* in which we learn a badass vampire –
who could absolutely take babytalk coaching from a soulless, childless lawyer –
can be entirely put about by a squalling infant *
This was one heck of an installment.
The big fight scenes at the end were extremely cool. And the subversive
cleverness of Team Angel was called upon and rose masterfully to the challenge.
It was an excellent opportunity for Angel to spend bonding with his son.
And nice character exploration: Angel couldn't put the child down or hand him
off for even a moment.
If this seems paranoid, that's fair. But remember: This gathering –
Angel's closest friends – is the same group of people who mere moments
before were quite casually discussing the destruction of said infant.
And this was unacceptable.
No one had put the question about the possible need to destroy his son as
directly as Giles had to Buffy about needing to destroy her sister. But this
episode expressed that conversation in shorthand, with Angel's unwillingness to
hand the child even to Cordelia.
And Lorne was right -- Angel was extremely tense. But whereas new parents look
at the world and see danger lurking in every direction, how much worse is it
for a father of a miracle child facing long lists of creatures actively seeking
to destroy it?
And Angel has a memory. With Holtz on that list, his only child is all the more
vulnerable. There is someone loose on the planet who would destroy his son
simply out of vengeance -- a vengeance which has only deepened.
I loved the backstory on Holtz we got from Gwen in Files and Records (and how
cool was that character? Man we needed more of her. I loved that eye thing she
did). He was a prolific vampire hunter. In that he's seeking a protege, that's
only sensible. In that that's his means of recruitment, OK, fine.
In that that's the one he got? * rude noise *
Welcome to the 'Verse Justine, oh thou slattern, thou unkempt, thou
ill-considered wretch and sorry excuse for a human being. And that graveyard
she was fighting in looked like Sunnydale.
But her drabbery isn't my biggest concern with this eppy.
Sahjahn seems more interested in closing the barn door now that the prophecy's
loose. I am struck by the possibility that Joss hadn't completely
plotted out his whole deal in introducing this character.
Who cares about Angel any more? The prophecy clearly states that the son will
kill Sahjahn. Hence all of his -- however masculine -- flitting about through
time. Once present in this reality, Sahjahn's focus has got to be killing that
kid.
Okay, so he caught a break when mommy was staked in Sunnydale. He could breathe
a little easier, but honestly, Darla was never the big deal (though obviously
she played a part). W&H resurrecting her was perhaps ill-conceived, though
it set another storyline in motion. But ultimately it's Angel he needed
to worry about. And when he set Holtz down for his long winter's nap, Angel was
still Angelus and there was no vampire with a soul to be found, so he was
relatively safe way back when.
But for all of his efforts to thwart the birth (let's just enjoy saying the
word "thwart" over and over again for a few moments and get it out of
our collective systems -- "thwart, thwart, thwart") he was
bringing about the very means of his own destruction. His dramatic act of
bringing Holtz into the present put Angel on alert. He was responsible for
Holtz' impossible abduction of -- oh, yes, we have a name: Connor (nice name)
-- into the Qor’toth -- which led to him being corporealated, and ultimately
gave him an ass for them to kick. Whereas if he'd just let matters take their
own course and hung out, say, on the other side of the world or, y'know, during
the '20s for all of Connor's life, the prophecy would never have come true.
It's another one of those "The Master can't kill you if you don't go to
him -- duh!" prophecies.
Cordy asked earlier why Angel was talking to the doll in the car as if it was
his son. My kneejerk response was that he was verbalizing his insecurities
about fatherhood -- and indeed, who's ever really ready for parenthood,
especially when you've got only three episodes of warning?
Excuse me ...
I forgot to give a huge round of applause for Julie Benz in her work
during this relatively brief arc -- three cameos and three episodes --
excellent work, you foxy, ethereal, creepy vampire babe, you!
Anyway, I think Angel might have been talking to the bomb in his car to work
out some of his insecurities. On another level, who knows how extensive the
bugging is, and W&H could easily be listening in. It could've been
continued misdirection, but I like my gut instinct better.
Angel was just talking it out.
And the cleverness -- Lorne (welcome to the Hype, Lorne!) tracking down the
bugs, telling Angel and then that grand bit of misdirection -- up to and
including Gunn's line that it was Angel's choice to run -- that kept us all off
balance. It was well executed -- and amid a thoroughly delicious fight
sequence.
Quick question: How did Angel inform the rest of the gang about the plan?
Surely, even if the broom closet was clean, W&H would've seen everyone go
into it for a strategy session?
Never mind: Possibly Angel wrote out the plan and sent everyone in
individually, or they did all huddle in there with the, y'know, brooms and
claustrophobia and GUNN: "Hands! Hands in new places!"/LORNE:
"My bad." Either way, it was dramatic, well-executed and brilliant.
Team Angel's reaction to Connor was well done -- Wes being upset about his desk
becoming a changing table and forced to contemplate grown men in nappies, and
Cordelia's reality check for Angel -- he can't even take his son outside -- was
extremely cool.
Overall, the problems with this episode are systemic and arc-related, and much
overshadowed by the wonderfulness of David trying to make funny faces (who knew
vamping out would do it?), and Linwood's delightful babytalk passage.
And Lorne's advice that he just drink in the moment, that Angel just gaze with
wonder at his son.
And so should we all.
Because that boy's about to have one nasty adolescence.