Discussion of 1.21 "Blind Date" - Aired 5/16/2000

[Flannen]

Lindsey McDonald, Wolfram & Hart's wunderkind, finally has a crisis of conscience when a vicious, blind assassin is sent after a group of young kids. Now he must convince Angel that, despite his past actions, his motives this time are honorable.

Source: TV.com

Discuss this episode here!

 

[Jules]

Following on from the Jesse/Xander storyline in the previous episode, Gunn got over his sister's death pretty quick. I enjoyed watching Gunn's distraction scene, it was so funny!! I also love that Cordy was speaking to Willow to help her decrypt those files. That evil woman was so freaky but watching Angel play musical statues while fighting her was funny as well. I love Lyndsey, he's such a complex character. He starts out wanting to get away from W&H and ends up getting promoted.

 

[Charmander]

I felt that Lee could have taken on a bigger role, he was a good antagonist. Maybe I just really liked the W + H trio. (But that mind reading scene was great, so it was worth it)
Lindsey is also awesome. I like how he's not portrayed as a solidly evil guy, despite having come across that way since his character was introduced.

 

[Mr Trick]

This felt like a set up episode to me for what was to come. It was very solid, and I thought there some great scenes with Lindsey and W&H. But certain plot points were a bit flimsy, and I wanted more from the Vanessa character.

 

[Carrie Hopewell]

This episode definitely works as a set-up to the next episode, so reviewing it alone it's a bit weird. But before getting to the part of the episode that continues something that was brought up in the previous episode ('War Zone') and that will be continued in the next episode ('To Shanshu in L.A'), some observations about 'Blind Date':

- I don't like the 'blind' woman, the episode would have better if she were more convincing. I did like the final confrontation between her and Angel. It was funny to see what her weakness was and the concept of the woman itself was interesting.
- I liked the inclusion of Gunn in this episode and, obviously, his grand entrance in the W&H buildings was iconic.
- I think this is one of Lindsey's best episodes. All scenes with him were fantastic, his conflicts bring a touch of humanity to the evil law firm. The way Holland tries to tap into Lindsey's potential, not by threatening him, but by appealing to and indulging in his existential crisis is refreshing. And it works! Lindsey is made Junior Partner.
- I appreciate the way Angel behaves when Lindsey's telling him his sad story, it really doesn't justify the monstrous things he's doing for W&H. I found some parts of Angel's speech inspiring however ("You're panicking right now. You can't believe how bad you let things get. That's not change. You have to make a decision to change. That's something you do by yourself. Most people, they never do."). Wise words Angel, so very true.
- Lastly, the grand theft was well executed. I really liked the moment when Angel grabbed the scroll (especially now that I know what it means and how the story ends).

I haven't mentioned my favorite part of the episode, made me tear up a bit too. This exchange:

Angel: "I have no place in their world at all. [...] How am I expected to do battle if I can't even get into the ring?"
Wesley: "You have a place, Angel. Our battle will be fought elsewhere."
Angel: "It's still their world, Wesley. Structured for power, not truth. It's their system, and it's one that works. It works because there is no guilt, there is no torment, no consequences. It's pure. I remember what that was like. Sometimes I miss that clarity. [...] Nothing ever changes."

The plot twist here is that Lindsey comes in looking to change and in the end chooses not to, validating Angel's idea of humanity. People do seldom make the right changes in their life. However, the conclusion to this argument comes at the end of the episode:

Wesley: "There is a design, Angel. Hidden in the chaos as it may be, but - it's there - and you have your place in it."

That final line about Angel having a place in the world is a call back to the previous episode, when Angel explains "what he wants": "Big question. What do I want? Love, family, a place on this planet I can call my own [...]"). Angel adds that he can never have those things. 'Blind Date' seems to answer Angel's dilemma. Although he isn't a part of humanity in the strictest sense (no identity card or even last name), he does have a place in the world. Like Wesley explains, the reference to him in the 'Shanshu Prophecy' supports the idea that the PTB have an agenda for him, that he is needed in the big scheme of things.

What I don't understand then, is why this revelation repeated in the next episode. 'To Shanshu in L.A' starts with Wesley's realization that Angel can never be a part of the world because there is nothing he desires. Though that's true, it does feel odd after the previous episode. Furthermore, 'To Shanshu in L.A' ends with the realization that Angel will have a place in the world because the desire to Shanshu, to have that reward, will make him part of the humanity, bringing things full circle.

So perhaps, 'Blind Date' is about having a purpose, a place in the world (he is part of the prophecy so he has a purpose), but 'To Shanhsu in L.A' is about being a part of the world - Angel's desire to fulfill the prophecy binds him to humanity, people are driven by something, that's what motivates and changes them.

To end on a less serious note, Angel's safety glasses looked ridiculous on him, made him look like a mad scientist!

 

[Bluebird]

This episode definitely works as a set-up to the next episode, so reviewing it alone it's a bit weird. But before getting to the part of the episode that continues something that was brought up in the previous episode ('War Zone') and that will be continued in the next episode ('To Shanshu in L.A'), some observations about 'Blind Date':

- I don't like the 'blind' woman, the episode would have better if she were more convincing. I did like the final confrontation between her and Angel. It was funny to see what her weakness was and the concept of the woman itself was interesting.
- I liked the inclusion of Gunn in this episode and, obviously, his grand entrance in the W&H buildings was iconic.
- I think this is one of Lindsey's best episodes. All scenes with him were fantastic, his conflicts bring a touch of humanity to the evil law firm. The way Holland tries to tap into Lindsey's potential, not by threatening him, but by appealing to and indulging in his existential crisis is refreshing. And it works! Lindsey is made Junior Partner.
- I appreciate the way Angel behaves when Lindsey's telling him his sad story, it really doesn't justify the monstrous things he's doing for W&H. I found some parts of Angel's speech inspiring however ("You're panicking right now. You can't believe how bad you let things get. That's not change. You have to make a decision to change. That's something you do by yourself. Most people, they never do."). Wise words Angel, so very true.
- Lastly, the grand theft was well executed. I really liked the moment when Angel grabbed the scroll (especially now that I know what it means and how the story ends).

I haven't mentioned my favorite part of the episode, made me tear up a bit too. This exchange:

Angel: "I have no place in their world at all. [...] How am I expected to do battle if I can't even get into the ring?"
Wesley: "You have a place, Angel. Our battle will be fought elsewhere."
Angel: "It's still their world, Wesley. Structured for power, not truth. It's their system, and it's one that works. It works because there is no guilt, there is no torment, no consequences. It's pure. I remember what that was like. Sometimes I miss that clarity. [...] Nothing ever changes."

The plot twist here is that Lindsey comes in looking to change and in the end chooses not to, validating Angel's idea of humanity. People do seldom make the right changes in their life. However, the conclusion to this argument comes at the end of the episode:

Wesley: "There is a design, Angel. Hidden in the chaos as it may be, but - it's there - and you have your place in it."

That final line about Angel having a place in the world is a call back to the previous episode, when Angel explains "what he wants": "Big question. What do I want? Love, family, a place on this planet I can call my own [...]"). Angel adds that he can never have those things. 'Blind Date' seems to answer Angel's dilemma. Although he isn't a part of humanity in the strictest sense (no identity card or even last name), he does have a place in the world. Like Wesley explains, the reference to him in the 'Shanshu Prophecy' supports the idea that the PTB have an agenda for him, that he is needed in the big scheme of things.

What I don't understand then, is why this revelation repeated in the next episode. 'To Shanshu in L.A' starts with Wesley's realization that Angel can never be a part of the world because there is nothing he desires. Though that's true, it does feel odd after the previous episode. Furthermore, 'To Shanshu in L.A' ends with the realization that Angel will have a place in the world because the desire to Shanshu, to have that reward, will make him part of the humanity, bringing things full circle.

So perhaps, 'Blind Date' is about having a purpose, a place in the world (he is part of the prophecy so he has a purpose), but 'To Shanhsu in L.A' is about being a part of the world - Angel's desire to fulfill the prophecy binds him to humanity, people are driven by something, that's what motivates and changes them.

To end on a less serious note, Angel's safety glasses looked ridiculous on him, made him look like a mad scientist!

I really like this episode, and agree with your review. I think it's held together very well by some wonderful character work and dialogue. Lindsey, Holland, and Angel are so well realised in this ep. The scene between Lindsey and Holland, after the execution, is one of my favourites of the whole season. Seeing Lindsey's blank expression, while still showing blood on his face from Mercer, was brilliant. It could come across as arch villainy, but to me it was perfectly insidious.

 

[Mr Trick]

Yes I'd say that this was Lindsey's best episode up to this point. And it is one of the best episodes of the whole season for me. Its just a shame that Lilah wasn't given more to do in those early episodes. I still think she's a much better character than Lindsey.

 

[Give Us A Kiss]

Angel's fighting vamps again, wonder what it is this time.

He accidentally staked a human

The blind lady has some great reflexes.

Wes, that makes sense, people tend to overcompensate for skills they lack.

W&H are defending her, not surprising...

The blind lady is creeping me out...

Good point, she has an excellent work ethic

"Harvest time of year", doesn't sound too good.

Children=vampire hunters ???

Good thing it wasn't Angel who staked him

Angel misses being soulless ???

Lindsay wants out

If Lindsay is telling the truth, I feel kind of bad for him

Lindsay could use some of Angel's lessons on redemption.

Gunn clearly seems to be grieving his sister by his attitude towards Angel

Angel with protective goggles

Gunn has a point, W&H are racist...

Dust kills demons

Angel, you seriously underestimated W&H's level of security

Disloyalty hurts you ???

Ouch!

Cordy's computer skills sure have improved since her days in Sunnydale

Lindsay, you will get a fatal bullet eventually, but not today.

W&H are more evil than I thought...

Willow is giving Cordy advice on how to break into encrypted computer files, does this take place before the destruction of The Initiative ???

The mentor has arrived, but the blind lady kills him

and Lindsay comes just in time.

The blind lady looks a tiny bit like Amy Acker...

Angel has defeated her

A passage about Angel, why doesn't this surprise me ???

Lindsay, I think you have been fired...

Apparently, he's getting a new permanent job...

He gives in, and takes the job offer

Next time: More W&H trouble.

 

[Mr Trick]

Really like this episode. Think its one of the best of S1.

 

[Antho]

Finally we refocus on Wolfram and Hart, it was really time. It seems that the screenwriters have just realized that they had something to exploit. They went to explore other tracks that did not lead them far, they waded, now they are heading in the right direction. Better late than never ! From a scenario point of view Wolfram & Hart was mismanaged. They are presented as formidable opponents with a lot of unimaginable resources but if you look at the season well, their actions have been limited, they have not often acted against Angel, it was often the opposite. So I had a little trouble seeing this power they boast constantly. I am glad that they are more highlighted here and that we explore their universe. We enter in the backstage of the structure and I am fascinated. I love the whole side "Supernatural High Tech" with this demon that acts like an anti-vampire alarm, telepaths that read in the thoughts of the employees (better than to undergo examinations), and the bewitched double glazing that does not let the rays of the sun pass. The atmosphere is tense there, they are clearly all in competition and everyone knows that all the blows are allowed and that whatever they do, there will be consequences ! Lee paid him with his life, he sought his personal profit, he wanted to double his boss and he paid the high price for his betrayal. When he took the bullet in his head, it was so unexpected, he was coldly dejected and Lyndsey's reaction was priceless, he was blank ! In fact, it was also my reaction. It is crazy as this place breathe normality, because from an external point of view it is only a law firm and the employees are human, and it breathes abnormality at the same time because the customers are demons, not sure if the labour law is respected, and the employees musn't have unions.

Holland Manners enters in the game ! Then he captivates directly. As much as it took me a little time while before being attached to Lilah or Lyndsey, as much as with him I'm impressed from his first appearance. The actor is really good in his role. It shows immediately that he is a man of power, who has principles, beliefs to which he holds much and which he is not ready to betray. He seems to have understood everything in life, he is intelligent, manipulative, machiavellian, full of charisma, class, at last he impresses me ! These speeches are filled with lyrics that are both glacial, spiritual, ambitious and of great fineness. He was able to attract Lyndsey in his nets. He killed Lee because he was serving his own interests first and he leaves Lyndsey alive because he fights for something he defends, something he believes and which is not is his interest. Holland clearly perceives that if he can manage to make Lyndsey have the same vision of things as him, he can make him a powerful soldier, one who will not fight for himself but for what he believes. He does he put pressure or force Lyndsey's choice, he leaves to him his free will because he knows that a constrained ally is not faithful or that ally intimidated by a fear is not stable or effective while someone who joins a cause of his own free will, it will be a much more significant act. On the other hand, Holland allows himself to influence him, notably thanks to this promotion, he makes Lyndsey aware of what he will lose if he leaves this place and what he will have if he stays !

The episode stimulates reflection by taking the characters to wonder about the place they occupy in this world. The life we have had, we lead, personality, desires, physical appearance, there are a large number of factors that influence our actions that determine how we live. The questions asked by the different protagonists are fairly well explored :

- Lyndsey : He's an ambiguous character and he proves it here. He knows perfectly well what he is engaged in and until then it does not disrupt him more than that. Apparently the murder of children seems to violate his moral code. He is not a holy, he covers and commits hateful acts, but he has limits, and that is what makes him so particularly interesting. His story, although cliché (it is already heard the history of the poor child who grew up in misery) remains consistent with his behavior. It is someone who no longer wants to be trampled, who wants to crush, who no longer wants to owe anything to someone but that on the contrary we owe him. He wants to have control over his existence, that no one ever imposes on him anything, he is in search of power ! All of his actions, especially his final choice, are motivated by that. And it is ultimately this ambition of power that leads him to stay at Wolfram and Hart, he chooses his own place. He signs his future. Christian Kane has very well interpreted all these contours of the character.

-Angel : The release of the blind woman forces him to question the importance of his role, his actions, his mission. He makes a very pretty tirade about power precisely. He realizes that truth does not always triumph, that he has enemies in front of him who have a power superior to his own because they act without any morality. He is frustrated because he feels his helplessness. It is amusing to see him in such a state of mind where he comes to envy this power when we know his past. When he questions himself, fate sends to him a small sign of hope with the discovery of the Shanshu Prophecy. Frankly, I love the moment when he stops in front of the parchment, he feels that it concerns him and I very much like the expression of David Boreanaz (including later when Wesley announces to him that indeed it speaks of him) . Angel was in the grip of doubts, it brings him hope and with that an objective and a greater motivation.

-The Blind Woman : Unlike many of you I loved the passages with her. She is creepy, I love her because every passage with her is filled with nervous tension. Whenever I saw her on the screen, I didn't moove . Then her character proves that a handicap does not always prevent to live, we can adapt, to learn to live with, to use it to develop other senses, transformed this weakness into strength (well afterwards it depends on the handicap and the gravity). Of course, she is not using it for the good cause, but her motivation has propelled her very far and her blindness has not stopped her. In any case, I really like the message that is conveyed, namely that we all have our place in this world with our strengths and our weaknesses.

-Gunn : Through him, the episode speaks briefly about discriminations. It is much shorter and tackled less seriously but there is talk about rights violated under the pretext of a difference in skin color and Gunn exposes it very well when he lands in the law office, does a scandal to make diversion and takes the opportunity to say that despite being black, he has as much right as anyone.
What is unfortunate is that the reason for wanting to help Angel to infiltrate Wolfram and Hart is the danger. I do not find it consistent with the previous episode where he was playing with danger and it cost him his sister's life. I thought he understood that he had to calm down. I'm not disturb by his decision, he does the right thing by accepting, but not for that reason otherwise it shows that he did not understand the lesson.

+1 for the infiltration scene and collaboration between Angel/Lyndsay. I really like the duality between the characters and the connection between David Boréanaz and Christian Kane.

 

[Mylie]

I have a newfound appreciation for this episode!

I used to not think much of it because Vanessa didn't seem very interesting or memorable to me as a villain but the rest is so good and the real villain is W&H anyway.

I think it's a very good episode for Angel, I love the way it sets up the season finale and I even appreciate Lindsey in it, who I don't particularly care for in general.

The W&H stuff is really entertaining. I loved seeing the power dynamics there.

The Cordelia/Willow phonecall was a nice touch! I just wish they had mentioned it on btvs.

Angel trying to get into the W&H building was kind of ridiculous and made me laugh.

Watching this episode, it's clear to me that the Shanshu prophecy can only be about Angel. I don't know why he'd feel compelled to take it, without knowing why, if it wasn't about him.

 

[telperion66]

This is a particularly good episode.

The Holland Manners/Lindsey stuff is just excellent and overall the whole cast perform their roles beautifully.

The "heist" plot is well executed and its refreshing to see Lindsey show some heart and feel the need to team up with Angel Investigations (albeit temporarily).

There's a beautiful moment when Angel feels the need to steal the prophecy scroll from the vault at Wolfram & Hart, without really knowing why, tempered by some nice words of understanding from Wesley directed at Angel to conclude the episode.

Overall, stellar viewing, and great on re-watch if you haven't seen it in a while.

8/10

PS. Also, I love the emphasis on Lindsey's personal "career dilemma" working under Holland at W&H.. They play this nicely throughout the episode, culminating in the big twist with him choosing to stay with the "evil" law firm at the end.

 

[Oromous]

No Daredevil reference? I'm insulted. 😆

Before this episode, W&H didn't really intrigue me much as an antagonist. Lawyers are bloodsuckers just like vampires, I get it, but the show didn't really make much effort going beyond that fatuous point. They felt generic, like most "evil lawyer" antagonists. Lindsey switching sides does feel like a good attempt to lend some depth to the villains and explore what it's like to be a scummy lawyer that gets murderers off. Buuuuut...

*Lindsey justifying his Evulz with his bad childhood*
Angel: "Oof, I nodded off. Could you get to the part where you're Evulz?"

This was the first of many fun cliche-subversion in the episode. Angel's mockery of Lindsey's Freudian sob story is perfect. Usually, I would expect this kind of clever subversion over at Buff's (since AtS is usually more busy dealing with serious themes than subverting tropes), but this cliche of "boo hoo, the world made me turn evil" was something I'm so glad Angel wasted no time justifying. Perfect.

Charles Gunn: "Woo hoo! They told me it was true, but I didn't believe them. Evil white folks really DO have a mecca!"

Charles almost stole the entire show for this episode. Playing around with the "black guy with a white man's chip on his shoulder" cliche was awesome, but I feel like this scene just wouldn't have worked as well without August Richards' award-winning panache. That's a Wesley Snipes-quality level acting right there. I hope his character shows up more.

Then of course, there's the whole bait-and-switch-and-another-switch with Lindsey thinking that he's caught, but it's really Evil Bazinga/Lee Marcer who got brain-blasted... but then it's eventually revealed that Lindsey is still caught anyway. I love this toying with the audience expectations.

The moment Cordy mentioned "encryption," I knew Willow had to make an appearance in this show somehow... even if it's an off-screen appearance. Still glad she and Cordy got to catch up though.

Cordelia (while busying decrypting important files): "Willow says hey."

Classic.

Holland Manners is terrifying in this episode, not just because he's able to ooze so much threat with mere words alone, but because I've actually met a couple of real life Holland Manners in my time, having that kind of firm belief in their own twisted philosophy yet having enough charisma to convince everyone else to believe in it. For a more mature show like Angel, Holland is a suitable Big Bad that relies on psychological manipulations over raw strength, the latter of which is more of Buffy villains' forte.

But ultimately, it's Lindsey here who gets the spotlight of being the Villain of the Year for being a far more compelling and relatable character. In his position of poverty desiring the paycheck the world has owed him, I would've probably done the same thing. It's a good direction Angel is taking, understanding that reality is often more complicated than just "taking the moral high ground," and sometimes, our selfish desires are understandable, even if deplorable.

Another nice theme of this episode is also the age-old theme of free will vs. fatalism so familiar to the Buffyverse, something I've really come to enjoy pondering about. It's not as heavily focused on this episode, but Lindsey's choice of picking the more advantageous side for him as opposed to Angel accepting his scroll-written fate is a nice interplay here that I hope the series will explore more of as it goes on.

Overall, this is a top-tier episode where I haven't been as entertained by this series since "Five by Five". It's a nice evolution for AtS in growing into its strong compelling identity of what season 2 will possibly become. There's a lot to enjoy about this episode, even the odd battle at the end between Angel and Darkdevil. ("Keep absolutely still. Her vision is based on movement.")

 

[RDHWesley]

This was always one of the best episodes of Season One, but it's really shot up my ranking on this rewatch. On the surface, it seems that we're being given a fairly basic 'super-powered' assassin story similar to 'I Fall to Pieces', but Vanessa Brewer isn't really that relevant to the story; she's only there to provide a catalyst for Lindsey to show some development. His scenes with Holland are the highlight; Holland is rarely as creepy and menacing again after this. The fact that he's only introduced for the first time here and already he feels like a considerable presence is a credit to Sam Anderson's acting.

The infiltration of the Wolfram and Hart building is a really exciting and tense sequence, and all the fight scenes with Vanessa are well choreographed and edited. Really, the worst thing about this episode is the title; everything in the plot is excellent.

 

[Stake fodder]

Another good episode, with the blind woman as an interesting 'monster of the week'. Though the real "blind date" here is Lindsey trying out a different life to see if he likes it. But like so many blind dates, it doesn't work out. Still, he now owes Angel one, and they have a connection, which should prove interesting in the future.

Angel gets another example (after Faith) that redemption can also mean helping other people turn from evil. He has some great speeches in this episode about power and corruption, though you'd think Angel would be used to these realities by now in his long existence.

Sam Anderson played one of my favorite characters in "Lost," so it's good to see him here, though in a very different type of character. I've been trying to figure out if the name Holland Manners is supposed to mean something, like 'Dutch courage.' His manipulation of Lindsey is very clever and devious. "It's not about good or evil, it's about who wields the most power." It's the second time power is mentioned in the episode, and something that is a growing theme in the last seasons of BtVS, too.

I enjoyed seeing more about Wolfram & Hart, and how much of their functioning depends on demons or other supernatural powers. They will be a fascinating "Big Bad." The whole "Mission: Impossible" break-in was fun, especially Gunn's brash entrance. He continues to impress! For a guy whose business struggles, Angel has an expensive-looking watch.

It's nice to have a little phone crossover from Cordy to Willow, who must be working on the encrypted Initiative files of "The Yoko Factor". Her telling Cordy to say "hey" to Wesley is a little in-joke, because I think the actors were dating then.

The season is really finishing strongly.