Angel. Series 3, episode 3



Well, I'll start by saying I didn't really like this episode. In fact, I haven't been finding myself too grabbed by any of the episodes so far. Initiall,y I couldn't work out why I didn't like this weeks installment, but after some thinking I came up with my reasons. So here I go:
Episode 3 was a pretty standard story about bigotry and how it can warp people. It also went into the way hatred for a group can be used to justify something (like killing) when it is really being done for fun. I think the writers were also trying to isolate gay bashing as well. The use of the night club, and Gun's comment that he would never be a friend of Angel because of what Angel was, tends to indicate this. There were also a lot of references to Gun going over to the other side. Mind you, I could be reading too much into that. The episode has Gun mourning the death of his sister (who he killed) and feeling all bad about it, and how he'd abandoned her and his mates and so on. Then the snitch, Merle, gets killed. Mind you, the opening sequence between Merle and Angel was rather poor. Angel was petty and quite stupid. It was all actually a set up to show us the "Anti-Demon Violence" thing in action in the bar. Not subtle. Not clever.



So Merle gets hacked to bits. Angel and Wesley care. Gun doesn't. Gun violently doesn't. This didn't ring true. Gun uses the "He was a demon, so what if he died" line. But it felt wrong. Once again the writers were trying to set things up. Once again it was unsubtle and not particularly clever.



Along the way, we discover that it's Gun's old posse that's doing the killing. They are indiscriminately killing demons, and finally go on a rampage in the Night Club. Here is one of the silliest flaws in the show. Why set up an anti-violence thing that doesn't work on Humans. We're the most violent things on the planet and the owner, a demon, can not defend himself from them in his own nightclub because of a warding spell. Dumb, eh? Anyway, the dudes kill lots of demons then have a nice long stand up natter with Gun (who happens to be there), and Wesley, Cordilia and Fred (who also happen to be there) and finally Angel who pops in for a chat. In a bit of a hissy fit, Gun shoots one of the demons. This is so out of character and so dumb that it was just WRONG to watch. Mind you, the writers had made sure we knew the demon was nasty before Gun shot it, so it was okay. right?



Finally, the speeches end, the violence resumes, and the silly young dude stands there yelling at everyone doing his best frothing general act. The demon behind him expands into a big nasty and bites his head off (quite valid, I thought). The demon get killed by some of the remaining posse.
And now we have the final, dramatic moments between Gun, Angel and Wesley. Some pithy comments are made, Angel gets a nice dramatic line and gets to stalk off and Gun is left standing..... So where was the lamenting the loss of life? Where was the feeling of sorrow over all the innocents that just got killed. Where was the major league getting pissed off with Gun for shooting a defenseless demon in the club? The writers didn't seem to care about this. Assumedly, they felt we didn't either.



And that's it for that episode, but it brought out some things about the series so far that I have had a problem with. There is a senseless killing of demons, while allowing the people to live. In this episode the demons get shot, the people get smacked around a bit. Last week the demon gets a bolt through its head, while the lawyer walks off, unharmed. On top of which, last week Angel and co killed a bunch of demons who were also "good guys" and didn't seem to bat an eyelid (well, maybe an eyelid, but that's about it).



Wesley is also annoying me. He has become perfect. He fights well, he runs the business well, he is cool, calm and collected. I liked him as the slightly incompetent side kick. But as the bad-ass investigator he just fails.



Having said all that, the parts of the show between Angel, Cordillia and Fred shine. These are still\
fun, believable and well done. So there is at least some good writing going on, just not enough.
One final note: Angel and Wesley go to interview the people Merle knew. Interview them in their homes. In their homes that Angel can't enter. Bit silly, eh?




Sparker