Angel 2.4: "Untouched"
Written by Mere Smith
Directed by Joss Whedon
In which Angel finds himself helping a disturbed young woman with apparent telekinetic abilities, but things become complicated when the source of her lack of control is revealed…
Status Report
In keeping with the general format of Mutant Enemy season arcs, the first several episodes focus less on the Big Bad and more on shading: adding to the depth of the mythology, exploring character relationships, and setting the stage for all of those elements to be dashed against the rocks once the storm hits. This episode is a perfect example. It adds layers to the conflict between Angel and Wolfram and Hart, while also clarifying the situation between Angel and Darla.
A key relationship in this season is Lilah and Lindsey, the warring talents at Wolfram and Hart. Darla is something of a pawn between them (though one with more power than they realize), and for now, Lindsey has the upper hand. Lilah needs to be successful, and Bethany is the kind of long-term project that could be very useful to the firm and its clients. An assassin with finely honed PK skills would be quite valuable.
Bethany’s instability is something Lilah can use, but it also puts her on Angel’s radar. One would think that Lilah would contain the situation better, but a lot of her plans suffer from such logistical issues. This time around, Bethany becomes the kind of bargaining chip that The Powers That Be would like out of the hands of Wolfram and Hart. (Leaving aside, for the moment, whether it’s the actual TPTB or Jasmine, since it’s very hard to reconcile the distinctions.)
Bethany sees herself as a freak of nature, not unlike Gwen in the fourth season, and that’s natural common ground for her and Angel. Unlike Gwen, Bethany poses a distinct risk. One uncontrolled burst of PK with the wrong construction material, and Angel is dust. That underlying concern is one of the things that should have been more present in the story. It was touched upon, but the direction of the story was more psychological.
Beyond Bethany, there’s the continuing concern of Angel and his behavioral changes. Darla’s scheme is working its wonder, giving even the most mundane of scenes a bit of an uneasy edge. (Never mind that the flashbacks are quite tantalizing themselves!) Little things like Gunn and his place on the team would usually be a minor matter of debate, but it speaks to an overall lack of attention, forcing Wesley to consider taking a more proactive role. While that doesn’t come forth in this episode, the seeds are definitely being planted.
Wesley’s growth and insight are most apparent in the scene where he guesses, quite correctly, that Bethany’s ability was unleashed by the psychological and emotional trauma of a sexually abusive childhood. Wesley immediately tests this theory, and while it’s not the smartest move in the world, it does get things out in the open. And it also leads to a moment where Cordy and Wesley misinterpret something Angel says as a dismissal from the job, foreshadowing a moment later in the season.
The writers could have left the abuse out of the equation for the rest of the episode, but they took the more disturbing and challenging direction of making it critical to the resolution. This is where the episode loses some of its power. Once it’s clear that Angel is going to help Bethany get past the psychological damage, even just a little bit, a certain amount of tension is lost from the story. It might have been better if her ultimate loyalties were more questionable in the end.
Whatever the case, Bethany’s ugly childhood leads to an uncomfortable scene where she offers herself to Angel, because in her world, that’s the only thing she expects a man to want from her in exchange for a measure of kindness. The writers do avoid one of the more distressing possibilities by making it clear that Bethany would only feel that sort of obligation to men. From a certain point of view, one has to wonder why Lilah hadn’t tried to use that to her advantage. (It’s quite possible that the writers weren’t prepared to get that dark.)
Cordelia has an interesting conversation with Bethany, and one that she rarely gets to have. How often can Cordy express how a vision makes her feel, how it allows her to share the emotions of a potential victim, even for just a little while? The first season finale gave insight into how deeply she reacts to the visions, but this episode helps explain why the experience is slowly but surely maturing her. Cordy is still quite forthright, but she’s using it to help Bethany understand why control is something worth attaining.
Predictably (at least, since it was clear that the abuse would find resolution), Bethany’s father comes calling in a last ditch effort By Lilah to take control of the situation. This move is not just an attempt to take back Bethany’s loyalty. One nice shading to the episode is the big picture within Wolfram and Hart. Lilah needs to remove Bethany from the board so that Lindsey’s project, considered far more important, may proceed. So Angel gets a sense of victory, Lilah is forced a step back, but Wolfram and Hart still gets a net gain.
In the scheme of things, Angel’s encounter with Bethany is a relatively minor adventure. It shows some growth on the part of Wesley and Cordelia, and it shows the evolution of the relationship between Angel and Gunn, but it’s mostly important in terms of the clarification regarding the situation at Wolfram and Hart. One is left to wonder if the machinations within the firm might have been more disturbing if the original conception of the series had been maintained.
Had the credits not listed Joss Whedon as the director, it might never have been apparent. Looking back on the timeline of his directorial work, this is another step in the application of fundamentals. There are some interesting scenes here and there, but Joss is still working on getting the job done. What is a competent if unremarkable directing job here becomes the foundation for his superior work on “Firefly” and “Serenity”.
Memorable Quotes
CORDY: “I was top 10% of my class!”
WESLEY: “What class? Advanced bosoms?”
CORDY: “There’s not enough yuck in the world.”
BETHANY: “Make love? What are you, from the eighteenth century?”
LILAH: “He is a vampire, you know!”
BETHANY: “Weird.”
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode is typical of early-season Mutant Enemy installments, focusing on character relationships and setting the stage for the fireworks later in the arc. While the main plot thread is interesting, it falls into some predictable territory, and ultimately the episode is more notable for its look in Wolfram and Hart than anything Angel does.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Directed by Joss Whedon
In which Angel finds himself helping a disturbed young woman with apparent telekinetic abilities, but things become complicated when the source of her lack of control is revealed…
Status Report
In keeping with the general format of Mutant Enemy season arcs, the first several episodes focus less on the Big Bad and more on shading: adding to the depth of the mythology, exploring character relationships, and setting the stage for all of those elements to be dashed against the rocks once the storm hits. This episode is a perfect example. It adds layers to the conflict between Angel and Wolfram and Hart, while also clarifying the situation between Angel and Darla.
A key relationship in this season is Lilah and Lindsey, the warring talents at Wolfram and Hart. Darla is something of a pawn between them (though one with more power than they realize), and for now, Lindsey has the upper hand. Lilah needs to be successful, and Bethany is the kind of long-term project that could be very useful to the firm and its clients. An assassin with finely honed PK skills would be quite valuable.
Bethany’s instability is something Lilah can use, but it also puts her on Angel’s radar. One would think that Lilah would contain the situation better, but a lot of her plans suffer from such logistical issues. This time around, Bethany becomes the kind of bargaining chip that The Powers That Be would like out of the hands of Wolfram and Hart. (Leaving aside, for the moment, whether it’s the actual TPTB or Jasmine, since it’s very hard to reconcile the distinctions.)
Bethany sees herself as a freak of nature, not unlike Gwen in the fourth season, and that’s natural common ground for her and Angel. Unlike Gwen, Bethany poses a distinct risk. One uncontrolled burst of PK with the wrong construction material, and Angel is dust. That underlying concern is one of the things that should have been more present in the story. It was touched upon, but the direction of the story was more psychological.
Beyond Bethany, there’s the continuing concern of Angel and his behavioral changes. Darla’s scheme is working its wonder, giving even the most mundane of scenes a bit of an uneasy edge. (Never mind that the flashbacks are quite tantalizing themselves!) Little things like Gunn and his place on the team would usually be a minor matter of debate, but it speaks to an overall lack of attention, forcing Wesley to consider taking a more proactive role. While that doesn’t come forth in this episode, the seeds are definitely being planted.
Wesley’s growth and insight are most apparent in the scene where he guesses, quite correctly, that Bethany’s ability was unleashed by the psychological and emotional trauma of a sexually abusive childhood. Wesley immediately tests this theory, and while it’s not the smartest move in the world, it does get things out in the open. And it also leads to a moment where Cordy and Wesley misinterpret something Angel says as a dismissal from the job, foreshadowing a moment later in the season.
The writers could have left the abuse out of the equation for the rest of the episode, but they took the more disturbing and challenging direction of making it critical to the resolution. This is where the episode loses some of its power. Once it’s clear that Angel is going to help Bethany get past the psychological damage, even just a little bit, a certain amount of tension is lost from the story. It might have been better if her ultimate loyalties were more questionable in the end.
Whatever the case, Bethany’s ugly childhood leads to an uncomfortable scene where she offers herself to Angel, because in her world, that’s the only thing she expects a man to want from her in exchange for a measure of kindness. The writers do avoid one of the more distressing possibilities by making it clear that Bethany would only feel that sort of obligation to men. From a certain point of view, one has to wonder why Lilah hadn’t tried to use that to her advantage. (It’s quite possible that the writers weren’t prepared to get that dark.)
Cordelia has an interesting conversation with Bethany, and one that she rarely gets to have. How often can Cordy express how a vision makes her feel, how it allows her to share the emotions of a potential victim, even for just a little while? The first season finale gave insight into how deeply she reacts to the visions, but this episode helps explain why the experience is slowly but surely maturing her. Cordy is still quite forthright, but she’s using it to help Bethany understand why control is something worth attaining.
Predictably (at least, since it was clear that the abuse would find resolution), Bethany’s father comes calling in a last ditch effort By Lilah to take control of the situation. This move is not just an attempt to take back Bethany’s loyalty. One nice shading to the episode is the big picture within Wolfram and Hart. Lilah needs to remove Bethany from the board so that Lindsey’s project, considered far more important, may proceed. So Angel gets a sense of victory, Lilah is forced a step back, but Wolfram and Hart still gets a net gain.
In the scheme of things, Angel’s encounter with Bethany is a relatively minor adventure. It shows some growth on the part of Wesley and Cordelia, and it shows the evolution of the relationship between Angel and Gunn, but it’s mostly important in terms of the clarification regarding the situation at Wolfram and Hart. One is left to wonder if the machinations within the firm might have been more disturbing if the original conception of the series had been maintained.
Had the credits not listed Joss Whedon as the director, it might never have been apparent. Looking back on the timeline of his directorial work, this is another step in the application of fundamentals. There are some interesting scenes here and there, but Joss is still working on getting the job done. What is a competent if unremarkable directing job here becomes the foundation for his superior work on “Firefly” and “Serenity”.
Memorable Quotes
CORDY: “I was top 10% of my class!”
WESLEY: “What class? Advanced bosoms?”
CORDY: “There’s not enough yuck in the world.”
BETHANY: “Make love? What are you, from the eighteenth century?”
LILAH: “He is a vampire, you know!”
BETHANY: “Weird.”
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode is typical of early-season Mutant Enemy installments, focusing on character relationships and setting the stage for the fireworks later in the arc. While the main plot thread is interesting, it falls into some predictable territory, and ultimately the episode is more notable for its look in Wolfram and Hart than anything Angel does.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
posted by John Keegan | 17:51
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home