Angel
A Hole In The World
original air-date: 02-25-04
There
are two types of people in the world: Those who love The
English Patient, and those who think it is overrated drivel
with zero romantic chemistry between the two leads. But as
Elaine Benes once learned firsthand, having that latter minority
opinion can lead to trouble.
Likewise,
to suggest that the Wes-Fred relationship is anything less
than resplendent is to risk the wrath of many fans. Then again,
what's another nasty e-mail?
So here
goes (hopefully the fans are as forgiving as the fictionalized
J. Peterman).
The Wes-Fred
relationship just doesn't deliver. Wes pining or seething
for Fred in the past was interesting. Fred with Gunn was fun
despite the occasional hypersaccharine exchange. And Wes with
Lilah? Delightfully naughty.
But Wes
actually with Fred? Yawn. Sure, the "please-read-to-me-cause-I'm-turning-into-an-Old-One-now"
scenes are touching (and Alexis Denisof should consider narrating
books on tape). But the sexual chemistry is lacking. Sometimes
putting two good things together just doesn't work.
Like Fred
and a flamethrower. Both are useful for dispatching baddies
in certain situations. But they just don't go well together.
(A lot of people love pasta, and a lot of people love dessert.
But every hear of a chocolate linguini sundae?)
That combination
is one of three problems with the opening of this episode,
which fortunately gets much better quickly. The other two
problems: A completely unnecessary flashback (and while we're
on the subject, why not just start with the lab scene?) and
a really hokey effect of a shish kabobbed Angel. Perhaps it
really is supposed to be a prop sword because once upon a
season a sword through the body was actually somewhat debilitating
even to a vamp.
Despite
the rocky start and a few other bumps (special jets? Give
us a break!), this episode delivers a lot of enjoyment. Really,
any episode that manages to make Knox a more interesting character
deserves kudos.
Here's
a quick summary that balances the need for re-cap with the
need to protect the spoiler free: Angel and Spike must rush
to save Fred after she inhales a deadly powder (this summary
also doubles as an audition for a future post-Angel
job as a TV listings writer).
There
are some, well, just really cool scenes, not to mention an
amusing ongoing argument involving cavemen and astronauts.
The first cool scene involves Gunn visiting The White Room.
If the director skimped on the Angel skewer for this, it was
worth it. The power line background is wonderful (to look
at and to consider metaphorically), and the Gunn vs. Gunn
interaction is very entertaining. What happens exactly is
still open for speculation. There is one line that
suggests that W&H is definitely not evil in the traditional
sense of the word. Later on, fans do
learn this week that at least one of Gunn's recent decisions
has already resulted in suffering.
Another
special scene involves Wes disciplining a Wolfram & Hart
employee who questions the dedication of all resources to
Fred's case. Wes' action may seem rash or unbelievable to
some at first. But when you really think about the other steps
he's taken (bucket anyone?), it seems plausible.
Next up
is Eve hiding out in Lindsey's Senior Partner proofed bachelor
pad. Here Lorne really shines. Once again many fans will lament
the writers leaving Lorne out of so much earlier this season.
On the plus side, there may still be interesting twists with
Lindsey and/or Eve on the way.
Finally,
there is a surreal scene at the Deeper Well, sort of a U-Store-It
for very old nasty entities. Somehow James Marsters once again
demonstrates yet even more range with Spike. The scene also
continues the excellent job the writers have been doing lately
to set-up Angel and Spike as reluctant partners who realize
they're the only two who really understand each other.
Episodes
of Angel often stand out when the writers deliver a
lot of short scenes that feature characters in different combinations.
Those scenes are particularly interesting when the audience
gets to see match-ups they don't see much or have never witnessed
at all. For example, fans here get to Lorne with Eve, Gunn
with Knox, and even Gunn with The Conduit.
So what's
up for next week? Well, now that Fred's condition has worsened,
will the rest of the Fang Gang also be "feeling blue?"
|
