Wesley. Really liked his reviews
Iguana-on-a-stick:
Thanks, people! And believe me, I definitely feel like I've been given all the pie for dinner while others get the gruel. :-) (Especially the parts with Connor and Cordelia.)
Plus, I'll have to work up to the review by re-watching all the scenes with Wesley and Lilah exclusively, skipping most of the rest of the season. You can imagine what a chore -that- will be.
WCRobinson:
I am possibly interested in a section.
I do wonder what score will be given for each season. Personally I think Angel S4 might be given the only below-80 of the series. 79 seems fitting to me, given the flawed but ambitious nature of the season.
S5? Something like 90 I reckon. Not on S2's level.
Jeremy:
YES! I got two of the slots!
And just like Iguana gets to watch all the exclusive Wesley/Lilah scenes, I get to watch all the exclusive Cordelia/Connor scenes!
Iguana-on-a-stick:
Did I ever mention how I admire your dedication, Jeremy?
Because that's the only word I can use here.
Oh, and you have my sympathies.
MikeJer:
I know I'm thrilled someone took those slots. If no one takes a slot after some time waiting I might have to do it. So, yeah, hurrah for Jeremy!
Jeremy:
I think I've just written too many positive reviews over the last year. And I don't have any major complaints with The West Wing until Season Four. I need to write something negative, or my snark factor will wither and die.
Plus, as soon as Iguana made that "pie and gruel" comment, I knew I had to accept that challenge.
Monica:
This is exciting! I can't wait to read a review of this very strange season. Kick ass, guys!
Iguana-on-a-stick (1/23/14):
Heh. Yeah, I did notice that when reading your Freaks & Geeks and West Wing reviews. "Wait... so these shows just don't have any lousy episodes? Oh, right, now I remember."
Brachen Man:
I think I've just written too many positive reviews over the last year. And I don't have any major complaints with The West Wing until Season Four. I need to write something negative, or my snark factor will wither and die.
I think, or at least hope, you mean Season Three, where everything was 9/11'd and every episode was suddenly about terrorists and plots in the middle east. Granted, the season improved a lot in the second half, but "The Women of Qumar" deserves an F just as much as the worst Post-Sorkin efforts.
Also, Season Four was pretty great; it got back to being what the show was supposed to be, and I'd rank it on par with the first two, for the most part.
Jeremy:
"The Women of Qumar" aside, Season Three may be the deepest and most complex year in all of The West Wing. It has great follow-through from Season Two, features some of the show's greatest character work, and deals with some especially thought-provoking themes surrounding the darker side of power.
Season Four, on the other hand, botches one of the show's most significant story arcs, never maintains a strong episode-to-episode consistency, and features the cheapest Emmy-grab episode in the whole series. S4 has its strengths, to be sure, particularly when it comes to individual episodes, but I find it somewhat overrated.
I think Season Three may be the show's best season, even if I enjoy Season Two more. But I'll get to all that later.
Stake&Cheese:
Hah, you would, Iguana.
Brachen Man:
"The Women of Qumar" aside, Season Three may be the deepest and most complex year in all of The West Wing. It has great follow-through from Season Two, features some of the show's greatest character work, and deals with some especially thought-provoking themes surrounding the darker side of power.
I thought they botched the follow-up from Season 2. After all the hype of how so much was going to come down on the administration, they barely did anything with it. It was completely resolved about 10 or 11 episodes in, with little to no lasting repercussions for the characters. The President's greatest punishment was being formally censured by Congress, or quite literally getting a slap on the wrists. I wanted to see a battle, but the writers copped out of actually paying it off.
In terms of character work and themes, I admit there was some great stuff in the second half of the season, and the Abdul Shareef plot was handled pretty well, but I could never get over that overwhelming feeling that this was a season taken over by real-world events, and to the detriment of character and thematic integrity.
Season Four, on the other hand, botches one of the show's most significant story arcs, never maintains a strong episode-to-episode consistency, and features the cheapest Emmy-grab episode in the whole series. S4 has its strengths, to be sure, particularly when it comes to individual episodes, but I find it somewhat overrated.
I think Season 4's episode-to-episode consistency was better than Season 3, with the admitted exception of "The Long Goodbye". Can you name a bad episode of Season 4 other than that one?
Jeremy:
I thought they botched the follow-up from Season 2. After all the hype of how so much was going to come down on the administration, they barely did anything with it. It was completely resolved about 10 or 11 episodes in, with little to no lasting repercussions for the characters. The President's greatest punishment was being formally censured by Congress, or quite literally getting a slap on the wrists. I wanted to see a battle, but the writers copped out of actually paying it off.
10 or 11 episodes constitutes major payoff in a show that moves as quickly as this one does. And I do in fact think there were lasting repercussions for several of the characters - most notably Bartlet, but also Leo and CJ.
Season Three is marred slightly by the real-world events it was caught up in, but i don't think that detracts from the major strides it took forward. The second half of the season is indeed better than the first, but I think there's plenty of strong material throughout the whole season.
I think Season 4's episode-to-episode consistency was better than Season 3, with the admitted exception of "The Long Goodbye". Can you name a bad episode of Season 4 other than that one?
"The Long Goodbye" is the only outright bad episode of Season Four, but I found the entire reelection arc (particularly "Game On") to be a major disappointment. It cheapens the characters and is significantly lacking in depth. I do, however, think the season improved significantly beginning with "Inauguration", even if there are still some issues after that. (*cough*Jean-Paul*cough*)
I don't want to discuss this all extensively right now, but I will naturally go into full detail when I review these seasons, and will be happy to engage in any debates regarding the material then.
Brachen Man:
I'll follow your lead and save my arguments for the Season 3 and 4 comments, but I just have to mention my utter shock at someone calling "Game On" majorly disappointing. I've never met a West Wing fan who didn't readily call that a highlight of the whole series.
Jeremy (1/24/14):
I can understand fans liking the idea behind "Game On", but the execution just felt lazy to me. It wasn't poignant, and, apart from the scene with Bartlet's tie, wasn't funny.
I'm aware that I'm in the minority on this one, as the only other review I've read that dislikes it is the one on Television Without Pity. (Which is more of a recap than a review, anyway.) But hey. That's one of the reasons I'm reviewing the show in the first place.