Angel
Daddy
Episode Air Date 12/10/01

Three Men and a Vampire Baby...

Does anyone really need to see Angel playing Peek-a-Boo with his infant son? Or Lorne and Angel teaming up to croon "Oooh, Baby, Baby?"

Perhaps the show's producers are catering to a David Boreanz's desire to express more range as an actor. Or perhaps they believe that emulating the syrupy formula of "Three Men And A Baby" will somehow expand the viewer demographics beyond the core sci-fi/horror fan base.

Alas, a quick straw poll this morning revealed that many fans, both male and female, were bored and/or annoyed by the baby scenes, particularly the near endless screaming.

On the other hand, it is always entertaining to glimpse the inner workings of Wolfram & Hart. The bickering between Lilah and Gavin is escalating nicely. And the robot-like records clerk was a hoot. W&H is kind of like the bad guys on Batman (the fun one from the 60s that is): They never actually win, but it sure is fun to watch them try.

Part of the reason they didn't win this week was Lorne (the specifics are omitted to prevent spoilage). Not having learned that hanging with the Fang Gang leads to higher insurance rates, Lorne shows up as houseguest at the hotel. Perhaps he is willing to put up with the repeated destruction of his karaoke lounge in exchange for the chance to humor himself (and the audience). Best line: "Do I smell bacon, or did someone fall asleep with the curtains open?"

The real winner, though, was Holtz. He oozes menace and is clearly a "take charge" kind of guy. In just a short time he's dispatched a squad of fast food loving demons-for-hire, recruited trainee Justine, and learned to surf the net. Proof that this is fantasy:
all the computers are Mac.

With the Fang Gang growing a bit stale, some fans may even find themselves rooting for Holtz instead.

Chris Crotty