Ok, this may not make anyone feel any different about the ep. But at least now we know it was a problem in EXECUTION and not merely the lamest shite since - hell, I can't even think of an appropriate comparison. Read on for a letter a friend of mine received re her OL review of "Tomorrow":

I always enjoy your reviews of 'Angel' and appreciate your insight and enthusiasm for the show. I was a bit confused by your review of 'Tomorrow' though. Maybe you were being sarcastic about Cordelia's "magic mirror" scene, but I wanted make sure you knew there was NO magic mirror.

While Cordy was musing about loving Angel, she got a *vision* of herself -- she was actually seeing the conversation she would have with Skip later. Her visions are always of people in trouble, but because she was thinking with her heart rather than her head she chose to see the vision as advice instead of a warning. So she called Angel, set off, ran into Skip, got the news, decided pretty quickly she's ready to go off to be a higher being -- basically blowing off the potential romance for the great promotion. She may like Angel lots but she sure as heck doesn't love him, no matter what Lorne says.

The implication is that the Powers want her to beware of something, but she ignores them, and as that totally cheesy ascension happened I had a sense of her being in almost as much danger as Angel. Maybe you want to rewatch. I'm not suggesting you'll like the Cordy parts of 'Tomorrow'any better, but there is a fair amount of complexity and undertone to her situation.
 

To which I went, er..huh? To which my friend 'splained:
 
 

OK. When Cordy saw the magic mirror that said, "I feel it's right!", when she was thinking about Angel alone in her room after Groo left? That was NOT a magic mirror. That was a vision. (Remember how she hasn't been able to necessarily discern between vision and reality since "Birthday"?) The dialogue and the sparkly background -- that ALL came from her later meeting with Skip. Cordelia wasn't being given spiritual guidance about her feelings for Angel; she was being sent a vision of the future. And the Powers don't send her visions of GOOD things that are going to happen. They send her warnings. Cordy didn't heed the warning.

In other words, Cordelia's own hubris led her to accept a mysterious offer from a demon (Skip's funny, but what the hell do we know about his motives?) that took her away from Angel (when he needed her to help him) and has probably delivered her to a place she didn't need to go. 

There was no ascension. Cordelia's pride has delivered her into a prison that ain't gonna be as sparkly as the lights. I still think it was stupid of the episode not to make it clearer, but GOD, this makes a lot more sense now. And has me not despairing about Cordy but being really amped about next year, when we see her mad as hell and in deep shit for which she has only herself to blame.

And so I say a great big "whew."
 

And so do I. Cause yea, no one *got it* because of peculiar editing and lousy delivery, but it *sure as hell* beats what we all saw as St. Cordelia, Our Lady of Lameass Plot Devices Everywhere.

Interesting, non?

Chat on LJ

OF THE THEN
 

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