Angel 2.6: "Guise Will Be Guise"
Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Krishna Rao
In which Wesley poses as Angel when the boss is away for some spiritual psychological counseling, but things get complicated when the case involves a beautiful young woman…
Status Report
After the darkness of the previous episode, it’s fitting that this episode slips back into the light. At least, it has a somewhat more comic tone, as it focuses on Wesley. The second season is not just about Angel’s descent into darkness, of course; it’s about Wesley maturity into a leader. A lot of that is a matter of confidence, and when push comes to shove, Wesley steps up to the challenge. It’s more about his realization that the same confidence applies to every aspect of his life, even if he has some issues with physical dexterity outside of combat!
For fans of the character, the opening sequence is a bit of a step backward. Wesley hasn’t been that incompetent for a long time. This is classic Jane Espenson, though, cutting to the worst qualities of the character so that the best qualities shine through even more. For Wesley, that’s the aforementioned lack of physical dexterity and his apparent lack of guile. But he’s hardly the only one in the crosshairs.
After his run of bad judgment in the previous episode, Angel’s emotional and psychological issues are on the table. Unlike some shows, where such events would be set aside and the psychological effects would seldom be mentioned, that aspect of the story is front and center in “Angel”. Angel is looking for spiritual guidance, and that takes up a significant part of the story. It’s one of the benefits of a solid Joss Whedon series.
In fact, messing with convention in the Buffyverse has become such a norm by this point that the appearance of the supposed T’ish Magev doesn’t raise an alarm. It’s quite possible to believe that this is the real deal, because who was expecting a green, horned oracle with a penchant for disco tunes? Similarly, a burly tough guy as a spiritual counselor fits within the sense of irony.
Despite the fact that the real T’ish Magev is dead, Angel still gets some insight into his psychological issues. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Angel is strongly influenced by those around him, especially when it comes to expectations. Angel has had a long time to develop a special kind of self-loathing, and when mixed with his innate darkness, that can translate into a death wish and a desire to be someone other than himself. All in all, there’s a damned good reason why Angel is the archetypical tragically flawed hero.
This pertains directly to Wesley’s attempt to play Angel. It works remarkably well, despite the obvious differences between the two men, and part of that is the fact that Angel is presenting a certain brand of personality when in the field. Wesley manages to step into that role, drawing upon his own heroic aspects, and he is relatively convincing as a result. When he deals with Virginia, for instance, he acts more like himself, with the competent heroism fully intact.
Angel’s talk with the supposed T’ish Magev about the curse is another subtle way of letting the audience know that it’s not just about sex. Just as the previous episode established that Darla never really made Angel happy, even when he was Angelus, this episode brings up the delicate question of physical sexual bliss and the psychological state of perfect happiness.
At the same time, if Angel is a little unsure about the exact nature of the curse, the rest of the world seems to be even less informed. They know that he’s cursed with a soul and that sex is something of a problem, but the details are rather fuzzy and it’s all a matter of hearsay. (“I’m not a eunuch!”) Otherwise, Virginia would never have made an overture towards Wesley, thinking he was Angel and cursed. Not that Wesley was going to correct her interpretations (and really, who could blame him, when he had Brigid Brannagh ready and willing?)
When Wesley’s ruse is exposed, it might have been an easy way to restore Angel as the hero of the episode and set Wesley back into his place. Instead, Wesley take command of the situation. In a nice touch, Angel becomes the one with the historical information, arming Wesley with the key to the plot to kill Virginia. In that moment, Wesley stops pretending to be the hero and simply is the hero.
Because it would also be too conventional for Wesley to battle the demon and win through courage and skill (talk about instant character development!), the threat to Virginia is resolved in a far more clever fashion. How Magnum Bryce could imagine that his incredibly hot daughter was still a virgin is a bit of an obvious question, but given his control over her world, it’s not too hard to believe.
This is a big step for Wesley, because he came to recognize more of his strengths and what he could accomplish by simply taking action and trusting in his own instincts. This has been shown before, but this is the first time that it shines through to this extent. It’s an important building block for his character’s development over the course of the season.
Memorable Quotes
CORDY: “What are you doing?”
WESLEY: “Ah…knocking things over, driving away business…you know, the usual.”
GUNN: “He’s got a plan.”
WESLEY: “A plan?”
ANGEL: “Yeah…I get to the offices before they stop me.”
GUNN: “See? What? That’s the plan? Walking real quick was the plan?”
WESLEY: “Dear God! That’s…nummy….”
MAGEV: “You’re deeply ambivalent.”
ANGEL: “Yeah, well, I am and I’m not.”
WESLEY: “You know, this whole curse thing has been widely misinterpreted…”
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a near-perfect character study for Wesley, delving into his strengths without ignoring some of his weaknesses. Wesley truly gets to be the hero in this episode, and as a result, the foundation is laid for his role later in the season and series. Angel also gets a little character exploration. The episode doesn’t have the impact of some of the more arc-driven episodes, but it was a pleasant look into one of the best characters on the show.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Directed by Krishna Rao
In which Wesley poses as Angel when the boss is away for some spiritual psychological counseling, but things get complicated when the case involves a beautiful young woman…
Status Report
After the darkness of the previous episode, it’s fitting that this episode slips back into the light. At least, it has a somewhat more comic tone, as it focuses on Wesley. The second season is not just about Angel’s descent into darkness, of course; it’s about Wesley maturity into a leader. A lot of that is a matter of confidence, and when push comes to shove, Wesley steps up to the challenge. It’s more about his realization that the same confidence applies to every aspect of his life, even if he has some issues with physical dexterity outside of combat!
For fans of the character, the opening sequence is a bit of a step backward. Wesley hasn’t been that incompetent for a long time. This is classic Jane Espenson, though, cutting to the worst qualities of the character so that the best qualities shine through even more. For Wesley, that’s the aforementioned lack of physical dexterity and his apparent lack of guile. But he’s hardly the only one in the crosshairs.
After his run of bad judgment in the previous episode, Angel’s emotional and psychological issues are on the table. Unlike some shows, where such events would be set aside and the psychological effects would seldom be mentioned, that aspect of the story is front and center in “Angel”. Angel is looking for spiritual guidance, and that takes up a significant part of the story. It’s one of the benefits of a solid Joss Whedon series.
In fact, messing with convention in the Buffyverse has become such a norm by this point that the appearance of the supposed T’ish Magev doesn’t raise an alarm. It’s quite possible to believe that this is the real deal, because who was expecting a green, horned oracle with a penchant for disco tunes? Similarly, a burly tough guy as a spiritual counselor fits within the sense of irony.
Despite the fact that the real T’ish Magev is dead, Angel still gets some insight into his psychological issues. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Angel is strongly influenced by those around him, especially when it comes to expectations. Angel has had a long time to develop a special kind of self-loathing, and when mixed with his innate darkness, that can translate into a death wish and a desire to be someone other than himself. All in all, there’s a damned good reason why Angel is the archetypical tragically flawed hero.
This pertains directly to Wesley’s attempt to play Angel. It works remarkably well, despite the obvious differences between the two men, and part of that is the fact that Angel is presenting a certain brand of personality when in the field. Wesley manages to step into that role, drawing upon his own heroic aspects, and he is relatively convincing as a result. When he deals with Virginia, for instance, he acts more like himself, with the competent heroism fully intact.
Angel’s talk with the supposed T’ish Magev about the curse is another subtle way of letting the audience know that it’s not just about sex. Just as the previous episode established that Darla never really made Angel happy, even when he was Angelus, this episode brings up the delicate question of physical sexual bliss and the psychological state of perfect happiness.
At the same time, if Angel is a little unsure about the exact nature of the curse, the rest of the world seems to be even less informed. They know that he’s cursed with a soul and that sex is something of a problem, but the details are rather fuzzy and it’s all a matter of hearsay. (“I’m not a eunuch!”) Otherwise, Virginia would never have made an overture towards Wesley, thinking he was Angel and cursed. Not that Wesley was going to correct her interpretations (and really, who could blame him, when he had Brigid Brannagh ready and willing?)
When Wesley’s ruse is exposed, it might have been an easy way to restore Angel as the hero of the episode and set Wesley back into his place. Instead, Wesley take command of the situation. In a nice touch, Angel becomes the one with the historical information, arming Wesley with the key to the plot to kill Virginia. In that moment, Wesley stops pretending to be the hero and simply is the hero.
Because it would also be too conventional for Wesley to battle the demon and win through courage and skill (talk about instant character development!), the threat to Virginia is resolved in a far more clever fashion. How Magnum Bryce could imagine that his incredibly hot daughter was still a virgin is a bit of an obvious question, but given his control over her world, it’s not too hard to believe.
This is a big step for Wesley, because he came to recognize more of his strengths and what he could accomplish by simply taking action and trusting in his own instincts. This has been shown before, but this is the first time that it shines through to this extent. It’s an important building block for his character’s development over the course of the season.
Memorable Quotes
CORDY: “What are you doing?”
WESLEY: “Ah…knocking things over, driving away business…you know, the usual.”
GUNN: “He’s got a plan.”
WESLEY: “A plan?”
ANGEL: “Yeah…I get to the offices before they stop me.”
GUNN: “See? What? That’s the plan? Walking real quick was the plan?”
WESLEY: “Dear God! That’s…nummy….”
MAGEV: “You’re deeply ambivalent.”
ANGEL: “Yeah, well, I am and I’m not.”
WESLEY: “You know, this whole curse thing has been widely misinterpreted…”
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode was a near-perfect character study for Wesley, delving into his strengths without ignoring some of his weaknesses. Wesley truly gets to be the hero in this episode, and as a result, the foundation is laid for his role later in the season and series. Angel also gets a little character exploration. The episode doesn’t have the impact of some of the more arc-driven episodes, but it was a pleasant look into one of the best characters on the show.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
posted by John Keegan | 16:37
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