Continuing my viewing and reviewing of Angel season 3 (which started two weeks prior to the 6th season of Buffy, the later show having moved over to UPN...)
*** SPOILERS ***
A3-1: Heartthrob (written by David Greenwalt, airdate 9/24/01)
Hail, hail, the gang's all here. And we've got Amy Acker joing the cast full time (in opening credits and everything) as Fred, the young physicist recovered from Pylea who is still having a hard time adjusting to life back on Earth (did you see Angel's silent reaction to all the writing on the walls?). Angel returned by Sri Lanke where he was attempting to handle the grief over Buffy's death (Gunn was right, he should have gone to Vegas). Loved Cordelia's reaction to her gift ("it brings out my breasts" - too funny and so straightly delivered). The visions, of course, see to be causing Cordy some stress. We get another great flashback of Angel's past - this time to learn about James and the vampire that was killed, James' love Elizabeth. The story then spins into a whole revenge-for-love thing which played out well with a nice fight on a subway train. In the end, we get a great talk between Angel and Cordelia about Buffy's death - which should be expected as these two really knew her the most of all the gang in LA. It sort of provides that closure that we all needed to see on this. Oh, and last scene - Darla is pregnant!?!? Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do!
A3-2: That Vision-Thing (written by Jeffrey Bell, airdate 10/1/01)
This episode gives us a full introduction to Gavin Park, the latest in W&H lawyers, and one who seems to be a new rival for Lilah Morgan in Special Projects. His plan is to hit Angel where it hurts - with building code violations. You can't fight City Hall, right? Speaking of Lilah, she goes for the throat by using a weird brain-dude to mess with Cordelia's visions, giving her physical manifestations. Why? So Lilah can get Angel to do her leg work and to free a prisoner being kept by the Powers of Good. Angel reluctantly complies, because he can't stand to see Cordy suffer worse. Loved how both Fred and Lorne are working into the team, adding extra skills to round out the group nicely. Good dialogue with Angel and Skip, the jovial guard, just before they throw down. That was a nice change of pace. In the end, Angel delivers the prisoner and Lilah makes good on reversing the maladies Cordy has suffered. Then Angel shows Lilah he's not the type to be messed with like that twice, by making a nice brain kabob! Just business indeed. I am sure that the guy W&H got rescued will play a bigger role in future episodes - like how we didn't get a name or he didn't even speak. Mystery. Oh, and Darla's visit to the shaman doesn't end up the way she planned - so it is time to head back to LA. Another sign of things to come. I'm liking the stacking subplots.
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