bespangeled
Scooby
She really does knock it out of the ballpark! Benz is like Marsters - they both have the ability to make everyone around them better actors.
Mr Trick Does the Angel rewatch thingy
- Thread starter Mr Trick
- Start date
Mr Trick
Scooby
THE SHROUD OF RAHMON
In the present a rambling Wesley is questioned by Cops about an incident involving Angel. The episode then returns to the past to show how events unfolded, or at least how they unfolded according to Wesley. And the first detail of note is CORDY'S KICK ARSE NEW JET BLACK HAIR! Its stunning I tell you....
Wesley is now more confident and swerve looking because of his relationship with Virginia Bryce, in fact he, Virginia, and Cordy have a big evening planned at an A-list premiere, although things don't go completely to plan for Cordelia as there is still a little bit of that old Wyndam-Pryce magic left in there! lol. Angel gets a tip of Gunn's cousin about a planned demon raid on a museum where the intended target is the powerful Shroud of Rahmon which could prove fatal if it falls into the wrong hands. With Gunn's cousin now involved Gunn wants part of the action, but Angel insist that its too dangerous and that he must work alone.
Post-titles our man goes under cover by killing off a demon and taking his attire, this allows Boreanaz to flex his comedy muscle and have some ripe old fun with the stereotypical brooding image connected with his character on the show (which oddly couldn't be further from the real Boreanaz so it seems). The contrast between him and the rest of the misfits including a cameo from Candyman's Tony Todd is a delight to see.
Much to Angel's concern Gunn decides to join the party and go under cover which creates a certain tension between the pair as they attempt to hide their identities and the truth that they know one another.
Buffy 2.0 is shown a photo of Angel with one of the demons and decides that she wants in on the case. As the demons, plus Gunn, and one other human break into the museum, Cordelia and Wesley discover that the Shroud will in fact cause Angel to go insane, so they decide to try and catch up with him before its too late. As happens the box makes everyone in the museum all the more tense, including Gunn and Angel who start exchanging insults, during which there are some nice character moments about Gunn's past. As things boil over other events threaten the operation, and the smug undercover guard who I never liked anyway loses his head! The struggle with the box goes on, and Wesley bumps into Buffy 2.0 who demands to know where Angel is, and when Wesley noticed her new hair (looked the same to me but hey...) which of course he didn't before with Cordy's (nice gag) then WWP figures out that the Shroud makes all those who come into contact with it behave differently, including Cordy who just seems to be acting childlike? Wesley and Buffy wannabe come close to blowing Angel's cover, and in a shocking moment a crazed Angel takes a bite out of Buffy 2.0, and she is dead?.....
The demons and Gunn do battle over the Shroud, but Angel grabs control of it and burns it eliminating the threat. Later Wesley is arrested by the cops over Lockley's death? Which brings us back to the present and Wesley telling them the story, but of course they don't believe his account of the events. However, in flashback we see from Angel's prospective that he did not actually kill Buffy 2.0. instead it was all for sure, as he whispered for her to stay down and play dead. Angel was in full control after all. Buffy 2.0. enters the interview alive and well and tells the Cops to let Wesley go. Despite not actually killing a human Angel is still haunted by the act of tasting human blood for the first time in a very long time, as we cut to credits.
CONCLUSION
A smart and subversive crime noir episode, which was full of striking visual poetry, and important character moments. Having been sidetracked for awhile finally Gunn was given some proper development, and question about his past and his new direction as a human working with a vampire was raised as an issue, the role reversals with Richards playing the straight dramatic part, and Boreanaz the more cocky and loose performance made for some engaging viewing. Because the secret of the box and what effect it could have was unknown as a result this meant that it was unclear the motivations of the characters, therefore whether Angel and Gunn were really at each others throats or if it was just part of the act. This is one episode where the writers are aware that detective Lockley is very hard to sell as a likeable character or that as part of the official law of L.A. that it makes sense to have her working against Angel, one of her better episodes for sure. Cordelia and Wesley both have stronger outings this time too, although my one complaint is that the influence of the Shroud on Cordy didn't make a great deal of sense and wasn't really that interesting. The touch about Angel having to taste human blood for the purpose of the bigger picture is a compelling character beat, as it shows the balancing act the character must constantly play in order to fight the good fight. Moreover, that Angel resorts to such measures as going under cover and risking human lives as a result demonstrates how such a character must work outside of convention law in order to produce results, but raises fresh questions about the merits of his methods and the effects they have on those around him. Up till now the show's storytelling structure at times have been a bit stale or classical, so I felt the non-linear approach here was an effective way to keep the viewer guessing, and to strongly build up character and plot details. Overall a very dramatic, entertaining, gripping and thought provoking episode, and one of the high points of this season so far.
In the present a rambling Wesley is questioned by Cops about an incident involving Angel. The episode then returns to the past to show how events unfolded, or at least how they unfolded according to Wesley. And the first detail of note is CORDY'S KICK ARSE NEW JET BLACK HAIR! Its stunning I tell you....
Wesley is now more confident and swerve looking because of his relationship with Virginia Bryce, in fact he, Virginia, and Cordy have a big evening planned at an A-list premiere, although things don't go completely to plan for Cordelia as there is still a little bit of that old Wyndam-Pryce magic left in there! lol. Angel gets a tip of Gunn's cousin about a planned demon raid on a museum where the intended target is the powerful Shroud of Rahmon which could prove fatal if it falls into the wrong hands. With Gunn's cousin now involved Gunn wants part of the action, but Angel insist that its too dangerous and that he must work alone.
Post-titles our man goes under cover by killing off a demon and taking his attire, this allows Boreanaz to flex his comedy muscle and have some ripe old fun with the stereotypical brooding image connected with his character on the show (which oddly couldn't be further from the real Boreanaz so it seems). The contrast between him and the rest of the misfits including a cameo from Candyman's Tony Todd is a delight to see.
Much to Angel's concern Gunn decides to join the party and go under cover which creates a certain tension between the pair as they attempt to hide their identities and the truth that they know one another.
Buffy 2.0 is shown a photo of Angel with one of the demons and decides that she wants in on the case. As the demons, plus Gunn, and one other human break into the museum, Cordelia and Wesley discover that the Shroud will in fact cause Angel to go insane, so they decide to try and catch up with him before its too late. As happens the box makes everyone in the museum all the more tense, including Gunn and Angel who start exchanging insults, during which there are some nice character moments about Gunn's past. As things boil over other events threaten the operation, and the smug undercover guard who I never liked anyway loses his head! The struggle with the box goes on, and Wesley bumps into Buffy 2.0 who demands to know where Angel is, and when Wesley noticed her new hair (looked the same to me but hey...) which of course he didn't before with Cordy's (nice gag) then WWP figures out that the Shroud makes all those who come into contact with it behave differently, including Cordy who just seems to be acting childlike? Wesley and Buffy wannabe come close to blowing Angel's cover, and in a shocking moment a crazed Angel takes a bite out of Buffy 2.0, and she is dead?.....
The demons and Gunn do battle over the Shroud, but Angel grabs control of it and burns it eliminating the threat. Later Wesley is arrested by the cops over Lockley's death? Which brings us back to the present and Wesley telling them the story, but of course they don't believe his account of the events. However, in flashback we see from Angel's prospective that he did not actually kill Buffy 2.0. instead it was all for sure, as he whispered for her to stay down and play dead. Angel was in full control after all. Buffy 2.0. enters the interview alive and well and tells the Cops to let Wesley go. Despite not actually killing a human Angel is still haunted by the act of tasting human blood for the first time in a very long time, as we cut to credits.
CONCLUSION
A smart and subversive crime noir episode, which was full of striking visual poetry, and important character moments. Having been sidetracked for awhile finally Gunn was given some proper development, and question about his past and his new direction as a human working with a vampire was raised as an issue, the role reversals with Richards playing the straight dramatic part, and Boreanaz the more cocky and loose performance made for some engaging viewing. Because the secret of the box and what effect it could have was unknown as a result this meant that it was unclear the motivations of the characters, therefore whether Angel and Gunn were really at each others throats or if it was just part of the act. This is one episode where the writers are aware that detective Lockley is very hard to sell as a likeable character or that as part of the official law of L.A. that it makes sense to have her working against Angel, one of her better episodes for sure. Cordelia and Wesley both have stronger outings this time too, although my one complaint is that the influence of the Shroud on Cordy didn't make a great deal of sense and wasn't really that interesting. The touch about Angel having to taste human blood for the purpose of the bigger picture is a compelling character beat, as it shows the balancing act the character must constantly play in order to fight the good fight. Moreover, that Angel resorts to such measures as going under cover and risking human lives as a result demonstrates how such a character must work outside of convention law in order to produce results, but raises fresh questions about the merits of his methods and the effects they have on those around him. Up till now the show's storytelling structure at times have been a bit stale or classical, so I felt the non-linear approach here was an effective way to keep the viewer guessing, and to strongly build up character and plot details. Overall a very dramatic, entertaining, gripping and thought provoking episode, and one of the high points of this season so far.
Fuffy Baith
2017 (and 2016) Cutest BB member
For Darla, I really love that episode. I like seeing her origins, and seeing the Master again! I find it sad that she doesn't remember her birth name. I love seeing more of the fang gang. And it's great to watch in tandem with Fool For Love.
As for The Shroud of Rahmon. This is a pretty bad episode. Angel pretending to be Jay Don is a little entertaining. Tony Todd is wasted in a bad episode, not his fault though. It just feels like a season 1 episode and takes away from the story that has been developing in season 2, which is really good.
As for The Shroud of Rahmon. This is a pretty bad episode. Angel pretending to be Jay Don is a little entertaining. Tony Todd is wasted in a bad episode, not his fault though. It just feels like a season 1 episode and takes away from the story that has been developing in season 2, which is really good.
Mr Trick
I can see why people dislike The Shroud of Rahmon, but something about it just tickles me. One of the better Angel MOTW IMO.
Mr Trick
Scooby
The Trial
Much to the annoyance of Cordelia and Wesley Gunn tracks down Darla to a motel. Lindsey beats them to her though and returns Darla to W&H. Holland shows the ex-vampire medical records showing that she doesn't have long to live. Darla reacts to this by searching for a vampire in a local bar to sire her, and finds an inexperenced one. However Angel has other plans. We get more Angel/Darla flashbacks whch this time don't really serve a purpose and instead halts the narrative momentum.
Angel double checks that the medical records weren't faked and Lindsey confirms the bad news as he triple checked the facts. To try and find an alternative solution rather than a return to the vampire life for Darla Angel takes her to visit the Host and as it turns out the lady can hold a tune😛 As they learn there is one last resort and that is for Angel to enter a series of trials, win all three and she will be cured, however should he lose just one and Darla will be killed on the spot. Trial one sees the vamp play cat and mouse with a chain weidling demon, after sharp back and forth (nice editing) he chops it in half, chaining up the top half. Next he survives a hot floor (barefooted), and grabs a key out of some holy water. Finlly, Angel faces some spikes and is informed that to save Darla he must sacrifice his own life. It is put to Angel that he would be a big loss to the world and given Darla's track record that it would hardly be a fair trade. Angel agrees to the sacrifice and as a result wins the final challege and is spared. As it turns out because Darla was effectively given a second chance when W&H brought her back from the dead then she cannot be given a another one here. Later at Darla's motel Lindsey and some heavy duty guards bust in, stunning Angel with taser guns this allows the surprise guest Drusella! to come in and sire Darla once Great ending to an otherwise ordinarily episode.
Conclusion
After some solid building during the first half of the episode the trial of the title turned out to be a anti-climx. Despite their history I wasn't sold that Angel would be willing to go to such lengths to save Darla. The trials themselves just felt cheap and a cop out for an actual resolution to the plot. The writers could have come up with a better reason for Angel to survive and why Darla could not, it just felt like an excuse to throw that twist in. Lindsey does get some strong character growth here and the final scene is really dramatic and provides a true sting in the tail!😎
Much to the annoyance of Cordelia and Wesley Gunn tracks down Darla to a motel. Lindsey beats them to her though and returns Darla to W&H. Holland shows the ex-vampire medical records showing that she doesn't have long to live. Darla reacts to this by searching for a vampire in a local bar to sire her, and finds an inexperenced one. However Angel has other plans. We get more Angel/Darla flashbacks whch this time don't really serve a purpose and instead halts the narrative momentum.
Angel double checks that the medical records weren't faked and Lindsey confirms the bad news as he triple checked the facts. To try and find an alternative solution rather than a return to the vampire life for Darla Angel takes her to visit the Host and as it turns out the lady can hold a tune😛 As they learn there is one last resort and that is for Angel to enter a series of trials, win all three and she will be cured, however should he lose just one and Darla will be killed on the spot. Trial one sees the vamp play cat and mouse with a chain weidling demon, after sharp back and forth (nice editing) he chops it in half, chaining up the top half. Next he survives a hot floor (barefooted), and grabs a key out of some holy water. Finlly, Angel faces some spikes and is informed that to save Darla he must sacrifice his own life. It is put to Angel that he would be a big loss to the world and given Darla's track record that it would hardly be a fair trade. Angel agrees to the sacrifice and as a result wins the final challege and is spared. As it turns out because Darla was effectively given a second chance when W&H brought her back from the dead then she cannot be given a another one here. Later at Darla's motel Lindsey and some heavy duty guards bust in, stunning Angel with taser guns this allows the surprise guest Drusella! to come in and sire Darla once Great ending to an otherwise ordinarily episode.
Conclusion
After some solid building during the first half of the episode the trial of the title turned out to be a anti-climx. Despite their history I wasn't sold that Angel would be willing to go to such lengths to save Darla. The trials themselves just felt cheap and a cop out for an actual resolution to the plot. The writers could have come up with a better reason for Angel to survive and why Darla could not, it just felt like an excuse to throw that twist in. Lindsey does get some strong character growth here and the final scene is really dramatic and provides a true sting in the tail!😎
Mr Trick
Scooby
Reunion
Following on from the dramatic conclusion to the previous week's episode, Angel fills in the gang on the news of Drusella's appearance in L.A. and Darla's turn back into a vampire. Both Alexis Denisof and Charisma Carpenter sell this important news like Pros. Gunn not surprisely needs a bit of filling in on Dru and the weird family true😀 When Angel goes looking for answers to Drusella's whereabouts at Lindsey's apartment all he finds is an open house, but the letting agent does ramble something about a "sweet, but weird English girl" (Dru) and a pregnancy?😱
In a lively and powerfully cinematic scene Angel tracks Drusella down to Wolfram & Hart's private plot where she intends to give Darla a rebirth in vamp form. Angel arrives with a stake to prevent Darla's resurrection, however he is met by a typically unstable Drusella and a shovel😛 As the two vampires do battle Darla does indeed rise and in a sharp cut cut appears in shot grabbing Angel by the throat and lifting him high in the air. And I love the follow line from Dru, "Now everybody's home"😀 All three vampires do battle in a beautifully directed, and concise action sequence featuring some credible stunt work. Angel over powers Darla and is about to do the deed when her human side suddenly comes out. A moments hesitation is all Drusella and Darla need to make their get away. A thrilling sequence for sure. This episode just went up a notch. Later Drusella and the newly turned Darla tracked one another down and Darla is pissed at Dru for bringing her back. An emotional Drusella says she thought that's what Darla would have wanted and the pair call a truce. This kodak moment is rudely interrupted by some guy who tells them in no uncertain terms that other people have lives, and to get out of the road now. Big mistake buddy! Darla vamps up and claims her first victim of the night. "Let's go shopping"😛
Despite losing control of the vampires it seems as if Holland Manners is happy for them to have their 'massacre' as long as it does not effect his private function that night of course. Darla and Drusella start wracking havoc at a local clothes outlet. Meanwhile, the Angel investigation's search for the twisted sisters is put on hold when Cordelia has a vision of a man in danger. In a comical twist it turns out to be a goth nerd stereotype who is thinking about ending it all. Much to his colleagues surprise Angel is not terribly sensitive to the guy's statement of mind, simply stopping the act and then deciding that he has bigger fish to fry with the Darla/Dru situation, which to be fair he does. Leaving the others to pick up the pieces there Angel carries on his presuit. Later Angel is arrested when appearing at Holland's office, the CEO calls his bluff on the fact that he won't kill humans, and of course is not fourth coming with the details of Darla and Drusella's whereabouts. Angel's favourite Buffy wannabe is waiting for him in the Cop car and says that she needs his help fighting the new threat in town. Kate gives Angel the details of the clothes store currently being wrecked by the evil vamps, and lets him loose. However, upon arrival it becomes clear that Darla and Drusella have already moved on, but Angel does find one survivor, a young woman, terrified and hiding away in one of the changing rooms. Despite her emotional state Angel is able to get from her a hint of where Darla and Drusella have moved onto, Holland's private party!
At the party the enengy becomes very tense as we learn that the room containing Holland and his guests is an old bomb shelter which really does play into Darla and Dru's hands. The CEO does his smoothest to try and talk them around, however the vampire's are having none of it, besisdes which Darla has an axe to grind with W&H for using her like a puppet for their evil schemes. What goes around comes around...😱 Juliet Landau has a blast as Drusella once again in this scene, as Angel arrives on the scene, she gleefully observes, "Daddie's home" with Darla asking, "Here for the tasteing?" As the tension builds among those gathered at the party, Holland, Lilah and Lindsey assume that Angel is there to save them, however they assume wrong. As it turns out Angel believes that they are about to get what they deserve, and while he will not take part in the massacre, he will not stop it either. Holland pleads with Angel to help them, but in a return to Holland's words from earlier in the episode, Angel "just can't seem to care." Angel closes and locks the seller door and Darla and Drusella get their massacre. Later when the rest of Angel's team questions the vampire's actions, he fires them as we close the episode.
Conclusion
A masterfully crafted episode which like Five By Five in the first season reinvents the landscape of the show, and moves the story and characters in fresh and bold directions. The visual direction is rich, the atmosphere throughout is super charged, and there are a number of exiciting setpieces which add further emotional pathos and depth to the narrative. The presence of Darla and Drusella is perfectly sold as a legitment threat, and of course the two actresses not only have a ripe old time playing the parts, but also they play off each other perfectly. The plot is full of sharp, but logical twists, and keeps the viewer guessing to the end. I do like how in contrast to many episodes of the show that Angel doesn't just use the internet or his brawn to get information here, but actually must use his detective and people skills at times. Most important of all Reunion pays off many of the themes building during the first half of the season. It re-positions many of the characters and providing moral ambiguities to their actions. The moral questions and character grey areas which both Buffy and Angel poses to the viewers are a big part of what makes both shows unique, and these moments are all the more rich for the fact that the writers do not provide easy answers for the viewers. So here we get the sense of Drusella and Darla coming back to haunt Holland and his employees, and it of course raises the question of do they deserve what they get for releasing these monsters in the first place? The classic setpiece in the seller at the end poses even stronger questions over Angel's character. Yes, maybe Holland, Lindsey and Lilah got what was coming to them, but of course chances are than many of the guests at that party were just innoncent victims, whose worse crime maybe just working for the evil law firm, or in some cases they may just have been related to W&H employee's somehow in which case they would have had no part in the firm's action at all. The decision Angel takes is a bold and troubling one, and futher builds on his direction throughout this season so far. Then when you add him going solo at the end, that really does reinvent the wheel even more so. That bomb shell in effect, changes not only Angel's direction in the narrative, but also has a huge impact upon the narrative direction of those around him, both good and bad.
Following on from the dramatic conclusion to the previous week's episode, Angel fills in the gang on the news of Drusella's appearance in L.A. and Darla's turn back into a vampire. Both Alexis Denisof and Charisma Carpenter sell this important news like Pros. Gunn not surprisely needs a bit of filling in on Dru and the weird family true😀 When Angel goes looking for answers to Drusella's whereabouts at Lindsey's apartment all he finds is an open house, but the letting agent does ramble something about a "sweet, but weird English girl" (Dru) and a pregnancy?😱
In a lively and powerfully cinematic scene Angel tracks Drusella down to Wolfram & Hart's private plot where she intends to give Darla a rebirth in vamp form. Angel arrives with a stake to prevent Darla's resurrection, however he is met by a typically unstable Drusella and a shovel😛 As the two vampires do battle Darla does indeed rise and in a sharp cut cut appears in shot grabbing Angel by the throat and lifting him high in the air. And I love the follow line from Dru, "Now everybody's home"😀 All three vampires do battle in a beautifully directed, and concise action sequence featuring some credible stunt work. Angel over powers Darla and is about to do the deed when her human side suddenly comes out. A moments hesitation is all Drusella and Darla need to make their get away. A thrilling sequence for sure. This episode just went up a notch. Later Drusella and the newly turned Darla tracked one another down and Darla is pissed at Dru for bringing her back. An emotional Drusella says she thought that's what Darla would have wanted and the pair call a truce. This kodak moment is rudely interrupted by some guy who tells them in no uncertain terms that other people have lives, and to get out of the road now. Big mistake buddy! Darla vamps up and claims her first victim of the night. "Let's go shopping"😛
Despite losing control of the vampires it seems as if Holland Manners is happy for them to have their 'massacre' as long as it does not effect his private function that night of course. Darla and Drusella start wracking havoc at a local clothes outlet. Meanwhile, the Angel investigation's search for the twisted sisters is put on hold when Cordelia has a vision of a man in danger. In a comical twist it turns out to be a goth nerd stereotype who is thinking about ending it all. Much to his colleagues surprise Angel is not terribly sensitive to the guy's statement of mind, simply stopping the act and then deciding that he has bigger fish to fry with the Darla/Dru situation, which to be fair he does. Leaving the others to pick up the pieces there Angel carries on his presuit. Later Angel is arrested when appearing at Holland's office, the CEO calls his bluff on the fact that he won't kill humans, and of course is not fourth coming with the details of Darla and Drusella's whereabouts. Angel's favourite Buffy wannabe is waiting for him in the Cop car and says that she needs his help fighting the new threat in town. Kate gives Angel the details of the clothes store currently being wrecked by the evil vamps, and lets him loose. However, upon arrival it becomes clear that Darla and Drusella have already moved on, but Angel does find one survivor, a young woman, terrified and hiding away in one of the changing rooms. Despite her emotional state Angel is able to get from her a hint of where Darla and Drusella have moved onto, Holland's private party!
At the party the enengy becomes very tense as we learn that the room containing Holland and his guests is an old bomb shelter which really does play into Darla and Dru's hands. The CEO does his smoothest to try and talk them around, however the vampire's are having none of it, besisdes which Darla has an axe to grind with W&H for using her like a puppet for their evil schemes. What goes around comes around...😱 Juliet Landau has a blast as Drusella once again in this scene, as Angel arrives on the scene, she gleefully observes, "Daddie's home" with Darla asking, "Here for the tasteing?" As the tension builds among those gathered at the party, Holland, Lilah and Lindsey assume that Angel is there to save them, however they assume wrong. As it turns out Angel believes that they are about to get what they deserve, and while he will not take part in the massacre, he will not stop it either. Holland pleads with Angel to help them, but in a return to Holland's words from earlier in the episode, Angel "just can't seem to care." Angel closes and locks the seller door and Darla and Drusella get their massacre. Later when the rest of Angel's team questions the vampire's actions, he fires them as we close the episode.
Conclusion
A masterfully crafted episode which like Five By Five in the first season reinvents the landscape of the show, and moves the story and characters in fresh and bold directions. The visual direction is rich, the atmosphere throughout is super charged, and there are a number of exiciting setpieces which add further emotional pathos and depth to the narrative. The presence of Darla and Drusella is perfectly sold as a legitment threat, and of course the two actresses not only have a ripe old time playing the parts, but also they play off each other perfectly. The plot is full of sharp, but logical twists, and keeps the viewer guessing to the end. I do like how in contrast to many episodes of the show that Angel doesn't just use the internet or his brawn to get information here, but actually must use his detective and people skills at times. Most important of all Reunion pays off many of the themes building during the first half of the season. It re-positions many of the characters and providing moral ambiguities to their actions. The moral questions and character grey areas which both Buffy and Angel poses to the viewers are a big part of what makes both shows unique, and these moments are all the more rich for the fact that the writers do not provide easy answers for the viewers. So here we get the sense of Drusella and Darla coming back to haunt Holland and his employees, and it of course raises the question of do they deserve what they get for releasing these monsters in the first place? The classic setpiece in the seller at the end poses even stronger questions over Angel's character. Yes, maybe Holland, Lindsey and Lilah got what was coming to them, but of course chances are than many of the guests at that party were just innoncent victims, whose worse crime maybe just working for the evil law firm, or in some cases they may just have been related to W&H employee's somehow in which case they would have had no part in the firm's action at all. The decision Angel takes is a bold and troubling one, and futher builds on his direction throughout this season so far. Then when you add him going solo at the end, that really does reinvent the wheel even more so. That bomb shell in effect, changes not only Angel's direction in the narrative, but also has a huge impact upon the narrative direction of those around him, both good and bad.
bespangeled
[No message]
Ethan Reigns
Scooby
I don't get the sense that Holland Manners would invite just any low-level grunt to a wine tasting party at his own house. The ones who would get an invitation to go there would be the up-and-comers, the cream of the crop, the people W&H would trust to be future corporate leaders. We see no evidence that any invitee's spouse or family member was there. Indeed, many company functions I have attended have been employees only. When an entity is above the law, other measures need to be taken and Angel would actually be following the slayer's mandate in this case which is to fight the vampires, demons and forces of darkness and W&H can certainly be considered to be a (and maybe the leading) force of darkness.
Mr Trick
Scooby
Maybe, but then there is still a question of to what degree some of the others at the party are involved in anything sinister. Many may have been rookies or entry level staff. Thanks for the prospective though.
Fuffy Baith
2017 (and 2016) Cutest BB member
I love the Darla arc. Reunion is maybe my favorite ep of s2. Love Darla and Dru running around causing havoc.
Mr Trick
Scooby
Redefinition
The former employees of Angel Investigations atempt to pick up the pieces following their sacking, with Cordelia most of all taking the news of the separation from the vampire hard. In contrast their box goes on a mission of re-discovery. For Angel this means retraining himself in order to properly prepare himself for the battle against Darla and Drusella. Back at Wolfram & Hart and the scene of the previous nights massacre the police find two surviviors, Lindsey and Lilah. The images of the wounded laywers is intercut with a very Batmanesque sequence involving Angel in which the vampire returns to a mission, but his voice over tells us that he is not yet on their level referring to W&H.
Back at work Lilah and Lindsey recieve a visit from Darla and Drusella. Darla informs them that they were spared by her and Dru as part of Darla's grand plan. The vampires want to use the evil law firm in their bid to run L.A. and in order to do so they need a link, which would be either Lindsey or Lilah depending on which one survies according Darla. As Angel keeps working his way up to a suitable level, Cordy, Wes and Gunn who have all gone their separate ways just happen to meet by chance at The Host's karoke club. And for the record Cordy looks awesome in fur!😛 While they all decide which song is best to sing, they decide to have a drink or few😉
The evil vampires take over an underground demon fight club and Darla sets an addition where the surviving demons will join her clan in the battle to take L.A. In the highlight of the episode Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn now very drunk all take turns in taking pot shots at one another and passing the blame for their current employment status. Drunken Cordy is a hoot! Carpenter really knocks it out of the park in this episode. Another round of drinks is followed by either best or wrose Queen cover version in history!😀 The Host forces a vision onto Cordelia in order to move the plot along😉 With the new mission the group decide that they must carry on the good fight without their fearless leader. As his friends band together to save a damsel in distress Angel tracks down the demon fight club, and when Darla and Drusella return he has cleaned house leaving them with no army. In a setpiece reminiscent of The Usual Suspects Angel cooly lights a cigarette flips it in the direction of Darla and Drusella and sets the place a light. Darla and Dru escape using a fire hydrant to put themselves out, but they are quite badly wounded. Angel has sent a massage.
The next day at Wolfram & Hart Lindsey and Lilah are told that while both have shown errors in judgement, that both have qualites. I short both will take over the CEO role left vacant by Holland Manners until a final decision is made. The pair are competing with one another. Wesley tracks down Angel to his training session in the basement, and infroms the vampire that he, Cordelia and Gunn are carrying on the good fight without him. Angel's VO says, "Let them fight the good fight, I have a war to fight."
Conclusion
Despite lacking the drama or excitement of Reunion, Redefinition proved a nice contrast to the previous episode, and again pregressed the narrative and set up fresh possiblities. It was nicely understated, and perhaps a tighter plotted affair, just not as gripping as the episode which came before. The Angel training scenes were in danger of falling into cheesy 80s action film terrority, but just about stayed on the right side of the line, plus it was a good way of selling his new serious approach to the fresh threat posed by Darla and Drusella. This once again established the lead character's change in direction. Of course his switch is just as important to the respective stories of Cordy, Gunn and Wesley, and like I said in the last review their separation from Angel seems the best thing that could happen to them. The interactions between the three of them proved very punchy and engaging, and the exchanges were credible, as is their new direction. This episode also sets in motion the scribbing brother and sister dynmic between Lindsey and Lilah. Up to now both have mostly been bit part players in the W&H/Angel narrative, but its from this point forward where finely they are given freedom, and fresh agency. Not to mention that there is more great stuff involving Drusella and Darla.
The former employees of Angel Investigations atempt to pick up the pieces following their sacking, with Cordelia most of all taking the news of the separation from the vampire hard. In contrast their box goes on a mission of re-discovery. For Angel this means retraining himself in order to properly prepare himself for the battle against Darla and Drusella. Back at Wolfram & Hart and the scene of the previous nights massacre the police find two surviviors, Lindsey and Lilah. The images of the wounded laywers is intercut with a very Batmanesque sequence involving Angel in which the vampire returns to a mission, but his voice over tells us that he is not yet on their level referring to W&H.
Back at work Lilah and Lindsey recieve a visit from Darla and Drusella. Darla informs them that they were spared by her and Dru as part of Darla's grand plan. The vampires want to use the evil law firm in their bid to run L.A. and in order to do so they need a link, which would be either Lindsey or Lilah depending on which one survies according Darla. As Angel keeps working his way up to a suitable level, Cordy, Wes and Gunn who have all gone their separate ways just happen to meet by chance at The Host's karoke club. And for the record Cordy looks awesome in fur!😛 While they all decide which song is best to sing, they decide to have a drink or few😉
The evil vampires take over an underground demon fight club and Darla sets an addition where the surviving demons will join her clan in the battle to take L.A. In the highlight of the episode Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn now very drunk all take turns in taking pot shots at one another and passing the blame for their current employment status. Drunken Cordy is a hoot! Carpenter really knocks it out of the park in this episode. Another round of drinks is followed by either best or wrose Queen cover version in history!😀 The Host forces a vision onto Cordelia in order to move the plot along😉 With the new mission the group decide that they must carry on the good fight without their fearless leader. As his friends band together to save a damsel in distress Angel tracks down the demon fight club, and when Darla and Drusella return he has cleaned house leaving them with no army. In a setpiece reminiscent of The Usual Suspects Angel cooly lights a cigarette flips it in the direction of Darla and Drusella and sets the place a light. Darla and Dru escape using a fire hydrant to put themselves out, but they are quite badly wounded. Angel has sent a massage.
The next day at Wolfram & Hart Lindsey and Lilah are told that while both have shown errors in judgement, that both have qualites. I short both will take over the CEO role left vacant by Holland Manners until a final decision is made. The pair are competing with one another. Wesley tracks down Angel to his training session in the basement, and infroms the vampire that he, Cordelia and Gunn are carrying on the good fight without him. Angel's VO says, "Let them fight the good fight, I have a war to fight."
Conclusion
Despite lacking the drama or excitement of Reunion, Redefinition proved a nice contrast to the previous episode, and again pregressed the narrative and set up fresh possiblities. It was nicely understated, and perhaps a tighter plotted affair, just not as gripping as the episode which came before. The Angel training scenes were in danger of falling into cheesy 80s action film terrority, but just about stayed on the right side of the line, plus it was a good way of selling his new serious approach to the fresh threat posed by Darla and Drusella. This once again established the lead character's change in direction. Of course his switch is just as important to the respective stories of Cordy, Gunn and Wesley, and like I said in the last review their separation from Angel seems the best thing that could happen to them. The interactions between the three of them proved very punchy and engaging, and the exchanges were credible, as is their new direction. This episode also sets in motion the scribbing brother and sister dynmic between Lindsey and Lilah. Up to now both have mostly been bit part players in the W&H/Angel narrative, but its from this point forward where finely they are given freedom, and fresh agency. Not to mention that there is more great stuff involving Drusella and Darla.
Fuffy Baith
2017 (and 2016) Cutest BB member
I really like this episode, because I really like Angel going dark, and Darla trying to put a plan together. I like the scene where Angel is in the hoodie in the crowd and Dru can sense him and Darla just talks out loud to him. And I love when he sets them on fire. It's dark stuff, and I like seeing a different side to Angel than just brooding hero. I like to think of it as Angel getting in touch with his inner Angelus. lol
Mr Trick
Scooby
Blood Money
As Angel's old team scrubble over their future direction the vampire is tracking a woman who he has photographed with Lindsey. The women is Anne Steele (Julia Lee) who was last seen at the start of season 3 of Buffy, and has since gotten her life back on track and is now running a shelter for homeless youths. But just what is Anne's business with Wolfram & Hart?
In a nicely directed post-credits scene Wesley and Gunn track down a fire breathing demon from one of Cordelia's visions. The odd couple banter between Richards and Denisof works really well and this is the best scene involving then during the whole episode. Fishing for information at Anne's shelter she tells Angel that Wolfram & Hart have been funding shelter and that the firm will be hosting a funrising event in its honor. Lee is great in this scene and throughout the episode which is more than can be said for Boreanaz who is totally passive and unengaging, and never really settles on a tone during most of his scenes, the actor is coasting here. In an odd scene Angel shows up in Lilah's car it seems just to spook her. Now if that was me I would have been gotten information out of her, but that's just me. A old foe of Angel's a demon named Boone (Mark Rolston) tells Lindsey and Lilah of Angel's involvement with Anne and they agree to work together to bring him down.
Angel comes clean to Anne about tracking her but also warns that she cannot trust W&H. Lindsey shows up with Boone who engages in a meaty fight with his old nemesis, before Lindsey allows Angel to escape, in a front to demonstrate that he is there to protect Anne, that the firm can be trusted and that Angel is a threat. The suggestion that Angel may have proof that Anne is being used puts Lilah on edge again. When Angel returns to the shelter later Anne tells him what Lindsey said. In a smart twist it turns out than Lindsey is telling the truth despite leaving out the context. Anne references her Sunnydale past and tells Angel that she does not trust vampires, but then enither does she trust Lawyers. Informing him that she is aware that she is being used and that W&H maybe involved for free publicity and that they are likely scheming money off the shelter, but also that the small amount they do recieve will be a lot of money to them. Lee again shines here showing the full range of Anne's conflicting emotions, in a subtle performance. Angel insists that it will be blood money and asks Anne to get him into their funraiser.
As the cheesy event complete with Holland Manners video monologues and celebrity appearances goes to plan, Angel works his way in under a hooded deguise. However, it turns out that Boone helped him get in and that they are working together. The plan is to cause a destraction allowing Anne to play the tape which will supposedly expose Lilah and Lindsey's plan, however, it turns out to be a dummy tape. Angel doesn't really have anything on them, but by panicking Lindsey and Lilah have basically exposed themselves. To further rub things in Boone steals away with the money. Later he and Angel do one last battle over the money, and after the vampire comes out on top he hands the lot over to Anne and the shelter.
Conclusion
Coming on the back of two of the most exciting and well written episodes of Angel Blood Money felt like a very clunky and uncalled for episode. The pacing of it is too slow, with too many wasted scenes, and too much of characters standing around explaining the plot. There was not enough character growth. Having made huge strides in Redefinition, here Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn were given very little to do except stand around and fight like children. This might just be a small thing, but Gunn referred to Wesley as "English" three whole times in the episode!😱 Not for the first time Lilah and Lindsey were given minor parts in another W&H scheme. Although the chemistry between Christian Kane and Stephanie Romanov is starting to click. I found the twist with Angel's tape a bit cheap also. On the good front Anne made a real impression in her first appearance, proving a proper moral compass. She was a fully rounded and likable presence with great depth also. Her growth from such a humble start on Buffy is really striking. I enjoyed the interactions between Boone and Angel, and was happy with his place as part of Lindsey's plan, although the later twist again wasn't terribly convincing and does bring up the question of at what point did he and Angel decide to work together? At least the episode does stay true to the questionable direction of Angel's character during this season, but the narrative is just too patchy.
As Angel's old team scrubble over their future direction the vampire is tracking a woman who he has photographed with Lindsey. The women is Anne Steele (Julia Lee) who was last seen at the start of season 3 of Buffy, and has since gotten her life back on track and is now running a shelter for homeless youths. But just what is Anne's business with Wolfram & Hart?
In a nicely directed post-credits scene Wesley and Gunn track down a fire breathing demon from one of Cordelia's visions. The odd couple banter between Richards and Denisof works really well and this is the best scene involving then during the whole episode. Fishing for information at Anne's shelter she tells Angel that Wolfram & Hart have been funding shelter and that the firm will be hosting a funrising event in its honor. Lee is great in this scene and throughout the episode which is more than can be said for Boreanaz who is totally passive and unengaging, and never really settles on a tone during most of his scenes, the actor is coasting here. In an odd scene Angel shows up in Lilah's car it seems just to spook her. Now if that was me I would have been gotten information out of her, but that's just me. A old foe of Angel's a demon named Boone (Mark Rolston) tells Lindsey and Lilah of Angel's involvement with Anne and they agree to work together to bring him down.
Angel comes clean to Anne about tracking her but also warns that she cannot trust W&H. Lindsey shows up with Boone who engages in a meaty fight with his old nemesis, before Lindsey allows Angel to escape, in a front to demonstrate that he is there to protect Anne, that the firm can be trusted and that Angel is a threat. The suggestion that Angel may have proof that Anne is being used puts Lilah on edge again. When Angel returns to the shelter later Anne tells him what Lindsey said. In a smart twist it turns out than Lindsey is telling the truth despite leaving out the context. Anne references her Sunnydale past and tells Angel that she does not trust vampires, but then enither does she trust Lawyers. Informing him that she is aware that she is being used and that W&H maybe involved for free publicity and that they are likely scheming money off the shelter, but also that the small amount they do recieve will be a lot of money to them. Lee again shines here showing the full range of Anne's conflicting emotions, in a subtle performance. Angel insists that it will be blood money and asks Anne to get him into their funraiser.
As the cheesy event complete with Holland Manners video monologues and celebrity appearances goes to plan, Angel works his way in under a hooded deguise. However, it turns out that Boone helped him get in and that they are working together. The plan is to cause a destraction allowing Anne to play the tape which will supposedly expose Lilah and Lindsey's plan, however, it turns out to be a dummy tape. Angel doesn't really have anything on them, but by panicking Lindsey and Lilah have basically exposed themselves. To further rub things in Boone steals away with the money. Later he and Angel do one last battle over the money, and after the vampire comes out on top he hands the lot over to Anne and the shelter.
Conclusion
Coming on the back of two of the most exciting and well written episodes of Angel Blood Money felt like a very clunky and uncalled for episode. The pacing of it is too slow, with too many wasted scenes, and too much of characters standing around explaining the plot. There was not enough character growth. Having made huge strides in Redefinition, here Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn were given very little to do except stand around and fight like children. This might just be a small thing, but Gunn referred to Wesley as "English" three whole times in the episode!😱 Not for the first time Lilah and Lindsey were given minor parts in another W&H scheme. Although the chemistry between Christian Kane and Stephanie Romanov is starting to click. I found the twist with Angel's tape a bit cheap also. On the good front Anne made a real impression in her first appearance, proving a proper moral compass. She was a fully rounded and likable presence with great depth also. Her growth from such a humble start on Buffy is really striking. I enjoyed the interactions between Boone and Angel, and was happy with his place as part of Lindsey's plan, although the later twist again wasn't terribly convincing and does bring up the question of at what point did he and Angel decide to work together? At least the episode does stay true to the questionable direction of Angel's character during this season, but the narrative is just too patchy.
Fuffy Baith
I don't even remember this episode. Lol
Mr Trick
Scooby
Happy Anniversary
As the investitees carry on their struggle to live life without Angel, the grumpy vamp is awakened by Lorne/The Host and his beeming version of the 'Star Spangle Banner'😀 Lorne informs Angel that the world end tomorrow night. Turns out that a depressed young man called Gene showed up at Lorne's club and that his song/aura knocked the demon out. Gene is a hot shot science grad student who is currently attempting to come up with a formula to freeze time. Gene is dull and as it turns out his girlfriend Denise (the lovely Darby Stanchfield of Scandal and Mad Men fame) is not much brighter. They have their one year anniversary dinner tomorrow night and Denise doesn't seem overly thrilled about it.
As Angel and Lorne get more information about Gene from another karoke night spot, Gene fails to activate his formula and so leaves for the night. However, a haggered demon appears in the lab and sets Gene's plan into action, except it intends to use it to end the world instead. In a fun little scene Virginia shows up with good news for the gloomy trio of Wes, Cordy and Gunn. She has a case for them from a very rich client!
The next day Gene returns to the lab to discover that his formula has mysteriously come together. Delighted he runs to tell Denise the good news, only to over hear a conversation between her and his lab pal where Denise reveals that she plans on breaking up with Gene, but of course the two girls agree that its only fair if Denise gives him the 'sympathy bone'! And I hate this scene so much!😡 In the University library Angel does his charming undercover act and to get information about Gene and his lab whereabouts, but then is stopped in his tracks by what turns out to be a Lubber demon. By the time he and Lorne get to the lab Gere has already left with his enquiptment and it is revealed to the viewer that he intends to freeze time during his and Denise's night together as a way to keep her with him. Creepy!😱
As Lorne and Angel drive over to Gene's to try and save the world the host gives Angel a nice pep talk about his current gloomy mood, and his lack of direction since firing his team. This maybe the best scene of the whole episode, love Lorne's speech about Angel once being a champion, and Angel's unloading of emotions (perfect acting from Boreanaz here), he says that his plan is to burn Wolfram & Hart to ground and that he fired his team because they were not ready for that. In another clever scene Wesley cracks the rich families' case with a nice spot of Miss Maple😛 Denisof nails this scene!🙂
The big date goes off, and just as Denise is giving Gene the 'sympathy bone'🙄 the Lubber demon is about to use his freeze thing to end the world, but Angel shows up and saves the day and the world. Later when Gene is told that he almost caused the world ending he is sorry, but not for how he treated his ex-girlfriend of course. And to make the scene even worse Angel and mostly Lorne try to make Gene feel better about his horrible actions😡 Later as Angel's ex-team celebrate their successful case with some flash moves by a cool looking Cordy😛They get another client🙂
Conclusion
Happy Anniversary is an odd episode. Many of the smaller moments and character interactions are very strong and make it a worth while episode in themselves. It is Lorne's most engaging appearance to date, and the odd couple chemistry between him and Angel throughout is wonderful. Both their character's are advanced because of their interactions. Crucially we get some much needed motivation for Angel's recent actions. In an odd kind of way its as if the Gene narrative exists to give Angel and Lorne these character moments, rather than the A plot driving the episode. It would have been nice to have had more of Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn's b-plot, but what we did get was really good stuff. For the first time since their split from Angel their dynamic is starting to gel. They have well deserved roles, likeable and credible interactions. And there is the problem with the episode right there. If the story was just divided between the Lorne/Angel and Cordy/Wes/Gunn halves then it might have been a very good episode. In fact it might have been one of the best Angel episodes ever. Considering that over the coming episodes that the show focus is more on the tension between those two sides then to have done a whole 42 minutes based on them would have actually made perfect sense. Not only was I bored with the clunky and gimmicky end of the world plot. But I never cared about Gene or Denise (not sure if Stanchfield was miscast in the part, or if it was just a sadly underwritten role), and the Lubber demons were by the numbers MOTW. When you add the awful gender politics (which by the way is offensive to both genders) then you have one massive flaw at the core of an episode which otherwise could have been a season highlight. Shame.
As the investitees carry on their struggle to live life without Angel, the grumpy vamp is awakened by Lorne/The Host and his beeming version of the 'Star Spangle Banner'😀 Lorne informs Angel that the world end tomorrow night. Turns out that a depressed young man called Gene showed up at Lorne's club and that his song/aura knocked the demon out. Gene is a hot shot science grad student who is currently attempting to come up with a formula to freeze time. Gene is dull and as it turns out his girlfriend Denise (the lovely Darby Stanchfield of Scandal and Mad Men fame) is not much brighter. They have their one year anniversary dinner tomorrow night and Denise doesn't seem overly thrilled about it.
As Angel and Lorne get more information about Gene from another karoke night spot, Gene fails to activate his formula and so leaves for the night. However, a haggered demon appears in the lab and sets Gene's plan into action, except it intends to use it to end the world instead. In a fun little scene Virginia shows up with good news for the gloomy trio of Wes, Cordy and Gunn. She has a case for them from a very rich client!
The next day Gene returns to the lab to discover that his formula has mysteriously come together. Delighted he runs to tell Denise the good news, only to over hear a conversation between her and his lab pal where Denise reveals that she plans on breaking up with Gene, but of course the two girls agree that its only fair if Denise gives him the 'sympathy bone'! And I hate this scene so much!😡 In the University library Angel does his charming undercover act and to get information about Gene and his lab whereabouts, but then is stopped in his tracks by what turns out to be a Lubber demon. By the time he and Lorne get to the lab Gere has already left with his enquiptment and it is revealed to the viewer that he intends to freeze time during his and Denise's night together as a way to keep her with him. Creepy!😱
As Lorne and Angel drive over to Gene's to try and save the world the host gives Angel a nice pep talk about his current gloomy mood, and his lack of direction since firing his team. This maybe the best scene of the whole episode, love Lorne's speech about Angel once being a champion, and Angel's unloading of emotions (perfect acting from Boreanaz here), he says that his plan is to burn Wolfram & Hart to ground and that he fired his team because they were not ready for that. In another clever scene Wesley cracks the rich families' case with a nice spot of Miss Maple😛 Denisof nails this scene!🙂
The big date goes off, and just as Denise is giving Gene the 'sympathy bone'🙄 the Lubber demon is about to use his freeze thing to end the world, but Angel shows up and saves the day and the world. Later when Gene is told that he almost caused the world ending he is sorry, but not for how he treated his ex-girlfriend of course. And to make the scene even worse Angel and mostly Lorne try to make Gene feel better about his horrible actions😡 Later as Angel's ex-team celebrate their successful case with some flash moves by a cool looking Cordy😛They get another client🙂
Conclusion
Happy Anniversary is an odd episode. Many of the smaller moments and character interactions are very strong and make it a worth while episode in themselves. It is Lorne's most engaging appearance to date, and the odd couple chemistry between him and Angel throughout is wonderful. Both their character's are advanced because of their interactions. Crucially we get some much needed motivation for Angel's recent actions. In an odd kind of way its as if the Gene narrative exists to give Angel and Lorne these character moments, rather than the A plot driving the episode. It would have been nice to have had more of Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn's b-plot, but what we did get was really good stuff. For the first time since their split from Angel their dynamic is starting to gel. They have well deserved roles, likeable and credible interactions. And there is the problem with the episode right there. If the story was just divided between the Lorne/Angel and Cordy/Wes/Gunn halves then it might have been a very good episode. In fact it might have been one of the best Angel episodes ever. Considering that over the coming episodes that the show focus is more on the tension between those two sides then to have done a whole 42 minutes based on them would have actually made perfect sense. Not only was I bored with the clunky and gimmicky end of the world plot. But I never cared about Gene or Denise (not sure if Stanchfield was miscast in the part, or if it was just a sadly underwritten role), and the Lubber demons were by the numbers MOTW. When you add the awful gender politics (which by the way is offensive to both genders) then you have one massive flaw at the core of an episode which otherwise could have been a season highlight. Shame.
Mr Trick
Scooby
As I've mentioned before there are certain episodes or as I like to call them 'speed bumps'😀 which you must get past to enjoy the really good stuff on both Angel and Buffy. In fact, I'd say that the lows of such episodes only enhance my experience and enjoyment of the truly great episodes which are to follow. While I don't see The Thin Dead Line as a total clunker and did get some good things out of it. It is none the less a problamatic episode and belongs in the lower half of the Angel series rankings IMO. What is signifcant too is that the episodes which follow do so much to mold the show moving forward, whereas TTDL does feel like an unwelcome first season retread. Lets dive in as there is a lot to talk about over in this triple bill!🙂
The Thin Dead Line
Angel's demon informant Merl gives him a tip on a big meeting that Wolfram & Hart have coming up in an episode's time. More importantly for the here and now, Merl gives Angel a well deserved gruit trip about his recent actions towards his friends, and points out that Wesley is the only one who has treated him with respect whilst fishing for informantion. As a result Merl is skipping town.
At the homeless shelter Anne hears about a rouge cop roughing up some youths. In a nice piece of mis-direction instead of seeking out Angel for help, she looks up Gunn. It turns out that Anne and Gunn have a past. Gunn decides he'll help out and heads over to the shelter. The highlight of this scene is Cordelia's reaction when Anne brings up Angel and her experience of working with him in Blood Money. "He hasn't changed a bit" sighs a disappointed Cordelia. Angel bumps into one of the before mentioned rouge cops, and gets into a full on brawl with him/it. As the cop refuses to stay down and in a comical twist continues to read Angel his rights even after having his head removed from his body, it becomes clear that this is no regular officer of the law😱
Somehow Kate manages to be even more of a bitch to Angel than ever before (maybe they do deserve each other😉) when he asks for her help on the undead cop case. It turns out that the officer whom Angel had the entertaining brawl with on the streets died six months back. Not only that but his grave alongside many other policemen's graves have been dug up. These are Zombie Cops!!😀 With tension building at the shelter, Gunn and a couple others seek out a cop and attempt to frame him by capturing his harsh brand of justice on video. Things take a bad and portentially fatal turn when Wesley shows up and is shot by the Zombie Cop. Gunn and the others manage to escape with a wounded Wesley and call him an ambalence. However, there are reinforcements on their way and they block the route between the shelter and the local hospital. Whilst this stand off is going on Angel and Kate go to the source of the problem and attempt to get answers from a front desk copper who plays dumb. With the zomcops forcing entrying into the shelter, Angel tracks down the chief of police who gives some lame justfication to do with "Those were good cops, I will not desert them" etc...🙄 In duel shots we see Angel smash the magic model in order to break the spell adn return the undead cops to normal just in time to save Gunn, Wesley, Cordy and the others at the shelter. What a cheap payoff. Later Angel hears about Wesley being taken to hospital and decides to check on him, but he runs into Cordelia, who rightly knocks Angel for only caring to check up on Wesley because of a gun shot wound. She tells Angel in no uncertain terms that "he doesn't need you, WE don't need you." Its a powerful moment for Cordelia and at least ends the episode on a high.
Conclusion
This is a disjointed episode. Its an interesting concept which mixes b-movie thriller with social political themes. The idea behind the zombie cops reminds me of 80s classic Manaic Cop and the racial tension represented in the episode certainly strikes an uneasy call back to the tragic Rodney King incident, and is very timely considering the recent goings on. I have no issue with Angel as a show exploring such issues. Its one of the great things about such a show. Sadly, these themes are not paid enough attention during the episode. At one point there are too many ideas being thrown up in the air. It seems as if having Wesley shot and almost killed with the character of Jackson mocking the "white man" dying was some weak role reveasal or attempt at satire which just didn't work out. On the other hand the b-movie aspect of the A plot provides very little thrills too. Maybe the main issue being that the writers couldn't decide if it was to be a issue of the week episode or a more supernatural orianted one. It ended up being an akward mixture of the two. Like the previous episode TTDL was let down by its core MOTW story. Much of the build up was actually very solid, with a good and tense atmosphere established on the L.A. streets. The sense of mystery before the reveal of the Zombie Cops was nicely done.
Reprise
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Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia help a family whose daughter was bitten by a demon and as a result had a third eye. But despite having fufilled their part of the deal, payment from the Shaw family is not forthcoming as they believe that the investigators are running a schame😀 Kate is in an even fouler mood than ever and not willing to help Angel out in his attempts to bring down W&H. She is too busy being investigated by Internal Affairs over some demon related cases she has been involved with recently.
As Lilah is concerned about the performance review pending for her and Lindsey in the next couple of days, he doesn't seem too effected. Instead we learn that he has been looking after a weakened Darla whom he recovered from a sewer following a tip from Drusilla who has now left town. I like the exchange where Darla asks why Lindsey always takes a shower upon arriving home from the evil law firm when he is never dirty. Lindsey replies "I'm always dirty" This is a nice piece of foreshadowing for Lindsey's change of heart towards W&H. Angel recieves information from the host about the law firm's 75 year review to be conducted by the senior partners at a secret location. Unable to convince the Internal Affairs board of the legitimacy of her cases Kate is resigned to the news that she is let go by the police force. She departs with a line about them having no idea what is going on, on the streets which is rather fitting. This maybe Kate's best ever scene on the show. Even I as one of the character's biggest critics cannot help but feel sorry for her.
Angel drops in on an old friend from say 50 years back. Its the bookstore owner from Have You Now... the second episode of this season. He has a magic glove which will allow Angel axcess to Wolfram & Hart for the big event, however, Darla has the same information and kills the bookstore owner, gaining prosession of the glove in the process.
From this point on the episode take a dark and very impressive turn. Virginia breaks up with Wesley out of concern for his life style/career choice. This is an effective scene. It serves to further ground Wesley's character. Axelus Desloff sells the character's emotions to perfection. His numbness upon suspecting the news which is to follow is a compelling piece of facial reactions. This reaction telegraphs the realism of Wesley's plight as a character. The only thing which slightly undercuts the sequence is the lack of screen time for the couple's relationship up to this point. Because of this it is hard for the viewer to really get a sense of the impact of the couple breaking up, or to really care. Kate returns home and hits the bottle and later the pills!😱
Cordelia gets a call from the Mrs. Shaw who suddenly seems willing to pay for the firm's services. It is a set up, a demon has forced Mrs. Shaw to call Cordelia and is lying is wait as Cordelia heads out. Angel uses Lilah to gain access to Wolfham & Hart, then engages in a major smackdown with Darla. Diving through a window with the glove in hand, and finds a lift containing the very dead Holland Manners whose contract extends far beyond the grave. The lift is on a one way trip to the home office. On the way Holland warns Angel he is fighting a losing battle against Wolfham & Hart, and that there will always be another apocalypse at some point even if the vampire is able to overcome the forthcoming one. The former CEO smugly informs his foe that the firm are not in the fight to win, but that they are their because they have always been in one form or the other, finishing by claiming that "The world doesn't work in spite of evil, it works because of us" Manner's poetic speech is given greater significant as the lift returns to the spot in which it left. The home office is earth. As the POV focuses on shots of a homeless person and a woman abusing her child Holland's voice over describes "If there wasn't evil in every single one of them they wouldn't be people. They would all be Angels." This hits Angel hard. Defeated he wonders through the lonely L.A. streets past the hate and distraction going on around him. These shots are beautifully intercut with Kate about to take her own life by mixing the pills with alcohol, Cordelia setting off to the Shaw's house and Wesley isloated, at home by himself following the break up with Virginia. Returning to the Hyperion Angel recieves a drunk message Kate blaming him for everything (again) and indicating that she is about to take her own life. Before Angel can rush over to Kate's apartment an impassioned Darla shows up. To her surprised Angel gives in to his desires and the pair make wild and passionaite love. Angel justify's it by saying that he is so cold right now than he just wants to feel something. Later, in a flashback to the Buffy episode Surprise, Angel awakes stunned and in pain. Has Angel just lost his soul as a result of having another moment of true happiness, but this time with Darla? If so then his soul will be gone again and the evil Angelus will return. The end....
Conclusion
This episode balances many different strands and big character moments, and it pretty much pulls all of them off perfectly. Darla's reintroduction to the series is subtle and credible. Her involvement is important to expanding the season arc and this story and she slots back into place with another compelling performance by Benz. The unexpected romance with Lindsey (if you can call it that) becomes cruical to his growth over the next few episodes. At the sametime this subplot becames a clever smoke screen hiding the surprise at the end of the episode. Much of what the season has been building to, to this point is realised here. For the first time maybe ever Kate is given something of substance to do, and her journey reaches an impactful head. The darker tone and theme of the good guys and girls fighting by themselves in an isloated big city with people dystorying their own lives around them is powerfully rendered. Not least by Holland Manner's doom lendered monolouge which perfectly sells the overall message of Angel as a show compared to maybe the more hopeful tone struck on Buffy.
This also connects his actions during the next scene with Darla, and ties his theme and direction for the season together, and places the character on the edge, as it does his former friends.
Epiphany
We open with Angel's transformation into the evil side of personality appearing to be complete following his night with Darla. A gloating Darla follows Angel outside telling him "Don't fight the pain love. It will only hurt for a minute." The turn seems to be confirmed as Angel thanks Darla for saving him. However, he doesn't mean in the way that she thinks. It is all an act by Angel. Not only does he still have his soul, and has indeed tricked Darla, but it turns out that Angel was just using her all along. He was actually thanking her for giving him the epiphany of the episode's title which has motivated to fight the forces of evil and to turn his life around. Julia Benz is once again wonderfully convincing in her reactions throughout this scene. Angel tells Darla that it was perfect, but perfect hell, and that he will now extend her a favour warning her to get out, and that the next time she shows up at his place, that he will have to kill her. This exchange does remind the vampire about the Kate situation and he rushes over to her apartment and is able to save the ex-cop before she over doses on pills and dies. Kate briefly thanks Angel before telling him to get out.
The Host/Lorne puts things in perspective for Angel, explaining that the hardest thing for him might be to repair things with Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn. Not just will them accepting Angel back be an issue, but they making it through that night might also be a problem😱 Over at the Shaw's house Cordelia finds the family dead and is confronted three eyed demons accusing her and the others of dystroying their sprawn. They are seeking revenge and to return back to normal. Over at Wesley's apartment he loads himself up with a rifle and awaits the demons, but is given a helping hand by Angel. Despite this he is not too pleased to see the vamp. After getting the demon slime on his face Wesley right away asks Angel, what he is doing there😀 One of many great action scenes during the episode and the tension between Wesley and Angel is sold very well too. This is great Pro-active Wesley. Not only showing his bravery and resolve, but also logically he questions Angel's intentions.
With Cordelia at the mercy of the Skilosh demons and now infected with an unwanted third eye of her own, Angel and Wesley speculate over how whereabouts which leads to the stand out exchange of the episode. Angel suggests casually that good old care free Cordelia is probably out on a date somewhere with it being friday night and all? Well Wesley wasn't about to let this opportunity to put Angel right pass. He responds with conviction:
"But you don't know how at all. For months now you haven't cared to. Otherwise you might have realised that our Cordelia has become a very solidary girl. She's not the vain carefree creature she once was. Well certainly not carefree. Its the visions you see, the visions that were meant to guide you. You can turn away from them, she doesn't have that luxury. She knows and experiences the pain in this city and because of who she is, she feels compelled to do something about it. It's left her little time for anything else. You would know that if you hadn't had you're head firmly up the place which isn't on top your head."
One of the most vivid, poetic and true speeches ever produced for either show. Not just that, but Alexis Denisof grounds it with a very naturalistic, organic delivery, which gives it warmth and honesty, but such that it doesn't feel like a random outbust which might othewise have taken the plot off track. The actor has full measure of the material and is its equel. Its truly one of the best things he ever does on Angel and that is saying something in itself. The monologue is important because it gives Wesley a weapon to fight back against Angel and to cut down his big ego. It perfectly sums up the place in the arc that Angel finds himself in relation to Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn, and the tension between that at this point. It cruically sells the growth of Cordelia as a character, and how highly Wesley regards her. And of course it shows real agency from Wesley himself. He is a character who since debuting last season has rather been on the fridges of things, and has been written a little too cheesy or goofy at times. This is the start of the really good Wesley growth and from here the character doesn't look back. The other thing I would like to highlight about his speech is the mention of Cordelia choosing to accept her calling, and the suggestion that she has direction and has decided to fight the good fight. The challenge of L.A. as a city and the evil in it links back to what Holland was telling Angel in the previous episode. But whereas Angel had all but given up on using his powers to fight for good and to overcome evil, Cordelia had made the brave and tough choice of using her gift to tackle it head on. So much about the morialty of this show and Buffy is based on the choices of the characters. For awhile now Angel has made some very bad choices, or at least questionable, but Cordelia has made the noble and good choices.
The next beat is impressive too, as Wesley and Angel prepare themselves for the Skilosh demons to attack the office, it actually turns out ot Gunn returning, and boy is he thrilled to Angel🙄 We get a nice exhange between him and "English"😛 Gunn's reaction to Angel hits the mark, and Richard's does some fine acting in this scene as he does for the rest of the episode. He is growing into this part.🙂 The gang find some directions left by Cordelia and head over to the Shaw residence. On the drive over Gunn gives Angel a hard time over his sudden epiphany. Adding that if anything happens to Cordelia then might just have a epiphany of his own. I think this a little unfair on Gunn's part. Yes Angel deserted his friends and they could have used his help before now, still I don't think the blame for Cordy being at risk this time can really be pinned on Angel. After all it was the trio's choice to start up their own agency. They could have taken any number of paths minus Angel. Emotionally however, the scene works very well. The Skilosh demons attack the car, and Angel fights them off insisting that others carry on and save Cordelia. As it turns out the vampire has another issue to contend with and that is vengeful Lindsey who has been filled in over Angel and Darla and comes at Angel with the force of his pick up truck and a sledge hammer😱 Taken one hell of a beating, Angel is able to fight back and disarm Lindsey, smashing his artificial hand to send a message. After knocking Lindsey out, Angel borrows his truck in order to crash the party at the Shaws and save Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn. As Angel takes care of the Skilosh, Wesley uses some magic powder to restore Cordelia to normal. This is another hughly impressive set piece.
The next day Lindsey returns to find his truck returned, but damaged. An even bigger blow for Lindsey however comes when he returns to find Darla gone. I really like this shift to a more emotional and humanistic Lindsey. The change in direction will make more sense in the next episode. Angel and Kate resolve their differences. She is grateful to him for saving her, and has decided that she doesn't need the police force and is ready for a new chapter in her life. Angel has decided the samething. He returns to office of the investigators, where he offers his services to them, and says that he wants to work for them, adding that he will just have to earn their trust back. Cordelia gets her latest vision and the team set off for their latest case with a humbled Angel in toe. A great finish to another great episode🙂
The Thin Dead Line
Angel's demon informant Merl gives him a tip on a big meeting that Wolfram & Hart have coming up in an episode's time. More importantly for the here and now, Merl gives Angel a well deserved gruit trip about his recent actions towards his friends, and points out that Wesley is the only one who has treated him with respect whilst fishing for informantion. As a result Merl is skipping town.
At the homeless shelter Anne hears about a rouge cop roughing up some youths. In a nice piece of mis-direction instead of seeking out Angel for help, she looks up Gunn. It turns out that Anne and Gunn have a past. Gunn decides he'll help out and heads over to the shelter. The highlight of this scene is Cordelia's reaction when Anne brings up Angel and her experience of working with him in Blood Money. "He hasn't changed a bit" sighs a disappointed Cordelia. Angel bumps into one of the before mentioned rouge cops, and gets into a full on brawl with him/it. As the cop refuses to stay down and in a comical twist continues to read Angel his rights even after having his head removed from his body, it becomes clear that this is no regular officer of the law😱
Somehow Kate manages to be even more of a bitch to Angel than ever before (maybe they do deserve each other😉) when he asks for her help on the undead cop case. It turns out that the officer whom Angel had the entertaining brawl with on the streets died six months back. Not only that but his grave alongside many other policemen's graves have been dug up. These are Zombie Cops!!😀 With tension building at the shelter, Gunn and a couple others seek out a cop and attempt to frame him by capturing his harsh brand of justice on video. Things take a bad and portentially fatal turn when Wesley shows up and is shot by the Zombie Cop. Gunn and the others manage to escape with a wounded Wesley and call him an ambalence. However, there are reinforcements on their way and they block the route between the shelter and the local hospital. Whilst this stand off is going on Angel and Kate go to the source of the problem and attempt to get answers from a front desk copper who plays dumb. With the zomcops forcing entrying into the shelter, Angel tracks down the chief of police who gives some lame justfication to do with "Those were good cops, I will not desert them" etc...🙄 In duel shots we see Angel smash the magic model in order to break the spell adn return the undead cops to normal just in time to save Gunn, Wesley, Cordy and the others at the shelter. What a cheap payoff. Later Angel hears about Wesley being taken to hospital and decides to check on him, but he runs into Cordelia, who rightly knocks Angel for only caring to check up on Wesley because of a gun shot wound. She tells Angel in no uncertain terms that "he doesn't need you, WE don't need you." Its a powerful moment for Cordelia and at least ends the episode on a high.
Conclusion
This is a disjointed episode. Its an interesting concept which mixes b-movie thriller with social political themes. The idea behind the zombie cops reminds me of 80s classic Manaic Cop and the racial tension represented in the episode certainly strikes an uneasy call back to the tragic Rodney King incident, and is very timely considering the recent goings on. I have no issue with Angel as a show exploring such issues. Its one of the great things about such a show. Sadly, these themes are not paid enough attention during the episode. At one point there are too many ideas being thrown up in the air. It seems as if having Wesley shot and almost killed with the character of Jackson mocking the "white man" dying was some weak role reveasal or attempt at satire which just didn't work out. On the other hand the b-movie aspect of the A plot provides very little thrills too. Maybe the main issue being that the writers couldn't decide if it was to be a issue of the week episode or a more supernatural orianted one. It ended up being an akward mixture of the two. Like the previous episode TTDL was let down by its core MOTW story. Much of the build up was actually very solid, with a good and tense atmosphere established on the L.A. streets. The sense of mystery before the reveal of the Zombie Cops was nicely done.
Reprise
Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia help a family whose daughter was bitten by a demon and as a result had a third eye. But despite having fufilled their part of the deal, payment from the Shaw family is not forthcoming as they believe that the investigators are running a schame😀 Kate is in an even fouler mood than ever and not willing to help Angel out in his attempts to bring down W&H. She is too busy being investigated by Internal Affairs over some demon related cases she has been involved with recently.
As Lilah is concerned about the performance review pending for her and Lindsey in the next couple of days, he doesn't seem too effected. Instead we learn that he has been looking after a weakened Darla whom he recovered from a sewer following a tip from Drusilla who has now left town. I like the exchange where Darla asks why Lindsey always takes a shower upon arriving home from the evil law firm when he is never dirty. Lindsey replies "I'm always dirty" This is a nice piece of foreshadowing for Lindsey's change of heart towards W&H. Angel recieves information from the host about the law firm's 75 year review to be conducted by the senior partners at a secret location. Unable to convince the Internal Affairs board of the legitimacy of her cases Kate is resigned to the news that she is let go by the police force. She departs with a line about them having no idea what is going on, on the streets which is rather fitting. This maybe Kate's best ever scene on the show. Even I as one of the character's biggest critics cannot help but feel sorry for her.
Angel drops in on an old friend from say 50 years back. Its the bookstore owner from Have You Now... the second episode of this season. He has a magic glove which will allow Angel axcess to Wolfram & Hart for the big event, however, Darla has the same information and kills the bookstore owner, gaining prosession of the glove in the process.
From this point on the episode take a dark and very impressive turn. Virginia breaks up with Wesley out of concern for his life style/career choice. This is an effective scene. It serves to further ground Wesley's character. Axelus Desloff sells the character's emotions to perfection. His numbness upon suspecting the news which is to follow is a compelling piece of facial reactions. This reaction telegraphs the realism of Wesley's plight as a character. The only thing which slightly undercuts the sequence is the lack of screen time for the couple's relationship up to this point. Because of this it is hard for the viewer to really get a sense of the impact of the couple breaking up, or to really care. Kate returns home and hits the bottle and later the pills!😱
Cordelia gets a call from the Mrs. Shaw who suddenly seems willing to pay for the firm's services. It is a set up, a demon has forced Mrs. Shaw to call Cordelia and is lying is wait as Cordelia heads out. Angel uses Lilah to gain access to Wolfham & Hart, then engages in a major smackdown with Darla. Diving through a window with the glove in hand, and finds a lift containing the very dead Holland Manners whose contract extends far beyond the grave. The lift is on a one way trip to the home office. On the way Holland warns Angel he is fighting a losing battle against Wolfham & Hart, and that there will always be another apocalypse at some point even if the vampire is able to overcome the forthcoming one. The former CEO smugly informs his foe that the firm are not in the fight to win, but that they are their because they have always been in one form or the other, finishing by claiming that "The world doesn't work in spite of evil, it works because of us" Manner's poetic speech is given greater significant as the lift returns to the spot in which it left. The home office is earth. As the POV focuses on shots of a homeless person and a woman abusing her child Holland's voice over describes "If there wasn't evil in every single one of them they wouldn't be people. They would all be Angels." This hits Angel hard. Defeated he wonders through the lonely L.A. streets past the hate and distraction going on around him. These shots are beautifully intercut with Kate about to take her own life by mixing the pills with alcohol, Cordelia setting off to the Shaw's house and Wesley isloated, at home by himself following the break up with Virginia. Returning to the Hyperion Angel recieves a drunk message Kate blaming him for everything (again) and indicating that she is about to take her own life. Before Angel can rush over to Kate's apartment an impassioned Darla shows up. To her surprised Angel gives in to his desires and the pair make wild and passionaite love. Angel justify's it by saying that he is so cold right now than he just wants to feel something. Later, in a flashback to the Buffy episode Surprise, Angel awakes stunned and in pain. Has Angel just lost his soul as a result of having another moment of true happiness, but this time with Darla? If so then his soul will be gone again and the evil Angelus will return. The end....
Conclusion
This episode balances many different strands and big character moments, and it pretty much pulls all of them off perfectly. Darla's reintroduction to the series is subtle and credible. Her involvement is important to expanding the season arc and this story and she slots back into place with another compelling performance by Benz. The unexpected romance with Lindsey (if you can call it that) becomes cruical to his growth over the next few episodes. At the sametime this subplot becames a clever smoke screen hiding the surprise at the end of the episode. Much of what the season has been building to, to this point is realised here. For the first time maybe ever Kate is given something of substance to do, and her journey reaches an impactful head. The darker tone and theme of the good guys and girls fighting by themselves in an isloated big city with people dystorying their own lives around them is powerfully rendered. Not least by Holland Manner's doom lendered monolouge which perfectly sells the overall message of Angel as a show compared to maybe the more hopeful tone struck on Buffy.
This also connects his actions during the next scene with Darla, and ties his theme and direction for the season together, and places the character on the edge, as it does his former friends.
Epiphany
We open with Angel's transformation into the evil side of personality appearing to be complete following his night with Darla. A gloating Darla follows Angel outside telling him "Don't fight the pain love. It will only hurt for a minute." The turn seems to be confirmed as Angel thanks Darla for saving him. However, he doesn't mean in the way that she thinks. It is all an act by Angel. Not only does he still have his soul, and has indeed tricked Darla, but it turns out that Angel was just using her all along. He was actually thanking her for giving him the epiphany of the episode's title which has motivated to fight the forces of evil and to turn his life around. Julia Benz is once again wonderfully convincing in her reactions throughout this scene. Angel tells Darla that it was perfect, but perfect hell, and that he will now extend her a favour warning her to get out, and that the next time she shows up at his place, that he will have to kill her. This exchange does remind the vampire about the Kate situation and he rushes over to her apartment and is able to save the ex-cop before she over doses on pills and dies. Kate briefly thanks Angel before telling him to get out.
The Host/Lorne puts things in perspective for Angel, explaining that the hardest thing for him might be to repair things with Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn. Not just will them accepting Angel back be an issue, but they making it through that night might also be a problem😱 Over at the Shaw's house Cordelia finds the family dead and is confronted three eyed demons accusing her and the others of dystroying their sprawn. They are seeking revenge and to return back to normal. Over at Wesley's apartment he loads himself up with a rifle and awaits the demons, but is given a helping hand by Angel. Despite this he is not too pleased to see the vamp. After getting the demon slime on his face Wesley right away asks Angel, what he is doing there😀 One of many great action scenes during the episode and the tension between Wesley and Angel is sold very well too. This is great Pro-active Wesley. Not only showing his bravery and resolve, but also logically he questions Angel's intentions.
With Cordelia at the mercy of the Skilosh demons and now infected with an unwanted third eye of her own, Angel and Wesley speculate over how whereabouts which leads to the stand out exchange of the episode. Angel suggests casually that good old care free Cordelia is probably out on a date somewhere with it being friday night and all? Well Wesley wasn't about to let this opportunity to put Angel right pass. He responds with conviction:
"But you don't know how at all. For months now you haven't cared to. Otherwise you might have realised that our Cordelia has become a very solidary girl. She's not the vain carefree creature she once was. Well certainly not carefree. Its the visions you see, the visions that were meant to guide you. You can turn away from them, she doesn't have that luxury. She knows and experiences the pain in this city and because of who she is, she feels compelled to do something about it. It's left her little time for anything else. You would know that if you hadn't had you're head firmly up the place which isn't on top your head."
One of the most vivid, poetic and true speeches ever produced for either show. Not just that, but Alexis Denisof grounds it with a very naturalistic, organic delivery, which gives it warmth and honesty, but such that it doesn't feel like a random outbust which might othewise have taken the plot off track. The actor has full measure of the material and is its equel. Its truly one of the best things he ever does on Angel and that is saying something in itself. The monologue is important because it gives Wesley a weapon to fight back against Angel and to cut down his big ego. It perfectly sums up the place in the arc that Angel finds himself in relation to Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn, and the tension between that at this point. It cruically sells the growth of Cordelia as a character, and how highly Wesley regards her. And of course it shows real agency from Wesley himself. He is a character who since debuting last season has rather been on the fridges of things, and has been written a little too cheesy or goofy at times. This is the start of the really good Wesley growth and from here the character doesn't look back. The other thing I would like to highlight about his speech is the mention of Cordelia choosing to accept her calling, and the suggestion that she has direction and has decided to fight the good fight. The challenge of L.A. as a city and the evil in it links back to what Holland was telling Angel in the previous episode. But whereas Angel had all but given up on using his powers to fight for good and to overcome evil, Cordelia had made the brave and tough choice of using her gift to tackle it head on. So much about the morialty of this show and Buffy is based on the choices of the characters. For awhile now Angel has made some very bad choices, or at least questionable, but Cordelia has made the noble and good choices.
The next beat is impressive too, as Wesley and Angel prepare themselves for the Skilosh demons to attack the office, it actually turns out ot Gunn returning, and boy is he thrilled to Angel🙄 We get a nice exhange between him and "English"😛 Gunn's reaction to Angel hits the mark, and Richard's does some fine acting in this scene as he does for the rest of the episode. He is growing into this part.🙂 The gang find some directions left by Cordelia and head over to the Shaw residence. On the drive over Gunn gives Angel a hard time over his sudden epiphany. Adding that if anything happens to Cordelia then might just have a epiphany of his own. I think this a little unfair on Gunn's part. Yes Angel deserted his friends and they could have used his help before now, still I don't think the blame for Cordy being at risk this time can really be pinned on Angel. After all it was the trio's choice to start up their own agency. They could have taken any number of paths minus Angel. Emotionally however, the scene works very well. The Skilosh demons attack the car, and Angel fights them off insisting that others carry on and save Cordelia. As it turns out the vampire has another issue to contend with and that is vengeful Lindsey who has been filled in over Angel and Darla and comes at Angel with the force of his pick up truck and a sledge hammer😱 Taken one hell of a beating, Angel is able to fight back and disarm Lindsey, smashing his artificial hand to send a message. After knocking Lindsey out, Angel borrows his truck in order to crash the party at the Shaws and save Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn. As Angel takes care of the Skilosh, Wesley uses some magic powder to restore Cordelia to normal. This is another hughly impressive set piece.
The next day Lindsey returns to find his truck returned, but damaged. An even bigger blow for Lindsey however comes when he returns to find Darla gone. I really like this shift to a more emotional and humanistic Lindsey. The change in direction will make more sense in the next episode. Angel and Kate resolve their differences. She is grateful to him for saving her, and has decided that she doesn't need the police force and is ready for a new chapter in her life. Angel has decided the samething. He returns to office of the investigators, where he offers his services to them, and says that he wants to work for them, adding that he will just have to earn their trust back. Cordelia gets her latest vision and the team set off for their latest case with a humbled Angel in toe. A great finish to another great episode🙂
Attachments
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Fuffy Baith
2017 (and 2016) Cutest BB member
Why is the lettering so big? Anyways. Happy Aniversary is not a very good episode, and the ending kind of creeps me out when the guy freezes them during sex. But at least we get more Lorne! Thin Dead Line is not great either. Zombie cops? I do like Anne and Gunn, and poor Wesley getting shot. Epiphany is a pretty good episode though. Angel sleeps with Darla and doesn't lose his soul. Goodbye to Kate, though.
Mr Trick
Scooby
Because it makes the reviews stand out😀 Thanks for the feedback, but I think that Epiphany is more than just a pretty good episode myself🙂
Fuffy Baith
It is good. That's what I'm saying. Lol
Mr Trick
Scooby
Mr Trick
Scooby
Slightly different format from now on. Or at least I will try it and see how it goes.🙂
Disharmony
Plot Rundown: Angel adjusts to life as a team member rather than team leader of Angel Investigations. Wesley is the new leader of the group and makes it plain to Angel that he has a lot of work to do win back the team's confidence. Mostly that of Cordelia who is still hurting from the vampire's betrayal of the group and gives Angel and hard time most of all, making it clear that they work together but are no longer friends. Later as the investigators head out to tackle a cult of vampires, Cordelia's old sunnydale friend Harmony pays her a visit. Unaware of Harmony's new secret idenity at first, when it later revealed Cordelia makes a choice which could place all their lives at stake.
Highlights: Again they sold the distance between Angel and the others very well. This is a very Cordy-centric episode and she sets the tone very well by sticking it to Angel at the start. Once again this power and agency shown from the character is Cordelia at her best, and plays into the actresses strengths too. It makes sense that Cordelia having had the bigger history with Angel would be the most hurt. Its also good to see Angel playing poppy dog to Cordy, like with the touch of giving her the night off😀 Wesley takes control as the leader from the start and is a good fit. On that note, it was a fun role reveasal during the scene involving Harmony and Wesley at the Hyperion to see Wes play the grumpy one instead of Angel for a change😛 Loved the misunderstanding between Cordy and Harmony, and later how she finds out that Harmony's a vampire. Its very nicely played, is sharp humour and credible also. The scene where Angel suggests that Cordy can't trust Harmony and where she rightly points out that despite having a soul Angel still betrayed his friends is another great moment of tension between the two. It partly demonstrates what the episode is all about at its core for me. The cult of vampires and their gathering gave more depth to the idea of demons using everyday human practices for their own purposes. This again plays into the link the show draws between us and them. I like the twist with Harmony setting the group up, though maybe there could have been a bit more done with the cult.
Lowlights: The scene where Harmony and Cordy visited the Host's club did nothing for me. It was just another excuse to get a laugh out of a cast member singing karaoke badly. It did nothing for the Host's character either as he had almost nothing to do with Harmony's so called revelation. It was just a scene to kill a few more minutes and to get a cheap laugh. Gunn had some good jokes about the fact that the group should actually be killing vampires😉 But besides those moments like Lorne he could have been dropped from the episode and it wouldn't have made much difference. I was uncertain about Cordelia letting Harmony go (more on this in a minute). The cheap gag at the end with Angel making things up to Cordelia by buying her nice clothes undercut much of her growth during the episode.
Verdict: Harmony divides many people as a character. And its fair to say that Harmony the vampire divides fans of the Buffyverse even more. My view of her is that as a supporting comedy character that she serves her purpose and that Mercedes Mcnab gives a nice little performance. Its true that a little of her goes a long way, but I think that the show(s) get just about the right balance. A case in point is her involvement in this episode. The story is never really about her, rather Harmony is a plot device to to again to demostrate Cordelia's growth as a character. Her presence in the episode gives Cordy a new set of problems to work out and that Cordy is so conflicted between doing the right thing for an old friend and the people who she has grown to care about the most is a neat little twist and quite a compelling situation too. Harmony serves as a mirror of Angel throughout too. It was a clever idea to contrast the two and again to build the tension between Cordelia and Angel. Harmony as a character in this story serves to turn the universe of the show upside down. Many fans may not enjoy the comedy involving her and how the characters around her react. But I do it rather tickles me. Therefore, its a shame that an episode that has so much going for it in the mix of comedy and drama, and important character interactions is just slightly undercut by a few cheap moments. I can see the case for Cordy letting Harmony live at the end. It does show a more human side to her, and she while she spares her ex-friend she does make it clear that Harmony needs to leave her town. And letting Harmony escape is actually the harder decision of the two. But having thought about it more I would have preferred her to have killed Harmony. For one, it would have made for a darker conclusion to the episode and been a bigger statement for the character. The other thing is that it would have been a poetic ending to Harmony's arc to be killed by her former best friend. It would have been a logical way to close her run in the Buffyverse. This moment and the joke at the very end does damage some of Cordy's progress throughout. Cordy being seduced by fancy clothes is a just a cheap gag and predictable. More importantly it lets Angel off the hook way too easily.
MVP: Cordelia.
Episode Rating: 7/10
Questions to the rest of the forum:
1. Do you prefer Harmony as a human or vampire? And why?
2. Do you think that Cordy should have killed Harmony? (you can base your answer either on narrative or logical reasons, or a mix of both).
3. Was it a mistake to bring the character back in season 5?
Disharmony
Plot Rundown: Angel adjusts to life as a team member rather than team leader of Angel Investigations. Wesley is the new leader of the group and makes it plain to Angel that he has a lot of work to do win back the team's confidence. Mostly that of Cordelia who is still hurting from the vampire's betrayal of the group and gives Angel and hard time most of all, making it clear that they work together but are no longer friends. Later as the investigators head out to tackle a cult of vampires, Cordelia's old sunnydale friend Harmony pays her a visit. Unaware of Harmony's new secret idenity at first, when it later revealed Cordelia makes a choice which could place all their lives at stake.
Highlights: Again they sold the distance between Angel and the others very well. This is a very Cordy-centric episode and she sets the tone very well by sticking it to Angel at the start. Once again this power and agency shown from the character is Cordelia at her best, and plays into the actresses strengths too. It makes sense that Cordelia having had the bigger history with Angel would be the most hurt. Its also good to see Angel playing poppy dog to Cordy, like with the touch of giving her the night off😀 Wesley takes control as the leader from the start and is a good fit. On that note, it was a fun role reveasal during the scene involving Harmony and Wesley at the Hyperion to see Wes play the grumpy one instead of Angel for a change😛 Loved the misunderstanding between Cordy and Harmony, and later how she finds out that Harmony's a vampire. Its very nicely played, is sharp humour and credible also. The scene where Angel suggests that Cordy can't trust Harmony and where she rightly points out that despite having a soul Angel still betrayed his friends is another great moment of tension between the two. It partly demonstrates what the episode is all about at its core for me. The cult of vampires and their gathering gave more depth to the idea of demons using everyday human practices for their own purposes. This again plays into the link the show draws between us and them. I like the twist with Harmony setting the group up, though maybe there could have been a bit more done with the cult.
Lowlights: The scene where Harmony and Cordy visited the Host's club did nothing for me. It was just another excuse to get a laugh out of a cast member singing karaoke badly. It did nothing for the Host's character either as he had almost nothing to do with Harmony's so called revelation. It was just a scene to kill a few more minutes and to get a cheap laugh. Gunn had some good jokes about the fact that the group should actually be killing vampires😉 But besides those moments like Lorne he could have been dropped from the episode and it wouldn't have made much difference. I was uncertain about Cordelia letting Harmony go (more on this in a minute). The cheap gag at the end with Angel making things up to Cordelia by buying her nice clothes undercut much of her growth during the episode.
Verdict: Harmony divides many people as a character. And its fair to say that Harmony the vampire divides fans of the Buffyverse even more. My view of her is that as a supporting comedy character that she serves her purpose and that Mercedes Mcnab gives a nice little performance. Its true that a little of her goes a long way, but I think that the show(s) get just about the right balance. A case in point is her involvement in this episode. The story is never really about her, rather Harmony is a plot device to to again to demostrate Cordelia's growth as a character. Her presence in the episode gives Cordy a new set of problems to work out and that Cordy is so conflicted between doing the right thing for an old friend and the people who she has grown to care about the most is a neat little twist and quite a compelling situation too. Harmony serves as a mirror of Angel throughout too. It was a clever idea to contrast the two and again to build the tension between Cordelia and Angel. Harmony as a character in this story serves to turn the universe of the show upside down. Many fans may not enjoy the comedy involving her and how the characters around her react. But I do it rather tickles me. Therefore, its a shame that an episode that has so much going for it in the mix of comedy and drama, and important character interactions is just slightly undercut by a few cheap moments. I can see the case for Cordy letting Harmony live at the end. It does show a more human side to her, and she while she spares her ex-friend she does make it clear that Harmony needs to leave her town. And letting Harmony escape is actually the harder decision of the two. But having thought about it more I would have preferred her to have killed Harmony. For one, it would have made for a darker conclusion to the episode and been a bigger statement for the character. The other thing is that it would have been a poetic ending to Harmony's arc to be killed by her former best friend. It would have been a logical way to close her run in the Buffyverse. This moment and the joke at the very end does damage some of Cordy's progress throughout. Cordy being seduced by fancy clothes is a just a cheap gag and predictable. More importantly it lets Angel off the hook way too easily.
MVP: Cordelia.
Episode Rating: 7/10
Questions to the rest of the forum:
1. Do you prefer Harmony as a human or vampire? And why?
2. Do you think that Cordy should have killed Harmony? (you can base your answer either on narrative or logical reasons, or a mix of both).
3. Was it a mistake to bring the character back in season 5?
Fuffy Baith
2017 (and 2016) Cutest BB member
My favorite part is when Cordy is on the phone talking to Willow. She thinks Harmony is a lesbian. I also love how infuriating Harmony is to Wesley. Lol. But you're right its really a story about Cordy. And I don't like him just buying her clothes at the end, either.
2. No. Harmony is basically the same person that Cordy grew up with as friends. It makes sense that she couldn't kill her. Had Harmony the vampire been different than I think it would make it easier to stake her. You also gotta think, why Buffy never staked her.
3. Sort of. I get they did it to have another female character. But that one episode she has is pointless because season 5 is not about Harmony's growth as a character. And after that she just goes back to being her old self again. She's fine in small doses as Angel's secretary. But she wasn't necessary to the team. She even ends up betraying them in the end.
1. I don't mind Harmony the vampire. Sometimes she's over done. But for the most part she doesn't annoy me. She didn't do anything as a human so at least as a vamp she's funny.
2. No. Harmony is basically the same person that Cordy grew up with as friends. It makes sense that she couldn't kill her. Had Harmony the vampire been different than I think it would make it easier to stake her. You also gotta think, why Buffy never staked her.
3. Sort of. I get they did it to have another female character. But that one episode she has is pointless because season 5 is not about Harmony's growth as a character. And after that she just goes back to being her old self again. She's fine in small doses as Angel's secretary. But she wasn't necessary to the team. She even ends up betraying them in the end.
Hunga Munga
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