Angel pulls the old ‘close on two characters talking dramatically, then pull back to see it’s a non-threatening situation, mess with your expectations for humour’ move type thing. It’s cliched now, but was more acceptable back when Angel was on. Lost did it (when Hurley and Sawyer fought Ned The Zombie*), so it can’t be that bad. Anyway, Angel and Wes are in the audience of Cordelia’s play, and she’s awful. There, happy now?
I now realise the problem with a show’s title being a character name. When I say “there was a demon in Angel”, I hope you know what I mean. Oh, now you’re thinking about the other way aren’t you? You’re imagining some filthy, perverted, unearthly tryst of sodom. Despicable.
The Angel theme reminds me of the DJ Shadow song Stem/Long Stem from his first album, Entroducing. So, often I start an episode saddened, remembering how good Shadow used to be. Oh Shadow.
I realise I’ve seen this episode before. Angel saves an actress from assassination attempts. We then find out that these attempts on her life were organised by the manager for publicity reasons #spoiler. A car drives at actress Rebecca Something as she leaves a club. Ol’ reliable Angel saves her, then makes her acquaintance. Smooth.
Good old Wes. Cordelia mentions that “ET are coming” (as in the Entertainment Tonight paparazzi), and Wes thinks she means Emma Thompson. How wonderfully British.
I can’t help but watch all the minor characters now to see if they’ve since become stars. I imagine the timeline of a TV actor’s career as: Angel—star of big show—Law & Order—reality TV—death.
Wes enjoys a good pair of slacks.
Angel is reluctant to help Rebecca in case he can’t control himself and his fireman invades her cage.
Befitting of his usual Monday night, Angel throws himself through a window in order to stop a masked foe from doing nasty things to Rebecca. Bear in mind that he was masked, as that may be important later. Rebecca unsees Angel’s reflection in a mirror, and within seconds realises that’s he’s a vampire. I would’ve ruled a few other things out first. She quite likes it too. Dirty cow.
The third attempt on Rebecca’s life happens in an alley outside a film premiere. She recognises the would-be assassin this time, because he didn’t have a mask on. He’d also been at the premiere, and clearly didn’t have space in his tux for anything that would hide his coupon. Turns out that the stalker-killer has been working for Rebecca’s manager the entire time, as part of a plot to get her the publicity she needs to survive in the hardscrabble world of Hollywood. She confronts her manager about it. The bullets were blanks, she wasn’t going to be hurt. He doesn’t explain what harm knocking her down wouldn’t do, or what would happen when her apartment was broken into. Maybe he was going to crack her head open with a blank fist.
Even worse news, she didn’t get the part she read for. She’s too old, the manager tells her. And already the stalker thing is forgotten about. Rebecca needs a way to stay young. If only she knew a vampire. Wait!
Now time for something I didn’t understand. If she’s already too old, what difference would it make if she stays that way. She’d be just too old forever. Now, Angel doesn’t age, we know this. But at no point does he un-age. You feel me?
I’m sure it’s been pointed out before, but Angel is really well groomed for someone who can’t see in a mirror.
If memory serves, soon there’ll be a problem with chemically-induced bliss.
CHUKCHUKCHUK (scene change noise)
“I hear Borginine is a very skilled lover” – Angel
Is this episode a comment on the problems with ageism that broads face in Hollywood? Probably. But I don’t care, do I?
Rebecca comes to Angel’s lair, for a wee drink. And, oh yeah, to drug him. She’s looking to get vamped up you see, wanting Angel to turn her so she can stay young. You know, in case you didn’t understand that earlier.
Rebecca exposes her neck. Angel, full of champers and some mysterious drugs, is pretty wasted. The score swells as Angel clocks her game. There’s no getting anything over on Angel, he’s a detective you see. He shows her what life is like for vampsters by pouring some refrigerated blood down her throat. And this sets him off. All the delicious blood, plus the drugs and champagne turn him into Angelus. Good times.
And thus Angel markedly improves. Angelus is a far more interesting character than Angel. Even more watchable than Ian Beale. Cordelia and Wes come home and Angel corners them along with Rebecca, dissing them all to the max, extreme 4000. And planning on killing them too.
Cordelia confuses Angelus with words. Wes sneaks up and pushes him down a lift shaft, knocking him unconscious. When he wakes up, he’s chained to a bed. He’s told he was a very naughty and cheeky boy, and is getting no supper. Fini.
Wes has had gangster moments in the last two episodes now. In the last one he shot a guy with a crossbow, took the guy’s gun, then threatened him and his henchmen with it. This episode he took down Angel. Is this a hint at some greater character development, or the writers realising that they’re quite limited if no one besides Angel can throw down? Again, I dunno (lol).
End
RaymondTheWilliams 