There were some great comic moments (the opening recruitment spiel and the camel), but at times the plot seemed to drag. There were more “Harmony gets rejected” and “Harmony isn’t terribly bright” scenes than needed to make the point, and they seemed more like filler than plot or character development.

I wonder if this is an attempt to recreate the Buffy theme of common high school traumas played out in the Whedonverse, except in the workplace. It certainly offers all kinds of possibilities.

I agree with the moments of comic relief, the situation of a basically “good” Harmony having to take out the blood tester, Lorn and Fred had me with a big stupid grin on my face for a bit …

But I actually sort of took this as a play on “Where are they now?” type of show … yes, most of us know Harmony from her time with Spike in BtVS … and we see her here with the few lines she gets as a trivial character most of the time … but now we have a bit more to judge her character by, sort of a way Whedon says “I know we always concentrate on the Angelites and their development but here is a different perspective on someone you always took as just filler”

There’s a question that I hope has a real answer and not just “we hard to get her into the show somehow.” She’s not terribly bright, she doesn’t have major vamp connections, and she’s not very efficient. So why would Wolfram and Hart hire her? Of course, an easy answer is that she plays a role in some kind of prophecy, but it’d be interesting if it’s something in her character, either something they want to foster or something they wanted to make sure didn’t develop.

Wolfram and Hart may have hired her to be a gopher. Until Wesley selected her from the steno pool (so that Angel would have someone familiar as his assistant), she probably wasn’t going anywhere in the company. She would have probably been a lacky to some sub-level executive for the rest of her existance if Wesley hadn’t come around. However, if her catering plans are any indication, she is capable of doing research and examining the needs of her boss. It’s not like he actually gave her a chance to check with him about the camel. :)

In this case, Harmony is “good” because it allows her to survive. She tried acting evil and she failed. She’s a follower, so she’ll do what it takes to be part of any group that will take her…Harmony is behaving herself, she’s not being good.

Great insight, and I hope that they follow-up on this distinction, to make this a different kind of redemption from Cordelia’s, which was “self-centered popularity queen matures and genuinely becomes good.”

There’s a question that I hope has a real answer and not just “we hard to get her into the show somehow.” She’s not terribly bright, she doesn’t have major vamp connections, and she’s not very efficient. So why would Wolfram and Hart hire her? Of course, an easy answer is that she plays a role in some kind of prophecy, but it’d be interesting if it’s something in her character, either something they want to foster or something they wanted to make sure didn’t develop.

Yes, vampires were always referred to like that. By their enemies. It’s hardly the first time a human being has demonized the enemy. Only, this time there is actually a demon. But, just as long as the White Hats have suggested that to be true, the shows have contradicted it. The Master cared about Darla. The Three cared about their honor. Spike cared about Dru. Gorch even cared about his wife.

I give you:

Buffy: It’s called revulsion. And whatever you think you’re feeling, it’s not love. You can’t love without a soul.
Drusilla: Oh, we can, you know. We can love quite well. If not wisely.

(BtVS, “Crush”)

But doesn’t that then take away a lot of the pathos of Angel’s (and Spike’s) situation?

Not really. Just because we are asked to care about another vampire, doesn’t mean we have less sympathy for them. (And there really is no pathos in Spike’s situation. He doesn’t carry the brooding, burden of remorse that Angel does. He seems to have accepted what he was, and has stopped dwelling on it.)

In this case, Harmony is “good” because it allows her to survive. She tried acting evil and she failed. She’s a follower, so she’ll do what it takes to be part of any group that will take her.

If any vamp can become “good” with the application of enough willpower, big deal if Angel has a soul and is good now. Big deal if Spike underwent tortuous trials to regain his soul and become a good vamp.

There has only been one vampire who actually became good through the application of willpower: Spike. Angel had it forced on him (and he wallowed in self-pity until he saw Buffy). Darla had it forced on her by virtue of her child’s soul. Harmony is behaving herself, she’s not being good. It is easier, as a person who isn’t that good at being a monster, to make some behaviorial sacrifices in order to survive. (I imagine the vamp who set her up was at W&H for more power-hungry reasons.)

All either of them needed was a winning attitude and a supply of fresh non-human blood to live off of. Vampires in the Buffyverse were always portrayed, and referred to, as beasts, demons, killing machines, evil, etc. Now we find out they are just not trying hard enough to get a decent job and live a virtuous life.

Yes, vampires were always referred to like that. By their enemies. It’s hardly the first time a human being has demonized the enemy. Only, this time there is actually a demon. But, just as long as the White Hats have suggested that to be true, the shows have contradicted it. The Master cared about Darla. The Three cared about their honor. Spike cared about Dru. Gorch even cared about his wife.

They are, and always have been, more than beasts and killing machines. That doesn’t mean they are good, or that they don’t enjoy death and destruction. Every one of them walked away from the grave with the personality and needs of the person they once were. Those who were inclined to violence likely embraced that and went out killing. Those with different ideals and desires may have taken different paths. As the shows have told us, some vampires feed from willing victims (such as Riley), which may be evil (or inspired by evil desires), but it’s certainly not the same level of violence and killing practiced by other vampires.

The characterization that vampires are “trying hard enough to get a decent job and live a virtuous life” isn’t backed by what we’ve seen. We’ve seen vampires trying to survive, and some do it by committing less evil acts than other vampires. It doesn’t mean they’re good, or virtuous, it just means they are using different tactics than a mindless desire to kill and destroy.

But it’s interesting to watch the premise that in the right social situation, and when forced to not kill, vampires can actually gain “good” qualities which make them a lot more human. Remember, Harmony doesn’t have a chip in her head. Her only reason to give up killing humans is to stay at W&H and live a different kind of un-life than that of a roving predator.

But doesn’t that then take away a lot of the pathos of Angel’s (and Spike’s) situation? If any vamp can become “good” with the application of enough willpower, big deal if Angel has a soul and is good now. Big deal if Spike underwent tortuous trials to regain his soul and become a good vamp. All either of them needed was a winning attitude and a supply of fresh non-human blood to live off of. Vampires in the Buffyverse were always portrayed, and referred to, as beasts, demons, killing machines, evil, etc. Now we find out they are just not trying hard enough to get a decent job and live a virtuous life.

I liked the departure from the Angel clique point of view. Buffy’s theme
was “high school is hell”, maybe they decided to have a bit of “corporate
america is hell” while they’re at it.

Well, Harmony is going through what a lot of us went through when we left school (in her case, HS) and ventured forth into the world of work etc. Bereft of a pre-fab social environment (and a soul, of course), her previously popular-girl social skills fail her. So despite her attractiveness and fashion sense she finds herself home alone watching “Tru Calling” instead of out meeting people. And her vamp-ness pretty much precludes making any real friends. Not the road to happiness when you’re also struggling to keep from running out and biting people.

When she first became Angel’s secretary, I was reluctant to like the idea, I mean she’s still an evil vamp, right? But it’s interesting to watch the premise that in the right social situation, and when forced to not kill, vampires can actually gain “good” qualities which make them a lot more human. Remember, Harmony doesn’t have a chip in her head. Her only reason to give up killing humans is to stay at W&H and live a different kind of un-life than that of a roving predator.

Why do you even watch it?

Why do you even bother taking all that time, every single week, to come
here and whine? Is your life really that empty?

Gee, that’s funny. I was under the (mistaken?) impression that the
purpose of this site was to give our opinions on the items reviewed.
Hunh, who knew it was supposed to be nothing more than another Joss
Whedon ass-kissing session.

And FYI, I continue to watch this show because it used to be among
my favorites, it still occasionally shows sparks of its former brilliance,
and I’m ever optimistic that it can be great again. That doesn’t mean,
however, that I have to love everything that ME does, everything that Joss
writes, and everything that gets reviewed here. Do you only give your
opinion on things when that opinion is favorable? I don’t and any
reviewer/commenter who does so isn’t worth the electrons it takes to
display that
opinion.

And I thought what I said was less whining, and more bitching,
really. :P

There were some great comic moments (the opening recruitment spiel
and the camel), but at times the plot seemed to drag. There were more
“Harmony gets rejected” and “Harmony isn’t terribly bright” scenes than
needed to make the point, and they seemed more like filler than plot or
character development.

I wonder if this is an attempt to recreate the Buffy theme of common
high school traumas played out in the Whedonverse, except in the
workplace. It certainly offers all kinds of possibilities.

I liked the departure from the Angel clique point of view. Buffy’s theme
was “high school is hell”, maybe they decided to have a bit of “corporate
america is hell” while they’re at it.

Was in the opening sequence: Yoyodyne was a client of
Wolfram &
Hart!
: )

So was the corporation from the Alien films.

That’s one hell of a block of cross over fun!

Buckaroo Banzai is crossed over with Star Trek, and Alien is crossed over
with DC, wich crosses Buffy and Angel with all of those : )

Wich brings us to the natural questions: Could Buffy beat an Alien, and
did the Hong Kong Cavaliers ever play at the Bronze?