Reviewed By Adam Bardwell
Rating: 9/10
This is the episode that I'd been waiting for since the première. Its the first exploration into Angels past and his current struggle with his demon side. However, this episode is more than this, it gives us the best villain of the season and is a turning point for Kate's character as she learns the truth about Angel. To top it off this episode has the best direction, best, editing and use of effects of the season. If it wasn't for a few minor points this would be a 10/10 episode and the best of the season. As it is there are a few better episode in my book - but not many.
I like the way that we initially think that it is Angel who is the murder that Kate is investigating. The show opens with Angels dream of killing a long woman and marking her with a cross. When he wakes up Wesley spots that a murder that fits Angels profile occurred that night. He goes to Angel Investigations to show his findings to Cordelia who dismisses them. She shows how much Angel means to her when she isn't prepared to listen to Wesley's evidence. Angel turns up and chillingly admits that he thinks he is the killer. The only way they think he could be doing it is sleepwalking (he is a somnambulist). However, tying him to the bed proves that he isn't. However, in many ways he is. The reason for this is that the villain of the piece is Penn - one of the vampires Angel sire and his prodigy. Therefore, without Angel there would be no murders - and so part of him is responsible for the killings as he sleeps. Angelus influence is the sleepwalker embodied as Penn.
Penn is certainly the coolest vamp the series has seen not to mention the most chilling. He had the potential to be a regular 'big bad' although we have already seen Angel deal with vamps he sired before in the form of Dru. and Spike. In many ways Penn saw Angel as his father which gave the two an interesting dynamic. His real father had disapproved of him and a Puritan. Angel encouraged and looked out for Penn in a way his farther never had. The religious icon on his victims was not only a way to mock the church but also his father. As Penn admits he hasn't changed his manner of killing for he is still getting back at his farther. He must have been very upset when Angel didn't meet him in Italy. His inability to change may have also resulted from the lose of his mentor - he just kept doing what he had been taught for he didn't know what else to do and he wanted approval.
The issue of disapproving fathers is a theme that the series has continued to revisit. The difficulties a farther faces with troublesome children was looked at in "I've Got You Under my Skin". In this episode we also got hints that Wesley's farther may be the reason for his inferiority complex which is bound to be explored in further episodes. In the very next episode, "The Prodigal", we got a look at Angels father and saw how he was unable to control Angel or show him affection or encouragement. Of course that episode also looked at Kate's relationship with her farther. I wonder if one of the writers has issues with his / her farther....?
I liked the flashbacks that this episode showed us. The accents were poor but they were still good and successfully showed us Angel and Penn's relationship. They were not as insightful as the flashbacks in "The Prodigal" or "Five by Five" but they set up this story device that I suspect the series will continue to use in season 2. I really liked the shot of the moon in the puddle in the flash back which mirrored the opening murder in Angels dream - carried out by Penn. It very cleverly showed that nothings changed.
The direction in this episode is amazing. I've known how good Winrich Kolbe is from his work on DS9 - I just hope that the Angel producers will be able to bring him back to do more episodes in season 2. His use of fast and slow motion was amazing. The sped up Penn in the police station was genius. This may have been in the script, it may not have been, but is was carried out to perfection. The use of the emboss effect was also very good although this is probably added in post-production. Beyond great camera work and visual effects he was also able to get some top performances out of the regulars and guest stars.
The best scene in the episode was probably the one between Kate and Angel at Kate's apartment after she has researched vampires. Hearing her call him Angelus was chilling as was Angel grabbing the cross on her necklace and burning. I've already used the word 'chilling' a few times but it is very appropriate for the whole episode. Seeing Angel kill in the dream at the beginning also fits the description as does his revelation that he enjoyed the dreams.
I really liked the shows two montages. The first with Kate's voice over, brief her subordinates on the profile of the murder (basically describing Angel) while Angel thinks he sees Buffy although a slow-mo of her turning to face him shows him that she's not. This is very reminiscent of the Buffy episode, "The Freshman" were Buffy thinks she sees Angel. This shows us how Angel has yet to move on while at this point in the season on Buffy she is starting a serious relationship with Riley.
The second montage shows the episodes best direction and editing. It basically contrasts Angel, Penn and Kate. It bits with Kate, although they look good, show one of the episodes less believable points. She is shown to be researching vampires and the like but the chances of find such material in an LA library or book shop seem remote but this isn't real life so I can live with it.
The most unbelievable part of the show is Kate entering the building where Penn, a homicide suspect, is located without any back up. Common that would only happen on television. In real life no police force would allow a single detective in and if they did they'd soon run out of detectives!
The is some humour in this episode. The tying up of Angel is particularly funny. However, some of the jokes don't work. Cordelia's assumption that Angel wanted a meat stake when he simply asked for a 'stake' seemed particularly laboured. Don't get me wrong most of Time Minear's dialogue works in spades and this is definitely is best solo episode to date but his jokes worked better in "Sense and Sensitivity".
Great Angel moment: A tie between Angel being tied to the bed and Kate calling him Angelus.
In a nut shell: A chilling study of Angels past and his on going struggle. A great episode to show a non-fan to demonstrate what the series is about.