I Fall To Pieces

Reviewed by Adam Bardwell

Rating: 6/10

It has to be said that this episode is a bit of a mess. It lacks drama, action and has only a little sprinkling of humour. The guest stars performances are weak (except Ms Rohm as Kate but she has little more than a cameo) and the direction was nothing special (I'm all for slow-mo. but it really looks bad here). The premise is unoriginal and the effects are nothing special. In short this episode is probably the second weakest of the season (this is "The Bachelor Party" in my opinion). However, its not all bad - this shows has some merit.

The episode is about stalkers. The idea behind it is that they are the weak ones - they can not get a real partner and so create a fantasy and stalk them in the delusion that they share there affections. However, the fantasy breaks down and they fall to pieces. This is shown metaphorically with the stalker of the piece Ronald literally being about to remove body parts at will. This is classic Sci-Fi and nothing original. The effects are done with little flare and the whole thing lacks logic. For example how can he see what he is doing when his hands are in Melissa's bed (she is the stalkee and victim of the week) when his eyes are still in his sockets?

The main merit of this premise is the fact that parallels to Angel are drawn. When he was Angelus he stalked a large number of women for pleasure and therefore has insights into Ronald's motivation. This is interesting - it is a pity that it is only mentioned in passing and not explored further. There is potential here for flashbacks for example.

I like the little buts of series continuity that this show has. For example it sets up the on running joke of the office's coffee ("Its last weeks - think of it as expresso!"). The issue of charging people is also brought up. I'm glad the writers dealt with a realist issue like this because it is true - Angel can go around saving people and have two employees and an office without any income. However, I can understand why Angel is reluctant to ask for money because he should not discriminate and help only the rich. Doyle makes the most sense when he says that people want to pay so they can move on. This leads to the funniest line in the episode from Cordelia (on Doyle); "You're a lot smarter than you look! Of course you look like a retard!". The two of them continue there love / hate relationship which is reminiscent of Cordy / Xander. However, later in the episode asks why to people bother with relationships showing that she is not looking for romance. Of course she's changed her mind by "Hero" and then, of course, there is "Expecting"!

There were a few other funny lines such as Doyle's: "When Angel has finished on the case I'm sure you'll be jumping off bridges again.". But this is not really a comic episode - non-of the situations are funny. The exchange between Doyle and Cordy about Angel and his coat being attractive was quite funny. However, it seemed a bit out of character for Doyle. From what we've learned about his past and his obsession which Cordy he seems to be straight (I'm not saying a bloke can't find Angel attractive but it doesn't really fit Doyle's personality). Talking of out of character Cordy seems out of character when she says she remembers the doctor who had lectured Ronald. However, perhaps I am not giving Cordelia enough credit but she doesn't seem like the kind of person to watch programs to find out about such people.

There are quite a few other little things about this show which I don't quite understand / can't quite believe. For example, why did the animal tranquilliser affect Angel - his heart doesn't beat (vamp. Harmony had said that they don't have a pulse a week earlier in the Buffy episode "The Harsh Light of Day"). It is at this point in the show that the dreadful slow-mo of Ronald occurs. Another thing I can't believe is that Ronald could change Melissa's PIN number. Yes he could guess it but he would need her ATM card which she had.

Great Angel Moment: This is hard because there isn't really a stand out moment. I'll go for Cordy calling Doyle a retard.