One of the greatest ANGEL episodes and yet another stunning outing for Faith. The climax is arguably ANGEL's finest work so far, a perfect blend of tragedy, horror, tension and intimacy done in a beautifully twisted manner as the Buffyverse writers do so well, time and time again.
A thematically rich and compelling episode, Five by Five is about faith in the human soul and this story is told through two parallel tales: Faith's struggles post Who Are You? and Angelus's brutal murder of a gypsy daughter that leads to a restoration of his soul. The opening scene, though is a weak connection to the overall plot, is an encapsulation about having faith in the soul to distinguish between right and wrong. Angel doesn't give up on Faith and in the climax, gives her the chance to release all the pain she has bottled up. When Angel says, "you're looking a little worn out", he realizes Faith's facade is wearing thin and like Marquez at the beginning of the episode, has a capacity for good.
This is a seriously breathtaking episode, the most emotionally complex of the series to date. There's plenty of humour that compliment the darkness, tragedy and terror and for its entire duration, Five by Five left me exhilarated. Sanctuary is, at the very least, an equally stunning episode.
Review by SLionsCricketBlockedParent2017-07-21T21:17:37Z
One of the greatest ANGEL episodes and yet another stunning outing for Faith. The climax is arguably ANGEL's finest work so far, a perfect blend of tragedy, horror, tension and intimacy done in a beautifully twisted manner as the Buffyverse writers do so well, time and time again.
A thematically rich and compelling episode, Five by Five is about faith in the human soul and this story is told through two parallel tales: Faith's struggles post Who Are You? and Angelus's brutal murder of a gypsy daughter that leads to a restoration of his soul. The opening scene, though is a weak connection to the overall plot, is an encapsulation about having faith in the soul to distinguish between right and wrong. Angel doesn't give up on Faith and in the climax, gives her the chance to release all the pain she has bottled up. When Angel says, "you're looking a little worn out", he realizes Faith's facade is wearing thin and like Marquez at the beginning of the episode, has a capacity for good.
This is a seriously breathtaking episode, the most emotionally complex of the series to date. There's plenty of humour that compliment the darkness, tragedy and terror and for its entire duration, Five by Five left me exhilarated. Sanctuary is, at the very least, an equally stunning episode.