In wartime, it seems there's a big difference between going on a mission that's "almost certain death" and going on a kamikaze mission.

I don't think Wes intended to die. I just think he entered the battle living only to accomplish his mission.

Yes. I can go with that.

I actually like the idea that he was beginning to get better because it makes it hurt worse that he died then.

Something else that occurred to me: Numero Cinco's tragedy was that he outlived his brothers. And Angel's doing his best to avoid that. The band of brothers(-plus-weird-asexual-immortal-sibling) facing the apocalypse together. And I loved the intercut fighting because of the way all the separate fights were woven into one fight.

I was always a bit upset that they didn't at least acknowledge that Angel and Chanterelle (and Buffy) had crossed paths just a little

I think that they did make a small allusion in the ep where we first saw her in Angel.

And I want Illyria to tell it to him.

Would this be before or after she decides to assume Fred's identity as a disguise, and continues to fight the good fight as Illyria?

Something else that occurred to me: Numero Cinco's tragedy was that he outlived his brothers. And Angel's doing his best to avoid that. The band of brothers(-plus-weird-asexual-immortal-sibling) facing the apocalypse together. And I loved the intercut fighting because of the way all the separate fights were woven into one fight.

Yes! All of this!

And it's a lovely bit of synchronicity both that "Anne" takes place in LA, and that Buffy in "Anne" was the most like the pre-Buffy Angel AtS eventually developed: hurt, withdrawn, self-hating, brooding -- and drawn out by the necessity for heroism, despite herself.

Aren't many of the shots in the opening credits from Anne?

It's possible Lorne did know without Angel having to tell him that he would kill Lindsay.

Smallville quoted from the Godfather far more closely, so maybe that's why I don't see it so much. Someone mentioned something above that actually put me in mind of Down By Law-- the film about a prison break that shows almost literally everything but the prison break. The actual fight itself, not as important anymore.

CNN shouldn't make me sniffly- but I open it up and see this headline: Study: Good death as important as long life .

Micole, loved the Anne/Buffy thoughts. Now I'm all choky again.

Someone mentioned something above that actually put me in mind of Down By Law-- the film about a prison break that shows almost literally everything but the prison break. The actual fight itself, not as important anymore.

Interesting. I know I mentioned that I loved how the "big battle" basically got to be an afterthought, but I never groked on DOWN BY LAW (which is up there with DEAD MAN as my favorite Jarmousch movie). I know that the BUTCH CASSIDY comparison doesn't work for me for this ending - no "freeze frame into legend" moment, for one. Also, I'm glad they didn't do the obvious opposite and go all WILD BUNCH, because I wanted the end to still be suspeneded. Unknown. The outcome is likely to be them all dead (although, Angel's probably still juiced up from Hamilton, and though Hamilton gave her a smackdown, Illyria was still strong enough to do what she did to the car bad guys AND still have more than an enough ooomph to pulverize super mage's head), but I like that "We. Don't. Know." Which is why THELMA AND LOUISE doesn't work either.

Writing that out made me think of one of my favorite moments from last night - the baddies in the car turn on the lights, and there's that wonderful shot of Illyria cocking her head with mild curiosity and a whole lot of "you are SO dead".

I'm torn- I won't delete it from the tivo until I've seen it again, I don't want to see it again anytime soon, I don't want to delete the last ME show ever (or at least for a while).

I loved it, Mr. H was a bit ticked that he didn't get to see the final big fighty fight, but ah well.