| TITLE | RATING | PLOT/MINI-REVIEW |
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Judgement
W: Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt D: Michael Lange |
7.0 | The second season of Angel opens three months after the events of "To Shanshu in L.A." Angel and company are working hard toward their goal--to get Angel's humanity back. This leads to disastrous results when Angel misinterprets one of Cordy's visions and kills a demon who was serving as the Champion for a young woman and her unborn child. In other developments, the Wolfram and Hart storyline begins with some hints about Darla and that she's not quite stable from her surprise revival at the end of season one. Overall, this one is a nice start to the season. |
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Are You
Now Or Have You Ever Been?
W: Tim Minear D: David Semel |
7.0 | In Judgement, Angel found his way into an apparently deserted hotel and commented it looked familiar. In this episode, we find out just how familiar it was to Angel. Turns out that in the 50's Angel took up residence there, defending a young lady who was on the run for stealing money from a bank she worked at (in a nice homage to Hitchcock's Pyscho). It also turns out there's a demon that feeds off fear living in the hotel and that Angel once turned his back on the residents of the hotel and a chance to save them all. Now our favorite vampire seeks to atone for his sin by freeing the hotel of the demon and making it his new office. This one was advertised as an "Angel Event" but didn't really live up to the billing. It had some nice moments and the direction is superb as the story slips between 1952 and the present day. |
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First
Impressions
W: Shawn Ryan D: James A. Cotner |
7.0 | After two episodes on the sidelines, Gunn finally gets an episode that focuses on him. It appears a demon is haunting his group and hurting his people and he calls on Angel to help stop the demon. Meanwhile, Angel is less than interested in this--and more interested in napping as much as vampire-ly possible, namely because Darla is coming to him in his dreams. This episode really had some potential but failed on a lot of levels. The writers try to hard to give Gunn a "street cred" and it doesn't always work. His character and situation come across as too cliched and one-dimension, which is a shame as the character has huge potential. |
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Untouchable
W: Mere Smith D: Joss Whedon |
9.0 | Mere Smith's first script for Angel is an absolute dandy. Cordelia sees a vision of a young girl with telekenetic powers, who can't control them. Angel then steps in to rescue her--not only from herself but the clutches of Wolfram and Hart. What follows is a nicely done story about Angel trying to reach into the heart of a young lady who may or may not want to be helped. There's a haunting scene where Bethany offers to thank Angel by sleeping with him only to be spurned when he does the honorable thing and refuses. The first really great Angel episode of season two. |
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Dear Boy
W: David Greenwalt D: David Greenwalt |
8.0 | Darla steps up her "let's mess with Angel's head" campaign in frightening fashion. As the rest of Angel Investigations braces for hte possible return of Angelus, Darla makes it known to Angel that she's back. The resulting hour is an interesting study in Angel's obsession that begin. We see that Angel is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to bring Darla back from the dark side--an obsession and a decision that will play out for the rest of season two. Kate makes her first appearance of the season but is still too mad and upset with Angel over last year's events to be of much interest. |
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Guise
Will Be Guise
W: Jane Espenson D: Krishna Roue |
8.0 | Angel seeks to find a way to purge himself of his obsession with Darla, so he heads out to a swami who help him get in touch with his inner-sensitive side. Too bad that the swami is actually on the payrolls of Wolfram and Hart and sent to mess even more with the vampire's head. Meanwhile, back in town, Wesley is forced to pretend he's Angel in order to protect a client. The Wesley plotline is an absolute joy to watch and nicely done by Jane Esponsen. And the Angel visits the swami plotline isn't too bad either. A solid and entertaining episode that is one of the highlights of the first half of season two. |
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Darla
W: Tim Minear D: Tim Minear |
10.0 | The fourth Buffy/Angel crossover event concludes with one of Angel's strongest episodes not only of season two, but to date. Tim Minear explores the complicated relationship between Angel and Darla and gives us a lot of insight into the life of the troubled former vampire. This episode along with Buffy's superlative "Fool For Love" show events on each show with each giving the other show a greater resonance by watching both stories. One of the few crossovers that doesn't feel forced. Of course, the show is helped by great performances by everyone involved--but especially James Marsters and Julie Benz. If you only watch one episode of Angel from season two, this is the one to see. |
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Shroud of Rahmon
W: Jim Kouf D: David Grossman |
3.0 | I suppose that after an instant classic like Darla, there had to be a letdown. But it's a shame that it's such a huge letdown as this one. Gunn asks Angel to help his insure an ancient shroud with potentially lethal powers doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Gunn also wants to help out his brother, who is set to take part in the heist. What results is the shroud affecting Angel and Gunn, bringing out their dark sides. Again, the main problem here is that when any story focuses on Gunn, it tends to bring out cliched storylines of a young angry African-American male and not the well-rounded, intelligent, interesting character we usually see portrayed by J. August Richards. Ultimately a disappointing episode... |
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The
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W: David Greenwalt (story) Tim Minear and Doug Petrie (teleplay) D: Bruce Seth Green |
8.5 | Darla comes to Angel because she's dying and begs Angel to help her. However, what Darla wants is to be turned back into a vampire and Angel refuses to help her. Instead, he undergoes a trial that if he wins, Darla will be restored. If he fails, his life if forfeit. Overall, not a bad episode. In fact it's solid and it does feature an absolutely jaw-dropping, "No they didn't just do that...yes they did!" moment in the final five minutes. |
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Reunion
W: Tim Minear & Shawn Ryan D: James A. Contner |
7.0 | Darla and Dru are together again...and they're planning to go on a rampage through Los Angeles. The slowly developed arc we've seen all year long on the show kicks into high gear here. And Angel's character takes a turn for the dark side as he allows Darla and Dru to feed on some of the collected lawyers from Wolfram and Hart and as he fires his crew. |
|
Redefinition
W: Mere Smith D: Michael Grossman |
10.0 | After firing his staff, Angel begins an intense physical and mental training program to prepare himself for a showdown with Druscilla and Darla, who are attempting to assemble a demon army to bring the City of Angels to it's knees. Meanwhile, Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley contemplate what will happen to them now that they've been fired by Angel and if they will continue to "fight the good fight." And at Wolfram and Hart, the aftermath of Darla and Dru's massacre begins . |
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Blood
Money
W: Mere Smith & Shawn Ryan D: R.D. Price |
3.5 | Angel uncovers a link between Wolfram and Hart and a local runaway shelter that he threatens to make public in an attempt to expose the firm's illicit activities. Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley take steps to set up their demon fighting business. |
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Happy
Anniversary
W: Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt D: Bill Norton. |
7.0 | Angel (David Boreanaz) and The Host (guest star Andy Hallett) must join forces to stop a brilliant, yet twisted physicist who is determined to stop time in order to keep his girlfriend from breaking up with him.... |
|
The Thin Dead Line
W: Jim Kouf & Shawn Ryan D: Scott McGinnis |
7.0 | After several of her kids complain about brutal attacks by the police, Anne turns to Gunn for help. Meanwhile, Angel begins to investigate the complains of police brutality, leading him to cross paths with his former employees. |
|
Reprise
W: Tim Minear D: James Whitmore, Jr. |
8.5 | Wolfram and Hart prepare for their 75-year performance review and a visit by one of the senior partners, which is of great interest to Angel. The vampire decides to kill the partner and steal a ring that will allow him entry into hell to take on the forces at work behind Wolfram and Hart. But first, he needs a special glove to battle the demon. Only problem: Darla has the glove. Meanwhile, Kate faces an internal affairs investigation.... |
|
Epiphany
W: Tim Minear D: Thomas J. Wright |
9.0 | After a night of empty passion with Darla, Angel has a major breakthrough and realizes what his purpose in the fight against evil, leading him to try and reconcile with his former employees. But before he can do that, he must save them from a cult of demons who are out for blood.... |
|
Disharmony
W: David Fury D: Fred Keller |
8.0 | Harmony shows up in Los Angeles and reestablishes her friendship with Cordelia. But it's only after Cordelia mistakes Harmony's advances that she discovers the truth about her old friend from Willow. Meanwhile, the newly re-established Angel Investigations tries to track down a group of vampires who are lead by a motivational speaker... |
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Dead End
W: David Greenwalt D: James A. Contner |
4.5 | As re-evaluation time comes up at Wolfram and Hart, Lindsay is given a gift--a transplant of new hand. However, he becomes worried when the hand apparently has muderous intentions and seems to be developing a mind of its own. |
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Belonging
W: Shawn Ryan D: Terri Meyer |
5.5 | Cordelia lands a speaking role in a national commercial. However, the celebration has to be cut short when a monster from another dimension breaks into Los Angeles and the Host contacts Angel Investigations to help hunt it down. Meanwhile, Gunn is conflicted between helping his friends stop a set of vampires and his duties at Angel Investigations. |
|
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
W: Mere Smith D: Fred Keller |
3.5 | After being sent to the Host's home dimension of Pylea, Cordelia finds that humans are captured and sold as servants. However, when she has a vision, the people of Pylea come to believe she is possessed and put her through a series of tests. Meanwhile, the rest of Angel Investigations and the Host try to find a way to open a portal from Los Angeles to Pylea to rescue Cordelia.... |
|
Through the Looking Glass
W: Tim Minear D: Tim Minear |
5.0 | Cordelia settles into her role as a princess on Pylea, unaware that the priests have other ideas about how her rule should go. The Host takes Angel to meet his family in order to try and find a way home, leading to Angel's be welcomed as a hero by the Host's cousin. When Angel is asked to sacrifice Fred, he instead saves her and during a battle to free her, unleashes his pure demon side... |
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There's No Place Likke Pirtz Glrd
W: David Greenwalt D: David Greenwalt |
7.0 | Cordelia discovers that secret as to why the priests elevated her to princess, Angel struggles with his demon half and Wesley and Gunn join forces with a band of rebels who want to overthrow the priests.... |
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