Angel 2.3: "First Impressions"

Written by Shawn Ryan
Directed by James Contner


In which Angel begins having dreams about Darla, which drive him to distraction, while Cordelia has a vision about Gunn in danger and she decides to do something about it…

Status Report

With the decision to focus on a more substantial arc in the second season, the writers had to turn their attention to the nuts and bolts of that brand of storytelling: a slow but steady introduction. The typical Mutant Enemy structure practically mandates a slow build for the arc, spread out over the first several episodes, and an emphasis on thematic elements. Of course, one minor problem emerges in the case of “Angel”: the entire series may have had a redemptive theme, but season to season, there was a less defined aspect.

The theme of the second season was, in loose terms, a match to the themes at play in “Buffy” at roughly the same time: self-realization. Most of the characters find strengths and weaknesses within themselves while dealing with Angel’s darker side. Of course, this theme is mostly explored in terms of Angel himself, demonstrating that Angel was capable of questionable moral choices even before Angelus emerged on the scene.

The re-introduction of Darla is critical to Angel’s arc, drawing out the darker elements of Angel’s personality. One theory about vampires in the Buffyverse is that they embody a heightened and demonized version of the worst aspects of the victim’s personality. Spike, for instance, takes his obsessive love for people to a completely insane level, threatening the world to keep Drusilla pleased. Angelus took Liam’s desire to punish and torture those who care about him and his dangerous sense of fun to that next level of evil and depravity.

The point is that Angelus draws on flaws within Angel; the same demon would express itself differently had it taken hold of someone else. And that brings up the key question at the heart of the series: how much is the demon, and how much is the person? Where is that line drawn, especially in comparison to the human monsters at Wolfram and Hart? Prior to the second season of “Angel”, there was little reason to believe that Angel himself could be seduced into amoral acts.

Delving into that kind of character study takes time, and Darla’s part in the story is provocative and, for those who love Julie Benz, more than worth it. Darla has always shown a seductive side, and it’s not hard to believe that she could be irresistible. After all, it was already firmly established that Angel was fascinated by Darla and her decadent ways, and with Buffy now at a certain remove, it’s not hard to imagine that she would get under/around/above his skin.

The writers make things interesting (and add some complexity to the question of the psychological aspects of the seduction) by framing it all as something within Angel’s subconscious. Until the very end, it’s not clear whether or not Darla is just in Angel’s head, which points to the idea of something within Angel, undermining his resolve and redemption. As it turns out, Darla is actively weaving this spell, thus initially demonstrating why Wolfram and Hart would go to such great lengths to bring her back.

This episode also introduces, in a very subtle way, further clarification on the curse regarding Angel and his soul. This was explored somewhat (and badly) in the first season, but this season gets into finer detail. Just what does it take to trigger the change: sex and its biochemical aspects, or some emotional component that coincides with those biochemical reactions? In the fourth season, for example, Angel believes that he has sex with Cordelia, and that triggers the release of Angelus. Why, then, does the same not happen when Angel and Darla are together?

While Darla’s concerted effort to pull Angel away from his allies and his redemptive journey is an important element of the episode, the main action focuses on Gunn and Cordelia. This is also the first episode focusing on Gunn that lacks an interesting hook. Much of what happens in this episode is designed to put Gunn and Cordy into a situation where they can play up assumptions about each other, which can then be shown as inaccurate and insulting. Unfortunately, that ground had already been covered, even if it had never been seen for Gunn and Cordy specifically.

The issue with Deevak does help to remind the audience of how desperate and dedicated Gunn has been, trying to keep his little section of the bad side of town alive and relatively well. What that requires is a nearly endless display of strength and will, and it takes its toll. In a nice twist, the writers manage to communicate one of the more interesting aspects of Gunn’s character. The more Gunn does to help himself, the less effective he is on the street.

In fact, as seen later in the series, Gunn’s association with Angel and the others is a major drawback. As much as Gunn helps Angel on his road to redemption, he’s seen as turning his back on his own people. It’s as much a class and social issue as anything else, and in the second season, that’s communicated rather well.

Cordy also displays more of her stubborn strength, especially as compared to her earliest appearances on “Buffy”. Cordy has always been willing to jump into the truth with both feet, regardless of the circumstances, but her evolution into a fairly capable fighter is a relatively new element. And leave it to Cordy to turn her attack-dog tendencies to protecting someone who doesn’t want protection!

That said, Deevak is not a particularly compelling enemy, and while Gunn is relatively small potatoes in the scheme of things, he has been around long enough to deal with threats with superior strength. Deevak doesn’t seem particularly problematic; he just serves the purpose of presenting Gunn with a challenge that can reveal his inner turmoil. That doesn’t leave a lot to work with, which is to the detriment of the episode as a whole.


Memorable Quotes

JAMEEL: “Man, I didn’t do anything!”
GUNN: “You think I care? Survival of the fittest, bro. And right now, you ain’t looking too fit.”

ANGEL: “Well, it’s just, you know…the whole visibility issue, not to mention the whole hat-head thing, and if you really think about it, how come I have to wear the ladies’ helmet?”
WESLEY: “Stop being such a wanker and put it on! Good. Hop on board, gorgeous…”

CORDELIA: “Who me? I’m not a friend. I mean I’m just here on business. I’m a working girl. That came out wrong. I mean, obviously I’m not a “working girl”. Not that I couldn’t be if I wanted to, of course I could. God, that sounded stuck up, didn’t it? I didn’t mean to imply that I could be a working girl and you couldn’t. Far from it. You’d make a great…could you just point me to the hors d’oeuvers?”

DARLA: “Mmmm…I could just eat you up…”


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is an important step in the process of ramping up the season arc, but the central plot thread for Gunn and Cordy is not quite as substantial as it might have been. It’s never a bad thing to have a lot of scantily-clad Julie Benz, of course, and this does set the stage for exploration of Angel’s dark side. It’s not a horrible episode, but it’s fairly average for the second season.

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

Final Rating: 7/10