Angel - Season 1 impressions (episode 7)
Nov. 16th, 2005 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodThe Bachelor Party
Click here for a summary.
Finally an episode focusing on Doyle! I was really waiting for this, I had wanted to get some further background for him.
Funnily enough a big part of my post is about Cordelia, because she has some fabulous scenes in this episode.
- The first scene is wonderful: Cordelia is having a date with some stokebroker and is behaving in a very bitchy way. She really doesn't want her date to meet Angel and Doyle. Another nice touch is that Angel is inspecting Cordy's date. I get a subtle father vibe from him in this scene along the lines of 'Young man, you better treat my daughter right or you might regret it.'
Cordelia comes into the office wearing a stunning black strapless sheath: "While I steal into the night with my incredibly-more-wealthy-then-you prince? Makes your little life seem a tad drab, doesn't it?"
Doyle and Angel get up.
Doyle: "Yeah, just because he has money, doesn't mean that he can make you happy."
Cordelia: "I'll have you know that Pierce has a lot more than money. He has a house in Montecito, he has a Mercedes CLK 320 and a place in the hills with a lap pool."
Doyle: "Since you put it that way."
Knocking on door.
Cordy turns to go answer it: "Well if I'm not here in the morning, you can just clear out my desk. I'll be moving on up."
Cut to Pierce walking into the outer office, sees Cordy coming out of Angel's back office.
Pierce: "Wow. You look amazing."
Cordy with a brilliant smile: "Do I? (glances back towards Angel's office) Let's go."
Angel: "What's your hurry? You didn't even introduce us."
Cordy points to each in turn: "Angel, Doyle, Pierce. (takes Pierce's arm) Bye!"
Angel as they are trying to leave: "You work, Pierce?"
Pierce: "I trade - futures and options market."
Angel: "Good. Good. - Out to dinner?"
Pierce: "Le Petite Renard."
Doyle: "Ah, right. Nice spot. Duck is dry."
Angel to Cordy: "So, how late will you be?"
Cordy: "Don't wait up. (To Pierce as she leads him out the door) Don't mind him.."
- Another shiny moment: Cordelia being bored to death by Pierce. I love the cut from Pierce saying to Cordelia Can you imagine anything more exciting then that? to the breathtaking fight scene in which Angel and Doyle destroy a bunch of vampires.
- Cordy's date is such a coward that it's disgusting. Wesley has been scared, but he wouldn't just run off and save his own hide while someone is in danger.
- Cordelia being introspective is another big treat:
Cordy: "So, here I am at Le Petite Renard with Mr. Armani, who could keep me in blue boxes for the rest of my life.."
Angel: "Blue boxes?"
Cordy: "Tiffany's! God! And the whole night I was bored silly. All I could think about was: if this wimp ever saw a monster he'd probably throw a shoe at it and run like a weasel. Turns out the shoe part was giving him to much credit."
Angel: "There aren't very many people that wouldn't run. It's just human nature."
Cordy: "Yeah, - but all of a sudden rich and handsome isn't enough for me. Now I expect a guy to be all brave and interesting. And it's your fault! Both of you."
Angel: "Well, maybe not. Maybe you’re changing. That could be a good thing."
Cordy: "Disastrous. - And as if I wasn't confused enough, then Doyle comes along and rescues me like some - badly dressed superhero. (Sighs) He was really beat up - but you know the first thing he asked? Are you okay? I mean, that's like - substance, right?"
Angel: "Yeah, well, there is definitely more to Doyle then meets the eye."
Cordy: "So, I've got to kill myself. I swore when I went that road with Xander Harris, I'd rather be dead then date a fixer-upper again. (sighs) Still, maybe you're right. Maybe Doyle does have - hidden depths. I mean, really, really hidden, - but depths. And I'm gonna have to buy him a moccachino to thank him for saving my life, don't you think?"
- Doyle really is awfully pleased about heroically saving Cordy. I love how he reenacts his moment of fame - and is caught by Cordelia while doing it.
- And just when Doyle and Cordelia finally make some progress romance-wise, Doyle's wife bursts in. I remember thinking 'Drat.' when that happened.
- I like Harry: She's open-minded, knows what she wants and it's not really important for her to have a flashy husband. She also has a certain sweetness to her - and I mean that in a good way.
- What I appreciated about this episode is that preconceptions are challenged:
We think at first that Harry dumped Doyle because she couldn't cope with his demon side, but it's Doyle you can't cope with what he is and pushes her away because of his insecurities.
Like Cordy we think that Doyle is a bit of a loser. A cute one, but still someone who never accomplished very much in his life. And then we learn from Harry that he used to be a teacher and worked in a charity organisation. Like many characters on the show Doyle has been remaking himself: He changed from Allen Francis Doyle to simply being Doyle.
The show also plays with our expectations of Harry's new husband: We're supposed to believe that he's bad. Then we learn he is a demon, but apparently a peaceful one - and that Harry knows about this. And then it turns out that he's not exactly bad but due to *extreme* culture clash not the best partner for Harry.
I was very glad that Richard wasn't a simplistic villain that Harry had fallen for. I would have hated that. Things are a bit more complex and complexity is good. :-)
Cordelia beating up Doyle by accident because she doesn't recognise him in his demon form and then blaming the other demons for what has happened to Doyle is another great moment.
Doyle: "You think I'm a nice guy?"
Cordy: "I think it, I say it. That's my way."
Love Cordy's line. As we've seen in Earshot that's not a lie from Cordy. What she thinks, *is* what she says.
Click here for a summary.
Finally an episode focusing on Doyle! I was really waiting for this, I had wanted to get some further background for him.
Funnily enough a big part of my post is about Cordelia, because she has some fabulous scenes in this episode.
- The first scene is wonderful: Cordelia is having a date with some stokebroker and is behaving in a very bitchy way. She really doesn't want her date to meet Angel and Doyle. Another nice touch is that Angel is inspecting Cordy's date. I get a subtle father vibe from him in this scene along the lines of 'Young man, you better treat my daughter right or you might regret it.'
Cordelia comes into the office wearing a stunning black strapless sheath: "While I steal into the night with my incredibly-more-wealthy-then-you prince? Makes your little life seem a tad drab, doesn't it?"
Doyle and Angel get up.
Doyle: "Yeah, just because he has money, doesn't mean that he can make you happy."
Cordelia: "I'll have you know that Pierce has a lot more than money. He has a house in Montecito, he has a Mercedes CLK 320 and a place in the hills with a lap pool."
Doyle: "Since you put it that way."
Knocking on door.
Cordy turns to go answer it: "Well if I'm not here in the morning, you can just clear out my desk. I'll be moving on up."
Cut to Pierce walking into the outer office, sees Cordy coming out of Angel's back office.
Pierce: "Wow. You look amazing."
Cordy with a brilliant smile: "Do I? (glances back towards Angel's office) Let's go."
Angel: "What's your hurry? You didn't even introduce us."
Cordy points to each in turn: "Angel, Doyle, Pierce. (takes Pierce's arm) Bye!"
Angel as they are trying to leave: "You work, Pierce?"
Pierce: "I trade - futures and options market."
Angel: "Good. Good. - Out to dinner?"
Pierce: "Le Petite Renard."
Doyle: "Ah, right. Nice spot. Duck is dry."
Angel to Cordy: "So, how late will you be?"
Cordy: "Don't wait up. (To Pierce as she leads him out the door) Don't mind him.."
- Another shiny moment: Cordelia being bored to death by Pierce. I love the cut from Pierce saying to Cordelia Can you imagine anything more exciting then that? to the breathtaking fight scene in which Angel and Doyle destroy a bunch of vampires.
- Cordy's date is such a coward that it's disgusting. Wesley has been scared, but he wouldn't just run off and save his own hide while someone is in danger.
- Cordelia being introspective is another big treat:
Cordy: "So, here I am at Le Petite Renard with Mr. Armani, who could keep me in blue boxes for the rest of my life.."
Angel: "Blue boxes?"
Cordy: "Tiffany's! God! And the whole night I was bored silly. All I could think about was: if this wimp ever saw a monster he'd probably throw a shoe at it and run like a weasel. Turns out the shoe part was giving him to much credit."
Angel: "There aren't very many people that wouldn't run. It's just human nature."
Cordy: "Yeah, - but all of a sudden rich and handsome isn't enough for me. Now I expect a guy to be all brave and interesting. And it's your fault! Both of you."
Angel: "Well, maybe not. Maybe you’re changing. That could be a good thing."
Cordy: "Disastrous. - And as if I wasn't confused enough, then Doyle comes along and rescues me like some - badly dressed superhero. (Sighs) He was really beat up - but you know the first thing he asked? Are you okay? I mean, that's like - substance, right?"
Angel: "Yeah, well, there is definitely more to Doyle then meets the eye."
Cordy: "So, I've got to kill myself. I swore when I went that road with Xander Harris, I'd rather be dead then date a fixer-upper again. (sighs) Still, maybe you're right. Maybe Doyle does have - hidden depths. I mean, really, really hidden, - but depths. And I'm gonna have to buy him a moccachino to thank him for saving my life, don't you think?"
- Doyle really is awfully pleased about heroically saving Cordy. I love how he reenacts his moment of fame - and is caught by Cordelia while doing it.
- And just when Doyle and Cordelia finally make some progress romance-wise, Doyle's wife bursts in. I remember thinking 'Drat.' when that happened.
- I like Harry: She's open-minded, knows what she wants and it's not really important for her to have a flashy husband. She also has a certain sweetness to her - and I mean that in a good way.
- What I appreciated about this episode is that preconceptions are challenged:
We think at first that Harry dumped Doyle because she couldn't cope with his demon side, but it's Doyle you can't cope with what he is and pushes her away because of his insecurities.
Like Cordy we think that Doyle is a bit of a loser. A cute one, but still someone who never accomplished very much in his life. And then we learn from Harry that he used to be a teacher and worked in a charity organisation. Like many characters on the show Doyle has been remaking himself: He changed from Allen Francis Doyle to simply being Doyle.
The show also plays with our expectations of Harry's new husband: We're supposed to believe that he's bad. Then we learn he is a demon, but apparently a peaceful one - and that Harry knows about this. And then it turns out that he's not exactly bad but due to *extreme* culture clash not the best partner for Harry.
I was very glad that Richard wasn't a simplistic villain that Harry had fallen for. I would have hated that. Things are a bit more complex and complexity is good. :-)
Cordelia beating up Doyle by accident because she doesn't recognise him in his demon form and then blaming the other demons for what has happened to Doyle is another great moment.
Doyle: "You think I'm a nice guy?"
Cordy: "I think it, I say it. That's my way."
Love Cordy's line. As we've seen in Earshot that's not a lie from Cordy. What she thinks, *is* what she says.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-17 05:53 am (UTC)Like you, I appreciated the background on Doyle, and began to rout for him and Cordelia in this episode.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-17 11:33 pm (UTC)The characters in Joss Whedon's shows amaze me most of the time. They just grab your attention very quickly. E.g. when you showed me Hush I was immediately fascinated by Tara - before knowing that it was Tara I was seeing. Harry is similar. It only takes a few moments and she has your attention.