Seeing What Sticks in Season One
June 24th, 2010
You can follow along with the Cultural Catchup Project by following me on Twitter (@Memles), by subscribing to the category’s feed, or by bookmarking the Cultural Catchup Project page where I’ll be posting a link to each installment.
If Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s first season was demonized adolescence, then Angel’s first season is very much a demonized take on the struggles facing twenty-somethings (or two-hundred-and-twenty-somethings) as they negotiate life on their own. As Angel continues to search for its identity as a series, it largely presents situations which tap into Angel’s primary characterization: loneliness defines who Angel is, especially after having left Buffy behind, and so he logically meets people and associates with people who are, to some degree, like him.
I spent some time on Twitter discussing how much these episodes remind me of a supernatural Burn Notice, and this inherent loneliness is part of it. On that (quite good) show, for those Buffy fans who don’t have a penchant for USA Network series, Michael Westen is a former CIA agent who is “burned,” blacklisted and dropped in his former hometown to fend for himself. He reconnects with two former associates (one male, one female, who play comic relief to his straight man) who are themselves lone wolves, and together they form a strong team dynamic which is nonetheless fed by each character’s loneliness (as they have nothing else to go home to, so why not dole out some vigilante justice?). Michael, like Angel, does have a past: his family is still in Miami, but he cut them out of his life a long time previous, and a lot of the show is Michael helping others and connecting with them in part to redeem himself for some of the things he did in the past.
My point isn’t to suggest that Angel and Burn Notice are the same series, but rather that there is something distinctly human about Angel’s first season to this point. While Buffy’s first season felt like it was having fun with high school cliches, Angel feels like it’s applying the supernatural to the “real world,” free from the liminal space of higher education and able to look a bit deeper at parts of life that Buffy hasn’t been able to touch, free to escape the confines of one space to try various different types of storylines in its search for its own identity.
The result is a show that I would very much want to watch, if not yet a great show worthy of intense discussion.
“I Fall to Pieces” is a creepy, creepy story: the notion of a character who is able to sever his limbs and then use them to become an effective and terrifying stalker is unnerving in a way I’m fairly certain is intentional, and the episode largely doesn’t go anywhere in particular with the idea beyond the obvious. There’s a stalker, he stalks a young woman, and Angel becomes the white knight who saves the day. If anything, the episode is one which explicitly warns the viewer that these kinds of episodes aren’t going to turn into something more: by having Cordelia and Doyle force Angel into charging for his services, it means that there aren’t those lingering feelings of responsibility at the end of each case. This doesn’t mean, of course, that those cases won’t have a collective impact on Angel, or Cordelia, or Doyle, but it does mean that the show will sometimes just put a demonic twist onto a traditional private investigation plot.
And while I think that’s fine so long as the stories are somewhat inspired, there are limits to how effective those episodes can be. For example, “Sense & Sensitivity” is perhaps the weakest episode of the series thus far, primarily because of the fact that it feels as if it has no connection with Angel, Cordelia or Doyle. Not every story needs to be about those characters (as I’ll get to with “Rm w/a Vu” and “Bachelor Party”), but it does need to feel like it involves them in some way. While I don’t think Elisabeth Rohm is a terrible actress by any means, Kate isn’t an interesting-enough character for us to follow her as the primary protagonist in the episode, especially when she is surrounded by non-characters for most of the running time. Combine with the fact that you’ve got three separate antagonists to develop (the mob boss, the sensitivity trainer, and the Wolfram & Hart lawyer), and you have an episode that tries too hard to introduce the audience into the microcosmic world of the police station and doesn’t spend enough time introducing our central characters into the same environment. Yes, David Boreanaz gets to show off his comic chops both as the directionally challenged vacationer and as the sensitivity stick-affected version of Angel, but the episode is problematically imbalanced. While Kate may be a recurring character, I think Tim Minear overestimates our interest in her story, delivering scenes that are decently executed (her speech to her father, for example) but just don’t connect with me as a viewer due to their transience in the big picture.
It’s perhaps most problematic because it follows “Rm w/a Vu,” which tells a very human ghost story centered around the show’s most well-developed character for those who watched the first three seasons of Buffy. The inherent sadness of Cordelia’s situation in Los Angeles picks up her struggles towards the end of Buffy’s third season, and Charisma Carpenter is so good at portraying this character’s desire to put on a happy face and pretend she’s living the life she used to live. “City Of” dealt with some of this, but here we got to see the level to which Cordelia has been broken down by her time in Los Angeles, through a plot device that only a show like this one could use: Jane Espenson’s script does a fantastic job of making a vengeful mother who murdered her son so that he wouldn’t leave her and marry a young temptress and who bullies young female renters of the apartment and forces them to kill themselves seem entirely natural and even poignant. The result is Carpenter getting some fantastic material as she gets to portray Cordelia’s inner struggles rise to the surface as well as the return of her inner bitch as she defends the rent controlled apartment and eventually cracks the mystery. Throw in a character-specific story for Doyle, and you’ve got an episode which uses the series’ detective trappings in order to tell an intensely personal story, which is simply going to result in a better episode of television.
The same goes for “Bachelor Party,” which isn’t a particularly fantastic episode but which is so much about Doyle that it can’t help but be beneficial at this early stage in the game. What’s interesting about all of these episodes is that they are very much demonic takes on logical situations: “Sense & Sensitivity” plays out as a workplace drama gone haywire, “Rm w/a Vu” presents an L.A. apartment search gone bad (which I’d imagine isn’t that uncommon, although largely for less supernatural reasons), and “Bachelor Party” asks how a story about an ex-wife returning with a new husband plays out when the new husband’s a demon with some wonky traditions. At times, I think the show would be better off in departing from Buffy’s sense of humour (especially evident in the matter of fact reveal during a family meal that they intended to eat Doyle’s brains), as there were times when the story lacked any real sense of danger. The show obviously likes to play with that give and take between comedy and drama, as we saw with Richard and his family remaining courteous and Americanized even while adhering to an ancient ritual, but I thought the show oscillated between the two so many times in the episode that it left Doyle’s residual feelings for Harry sort of underdeveloped.
But when the show is clearly still tackling narrative by throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks, there’s a certain scrappiness to an episode like “Bachelor Party” that works compared to an episode like “Sense & Sensitivity.” At least when the show is trying something, like building Doyle’s character or introducing an entirely new race of demons (the Ano-movics) with their own personalities and traditions, you can see the kinds of ideas they’re interested in playing around with. Harry, as an ethnodemonologist, represents the sort of academic approach to demons that we saw with Giles, but for the purpose of interest and fascination rather than eradication. The notion of peaceful demons, albeit peaceful demons with a century-old history of cannibalistic rituals, is the kind of thing which goes beyond “threat to Sunnydale” or “result of the Hellmouth” to (again) real life. The episode has too much going on tonally to really delve into Doyle’s otherness, but the notion that Harry left him because he was unwilling to embrace his demon half as opposed to being freaked out by it is really intriguing, and places his character into a whole new perspective. Sure, the actual content of the episode was largely irrelevant to that reveal, and was largely played for laughs as a result, but there’s some really intriguing stuff in there that I’m hopeful we’ll see develop further in the future.
Right now, what matters about these episodes is what stays with the show: sure, “Sense & Sensitivity” has some further Wolfram & Hart shenanigans, but for the most part it’s dealing in an area I doubt the show has much interest in. Instead, we look to the investigation of demon society, or the importance of having paying clients (which, humorously, being irrelevant in the following episodes which all have Angel dealing in favours), or the individual characters themselves. The series will ultimately be constructed by what sticks to the wall, and I have enough faith in Greenwalt and Whedon to see what’s working and what’s not – I’m sure you are all reading this and dying to point how how great Doyle’s arc becomes, or how far Cordelia evolves, but part of the fun with a new series is that sense of uncertainty about just how it will develop. It keeps us watching weak shows longer and, in the case of Angel, it keeps us watching good shows more intently so that we can discover the moment when they become great.
We’re not there yet, but I think the show is nonetheless in a good place.
Cultural Observations
- I’m kind of in love with the idea of Cordy sharing her apartment with a subservient ghost who acts out by moving her root beer can.
- Speaking of Cordy, there’s an unfortunate line of dialogue in “Rm w/a Vu” which was probably really funny for a good decade but has become alarmingly morbid: “How come Patrick Swayze’s never dead when you need him?” However, I very much enjoy the notion that Cordelia’s lack of a filter has resulted in off-colour comments which only grow more off-colour with time.
- Beth Grant, who plays the Poltergeist in “Rm w/a Vu” and who has recently been seen on The Office (as Dwight’s date in “Dinner Party”) and No Country for Old Men, was clearly noticed by Tim Minear here, as she would later play Marianne Marie Beattle on Wonderfalls (which Minear ran) and then later on Pushing Daisies.
- As people pointed out when I watched “Anne,” Carlos Jacott shows up again here, which is a bit distracting – I don’t know if it was less distracting when it was over a year since “Anne” aired as opposed to a month and a half or so, but it definitely stuck out to me both in terms of seeming a bit strange and immediately convincing me that (as Angel and Doyle both felt) there was something up with the guy.
- Enjoyed that there was actually a joke about Elisabeth Rohm’s Kate being a lesbian in “Sense & Sensitivity” – I guffawed (and if you don’t know why this is funny, you haven’t seen this.)
- No big comparisons between the two shows at this point (although the crossover’s coming up, I’m aware), but there’s some interesting parallels between Doyle and Oz to be found in terms of their half-demon/half-werewolf-ness. Doyle is completely capable of controlling his demon side but doesn’t want to use it too often, whereas Oz has no control and struggles in a different way – just something to consider, is all.
- Doyle’s desire to remain in human form is a nice character beat, but it’s also conveniently cheap – just saying.
- There’s some nice moments for Angel in here, but he really isn’t at the center of his own series when there’s not a crossover involved, is he? Right now, the guest stars and the supporting players are playing the larger roles, which isn’t really a problem (as Angel is still very much involved) but it does mean that a lot of the weight for his character is being left to the crossovers, which risks tying his character too intensely to his past as opposed to his future. However, the severing between the two series is going to be an important part of this season’s trajectory, so I’ll watch for that in coming episodes.
Cultural Learnings 
Carlos Jacott is one of the very few “hat tricks” — he’s in Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. I’m always amused that he has the same character in all three — the kinda-lame-buffoon who turns out to be the bad guy. He’s lots of fun to watch, though.
Well, he was a hat trick until Dollhouse got canceled. I wonder if there were ever any plans to snag him for a guest spot?
I’m gonna say he still qualifies as a hat trick, since he’s in 3 of Whedon’s series.
I think the point was that he might have turned from a hat trick into a grand slam.
Oh, right. That would’ve been cool. And I bet Jacott would have made his way onto Dollhouse, given the time. I’ve always kinda dug this Whedon version of “stunt casting.”
My issue with him being in all three is that he’s not in make-up for most of it so he stands out. If he was in demon make-up the whole time in Buffy and Angel (or latest had a different haircut or different speech patterns) maybe it would have been a little jarring, especially since Buffy and Angel exist in the same world.
Andy Umberger has always been my favorite hat trick. Of course, he was in prosthetics in “Buffy,” but not the other two. I don’t know whether his body hair was shaved for his parts.
LOL!
Maybe if you think of the group of actors that tend to show up in Whedon’s work as a “troupe,” it might not be so distracting.
I get that having an actor like Jacott (or someone else who hasn’t turned up in either yet) turn up in Buffy and Angel as two different people might be jarring, since both series operate in the same narrative space.
And then there’s the fact that some actors cross over in the same characters, so yeah, it could be disconcerting to see a familiar face and not at first know whether it’s on a familiar character or not.
I’m really surprised that you apparently like “I Fall to Pieces” better than “Sense and Sensitivity.” I find the former to be really, irredeemably lame.
But I mostly agree with your analysis of “Sense,” actually, even though I really enjoy the slapstick and humor of the ep, especially the exchanges between Kate and Angel in this ep. The ep tries to do too much, yes, but it’s still fun to watch.
“Rm w/ a Vu” is the first really excellent ep of the series. Cordelia’s character will continue to deepen and expand in the coming seasons.
I think your analysis of the series at this point is right on. It takes almost the whole first season to shed the anthology style as its primary narrative mode, but by the last couple of eps this season, the arc begins to emerge.
Wow, that was badly written. Well, it’s early here. Guess I’m bleary-brained as well as bleary-eyed.
“Angel’s first season is very much a demonized take on the struggles facing twenty-somethings (or two-hundred-and-twenty-somethings)”
I understand what you were doing here with the writing but – because I am as die hard a fan of Joss as anyone else – I have to point out that Angel is, I think, 243 at this point…In vampire years at least. It’s not important for a cultural observer like yourself but it did stick out for me whilst reading your review.
Anyway
I’m sure many fans have already informed you of this, but “Angel” takes the length of its premiere season to really evolve into a show worthy of true (Buffy-seperate) recognition and acclaim. You’re very right in saying that the show isn’t that great at this point because, well, it isn’t. But greatness will come, I assure you. If nothing else, Angel is without a doubt the best spin-off TV’s got going for it. (Yes, yes I know Frasier was spun off from Cheers but Angel is better than Frasier, okay?)
There’s a two parter/crossover thing coming up late in the year which, I think, represents this change better than any other episode(s). I think it’ll be fairly obvious what I’m talking about when you reach said point.
That said (Referring to the less than stellar first season), one of my favourite episodes of the entire show is coming up next – I Will Remember You – and lets just say you’d better have a tissue box at the ready…Erm, for crying not that, you know, other thing 😛
I’m not a fan of procedural shows (In fact I’ve signed many petitions to have CBS obliterated from existence…That was a joke by the way) so I’ve never really seen Law and Order (I know it’s NBC, before anyone says anything). Anyway, even though I had no context for that youtube link I still found it hilarious. I like Kate as a character (I’m one of the only fans who does) but I just don’t think Elisabeth Rohm is a particularly competent actress. She’s too…I don’t know. She’s just too something.
Kate would be a better character if there was some completion to her arc, but (SPOILERS) her departure from the show is a huge letdown, as joining the Fang Gang always seemed like a more logical conclusion. Instead, we’re left with the suicide attempt with no real followthrough; it’s like she tried to kill herself, didn’t, and then disappeared.
I know you’ve put the word spoilers there to stop Myles reading it but I still think you might have gone a bit overboard with the spoilers. You’ve pretty much just layed out exactly what happens to Kate throughout the show.
That said, I do agree with what you wrote.
I just don’t think Elisabeth Rohm is a particularly competent actress.
Agreed. I didn’t recognise the show the clip was from – American procedurals all blur into one for me – but I did notice she mis-phrased the line as she say down dreadfully, so it sounded almost as if it was being read from cue cards. She was utterly unengaging in Heroes too, though by that stage in the show virtually nothing was redeemable and both remaining viewers had pretty well lost the will to live.
Haha, true. Heroes is awful. I can’t believe how badly that show turned out. The first season was incredible and then it was like bam, bam, bam – We now suck. I guess Heroes is the absolute cautionary tale for what success can do when it rushes directly to the heads of the producers in charge. Although Glee might one day edge it out.
I like Kate’s character too, especially in relation to where the other characters were at this point in the show. She definitely has her rough edges and hasn’t yet found her way, but that’s true of everyone. I think that at heart she’s a good person and in my first time watching I really looked forward to seeing which way the show would take her.
Maybe SPOILER
(Just trying to be careful.)
The thing I like most about Kate’s character is how Whedon/Greenwalt used her to break the usual trope of the hero and female falling into a romantic relationship. I won’t deny there was some sexual tension between them, but the series didn’t turn them into “Castle” or “Bones” or even “X-Files.”
Right. She’s the normal person, who doesn’t get into the supernatural.
I love Angel, but Frasier was pretty fantastic in its early seasons too. Apples and Oranges.
And I had absolutely no interest in Kate either. I don’t know whether it’s the actress or the writing of the character, but man, was she a buzzkill.
She’s definitely part of the reason why I bailed sometime after mid season.
And I blame Kring for Heroes’ quick descent into suckdom. It’s remarkable how a showrunner can pinpoint so quickly what the strengths and weakness of his own show are – then proceed to amplify the weak and eliminate any remnants of the strong.
Personally I think the problem with Kate was the actress. She’s this energetic sweet fun person, but her acting just comes off flat and monotone. I thought maybe it was just the way she was playing Kate, since Kate is a cop, maybe she was going for Joe Friday – just the facts-type delivery, but that carried over into the other shows she did as well. As I really like her, I hope one day she finds the role that really works for her.
Kate is fine compared to my most disliked character and actress in the whole Whedonverse
Eve
Good point. There was already a perfectly good character (and wonderfully fun-to-watch actress) who could have filled the Eve-role much better.
I’m kind of surprised everyone finds Elizabeth Rohm to be a terrible actress. I thought she was great throughout her run on Angel – very believable and sympathetic too even though she *SPOILER* turned into a pesky antagonist of Angel at the end of this season and most of the first*END SPOILER*.
Somehow I skipped over the “you bailed” part. The show became awesome just over halfway through the season so you bailed at just the wrong time. 😦
If you bailed mid-season one, you missed one awesome show. I’ve always thought “Angel” was a better series than “Buffy” was.
Angel’s a lot older than 243 by now. Don’t forget – he spent hundreds of years in that Hell dinmension when he got sucked into the portal through Acathla.
“Rm” is easily one of my favorite Angel episodes. It plays creepy alongside funny really well.
The transient ghost, Phantom Dennis, is one of my favorite characters in the series! (especially with a loofah)
Aside from any questions about the series trying to find its place, throwing stuff at the wall, etc., there are a number of excellent episodes in the season, and the next two up are both top-rate (even if one is also a bit schmaltzy). There are a few more stumbles along the way, but more excellence intermixed, and from episode 16 or 17 on, the quality is pretty much in place.
That’s not to say that it loses its anthology feel at that point, but it starts laying the foundation, especially in terms of expanding the ensemble cast with a number of new recurring characters. By season 2, the anthology feel is thoroughly gone.
Around that two-thirds point in this season, there is a pair of two-parters (one in Buffy, one in Angel) that constitute the most significant cross-over of the season. At that point, I think that Angel is fully detached from its roots in Buffy, and establishes its own identity solidly and permanently. Then the season finale, which is superb, sets events in motion that define the arc of the rest of the series.
While I understand your perspective on Sense & Sensibility, it does set the groundwork for Kate’s character arc. There will be a lot of fallout from this episode.
Also, I’m pretty much with you on Fall to Pieces. It’s very, very creepy, and establishes that Angel can go to some very dark places. The creep-factor will get stronger.
Other than “Rm”, I think this was the weakest part of Season 1. For the most part, it’s all uphill from here.
I loved “Rm” and not jut because it’s one of the only episodes I had any actual impact on. (The song in the flashbacks is sourced from one of my CDs)
You have fallen into a trap that can only happen looking back at the show. But good on getting the reference. I grew up in NJ and never would have gotten the “West Hollywood” line if I hadn’t moved here in ’98. But, the joke doesn’t reference any lesbianism, but is the father wondering if Angel is gay.
I never thought to much about Angel not being the center of the show at this point. I don’t think you’ll be thinking that for too much longer.
You’re that Becker?
::bows in awe::
::bows::..?
Who do you think he is??
Christophe Beck or something..
You were a writers-PA right Becker?
Though that is amazing to be able
to say they sourced “You Always Hurt the One You Love” from a cd of yours.
I actually used that song subconsciously in a short film I made, and years later re-watched Angel to discover that’s where the song had been subliminally planted in my (sub)consciousness and therefore thought it a poignant and effective song to use.
Bravo to you. 🙂
Before I worked on Angel I got to be a bit well known on the old Bronze, mainly as the co-planner of the first Buffy Posting Board Party* and for a drinking game called BGoD (Becker’s Game of Death). So that’s probably more likely where the bowing comes from that the fact that I was a PA for two years. The song/CD came about because they got the permission to use it at the last moment and didn’t have the song and I brought it in the next day.
*The PBP was initially done as so many people on the Bronze (circa late ’97) seemed to be RL friends, but no one had met yet. Blade announced he wanted to have a party someone for everyone to meet and I joined up with him. We grabbed a few more people for a committee and that eventually became the PBP in Beverly Hills. 100 fans/guests came and a chunk of the cast and crew. $25 per person and no VIP green rooms or special set ups for them to do signings. They just showed up and ended up in the middle of the crowd. David B, Aly, Nick, Tony, Seth, Joss & Kai, Marti, Ty King, Sophia and Jeff (then Buffy stunt double and coordinator) and a couple of other people came. I had to back out of planning the later parties, but they got bigger and bigger and ended up raising a lot of money for charity. So that was a big deal for a lot of people.
Ah I see.
That makes more sense.
I think I missed out on a lot of the Bronze stuff… I’m not sure why.
I remember its existence, but maybe as i was about 11 (circa 97) and had yet to discover Buffy seeing as it didn’t premiere on the BBC in England until New Years Eve 98! – then I kind of missed the true Bronze era.
And I don’t think I really remember discovering the Internet side of the Buffyverse (i.e. Spoiler pages, fan pages, forums, bad-quality downloads (mainly of OMWF’s musical numbers), episode guides write ups and any other info I could find) until around end of season 3/beginning of 4 when I was about 13/14 in about 2000.
Maybe one of the reasons I have such a love of the post-high school seasons is because I was much more proactively involved in the web communities and geeky activities surrounding the Buffyverse during their airing periods (I love the high school seasons too of course).
Plus I was in the UK so couldn’t really be rocking up to parties in Beverly Hills… Sadly.
All sounds very fun though. & it’s so good you got to be part of all that in such a big way.
I maybe if I am who you think I am. See reply below to see if I am right.
There is a ‘Kate is lesbian’ ,eh, allusion in this episode, her father thought she was ‘leaning the other way’ before he saw her with Angel. The West Hollywood line is from The Prodigal, which I think helps make Sense & Sensitivity better in hindside.
I didn’t think much about Angel role at this point either, I think they wanted to develop Cordelia and Doyle more at first, since Doyle was new, and Cordelia fits better for the 20-something stories. Although you could think of Angel as a 20-something since he was 26 when he died and pretty much stayed at the same emotional level until about half-way season 2.
Anyway the second half of the season is much more Angel-centric so I guess that balances it out.
Ah, I’m probably going to do a crash run through Angel this weekend to get caught up. I haven’t watched in a very long time and am getting iffy on details. So I don’t remember that illusion. Though on L&O, that line just seemed so tossed in out of no where as there was absolutely nothing that made you think that was coming previously. My mom was pissed. (She was an L&O fan, not an Angel fan)
Arg, I meant ‘make S&S better in hindSIGHT’ not hindside.
I am kinda suprised how S&S isn’t very liked apparently, I love it, I think it’s very funny, and I also rather like Kate, I think her later reactions are understandable and realistic, although kinda annoying too.
I never thought Angel was the center of the show-it was the ensemble cast that I liked about the series. In fact, the other characters held more of my interest than Angel did.
Another very good review, Myles, and it’s a real struggle to avoid spoilers. I particularly like your statement: loneliness defines who Angel is, especially after having left Buffy behind, and so he logically meets people and associates with people who are, to some degree, like him. – if you think of Whedon’s primary concerns, about the importance of the self-chosen “family group” as opposed to blood relatives you can see the bringing-together of a set of loners as an essential first move, much as he did in Firefly.
he really isn’t at the center of his own series when there’s not a crossover involved, is he?
I think the priority at this point was to establish the strong ensemble work – Whedon always builds a team, whatever he starts out thinking he’s doing. And Angel will become very central in some upcoming episodes. I think Bachelor Party does some important work in establishing Doyle’s character and engaging our sympathy for him – the fact that he is such a liminal character, neither human nor demon, will become an important element of his character arc.
Rm w/a Vu is certainly one of the strongest of the early episodes, with In the Dark, and, like it, both emphasises the links to Sunnydale and other aspects of the past and establishes the essential difference of the show. There will be some rocky bits yet, but most fans consider IFTP and S&S to be amongst the weaker episodes of the show.
They were still experimenting with genre at this point, and only fully found the tone a little later on. But there’s important grounding being laid for the remaining four and a half years.
…“part of the fun with a new series is that sense of uncertainty about just how it will develop. It keeps us watching weak shows longer and, in the case of Angel, it keeps us watching good shows more intently so that we can discover the moment when they become great.
We’re not there yet, but I think the show is nonetheless in a good place.”
Another very enjoyable review, and I liked this part especially. Based on my conversations with other Buffy fans, it seems that there are more than a few who gave up on Angel in S1, or refer to it as “bad”.
When I first watched it then it was purely for enjoyment, rather than analysis, but I definitely felt the same way. The show was finding it’s way, it had some very interesting possibilities and part of the fun was watching what it would try. Some of what it would explore would turn out to be dead-ends, but as it would go on to have a very clear direction, then I appreciated that early on it seemed to take we viewers along in the process of finding itself.
I’m curious Myles, as to what you think of the actual character of Angel. You’ve given little snippets of your opinion throughout this cultural catch-up but what is your truthful opinion of the eponymous, brooding, vampire-with-a-soul?
It might seem a bit premature to (potentially) condemn the character at this point seeing as you have another 4 1/2 seasons to go before his arc is over but nonetheless, I’d be very interested to hear your opinions on the main man himself, especially at this stage in the game.
I watched Angel after first Firefly, and then Buffy, and I watched with a friend who was already very familiar with the series. All through season one, for every single episode, he would groan and say, “Ugh, not this stupid episode again.” And afterwards I’d say, “What? That was thoroughly enjoyable! Angel got infected by the talking stick!”
Now, whenever I watch season one with newbies, I go, “Ugh, not this stupid episode again!”
I think we old-timers forget that, when you’ve never seen any of AtS before, most of season one is still pretty darn fun. It just seems so — frivolous? — compared with what comes afterwards.
(Caveats: IFtP and She are atrocious, and 1.18/1.19 are of course amazing.)
Oh, and of course I like Rm too. How could you not?
(On the commentary, Jane Espenson points out that when you create a character, you’re supposed to get residuals every time they appear in an ep… but she never got residuals for Dennis b/c he never “appears”! How much does that suck?)
I love Phantom Dennis. He’s my favorite. Also, the best eps of S1 are yet to come, IMO. They take a bit of time to get on their feet properly and become a really good show.
‘I Fall to Pieces’ is super-creepy, especially the hand crawling in her bed and then Doyle’s comment “At least it was just his hands down there…. I wish I hadn’t even thought that”. Eww and ick.
The doctor played by Andy Umburger is also one of Joss’ hattricks as he played D’Hoffryn Anya’s vengence demon boss in ‘Dopplegangland’ (and also turns up on Firefly) – but it’s kinda hard to notice that one due to all the make-up!
The episode also gives me a giggle seeing Brent Sexton playing pretty much an identical character to the one he played on ‘Life’.
‘Sense and Sensitivity’ is not one of my favourite episodes, you picked out the best bit (Kate’s speech to her father), which is very touching (and well directed/edited) but other than that the episode doesn’t have much going for it… Other than Steve Schirripa aka Bobby from The Sopranos in an absolutely tiny but still Mafia related role.
‘Rm w/a Vu’ is definitely one of the best early Angel episodes. Very funny but also great character moments. Love Cordelia leaving peanut butter in Angel’s bed and Angel wandering in to her apartment with his tiny cactus. I’ve said Cordelia is one of my favourite characters and this episode really has some great stuff for her. You say that Angel seeks out people to help who are like him and you can definitely see Cordelia, Doyle and Kate in that category, so it’s nice to see Cordelia reconnecting with old friends (despite hating those friends when she was in ‘Buffy’).
‘Bachelor Party’ is a little too self-awarely funny about some of the demon stuff but it’s still a fun episode and it’s nice to have all that backstory on Doyle.
Looking forward to your next posts Myles, as you say though in your twitter, you have spoilt us!
There are now quite a few hat-tricks, not counting actors who played the same character in both Buffy and Angel. Carlos Jacott, Andy Umberger, Jonathan Woodward, Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Felicia Day, and David Fury (counting two separate roles in Angel).
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Hmmm, I really don’t think a discussion of *Kate’s* sexuality qualifies as a joke; time-wise you’re moving the wrong way. Especially since her father knew Angel was a guy when he asked “West Hollywood?” It’s like regarding “Murphy Brown is a fictional character” as a real punchline.
I enjoyed seeign you express interest in the characters’ future arcs and sayign again you don’t want too many hints. Because I have a very sadistic streak in my humor so I’m imagining your future viewing experience. I guess thta’s why I’m no longer really a fan of Joss; we think too much alike and I can’t stand people who act like me.
“Well, she never did have any taste. Haha, she’s so nasty.”
Whedon & Co. are very good at their episode endings and they especially do them well on Angel. They realize that the last things you see and hear in an episode are what are going to stick with you as the credits start rolling, especially when they overlap into the credits like this one does (another great one is coming up soonish; I won’t say what ep but I will say that it involves someone crying accompanied by some thunder). This one is great because it reminds us that Cordy really is a bitch (and that’s why we love her), something that is important in upcoming seasons.
Is that it? Am I done?
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