Surely the fact that we know that Spike and Angel were intimate one time is even more interesting in light of their not being intimate with both Dru and Darla concurrently.

Okay, there's no real through line there, but I really enjoyed typing it out.

Doesn't Shanshu mean some sort of combo of living and dying, which the MoG simply assumed meant "becoming mortal/human?"

The word Shanshu means death, but the culture behind the language view life and death as the same thing, so Wesley's supposition is that Angel both lives and dies: that is, becomes human until he dies properly. Which, frankly, is a neat interpretation, but it could mean something else entirely.

And chiming in with the "Oh my God! He killed Drogyn! That bastard!"

ETA: Cool post, Micole!

Final interpretation of the Shashu prophecy (from the shooting script--I don't have quick/easy access to a transcript, and the lines in shooting scripts can vary from what is aired)

WESLEY: Ooops.

They look at him.

WESLEY (cont'd): I may have made a tiny mistake... (to Angel) ...that word shanshu, that I said meant you were going to die... actually I think it means you're going to live.

CORDELIA: Okay, as tiny mistakes go, that's not one!

WESLEY: Shanshu has roots in so many different languages, and there's no precise word for it in English -- but the most ancient source is the Proto-Bantu, and they consider life and death the same thing. Part of a cycle. (looks up) Only a thing that is not alive never dies.

Wesley looks back to the Scroll, getting excited.

WESLEY (cont'd): It's saying you get to live until you die... (looks up at Angel) ...it's saying you become human.

CORDELIA: That's the Prophecy?

WESLEY: (re: scroll) ...the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu...become human. It's his reward.

CORDELIA: Wow... Angel, human.

PUSHING IN ON ANGEL, smiling distantly.

ANGEL: That'd be nice.

A beat as they all take this in. She turns to Wes.

CORDELIA: What's that thing about him having to fulfill his destiny first?

WESLEY: Well... it means it won't happen tomorrow or the next day... he has to survive the coming darkness, the apocalyptic battles, a few plagues and some...several...not that many fiends that will be unleashed upon the world.

Maybe Drogyn's only mostly dead.

Oh, and I forgot:

Angel/Spike! Angel/Spike in canon! woooot!

Hee.

Well... it means it won't happen tomorrow or the next day... he has to survive the coming darkness...

Like blocking out the sun last year.

...the apocalyptic battles...

Plenty of those. This year and last year, certainly.

...a few plagues

Your definition of "plague" may vary, but one could argue that he's survived a kind of plague, like the Jasmine-love infection. And prevented a plague when he didn't remove Illyria and allow her to spread through the masses.

and some...several...not that many fiends that will be unleashed upon the world.

Every week.

OH!

I have a nitpick!

10-1? What, does Angel know NOTHING about betting and odds and ARGH!

Dude, odds are way lower than 10-1 that the SPs are gonna bust one on you. Try closer to 1-5. From a dialogue standpoint, though, "even money" makes more sense, and is MORE ACCURATE.

Ahem.

Surprised that in the few comparisons of the masked & robed freemasons, no one compared it to Eyes Wide Shut. I can't think of anything more similar. (Also, I happen to like that movie, so save it.)

What, does Angel know NOTHING about betting and odds and ARGH!

If Doyle were here, he'd have gotten it right.

Surprised that in the few comparisons of the masked & robed freemasons, no one compared it to Eyes Wide Shut. I can't think of anything more similar. (Also, I happen to like that movie, so save it.)

I liked it too. As much as you can like something that totally freaking creeps you out in a way that almost no movie could ever hope to do.

I think there was a comparison made to Eyes Wide shut -- something about how it was like that, but without the boobs. Feel too lazy to nilly it though.