Tom’s Top Ten Angels, Part Three
… continued from Part Two.
05 | Billy (306)
Written by Tim Minear & Jeffrey Bell, Directed by David Grossman
Psychosis is always good for a laugh. We’ve got a crazy villain who can make men become violent mysoginists, and it’s Angel’s fault he’s loose. In some ways, it’s pretty easy to make a character go insane and then give him angst about it afterwards. But after Wesley’s impressive axe-weilding rampage, Alexis Denisof plays the final scene so perfectly that it more than makes up for the somewhat basic premise. Also worthy of mention is Cordy’s maturing into a character who can stand on her own against Lilah and manage a certain amount of heroics. And Angel’s concern at his tendency towards melodrama.
The episode also benefits from a few avoidances of cliches. Fred, the still reasonably vulnerable Pylean refugee, gets to knock both Wesley and Gunn out rather painfully. Angel is completely unaffected by Billy’s power, thus sparing us a crap scene where he struggles to regain control. And, of course, Lilah gets to save the day. In a way, I’m surprised I decided to put this one so high — but it’s a perfectly implemented one-off story, and there just aren’t enough of them in the world.
LILAH: I’m sorry, but this deep chivalric concern, coming from the only man I know who definitely wants to kill me, is a bit much on a day like this.
04 | Reunion (210)
Written by Tim Minear & Shawn Ryan, Directed by James A. Contner
Picture this, gentle readers. Last week, you had the coolest cliffhanger ever. Angel went through one of his top five painful ordeals, but won the heart of the human Darla… and then, out of the blue, Drusilla the Vampire Slayer Slayer appeared, and reconverts your loved one as he watched. You tune in next week, thinking, ‘well, things can’t possibly get any cooler than that’. And then you get crazy Darla-Drusilla-Angel fight scenes, some very good Lindsey material as he confronts the consequences of his actions, mass murder, and Angel’s fall from grace as he condemns the Special Projects division of Wolfram & Hart to get eaten by their aforesaid projects.
While coping with some pretty darned depressing stuff, the episode is also one of the wittiest — Gunn’s confusion over who’s related to who now, and pretty much all of Drusilla’s dialogue. And we have yet another killer cliffhanger. Season Two really did rock, didn’t it? Well, mainly. Even though I’ve put this up here, I feel I should mention the AWFUL scene with the Powers that Be trying to distract Angel with saving a troubled teen from suicide. “Careful boss, this one’s about ready to snap, crackle and pop!” My god. Possibly the worst line of dialogue ever in the series.
What? Eh? Oh, talk about the good stuff. Sorry. I should mention David Boreanaz — Angel’s brooding obsession with Darla has now perfectly matured into a reckless mission against both her and Drusilla, and Boreanaz’s acting is excellent.
WESLEY: So, you did find them, then? Where are they now?
ANGEL: I don’t know.
CORDY: But you know where they’re going to be?
ANGEL: Not exactly.
WESLEY: But yet, you have your suspicions?
ANGEL: Actually, I don’t.
CORDY: So, it’s more like a hunch?
ANGEL: Wouldn’t say hunch.
CORDY: Could you say inkling? Please tell me you can at least say, inkling.
03 | Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? (202)
Written by Tim Minear, Directed by David Semel
They don’t do enough of these any more. One off episodes written like they’re a movie, and not just things to place in between last week’s episode and next week’s. Another hole in Angel’s mysterious hundred years of soulfulness is filled in, as we see him come dangerously close to establishing Angel Investigations 50 years earlier. Paranoia, racism and blood are dealt with in surprisingly subtle ways (mostly), and in fact the episode is so understated one can occasionally think it a bit dull.
It’s not. It’s damn near perfect. The scenes between Angel and Judy — both old and young — are beautifully written and acted. Angel’s ‘hanging’ is a nice explanation as to why things hadn’t looked up for Angel before the 1990’s. The only irritating things are the constant interruptions by Cordelia and Wesley. Sometimes the dialogue on Angel is sharp and taut — other times, it’s a bit like this. But there’s not enough of it to spoil the episode.
JUDY: I’m not one thing or the other. I am nothing.
ANGEL: I know what that’s like.
02 | The Prodigal (115)
Written by Tim Minear, Directed by Bruce Seth Green
Please, Tim Minear, come back to _Angel _. In this near perfect season one episode, we follow Angel’s first few days as Angelus, meet his family, and discover the original, tragic source of his romantic name. Paralleling this plot beautifully is the relationship between Kate Lochley and her father, and the further decay of her friendship with Angel. And of course, we have the magnificent set piece where Angel is forced to look on at the doorway as Jack is murdered by vampires — the perfect dilemma for a vampire hero.
Despite being a largely serious episode, this story works best as a companion to the comedic Sense and Sensitivity — also by Minear. Both episodes end with Angel silently watching Kate and her father, knowing how Kate feels, but not being in a position to help her. Ah, I miss Kate too. But not enough to watch Law and Order.
SERVING GIRL: Oh, his lies sound pretty when the stars are out, but he forgets every promise he’s made when the sun comes up again.
DARLA: That wouldn’t really be a problem for me, actually.
01 | Five by Five / Sanctuary (118-119)
Written by Jim Kouf, Tim Minear & Joss Whedon, Directed by James A. Contner & Michael Lange
There have been a lot of good Angel episodes over the years — it’s been one of my favourite television shows for five years, and one of the most consistent. Well, with a bit of a blip in season four. But it’s never quite gotten as amazingly cool as it was here. The connections between Faith and Angel begun last year on Buffy are developed excellently, while the differences between Buffy and Angel’s methods are also contrasted interestingly. We also get the first real hardening of Wesley’s character as he stands up to Faith’s torture and the Watcher’s council — the same Wesley who this time last year was ready to talk after the merest threat of broken kneecaps.
After the painful and tragic first episode, Sanctuary contains so many brilliant moments I recall my jaw being consistently on the floor when I first saw it. Buffy! Wolfram and Hart! The Watchers! A helicopter! Kate! Angel telling Buffy what a whining bitch she is! Amazing stuff. While the Wolfram and Hart elements may look traditional now, it’s interesting to note that this was in fact a major turning point for the law firm — after a different lawyer every episode, suddenly three return, and plot together against Angel. This would get old later, unfortunately.
These episodes — and I’m counting them as one as you may have noticed — are definitely the archetypal Angel episodes, at least for the early seasons. Angel clearly explains to Buffy the difference between his show and her show, for those of us who hadn’t gotten it yet. And from this moment, it was clear which had the most potential for the future.
WESLEY: I was your Watcher, Faith — I know the real you. And even if you kill me, there’s just one thing I want you to remember.
FAITH: What’s that, love?
WESLEY: You — are a piece of shit.
Conclusion
While choosing these episodes, I began to worry that Angel, like Buffy, would have reached the end of it’s consistent quality after it’s third season, given that I wasn’t tempted to put any season four episodes in my list (though ‘Sacrifice’ would get an honourable mention). Angel‘s fifth, and most likely last season has however redeemed the weaknesses of the fourth, and proven that there was life in the old show yet.
Congratulations to this show, for proving the most enduring of all Joss Whedon’s tv projects.
1,503
Shannon
March 25th, 2004 at 1:40 am
What do you mean by enduring? Longest-running? How can it be ‘enduring’ when there has been no time for it to endure? It hasnt even ended yet.. Thats my only bone to pick. I really liked this article =) Very entertaining. And updates are always exciting!Look Tom, I made a comment!! Do I get a lolly now?
Jack
March 25th, 2004 at 9:17 am
Will you revise this list for season 5 when it’s finished? Because I just watched A Hole in the World and well.. it’s fricking awesome.
Tom
March 25th, 2004 at 12:16 pm
I kinda meant, longest staying good. Buffy managed 3 years, Firefly got cancelled…
And A Hole in the World did rock, rather. Those last two concerning Fred were fantastic. I’m very pleased that season 5 is managing some good stuff. The puppet episode would definitely get in here too :)
Jack
March 25th, 2004 at 6:51 pm
Yes, a die-hard Wesley fan such as yourself must be having orgasms after the past few episodes. That really wasn’t the best expression to use because now I think it sounds crude.
But yeah – three really good episodes in a row! I hope they can keep it up. I could probably forget most of season 4 then, which is appropriate considering the characters don’t remember either. They’ve really managed to nail that balance between comedy and real emotions and maintain it consistently.
Tom
March 26th, 2004 at 11:56 am
Let’s call them Wes-gasms. Anyhow, I quite agree, they’ve found the balance again and it’s brilliant. Nice to have a show go out on a high note for once… Apparently SMG won’t be in this season, hurrah!
Jack
March 26th, 2004 at 6:05 pm
Hurrah! Hopefully all the stupid Buffy characters they want to bring back won’t make it also. Although I’m not that lucky. They are going to ruin it. I hate how TV people always want to bring back all these characters just for the last episode. It’s even worse that they are from another show that spent the last couple of years being crap.
Anyway in happier news apparently the Connor dude is in an episode, so maybe we’l see his plot resolved. They might even get their memories back, although who knows.
Shannon
March 26th, 2004 at 9:53 pm
How can you NOT want any of Angel’s Buffy issues, especially the Angel/Spike + Buffy issues resolved, and yet you want to see more of Conner? Pfft!
Even if the characters aren’t from ‘Angel’ technically, hell i happen to love the crossovers. When Faith came over to Angel last season.. HAZZAH!! And she is technically a Buffy character. In fact, didn’t that one make it into the top ten somewhere Tom? Also, Willow’s crossover into Angel was highly entertaining. Maybe I’m just one of the masses who the formula of bringing old characters back works on (except in the case of Andrew of course.. I should mention I mean any GOOD characters) but I really cant see the basis of your opposition to such crossovers. Babble babble sorry. I have to say also that I’m not necessarily a die-hard Wes fan either but I think everyone has been having Wes-gasms lately, I challenge anyone to say they aren’t. Oh and Tom, the puppet episode making the top ten? Are you serious???
Jack
March 27th, 2004 at 7:30 am
They aren’t the same show.
People who aren’t Buffy fans can stomach a couple of stand-alone cross-overs, but to have the final episode of a show you’ve invested in for five years be taken up by characters you know little or nothing about isn’t fair. Even I no longer consider myself a Buffy fan after three years of shit. The Buffy characters have no business in the last episode of Angel.
Anyway I don’t object to cross-overs. I’m saying I object to having a cross-over just because it’s the last episode.
They seem to be writing in various Buffy characters on the basis of actor availability – I just think this is the wrong way to work creatively.
You need to have an idea of why the character needs to be there first, and I’m not convinced that is what is happening. I’m willing to bet that if it wasn’t the last season, we wouldn’t have Buffy characters. The writers should finish the story-arc how they would have if they weren’t cancelled, and use the time to bring our characters to a point where we can be satisfied.
I just think there is enough to do without including them. I don’t see the point, other than to cessate those mindless rabid fans who think it is cool. There is only 45 minutes or so to do it in, there isn’t time for silly Buffy people.
Who would you want back anyway? I can’t think of anyone I’m dying to see. Except maybe Faith, but I regard her as an Angel character these days anyway, despite her end of season 7 stint.
Also, I don’t particulary want to see more of Connor. I want to see his plot resolved. Tom and I happened to be extremely bothered by the fact no one remembers who he is – I would expect this to be addressed in a Connor episode, however annoying he is. Having an annoying protagonist in Buffy didn’t stop any of us watching for three years did, it?”
And the puppet episode was really good. I’d definitely put it above a couple of those in Tom’s Top Ten, although that doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with all his choices
Tom
March 27th, 2004 at 5:47 pm
I’d like to see Faith back. Maybe Giles. Definitely Willow. But not Buffy.
Luckily, she won’t be. The writers decided it was unfair to the characters to put her in the last ep, which she could make, so they resolve Angel and Spike’s issues with her without having her about. Apparently.
I think Dawn might be coming back though. We’ll see.
I agree about the Connor issues. I want everyone to get their memories back, dammit.
Shannon
March 27th, 2004 at 6:26 pm
I agree that if they were brought back creating new issues or resolving Buffy ones then it would be a complete betrayal to us Angel fans, however I wouldnt see the appearance of Faith, or Willow, or Giles as meddling with Angels plot time, I would think of it as enhancing it. Not becuase the show is in need of new developments, but becuase these people were Angels crew for three years also. Before meeting Buffy and friends, Angel wasn’t a do gooder (except for that one time in the 50s…), he learnt what it was to be a ‘champion’ (and I hate myself for using that word becuase I hate the way they bandy that about these days) in the company of Buffy, Willow and Giles. I feel that Angels story doesn’t start where his show does, I feel it starts when his character first appears, and in terms of closing off his long term arc of character development I think a reminisce about where he started on this path is valid.
I certainly concede to your point that writing in various Buffy characters on the basis of actor availability could not be more wrong. If Joss had some brilliant plan that involved some of those characters, great, but the other way around feels like a huge surrender of integrity merely for commercial value. But that said, this is tv land. Land of product placement (well, maybe not on Angel) and commercialism reflecting consumer demand. I always like to think that Joss’ shows somehow escape the inevitable push from networks to do things a certain way simply to create more viewers or to kill of a particular character becuase their salary was too high.. but I think thats perfect world stuff. Obey the money. The money comes from the viewers. Most of them seem to want Buffy. Therefore..
I would want to see Faith, or Willow, but mostly I’d love an episode with Giles. Not necessarily the final episode, and thats another point.. all these rumours about guest appearances are for episodes leading up to but not including the final ep.. maybe.. or so I thought.. I could handle seeing Buffy to see one of Angel’s major, major issues resolved but not becuase ‘gee we cant save the world without her’.
I cant be vehement enough in saying how badly I dont want to see Dawn again.
As for Conner.. well yes I suppose resolving his stuff is kind of mandatory, like resolving Cordy’s was. However I dont think they did justice to Cordy’s long standing fantastic character (when on Angel, and ignoring completely all of last year) in her death. The ep was a return to Cordy of old, which was fantastic, but.. I dont know. I’m still sulky that she isn’t in this season I suppose. And there is an example I would have thought of killing of a character not becuase they were done with her, but for external reasons.. maybe.. i could be making that up..
The puppet episode was fine. Light entertainment. Funny, I’ll grant, but kind of stupid.
Jack
March 27th, 2004 at 8:33 pm
Yes, I too read somewhere that Dawn would be appearing. I don’t know WHY, but there you go. Stupid writers. Giles would be cool – I’d love to see him and Wes together – but we should have had him instead of Andrew in that stupid slayer episode..
Like I said before, Faith has had enough character development on Angel to be an ‘Angel’ character in her own right. It’s an arbitrary distinction probably, but since she’s been firmly established in the show it isn’t the same thing as having Dawn or Giles make a one off cameo. Angel-only fans will know who she is.
Speaking of old characters? What about Kate? Do people want to see her back? I think they resolved her story quite nicely at the end of season 2, but you never know.
I always wanted a Dru and Spike confrontation now he’s been ensouled, but that will never happen now, sadly. Oh well.
Shannon
March 27th, 2004 at 9:04 pm
It may still happen.. unless Dru is dead or something and I’ve forgotten some huge plot point..
I read that Juliet Landau and Julie Benz will be in an upcoming episode.. presumably therefore in a flashback, but you never know…
Tom
March 28th, 2004 at 2:47 pm
I’d have loved to see Kate back but I doubt it will happen. I think Giles is relevant enough to Angel – through his connections to Wes and Faith – to work, but not Dawn really. That puzzles.
I quite agree that Giles should have been in the slayer ep, but I still enjoyed Andrew :)
They killed Cordy I suspect for money. Sad but reality is nasty like that.
Shannon
May 29th, 2004 at 10:36 pm
And after all that, time for reflections on those last few episodes.
The Italy episode was funny, but it stood out so much that they were ‘resolving the Buffy issues’ without having her there. I know you were against it, but I wish she had been there just so she could say the obligatory ‘get over it’ and move on. I dont know.. that whole ‘we can see the back of a blonde’s head who is dancing’ thing bugged me. It bugged me in Angels dream where Spike was sleeping with her too.. but it was a dream so thats allowed. Plus the cut and paste audio of lines from Buffy (‘Every time I say Prom you get grouchy’) was a laugh.
And the finale was just plain cool. Such a good ending for all the Angel characters. I couldn’t be any more happy with that finale, there is anything I can think of that could have been done to greater perfection.