Angel 1.22: "To Shanshu in LA"

Written by David Greenwalt
Directed by David Greenwalt

In which Wolfram and Hart launch a counter-offensive against Angel to retrieve the Scroll of Aberjian, which means that everything Angel values becomes a potential target…


Status Report

With the first season ending, the finale needed to serve two purposes. First and foremost, it needed to complete the process of setting the stage for the second season, which would delve into the more epic aspects of Angel’s psychological and philosophical universe. Also very important was the need to tie the second season into the concepts introduced at the beginning of the series. This duty fell to Mr. Greenwalt, though most agree that Joss was heavily involved in the process of working the thematic connections.

The writers do make another attempt at making David Nabbitt a worthwhile character, but this time around, it’s more from a conceptual perspective. Nabbitt points out how Angel’s mission is something worthy of remembrance, whereas his own accomplishments are pure materialism with ephemeral spiritual value. The message is simple: Angel cannot let himself forget why he fights. This is something Angel would struggle with throughout the course of the series.

Angel is given two very different “rewards” for his service in the apocalypse. In this case, this early in the series, his role is largely noted as being on the side of the white hats. His apparent reward is death. Oddly, Wesley doesn’t hit upon one of the more obvious interpretations of the prophesy. Many images or references to death in ancient prophetic works and their modern extrapolations are meant to be interpreted as a sign of fundamental change, not literal death. Of course, that is also a possibility, since death is a rather fundamental change, but it’s not necessarily what the use of the term or concept mandates.

The fact that Darla’s raising is tied directly to the Scroll of Aberjian suggests two possibilities, in light of the revelations at the end of the fourth season. One interpretation is that the prophecies are genuine, and that Jasmine, as a rogue Power, twisted the intention of the prophecies to her own purpose. However, since Darla’s resurrection was key to Jasmine’s plan, there’s every reason to wonder if the prophecies were adjusted to serve that purpose. Given that the prophecies were still referenced in the fifth season as being in force, it would be simple enough to assume that Jasmine could have simply added to what already existed, in terms of the destiny for the “vampire with a soul”.

The fact that Wesley interprets “shanshu” as meaning “death” provides a way to connect his reaction to the prophecy to the initial mission statement of the series. Angel doesn’t react to the news that he is fated to die, in Wesley’s estimation, because Angel has once again become cut off from humanity and the world. As usual, this defines one of the central conflicts of the series: Angel needs to become connected to the world to find redemption, but in doing so, he gives his enemies a means of attacking him indirectly.

The writers also bring Kate back into the picture, if only in a limited role, to complete the loop that began with Angel’s first encounter with her in the second episode. Kate is completely hostile towards Angel, very suspicious, but her presence doesn’t serve much of a purpose, other than to remind the audience that she’s still a player and someone who has every reason to question Angel’s claims.

The theme of “isolating Angel” continues with Voca’s plan. First, he eliminates the Oracles, and then he strikes Cordy with an affliction that effectively eliminates her as a source of visions for Angel to use. Then Voca takes the Scroll of Aberjian and takes measures to destroy Angel’s support system (which is one of the more shocking moments of the first season). It’s all designed to place Angel in the worst position possible, to either kill or tempt.

Unlike Nabbitt, who serves an indirect and minor purpose in this episode, Gunn is once again a resource that Angel finds important to have. More than that, Gunn gets to see first-hand how important Wesley and Cordy are to Angel, which helps Gunn see another example of how Angel is not the typical vampire.

The ritual used to raise Darla is interesting because hidden within the Latin is the core principle of the episode and the prophecy for Angel: life and death are simply aspects of the same thing. One could argue that Angel is stuck between life and death, and thus to die in some future moment, he must first be restored to life. As a metaphor, however, it works even better. Is it life and death in literal terms, or the restoration of Angel’s humanity within his soul, the final defeat of the demon within?

It’s also interesting that Lindsey doesn’t bother to think things through. Yes, the prophecies might say that Angel’s connections to the Powers would be severed, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be restored immediately thereafter. That’s the problem with prophecies, as evidenced in the first season finale for “Buffy”. Prophecy says you die? Never says you can’t come back to life!

In this case, Angel does lose those connections, but they are quickly restored. In fact, Cordy comes out of it with a renewed sense of purpose (possibly Jasmine-induced). She’s willing to go through the pain and discomfort of the visions, if it means that they can help the helpless a little while longer. In a sense, this is the mid-point for Cordy’s character: the moment that the old Cordy transforms completely into the new Cordy.

One more comment on the “shanshu” concept. Wesley reads it to say, as noted above, that in order for Angel to die, he must first be restored to life (assuming, as usual, that he is the vampire mentioned in the prophecy). But how does that directly lead to the assumption that Angel will be restored as a human being? That seems to be something the writers wanted to establish, as a nice way to point to a possible ending for the series, but it’s a massive assumption, given their line of work!

This also sets the stage for Angel’s fall in the second season. The problem with hope is that it may never die, but it can be broken, and Angel becomes a bit too confident in his eventual victory. Hope can be twisted, and that’s why Darla is the perfect weapon to use against Angel. Darla is something that he can try, against all odds, to redeem, ala Faith, which gives him hope, which gives Wolfram and Hart a weapon.

It’s in the process of setting up Angel for failure, at least in partial measure, that the episode succeeds as a season finale. Angel’s original mission is brought into a wider context, hinted at here and there in earlier episodes, and a reward is dangled in front of him. How does he react to that knowledge, and how does he try to be worthy of it? And in essence, that is a very human question, because there’s the general belief in a reward at the end of great lifelong adversity. That’s exactly the kind of question that Joss likes to pose in his work.


Memorable Quotes

WESLEY: “This is an ancient sacred text, not a Magic Eight Ball!”

CORDELIA: “Well, it’s just a prophecy. It’s not like it came from on high!”
WESLEY: “That’s what a prophecy is, Cordelia…”

ORACLE: “I can’t stay long. I’ve been dead a while. So far I don’t like it.”

ANGEL: “Don’t believe everything you’re foretold.”


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is a strong season finale, linking the original mission statement for Angel to the more epic plot concerns of the second season. While some of the concepts themselves are not explored as deeply as they could (or should) have been, the episode itself brings the first season to a satisfactory and logical close.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Season 1 Final Average: 6.8