SPEAK THE SPEECH
THE GOOD
Paris: What did we do?
Angel: Sshhh. It wasn't us; it was the demon.
Paris: But everything we did..
Angel: Sshhh.
Gunn: Don’t you and Paris have a crib?
Angel: Not since Wolfram And Hart decided to demolish the place we had in Santa Monica.
Gunn: Yeah. Heard about that.
Angel: What’s on your mind, Gunn?
Gunn: Okay, I’m just gonna come out and say this. I know she’s your wife and everything, but as evil vamps go, Paris scared the hell outta me.
Angel: She’s not evil anymore, Gunn.
Gunn: Yeah, I know, but...okay, I kinda knew what to expect from Angelus ‘cause Wesley told me. But Paris…she just seemed to be on a whole other level of evil.
Angel: She does have a gift for it.
Wesley: Apart from The Receiver, how are you coping now that you have a soul?
Paris: I don’t know if I am, Wes. Does it seem like I’m coping ‘cause I can’t really tell?
Cordelia: Well, you do seem to be a little more gabby than usual.
Angel: Are you okay?
Paris: I don’t know. You?
Angel: I’m repulsed by everything we did. Other than that I’m fine.
Paris: So it’s not just me then.
Angel: Did you find out what you’re involvement is in the Apocalypse?
Paris: Yeah. Scary stuff.
Angel: Evil?
Paris: Yeah. I can understand why Cordelia and the others didn’t want me knowing about it before last night. The evil me would have been jumping up and down with joy.
Angel: Really evil then.
Paris: The personification of evil.
Angel: Oh.
Paris: Now that I can’t have you, I want you more than ever.
Angel: Me, too.
Wesley: Other than that, we’ve not done much outside work.
Gunn: Well, there was that guy whose girlfriend was killed.
Cordelia: (to Angel & Paris) By you two.
Paris: Hailie.
Cordelia: Yeah.
Gunn: I’m still having flashbacks of seeing her at the end of that rope.
Angel: I wish you hadn’t seen that.
Gunn: Me, too.
Angel: So what else has happened?
Wesley: Other than researching the Senior Partners and trying to keep tabs on you two, not a lot.
Cordelia: You forgot Buffy.
Angel: You already told me she died saving the world.
Cordelia: Yeah, well, she’s back.
Paris: What?
Charlie: So how can I stop the possessions now?
Paris: There’s only one way that’ll definitely work, but you’ll never go for it.
Charlie: I’ll try anything.
Paris: Even death?
Cordelia: Paris...
Paris: What, Cordy? She asked the question and I answered it. (to Charlie) You can’t pick and choose which demons possess you or when. All you can do is learn whatever you can from each one and wait for the next one to come. It sucks, I know, but that’s life as a Receiver.
THE BAD
Angel: Evil Paris has a wacky sense of humour...kinda reminds me of Drusilla in a way.
Gunn: Now there was a wacky chick.
Paris: Every time I think of him, I’m reminded of everything we did together. How I was the one who turned him evil again.
Cordy: Yeah, you were, but now’s the time to put all that behind you and start with the good deeds again.
Wesley: So Paris was the brains and Angelus the brawn?
Angel: Something like that, yeah. Although she’s pretty strong in her own right.
Holland: Lyle McInerney told me your girlfriend called to tell him about you being mugged.
Lindsey: Oh, you must mean Patience.
Holland: Strange name for a girl.
Lindsey: Not for LA it isn’t.
Holland: True.
Angel: You’re getting hungry, aren’t you?
Paris: Yeah.
Angel: Maybe one of the others can go and get some pig’s -
Paris: You know I can’t stand that stuff, Angel.
Angel: I’ll admit that it’s an acquired taste but -
Paris: I’m not having pig’s blood, Angel.
Angel: How about cow’s blood?
THE SAUCY
Lindsey: I’ve been locked in a cell with her since Friday night.
Cordelia: Woh...wait a minute. You were locked up with another woman?
Cordelia: So, now that you’re all dirty and grimy and, I have to say it, a little on the stinky side, you wanna take that bubble bath with me now?
Lindsey: I thought you’d never ask.
Angel: Things that would get Angelus all excited for hours would normally bore Paris after a few minutes.
Gunn: We’re not talking sex, are we?
Angel: Torture.
Gunn: Oh.
Angel: But then we’d torture each other...
Gunn: I don’t wanna know.
Gunn: I didn’t hear you come in.
Angel: I didn’t want to wake you.
Cordelia: That’s right. You two can’t...well...you know...without going all psycho killer again. Can you?
THE FUNNY
Angel: She’s gone. She took the car and -
Cordelia: Where is she?
Angel: That’s what I’m trying to tell you.
Cordelia: Not Paris, you doofus. Charlie.
Angel: So...you and Lindsey, huh? I never would’ve picked him for you.
Cordelia: I know. Maybe that’s why I’m with him.
Angel: What, you just woke up one morning and decided ‘hey, let’s start sleeping with Lindsey and really piss Angel off’?
Cordelia: Maybe.
Cordelia: Besides, how do you know what my feelings are for Lindsey?
Angel: I can sense it. Smell it. Plus, I could hear the two of you talking before we left.
Cordelia: You heard us?
Angel: Don’t worry. I’ve heard couples say stuff way more vomit-worthy...darlin’.
Cordelia: Well that was a huge waste of...pizza.
Cordelia: Patience? What kind of lame-ass name is that?
Lindsey: Who knows?
Angel: Paris is more about the mental stimulation rather than the physical. You should see her when she’s coming up with a plan, Wes. It’s amazing.
Wesley: How’d you -? Never mind.
Gunn: How long have you been standing there?
Wesley: Since ‘whole other level of evil’.
Gunn: That long, huh?
Lyle: (about Charlie who’s posing as Patience) Cute. From the way she was on the phone yesterday, she’s a lot different in person. Isn’t she?.
Lindsey: Everyone says that about her.
Cordelia: How do you do that?
Angel: Do what?
Cordelia: Sneak up on people without them knowing.
Angel shrugs his answer.
Wesley: Were you going somewhere?
Paris: Apparently not.
DEMONS, DEMONS, DEMONS
There were no demons in this episode.
DETAILS, DETAILS
NITPICKY FACTS
- the Vision Quest for this episode was of a vampire killing Charlie.
- there was no Villain of the Episode.
- the Victim of the Episode was Charlie.
- Charlie’s real name is Charlotte.
- Charlie hails from Bismarck, North Dakota.
- The cell Lindsey and Charlie were locked in is located in the basement of an old apartment building on Franklin Street.
- There are two reasons Paris and Angelus wanted the Senior Partners dead. The first is revenge for what the Senior Partners put them through. The second is something that Paris wouldn’t tell Angelus.
- Angel thinks Paris wanted to kill the Senior Partners and bring down Wolfram & Hart and rule the demon underworld with him.
- Angel never would have picked Lindsey for Cordelia.
- Charlie works two jobs. One at a convenience store and one at Kwik Copy.
- Gunn wears black boxer shorts to bed.
- Gunn always has tea in the cupboard because of Wesley.
- Gunn was scared of evil Paris.
- Angel retained the power gained by killing The Receiver.
- Holland got back from New York City early.
- Cordelia senses something different about Paris.
- Angel is repulsed by everything he and Paris did while they were evil.
- Paris is to become the personification of evil during the Apocalypse.
- Lindsey didn’t report his ‘mugging’ to the police.
- Charlie poses as Lindsey’s fictional girlfriend, Patience.
- Lyle needs Lindsey’s help with the Warner deposition.
- Gunn can’t afford a place in the worst neighbourhood in Los Angeles.
- We finally discover who killed which member of Holland’s family.
- Angelus was the one who killed Jake.
- Lindsey sends Charlie to Angel Investigations for help with her constant visions.
- Paris doesn’t like pig or cow’s blood.
- Paris suggests death to stop Charlie’s visions.
- The Senior Partners know The Receiver was at Wolfram & Hart.
- The body count for this episode is possibly 1, Charlie.
REFERBACKS
- When Paris says “But everything we did…”, it was reminiscent of Buffy remembering everything she and Angel did in Ats I Will Remember You.
- Angel reminds Lindsey of the last time they worked together. This happened in Ats Blind Date.
- Angel mentions the house in Santa Monica that was demolished. This occurred in The Offer.
- Gunn mentions that Drusilla is a whacky chick. Gunn met Drusilla in Don't Push Your Luck.
- Wesley tells Paris and Angel about David Nabbit buying the building that houses Angel Investigations. This occurred in A New Lease On Life.
- Gunn mentions Jake and Hailie. Angelus kidnapped Hailie and together with Paris, tortured and killed her. This happened in Pain.
- Angel tells Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia about killing Holland Manners’ family, and Paris says Angelus killed Jake. This all happened in Fire In The Head.
- Cordelia alludes to the fact that Paris and Angel can’t have sex without losing their souls. This is the price they pay for having their souls restored. We first discovered the ramifications of Angel getting happy and turning evil in BtVS Surprise and BtVS Innocence.
- Cordelia says that Buffy’s still alive and Wesley explains that Willow performed a spell to bring Buffy back to life. Buffy died in BtVS The Gift and was resurrected in BtVS Bargaining.
- Angelus and Paris cast a prohibitive spell on the cell in which they kept Charlie and Lindsey imprisoned in Safeguard.
- Wesley mentions Paris being possessed en masse by multiple demons. This occurred in Possessed.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMMM
- So Paris is to become the personification of evil? Let’s hope she doesn’t lose that soul of hers.
- How did Paris persuade Jake to befriend Holly Manners? Did she threaten to kill him? Hmmm...
- Now that Lyle knows about Lindsey’s fictional girlfriend (Patience), will he stop harassing Lindsey long enough for him to move back in with Cordelia?
- After all this time working for Angel Investigations, why hasn’t Gunn saved enough money to get a place of his own?
- Why could demons possess Charlie but the Valishni couldn’t penetrate the barrier and enter the cell? There’s something not quite right there.
- Just what did Charlie have to get before meeting the A-Team for the spell casting?
HITS & MISSES
HITS
- Paris taking off in Angel’s car.
- Lindsey and Cordelia finally getting to have that bubble bath together.
- Angel and Cordelia driving in Gunn’s truck.
- Finding out who killed who at the Manners’ house.
- Broody Angel, and now a somewhat broody Paris.
- Charlie catching on quick and pretending to be Lindsey’s fictional girlfriend, Patience.
MISSES
- no more Angelus or evil Paris.
- Holland and Lindsey discussing girls...eeuw.
REVIEW
by Fiona
I enjoyed this episode immensely because it gets Angel back to doing what he does best – being broody. What I found interesting was the way that it is hinted that things are not going to be a clear cut case of right back to business with a little guilt along the way. The example that I have picked that shows this best for me is: -
Wider - Angel gets to his feet then takes Paris’ hand as she slides across the bed. When she’s on her feet, he moves to hug her.
Paris’ POV - she looks at Lindsey and...
Close-up - something registers in her mind. Her eyes widen and...
Wider - she pushes away from Angel.
Wide Angle - She turns then runs out of the bedroom.
Before this scene takes place right near the beginning, Paris has asked Angel what they have done and he attempted to placate her by saying it wasn’t them, it was the demons. If left at that I think it would have seemed like things would have pretty much got back to normal with Paris on the side of good, but now she could have done more fighting alongside Angel. This scene for me shows that things are not going to be all right between her and Angel, this sets up the whole tone of this episode. By pushing him away it is hinting for me that she is scared of what Angel can do when he is evil, which we knew the good Paris was. That tells us that there is something there that is good in her but by also running out of the room, for me, this hints that she cannot be around her friends. The reason for this we do not know. Is it guilt or is it that her soul has not fully restored and she wants Angelus back, which we suspect because of the episode SOULFULNESS, or is that she wants to be evil and being around good annoys her? We find out some of the answers to these questions later in the episode and to others later in the series.
One thing that I wish there was more of in this episode is more interaction between Paris and Angel, but that is a personal preference. I feel that they should have discussed the things that they did and why did Paris voluntarily drank Angel’s blood when he killed her, as she knew that it would turn her into a vampire. Was it that she wanted to be evil? Was she that desperate not to die? Or did she want to be with Angel so much that she was willing to do it as an evil vampire?
One of the things that I like most in this episode is how Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn are not judging Angel or Paris with the things that they have done. But Angel’s soul delivers all the guilt and angst to make the character work and this is portrayed very well. It is subtly hinted at that Angel is struggling to deal with the things that he has done. For example: Wesley asking Angel if he is ok while Paris is just totally going off the rails. For example: when she talking to Charlie and she tells her the only way to stop the possessions is to die. She doesn’t do it nicely; she is very cold and abrupt about it. This again tells us that something is not quite right with her.
Many questions have been raised in this episode and while some have been answered, many have not, and I hope that in the forthcoming episodes we will find out what’s what.
RATING: 8 / 10
