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Angel
Episode Air Date 10/22/01Quo Vadis, Angel?
Amy Acker may be a very nice person. She may even be, as her fans so quickly point out, a fine young actress.
But the fact remains that her character Fred, is annoying. After all, if the bus station homeless can't stand her, how can the audience? Moreover, as Fred herself pointed out, she has no role in the Fang Gang. If Angel is the Hero, Wesley the Brains, Gunn the Muscle, and Cordelia the Heart, Fred is the Appendix. Her big contribution of late: An ax-in-the-box device that splits opens heads and also may or may not make toast. Maybe she should go work for Ron Popeil.
If the Angel creators really wanted a character named Fred, they failed to consider better options. For example:
Fred Flintstone. Courtesy of the magic of time travel and CGI. Better yet, let Harvey Korman reprise his role as The Great Gazoo, now working as a messenger for the Powers That Be. Fred Savage. What could be more terrifying than a My-Career-Has-Gone-Nowhere Demon? Freddy Mercury. The deceased lead singer of Queen comes back to life as a West Hollywood zombie. After all, Buffy and the Scoobies are getting an entire musical episode (sounds fun, but a possible "jump-the-shark" event). Alas, the closest to Queen the audience got was Lorne, who delivered some of the best lines, e.g., "I was going for a Dresden after the bombing look" and "Massacres are a lot like sitting through Godfather Three: Once is enough." (A line which would have been funnier if GF3 jokes weren't, like Starbucks, everywhere these days).
Overall, the episode had above average humor. It was particularly nice to see a resumption of the banter between Gunn and Wesley, or as Cordelia calls them "Mr. & Mrs. Bickerson."
In fact it was the humor that saved an otherwise mediocre episode involving Fred's parents, a messy weapons cabinet, and an especially tough insectoid demon. Unfortunately, the CGI effects for said demon were a little cheesy. Perhaps the producers are trying to keep the show's price down lest WB dump Angel as well. Still no Darla and no W&H Fire Boy. But at least Fred's parents were fun (can we keep them and dump the daughter?).
It was also very enjoyable watching Cordelia and Wesley parody Buffy and Angel during the opening ("I love you so much I almost forgot to brood."). The scene was reminiscent of one of the funniest Angel moments ever: Spike parodying Angel while watching him from the top of a nearby building. The fun ends when Angel returns from his rendezvous with the newly resurrected Buffy.
The audience neither sees nor hears about this key encounter (editor's nosy note - mentioned as about to happen in last week's episode of Buffy, but also off-screen), a fact that lends unfortunate weight to fan fears that Buffy's jump to UPN will end crossovers (although there is still a chance tonight). If that's true, network executives are missing the big picture, i.e., a crossover would increase ratings of both shows and strengthen both networks. And although rare, other series have featured trans-network crossovers.
While they're at it, Angel creators might want to consider another obvious crossover opportunity. Elisabeth Rohm, who played cop Kate Lochley, has defected to NBC's Law and Order. But what if Rohm's characters were really the same person? What if instead of pursuing suicidal depression, Kate had secretly been attending law school to prepare for a new life in the Big Apple? Imagine the fun of teaming up Angel with Lenny (Jerry Orbach), who could expand his portfolio of trademark puns with gems like "finally a case we can sink our teeth into."
And maybe if Darla or Fire Boy ever returns, the audience will finally get another episode they can sink their teeth into. Oh, and an appendectomy wouldn't hurt either.
