043. A Hole In The World (Angel)

"Please Wesley, why can't I stay?"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 25th February 2004
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 5, Episode 15
WRITTEN BY: Joss Whedon

Only Joss Whedon could follow up the funniest episode of the series (Smile Time, reviewed earlier on this blog) with the most heartbreaking. And that's no understatement with A Hole In The World. It is utterly heart wrenching. Joss' reputation for being ruthless in killing off characters is legedary, but this shocked everyone.

Fred Burkle was the nicest, sweetest, most adorable character on the show.  She'd been a pleasant presence for over 3 seasons. And for this, she is rewarded with the most brutal, painful and agonizing death possible, which she did nothing to deserve. She goes out terrified, and it's really hard to watch. The point is to inspire emotion in the audience, and it certainly does that. This is true for the team too. Angel simply has to say Fred's name to motivate his team into working to stop her from succumbing to the goddess Illyria. All of them loved Fred, even hardass rogue Spike.

Of course, Wesley loved Fred the most. Their relationship was a slow burning one, and barely even got going before it was taken away. It all started off so well for them, but the romantic kiss they share at they start of the episode would be the last time they were truly happy.

No-one could have expected the episode to be so emotionally powerful, and the intensity is upped at every opportunity. Angel and Spike are given the tough decision to let Fred die, knowing the alternative was worse. Gunn is feeling really guilty about his part in Fred's condition. Whedon sure loves to make his character suffer. And the acting is just fantastic every step of the way.

The titular scene is a surprisingly profound moment when Spike looks down into the emptiness below and muses that there's a hole in the world. A great metaphor for the hollowness of life.

042. Numbers (Lost)

"Ok, that thing in the woods: maybe it's a monster, maybe it's a pissed-off giraffe, I don't know. The fact that no-one is even looking for us, yeah, that's weird, but I just go along with it, because I'm along for the ride, good old fun-time Hurley! Well, guess what? Now, I want some friggin' answers!"

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 2nd March 2005
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 18
WRITTEN BY: Brent Fletcher & David Fury

Hurley was the last person to get their past explored out of the original cast, but it was worth the wait, as he got one of the most inventive and original backstories of the lot, which tied in directly to the Island plot. And in trademark Hurley style, it was not without its humour, either. Moments like his house catching fire and the man who falls off a building right behind him were totally hilarious.

The adventure in the A-plot is a lot of fun, as Hurley finally takes the leadership role and goes on a mission to find Danielle. There's plenty of excitement along the way as they encounter traps, old bridges and explosives. It's also a great episode for exploring Hurley's character. He really grows a lot over the course of the episode as he takes charge for the first time. The scene where he confronts Danielle and his relief when she tells him he's not crazy is a great moment.

Etched in every Lost fan's brain, the numbers became a core part of the series' mythology. The "curse" plot blends the supernatural with the outlandish and opens the door on one of the show's most outlandish mysteries. Hurley's encounter with Leonard is the mental institution is an intriguing moment.

Having been relegated to secondary character status most of the season, this is the episode Jorge Garcia announced himself as an integral part of the show and Numbers is the perfect blend of mystery, action and humour.