Angel
Salvage
original air-date: 03-05-03
This
very satisfying episode picks up right on the heels of the
last one (pre-hiatus). Spotting the chance for a quick pick-me-up,
Angel snacks on the recently "Cordy-cored" Lilah.
But before he can pull a Maxwell House, Wes and Gunn chase
him off.
Meanwhile
the rest of Fang Gang are busy "de-bolting" Cordelia's
leg. The news that Angelus has apparently killed Lilah sends
Connor running somewhat inexplicably to his room in frustration.
Amidst
the finger pointing, Wes, who should be the most upset, manages
to keep a cool head. Lilah, however, must lose hers on the
off chance she might turn from a legal vamp to the more lethal
variety.
So Wesley
heads (no pun intended) back downstairs, where he has a final
conversation with an imagined, living Lilah. Despite some
minor Buffy crossovers later in the episode, there
is nothing to suggest that the apparition is The First and
not a product of his guilt-ridden psyche.
Meanwhile
Lorne gets to work on a Sanctuary spell for the hotel (after
all, his lounge Karatas was safe, wasn't it? Hmmm....Marshmallows
anyone?). Thankfully the writers spare the audience from actually
seeing the once amusing, now tedious Furies.
Instead
they smartly focus their talents on showing us Angelus back
in his prime. Smart, witty, and sly, he's clearly having fun
while also figuring out what to do about The Beast. One question,
though: Why can Angelus avoid being pummeled by The Beast
when Angel couldn't? Does a soul make one a weaker fighter?
Despite
Connor's desire to dispatch daddy, Wes reminds everyone that
Angelus may be the only way to stop The Beast and whoever
is controlling it (Cordy-but-not-Cordy?). Given the dire situation,
Gunn has thankfully set aside his grudge with Wesley (and
apparently the bonding he shared with Connor while demon fighting
last episode did not take). Wes also has a plan, but leaves
without revealing it.
Turns
out Wes's plan is Faith, spending her days in the exercise
yard of the still sunny Stockton. The audience quickly learns
she hasn't lost a Slayer step when she takes out fellow inmate
Deb, who's wielding a scimitar like shiv-on-steroids (Buffy
fans take note: You've seen that knife before!)
Faith
is initially skeptical of Wes' surprise visit, but quickly
springs herself when she learns Angelus is back. Her motivation
is simple: Angel never gave up on her, and she will not give
up on him either.
Of course,
one might wonder why she never escaped from prison before,
given the ease displayed here. And since when can Wesley fare
so well when jumping out of windows several stories up?
Although
she's been in prison, Faith is like a breath of fresh air.
She's as lethal and wittily caustic as ever. One quibble:
It seems unlikely that an average LA vamp would recognize
her as a slayer. Not surpisingly, Connor, who has never really
interacted with any high status women, is resistant to her
plan. But after Faith puts him in his place, he pulls a 180,
coming to display a mixture of awe, respect, and puppy love.
The episode
effectively serves up the elements that most Angel
fans appreciate: Action, comedic counterpoint, and conflict.
Boreanaz is back in his prime as Angelus here, and Eliza Dushku
as Faith is just plain fun to watch.
Some fans
may bristle at the prospect of another baby. But the writers
will likely take the plot in an unexpected direction and spare
the audience of any cute moments a la baby Connor.
And speaking
of unexpected: How about that smooch between Cordy and The
Beast? Unexpected, but still a magnitude less gross than her
bedding of Connor.
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