Angel
Calvary
original air-date: 02-12-03
This episode opens with a dark, candle
filled room. Either it's a post Pier One Kirstie Alley summoning
a demon to resurrect her career, or the Fang Gang is seeking
out a shaman to restore Angel's missing soul. Alas, said
shaman, who's clearly playing the mystical equivalent of
Yahtzee, can't do the job. The good news is that Angel's
soul is apparent snug and safe in its special container,
at least until the dry ice sublimates completely.
Meanwhile Angelus continues to taunt everyone,
particularly Gunn and Fred, who come away much worse for
the wear. But the arrival of Lilah (sporting an evil Ivory
Girl look) complicates any opportunity Wes has to get some
Fred.
The story unfolds by using a formula that
has often worked well for the show, i.e., showing a series
of scenes that places the characters together in different
combinations.
Unfortunately, that formula only sustains
the episode barely halfway before a weak plot and character
inconsistencies mire the second half in mediocrity. Only
the arrival of ever-quipping Lorne and a quick fight scene
inject some brief life back into the dreariness.
Granted, casual fans might like this episode
just fine. But serious fans will likely notice too many
small problems. Why haven't anti-vamp fighters used tranquilizer
darts or flame throwers until now? Why doesn't Angelus consider
the Beast to be just a foot solder? Why hasn't anyone noticed
Cordy's odd behavior and/or speech patterns? How can Gunn
cry foul about Lilah's escape from Wolfram & Hart when his
own extrication from a sea of zombies is still a mystery?
Surely Wes, the Fang Ganger most versed in magic, would
have noticed that something wasn't kosher with the spell?
The fight scene among Gunn, Connor, and
a fast moving demon works well. The effects are cool, and
the rapport between Gunn and Connor is enjoyable. But it's
somewhat spoiled by the sheer stupidity of the demon slaying
duo. Hello, McFly…
And while Angelus is a lot of fun to watch,
a little goes a long way (Buffy did this well). Here
we learn that even witty evil can get stale if it hogs the
camera...
It's taken three weeks to spring Angelus
from his cage and to reveal who the traitor is. That's at
least one week too long.
Worse, the scheduling demons at The WB
are now making fans wait another three weeks for a new episode
and the return of Faith. Supposedly the WB is concerned
about competing against special shows. But is there really
that much of an audience crossover?
Sadly it seems yet again that The WB is
doing everything it can to ensure that Angel won't
be back for another season.
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