1.6 Sense and Sensitivity

Love this, and, going by 'Hero' as well, love Tim Minear's writing. He's got the same ability as Joss Whedon and Doug Petrie to write an engaging story with an optimal balance between humour and pathos. OK, he's more on the pathos side, but whatever. The great set-piece scene with Kate talking about her Father is genuinely heart-rending, which is powerful writing considering how little we have seen of her. The ending scene, where in a traditional series the Father would open up, and realise how much he'd ignored his child while grieving for his wife, is instead consumed with the really tragic little conversation where he reprimands Kate for her actions. Also in this episode, the non-relationship between Cordelia and Doyle just begins to be mutual, with the very nicely written shoe-scene. It was interesting if not fascinating to see Angel as someone very much in touch with his emotions. But, once again, the character I'm really interested in is Kate.

1.7 The Bachelor Party

I wanted to know more about Doyle, because it appeared up to this point that his lack of back-story was hindering any character development. It's not enough to have a character just as comic relief when you have his companions, Angel and Cordelia, with three seasons of characterisations, (even if these were somewhat caricatured while the two were on Buffy.) His ability to let go of his former wife shows a commendable generosity, although I didn't really appreciate this being bolstered by the 'Doyle used to be a teacher and a volunteer and is really nice', scene with Cordelia, which struck me as a cheap and jaded dialogue from a stable versed in subversion. I wasn't exactly entranced by this episode, but it certainly didn't get me shaking with rage in the manner of

1.8 I Will Remember You

Let's clear a few little points here, just to show I have no vested interest. I am not a shipper of any kind (except my Giles/Dawn ship, which I keep quiet). I am neither strongly pro or anti Buffy and Angel as couple. It is good to see Buffy on the show as her actress can act the rest of the cast off the screen.

But this was one of the most contrived and awful hours of television I have ever scene from Mutant Enemy. You know, worse than 'Beer Bad' bad. The 'happily ever after' ending was clearly not an option. The events of the day after Angel was humanised were tediously obvious and badly written. Angel's revelation that he can't live as a human was not believable. Thus far, he has been at most just about satisfied with his job as 'Dark Avenger' in Los Angeles. To suggest this martyrdom, this unlooked-for giving is more important to him, emotionally and just with the brain, than the torturous love of his life, is not a credible plot twist, based on what we have seen. And it has the most hideous of 'deus ex machina' endings, where it appears that some hitherto unmentioned power (The Oracle) can play with the rules of the universe.

1.9 Hero

Deeply distressed at the incompetence of 'I Will Remember You', I turned to 'Hero' hoping for a little bit of light relief. Not exactly what I got, but a fantastic episode, which left me in tears for the first time in response to an Angel episode, (I won't deign to list all the episodes in Buffy which have made me cry, it would be too long). There's a wonderful theatrical symmetry between the beginning and end of this episode. At the beginning, we see Angel's (contrived I'd say), sacrifice. At the end, we see Doyle's very real one. At the beginning we see an excellent comedy scene between Cordelia and Doyle, and think of them as a couple. At the end, we see the same scene, but now (almost in the style of a slightly less glib Pulp Fiction), in a completely different light, and it seems deeply tragic.

And, as with all of the best episodes, the symmetry is reinforced by a couple of lines of excellent dialogue. Angel's line 'You never know your strength until you're tested' is echoed by Doyle as he commits his martyrdom. And Doyle's scripted lines about saving in his commercial with Cordelia are repeated on the video sounding really raw and emotional.

Also, to this episode's credit, it has a genuinely scary evil, (The Scourge), whose marching awakens in me the strongest type of revulsion at (para)military organisations with a hierarchy focussed entirely on one aim. This episode is written by Tim Minear, with Howard Gordon, and it's wonderful how many funny lines there are in a nevertheless tragic episode.

1.10 Parting Gifts

A serviceable episode, where I was just about happy with the amount of time paid to Doyle's death. It's better than the essential lack of memory of Tara at the end of Season Six, but still falls somewhat short of 'Forever', a really scary and powerful episode, in my opinion. However, this amount of coverage would not be appropriate to the show's style at this stage. I just about enjoyed Wesley, although the one-joke character is wearing a little thin, and I will look forward to seeing him develop through the next few seasons. The twist in the plot was OK if a little banal, and only the most iron-hearted person is not going to find Cordelia kissing everyone funny. There were a couple of moments of real beauty- Cordelia's speech to Angel about not retiring into himself was really well written- both paying off the criticisms Cordelia had of Angel at the beginning of 'Sense and Sensitivity' ('now those two Vulcans are going to mindmeld'), and showing how Cordelia is beginning to develop friendships which may be more than superficial, (as she did with Doyle). Of course, the way she actually can't stay with Angel is funny- but doesn't undermine the sentiment. The other moment for me is the ending, which is a really powerful and understated one. Wesley, (even if mainly comically) doesn't want to leave the basis of a family. Cordelia seems unperturbed either way, but it is Angel's character that is really interesting. The very act of cooking when he doesn't eat, is a symbol both of hospitality and of his martyrdom to the human cause. It is this moment, rather than any in 'I Will Remember You' or before, which makes me believe that he really is searching for the redemption of himself and others. Also, here again we have three people clearly seeking re-integration. Cordelia still trying to become an actor. Wesley trying to find a place for himself, (and knowing deep down that 'Rogue Demon Hunter' ain't gonna work), and Angel trying to become his own character, not Buffy's shadow. They may be outside of society and LA's structures, (which, through Wolfram and Hart, the doctor and the police have been shown to be undesirable anyway), but they are journeying towards ties of a familial kind with each other- finding a place where they belong. I start to see how alcibade's [come back alcibades] framing metaphor which has been discussed a lot will be so important when I finally, if ever, reach Season Four.

Overall? Doyle's death was beautifully done. I'm not a fan of the Buffy crossovers at all, (but will hold fire until the high reputation of the Faith crossovers has washed over me). I'm almost more of a fan of the stand-alone episodes in Angel than the ones where we are clearly learning something about characters or plot- as they seem a little contrived. There is no real plot arc, so I am happy to see characters reacting to a new situation each time.