Angel ep by ep; rewatch and reviews

[saturn5]

Buffy rocks! With the exception of season 4 I think each season is actually better than it's Angel equivalent. Yep the Buffy eps This Years Girl and Who are you? correspond to these eps and they're awesome, watch them and you'll understand much better what this is all about. In fact watch Buffy the series and you'll enjoy Angel so much more, it's the superior series by a nose.
If by 'hit' you mean have sex with Buffy we'll we're all right there with you

ARE YOU NOW OR EVER HAVE BEEN?
The Good;
Very good allegory of the McCarthy age and we get an idea of what Angel got up to after 'Why we fight?'.
The Bad;
According to the commentary Angel sends the money back to the bank. I wouldn't, they're a bunch of racists, I'd have given it to charity or something.
Best line:
DENVER; "No other cat but me"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Seeing Angel lynched is nasty in the extreme.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 16,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
Angel doesn't save the inhabitants of the hotel, just leaves the demon to feast upon them. When he finally returns to rescue Melissa it's to let her die.
In disguise; 4
DB get's his shirt off; 7
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel;
4
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out: yep, Angel
Cordy: 9
Angel: 11
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 1 demon for Angel so 16 vamps, 17 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; one more vamp so 4 in all.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 8,
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
The starlet is obviously supplementing her income through prostitution. Nevertheless she refers to Melissa as a slut as an insult.
Captain Subtext;
The leading man is obviously gay and hiding it Rock Hudson style.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
The McCarthy era is a strange one as after the fall of communism it was revealed that many of those he persecuted were indeed Soviet agents (it's an interesting paralell of George Bush/Barack Obama being pressured to release some the Guantanamo inmates only for 1 in 7 going back to terrorism) but the important point here is that we rail against all lynch-mobs and witch-hunts which are inherently evil no matter their justification, Angel season 2 of course was during the War on Terror and the point is well made.
Buffy characters on Angel; 11
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla
Questions and observations;
2nd appearance of the Hyperion which is also in Judgement and 'I fall to pieces' under a different name . Presumably Angel must be pretty rich just to be able to give the money away like that. After this we presume he must go into his hedonistic phase, henceforth to be known as 'The Manilow Era'. He does return to hotel later however as he's in the picture when the police arrest the bell-hop (who goes to the electric chair despite being innocent of the charges against him). First apprearance of Denver who'll crop up again later. In an ep about the 50s Cordy's dress seems very sixties? If this ep is 9 minutes over as the commentary says, why not Special Edition DVDs with the footage restored?
Marks out of 10; 8/10
　
　

 

[Mal]

JUDGEMENT
Wonderful to see Angel visit Faith, such a lovely touch.

agreed. it's scenes like this that make angel such a wonderful show.

even if the episode basically bores.

 

[Lindley]

well, if this is any indication of what BTVS is like, i think i'll pass (god, is she always this annoyingly melodramatic?!?) ...

Buffy comes off as far more of a bitch in her Angel appearances than on her own show. There are good in-story reasons for this, but it's unfortunate from a cross-promotion perspective.

although... is there a Buffy ep that serves as the backstory to Five by Five and Sanctuary?

Yes. The episode is called "Season 3". (The two-parter "This Year's Girl"/"Who Are You?" is the immediate setup; actually, those two together with "Five by Five"/"Sanctuary" are sort of a 4-parter, but even so you need a lot more of the Faith arc to really appreciate everything.)

 

[Mal]

well, if this is any indication of what BTVS is like, i think i'll pass (god, is she always this annoyingly melodramatic?!?) ...

Buffy comes off as far more of a bitch in her Angel appearances than on her own show. There are good in-story reasons for this, but it's unfortunate from a cross-promotion perspective.

well, i suppose they were trying to get Buffy viewers to watch Angel, not the other way around. still, TPTB made the same mistake with Emissary Part 1. Sisko's scene with Picard does not go well at all...

although... is there a Buffy ep that serves as the backstory to Five by Five and Sanctuary?

Yes. The episode is called "Season 3". (The two-parter "This Year's Girl"/"Who Are You?" is the immediate setup; actually, those two together with "Five by Five"/"Sanctuary" are sort of a 4-parter, but even so you need a lot more of the Faith arc to really appreciate everything.)

season 3
how does buffy stack up with firefly, or angel, or hell - even dr. horrible?

i'll admit, i can't stand SMG. I Know What You Did Last Summer was bad enough, but i basically vowed never to watch her again after Cruel Intentions (the movie itself wasn't bad, but she was grating). her appearances in Angel just seems to confirm all that.

 

[Lindley]

Buffy is clearly written by a less experienced Joss than Firefly, but the same kind of fun is present in the dialog of both. Buffy is less consistent in quality than Angel, but at times much better (and at times much worse). The musical episode compares well to Dr. Horrible, although the latter was again, clearly the result of more experience.

It's well worth seeing, and season 2 and 3 compare favorably against anything else Joss has done. Season 1 is a bit on the cheesy side----but once you accept that, it's not the bad kind of cheesy. Season 4 weakens a bit, but season 5 recovers nicely. Season 6 and 7 are a bit weaker but both have moments of brilliance.

Now, most people will say that Buffy herself is one of the less interesting characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But it's an ensemble show, so that's okay.

I recently found some fan-made Buffy and Angel trailers on Youtube which are really *very* well-done....
Angel Season 1
Angel Season 2

Buffy season 1
Buffy season 2
Buffy season 3
Buffy season 4
Buffy season 5

 

[Mal]

Angel Season 1

An Angel trailer with The Eleventh Doctor's theme would have so much win!

 

[saturn5]

The Buffster is great and if you'd watched season 3/4 of Buffy you'd understand her attitude totally (Faith basically rapes her boyfriend and tries to steal her life).

Personally I rate Buffy as the best of all Joss' series and it's success in terms of popularity and longevity testify to that. I'd say;
Buffy
Angel
Dollhouse
Firefly
Dr Horrble
in terms of preference.

SMG is great, her role in Cruel Intentions is supposed to be grating, she's the baddie. Buffy is essentially the role she was born to play and she's wonderful in it (although she now wants to broaden her acting horizons and I can understand that)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Good;
Not much, this has a good chance of being the worst Angel ep ever. Some eps of Charmed were better than this, even the one's without Shannen Doherty (or Charisma Carpenter).
The Bad;
The demon and the whole 'Gunn in trouble' bit is very stupid.
Best line:
"NOW!" all in the delivery
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Can't help but wince when Veronica get's a neck full of glass. Cordy's right though, to pull it out would kill her. The whimpering from Angelus and Darla's victims is horrible.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 16,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 4
DB get's his shirt off; yep, twice so that makes 9
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel;
4
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 9
Angel: 11
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 2 vamps for Cordy so 5 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 1 demon and 1 vamp so 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; one more vamp so 5 in all.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 8,
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
All the Darla/Angel stuff is just excellent. Wes uses the very British insult 'Wanker'. Once again Cordy appears to be turned on by money, maybe that 'prostitute' remark wasn't so far of the mark as she also says she could be a 'working girl' if she wanted to. She also states that when it comes to sex women see more levels than men.
Captain Subtext;
Semi-naked Angel on top of Wes! Angel objects to wearing 'The girl's helmet'. Wes doesn't help by telling him 'Hop on gorgeous'
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Gunn beats his way to the truth so ruthlessly even Angel steps in to stop him.
Buffy characters on Angel; 11
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla
Questions and observations;
Angel is a fan of Denzel Washington which is weird as he claimed to not even have a TV and was living like a tramp during his most successful movies?
Marks out of 10; 3/10, VERY weak ep, saved largely by the Darla/Angel stuff and the motorcycle humour.
　

 

[Mal]

Angel is a fan of Denzel Washington which is weird as he claimed to not even have a TV and was living like a tramp during his most successful movies?

you don't need a tv to watch movies. that said...

in the next episode, Untouched, Lilah tells telekinesis-girl that she's wired, so she's probably going to stare at the TV a little while. and then it occurred to me: in the Angel-verse, good-guys read books in their spare time, and only bad-guys (or no-bodies, see Expecting) watch TV. Angel is always staying in, reading on a friday night. and in this episode, even bimbo-headed Cordy reads a book in her apartment! With the addition of Wes to the cast, and especially his devotion to research in To Shanshu in LA, the holy trinity of nerd-dom is complete!

get this through your head: TV bad; books good

 

[saturn5]

Much like Giles in the Harsh Light of Day I think the scoobs pretend not to watch TV but to judge by their remarks actually do plenty

 

[saturn5]

UNTOUCHED
　
The Good;
Some lovely stuff from Lilah and some nice humour with Gunn.
The Bad;
I think the whole abused child bit is a little overdone, if you want to see that go so Michelle Tractenberg's excellent film 'Mysterious Skin' (but be warned, it's hard to watch)
Best line:
Angel; "Do you know what it's like to get a re-bar through your torso?"
Cordy; "Actually yes I do. Benefits of a Sunnydale education" (Lover's Walk)
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
The whole incest storyline is super-icky, father's once more getting a rough ride in the Buffyverse. Plus Bethany squishing the thugs with the dumpster but as Gunn says "Mr rapist-for-hire? See me crying?"
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 17, yep and how
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Bethany actually comes on to Angel which is unusual to see. Wes confesses he has no knowledge whatsoever about telekenisis. Cordy warns Bethany about Angel, hints of jealousy.
In disguise; yep as a detective, must have been taking hints from Kate so 5
DB get's his shirt off; yep, amazing how he always get's wounded in the chest but Cordy never does? 10
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; Cordy says she likes her men "Less broody, more spendy"
5
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out: Angel and Cordy
Cordy: 10
Angel: 12
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Kills: none this ep for anyone although I love the way Cordy fights off the thugs with her lattes.
Cordy: 5 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; 5 vamps.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations: Gunn now being paid so add him in
4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 8,
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Bethany comments that Angel's Darla dream must make him 'Pretty happy' to judge by his bed covers. Indeed they resemble the x-rated cover of a period romance novel, bodice-ripping by the fireside. Bethany says guy's love the whole 'innocent and fragile' thing. Cordy comments that she came in the top 10% of her class and Wes wonders was that class 'Advanced bosoms?" (I think she gets more a C in that area?
Captain Subtext;
Lilah's relationship with Bethany smacks mightily of lesbianism just in the same way as her picking up Faith at the club did. When Gunn boasts about his new axe and hopes he might 'Get the chance to stick it in something" Cordy comments "Men, all alike!"
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel; 11
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla
What the fanficcers thought; read a very good one once where Buffy confronts Hank about abusing her as a child. He confesses to being abused himself, she forgives him then he turns himself in, REAL tearjerker. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3035521/1/The_Monsters_of_Childhood
Incest-fic of course HUGELY popular but almost invariably Buffy/Dawn/Joyce (Charmed sisters, Gilmore Girls etc) as consenting adults.
http://www.t-s-s-a.com/stories/show-story.php?story=Buffy-DontGo.txt and
http://www.t-s-s-a.com/stories/show-story.php?story=Buffy-MercifulMistress.txt
probably the most tasteful in a highly dubious genre if you're over 18.
Questions and observations;
Hugely dark, you wonder if this is what Joss and co intended the series to originally be like in terms of both 'Damsel in distress of the week' and in the dark nature of the subject matter (Lonely Heart for instance was originally called Corrupt and had Kate not only posing undercover as a prostitute but had gotten too far into her role, actually working as one and having sex with her clients. At that point the studio stepped in. Of course the studio seems to have no such problem with Dollhouse which is basically the ultimate fantasy escort agency).
Marks out of 10; 7/10. Good ep, suprisingly funny in places and all about redemption, I for one am glad Bethany didn't kill her father. Also more and more depth added to Lilah and that's always a good thing.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Yeah, Joss really has a problem with fathers, doesn't he? I think Roger Burkle is possibly the only nice father in the whole of the Buffyverse.

That scene with Bethany coming on to Angel is just horrible. She's so blank-faced and empty even as she's talking about "having fun," it's so clear that this is an extremely damaged girl.

It reminds me of Faith, 18-years-old at the most, not only knowing what a safe word is but being familiar enough with them to dismiss them as "for pussies."

It is funny though that Lilah's secret scheme is ruined because it interferes with Lindsey's secret scheme.

 

[Mal]

Yeah, Joss really has a problem with fathers, doesn't he? I think Roger Burkle is possibly the only nice father in the whole of the Buffyverse.

i think both Angel and Holtz are pretty great fathers, all things considered.

 

[saturn5]

Yeah, Joss really has a problem with fathers, doesn't he? I think Roger Burkle is possibly the only nice father in the whole of the Buffyverse.

i think both Angel and Holtz are pretty great fathers, all things considered.

I don't know, I think Holtz loves Connor but his love is extra-tough and he's prepared to use him as a weapon of revenge against Angel

DEAR BOY
The Good;
All the Angel and Darla stuff and the Kate stuff. Love the cheating wife subplot too.
The Bad;
?
Best line:
"God doesn't want you, but I do"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Awful scene between Darla and Angelus whilst driving Dru mad. She is a virgin and a saint, how different her life could have been. Darla grabbing/killing the actor.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 17
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise;
Whilst surveiling the cheating wife in the hotel so 6
DB get's his shirt off; 10
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; AI jump at the chance of a paying client Cordy noting he has Mastercard etc. Angel asks Wes if he has any money he can lend him for Caritas
6
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 10
Angel: 12
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Kills: one demon for Gunn
Cordy: 5 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; 5 vamps + 1 demon.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed: 3, the actor, the Lord and the Streetwalker
26
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations:
4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot: Angel shot by the cops who respond to the call
Angel: 9,
Packing heat; we have the first appearance the tranquliser guns.
Wes; 4
Doyle; 2
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy
Wes; 1 bleached blonde according to Angel and to the amazement of Cordy

Kinky dinky:
Angel forces himself on Darla but being Darla she revels in it. "You're hurting me, I like it". Angel tells Darla she can 'Scream all she wants'. Darla says she's pretty familar with the international sign for 'enough' whilst Angel says what they did together 'blew the top of my head off'. Angel has 'a thing for convents', hmmm? The nuns or the teenage schoolgirls in uniforms? Darla kills the streetwalker even though she was one herself. Angel smells Cordy's hair, the first hint of Cangel. When Angel refers to his love Cordy thinks he's talking about Buffy. Cordy's 'Pet me I'm a whore' outfit certainly fits the bill. Angel observes that Wes has recently had sex with a bleach blonde, probably the girl from 'Judgement', much to Cordelia's incredulity. Buffy the cheerleader gave Angel a happiness Darla couldn't give, maybe Darla should get the costume and some pompoms?
Captain Subtext;
In fanfic the bleach blonde Wes had sex with is often Spike. Lorne refers to his bartender Ramon as a 'treasure'.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel; Dru for the first time 12
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru
Questions and observations;
Angel is 247 years old and now a coffee addict contrary to what was stated in The Prom. Great ep, the renewal of the Angel/Darla relationship and it's terrific on all levels, great things to come. Angel seems to have established a reputation as a PI for the superanatural, AI's spying on the cheating wife is quite professional with listening devices, mini-camera's, the works. In the Buffyverse there appear to be no aliens (what about the Queller demon from season 5?). Kate is now a pariah in the LAPD but is still loved by her friends and colleagues. Lorne is back for the first time in a while. Some great satire on Hollywood actors. Gunn has a long and colourful record with LAPD.
Marks out of 10; 9/10

 

[Mal]

Yeah, Joss really has a problem with fathers, doesn't he? I think Roger Burkle is possibly the only nice father in the whole of the Buffyverse.

i think both Angel and Holtz are pretty great fathers, all things considered.

I don't know, I think Holtz loves Connor but his love is extra-tough and he's prepared to use him as a weapon of revenge against Angel

well considering the hell (dimension) they were living in, it was probably tough-love, or death. this is why 3x21 Benediction, where Angel goes to see Holtz in his motel, is my very favorite episode.

 

[saturn5]

Benediction is great but we'll talk about it when we get there. Now as for bad fathers in the Buffyverse....

GUISE WILL BE GUISE
The Good;
So wonderful, finally Wes gets a chance to shine and it's just fabulous. Also love Cordy's Angel impression. And love Rick the guard quietly sloping off when it's revealed that he'd had sex with his employer's daughter.
Bad;
Gunn never noticed the existance of netherworld? So how come he once traded his soul at a demon casino? (The House Alway's Wins) Surely there's a better way to get Angels help than threatening Cordy? Wouldn't have Wes have noticed that he'd deflowered Virginia during their sex?
Best line:
Angel; "Wesley was in virginia?"
Wes; "That's beside the point"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
The father who wants to sacrifice his daughter, my god, talk about the lowest of the low! Prophetically she observes he also insures his car. Angel tortures fake Swami with fishing hook and line through his cheek.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 17
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
Angel plans to infiltrate WR&H by 'moving real fast'
As Gunn horrifiedly observes 'Going real quick was the plan?"
In disguise;
No but love the way Cordy and Wes are able to infiltrate WR&H with just a business suit and a pair of glasses and Wes' Angel impression is priceless.
DB get's his shirt off; 10
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel;
5
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out: Gunn by the fake Swami
Cordy: 10
Angel: 12
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Gunn; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 5 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; 5 vamps+ 1 demon.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed: the Swami offscreen
27
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations:
4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 9,
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy
Wes; 2, one bleached blonde and Virginia

Kinky dinky:
Wes has sex with Virginia although he doesn't take her virginity, that was long gone (what girl ever didn't fool her father in that regard?). Of course if she had sex at 16 that's technically statuatory rape in California. Virginia is lovely, check her out as the 'Blair' witch in Charmed although her outfit in that episode exaggerates her (already respectable) cleavage to the degree it may knock you unconscious. Cordy observes that he 'screwed her over'. The thug refers to Cordy as Angel's piece. Yeska comments that the sacrifice is impure, as Cordy later observes if it was sacrificing male virgins the world would be aethiest in a second. Angel protests he isn't a eunuch and that the curse isn't that clear as later proven by Nina/Darla/The Furies.
Captain Subtext;
Cordy asks Wes if he has any clothes 'a man would wear'? Of course being Wes he has some excellent suits and Cordy has a very nice business suit. Cordy says she loves Angel. She also refers to Angel as girly. The fake Swami's recipie for Angel's happiness is word perfect for his relationship with Buffy, using her as a Darla substitute (but Buffy made him happy and Darla didn't).
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Angel tortures the false Swami with a fishook through his cheek
Buffy characters on Angel; 12
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru
Questions and observations;
Angel says he rarely goes to church although it's implied that he's a Catholic. A great satire on Hollywood success, anyone with talent and looks has to have magic. A terrific lightweight comedy episode with Wes coming into his own for the first time and getting a girlfriend, just as he should have.
Marks out of 10; 8/10

 

[Mal]

GUISE WILL BE GUISE
Wes gets a chance to shine and it's just fabulous.

agreed! he would make a great boss... almost as if Angel Investigations would run better if he were in charge. oh wait

Virginia is lovely

she's great - i think she's the only good girlfriend in all of Angel!

if you think the show is bad with dads, its absolutely terrible with GFs. i shudder just imagining living in that kind of dating pool (LA?). take for ex:

cordy - well, count her out - she sleeps around a bit, but is never a girlfriend. fred seems cool with gunn for a while, but she's just a nutcase, and it can't work. darla: enough said. and don't even get me started on holtz's girlfriend! lilah has a shitty abused girlfriend who can crush you with her mind, and she herself isn't that great a GF for Wes.

even lindsy's girlfriend is kind of evil, but then when she isn't, she still has fucked angel. the Angel 'verse is so bad with GF's, that Lindsy's GF is about as good as you can hope for. other than Virginia, who even with a fucked up dad, still seems to have very few daddy issues. she's kind and supportive, and she puts out on a regular basis.

all of which makes Virginia shine.

Angel plans to infiltrate WR&H by 'moving real fast'
As Gunn horrifiedly observes 'Going real quick was the plan?"

love the way Cordy and Wes are able to infiltrate WR&H with just a business suit and a pair of glasses

Angel protests he isn't a eunuch

hilarious episode. was laughing throughout

 

[saturn5]

I think Buffy was a pretty good girlfriend for Angel plus Nina of course

DARLA
　
The Good;
Everything between Angel and Darla is just superb, adds a whole new dimension to the Buffyverse
The Bad;
?
Best line:
Angel; "You damned me!"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Everything with Darla, Dru and Spike is just TRAGIC. Angel garroting Lindsey is also pretty near the knuckle.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 17
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise;
DB get's his shirt off; yep,10
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel;
5
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 10
Angel: 12
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Gunn; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 5 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; 5 vamps.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed: Dru kills the sailor, Spike kills the Slayer offscreen.
29
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations:
4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 8,
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy
Wes; 2; Virginia and the bleached blonde

Kinky dinky:
"You're leaving with the stallion" You know they just don't have dialogue like that on Dawson's Creek.
Darla asks Lindsey to kiss her. We have confirmed what we always suspected, that she was a prostitute in her human life (women weren't allowed to own property during the Elizabethen era so she could hardly be anything else)
Captain Subtext;
Gunn shows his legal mind for the first time, working out that WR&H would place Darla's expenses as a tax rebate. Angelus appreciates human life whilst the Master wishes to end it. That said he let's Darla go as he seems to have genuine affection for her. Darla wonders if Lindsey has either a boyfriend or girlfriend. Little hints of humanity in Dru, she hints she could be Darla's mummy as she will eventually be when she sires her. Once again Spike calls Angel(us) a poofter.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages; yep, where they go to kill Darla
5,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel; 13 The Master rears his ugly head
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, Master
Questions and observations;
Dru sires Spike. The cleverness of this scene is that when we see it on Buffy we think the Fang Gang are the kings of the world. Although when we see it on Angel we realise it's all a lie, Angel is resouled. Despite being resouled Angel still kills criminals, rapists and murderers, an undead version of the Punisher. So what's Darla's real name? In season 1 of Buffy 'Angel' he comments that the last time he saw Darla she was dresssed in kimonos which fits here. So what happens to the baby Angel saves? I like to think that she grows up under his watchful eye, much like Rachel in the Highlander series, that Angel visits her as an old lady on her deathbed and holds her hand as she passes to the afterlife and rejoins the rest of her family. Interesting when we compare Angelus, the bullying father of the fang gang with his own domineering father.
Marks out of 10; 9/10

 

[DS9Continuing]

Gunn shows his legal mind for the first time, working out that WR&H would place Darla's expenses as a tax rebate.

There's a constant sense that despite his presumed lack of formal education, and his supposed street-thug image, Gunn is actually the best detective of the lot.

 

[saturn5]

Gunn shows his legal mind for the first time, working out that WR&H would place Darla's expenses as a tax rebate.

There's a constant sense that despite his presumed lack of formal education, and his supposed street-thug image, Gunn is actually the best detective of the lot.

I like it when they give him layers, he's not just The Muscle

THE SHROUD OF RAHMON
　
The Good;
Very little, like Angel's Ja'Don impression and some nice Kate stuff but that's about all.
The Bad;
Cordy's hair is awful, she looks like Courtney Cox after a bad perm. The rest of the episode is pretty awful, the whole Wes interrogated by the cops technique really not working at all. If the Shroud is so powerful and destructive how could it have survived for so long?
Best line:
Angel " I could use a sweater, something dark"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
The twisting of the guard's neck. The story of the city's population going insane with mother's killing their children is also horrible.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 17
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise;
As Jay-Don so 7
DB get's his shirt off; 10
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel;
5
Fang Gang in bondage: Wes handcuffed
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 3

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 10
Angel: 12
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Gunn; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 5 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Gunn; 5 vamps+ 1 demon.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed: the corrupt security guard
30
Recurring characters killed;
4;
Total number of Angel Investigations:
4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot:Angel by Kate
Angel: 10
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy
Wes; 2; Virginia and the bleached blonde

Kinky dinky:
Kate finally get's what she always wanted deep down, Angel bites her under the influence of the shroud and she appears to orgasm against her will as a result just as Buffy did in Graduation Day pt2. Afterwards she seems almost bent to his will, finally able to forgive him for what's happened to her father and letting Wesley go. Apparently the things bringing in the chicks are 'the dough and the ride'. Wes says he's 'Good with the ladies himself'
Captain Subtext;
Angel mistakes Kate for Darla. Hmmmm? Kate also has a pic of her dad on her desk. Where's her mum? Gunn refers to vamps killing his sister.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
5,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel; 13
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, Master
Questions and observations;
Angel is a Chow Yun Fat fan, again weird when he was supposed to be a street tramp when he was at the height of his fame (Hard Boiled). If Wes wasn't under arrest before, why was he at the police station? We have the first appearance the tranquliser guns. Noted character actor Tony Todd (Candyman, Babylon 5, Night of the Living Dead etc) appears here almost unrecognisable as one of the demons. Is the head of the robbery gang human or demon? Jay-Don ran with the Rat-Pack as apparently Angel did during his Manilow phase according to 'The House Always Wins'. Kate is the first human Angel has fed on since Buffy in Graduation Day pt2.
Marks out of 10; 3/10, in my honest opinion the worst episode of Angel EVER!

 

[Skellington]