What the heck did ever happen to the PTB, anyhoo?

They're taking a nap. Since they're eternal, a nap lasts 5 years.

Which I should read sometime soon. Is it good?

I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I'm not comics girl by any stretch. Which is to say, take my opinion with a grain of salt if you're looking for the seasoned comics person's take. But I liked it muchly.

I was fine with the ending. And I also would like to have seen some actual battle, but I'm OK with not. Hey, he said he was gonna share the pain. I have a lot of love for the ep. Wesley broke my heart several times. Dear lord. I have absolutely been loving Gunn for the last several eps. Lov. Ing. Him. Illyria had some just beautiful lines. The Connor wrap-up in this ep and Origin? So happy with that. And Angel goes out (or goes on) fighting. It's all good by me.

Except for the gaping hole where I wanted S6 to be.

(Edited for word choice)

Quoted from somewhere else:

Since when can one alter prophesized events by signing the prophecy away, even in blood? The piece of paper isn't the prophecy itself; it's just the report of the prophecy. (Buffy, Season 1 finale: "Oh, so if I prick my finger and write "Buffy" in the book then I won't die! Cool! No, Giles, I don't care about how much the bloodstains will ruin the centuries-old tome.")

Yeah, I'm completely unconvinced that Angel has given up the chance of shanshu. When has messing with a prophecy been successful on this show? Ever?

And then I really missed Tim. I don't think anyone understood Wesley, Angel, or Lindsey better.

Yes, yes, yes. I know I shouldn't be surprised because the whole season felt like a different show, but none of that episode felt like AtS to me. Last night it seemed like they were willfully ignoring a lot of what had come before. ("Epiphany" "Inside Out") I wish Tim could have written the finale.

I think he was telling Lindsay what he wanted to hear, to get him to do what was needed. Lindsay mentioned a few times about being 'part of the team' and it feeling good (did he?). I got the impression Angel used and tossed him like tissue paper.

Right. I meant the line to Eve about Lindsay never coming back would make no sense, if Angel wasn't lying to Lindsay and actually intended to see him at the head of W&H.

Secondly, Illyria did not hit on Gunn.

I know that I made a "Illyria-hit-on-Gunn" comment during watch N post. I. was. kidding.

Thought the show ended perfectly, and it is of absolutely zero importance if they won or lost the fight. It was, however, of absolute importance that they went out fighting.

That's the point.

Finally to the end of the thread, so now you get a bunch of kinda random impressions from me:

I liked the ending, and it felt very fitting.

I think Angel's "last job" for Lorne was shooting Lindsey. Also, Lindsey's dying words being "Angel ..." made me giggle. Lorne is going to go off someplace and quietly drink himself to death, because he will never be able to reconcile his shooting Lindsey with who he thought he was.

Poor Wes! I was spoiled for his death, but it still made me teary-eyed. Wes asking Illyria to finally lie to him was a nice call-back to Buffy asking Giles to lie to her in "Lie to Me". (And since I'm a big ol' sap, I am sitting here getting choked up over the notion that Illyria, having survived the Big End Battle, will go back to Wes' apartment, open a box, and spend a few minutes looking at Feigenbaum the bunny, with that expression of "I am feeling grief and nostalgia, and I don't think I like it" going across her face.)

I'm actually glad Angel didn't stake Harmony, but had the foresight to write her a letter of recommendation. I would have been even happier if somehow Harmony had gotten a soul and ended up Shanshu-ing, but that's been my cherished delusion for a while now.

Yeah, I'm completely unconvinced that Angel has given up the chance of shanshu. When has messing with a prophecy been successful on this show? Ever?

S'true -- we were just talking about it with Connor and Sahjahn a few weeks ago.