User Reviews

Coming off of the Angelus story, "Players" is kind of a let down. Honestly, you could skip it and not miss much plot-wise. The last five minutes of the show have Team Angel busting Evil Cordy, but it'll all be rehashed next episode anyway. And the Gunn & Gwen story is pretty average monster-of-the-week stuff. Since this will be her last episode and she'll never be heard from again, I really don't see the point of introducing it all. Anyway, it's hardly the highlight of the season.

"Players" revolves around Gwen coming to Team Angel for help. She needs someone suave to help her infiltrate a fancy party. Instead of Angel, though, she wants Gunn. Gunn is happy to be asked , especially when Gwen explains that that they have to rescue a little girl named Lisa. It turns out she's lying, of course. She really wants a para-military chip thing that will deactivate her body's electrical current. Gunn helps her steal it and the two of them wind up in bed.

Meanwhile, Team Angel is still adjusting to the idea of Cordy's rapidly progressing pregnancy. Wes points out that she's had a fast-paced mystical pregnancy before (in season one's "Expecting") and that Team Angel should investigate. Cordy and Conner are insulted that the other are questioning their baby's non-evilness. Angel goes to think things over in his office. He tries to remember what he learned as Angelus and he tells Wes that he didn't kill Lilah. So the Beast's Master must've been in the hotel. They come up with a plan. Lorne says that he'll preform a cleansing spell for his empath-abilities and do a reading on the baby. Worried, Evil Cordy tries to stop him as he conducts the spell. As she steps out to stab him, Fred, Angel & Wes surround her, catching her in the act.

There are some good parts to the episode. Gunn's always pretty likable, and his new worry that he's losing his identity is very interesting. He used to lead vampire hunters, now he's just the "muscle." It's a concern that will drive his character next season. And I like that little girl standing up to him when he promises to take her home. "I AM home." Gunn's just so surprised that I just have to laugh. And I think it's interesting that the little jade figure he stole was a big cat considering the White Room conduit next season. Also, I enjoy the last scene where Team Angel finally catches Cordy. I was so scared that she'd hurt Lorne the first time I saw this episode. It was quite a relief when they finally caught on to her evil-ness instead. Watching the episode again, you can see that Angel was suspicious of her from the time she showed up pregnant. He always look sort of broody, but there's a new thoughtful glint in his eye as he looks at her throughout "Players." And Lorne's Magic Eight Ball at the end just cracks me up. "Has Cordy been a bad, bad girl?" **Definately.**

On the down side, I know that Fred and Gunn have been fighting and are SORTA broken up. But SORTA broken up, ain't broken up. I think it's a little soon for him to be sleeping with another woman.

My favorite part of the episode: Angel offering Wes sympathy for Lilah's death. It's just a really lovely moment between them.

The Good; I like this ep, nice to see that Gunn isn't just 'The Muscle', he's suave as well as tough. The best Gunn-centric ep and you could see J. August as James Bond. Love Gunn's little look when Wes goes 'Well the last time this happened..."

The Bad; Quite humdrum in places, actually drags a bit

Best line; Gunn describes the last few months of AI as a 'Turgid supernatural soap-opera'.

Inverting the Hollywood cliché; the little girl isn't in danger, Gwen has hoodwinked Gunn

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 14 Wes: 6 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 4 Fred; 2

Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 15 Angel: 16 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 2 Lorne; 5 Groo; 1 Connor; 1 Faith; 1

Kills; Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 8 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 12 demons+4 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: Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, CC, Connor,

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

Packing heat; Wes with his shotgun again Wes; 9 Doyle; 1 Angel; 3 Gunn; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Gunn and Gwen Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible, Justine Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen. Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy

Kinky dinky: Lorne refers to a female friend Wanda as a 'peach'. Gwen in her customary tight PVC outfits. Wes explains his tryst with Lilah to Fred, he was lost and cut off from those he loved as indeed was she.

Captain Subtext; Gwen calls Fred a babe and honey, obvious tension between the 2.

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; Plenty of fic out there where Gwen joins AI or if the original gang is destroyed helping the new champion form their team or she (and the Groo) show up to save everyone from everything

Questions and observations; Only a few weeks after becoming a dad Angel is now faced with becoming a grandfather! 'Dramarama' is referred to, an old supernatural British kids TV series which Joss Whedon may have seen growing up in the UK. 'Clash of the Titans' also referred to. Angel and Wes refer to 'The last time' CC got supernaturally knocked up both in Expecting and Epiphany. 8 million people in LA, didn't think it was that big. Not only did Angelus not kill Lilah he never actually killed anyone but a vamp? Andy Hallet in the titles, hooray! The last time we'll see Gwen whom was obviously supposed to be a possible regular but they went another way. A pity but at least we see her in the comics. For my money after this ep I figure she goes to see her parents and catches up on a lifetime's worth of hugs. Gunn's love of suits foretells season 5. We see Angel's photgraphic memory again. CC refers to the Fortress of Solitude, Xander's influence again. At what point does Angel twig CC's betrayal?

Marks out of 10; 7/10 a lightweight ep but probably what we need after all the power of the last few eps

I was struck by lightning. Really. See how my life sucks - For 15 episodes straight (19 including season 3) all the episodes had received at least a 9, 'Players' is the first episode to score less. Even though it is still quite satisfying and necessary, it still felt uneven. 'Gunn' is just such a bore, most of his scenes were just skipable, even the ones with 'Gwen', except for the last one in which 'Gwen', thanks to a machine they stole, is able to feel for the very first time, I absolutely loved that scene and makes the storyline worth it. The B storyline was excellent though, 'Cordevila' is getting pretty close at being discovered and tries to prevent it by trying killing 'Lorne' who's performing a spell, but little does she know that it's all a trap and the whole gang is waiting for her - Has Cordy been a bad bad girl? definitely! Nice episode that does develop the story lines and some of the characters (I loved the conversation between 'Wes' and 'Fred' about relationships) but is still partly, quite skipable. FRED: Connor's Angel's son. How did he and Cordy get all... couply? WESLEY: They were probably as surprised as anyone. But they were both lost, lonely... FRED: No matter how lonely I was, I would never... WESLEY: Things happen, Fred. When you're alienated from the people who care about you, you start to look other places. FRED: Hm. Lilah. WESLEY: We were fighting on opposite sides, but it was the same war. FRED: But you hated her... didn't you? WESLEY: It's not always about holding hands. (8.0 out of 10)

In "Players", Gwen returns to ask Gunn to help her save a kidnapped girl caught up in a corporate espionage job she pulled. Angel tries to remember everything he can about the Beast and its master from when he was Angelus. Cordy and Connor reveal to the group that Cordy is pregnant... like really pregnant. They try to figure out how and why this has happened and what that means for Cordy.

But Gwen is up to her old tricks (kind of)... She uses Gunn taking the child as a distraction to steal what she's actually after: a prototype device that will help her not be electronically shocking to the touch. They end up stealing it together and (presumably) making love as she feels her first human contact of her life.

Meanwhile Lorne tells the gang he's going off on his own to do a spell to get his own powers back. Cordy doesn't want this and follows him with the intent to murder him. But it's a setup! Wes and Angel are they to catch her in the act as the episode ends.

I don't know why this episode has such a bizarrely low rating! I liked it just as much as the other episodes in this arc. Is it because Gunn sleeps with Gwen behind Fred's back? Is it because we have this odd aside episode about Gunn and Gwen that slows the pacing down to a crawl? I'm not sure. But whatever the reason, I disagree. The plot continues to move as they figure out Cordy's the big bad, Gunn develops further as a character, and we get some of the better action scenes of the series when Gunn fights off the Japanese businessmen. All in all, pretty damn good!

I'm re-watching the series and following along on IMDb as I go for trivia and guest stars. I read Joxerlives' reviews almost every episode because they are comprehensive and entertaining in themselves. For this episode, Joxerlives does the usual rundown but in my opinion, missed one tiny tidbit.

For the category of 'kinky dinky' there's a line about 30 minutes in where Angel has just written some demonic script and Wes tries to interpret it but it's nonsense and he says 'something about strangling poultry.' I think this is a thinly veiled joke as a play on words from 'choking a chicken'.

Crude, I know, but it made me grin.