Angel (TV Series) Shells (2004) User Reviews

Because I look like her

[limetalhead · 9/10 · 7 October 2008]

I'm too sad to talk about the details. I'll just talk about my feelings on the situations. Wes telling Gunn that he didn't feel her die almost made me cry. Knox is a little piece of crap. While we knew that he was more or less responsible for the sarcophagus arriving, the fact that he was, for more or less, Illryia's priest and that he chose Fred made him even more of a schmuck. I was just waiting to see what happened when Wes found out about Gunn being the one who signed the customs release form. We all knew that Dr. Sparrow was involved but not the knew such intimate details about Illryia. SHOW CROSSOVER: The guy that plays Doc Sparrow also plays Ecklie on CSI and I have never liked him. Wes stabbing Gunn was poetic justice in my mind. Wes was shot helping Gunn's friends in season 2 and Gunn was the main catalyst for everyone abandoning Wesley in season 3. Finding out that Fred's soul was destroyed resurrecting Illyria and that she will never be at rest hurt me off more than it made me sad. What's good is that Gunn will now have to live with the pain that he was in someway involved with Fred's death. Knox getting shot and killed by Wes at Illryia's temple was very predictable but still good to see.

Illyria's emotional reaction to her army being destroyed showed that anyone and anything has feelings about something. Her asking Wesley to help teach her to live in this world because she can't go back was almost too much to bear. These 4 lines made me tear up more than anything else in the episode. Illyria: If I abide, you will help me? Wesley: Yes. Illyria: Because I look like her. Wesley: Yes.

One of the very best episodes of Angel

[fedrulez · 10/10 · 15 January 2011]

I really loved this ep. It's not the typical ep I like, it wasn't action bound and wasn't particularly thrilling. It had action moments no doubt but it wasn't one of the big grandiose action episodes. But the storyline was brilliant. I fully expected a formulaic ending: evil Fred (who's not Fred) goes on a rampage to conjure her army, the gang fight it and eventually win. But a really nice surprising twist: we are confronted with an old beast who doesn't know her/his position in the order of things anymore. Good and evil become almost blurred and it's a matter of evolution.

It's more of an evolutionary analysis, but it's as if evil Fred is the used to being the highest in the food chain - the T-rex. Now the T-Rex has come back into an unfamiliar world where they aren't top dog, where cunning, intelligence, back stabbing and greed get one ahead. I took it as not she's evil but just fulfilling a biologically ordained role. Now she has to adapt. She's lost her only connection to the world (her priest) and without her army attempts to befriend Wesley. She needs guidance, she's completely used to killing humans as if they are ants. And to her, she does view them as ants. Would we think twice about crushing an ant? About killing a cow to consume it? To her she is that far up the evolutionary chain to render humans as mere cockroaches to borrow Wesley's simile.

This all links in with how Gunn feels, he tries to be something he's not in a world he doesn't belong. The knowledge of the law can be intoxicating, lawyers are treated as a proud member of society. People of great learning and knowledge. Completely opposite to his original role as 'muscle'.

The one line that really stood out for me in this episode isn't the well written end scene where evil Fred and Wes are discussing humanity but when Harmony says "the girl of your dreams loved you, that's more than most people get".

One of the most brilliant episodes I've seen of the show since it's peak (IMO) of Season 2 and I'd rate it as far up there as Buffy's 'The Gift' in terms of philosophical questions and answers.

I've been unreasonable because I've lost all reason

[SleepTight666 · 10/10 · 12 May 2007]

I've been unreasonable because I've lost all reason - 'Shells' is not too far, not far at all from achieving as much as the previous episode 'A Hole In The World' managed to. I was immediately drawn to 'Illyria', there was just something about her that kept me wishing she wouldn't be destroyed, just her blue god-y presence made this episode what it was, also loved the time 'traveling' and her strange connection with 'Wesley' that was much more powerful than Fresley. Only negative side I can think of was 'Harmony', she once again proved how useless her character can be, but when 'Illyria' punched her all across the room it made it worth it. 'Wesley' still steals the episode by stabbing 'Gunn' and shooting 'Knox' during one of 'Angel's speeches - Were you even listening?. Also the fabulous fight scene between the fang gang and 'Illyria', the world of 'Illyria' being in ashes and the blue smurf asking 'Wesley' to help her walk on this earth made this one of the show's best episodes, not to mention the ending scene of when 'Fred' left home to live in LA while the song 'No Place Like Home' plays in the background, that was definitely tear-jerking. ILLYRIA: We cling to what is gone. Is there anything in this life but grief? WESLEY: There's love. There's hope... for some. There's hope that you'll find something worthy... that your life will lead you to some joy... that after everything... you can still be surprised. ILLYRIA: Is that enough? Is that enough to live on? (10 out of 10)

Bye bye Fred

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 25 April 2012]

The Good; Great battles and some real heartbreak for Wes and Gunn. Also like the skeleton key gag.

The Bad; Why do Wes and co keep attacking Illyria with swords etc when his axe just shatters off her head in the opening scene? Illyria mispronounces 'Offal'. The ending is perhaps a little overly maudlin compared to 'You're welcome'.

Best line; Harmony; "Sorry boss, if I'd have stopped her in Gunn's office..." Angel; "Did you get chucked out a window?" Harmony; "No" Angel; "Then you're one up on me!"

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Wes stabs Gunn

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés Subverting the Hollywood cliché; Illyria; "My last high priest was taller" plus Angel doing his 'save humanity' speech only for Wes to give Knox some Frank Castle style therapy with his Colt 45 (and I'm not talking about the beer!)

In disguise; 8

DB/JM get's his shirt off; 18,

Cheap Angel; 8

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 15 Wes: 8 Gunn; 8 Lorne; 6 Fred; 5 Spike; 6

Fang gang knocked out: Wes by Illyria Cordy: 15 Angel: 20 Wes: 10 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 8 Groo; 1 Connor; 1 Faith; 1 Fred; 7 Spike; 5

Kills; Wes kills Knox Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 48 vamps, 67 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 12 humans, one werewolf and one cyborg Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 16 demons+5 vamps, 5 zombies, 4 humans, 2 cyborgs Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 15 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamps+ 14 demons, 5 zombies Connor; 16 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons, Jasmine Spike; 21 vamps, 12 demons+1 human+one parasite

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 3 Angel: 3 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang; Cordy: 4 Angel: 12 Fred; 3 Wes; 1 Gunn; 1 Connor; 1 Lorne; 1

Characters killed: 2265

Recurring characters killed; 12

Total number of Angel Investigations; 5, Angel, Gunn, Lorne, Wes, Spike

Angel Investigations shot: although it's a wonder, they run in front of their SWAT team's guns? Angel: 14 Wes; 2

Packing heat; Wes armed to the hilt this ep Wes; 13 Doyle; 1 Angel; 4 Gunn; 3 Fred; 5

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast Angel: 6; Buffy, Darla, The Transcending Furies, Eve Wes; 3 definite; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 2 possible, Justine, Fred Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen. Fred; 1 Gunn, 1 possible Wes Groo; 1Cordy Spike; 3-Buffy, Anya, Harmony

Kinky dinky: Knox's mum thought he was reading porn. Let this be a lesson to us all, let your children read porn otherwise they'll turn into the crazed acolyte of an ancient demon warrior-goddess who plots to destroy humanity. Illyria strips in front of Knox. Spike agrees Harmony has a degree in tearing things up, his back? Angel refers to Jasmine violating CC. Harmony fancied Knox.

Captain Subtext; Harmony has great insight for a vamp, telling Wes the girl of his dreams loved him. She also comments that Knox's Rick Springfield screensaver opens a whole new bunch of questions.

Know the face, different character; 7

Parking garages; 9,

Guantanamo Bay; Everyone tortures everyone else, it's the Spanish inquisition! Love the way Wes is glad that Knox is tortured even before he knows Knox is a traitor.

Buffy characters on Angel; 17 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony. POSSIBLY The First Evil, Andrew.

Questions and observations; Note the weapons lined up by Fred's bedside. Harmony talks of her 'pound of flesh', a term from The Merchant of Venice which also features a climactic courtroom scene. Lornes isolation gradually growing. Willow is in Tibet, looking up Oz? Wes comments "Never a witch around when you need one", his wife of course Alysson Hannigan. 'Old ones' very Babylon 5 term. Note with the exception of Harmony who isn't part of AI Angel is now an all-male production? Is Fred's soul actually destroyed? Is that possible?

Knox comments that humans have conquered demons through opposable thumbs, fire, TV and sneakiness. Guess that settles the whole astronauts vs cavemen debate, the astronauts win out. Illyria know's WR&H of old? She could be a mine of info on them. Do you think she knew Glory too? She learns the hard way that the ravages of time wait for no man and can even bring a goddess to her knees. We see Wes pack away Fred's Roy Rogers commemorative plate which she mentioned to Knox about in an earlier ep. AI seems to rapidly be becoming the place for people with nowhere else to go. Harmony makes herself incredibly useful in this ep, even figuring out the cellphone messages.

Marks out of 10; 8/10

The One Where Fred Is Taken Over By Illyria...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 1 February 2015]

I love this episode. While it's sad to see Fred's character leave the show, it's nice that Fred's actress stays and plays a whole new character. It'd be fun to be able to play a character like Illyria. I love Illyria and I think that she is portrayed very well.

In this episode, Fred's body has been completely taken over by Illyria's spirit. And now she's got blue hair and some blue skin, for some reason. Everyone tries to save Fred, but once they understand that it's no longer possible and that Illyria is here to stay, they change their ideas and instead of trying to save someone who can no longer be saved, they stop Illyria's plan for world domination.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

Fred's Body Still Remains

[Samuel-Shovel · 7/10 · 28 May 2019]

In "Shells", Fred is gone and Illyria is in control of her corporeal body. The gang tries to stop Illyria and bring back Fred anyway possible. It is revealed that Gunn's deal with the devil is what caused all this to happen. An angry Wes stabs him for not telling them all sooner. Illyria and Knox try to unearth her army, only to discover that it's all turned to dust. Wes ends up shooting and killing Knox. Without anywhere to go, Illyria employs Wes for help on staying in this new, unfamiliar world. Because of her likeness to Fred, Wes agrees to as the episode ends.

The plotline has taken an interesting development here. Illyria is less of a villain so far and more of a misunderstood character. It wasn't her decision to take over Fred's body; it was Knox who picked her. Illyria clearly doesn't understand emotion but seems interested in Wes's attachment to Fred. Whether she gets an arc similar to that of Anya remains to be seen. But Illyria has the potential to have interesting developments. (Be that as it may, there are only a handful of episodes left to work with). What Wes decides to do though, time will tell.