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Angel
Episode Air Date 11/05/01Episode II - Attack of the Troclons
While Buffy and the Scoobies head off to Broadway with their new musical, Angel is moving towards fatherhood. Neither babies nor musical episodes have historically boded well for otherwise successful series. Despite renewed ratings now, Friends will not likely make it past Rachel's delivery. And Chicago Hope, for example, featured an incredible musical episode right before its plug was pulled.
Nevertheless, the arrival of the pregnant Darla in last night's episode may have signaled a much-needed improvement in the current season, although the writers may want to consider adding a positive male character who doesn't knock up ex-girlfriends, hit women, simper, or hang out with gangs.
Not that it was all good. There was the stark horror of possible romance between Angel and Cordelia. There was Cordelia's unbelievable, over-the-top sympathy for Darla (yes, we all know Cordelia was once pregnant and is friends with vampire Harmony. But c'mon!). Not to mention Angel's stupidity of leaving Gunn alone to guard Darla after he pointed out several times that she is stronger than Angel, Gunn, and Wesley combined (only Gunn's lack of a clingy red shirt saved him). No wonder Angel doesn't know how to use his voice mail. And did anyone really need to hear those Three Furies again?
Fortunately, interesting plot developments and Julie Benz's ever-engaging performance as Darla more than make up for the flaws. Darla makes evil both fun ("I'm the luckiest vampire girl in the whole wide world") and creepy, as when sizing up a lost child as her next Happy Meal. The writers have smartly left it unclear as to the nature of her unborn child, which may or may not be a key, potentially world-ending, figure called a Troclon. This could give a whole new meaning to the "Terrible Twos."
Meanwhile, Holtz also emerges as the possible Big Bad for the season (I'm a Troclon, You're A Troclon, We're A Troclon…Wouldn't You Like To Be A Troclon too?). Okay, maybe so far Holtz has seemed only slightly more threatening than Sgt. Schultz attacking one of Le Beau's culinary creations (Schultz the Schnitzel Hunter?), but the potential is there. At some point yet unseen Holtz transformed from mere revenge obsessed vampire hunter to magic wielding, demon cavorting bad guy. One of his key strengths appears to be his ability to recruit followers - stake-wielding monks in the past and cigarette smoking demons in the present. A future alliance with W&H seems likely.
On another positive note, Fred proved more palatable than ever. The writers may have finally found a workable angle for Fred: Naivete. Used sparingly (thank TPTB), the results ranged from comical, like when she played beverage offering host to Darla, or refreshing, when she questioned fate ("someone needs to say 'You're evitable'"). Still, one wonders if the show would really suffer all that much if a demon happened to find Fred palatable as well.
Overall, the episode was a step in the right direction, and the trailer for next week looks fantastic. So perhaps the writers have planned things out…well, at least better than Angel plans his personal relationships.
