Juxtaposing this episode with last week's might lead one to believe he was watching two different shows. Whereas last week was chicken and rice, this week is a delightful seven course meal complete with snappy dialogue, character development, and plot development.

The Fang Gang has figured out The Beast's plan (at least the immediate one). With the help of finger crackling superthief Gwen (a far cry from one time Saturday morning Sid & Marty Kroft's campy "Electrowoman and Dynagirl") they head out to stop him by protecting the remaining Ra-Tet, special beings connected to the ancient sun god Ra. One of these beings is Manny, whose light hearted lechery makes for some of the funniest scenes.

But one of the strengths of this episode is that there are so many excellent scenes. These range from the full out emotional exchange between Angel and Cordelia to the short but perfectly timed moment between Gwen and Lorne. In an unexpected pairing, Gwen and Gunn later share a brief but well done scene.

As this episode proves again, combining the players in different ways provides more opportunities for interesting character development. One minor mistake: Since when does Fred not like cryptic messages?

The writers even manage to work in some interesting character development for The Beast, a name which may be a misnomer. Appearances and penchant for bloodshed aside, this creature is turning out to be very methodical and surprisingly subtle at times, e.g., who would expect it to knock (though the writers missed a great opportunity to incorporate the classic SNL "landshark" bit)?

Some important questions remain. Why did The Beast wait until now to enact its plan? This fact suggests that it is more soldier than general. Also, what does "the answer is among you" really mean?

At the end of the episode, the Fang Gang believes they know the answer. But given their track record with other omens, prophecies, etc., one has to wonder if they have this one right either. And if you pay close attention to Cordelia's visions and what happened at Gwen's hideout, you are likely to reach a different, disturbing conclusion.

Now Angel and company face a serious dilemma: Should they risk releasing another extreme danger in order to bring down the Beast?

Thankfully for the fans, the answer is likely yes, since it should make for some more excellent viewing in the weeks ahead.

Chris Crotty