Angel 2.1: "Judgment"

Written by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
Directed by Michael Lange

In which Angel makes a critical mistake while attempting to save a young pregnant woman, leading to a fight to the death and some soul-searching about his recent motivations…


Status Report

At the end of the first season, “Angel” was at a crossroads. The episodic nature of the first season had proven less than satisfying, and it was clear that the second season would shift back into the format that worked best for “Buffy”: relatively self-contained episodes with an overarching theme. It was a question of where to go with that theme.

The seeds had been planted in the first season, beginning with “Five by Five” and the idea that Angel was struggling against his darker impulses in a struggle for redemption. Previous to this point in the series, that darkness was primarily associated with Angelus, the demon within. But that opened up a question that was related to the theme running through the concurrent season of “Buffy”: where does the demon start and the human begin?

To explore this concept properly, Angel needed to fall into morally questionable territory without reverting to Angelus. Angel needed to reveal the darkness within himself, the side of his human personality that feeds Angelus. This fits into the overall theory that the vampires in the Buffyverse take the darkest personality traits within the human victim and amplify them, thus playing on the metaphor that Angel represents.

But something must trigger the fall, and this episode is meant to provide the beginning of that process. Lorne (here referred to as simply “The Host”) says as much in his conversation with Angel. Angel began to focus too much on the possibility of getting that reward at the end of the fight. It was more about rushing the process than living the process. As a result, he was left open to assumptions about why he should be doing what he has been doing.

In a more broad perspective, this is the trouble that Angel encounters through the rest of the series. Angel is never quite sure whether or not his actions are the “right” ones. He has to make choices and hope that they take him down the right path. Every time he starts thinking about his apparent destiny or his personal desires, the mission is compromised. Those who understand that fact use it against him, time after time.

In this episode, Angel discovers how easy it can be to step off the path. It prepares the audience for the fact that Wolfram and Hart will purposefully manipulate Angel off the path throughout the course of the season, and how he responds to that manipulation. That said, it suffers from the same issues that plague most Mutant Enemy season premieres. A great deal of time is spent dealing with the ramifications of the previous season finale while setting up the philosophical character arcs for the coming season. This combination usually leaves the episode light on actual plot.

Starting the episode with Lorne is a bit of a kick in the pants, another way of evolving the original concept from the pilot into the version explored in the second season. Everyone has evolved in a certain sense: Cordy is better at the acting, Wesley has a lot more confidence (even if the skills are still developing), Angel is taking it to the bad guys with a quip and a bit of flair. Yet the methodical desire to identify and eliminate evil has done little to resolve Angel’s lack of connection to the world around him, which was at the heart of his problem.

The episode’s only reference to Darla, resurrected in the first season finale, comes early on, a reminder of the fact that Angel’s troubles are only beginning. This is important, because the writers remind the audience of what the threat is and then methodically demonstrate Angel’s primary weakness. It sets the stage for the rest of the season.

It’s rather telling that Wesley is the one who discovered Caritas and Lorne as a resource. One wouldn’t expect Cordy to be the one to uncover a demon sanctuary, but it’s easy to forget that Wesley was considered a threat in the demon world before he crossed paths with Angel. For all his bumbling and seeming innocence, he has a great deal of potential, and this is one area in which it continues to be realized.

Merl is a rather annoying yet necessary minor character, adding some layers to the concept of “demons” and what they are all about. Merl isn’t evil so much as self-interested, which doesn’t make him particular different than a lot of humans down of their luck. This is in contrast to the early Buffyverse assertion that demons are by nature evil to the core, adding the growing sense that the Watchers and human historians don’t know as much as they think.

Lorne is initially a clever way to add a semi-regular connection to the Powers That Be when Cordy’s visions aren’t enough to service the plot arc demands. Tying him to a karaoke bar is another example of Joss genius. It’s damned funny, but also has the benefit of making sense. Music does allow for the general baring of souls, as seen later in “Once More, With Feeling”, so why not capitalize on it?

Of course, this leads into Angel’s mistake. In the rush of working towards his redemption, Angel has been letting the corners get cut in the process, making assumptions to expedite his own reward. Instead of looking into the situation and understanding what his role might be, thus helping others while helping himself, he lets his own self-interest get in the way of the mission.

Angel struggles to regain a sense of control over the situation, which provides the perfect opportunity to bring Gunn back into the fold. At this point, Gunn retains much of his street edge with a hint of death-wish, and in retrospect, it’s amazing how his relationship to Angel and the rest of the team changes him. In a sense, this is another example of Angel acting without consideration of the consequences. It’s hinted throughout the rest of the series that Gunn’s crusade for street-kid survival suffers without his leadership.

Another interesting concept is introduced in this episode: what if Angel’s desire to help is in contradiction to the desires of the potential victim? This becomes a key philosophical concept in Angel’s arc with respect to Darla; Darla doesn’t want to be saved, yet Angel insists. That insistence, from a certain point of view, sets him up for a fall when his desires are confounded. The question becomes: when does the desire to protect and save humanity turn into something less than benevolent?

The initial meeting between Wesley, Cordy, and Gunn is one of the best moments of the episode. Gunn’s initial episodes touched on some social and racial themes that were eventually set aside, so this becomes a chance to show how Angel is not the only one dealing with assumptions and prejudices. It also gives Gunn a chance to display his particular brand of humor.

Since the woman at the center of the episode becomes Angel’s responsibility, at least in his own mind, her desire to be left alone forces him to seek other means. And of course, that means Angel must sing for Lorne. His rendition of “Mandy” is perhaps one of the most hilarious and painful moments in the series. (His dancing in the first season comes to mind as a comparison.) Lorne all but warns Angel that his motivations are questionable, yet it’s also suggested that he’s supposed to work it out on his own.

The actual resolution of the episode in the final act is a bit of a disappointment. As fun as it is to see a joust taking place in the middle of Los Angeles, with traffic in the background, it’s still not very exciting. It’s also a little annoying that the baby in this episode never came into the series. It reveals the fact that this entire situation is contrived to introduce the philosophical character elements and little else.

In that respect, the very end of the episode touches on how Angel’s character arc is likely to resolve itself. Angel set Faith on the path towards redemption, so it makes sense that Angel would keep in touch with Faith to keep his own head straight. Angel takes a dark turn throughout the second season, and he will need to find his footing with his humanity to get back into the light. That is effectively the entire point of Angel’s journey: to have the chance to walk in the light, Angel must battle through the worst of the darkness, within and without.


Memorable Quotes

ATTENDANT: “That guy has horns!”
ANGEL: “Steriods…not good for you.”

ANGEL: “You got your steam, you got your sauna, you got fresh towels…I mean, how bad could it be?”
CORDY: “You shower with a lot of men.”
ANGEL: “I’ll always be a loner.”

CORDY: “Oh, Lord, will no one shut me up?”

WOMAN: “You sure seem to bleed a lot.”
ANGEL: “It’s part of the job…”


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is a typical Mutant Enemy season premiere: long on establishment of character themes for the coming season, but short on introduction of plot arc elements. As usual, that leaves the episode somewhat detached from the rest of the season arc, especially in terms of the final act. It’s not nearly as deep or powerful as the best episodes of the second season would be, but it’s also not as bad as some of the “Buffy” season premieres.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10