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Angel || 2x14 || Discussion

🕑 Added 2021-12-28 21:06:00 +0000 UTC

Comments

Dipper

Interesting points. My perspective on it is somewhat different. I highly appreciate the statement about how the savage tactics were effective, because it provokes discussion on whether or not the ends justify the means. The episode's take leans heavily towards "it doesn't" but they make a wise choice in not spelling that out, so that it can't just be dismissed as being preachy in its own right; the people having the discussion can do that. Gunn's friends being annoyed at him for moving on is a fairly typical experience for anyone who leaves people behind to pursue greater things. Happens all the time, regardless of skin color, and happens especially when those left behind think they were owed some kind of loyalty or responsibility. Anyone who's ever had a little sibling complain when they went off to college can relate. I think there's some unintentional racism involved in assuming that skin color has anything to do with that conversation. As for the thug being a bad apple that spoils the bunch and makes it that much harder for racist people to look past their racism and evolve... that's just cold, hard reality. Also transcends race, as people representative of every ethnicity, sexuality, gender, heck even height, have most certainly said and done things to contribute negatively to the perception of their group as a whole. While it might be the racist's fault for judging the demographic based on the individual, the fact does remain that it would be nice if everyone aspired to be a better version of themselves and considered how their negative behavior reflects on those with whom they can be associated. I wish we made more messes like this rather than what passes for 'woke' commentary in the modern era.

zerofk

Anne is back, and how! Last time we saw her she was running a shelter - presumably this same one - but now we actually see her in the thick of it; we see her strength. When we first saw her she was meek, subserviant, and yes weak. Now? She breaks up a fight between Gunn and a thug with a gun. She's amazing.

Alexis Cardarella

Honestly, I think this episode is kind of a mess. I think the writers had good intentions, but, yeah. To me, it definitely has some mixed messages on discrimination/systemic racism. It's relevant first to acknowledge that, yes, this was written by white cishet liberal men twenty years ago. But yeah, on one hand, they seem intent to highlight the discrimination of police brutality, but on the other, the way they go about the commentary on black people in relation to that, is not so great. For one, when they used Gunn's character to play devil's advocate, I feel like they focused a bit too much on "guys like you make us lose credibility," with the one guy who forced his way in to the shelter. The way they focused on it could give credence to the idea that "yeah, we can acknowledge police brutality is a problem, but a significant amount of police brutality is provoked," (when we know it's not, and also, regardless of being provoked or not doesn't merit lethal force), to the really stupid argument of black on black crime being significant that's been refuted. Then, there was Gunn's friends who acted so very resentful that he had gotten off the streets... Which to me came across as it implying that black people of low socioeconomic status hold each other back or something. Then, lastly, there's Kate’s comment: a short but serious sentiment about murder statistics showing these police greatly reduced crime... That... landed the weirdest for me. Like, okay, so let's talk about the other very viable solutions to crime??? So yeah, it's an episode with good intentions, but just doesn't hold up in a lot of ways.