Hello friends!
Before we begin with this week's nominees, I wanted to inform you that, after consideration, I've decided on adding a little twist to this project! 😀 If you remember, we'll be down to 50 scenes after the tenth week (which is pretty soon). Once we reach that point, I thought I could give everyone here a shot at voicing their opinion and tell us which scenes I might have left out of the TOP 100 that they think are worthy of being in the second part of the voting contest.
Thus, on the eleventh week, I will open a thread where all of you can suggest scenes to be added to the fifty nominated ones. After the week is over, I will select the five scenes who got the most mentions on the thread. These five scenes will be distributed evenly over the course of the following five weeks of voting, one during each week, which will give us 11 scenes each week. From there, we'll continue accordingly to what I had planned: four scenes will move on each week.
Thank you again for your participation! 🙂 Without you, this project wouldn't have gotten anywhere.
Now, without further ado, the nominees for Week 8:
Before we begin with this week's nominees, I wanted to inform you that, after consideration, I've decided on adding a little twist to this project! 😀 If you remember, we'll be down to 50 scenes after the tenth week (which is pretty soon). Once we reach that point, I thought I could give everyone here a shot at voicing their opinion and tell us which scenes I might have left out of the TOP 100 that they think are worthy of being in the second part of the voting contest.
Thus, on the eleventh week, I will open a thread where all of you can suggest scenes to be added to the fifty nominated ones. After the week is over, I will select the five scenes who got the most mentions on the thread. These five scenes will be distributed evenly over the course of the following five weeks of voting, one during each week, which will give us 11 scenes each week. From there, we'll continue accordingly to what I had planned: four scenes will move on each week.
Thank you again for your participation! 🙂 Without you, this project wouldn't have gotten anywhere.
Now, without further ado, the nominees for Week 8:
****NOMINEE #1****
''I Owe You Pain!''
(Buffy S5 Ep19 ~ Tough Love)
~~~~
Glory: Did anybody order an apocalypse?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I love Willow! Watching this scene the first time, I still clearly remembered her from the early seasons: shy and unconfident in herself. Like Wesley on Angel, Willow changed a lot through time, yet she always remained true to her core. But during this sequence, we get a glimpse into a darker side of Will. Here, she's angered to the point of threatening a real goddess. Her entrance was wicked cool, and her delivery of, ''I owe you PAIN!'' was perfect. 😀 Talk about the embodiment of vengeance!
... She’s prettier than Anya too. 😉 😛
****NOMINEE #2****
''Resurrected''
(Angel S5 Ep1 ~ Conviction)
~~~~
Spike (as he is materializing): Aaaaaaah!
Wesley: Spike?
Angel: Spike.
Harmony: Blondie bear?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This one is harder to comment on, because most people (including me) knew ahead of time that Spike was going to appear on Angel's last season. Thus, there wasn't really any surprise. Despite that, it fully deserves its place among the most memorable scenes in the 'Verse, if only for the humorous reactions from everyone. Angel sure didn't expect to see his old rival appear out of that amulet! One thing I loved was how, for Spike, it's as if time froze as he was disintegrating and then suddenly unfroze as he was brought back by the amulet. Kind of like if someone had rewinded an old VHS tape to turn him back from ashes to flesh! Heh. 😀
This scene also meant that Spike was now going to be part of the Fang Gang (how fitting). I'll admit, I had doubts at first because in the first few episodes he was kind of more of a nuisance than anything else; but then in Destiny, when he finally recovered his corporeal form, I knew he was going to be a great addition to the show in the long run. As I've mentioned previously, it's too bad the show was canceled.
****NOMINEE #3****
''Cruelty''
(Buffy S2 Ep14 ~ Innocence)
~~~~
Buffy: I, I don't understand. Was it m-me? Was I not good?
Angelus: (laughs) You were great. Really. I thought you were a pro.
Buffy: How can you say this to me?
Angelus: Lighten up. It was a good time. It doesn't mean like we have to make a big deal.
Buffy: It *is* a big deal!
Angelus: It's what? Bells ringing, fireworks, a dulcet choir of pretty little birdies? (laughs) Come on, Buffy. It's not like I've never been there before.
Buffy: Don't touch me.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is the first time we REALLY see, first hand, how painfully cruel Angelus is. No wonder he was able to torture Drusilla into insanity: he's a master manipulator. In this scene, he expertly plays on Buffy's innocence and insecurities. That and, of course, the fact that she's endlessly in love with him (or actually Angel). I've read that Joss felt sick from writing this scene, and I can understand why. However, this obviously got Buffy questioning what was going on right from the start. Thus, I'm not certain it was such a good idea on Angelus’ part, because, instead, he could have acted as Angel and worked his devious manipulations from the inside—kind of the reverse of what Angel did in 'Enemies' with Faith and The Mayor. 😉 YES, I'm wicked.
Anyhow, David and Sarah were both great during this scene. I can't believe how gleefully evil DB was able to act there.
****NOMINEE #4****
''Never Trust a Talking Hamburger''
(Angel S3 Ep16 ~ Sleep Tight)
~~~~
Justine: He took everybody and he went after the baby. And when I questioned him... Bastard! I'll kill him for this. You have to get out of here.
Wesley: You have to get to the hospital.
Justine: No. I just have to do... this!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Wow! Oh my god! QUOI?! Ce n’est pas vrai! Mamma mia! *gasps* Not only was this episode amazingly dramatic, but this scene... this scene totally did it for me. Wesley, who has done the unthinkable by stealing Connor from Angel, is about to leave town when he himself is betrayed by someone he trusts: Justine. I'll be honest with you all, having been spoiled about Wesley's death early during season 1, I thought that was it. I thought that Wes was done for. In dramatic fashion even! I remember feeling seething hatred for the guy who just took his cash and hid his body behind a bush. What a piece of ****! Pardon my French. 😉
But yes, as Wesley was trying to breathe, all I hoped was for the others to find him. Sadly, they were themselves at a complete loss after Lorne's revelation. What was going to happen? The episode was not even over!
****NOMINEE #5****
''Where It All Began''
(Buffy S1 Ep2 ~ The Harvest)
~~~~
Giles: The Earth is doomed!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: It's such a wonderful moment. It's not incredibly dramatic; it's not epically awesome. No. It's just a quiet, fun scene with the original Scooby Gang! They had just met, but we could already tell that a tight bond had formed between them. Together they would face impossible odds for years to come, their friendship enduring despite the many missteps along the way! Long live the Core Four! 😀
****NOMINEE #6****
''Sit Down''
(Angel S4 Ep1 ~ Deep Down)
~~~~
Angel: What you did to me was unbelievable, Connor. But then I got stuck in a hell dimension by my girlfriend one time for a hundred years, so three months under the ocean actually gave me perspective. Kind of a M. C. Esher perspective, but I did get time to think. About us, about the world. Nothing in the world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh, and cruel. But that's why there's us. Champions. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world was what it should be, to show it what it can be. You're not a part of that yet. I hope you will be. I love you, Connor. Now get out of my house.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Who else was grinning while watching this? 🙂 Connor is such a difficult character to like in the early goings. He's close-minded and quick to judge. He was brainwashed, but still! It's hard to feel sympathy for him after all the crap that he pulled in such a short amount of time. When Angel appeared in the doorway, I knew Connor was in for a hell of a paternal speech.
As for the speech itself... Wow! Who would have thought that Mr. Boring from BtVS was going to give some of the best speeches later on in his own show? This is another example of Angel improving tenfold as a character in AtS.
The best part of his speech: ''Now get out of my house.'' 😎
****NOMINEE #7****
''Love's Bitch''
(Buffy S3 Ep8 ~ Lovers Walk)
~~~~
Spike: You're *not* friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will.
Spike: *I* may be love's bitch, but at least *I'm* man enough to admit it.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: ''THAT speech!'' It seems like more than half the people I know who have watched BtVS remember Spike the most for this quote: ''I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.'' Yes, it was a great one. Spike was very humble there, yet he managed to throw a jab at Buffy and Angel at the same time. 😀 Isn't he wonderful and awesome? …Oh man, I must sound extremely biased right now. My apologies! Spike is boring, pathetic and he puts me to sleep. 😉
With that out of the way, the scene itself was one of the highlights of season 3! Finally someone flat-out told these two lovebirds to get their shit together. Also, we got to see Buffy, Angel and Spike fight together! The whole sequence was great.
****NOMINEE #8****
''Mommy!''
(Buffy S5 Ep16 ~ The Body)
~~~~
Buffy: Mom! Mom! Mom Mom Mom!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: How awesome was SMG during this scene?! The shock and the drama felt so real. Maybe even a little TOO real for a show set in a world full of magic and monsters. By that point, Buffy had gone through a lot already during the season, and her previous conversations with April and Xander seemed to have boosted her morale way up—apparently, just so she can fall down that much harder! Joss is such a jerk. 😉
Who expected Joyce to die like that? Nobody. I am still surprised that the death of a character that was not in the forefront of the story would be able to affect me so much. I think it was the way she died, and how much it affected Buffy, who usually seemed strong even in desperate times. Here, she completely loses it. In conclusion, this whole scene is heart-breaking and I'll never forget it.
****NOMINEE #9****
''Ascend Already!''
(Buffy S3 Ep22 ~ Graduation Day: Part 2)
~~~~
The Mayor: It's been a long road getting here. For you… for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times… and there has been grief. There's been loss. Some people who should be here today… aren't. But we are. Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just… distance traveled? Time spent? No. It's what happens on the way, it's the things that happen to you. At the end of the journey you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do. You ascend… to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing."
~~~~
Tome's commentary: What a wonderful actor! It's an acknowledged fact: Harry Groener brought a lot of heart and character to The Mayor. He is still most fans' favorite villain in the Buffyverse and, personally, I’m just disappointed that he didn't last longer on the show. Here, he delivers a great speech about what a journey really is about in the end; whether it's going through high school or life, a journey is always about change.
What really got me during his speech was how much emotion he put behind each phrase. He is about to ascend and you can feel how much it means to him. The whole time, I was listening to him in awe. To think that the actor did this speech in one take still amazes me.
****NOMINEE #10****
''Let's Make 'Em Memorable''
(Angel S5 Ep22 ~ Not Fade Away)
~~~~
Spike: In terms of a plan?
Angel: We fight.
Spike: Bit more specific.
Angel: Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon.
Angel: Let's go to work.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Considering I'm supposed to think back to how I reacted when I first saw this scene, I'll make it clear: I was pissed off. Yes, nowadays I've learned to love the ending of Angel; however, back then, I was fuming, disappointed that we didn't get to see if our beloved characters survived. It's not that I wanted a happy ending, I simply hoped for a conclusion. Instead, we had a tragic last episode with one of my favorite characters dying meaninglessly and a huge cliffhanger that would never be resolved (unless you count AtF). Oh yea and WE NEVER SAW the Senior Partners! What a load of bull. 😛
Ok, now that I've expressed my feelings about my first viewing of the episode, let me explain why I learned to actually appreciate the closing scene of 'Not Fade Away.’ As time passed and as I watched it with a friend (and ended up seeing this scene again), I strangely wasn't bothered like the first time. Peculiar you might say. Well, not really. The thing is, when you think about it, Angel's show was never akin to BtVS in the sense that it never played like a “we'll save the day, have many babies and live happily ever after” story. Early on in the show, Angel realized that he was never going to find full redemption, nor was he going to vanquish evil once and for all. It was going to be a continuous battle to keep the balance of good and evil. It's only natural - though sad - that in the end, characters died without really achieving *anything* (Wes and Fred), because, after all, nothing really matters. 😉 😛 It's also fitting that Angel ended his show with the ''Let's go to work'' line, because that's what it was really like for them: a job. They were professional do-gooders!
Now, I'll admit that reading ''After the Fall'' helped (and gave an interesting view of what might have happened in S6) my desire for a conclusion to the characters, but still, I actually kind of love the show's ending now. It's epic and a great contrast to Buffy's happy ending. I still feel like Wesley and Cordy should have been there alongside Angel in the end, but what can you do?
''I Owe You Pain!''
(Buffy S5 Ep19 ~ Tough Love)
~~~~
Glory: Did anybody order an apocalypse?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I love Willow! Watching this scene the first time, I still clearly remembered her from the early seasons: shy and unconfident in herself. Like Wesley on Angel, Willow changed a lot through time, yet she always remained true to her core. But during this sequence, we get a glimpse into a darker side of Will. Here, she's angered to the point of threatening a real goddess. Her entrance was wicked cool, and her delivery of, ''I owe you PAIN!'' was perfect. 😀 Talk about the embodiment of vengeance!
... She’s prettier than Anya too. 😉 😛
****NOMINEE #2****
''Resurrected''
(Angel S5 Ep1 ~ Conviction)
~~~~
Spike (as he is materializing): Aaaaaaah!
Wesley: Spike?
Angel: Spike.
Harmony: Blondie bear?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This one is harder to comment on, because most people (including me) knew ahead of time that Spike was going to appear on Angel's last season. Thus, there wasn't really any surprise. Despite that, it fully deserves its place among the most memorable scenes in the 'Verse, if only for the humorous reactions from everyone. Angel sure didn't expect to see his old rival appear out of that amulet! One thing I loved was how, for Spike, it's as if time froze as he was disintegrating and then suddenly unfroze as he was brought back by the amulet. Kind of like if someone had rewinded an old VHS tape to turn him back from ashes to flesh! Heh. 😀
This scene also meant that Spike was now going to be part of the Fang Gang (how fitting). I'll admit, I had doubts at first because in the first few episodes he was kind of more of a nuisance than anything else; but then in Destiny, when he finally recovered his corporeal form, I knew he was going to be a great addition to the show in the long run. As I've mentioned previously, it's too bad the show was canceled.
****NOMINEE #3****
''Cruelty''
(Buffy S2 Ep14 ~ Innocence)
~~~~
Buffy: I, I don't understand. Was it m-me? Was I not good?
Angelus: (laughs) You were great. Really. I thought you were a pro.
Buffy: How can you say this to me?
Angelus: Lighten up. It was a good time. It doesn't mean like we have to make a big deal.
Buffy: It *is* a big deal!
Angelus: It's what? Bells ringing, fireworks, a dulcet choir of pretty little birdies? (laughs) Come on, Buffy. It's not like I've never been there before.
Buffy: Don't touch me.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is the first time we REALLY see, first hand, how painfully cruel Angelus is. No wonder he was able to torture Drusilla into insanity: he's a master manipulator. In this scene, he expertly plays on Buffy's innocence and insecurities. That and, of course, the fact that she's endlessly in love with him (or actually Angel). I've read that Joss felt sick from writing this scene, and I can understand why. However, this obviously got Buffy questioning what was going on right from the start. Thus, I'm not certain it was such a good idea on Angelus’ part, because, instead, he could have acted as Angel and worked his devious manipulations from the inside—kind of the reverse of what Angel did in 'Enemies' with Faith and The Mayor. 😉 YES, I'm wicked.
Anyhow, David and Sarah were both great during this scene. I can't believe how gleefully evil DB was able to act there.
****NOMINEE #4****
''Never Trust a Talking Hamburger''
(Angel S3 Ep16 ~ Sleep Tight)
~~~~
Justine: He took everybody and he went after the baby. And when I questioned him... Bastard! I'll kill him for this. You have to get out of here.
Wesley: You have to get to the hospital.
Justine: No. I just have to do... this!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Wow! Oh my god! QUOI?! Ce n’est pas vrai! Mamma mia! *gasps* Not only was this episode amazingly dramatic, but this scene... this scene totally did it for me. Wesley, who has done the unthinkable by stealing Connor from Angel, is about to leave town when he himself is betrayed by someone he trusts: Justine. I'll be honest with you all, having been spoiled about Wesley's death early during season 1, I thought that was it. I thought that Wes was done for. In dramatic fashion even! I remember feeling seething hatred for the guy who just took his cash and hid his body behind a bush. What a piece of ****! Pardon my French. 😉
But yes, as Wesley was trying to breathe, all I hoped was for the others to find him. Sadly, they were themselves at a complete loss after Lorne's revelation. What was going to happen? The episode was not even over!
****NOMINEE #5****
''Where It All Began''
(Buffy S1 Ep2 ~ The Harvest)
~~~~
Giles: The Earth is doomed!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: It's such a wonderful moment. It's not incredibly dramatic; it's not epically awesome. No. It's just a quiet, fun scene with the original Scooby Gang! They had just met, but we could already tell that a tight bond had formed between them. Together they would face impossible odds for years to come, their friendship enduring despite the many missteps along the way! Long live the Core Four! 😀
****NOMINEE #6****
''Sit Down''
(Angel S4 Ep1 ~ Deep Down)
~~~~
Angel: What you did to me was unbelievable, Connor. But then I got stuck in a hell dimension by my girlfriend one time for a hundred years, so three months under the ocean actually gave me perspective. Kind of a M. C. Esher perspective, but I did get time to think. About us, about the world. Nothing in the world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh, and cruel. But that's why there's us. Champions. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world was what it should be, to show it what it can be. You're not a part of that yet. I hope you will be. I love you, Connor. Now get out of my house.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Who else was grinning while watching this? 🙂 Connor is such a difficult character to like in the early goings. He's close-minded and quick to judge. He was brainwashed, but still! It's hard to feel sympathy for him after all the crap that he pulled in such a short amount of time. When Angel appeared in the doorway, I knew Connor was in for a hell of a paternal speech.
As for the speech itself... Wow! Who would have thought that Mr. Boring from BtVS was going to give some of the best speeches later on in his own show? This is another example of Angel improving tenfold as a character in AtS.
The best part of his speech: ''Now get out of my house.'' 😎
****NOMINEE #7****
''Love's Bitch''
(Buffy S3 Ep8 ~ Lovers Walk)
~~~~
Spike: You're *not* friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will.
Spike: *I* may be love's bitch, but at least *I'm* man enough to admit it.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: ''THAT speech!'' It seems like more than half the people I know who have watched BtVS remember Spike the most for this quote: ''I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.'' Yes, it was a great one. Spike was very humble there, yet he managed to throw a jab at Buffy and Angel at the same time. 😀 Isn't he wonderful and awesome? …Oh man, I must sound extremely biased right now. My apologies! Spike is boring, pathetic and he puts me to sleep. 😉
With that out of the way, the scene itself was one of the highlights of season 3! Finally someone flat-out told these two lovebirds to get their shit together. Also, we got to see Buffy, Angel and Spike fight together! The whole sequence was great.
****NOMINEE #8****
''Mommy!''
(Buffy S5 Ep16 ~ The Body)
~~~~
Buffy: Mom! Mom! Mom Mom Mom!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: How awesome was SMG during this scene?! The shock and the drama felt so real. Maybe even a little TOO real for a show set in a world full of magic and monsters. By that point, Buffy had gone through a lot already during the season, and her previous conversations with April and Xander seemed to have boosted her morale way up—apparently, just so she can fall down that much harder! Joss is such a jerk. 😉
Who expected Joyce to die like that? Nobody. I am still surprised that the death of a character that was not in the forefront of the story would be able to affect me so much. I think it was the way she died, and how much it affected Buffy, who usually seemed strong even in desperate times. Here, she completely loses it. In conclusion, this whole scene is heart-breaking and I'll never forget it.
****NOMINEE #9****
''Ascend Already!''
(Buffy S3 Ep22 ~ Graduation Day: Part 2)
~~~~
The Mayor: It's been a long road getting here. For you… for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times… and there has been grief. There's been loss. Some people who should be here today… aren't. But we are. Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just… distance traveled? Time spent? No. It's what happens on the way, it's the things that happen to you. At the end of the journey you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do. You ascend… to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing."
~~~~
Tome's commentary: What a wonderful actor! It's an acknowledged fact: Harry Groener brought a lot of heart and character to The Mayor. He is still most fans' favorite villain in the Buffyverse and, personally, I’m just disappointed that he didn't last longer on the show. Here, he delivers a great speech about what a journey really is about in the end; whether it's going through high school or life, a journey is always about change.
What really got me during his speech was how much emotion he put behind each phrase. He is about to ascend and you can feel how much it means to him. The whole time, I was listening to him in awe. To think that the actor did this speech in one take still amazes me.
****NOMINEE #10****
''Let's Make 'Em Memorable''
(Angel S5 Ep22 ~ Not Fade Away)
~~~~
Spike: In terms of a plan?
Angel: We fight.
Spike: Bit more specific.
Angel: Well, personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon.
Angel: Let's go to work.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Considering I'm supposed to think back to how I reacted when I first saw this scene, I'll make it clear: I was pissed off. Yes, nowadays I've learned to love the ending of Angel; however, back then, I was fuming, disappointed that we didn't get to see if our beloved characters survived. It's not that I wanted a happy ending, I simply hoped for a conclusion. Instead, we had a tragic last episode with one of my favorite characters dying meaninglessly and a huge cliffhanger that would never be resolved (unless you count AtF). Oh yea and WE NEVER SAW the Senior Partners! What a load of bull. 😛
Ok, now that I've expressed my feelings about my first viewing of the episode, let me explain why I learned to actually appreciate the closing scene of 'Not Fade Away.’ As time passed and as I watched it with a friend (and ended up seeing this scene again), I strangely wasn't bothered like the first time. Peculiar you might say. Well, not really. The thing is, when you think about it, Angel's show was never akin to BtVS in the sense that it never played like a “we'll save the day, have many babies and live happily ever after” story. Early on in the show, Angel realized that he was never going to find full redemption, nor was he going to vanquish evil once and for all. It was going to be a continuous battle to keep the balance of good and evil. It's only natural - though sad - that in the end, characters died without really achieving *anything* (Wes and Fred), because, after all, nothing really matters. 😉 😛 It's also fitting that Angel ended his show with the ''Let's go to work'' line, because that's what it was really like for them: a job. They were professional do-gooders!
Now, I'll admit that reading ''After the Fall'' helped (and gave an interesting view of what might have happened in S6) my desire for a conclusion to the characters, but still, I actually kind of love the show's ending now. It's epic and a great contrast to Buffy's happy ending. I still feel like Wesley and Cordy should have been there alongside Angel in the end, but what can you do?
