Geoff's Comments about Angel, season 2
Last updated: 5 February 2004
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Buffy and Angel comments -> Angel, season
2
2.1 Judgement (8)
Picks up where the first season left off, and races along at a fair
clip, introducing Gunn into the regulars and setting up a few pointers
to the future. The demons' karaoke club is a daft idea, but a
brilliant one, even if it means that we have to endure "Boreanaz does
Manilow" once too often. The episode is also memorable for the
incongruous jousting-in-the-streets section and the brief but touching
scene with Faith at the end.
2.2 Are You Now or Have You Ever Been (8)
More atmospheric and less humourous than usual, and another episode
which concentrates entirely on the main plot idea. The period detail
in the portrayal of the less pleasant parts of early 1950's America is
very well done, and a tendency to meander is made up for by the
poignant ending.
2.3 First Impressions (7)
A character-based episode, and one of the few occurrences of
Abbreviated Plot Symptom in this season. This is compensated for by
some great interaction between Cordelia and Gunn, and other nice
touches like Angel's pink helmet.
2.4 Untouched (7)
A bit like one of the "damsel in distress" episodes from the beginning
of the first season. Guest star Daisy McCrackin is great, and the
interesting telekinetic premise turns disturbing with the undercurrent
of sexual abuse, but it's let down a bit by being rather slow in
places.
2.5 Dear Boy (7)
This is where Angel's journey into self-absorption begins. Julie Benz
does a fine job as the, er, vampy Darla, but the strange beginning has
virtually nothing to do with the rest of the episode.
2.6 Guise will be Guise(8)
This time it's Alexis Denisof's turn to shine, doing a great job of
Wesley trying to be Angel while Angel seeks counselling. This season's
1.6 Sense and Sensitivity, deadpanning its way through a very
funny storyline from Jane Espenson.
2.7 Darla (9)
The season's first stab at being epic, and it doesn't disappoint;
Despite a slow start, it develops into something very compelling which
leaves you feeling rather different afterwards, and Julie Benz is once
again on impressive form. A companion to Buffy's Fool for
Love, but considerably darker in tone, it combines flashbacks with
the principal story-arc to classic effect. The shot of Darla, Angel,
Spike and Dru in China in Fool for Love reappears here, but
note how different it comes across when seen from another perspective.
2.8 The Shroud of Rahmon (7)
A strange thing, this; superficially it's a standard heist story; but
it's lifted above its cliches by the pervading menace and tension,
especially the interplay between Gunn and Angel's weirdly sarcastic
alter ego.
2.9 The Trial (9)
It's provcative, but probably coincidental, that Angel's second
season hit its stride at the same time as Buffy's fifth season
was busy losing its own plot. Angel's obsession with Darla crashes and
burns spectacularly here, even if all his efforts are for naught; the
ending, with Drusilla gloriously in her element, is about as cruel as
anything either series has yet come up with.
2.10 Reunion (9)
A masterpiece of unremitting yet carefully controlled nastiness, with
almost enough going wrong to fill an entire series. The ending, full
of moral dilemmas, is particularly good.
2.11 Redefinition (8)
An appropriate title for an episode which takes the season off in
another direction. It's more dissolute than what it follows; Angel
speaks entirely in voice-overs and is practically never on screen with
his co-stars at the same time. As a result it's somewhat humbler fare
than its predecessors, but it contains much good stuff all the same.
2.12 Blood Money (7)
An episode in which the plotting is better than the execution. The
vicious swipe at corporate-sponsored goodwill is well done, but the
rest of it is haphazard and not very involving, and the viewer would
be forgiven for wanting to get back to Darla and Drusilla. Still, it's
good to see Chanterelle/Lily/Anne again.
2.13 Happy Anniversary (6)
As with the first season, the thirteenth episode is the worst;
thankfully, it's nowhere as bad as 1.13 She. The double act of
Angel and the Host works well, and Wesley's homage to Poirot is
fun, but the main story is rather dodgy pseudo-science-fiction which
seems to take second place to the demands of continuity and parallel
storylining.
2.14 The Thin Dead Line (8)
The best of this trio of episodes, a sequel to 2.12 Blood
Money, and a genuinely menacing sideways look at "zero-tolerance"
policing mixed in with some serious social comment. While overly PC in
places, as a demonstration of Angel's social conscience it
shows that the show's heart is in the right place.
2.15 2.16 Reprise (8) / Epiphany (9)
Normal service is resumed with a vengance in these episodes, which
represent quintessential Angel. 2.15 Reprise is a bleak
journey all the way down into the darkest depths of Angel's soul, with
a literal analogue in the lift journey, complete with Muzak! With
subtexts of rape and male sexual jealousy, 2.16 Epiphany
contains probably the most violent scenes to date in any episode of
either of Whedon's shows; but it impressively climbs back out of the
emotional depths, ending with Angel returning to the fold in a
very touching little scene which suggests that "catharsis"
would have been an appropriate alternative title.
2.17 Disharmony (8)
A great mixture of humour and seriousness, combining all kinds of
silliness from Mercedes McNab with a subplot about a vampire pyramid
scheme and Angel's slow and rather bumpy reintegration into his own
business.
2.18 Dead End (7)
Or The Tale Of Lindsey's Evil Hand. The plot is a bit sketchy and not
much to get excited about, but the humour and tension between Angel
and Lindsey - ending with a fine goodbye scene - compensates. And
doesn't Christian Kane have a great singing voice!
[Trivia time: there's a large poster of Edinburgh in the travel
agent!]
2.19 Belonging (7)
Or, more accurately, "not belonging". Again, the monster of the week
takes a back seat to the main story-arc; we get some telling character
insights, most notably the surprising and moving scene near the end
with Gunn's dead friend on the funeral pyre. And the first appearance
of the warrior from the other dimension is the first hint that it's
about to get Very Silly.
2.20 2.21 2.22 Over the Rainbow (8) / Through the Looking Glass
(7) / There's No Place Like Prltz Glrb (9)
OK, just what is going on here? This is in essence a feature
film which looks alarmingly like a cross between Xena,
Planet of the Apes, 1 Million Years B.C. and doubtless
many others in the genre - there are even bits of The Blair Witch
Project in there. L.A. is left far behind as the story rampages
merrily through the clichés, playing them for all they're worth, and
it was clearly a lot of fun for everyone involved.
The restrictions of the TV format obviously affected the results; in
particular the story is wobbly in places, the middle episode sags a
bit, the ending is a bit rushed, and more budget might have helped;
and it's silly and camp in a way Angel usually isn't. Yet
underpinning it is a coherent vision and lots of weird humour,
which more than makes up for its defects. Guild, redemption, heroism,
cowardice, loyalty, betrayal, romance, the pain of final parting, and
a little cameo from Willow at the end - they're all here. Oh, and:
"Namfar, perform the dance of joy": which poor idiot is doing
that? It can't be! IT IS! It's JOSS WHEDON!!!
The DVDs
Another rather disappointing selection of extras. Two commentaries
again: Tim Minear's for 2.2 Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
is good enough, but Fred Keller sounds half-asleep through much of a
rather painful ramble over 2.20 Over the Rainbow yet. Aside
from that there's the usual mix of scripts, images - including a set
of blueprints for the set - and cast profiles; a season overview; and
three more interesting-but-too-short featurettes.