Angel ep by ep; rewatch and reviews

Rewatching it from beginning to end, please chip in if you wish;

City of Angels
The Good;
Impressive opening scenes, funny yet moving. Love Angel choosing the wrong car and very suprising that he doesn't save the girl, at least not the guest star (they use the same time difference trick as they did in Helpless to convince you he will). Especially loved him killing Winters at the end, real vicious stick it in and break it off revenge, great stunt, great effect. Cordy realising that Winter's is a vamp and him initally denying it is also fun.
The Bad;
If Winters had all this security at his house how can Angel just walk into his office?

Best line:
Angel; Can you fly?

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Winters killing the heroine is very brutal. Also the whole sugardaddy/casting couch scenario shows the stark reality behind the Hollywood glamour.

Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 1
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Doyle rams the gates of the Winter's mansion but they seem suprisingly resilient. Also Angel fails to save the girl.
In disguise; Angel does his rube in the big city act for the first time
DB get's his shirt off; in order to allow Doyle and Cordy to remove the bullets. Yeah, right!

Fang Gang in bondage: no but he knocks out and ties up the guard at the mansion
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: no but Angel knocks out about 4 guys
Cordy: 6
Angel: 6
Wes: 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: kills 4 vamps in the opening episode which is remarkable as according to Boo's figures he only killed 3 in the whole 3 seasons of Buffy. So that gives Angel 7 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 3


Characters killed:
2; Tina and her missing friend Denise (offscreen)

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 4, pumped full of lead by Winter's bodyguards


Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Tina appears to be Winter's kept woman. She describes him as 'liking pain' (his own or other peoples?). Cordy also considers him for a sugardaddy much the same as she'll consider doing later to David Nabbit. Tina offers herself to Angel as a reward for saving her but like the white knight he is he gently turns her down.
Captain Subtext;
Oliver at the party considers Angel a 'beautiful man' but only on a professional basis, he's currently in a long term relationship with a landscape gardener. 'Drunk' Angel also gives the appearance of hitting on the guy in the bar.
Questions and observations;
Doyle drinks Colt .45 beer, the equivalent of Tennants Extra in the UK, pretty much in keeping with the down at heel nature of his character. First appearance of Lindsey, he and Angel are the only characters who appear in both the first and last eps of the series. Angel goes all Punisher finding his way to Winters, not hesitating to beat and threaten his way to his goal. The series already appearing much darker and more adult than Buffy. Angel's narration is similar to Angelus' in Passion and Whistler's in Becoming. It's also reminiscent of the classic noir crime fiction set in LA, could easily be the The Black Dahalia or LA Confidential or Chinatown. When I first saw this I wasn't sure if Winters was a vamp or not, the vamp makeup is subtly different but will eventually fall back into resembling that on Buffy once more. Angel was in Montanna during the depression, maybe Spike's line about vampire cowboy wasn't too far off the mark? Angel tells Cordy there's no cure for vamparism but we'll actually find 3 in the first season alone. Cordy refers to Angel having never developed an investment portfolio but he must get money from somewhere, he seems very well to do. The money he and Darla stole from their victims or does he just have loads of bank accounts with 200 years of interest to collect, Highlander style? Ange

 

Lonely Heart

The Good;
Angel on the singles scene is a joy to behold, another commentary on the reality if life in LA. And Kate!

The Bad;
The nightclub actually seems quite hip and not 'stuck in the 80s', better than Henry's.

Best line:
Kate; You can go to hell!
Angel; Been there, done that

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Can you say 'eviscerated'? The nasty has some obvious influence from the Aliens series and some obvious influence from a very bad film called The Hidden which Kyle Maclachlan made before he got famous.

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, still 1
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; we think there's a male killer picking in helpless females but that's not the case. Also Angel tries to use his grappling hook only to pull the beam down
In disguise; no but he poses as a vet which Fred will also pick as a job for him in Dad
DB get's his shirt off; not this time so that makes 1

Fang Gang in bondage: no although Kate tries to handcuff Angel
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: no but Kate is
Cordy: 6
Angel: 6
Wes: 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 7 vamps, 2 demons, 1 human.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 3

Characters killed: 7 including a couple offscreen
Total; 9

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot: no although Kate shoots at Angel, shoots the lock out with her backup gun and shoots the bartender at the end.
Angel: 4,

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
On a scale of one to incredible exactly how gorgeous is Kate? No shortage of beautiful women in the Buffy/Angelverse but even so! Hard to imagine her in a cop's uniform (although I'm sure many have with the fanfic to prove it). Only in LA could the character of Sharon be called 'dowdy'. Now, of course this ep was originally known as Corrupt and was much darker in tone. It concentrated largely on Kate who was posing undercover as a prostitute but had gotten too far into her role and was actually having sex with her clients (sounds like the plot of some late night Channel 5 film). The studio said no and the series is probably the better for it (although we still have an oblique reference to sexual dysfunction). Unfortunately this meant we lost this rumoured scene;

Cordy (posing as a streetwalker, approaching a group of hookers on a corner) "Hello fellow prostitutes, how's tricks?"
Hooker; "Bitch, if you're living the life I'm Julia Roberts!"

Even so she's still mistaken for a prostitute at the club and will interview a bunch of them in Carpe Noctem. Presumably the scene in the opening titles with the lovely girl in the bikini top getting into the sports car also comes from this sequence. Angel also get's propositioned by a girl who get's turned on by him hitting people. Doyle examines one of Cordy's bras which she thinks is 'So high school'. Kate refers to herself as a 'self flagellating drunken slut'. Doyle uses internet porn. Cordy and Doyle slumber on each other's shoulder.

Captain Subtext;
For the second time in 2 eps Angel is mistaken for hitting on a guy in a bar. Cordy also says she's a student of humanity and can tell one of the clubbers is a 'closet dyke'. Weird she never twigged Willow, huh?

Questions and observations;
The guy who is the third victim says he was a real 'something is out there' geek, a reference to the X-files I almost missed. There's also 'High school's over' which might be a oblique ref to Buffy. Angel sitting alone in the dark rather reminds me of how we first see Bruce Wayne in Batman Returns. Angel muses how different the dating scene is to when he was Liam, small town boy getting used to the big city.

Marks out of 5; 3/5 good ep but Angel still dealing with the case of the week

 

In the dark

The Good;
Spike mocking Angel is excellent, lovely to see Oz and a great rescue and final battle at the pier. Nice end coda too. The Cordy/Oz/Angel scenes are hysterical, as Willow observes both she and Buffy know the love of 2 taciturn men.

The Bad;
Very little, strong ep. Boy Spike is dumb but funnily so. Everyone at the pier seems to take the 2 guys jumping off the end on fire very calmly.

Best line:
Doyle (to Angel); Long time between sunsets huh?

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Well, Angel get's tortured to nearly death for the majority of the episode. Spike also hints that Marcus has an interest in the kids beyond just eating them. Reputedly this is the ep that got the Angel season 1 dvd boxset an 18 rating in the UK. I don't disagree but what makes this worse than 'Hellbound' which only got a 15 rating?

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; yep, that makes 2
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; rather than play the unbreakable tough guy Angel admits that with a little more torture he'd have told Marcus everything. Cordy notes the Gem isn't in the freezer or toilet tank as it would be in the movies.
In disguise; no
DB get's his shirt off; no but we get some torso action, Marcus commenting he has 'little external damage'.

Fang Gang in bondage: yep, Angel for virtually the whole ep
Cordy: 5
Angel: 5
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 6
Angel: 6
Wes: 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: Another vamp for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 2 demons, 1 human.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 3

Characters killed: only Marcus
9;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot: no
Angel: 4,

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Spike refers to Buffy as 'slutty the vampire slayer' and teases Angel over Buffy's affair with Parker.

Captain Subtext;
Spike's speech on Angel is full of homophobia. He also asks if Angel and Marcus would like to be alone when running his hands over Angel's naked torso. Spike comments that Buffy is 'cute when she's hurting', you wonder did he always have a thing for her? Such a shame we never get to meet Doyle's wonderfully named friend 'Frankie Tripod'.

Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
4; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike

Questions and observations;
Why does Angel grab his neck when Marcus puts the chain around it? Surely he doesn't breathe? Marcus wears glasses which presumably like Dalton in Buffy are for sentimental reasons. Doyle has read Angela's Ashes and it reduces him to tears (the novel focuses on the shiftless father so it may appeal to Doyle who never knew his). Angel once again beats his way to what he wants, without Buffy's influence he tends to be a lot more brutal. It's a great performance from Kevin West who is a very familar face on TV (although I thought he was in Scrubs and Ally McBeal but he isn't, that's Robert Clendenin another actor with a similar look). Marcus wears a Bond style Nehru jacket. Angel knows Doyle's mother. This is Angel investigations first walk-in client and her problem for once is just a very human jerk ex-boyfriend rather than anything supernatural. Ok so the ring makes vamps unkillable, even if you cut their heads' off?
Marks out of 5; 3/5

 

I FALL TO PIECES

The Good;
Great horror concept, you could almost imagine a feature film based upon it, some excellent emotional stuff too and as always Cordy brings the funny. My favourite scene is where Meltzer throws his teeth at Angel and then recoils in pain as Angel smashes them against the wall.

The Bad;
The severed limbs scenes don't really convince, when you see Thing in The Adams Family it's much better

Best line:
Cordy; "Here's this poor girl, she hooks up with a doctor. That's supposed to be a good thing!"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Virtually all of the Beast with Five Fingers stuff

Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; yep, making 2. However, Doyle says there's 4 in total and 3 very much alive, Presumably the girl from City of Angels is the dead one and the girl from In the Dark is another making 2 more we don't see.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 1. Angel poses as a successful businessman but no disguise
DB get's his shirt off; not this ep so still 1

Fang Gang in bondage: no
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: all of them
Cordy: 7
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 human for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 3

Characters killed: the poor cop Kate sends to guard the building
10

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot: Angel with the tranquiliser gun (as with Dopplegangland in Buffy why not use that to knock vamps out then cut their heads off?)
Angel: 5,

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
What the heck do Meltzer's hands do under the sheets?
Captain Subtext;
Doyle admits that Angel holds a certain attraction to him
Know the face, different character; 1
Andy Umberger who plays Dr Meltzer is also D'Hoffryn on Buffy.
Parking garages; seemingly a staple of the series, one here and in COA
2
Questions and observations;
This is the 4th ep of the series and we're told that Cordy has been working for him for a month so this suggests the series is in real time, one ep per week. Angel drinks coffee now, presumably to keep him up for his cases as he told Joyce he didn't drink it in The Prom. Isn't it a bit unpatriotic for Doyle to drink Scotch, shouldn't he drink whiskey with an e? Cordy gives the Angel Investigations motto 'We help the hopeless'. Oddly here Cordy 'Scullys' Angel, suggesting a non-supernatural solution. He's actually open to the suggestion but points out correctly that Doyle has a vision. Angel just appears to be able to walk into Kate's police station no problem at all. Meltzer actually shows a lot of compassion for Angel's story of his wife. I don't know if it's deliberate but Scrubs has a character called Dr Zeltzer who's also a major weirdo and even looks quite like Dr Meltzer.
It's noticeable that at this stage of Angel the supernatural underworld is just that, it's not out in the open as it will be later, we're still dealing with the everyday clashing with the incredible.
Marks out of 5; 4/5 one of the classic eps of season 1

 

Rm w/a vu

The Good;

Everything, an emotional rollercoaster for Doyle and Cordy and the introduction of Phantom Dennis. Great performance from Beth Grant, a great actress you can also see in Speed, Six Foot Under, Donnie Darko etc

The Bad;

Bit of a reach that the ghost can do a perfect imitation of Angel's voice, is she the Terminator or something?

Best line:

Cordy (of Angel) "Do you have mousse? Of course you do!"


Jeez, how did they get away with that?

Doyle's hand getting jammed in the drawer, Cordy almost getting hanged, Maude Peirson walling her son up.

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches

Damsel in distress; nope, 2.

Inverting the Hollywood cliche;

In disguise; 1.

DB get's his shirt off; wet, dripping and nearly naked 2

Cordy's tatto; our first glimpse

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy almost hung, don't think thats counts
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: yep, Cordy
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1


Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ? a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 3 demons, 2 humans.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang: possessed Cordy
Cordy: 2
Angel: 3

Characters killed: Dennis and a trio of the flat residents offscreen

14


Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot: loads of gunplay but no
Angel: 5,

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:

Maude calls Cordy a tramp and streetwalker, good thing they didn't go through with the storyline of Corrupt huh?

Captain Subtext;

Know the face, different character; 1

Parking garages;

2

Guantanamo bay;

Once again Angel doesn't hesitate to beat his way to the answers

Questions and observations;

Excellent ep with loads of good scenes and some real emotional impact, easily one of the best of season 1. I for one find it heartbreaking that Cordy has only five names in her LA phonebook and 3 are crossed out. Aura, her Sunnydale friend is the girl who finds the corpse in her locker in Welcome to the Hellmouth on Buffy.

Marks out of 5; 8/10

 

Sense and sensitivity

The Good;
Very funny to watch the cops acting supersensitive but also affecting to see Kate's father and all his little putdowns of her and her emotive speech is a heartbreaker if there ever was one

The Bad;
Hard to put your finger on it but sometimes this ep feels almost too clever for it's own good

Best line:
Angel "My parents were great, tasted a lot like chicken" (and as we later learn he's not joking)

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Nasty the way little Tony keeps calling Kate a bitch

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; yep 3.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; supersensitive cops rather than the macho LAPD we're used to seeing
In disguise; 2. yep, Herb Saunders from Baltimore again
DB get's his shirt off; 2
Cordy's tatto;2
We see it when she's breaking into the police station.

Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans. It looks like the thing that attacks Fred in Supersymmetry

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang: supersensitive Angel
Cordy: 2
Angel: 4

Characters killed: one cop shot although we don't know if he dies?
14

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,

Packing heat; unlike the Sunnydale Scoobies Angel Investigations periodically resort to firearms, here Doyle with a shotgun
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Kate wants to picture Angel in his underwear. Kate observes the crush of Doyle on Cordy. One of the cops states that the stress of his job makes it impossible for him to make love to his wife. AI group hug.

Captain Subtext;
Kate's dad comments that its been so long since he's seen her with a guy he suspected she might be gay. Angel is once more referred to as a 'Nancy boy'. Angel calls CC 'precious'.

Know the face, different character; 1

Parking garages;
2
Guantanamo Bay; Kate's interrogation technique leaves a little something to be desired. Angel beats up another of WR&H's lackey. Trevor comments that in his day they didn't need sensitivity as anyone who read Elmore Leonard knows. Cordy's mum calls for her, one of the few references to her family in the series. Angel uses a mobile phone and night vision. Our first sight of WR&H's HQ and Lee. You've got to hand it to the sensitivity coach, he has a point about Kate and co. How lovely does Kate look in her dress? Rather similar to Dawn's in season 5?

Questions and observations;
Could have been great but just lacks that certain something? Nice to have Kate ask Angel for help and be the focus of the ep. First appearance of Lee. We're later told that WR&H 'own' the police but obviously not yet.
Marks out of 5; 4/10

 

The Bachelor Party
The Good; a lovely ep for Doyle adding a lot more depth to his character whilst providing some pretty gruesome comedy. Also like Doyle and Angel vetting CC's date, really gives them a sense of family.
The Bad; SUCH a shame we never see Harry again, that would have been terrific. Does she even know Doyle died?
Best line:
Cordy; "Doyle taught 3rd grade. The kind with children. Are you sure he wasn't just held back and that was his cover story?"
I also like Harry's aghast "Stripper! There was a stripper?"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Eating brains? Yuck! Would anyone really like Quails' tongues?
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; friendly demons for the first time
In disguise; 2.
DB get's his shirt off; 2
Cordy's tatto;2
Cheap Angel; the first sign of Angel's notorious meaness as he refers to the resteraunt's suprisingly expensive windows

Fang Gang in bondage: Doyle in the box
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Fang gang knocked out: Angel
Cordy: 8
Angel: 8
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 2 vamps for Angel. So that gives Angel 10 vamps, 3 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
What happens to the female vamp at the nest? Does she just run away? Note Cordy actually bites the vamp who attacks her?

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 4

Characters killed:
14
Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,
Packing Heat
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy has a date with Mr Armani but he doesn't even get a kiss
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
The stripper. Is she human or demon? Either way she wears WAAAYYYY too much eyeshadow. Also Harry has bought herself a a nightie for her honeymoon small enough to fit into a matchbox. The girls meanwhile play pornographic pictionary. Doyle asks if Buffy likes men with an Irish accent (has she ever met one?). Apparently the demon women have legs that can bend multipile ways and this is an aid in the sack?
Captain Subtext;
Doyle and Angel's charm seems to be gradually working on CC.
Know the face, different character;
2 Carlos Jacott who plays Richard was Ken in the Buffy ep Anne.
Parking garages;
2
Guantanamo Bay;
Questions and observations;
A good episode, fun and fleshing out the characters. Cordy refers to Xander as a fixer-upper. Our first set of friendly demons but not THAT friendly. It seems very much that demons in the Buffyverse are slowly being won over to the ways of humanity (ESPN). Some great heroism from Doyle and a very nice double act from Cordy and Harry. Despite Doyle's relating Angel's lifestory to him in City of Angels it seems he's never actually seen Buffy.
Marks out of 10; 6/10, good ep

 

I will remember you
The Good;
Love the Oracles to bits, they're just wonderful. Some great fight scenes and pretty much a Bangler's dream come true.
The Bad;
If the demon can regenerate and make itself stronger through salt why doesn't it just do that all the time?
Best line:
Female Oracle; "I love time, there's so much of it, yet so little"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 2.
DB get's his shirt off; 3 not only that but SMG licks ice-cream from his chest. Really is a Banglers' dream.
Cordy's tatto;2
Cheap Angel; According to CC he's too tight to hire a cleaning lady
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang: human Angel
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed: two plant workers but then the day resets so no one
14

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel, Doyle and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,
Packing heat;
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Buffy and Angel for the second time and it goes a whole lot better than the first. Trouble is she'll never remember any of it.
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Loads of Buffy/Angel action. Cordy comments that when they get 'all groiny' the world falls apart.
Captain Subtext;
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
2
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
5; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy
Questions and observations;
Cordy's family used to have a cat as well as her pony. Buffy refers to her (and presumably Dawn?) visiting their dad in LA, the last positive reference to Hank Summers we'll ever have. The only time Doyle and Buffy meet. This eps gives us a useful way in which to make vamps human, much used in fanfic as is the reset day. Question is if a non-souled vamp was hit with Mohra demon blood would it be resouled?
Marks out of 10; 6/10, literally an ep that never happened?

 

Hero
The Good;
Actually I rated this ep pretty weak until the last 5 minutes when it then became spectacular. Cordy's advertisement idea and the one she films with Doyle are hilarious but ultimately incredibly poignant. Good scene too when the kid tells Doyle his Halloween story.
The Bad;
I didn't really dig the demons in peril storyline and I thought the Naiz allegory with The Scourge was a bit thick (nowadays they'd be the Taliban). Also they seem to accept Angel into their ranks a little too easily. Even their vehicles look Nazi-like and DB's hair looks very 1940s.
Best line:
Doyle; Is that it? Am I done?

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Doyle's melting face
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches (Cordy's ad is one big Angel cliche)
Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
The sidekick sacrifices himself to save the day rather than the hero
In disguise; 3 as a Nazi/scourge
DB get's his shirt off; 3
Cordy's tatto;2
Cheap Angel; 2. Exactly what do all these people owe Angel money for?
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 2 Scourge for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 6 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed: the treacherous first mate so we won't count him
14
Recurring characters killed;
1; Goodbye Doyle

Total number of Angel Investigations:
2, Angel and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,
Packing heat;
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
The wonderfully named Big Randy.
Captain Subtext;
Doyle imagines Angel in tights.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
2
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
5; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy
Questions and observations;
So goodbye Doyle, we hardly knew you. A good ending for the character but all the more sad by Glenn Quinn's death shortly afterwards. Cordy refers to 'one of the cheaper Baldwins' in her description of the advert. I always thought Adam Baldwin was one but according to IMDB no he's not. Angel on a motorbike, Cordy drives a truck, is there no end to her talents? Once again we see demons who are slowly being won over to humanity. The Scourge are trying to stop this but are unwittingly aping human's themselves.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, a weak ep rescued by it's awesome finale

 

Parting Gifts
The Good;
Wonderful reintroduction for Wes and a nice period of mourning for Doyle. Plus Cordy's audition and the Oracles again.
The Bad;
Once again, Alexis Denisoff's name is in the titles, ruining the suprise a little
Best line:
"Grass stains!" (all in the delivery). Also liked Wes "I bet you always wondered what became of your old pal Wesley?"
Angel; "Tell you the truth I never gave it much thought"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Barney's plans for Cordy are beyond horrible. But she teaches him not to mess with Queen C
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; 3
Cordy's tattoo; 3 yep she bares that beautiful midriff again
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: yep, Cordy
Cordy: 9
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed:
14
Recurring characters killed;
1;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
2, Angel and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,
Packing heat;
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Wes in motorbiking leathers which are so tight they 'chafe'. He and Cordy share a second kiss, Cordy is sold as a slave for the first time.
Captain Subtext;
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
2
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Another WR&H lackie but this one doesn't become a recurring character. Angel says that vamps don't sleep in coffins but Dracula does. Angel recognises talent when he sees it, Wes' translation skills alone make him invaluable.
Marks out of 10; 7/10

 

Somnambulist
The Good;
Very good ep, we geninely suspect that Angel might be going bad, Penn gives a real sense of menace and some lovely stuff with Kate
The Bad;
Penn's haircut but apart from that not much. Would the police really let Kate go in by herself?
Best line:
Penn; "You know you'll never get to it the exit before I..."
Cordy (opening blinds letting the daylight pour in) "...go up like a match?"
(nothing more satisfying than seeing arrogance shot down)
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Penn kills his sister and presumably goes on to massacre his family as Angelus did
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; nope, 2.
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; 3
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage: Angel
Cordy: 5
Angel: 5
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, ½ a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Kate; 1 vamp

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed: Penn's victims
20
Recurring characters killed;
1;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
2, Angel and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,
Packing heat;
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Cordy comments that she makes the coffee and gets to chain the boss to the bed. The everyday life of a Hollywood assistant.
Captain Subtext;
Angel(us) is obviously Penn's father figure. Angel(us) is also obsessed with his father
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
3, once again, Angel and Wes just seem to be able to drive into the police station.
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Very nice reminder from Angel(us) past and the beginning of the real tension between Kate and Angel. Another hint that vamps share some link with those they sired. Love Kate's white sweater. Wes is now in the title sequence. Angel Investigations has a runaway case so they're obviously taking ordinary PI cases in addition to their supernatural work. Does Angel figure out Penn's plan because he knows him? Or is he heading to the police station to speak to Kate over the school bus plan? Or do Wes and he just overhear what's going on at the station with their police scanner? Penn in some ways is reminiscent of Scorpio in Dirty Harry (who also hijacks a school bus).
Met Jeremy Renner at a convention and a fascinating guy, plays in a band, old friend of DB's from their acting classes, went on to star in 28 Weeks Later (as a character called Doyle?), SWAT and Jesse James with Brad Pitt
Marks out of 10; 9/10 would be 10/10 if it had more arc.

 

Expecting
The Good;
Cordy hits the town with the girls but gets more than she bargained for. Great to see Phantom Dennis back and his scenes with Cordy are beyond lovely.
Love the reaction of the doctor and nurse during the ultrasound. Very good ep
The Bad;
How come Cordy is dressed after sex?
Best line:
Angel; You're not alone
Cordy; That's kind of the problem

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Cordy and co in the goop, yuck
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 8, a whole bevy of them
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; 3
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 5
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: Wes by Cordy
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 2
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: I'll give this one to Cordy. 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: half a demon so 8 vamps, 4 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon

Fang Gang go evil: yep, Cordy overwhelmed by her maternal instincts
Cordy: 2
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed:
20
Recurring characters killed;
1;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
2, Angel and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot: yep, Angel
Angel: 6,
Packing heat; Wes with a pistol (presumably taken from the gun club?)
Wes; 1
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: I thought it was Xander who had the thing for demons?
Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
How gorgeous are CCs friends, especially Sarina? Obviously this goes some VERY dark places, it smacks of GOT fetishism (beautiful women being raped and impregnated by demons/monsters/aliens who they then fall in love with), the ultrasound reminds me of the infamous maternity ward scene in Aliens vs Predator; Requiem (of course Joss wrote Alien Ressurection so he's no stranger to the concept). Considering that Joss is supposed to be this great pro-feminist he puts his heroines through a lot of nasty stuff, almost like he wants to have his cake and eat it. Wilson apparently nearly had phonesex with the resteraunt manager to get them in. Cordy drinks Angel's pig's blood, Angel states he never realised how disgusting it was until just then. At the end Cordy states she's learned sex is bad and men are evil. Angel agrees.
Captain Subtext;
The girls assume Wes and Angel are a couple. Angel says it adds mystery. Angel describes Cordy as family and she says she trusts him and Wes implicitly.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
3,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Fun story, putting Angel Investigations together more and more. How wonderful that when Wes has to come up with a name for him and Cordy he decides on Mr and Mrs Penborne. Angel comments that their French client made him want to drink a lot. Alcohol or blood? CC refers to Angel giving her date the 3rd degree which he and Doyle also did in the Bachelor Party. Wes refers to David and Goliath, the Watchers Council occasionally make biblical references.
Marks out of 10; 7/10

 

SHE

The Good;

Angel and Wesley dancing at Cordy's party is possibly the funniest thing you've ever seen. A laudable if slightly heavy-handed rant against female circumsision. Also love the scene where Angel pretends to be an art guide and Angel and Phantom Dennis.

The Bad;

The scene where Wes tries to chat-up the girl at the party is cringeworthy, he's pretty much treated as the comic relief for this ep. The scene where the camera wheels around whilst Angel and Jiera talk, growing increasingly worked up carries on for so long and is so over the top it's almost parody.

Best line:

Mars; "The little sisters are chilling"

Also like Cordy's;

"I'm so glad you came. You know how parties are, you're always worried that no one is going to suck the energy out of the room like a giant black hole of boring despair but there you were in a cinch"


Jeez, how did they get away with that?

The whole 'unmaking' scene is just unwatchable. The contrast between it and the obvious affection between the 'unmade' girl and her captors when they send her back is incredibly creepy, especially her 'dead behind the eyes' expression and the way she refers to herself in third person.

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches

Damsel in distress; 15, a whole bevy of them

Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Wes and CC snooping at the garden centre amazingly don't get caught.

In disguise; 3

DB get's his shirt off; yep, he feels the need for a shower

4

Cordy's tattoo;3

Cheap Angel; 2

Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 5
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 2
Doyle; 1


Kills:
Cordy: I'll give this one to Cordy. 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: half a demon so 8 vamps, 4 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp

Wes; 1/2 a demon


Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed: 5, the poor guys burned to death by the demonbabes

25

Recurring characters killed;

1;


Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes officially joins the firm for the first time

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 6,

Packing heat;

Wes; 1

Doyle; 1

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

Kinky dinky:

I'd say that Bai Ling is lovely but that seems quite redundant even with the ridges and violet eyes (she's also in Southland Tales with SMG). Cordy's friend Laura also sounds like a fun girl as is her friend 'Pants on' Diego. Naked hotties on ice who seems to have a strong effect on both Wes and Angel. Mars says his Shaman could never turn away 'Scantily clad women in distress'. Wes refers to the girls at the party as 'fillies'.

Captain Subtext;

Obviously this is an allegory against female circumsision (once watched a documentary on it and afterwards went and got drunk for the first time in my life to try to blank the memory). Although you wonder if the males' fear of the females is more to do with them burning people to death rather than just simple chauvanism? Note that the male demons don't hurt any humans, it's Jhira and co who killing and she's quite prepared to let Wes and Cordy die for her cause. Not to stereotype but Wes has a knowledge of flowers in addition to the occult.

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages;

3,

Guantanamo Bay;

Angel once again beats his way to the truth

Buffy characters on Angel;

6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes

Questions and observations;

Angel refers to his time in Hell again where he remarks he knew many of the people. AI use their mobile phones to good effect. It'll take the Sunnydale Scoobies another 3 years to get theirs. Great performance from Sean Gunn as the spa manager, always thought he was in Desperate Housewives but he's not. Wes handles himself well in a fight for the first time. The only ep of Angel with a sequence over the end titles (Buffy does it in The Puppet Show). It seems unlikely that Angel actually knew Manet or Baudelaire as he w

 

Yeah, possibly the funniest ever bit of Angel, only rivalled by Angel and Connor singing Jasmine in season 4

I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN
The Good;
Nice counterplay at the end when the family get back together and Angel Investigations walk away as if they are a family too.
The Bad;
Rather an uninvolving story although a nice twist
Best line:
Wes; "It's for killing extinct demons"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
The cross into Wes' neck, yeesh!
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
The dad is shown smoking cigarettes in front of his kids which is rare indeed nowadays
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off;
4
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 5
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 2
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: one demon so 8 vamps, 5 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
1;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 6,
Packing heat;
Wes; 1
Doyle; 1

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

Kinky dinky:
Wes owns a 2 thighmasters and a 'buns of steel' video
Captain Subtext;
Our first hints on Wes' relationship with his father
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
3,
Guantanamo Bay;

Buffy characters on Angel;
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Cordy can cook, who'd have thought? Angel mentions Doyle in poignant moment. Cool bait and switch, we think the dads the villain. Also we have Kate in her middling phrase, aware that Angel's a vamp but not totally anti.The scenes with the circle are very reminiscent of classic Brit horror flick The Devil Rides Out (Christopher Lee as a good guy!) Ricks magic, the LA branch of The Magic Shop. Cordy puts her shopping skills to good use. A lot more christian than normal. 'Three blind mice' is actually about 3 bishops executed by Bloody Mary. Anyone know what rock-a-bye-baby is about? Lizzie Borden was actually found innocent but the circumstantial evidence against her was overwhelming.
Marks out of 10; 6/10, ok ep but still supernatural threat of the week

 

THE PRODGAL
The Good;
Clever opening scene with Liam. Darla, yay! Her words about love infecting the heart always are just incredible. Some nice paralells with Kate and some nice comedy with the alarm system.
The Bad;
The head demon looks stupid and looks rather like the guy Cordy will save Gunn from in season 2
Best line:
Liam's dad; "I was never in your way boy" (the most tragic line in the whole of Angel AND Buffy!)

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Cordy sawing up the demon. Angelus slaughters Liam's family, even his little sister which we thankfully don't see.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 3 no Angel but love Cordy as a blonde, only in Hollywood would that mean you could blend in.
DB get's his shirt off;
4
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 5
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 8
Angel: 7
Wes: 2
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: 1 demon and 3 vamps for Angel so 11 vamps, 5 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Kate; 2 vamps for Kate making 3 in all
Wes; 1/2 a demon

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed; Trevor Lockley
2;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 6,
Packing heat;
Wes; 1
Doyle; 1

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

Kinky dinky:

Captain Subtext;
Trevor asks if Angel is 'West Hollywood', the term for LA's famous gay district
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages; yep, that's how Angel gets into the police station
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel; Darla
7; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Darla
Questions and observations;
All the scenes between Kate and her dad are heartbreaking but pale compared to the tragedy of Liam and his family. We find that Trevor Lockley does care about Kate, he's on the take partially to provide for her (which explains how she can set herself up as a supernatural version of The Punisher in season 6). It seems that Angel(us) got the idea for his name from his sister.
Marks out of 10; 7/10, the flashback scenes a lot better than the modern day stuff

 

THE RING
The Good;
Lilah! I know she's an evil bitch but I can't help loving her anyway. Cordy and Wes' police double act is also a highlight
The Bad;
Pretty much the rest, Angel as Spartacus, not bad but not very involving. The brother's plan to get Angel into the ring seems unnecessarily complex? Also Angel seems to be very easily overcome by their thugs considering what we know him to be capable off?
Best line:
Wes; Something's going down, something with 'The Man'

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Wes pinning the guys hand to the wall with his crossbow bolt then twisting it. Fingers in a box One McNamara brother casually killing the other.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; no but he wears his vest top most of the time
4
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage: Angel in the cuffs
Cordy: 5
Angel: 6
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: Angel, twice
Cordy: 8
Angel: 9
Wes: 2
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: one demon. 11 vamps, 6 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
2;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot: yep
Angel: 7,
Packing heat; Wes for the second time
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1

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

Kinky dinky:
Wes states that Cordy wears high heels and a push up bra.
Captain Subtext;
Cordy insinuates that Angel cross dresses.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Wes tortures the bookie
Buffy characters on Angel;
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Cordy considers calling the police. Even if they believed her is demon fighting illegal? Cordy mentions her pony, Lilah's talk with Angel foreshadows him joining WR&H in season 5
Marks out of 10; 5/10, an ep mainly notable for the introduction of Lilah

 

ETERNITY
The Good;
Nice central concept, lovely to see Oliver again and the scens with him and Rebecca and Angel and Rebecca are also good. Tamara Gorski is very good as she also was in Hercules although her Irish accent is just as bad as DBs.
The Bad;
The explanation that the drugs effects are only temporary is stupid, it's not like the 'happy' Buffy gave Angel lasted for weeks (or if it did I'm doing it wrong?) In season 4 when they need to bring Angelus out why not just give him some of this? Why does Angelus cut the phones, who are they going to call?
Best line:
Rebecca (after Angel tells her he doesn't kill any more) "There's a support group for everything in this town"
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Angel(us)? spraying the blood over Rebecca
Apocalypses: 4 Cordy tells Rebecca that Angel saved the world but he also points out he tried to destroy it
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Angel tries to act casual about saving Rebecca but you can see he's miffed when the papers don't mention him.
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; yep, after Rebecca spills her drink on it
5
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; 2
Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy chains the boss to the bed again
Cordy: 5
Angel: 7
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: Wes and Angel(us)
Cordy: 8
Angel: 10
Wes: 3
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: 11 vamps, 6 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon

Fang Gang go evil: Angel and how!
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang: Angelus
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
2;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot: just blanks this week
Angel: 7,
Packing heat;
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1

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

Kinky dinky:
Cordy calls Rebecca a ****. How long did she know Wilson for before jumping into bed with him and his Hackslaw beast?
Captain Subtext;
Cordy says she'd have picketed the studio but lacked 'sensible shoes' (interesting considering the furore surrounding Angel's cancellation). Angel says that Ernest Borgnine is a 'skilled lover'?
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel;
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes
Questions and observations;
Can't quite imagine Doyle and Angel at an Ibsen play? Wes and Angel seem much more at home. Wes' remark of ET meaning Emma Thompson is SOOO him. Angel thinks Frank Langella is the best Dracula (did he ever meet the real deal? Langella doesn't physically resemble him). Wonder what he'd have made of his Oscar nominated turn in Frost vs Nixon? Angelus says he never killed a famous person which is reassuring.
Marks out of 10; 8/10 good ep, nice character development and a little to say about Hollywood
Stay tuned, hurricane Faith is on her way!

 

FIVE BY FIVE
The Good;
All of it, brilliant episode that gives Angel it's first 10/10 story. It's my all time favorite Angel ep AND contains my nearly all time favourite Angel moment, Wes coming across the weeping Faith in Angel's arms and dropping the knife.
The Bad;
If you think there's anything bad in this ep, go to the doctor because you're clearly crazy
Best line:
Cordy 'Generally you don't change a guy. Scratch the surface and what do you get? More surface!' (the events of Expecting still sting obviously)
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Faith tortures Wes, horribly. She hurts Lee too but who cares? Darla describes killing children who 'squeal like little piggies', eugh!
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; loathsome pimp picks up beautiful lost girl who then turns around and beats the crap out of him! Good for her!
In disguise; 4, Angel masquerades as a lawyer
DB get's his shirt off; 5
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel; he doesn't carry any cash with him
3
Fang Gang in bondage: Wes tied to a chair
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out: Cordy and Wes
Cordy: 9
Angel: 10
Wes: 4
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: 3 demons so 11 vamps, 9 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
2;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot: Angel by Faith
Angel: 8,
Packing heat; Angel tries to shoot Faith in the leg but fires blanks
Wes; 2
Doyle; 1
Angel; 1

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

Kinky dinky:
Lindsey offers to 'get Faith off' but she's heard that from guys before (although Lilah promises she'll impress Faith?). The guy who picks Faith up at the bus station is clearly looking to be her pimp but she gives him what he deserves. In a blow to Cesly fans CC proclaims that hell will freeze over before she has sex with Wes. Faith dancing is always a highlight. Darla and Angel(us) refer to 'playing games'.
Captain Subtext;
Lilah picks Faith up in the club. Faith remarks she's not much of a talker, more of a doer
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters on Angel;
7; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith
Questions and observations;
Note that when Angel catches the crossbow bolt Faith fires at him it's nowhere near his heart, she just wants to goad him into the fight. At this stage Wolfram and Hart don't realise that they need Angel for their prophecy so are quite happy to try and kill him. We have flashbacks to resouled Angel having broken up with Darla, starving but isn't able to bring himself to kill in order to eat. All of the WR&H lawyers have the same initials, LM? How does Angel enter the thugs apartment when he's not invited? PTB or is the guy squatting?
Marks out of 10; 10/10 my favourite Angel ep ever

 

SANCTUARY
The Good;
Just when you think it can't get any better, Buffy arrives and all is good with the world.
The Bad;
All still fantastic
Best line:
NEARLY-Detective (to Kate) Everyone knows you've gone all Scully
Kate; Mulder's the believer, Scully's the skeptic
Detective; Scully's the chick, right?
but the winner, one of my favourites which I use all the time is;
Buffy; "A cry for help is when you shout 'Help, help!' in a loud voice"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
For all those afraid of needles avoid the syringe scene. Faith's daydream about killing Angel
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche; the popcorn scene. Plus Wes calling Angel on his decision to protect Faith.
In disguise; 3
DB get's his shirt off; yep, in the shower again 6
Cordy's tattoo;3
Cheap Angel;
3
Fang Gang in bondage: Angel in cuffs and possibly Faith too
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 9
Angel: 10
Wes: 4
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: 3 demons so 11 vamps, 9 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
According to Boo's stats Faith has killed 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans. Add another demon to the list here.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed;
2;

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:
Faith let's slip that she's bedded Buffy's new beau, Riley Finn. Which is news to Angel! Does Cordy not keep touch with things in Sunnydale or did she just not want to tell him?
Captain Subtext;
Buffy refers to Faith's 'pouty lips and heaving bosom', interesting she thinks of her in that way? The rooftop scene feels riven with hidden passions. Buffy refers to Riley saying she trust him. Heading for a fall again. The Watcher's Council refer to the insult 'ponce' again.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Kate plans to throw Angel into a cell exposed to the rising sun.
Buffy characters on Angel; 11
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla
Questions and observations;
What exactly does Angel do with the Watcher's team? Surely Kate must lock them up for turning the streets of LA into a bulletfest? Nice to see that Wes and Buffy are now on good terms, unfortunately this probably marks the nadir of the Buffy/Angel romance and the Kate/Angel relationship. Jelly doughnut's again, someone in the writing staff must have a thing for them. Buffy has the worst timing ever when walking in on Faith and Angel. How does Giles find out about Faith? Sources in the Watcher's council or do Wes or Cordy phone Sunnydale. Good acting by Wes, you really think he might have sided with the Watchers for a moment. How can Wes and Buffy just walk into the police station?
Marks out of 10; 10/10 just great, stunning

 

WAR ZONE

The Good;

Charlie Gunn, yay! David Nabbit too and some nice humour at the brothel (love the characterisation of the Madam, hard as nails but extremely streetwise as to the sensitive realities of her business)

The Bad;

Not much, good story although the slum allegory is laid on a bit thick.

Best line:

Gunn; "I don't need advice from some middle class white dude who's dead"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?

A nasty incestuous vibe between Gunn and his vamped-sister.

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches

Damsel in distress; 15, in this case it's the male characters who need help

Inverting the Hollywood cliche; We expect a patrician speech from Angel to Gunn at the end. Instead Angel actually asks Gunn for his help in future, again recognising talent when he sees it. CC and Wes rescue Angel who forgets to use his mobile phone to get himself out of the meatlocker.

In disguise; 4

DB get's his shirt off; yep, Angel getting patched up so 7

Cordy's tattoo;3

Cheap Angel; A paying client for AI, Cordy must be so happy. Angel also wants to 'see the cheque'

4

Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 8
Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out:
Cordy: 9
Angel: 10
Wes: 4
Doyle; 1


Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: 3 vamps and 1 demon for Angel so 4 demons so 14 vamps, 10 and 1/2 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp

Wes; 1/2 a demon

Kate; 3 vamps

Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.

Gunn;

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang: no but Angel refers to himself as Angelus to intimidate the other vamps
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed: 2 of Gunn's people killed.

27

Recurring characters killed;

2;


Total number of Angel Investigations: Gunn a long way from joining yet
3, Angel and Cordy and Wes

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 8,

Packing heat; no but one of Gunn's guys uses a flamethrowers which Wes will employ later to good effect.

Wes; 2

Doyle; 1

Angel; 1

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

Kinky dinky:

Angel's entire visit to Madame Dorians and the David Mabbet stuff is just SOOO out there, especially the tail gag (this was the era of Madame Alex/Hedi Fleiss etc). That said of all the demon girls am I the only one to find Lina the only attractive one? One of the demons appears to be one of the girls from She, her Ko well and truly intact (hope she's still not burning people)Cordelia is once again tempted to prostitute herself to a wealthy man as she was in the pilot. Cordy says that David's name feels 'Good in her mouth'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I don't think even Faith would say that?)


Captain Subtext;

Not so subtle racial and social hints, even the vamps bemoan the sort of people they now have to feed on.

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages;

4,

Guantanamo Bay;

Angel once again tortures a vamp

Buffy characters on Angel; 11

Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla

Questions and observations;

Gunn's strategy seems ok to me, taking the fight to the enemy rather than waiting until they come to you. By contrast Angel lets the vamps go at the end, to kill others? The vamps attacking Gunn's headquarters resemble the aliens in the War of the Worlds series. Both Angel and Gunn have killed their sisters.

Marks out of 10; 6/10, an ok ep but one that's hard to watch at times, largely significant for the introduction of Gunn (and his truck) and his motivations.

 

BLIND DATE

The Good;

Lindsay's dilemma and Angel's solution to it. The final battle. Best of all though has to be Gunn's entrance to WR&H, one day he'll have a very different persepctive. The mind-reader line up is also a winner.

The Bad;

Would WR&H really be so forgiving of Lindsey?

Best line:

Cordy; "Are you telling me self-mutilating psycho assassin chick reached enlightenment?"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?

Angel shows remarkably little sympathy for Lindsey's story of his dead sibling but then he was from an age where most kids didn't make it out of infancy. Killing Lee is horrible, scumbag though he is, even Lilah has a horrified reaction to it, suggesting the woman beneath the mask.

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches

Damsel in distress;

Inverting the Hollywood cliche; In every other genre handicapped people are inspirational, of course in the Jossverse they're EVIL!

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:
Cordy: 9
Angel: 10
Wes: 4
Doyle; 1


Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel: 2 vamps and one human so 16 vamps, 10 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp

Wes; 1/2 a demon

Kate; 3 vamps

Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:

25

Recurring characters killed; byebye Lee although he's evil so screw him

2;


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:

Lee asks Lindsey does he find the assassin sexy, you get the impression they both do

Captain Subtext;

Holland really does treat Lindsey like he's his son or something.

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages;

4,

Guantanamo Bay;

Buffy characters on Angel; 11, Cordy talks to Willow here but we don't see her. She says hello to Wes, AH and AD having just married

Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla

Questions and observations;

Vanessa Brewer is actually played by CC's stunt double, always nice when that happens (LL's stunt double on Xena would go on to play a recurring characters in the show). This also marks the entrance of the great Sam Anderson as Holland. Angel kills another human and has very little remorse about doing so, very different from Buffy. The scroll refers to the 'vampire with the soul', obstensibly Angel but by season 5 maybe Spike too?

Marks out of 10; 8/10, good ep

 

TO SHANSHU IN LA
The Good;
My all time favourite moment in Angel is when he walks up to Lindsey clutching his stump, the music swells and Angel looks on him with ******all sympathy. Such a powerful scene, you realise how much Angel loves Cordy in that moment and would fight his way to hell on her behalf. CCs acting as stricken Cordy is also great and love the doughnut scene. And THAT ending!
The Bad;
Gunn's prescence seems a bit shoe-horned in, they're obviously thinking about making him a regular. Same for David Nabbit. Kate seems to want to make Angel hang around to make a statement which is weird as she's prepared to let him just walk away the rest of the time.
Best line:
"Don't believe everything your foretold, Lindsey" (why doesn't he just kick him in the head whilst he's at it?)
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Severed hands. Voca's mask. Angel is also quite brutal with Kate. Lilah mentions a past WR&H employee who was made to eat his own liver as pennance for failing the senior partners.
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 15,
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
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: Wes by the explosion
Cordy: 9
Angel: 10
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 2 demons so 16 vamps, 12 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans
Doyle; 1 vamp
Wes; 1/2 a demon
Kate; 3 vamps
Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 6

Characters killed:
25
Recurring characters killed; bye-bye the Oracles which is a shame as I liked them, I didn't think they COULD be 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:
Naked Darla in a box, bet you can't order that on Amazon!
Captain Subtext;
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
Questions and observations;
Wes once again makes a biblical reference which Watcher's are wont to do. The promise of great things to come, Darla in the box. Interestingly you can bring a vamp back from the dead as they attempted to do in 'When she was bad', a technique often used in fanfic for bringing back Angel and souled-Spike if they've been killed in a story. Cordy refers to 'The old me' indicating personal growth. Of course we assume the 'Vamp with a soul' is Angel but it could just as easily be season 5 Spike?
Marks out of 10; 9/10, very good ep with my all time favourite Angel scene.

 

JUDGEMENT
The Good;
Jousting in LA, even in Tinseltown that must be a rare enough sight.
The Bad;
A fairly slow opener for a season that will eventually start firing on all cylinders
Best line:
Jeez, how did they get away with that?
The demon who sings at Caritas is 'Gorshak the Child-eater'? His pick is 'Achy breaky heart' (I'm not sure which is worse?)
Apocalypses: 4
Angel Cliches
Damsel in distress; 16, yep, she sure is
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
Angel the hero actually kills the damsel in distress' protector by accident
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:
Cordy: 9
Angel: 10
Wes: 5
Doyle; 1
Kills:
Cordy: 3 vamps, 1½ demons
Angel; 4 demons for Angel so 16 vamps, 16 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:
Wes seems to attract the attention of a beautiful girl in a bar. The first hints of the love affair between Lindsey and Darla.
Captain Subtext;
From the beginning a very flirtatious relationship between Lorne and Angel. Gunn comments that he's seen Wes before in bed which Wes takes a lot of exception to. Cordy points out that if Angel joins a gym he'll have to shower with naked men but he says he'll always be a loner.
Know the face, different character; 2
Parking garages;
4,
Guantanamo Bay;
Angel beats up Merl and kills an innocent
Buffy characters on Angel; 11
Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla
Questions and observations;
The Introduction of Lorne for the first time, no sign yet that he'll become such an important character. Pretty obvious he's inspired by Barney from Parting Gifts. Angel Investigations have been busy over the summer with at least 6 cases according the whiteboard. First appearance of Merl and first meeting of Gunn, Cordy and Wes. Wonderful to see Angel visit Faith, such a lovely touch. So what happens to the mother and child? Often in fanfic whatever goes wrong in the Buffyverse that kid turns up to set it right. When Angel meets Gunn he inquires after his health as Gunn said he should in Blind Date. Jo is played by Justina Machado who played Rico's wife in the wonderful Six Foot Under, a show that not only guest starred Michelle Tractenberg and Eric Balfour (Jesse) but at one point her characters' actress sister appears to be guest-starring on Angel (or possibly Charmed?)
Marks out of 10; 6/10, the opening and ending are probably better than the rest of the ep

 

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